FYM
10-27-2012, 02:21 PM
NBA is f:lolck:lold
http://www.masslive.com/celtics/index.ssf/2012/10/doc_rivers_boston_celtics_conf.html (http://www.masslive.com/celtics/index.ssf/2012/10/doc_rivers_boston_celtics_conf.html)
Their confidence is far from hidden.
The Boston Celtics are marked by positive energy and hampered by big expectations, largely of their own doing.
It’s the Celtics who repeatedly mention they are focused primarily on surpassing the Miami Heat. It’s Jason Terry who has already been tattooed with the Celtics logo spinning the NBA championship trophy on its finger. It’s rookie Jared Sullinger’s teammates and coaches who keep saying how productive he will be. It’s Rajon Rondo saying this is the deepest team for which he’s ever played.Were it not for themselves, Boston would likely enter the 2012-13 season with realistic expectations. The Heat, who have beaten the Celtics in each of the past two postseasons, are likely stronger. LeBron James is obviously the best basketball player on the planet, Dwyane Wade should return healthier after offseason surgery and Ray Allen should benefit from his teammates’ greatness with more open looks than ever.
The Oklahoma City Thunder stayed quiet during the offseason but added needed experience. The Los Angeles Lakers assembled a cast of Hall of Famers, whose games should fit well together.The Celtics reloaded their bench, but will still need plenty to go right in order to win a championship. Rondo will need to take the next step in his development. The veterans, especially Garnett and Pierce, will need to stay healthy. The newcomers will need to fit in. Doc Rivers will need to find a way to maximize all his talent. The pieces and possibilities are there, but the Celtics still have little room for leeway. One key injury, slippage among the veterans, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard – all could derail Boston’s title hopes.
Except the Boston locker room holds nothing but belief, an emotion that should be considered familiar in Boston. Even when limping into the playoffs, even when 15-17 at the All-Star break, these Celtics believe. And now they consider themselves deeper, more talented, more athletic, better suited to handle the grind of an 82-game regular season and enter the postseason with reasonably fresh legs. Their two biggest weaknesses last season were scoring and rebounding – they added plenty of the former, and the latter should be less of an issue with Sullinger now in New England.
The Celtics added Terry, a high-scoring sixth man; Jeff Green, an athletic hybrid forward whose aggression during the preseason made Danny Ainge look smart; Courtney Lee, a hard-nosed and athletic guard who does a little bit of everything; Sullinger, a power forward with a knack for rebounding and finding easy points; Darko Milicic, a draft disappointment who should nonetheless provide the Celtics with a physical presence in the paint; and recently, Leandro Barbosa, a 29-year old who will be Boston’s fifth-best guard but has averaged 12.5 points per game for his career.
They still have Rondo, already one of the NBA’s best point guards, who improves every season and could be ready to add scoring to his list of consistent contributions; Garnett, probably the best big man in the 2012 playoffs; and Paul Pierce, the second-leading scorer in franchise history, who looks ready at age 35 for another steady, productive season. And we haven’t even mentioned Brandon Bass, a power forward with one of the world’s best midrange jump shots, an underrated defender and true workman, or Avery Bradley, who will miss the first couple of months but aided Boston’s second-half resurgence last season.The Celtics should be enjoyable. Enjoyable to watch, as high-octane runs should supplant long spells where they scored like a soccer team. Enjoyable to cheer for, as they seem genuinely positive, unselfish and bound by a desire to win. Enjoyable to coach, as Rivers has more options and versatility than maybe ever before.Will they win an NBA title? The Celtics sure seem to think so. After entering the offseason with a murky future that included Garnett pondering retirement, the possibility itself brings a smile.
The ride is beginning once more, and at the very least it should be fun.
http://www.masslive.com/celtics/index.ssf/2012/10/doc_rivers_boston_celtics_conf.html (http://www.masslive.com/celtics/index.ssf/2012/10/doc_rivers_boston_celtics_conf.html)
Their confidence is far from hidden.
The Boston Celtics are marked by positive energy and hampered by big expectations, largely of their own doing.
It’s the Celtics who repeatedly mention they are focused primarily on surpassing the Miami Heat. It’s Jason Terry who has already been tattooed with the Celtics logo spinning the NBA championship trophy on its finger. It’s rookie Jared Sullinger’s teammates and coaches who keep saying how productive he will be. It’s Rajon Rondo saying this is the deepest team for which he’s ever played.Were it not for themselves, Boston would likely enter the 2012-13 season with realistic expectations. The Heat, who have beaten the Celtics in each of the past two postseasons, are likely stronger. LeBron James is obviously the best basketball player on the planet, Dwyane Wade should return healthier after offseason surgery and Ray Allen should benefit from his teammates’ greatness with more open looks than ever.
The Oklahoma City Thunder stayed quiet during the offseason but added needed experience. The Los Angeles Lakers assembled a cast of Hall of Famers, whose games should fit well together.The Celtics reloaded their bench, but will still need plenty to go right in order to win a championship. Rondo will need to take the next step in his development. The veterans, especially Garnett and Pierce, will need to stay healthy. The newcomers will need to fit in. Doc Rivers will need to find a way to maximize all his talent. The pieces and possibilities are there, but the Celtics still have little room for leeway. One key injury, slippage among the veterans, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Dwight Howard – all could derail Boston’s title hopes.
Except the Boston locker room holds nothing but belief, an emotion that should be considered familiar in Boston. Even when limping into the playoffs, even when 15-17 at the All-Star break, these Celtics believe. And now they consider themselves deeper, more talented, more athletic, better suited to handle the grind of an 82-game regular season and enter the postseason with reasonably fresh legs. Their two biggest weaknesses last season were scoring and rebounding – they added plenty of the former, and the latter should be less of an issue with Sullinger now in New England.
The Celtics added Terry, a high-scoring sixth man; Jeff Green, an athletic hybrid forward whose aggression during the preseason made Danny Ainge look smart; Courtney Lee, a hard-nosed and athletic guard who does a little bit of everything; Sullinger, a power forward with a knack for rebounding and finding easy points; Darko Milicic, a draft disappointment who should nonetheless provide the Celtics with a physical presence in the paint; and recently, Leandro Barbosa, a 29-year old who will be Boston’s fifth-best guard but has averaged 12.5 points per game for his career.
They still have Rondo, already one of the NBA’s best point guards, who improves every season and could be ready to add scoring to his list of consistent contributions; Garnett, probably the best big man in the 2012 playoffs; and Paul Pierce, the second-leading scorer in franchise history, who looks ready at age 35 for another steady, productive season. And we haven’t even mentioned Brandon Bass, a power forward with one of the world’s best midrange jump shots, an underrated defender and true workman, or Avery Bradley, who will miss the first couple of months but aided Boston’s second-half resurgence last season.The Celtics should be enjoyable. Enjoyable to watch, as high-octane runs should supplant long spells where they scored like a soccer team. Enjoyable to cheer for, as they seem genuinely positive, unselfish and bound by a desire to win. Enjoyable to coach, as Rivers has more options and versatility than maybe ever before.Will they win an NBA title? The Celtics sure seem to think so. After entering the offseason with a murky future that included Garnett pondering retirement, the possibility itself brings a smile.
The ride is beginning once more, and at the very least it should be fun.