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Celts in 5? After the Hawks series? Burt are you on drugs?
Yes. Yes. And no.
I believe the Boston Celtics found themselves barely at the right time in the Atlanta series. They thought they had the “team” thing down pat, and they did for the regular season. But the regular season is not the playoffs when you face a team five, six or seven consecutive times.
The Hawks taught the Celtics a lesson they probably would have learned the hard way against Cleveland or Detroit. They can’t just play. They have to have plan and players need roles.
Paul Pierce needs to be the man on offense. In a close game against a good team he needs to be in the 25-point range, maybe higher.
Kevin Garnett needs to hit open jumpers, rebound and run the defense.
And Ray Allen needs to hit three or four three pointers, usually off some low post play by Garnett or the driving-passing game of Rajon Rondo.
The point is the Celtics needed a playoff identity and I believe they have it now.
What strikes me about Cleveland is their record, 45-37. That is OK.
A year ago they were in the NBA Finals, at 50-32, yet they digressed a little. I believe their rode the the finals last season had more to do with the mediocrity at the top of the Eastern Conference than their playoff-tested talent.
LeBron James is the best athlete in professional sports. He is a specimen. He is also one of the world’s greatest basketball players.
But he can’t beat a team like the Celtics alone. He needs help he can count on, night-in and night-out and he just doesn’t have it.
I see Boston again protecting the homecourt and winning the fourth game, in Cleveland.
The only chance of this going seven games, I believe, is Game 4. The Cavs need to win that.
What do you think?
Let me know your thoughts and comments.