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If you look at the Celtics schedule, it has been pretty rough as far as road games and number of days off. They have the best record in the EC and are only % points behind the Lakers overall. (Celtics have one more win and one more loss having played 2 more games). That being said the most glaring stat is the Celtics have played 11 home games and 11 road game, which you would think was normal. However, the Lakers have played 16 home games and only 4 road games. That is a major difference. Point being, the Celtics are in for a long stretch of home games moving forward and they are among the best of the best and they have not even played their best basketball. So, things are good in Celtic land. Enjoy it.

I'll drink to that.

Yeah, and undefeated with Gasol.

Both teams at full strength, and they would donkeypunch us.

Recognizing that and wanting to improve so we can beat them is just pragmatic IMO, not negative.

canman1971 wrote:If you look at the Celtics schedule, it has been pretty rough as far as road games and number of days off. They have the best record in the EC and are only % points behind the Lakers overall. (Celtics have one more win and one more loss having played 2 more games). That being said the most glaring stat is the Celtics have played 11 home games and 11 road game, which you would think was normal. However, the Lakers have played 16 home games and only 4 road games. That is a major difference. Point being, the Celtics are in for a long stretch of home games moving forward and they are among the best of the best and they have not even played their best basketball. So, things are good in Celtic land. Enjoy it.

DAMN STRAIGHT!

Very good point. But at this rate, I'd rather us play the rest of our games on the road. Just seems like we come out more focused when we aren't in Boston. If we keep coming out flat like we did against the Bucks the other night, we will not win against tough opponents at home. Seems temporary though, hopefully that wears off soon.

Captain_Caveman wrote:Yeah, and undefeated with Gasol.

Both teams at full strength, and they would donkeypunch us.

Recognizing that and wanting to improve so we can beat them is just pragmatic IMO, not negative.

They are not THAT good. We are FULLY capable of beating them..they will NOT donkeypunch us..gee...the best team they played popped them by like 30 at home..(Denver)..give me a break dude...

Captain_Caveman wrote:Yeah, and undefeated with Gasol.

Both teams at full strength, and they would donkeypunch us.

Recognizing that and wanting to improve so we can beat them is just pragmatic IMO, not negative.

Since Gasol has returned:

LAL vs DET W 106-93
LAL vs CHI W 108-93
LAL vs OKC W 101-85
LAL vs NY W 100-90
LAL @ GS W 130-97
LAL vs NJ W 106-87
LAL vs NO W 110-99 (No Chris Paul)
LAL vs Miami W 108-107
LAL vs PHX W 108-88
LAL vs Utah W 101-77
LAL vs MIN W 104-92

That's not a particularly impressive group of opponents, especially considering they never left California over that stretch. The wins against Pheonix and Utah are nice but I wouldn't say they would donkeypunch us based on them trashing some bottom dwellers.

How bout we stop calling it negativity....and call it realism??? That is how I feel about the team....I luv the team...but I am realistic that LA has a better roster....that Denver look monsterous....that Cleveland could knock us out....that Atlanta are real real scary....

I am realistic that this team is great....with room to improve.....they dont inspire confidence,...hope...certainly....not confidence in an all the way assualt come playoffs

Yes. Or Kirk H from the bulls if they decide to blow things up.
I have been saying for a couple of weeks that we need a solid vet back-up 1.

Either that, or I would love to have Ryan Gomes. We need a tall, solid defensive-minded 3 to back-up the Truth. He also is a New England guy and a great locker room guy.

Or do we wait a while longer, closer to the trading deadline, and see how we are playing and who else pops up available.

I trust in Danny - he wiil make the right move!

bendyone wrote:How bout we stop calling it negativity....and call it realism??? That is how I feel about the team....I luv the team...but I am realistic that LA has a better roster....that Denver look monsterous....that Cleveland could knock us out....that Atlanta are real real scary....

I am realistic that this team is great....with room to improve.....they dont inspire confidence,...hope...certainly....not confidence in an all the way assualt come playoffs

Denver has looked anything but monsterous this season with a lot of bad losses to bad teams (though I do like them). Cleveland could knock us out but so could Charlotte, I don't think Cleveland will beat us. Atlanta is a bad matchup for us. I don't you can call it realism to believe LA has a better roster than us, it's debateable. I don't see why this team doesn't inspire hope or confidence, this team is pretty good.

Being negative and being realistic are not the same thing. We are not Toronto, we are a title contender. While we certainly can improve, it's foolish to write this team off as is.

Al n' Perk No Layups! wrote:

bendyone wrote:
Being negative and being realistic are not the same thing. We are not Toronto, we are a title contender. While we certainly can improve, it's foolish to write this team off as is.

Ummm...that is the point im making.....all the people who show some concern...lack of faith.....non homerish view...get tagged as negative....I am suggesting perhaps it is more of a realistic view....call it cyritical analysis.....better?

Cave, I am a realist also. But plz perk up. We are 18-4, and still have much room to get better. Except for a few games (unfortunately including the Wiz game), the Truth has been magnificent, RR is even better than I thought having just seen him in person, KG continues to get sharper and sharper, Perk is a real force on D, and his low post scoring has gone from spastic to competent right in front of our eyes, Sheed is mixing up his 3s with low post moves, and can be a force on D, Eddie will break out of his slump soon, and Danny has the assets to pick up someone like Arroyo/Kirk H. and/or Gomes.

The Fakers present a diificult challenge - but in a 7 game series, I am confident we can beat them.

Cave, my Celtic bro 3000 miles away, enjoy the ride. We suufered for so many years watching the Truth carry **** teams to low playoff seeds. We are title contenders! Chilax, enjoy the games, screw your GF alot, stay healthy, and be realistic but with a positive spin.

