Sports Talk with MC

Garnett, Allen, and Pierce. And Eddie House.

Can the Celtics win it all with this cast of characters? Ever?

My guess is that the East, entering the postseason, will look like this:

1) Boston

2) Detroit

3) Orlando

4) Toronto
5) New Jersey
6) Chicago

7) Cleveland

Atlanta (Yeah!)

My guess is that the West, going into the postseason, will look as such:

1) San Antonio

2) Dallas

3) Houston

4) Phoenix

5) Utah

6) Denver

7) L.A. Lakers (If Kobe stays; if not, replace this with the Clips)

New Orleans

How does Boston stack up against the competition? I think that if the above mentioned brackets were to be followed to hilt, the Celtics should have no trouble dispensing of the young Hawks (although the Hawks’ depth should give them a scare or two for a while; the Hawks’ young should prove to be their Achilles’ heel), and should manage to get past either Toronto or New Jersey in 6 or 7. Going up against, potentially, the Detroit Pistons or Orlando Magic, however, should prove difficult. Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis should give the aged and shallow Celts fits in transition, while an experienced Pistons team should have enough savvy, and enough of a bench, to get past the green and white. Should Boston manage to make the NBA Finals, I still don’t think they have enough of a bench and enough fresh legs who can perform in the clutch to beat a Phoenix, Dallas, San Antonio, or Houston. Dirk Nowitzki would outmaneuver Paul Pierce in a seven game series, and Dallas’ bench would prove to be a fatal blow. Yao Ming would overpower an aging Garnett, and TMac would still prove to be quicker than Paul Pierce. The Rockets, also, have a deep bench this year. If Bonzi Wells plays anything like he did in the Sacramento-San Antonio series from years back, then the Rockets will be difficult to suppress. The Spurs have Tim Duncan, who, against Kevin Garnett, will emerge as the better player because of his ability to make plays when the game is on the line. Tony Parker will kill Rajon Rondo, and Manu Ginobili will spearhead a Spurs second unit that should destroy Scot Pollard, Glen Davis, and Brian “Bozo the Clown” Scalabrine.

Feel free to tell me off should the Boston Celtics of 2007-2008 win the NBA crown. Until then, let’s call it even. You think yes, I think no. I believe what some people believe- that this year is somewhat of an “acid test” campaign for the Celts. Once the Celts lose in the playoffs with the unit they have, only then will Danny Ainge pull the trigger for any major deals. I don’t think that Ainge will make any big time swaps before the trade deadline, unless, of course, the deals come at a bargain he can’t refuse. The team is hamstrung as it is cap-wise. He doesn’t want to come off as yellow, but of course, he’d rather be called yellow than beet-red because of the shame he’d have to endure if he’d make a “shower Adonal Foyle with millions” kind of deal.

The Celts have yet to lose a game as of this piece’s writing. Ol’ Red must be smiling in the heavens. If we still see him grinning past April, then heaven would’ve come down on Earth, at least in the minds of Celtics fans and Beantown’s faithful starving for once commonplace glory.

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