Maybe it’s last year’s late season collapse that has my mind at ease but a game last night where the Celtics lost to the Nets, doesn’t have me worried.
You think about last year and the team was just waiting to get everyone healthy and that was the team that would be headed to the post season. It didn’t matter that Cleveland was running away with the East or that you were seeded behind the Magic, or that Atlanta ended up over taking you for the third seed. You had no expectation of the Celtics doing anything once they made the playoffs. Even the yahoo, green teamers had no idea the C’s were headed to the Finals.
But it’s last year’s team that has my mind at ease even after a night like last night and Friday night. Sure there was the incredible defensive domination on Sunday night where they limited the Bucks to 59 points (a new team shot clock era record) in between the two losses but I’m not worried. In fact I’m encouraged since the Celtics actually have an offensive second unit that can score points opposed to earlier this season when the second unit would just dissolve leads built by the first unit.
The team getting healthy is still the biggest concern on my radar. Troy Murphy is a body and I’m glad he didn’t sign with the Heat, but really, he’s just a body. He doesn’t really add anything since he hasn’t really played all season. So for Shaq to come back healthy and bury Murphy on the bench will be a very good thing for the C’s.
The other big man the Celtics brought in, Nenad Krstic I think is a much more viable option. Either off the bench for Shaq or starting I think he is a way better option than Murphy or the ever-hurt Jermaine O’Neal.
Delonte should be back on Wednesday (so they say) and Shaq will be back eventually. Jermaine on the other hand will likely be the Terry Glenn of this Celtics team. Even if he’s healthy I have a feeling the coach is going to say “stay away”. We’ll have to wait for him to get healthy before that happens, which at this point might not me until next year.
Reminder to fill in your brackets. CLICK HERE and if you want to do Fantasy Baseball, click here (same password).
