How truer is Rivers' quote about getting healthy...

[campybatman]

Boston knows all too well about making sacrifices. Last season, it was about Pierce, (Ray) Allen and Garnett sacrificing scoring to better complement one another and the team. Followed by a strong commitment to team defense. This season, it's about perseverance and overcoming adversity. The sacrifice is: Potentially, surrendering home court advantage in the playoffs. It's a matter of risk and reward when it comes to injuries. You don't want to rush players back too soon. Being healthy for the playoffs is too important if looking at the bigger picture. Granted the regular season isn't over but Orlando is now making Boston think of the prospect of finishing as the third seed, behind Cleveland and Orlando.

Boston is still a good team. But, the rest of the schedule will be even tougher with Tony, Scalabrine, Garnett and Rondo being sidelined indefinitely. This team needs to be healthy when they wrap-up things up in April. Hopefully, they'll enter the playoffs riding a bit of momentum.

There's little doubt that Boston can be road warriors in the playoffs. They've one of the best road records this season. But, home court advantage is still ideal, in my opinion.

What does it mean to have a completely healthy roster? It has made a difference with Utah. Now healthy, the Jazz are on an eleven game winning streak. They're poise to make a late season surge up the playoff seedings.

Boston hopes to secure home-court advantage in the playoffs like it did last season, but that is no longer the Celtics’ top regular-season priority.

“I would rather be the seventh seed with everybody 100 percent than the No. 1 seed with everybody 75 percent,” Boston coach Doc Rivers said recently. “We can win on the road. We won in L.A. in the playoffs [last season]. We won two in Detroit.”

Rivers said Boston All-Star forward Kevin Garnett (knee) will be out for at least another week while Brian Scalabrine (concussion) and Tony Allen (thumb) won’t be back until next month.

“Hopefully, Kevin will get healthy as soon as possible,” Boston captain Paul Pierce said after Garnett’s injury on Feb. 19. “We’ve been injured a lot this season, but the most important thing is to just get healthy going into the playoffs. You want him to take his time and not try to kill himself in the regular season.

“If we don’t have home-court advantage, so be it; we have to find a way to get it done.”

http://www.projo.com/celtics/content/sp ... 67851.html

[stretch]

well.. can you honestly say you don't mind the fact that Paul Pierce is playing pretty much the whole game, every game? He's barely getting 5-7 minutes of game time rest

Even against Orlando, Doc kept Allen and Pierce in way too long, just so we could come back. yes that was important even though we lost. But would it have been so bad when things were within 10 or 15 points in the 3rd, to play Walker and Giddens and then bring back the two?

Pierce and Allen are playing way too much. Even though they got a lot of rest in the first half of the season..

[KobeChinaMan1]

LOL you guys can win on the road. But the chances go down 50 percent vs a Cleveland and 70 percent vs the Lakers. The game you won in LA you came back from 24. It could happen again but the chances are lower.

Its a lot easier playing on the road for games 3,4 and 5 when you know you have to just get 1 as oppose to playing at home for games 3 , 4 and 5 and desperate to get 2 or 3 out of 3.

[Sunny_So_Cal]

A tough item that you guys may have a difficult time dealing with is experience. And by experience I mean that of which Boston's competition has gained. The Lakers, Cavs, and Magic are all vastily improved teams over last year. They all have gained a tremendous amount of experience, too. Still, Boston is Boston. When you become the champion you know what it takes to win.

[Al-Haqq]

If Cavs have home court it's going to be exceptionally hard winning game 7 in Cleveland!!

Of course that is said with the assumption that we play the Cavs in the ECF, and that we make it that far.

But let's be real, if and when these two teams meet in the ECF, it's going to be a minimum 6-games, with game 7 very likely. I just can't see us pulling it out in Cleveland of all places. They're just far too good at home.

They've had 1 loss there all season!!!

[campybatman]

Some of those in the media seem to be of the opinion that it's more to the benefit of Boston, and not Cleveland, to secure home court advantage. Citing that Cleveland has been strong on the road. Yeah, so too has Boston. I agree and disagree. If you ask LeBron for example, especially if you consider Boston as a future opponent in a later round, he'll say openly that he'll like to have home court advantage entering the playoffs this season.

A good point that keeps getting brought up. The top seed is at an advantage because the second and third seed will likely have to go through one another first before they even reach the top seed. At worst, the top seed faces the fourth seed. However, even for the Celtics, the top seed doesn't guarantee you an eastern conference appearance. Because they could end up facing either Atlanta or Miami as the top seed in the second round. That series could be just as taxing as a Cleveland versus Orlando second round match up.