P.S. The Endocrine Society, my national meeting, is in SD this year in June during the Finals this year. My GF and I will drive up to LA, take you to dinner at Spago (is it still around?), and then "will" the Cs
to a victory over the fantastically talented criminal and his boys.

I will also invite to dinner with us (and pay for everyone) our Laker bud Tony Montana, and personally hand him the best article ever written on why the dangers of GH use as an anti-aging therapy far outweigh the minimal medical benefits (January 2007; Annals of Internal Medicine; first author Liu and senior author my friend Andy Hoffman, a Professor at Stanford).

Goooooooooooo Green!

Brother Exculpatory, I hear what you are saying.

We are the 2nd best team in the world and it is cool.

But I watch both teams intently, and I detect a difference, just as I did in 2007.

They have the swagger of a champion, just like we did two years ago. IMO, pray for a Kobe injury.

Hey, do yourself a favor and don't stay downtown for that conference. Downtown SD is a big, fat homeless dump. Get out to the beaches and slum it, bro. Would happily buy you a beer or two if you get out to OB, and could certainly recommend some cool hotels.

Stay on the top two floors of this place and it will change your life.

http://www.surferbeachhotel.com/

Captain_Caveman wrote:Brother Exculpatory, I hear what you are saying.

We are the 2nd best team in the world and it is cool.

But I watch both teams intently, and I detect a difference, just as I did in 2007.

They have the swagger of a champion, just like we did two years ago. IMO, pray for a Kobe injury.

We look to be roughly even with the Lakers, which is what you'd expect in comparing the rosters. KG/Perk and Pau/Bynum are very evenly matched. Paul is nearly as superior to Artest as Kobe is to Ray. Odom is far more dangerous than anyone off our bench and Rondo is vastly superior to any of the Lakers options at the 1.

Barring injury, I'd fully expect their games to go down to the wire, with endgame execution as the deciding factor.

well, Kobe just broke a finger on his shooting hand.

Ouch.

Probably not an injury that will stop him playing, but it will impact on his efficiency.
I despise the lakers, but I don't like injuries deciding matters. See last year

To you Captain Caveman, I see you your "undefeated since the return of Gasol" and raise you the return of our our KG.. also known as the guy who is the Player of the Week, just rolling into his All-Star form, starting to kick ass, destroy the league, CRY HAVOK AND LET SLIP THE DAWGS OF WAR.

Captain_Caveman wrote:Brother Exculpatory, I hear what you are saying.

We are the 2nd best team in the world and it is cool.

But I watch both teams intently, and I detect a difference, just as I did in 2007.

They have the swagger of a champion, just like we did two years ago. IMO, pray for a Kobe injury.

Hey, do yourself a favor and don't stay downtown for that conference. Downtown SD is a big, fat homeless dump. Get out to the beaches and slum it, bro. Would happily buy you a beer or two if you get out to OB, and could certainly recommend some cool hotels.

Stay on the top two floors of this place and it will change your life.

http://www.surferbeachhotel.com/

You can't possibly feel as confident that the Celtics would lose to the Lakers as you did when you posted your thread a while back. The record with Gasol back is worthless in that super soft schedule. Nobody was crowning the Celtics after going 29-2 against a far more balanced schedule last time. Both Celtic losses to the Lakers last year which you pointed to as some sort of proof, went to the final minutes and both had questionable calls in them. No sour grapes - we lost, but nothing that gave any sense of superiority. Celts were on long winning streaks both times, due to lose, and why not to an excellent team by a scant margin? I need to see something more substantial. I'm not even crazy about trying to decide in two regular season games, because a lot happens including potentially player moves and injuries by the last series of the NBA season. But I would say convincing wins by either squad when they play each other would tell us something.

The 5 best players on both rosters from 1-10:

1. Kobe - best player in the game right now - bar none
2. Pau - best PF in the game right now
3. KG - jump shooter; best weakside swatter in the game; #2 PF in the game
4. Pierce - gets to the line with regularity; #3 SF in the game
5. Bynum - #2 center in the game right now; good rebounder; good swatter
6. Artest - best MLE acquisition in NBA history; best defensive SF in the game
7. Ray Allen - best shooter in the league; poor defender
8. Rondo - #4 PG in the game; best defensive PG in the game right now
9. Lamar - inconsistent; should be best 6th man in the game; TBD
10. Perkins - good to great defender; bruiser; efficient, no-nonsense player; solid

We both will meet in the Finals this year. The difference? Age. You guys are old and your window of opportunity is closing. Our window is 4-5 more years. Pau - in his prime; Kobe - in his prime; Bynum - 3 years away from his prime.

Then you guys have to worry about the Golden Children (Bron and Shaq). Then you guys have to worry about a Magic team that spanked y'all without Shard. Then there are the AThLetic Hawks lurking...

The Lakers have 3 teams to worry about in SA, Denver and Utah - but should have little trouble with either in a 7-game series:

SA? TD is old and is inferior to Gasol. Manu - done. TP - not worried about him.
Denver? Too much thuggery and stupidity.
Utah - too short: Laker Size Matters.

I just hope that we're both healthy this time. We saw what a healthy Laker team could do (2-0 v. Celtics; 2-0 v Cleveland, and 4-1 against the Magic when it counted )

Go Lakers!

The Artest acquisition is superior to Billups by the Pistons even before a single playoff game is played? What kind of posting is that supposed to be?

LOL @ Pau over KG.

Man...this thread is making me impatient. Bring on the Lakers! Bring on the Finals! It's gonna be epic, a hell of a lot of fun, just like 2008 was