The saddest thing of all...

[billfromBoston]

Is that if the Bulls get by the depleted C's, they will lose in 5 games to Orlando and Boston will look like a joke to everyone that hated on them last year.

I don't worry about next year or the future after this, but this is going to be like the Pats 2001 Super Bowl - it'll be treated like a fluke or a blip - KG's absence won't be enough to off-set the ineptiude of Boston's defensive effort.

A bounce in the first round will re-set the clock on GPA's legacy, they'll be * players again to a lot of people unless they regroup and get a title shot again...which they will with astute off-season management.

But this season is a massive ego-blow to fans and team alike. They are so reliant on KG for what he does they just become an also-ran without him.

This team goes from 1st/2nd in defense to about 25th without him. They get no rebounding out of the frontcourt and cannot defend the perimeter and driving lanes at the same time.

Losing a KG level player is like taking the best player away from any other team, but Boston has more stars than any other team, so you'd expect less fall off.

This will be a long and painful off-season waiting for redemption if the team goes down in round one and if they advance they are **** in the second round without a KG return.

This team has absolutely no defensive ability without KG in the starting lineup - a sad enlightenment of the rest of the starting 5...

[MeMe]

I don't worry about next year or the future after this, but this is going to be like the Pats 2001 Super Bowl - it'll be treated like a fluke or a blip - KG's absence won't be enough to off-set the ineptiude of Boston's defensive effort. .

No one will treat a 66-win team as a fluke. Not even the biggest haters. Especially a team that beat teams led by LeBron and Kobe.

Most people would see it as the Celtics team being depleted, though you'll have your few, hate-filled fans who will claim otherwise. Even to those, though, it won't have any bearing on last season, unless they're total biased idiots.

Funny thing is, I think we could take Orlando within six games, but Chicago is a problem. I was hoping that we'd get Philly or Detroit. I couldn't believe Chicago's choke job versus Toronto. I knew Chicago would be the most competitive opponent. I remember reading comments from Orlando fans hoping not to get Chicago either, lol.

[accelerator]

YOUR ARE RIGHT bILL-

WE SO NEED KG- HE IS A VERY SPECIAL PLAYER

WE SO NEED A TOP OF THE LINE BENCH PLAYER LIKE A BEN GORDON TYPE

WERE GETTING OLD - DARN

WHAT AN EXHAUSTING SERIES AND BEATDOWN

[threrf23]

Our effort against the Bulls thus far has been about as good as our effort against the Hawks last season, and that was with KG.

I almost think we are purposely trying to win these series' in 7 games to maximize team revenue. At least, I would like to think that.

We will win game 7 by 10+ points, though, and the Magic shouldn't be too tough.

[MeMe]

Our effort against the Bulls thus far has been about as good as our effort against the Hawks last season, and that was with KG.

Yep, it's one of those matchup things. We have a problem with younger, athletic teams. Did anyone live through last year? That's why posts like these are a little overwrought.

Scal and Marbury were in the game with a final minute in overtime. That should tell you a lot.

[GuyClinch]

Meh. Bill might be right but they can't take that championship away - even if its called a fluke. That's the beauty of a championship. It stands forever no matter how that team is percieved..

Pete

[TommyPoints]

I have to disagree. The team is not the same without KG. What championship team would be the same without their best player? If Kobe or Lebron goes down their teams wont win either. Add to that we are also without Powe who added a lot off of the bench for us. Not to mention our bench is not as good as last year either without Posey and Brown. Mikki Moore has been pretty worthless. I pretty much have no expectations because of this and it has taken all of the pressure off. Sure, I hate seeing the team struggle, but we aren't expected to do much.

If anything I'm upset with Doc more than anything. We have lost a couple of these games because of poor coaching at the end of the games. I know the Bulls aren't world beaters, but we had plenty of trouble with the 8 seed last year, so why should the 7 seed be any different for us?

I think anyone who has a clue would chalk it up to our best player being out who happens to be one of the best PF's of all time. Hopefully Rondo isn't suspended or there goes yet another blow to the teams chances. You can't call it a fluke when the team is injured.

[z0zin]

You guys need depth off the bench, so you're starters don't play +40mpg, and with some luck the big 3 doesn't get injured. A healthy & rested Celtics team still has one more run in them.

[Fencer reregistered]

The saddest thing is that we can't look back with pleasure on one of the greatest basketball games ever played, because this time our team lost.

[DelMonte West]

I'd rather be one-and-done than, well, none. However, our depth and length REALLY needs to be addressed, even if we assume Davis is still coming off our bench next year and Powe returns to the mix later on.

As of right now, our bench is a hodge-podge of very limited players. House, for all his feistiness, is a pint-sized Walter McCarty which is fine for the far end of the bench but, as this series has proven, not ideal when you're facing playoff-calibur defense. Beyond him, I'm not sure what to expect of our bench coming into next season. I think more minutes should have been allocated for the development of Walker/Giddens/Pruitt in stints with the rest of the starting 5, but for whatever reason Doc makes his substitutions en masse in the regular season, and is just starting to realize the folly of trying to mix the two units together. There's no coherency when members of the "A" team play with the "B" team. As a whole we need to stop grinding our starters into the ground and letting our entire team mix and mingle during the regular season.

At the beginning of the Marbury acquisition I figured Stephon would improve his aggresiveness over time, but now he's looking like Allan Ray out there. It'd be nice to see if Pruitt could replace him and come back into the fold as our main backup PG next season, but again there just haven't been enough minutes set aside for his developmental curve yet.

Bill, do you know anything regarding the possibility of Semih Erden coming over here for next season? He seems to at least provide us with some much-needed size and athleticism, regardless of his experience level...I think it's gone almost completely overlooked in the midst of watching us field 6'8" and under centers.

[MeMe]

^Celts need to make a play for Birdman, though I think Denver will do everything they can to keep him.

[DelMonte West]

The guy I'd just love to see on this team is Travis Outlaw. There's no chance of it happening but the guy's a flat-out stud. He's experienced but still has great explosiveness, lift, length, and hustle. Birdman's a good defender but we really need someone that's comfortable when the ball hits their hands; this hot potato crap with Marbury is just killing me, and TA dribbling makes me nervous.

[DarkAzcura]

Eh I think our defense is still good without him, but the Bulls offense is just really good. They've been great on the offensive end since the trade.

[Allanon]

Paul Pierce is the best player in the world, it would indeed be an embarrassment if the Celtics lose with him playing.

But I don't think the Celtics are losing in the first round, they'll win Game 7. I don't think they'll make the Finals without KG though.

[spf211]

Maybe they'll be right?

You're judged for what you do on the court. As evidenced by Pierce's legs and KG's injury this year, maybe GPA are too old to repeat. I don't think anyone would debate if GPA were all 5 years younger we'd be talking about how many consecutive titles they'd win.

But they're not.

You're judged on how you perform. If the Celtics get past the Bulls, get past the Magic, then get KG back for Cleveland & LA for a second title, yes they get a different legacy.

If the Celtics, minus Garnett, can't get by the Bulls when they have a Game 7 at home -- they get the coverage and the legacy they deserve. It is what it is.

[cisco]

The problem is no KG. The Celtics are getting no help from the bench, because Powe is hurt and the only bench player doing anything is in the starting lineup (Big Baby) to replace KG. This is tiring the starters out. The Celtics desperately need some production from Eddie, Mikki and Marbury.