Edit: LeBron does want home court advantage for the Cavaliers. Watch at 1:43.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EIN7_SQQDM

[BRUNiNHO91]

Man, people are getting too worried about these playoffs...I say it here..I don't see NO TEAM in the league beating us 4 times in a 7 games series...not saying it's impossible..but I just don't see it..IMO we have the best team..we have the STARS..we have the CHAMPIONSHIP...is it hard beating Cleveland at the Q in a game 7? Yes..but it's even harder beating the BOSTON CELTICS, in any court on a game 7...how many game 7's have we lost during all our history? I don't think their were that many..so yeah...
MAN UP CHUMPS..WORRYING IS FOR THE WEAK!!! WE THE BOSTON CELTICS!! WE HAVE, WHAT THEYYYYY WANT!!! WE HAVE THE BIG 3!!!Let Cleveland play their asses out to get homecourt for a game 7..then they get to the playoffs and we beat em in 6..because their whole team has stress injuries from chasing after home court...that would be such a slap in the face..lmao...seriously though..let's just wait and see how things play out will ya? Nothing is guaranteed it..stop guaranteeing things people....just enjoy the show...

[campybatman]

It isn't about worrying... It's about identifying an apparent concern. That concern is for the injuries of players. Injuries are real. You can't ignore them. I'm acknowledging them as possibly having an affect on this team moving forward. Anyone who can't see this is ignoring a truth. If Rivers' relying on Marbury as the starting point guard while Rondo's out. Then you're asking a lot of a player who's new to things on the Celtics. If that alone isn't concerning to fans, I don't know what is. I mean there's a difference between an inexperienced young player (Pruitt) and an inexperienced veteran player (Marbury). A veteran back-up has more pressure thrust upon him in the wake of injuries. Unfortunately, the timing of all this is bad. Marbury isn't the veteran you want to rely on at this point. It's too soon.

This point from today's game can't be stressed enough. Rivers is less inclined to play Pruitt, House is a shooting guard. So, it all falls on the lap of Marbury. Pierce will be asked to handle the ball more as well. Which means more turnovers.

Reserve guard Stephon Marbury started in place of Rondo and recorded zero assists while scoring just four points. In total, the Celtics made 10 assists on 30 field goals, a significant decrease from their 22.9 per-game average.

http://community.nesn.com/blogs/boston_ ... 20560.aspx

[BRUNiNHO91]

Yes..and i do have a concern..which is to get Marbs' game flowing along well with the team, and get 100% healthy for the playoffs. If we can manage to do that, we have proven we can win on the road in the playoffs. We'll be fine, regardless of who we play, and where we play them. And what are you implying there? That Doc should play Pruitt rather than Marbury??

[cisco]

As I recall, the Celtics beat Detroit and LA on the road in the playoffs last year. If the keep the 2nd seed, they will have homecourt until they meet the Cavs, should they get that far and then the Lakers (who again, they beat on the road last year). Cleveland will be tough, but if we get past them, I have no fear of the Lakers on the road.

[Kefa461]

When the C's get healthy they can beat anybody, anyplace, anytime. The key is to get healthy.

[OBisHalJordan]

"truer" is not a word.

[campybatman]

And what are you implying there? That Doc should play Pruitt rather than Marbury??

What I'm saying is obvious: Marbury isn't ready. Admittedly, I'll prefer to see House start as oppose to Marbury. At least House opens things up for the interior offense with his perimeter shooting. Right now, you aren't getting any offensive production from Marbury to keep the opposing defenses honest. With House and Ray together staring in the back court, you as a defender would've to account for both of them and respect that they're a three-point threat every time they've the ball. When Rondo starts, he constantly is looking for teammates. It's contagious. Everyone looks for each other. Without him, the offensive becomes somewhat stagnant and then you begin to see players like Pierce have to overcompensate and Marbury's struggles with learning the plays doesn't help. He's trying... But, it's not good enough to where he should be starting. Rivers' trust in him could bite the team in the butt. I hope not. But, I can't wait for Rondo to return.

[MyInsatiableOne]

LOL you guys can win on the road. But the chances go down 50 percent vs a Cleveland and 70 percent vs the Lakers. The game you won in LA you came back from 24. It could happen again but the chances are lower.

Its a lot easier playing on the road for games 3,4 and 5 when you know you have to just get 1 as oppose to playing at home for games 3 , 4 and 5 and desperate to get 2 or 3 out of 3.

We could have won 2 in LA were it not for Kobe's "steal"...

[campybatman]

"truer" is not a word.

It's always fun (or irksome) when a poster finds the time to contradict me.



http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/truer
http://www.memidex.com/truer



Skype 4.0 for Windows delivers truer video, sound

http://news.zdnet.com/2100-9595_22-265763.html



There Is No Truer Truth: The Musical Aspect of Browning's Poetry

http://www.questia.com/library/book/the ... offman.jsp

Fortunately for posterity, he left us his "Devil's Dictionary," a work redefining many everyday terms in light of their truer meaning as euphemisms used by the wealthy ruling classes or defining their beliefs.

http://www.capecodtoday.com/blogs/index ... 1?blog=214

[Kefa461]

And what are you implying there? That Doc should play Pruitt rather than Marbury??

What I'm saying is obvious: Marbury isn't ready. Admittedly, I'll prefer to see House start as oppose to Marbury. At least House opens things up for the interior offense with his perimeter shooting. Right now, you aren't getting any offensive production from Marbury to keep the opposing defenses honest. With House and Ray together staring in the back court, you as a defender would've to account for both of them and respect that they're a three-point threat every time they've the ball. When Rondo starts, he constantly is looking for teammates. It's contagious. Everyone looks for each other. Without him, the offensive becomes somewhat stagnant and then you begin to see players like Pierce have to overcompensate and Marbury's struggles with learning the plays doesn't help. He's trying... But, it's not good enough to where he should be starting. Rivers' trust in him could bite the team in the butt. I hope not. But, I can't wait for Rondo to return.

Starbaby to be the backup has to play.....he has to get the minutes.

[OBisHalJordan]

Well, i guess you got me, bonsai. I still think it sounds awkward and, though I am no expert in grammar, I think, given the way your structured your sentence, you should have used a the noun "true" instead of the adjective "truer." I think what you have as "truer" is the object and, for that reason, it should be in noun form; "Rivers' quote" is the subject; "healthy" is an adjective; "getting" is the verb and the rest of the words are prepositions but, again, I am no expert on grammar.

I do know, however, if you google "how true is" you a number of results. If google, "how truer is", on the other hand, all you get is this thread and a suggestion to change your search to "how true is." So I think that, if no one else on the whole internet used the word the way you did, that's a pretty clear indication that you don't know what you are talking about. Nice job talking down to me, though. That was fun for me to read.

Perhaps you could write another long post defending yourself and give me another laugh when you display your insecurity? As long as you feel the need to create 2-3 threads a day, I think I will feel the need to be "irksome" to you.

[BRUNiNHO91]

And what are you implying there? That Doc should play Pruitt rather than Marbury??

What I'm saying is obvious: Marbury isn't ready. Admittedly, I'll prefer to see House start as oppose to Marbury. At least House opens things up for the interior offense with his perimeter shooting. Right now, you aren't getting any offensive production from Marbury to keep the opposing defenses honest. With House and Ray together staring in the back court, you as a defender would've to account for both of them and respect that they're a three-point threat every time they've the ball. When Rondo starts, he constantly is looking for teammates. It's contagious. Everyone looks for each other. Without him, the offensive becomes somewhat stagnant and then you begin to see players like Pierce have to overcompensate and Marbury's struggles with learning the plays doesn't help. He's trying... But, it's not good enough to where he should be starting. Rivers' trust in him could bite the team in the butt. I hope not. But, I can't wait for Rondo to return.

Well, I agree witchu partially on this one. Starting Marbury might cost us some games now, even though I think that without Rondo and KG, and with a rusty Steph, we can still beat Miami and Memphis..or at least we should. But Doc is thinking ahead. He is thinking playoffs...we all know how good Stephon is when he is 100% in game shape. He needs to play now, to get better for when we will really need him to back Rondo up. I don't like House as a pg, at all. To me he would only play SG backing up Ray. He handles the ball just as bad as Pierce, and has horrible play making decisions. I would rather start Pruitt than House at point. So it's a catch 22..either you lose or you lose...you really can't go right with neither of the 3. One is young and has never started, one is rusty and one is a SG. I think you play who you will use the most later on down the road. And that's Marbury. But yep..I can't wait for Rondo to return either..

[campybatman]

Yeah, that makes sense... It's just that the longer Marbury struggles now. The more you'll be asking players such as Pierce and Ray to be play-makers. Not that either is incapable... But, it takes away from what's needed the most of them right now, scoring.

[BRUNiNHO91]

Yeah, that makes sense... It's just that the longer Marbury struggles now. The more you'll be asking players such as Pierce and Ray to be play-makers. Not that either is incapable... But, it takes away from what's needed the most of them right now, scoring.

See this has to stop..Pierce and Allen should not even look at the ball if it's not past halfcourt. They need to let Marbury and Pruitt handle the ball. Pierce and Allen should only have to worry about scoring on halfcourt sets..not pushing up the ball, as point guards...if they do that, they will screw themselves out before the 4th quarter, and it won't allow Marbs to get better either.