The fact that Kevin Garnett will miss the playoffs has been a much-discussed topic. Either that or there wasn't much to discuss with the NBA off until Saturday. The injury clearly hurts the Celtics ability to repeat (assuming, of course, Garnett does not have some kind of out-of-his-wheelchair, miracle, back-in-the-locker-room recovery the way Paul Pierce did last year in the Finals), but let's not forget Doc Rivers guided his team to 62 wins with Garnett out for most of the second half of the seaon.
The Boston Globe's Bob Ryan did not expect the Celtics to win back-to-back anyway. "People have no right to get greedy, especially when two excellent teams such as the 66-16 Cavaliers and the 65-17 Lakers are on the prowl," he wrote. "I'm not saying a healthy Celtics team couldn't have beaten either the Cavs or the Lakers, but I would not have expected them to. Big difference."
And Bill Simmons of ESPN.com took an exhaustive look at the Celtics without KG, his injury and the media coverage of said injury.
"On paper, the Celtics were the only Eastern team that could realistically consider unseating Cleveland in a seven-game series," Simmons wrote. "The odds weren't good for two reasons. First, it's going to be near-impossible to win a Game 7 in Cleveland with the way LeBron James feeds off a frenzied crowd that's in "Maybe if we shower him with love, he won't leave in two years mode" (like a high school junior who starts putting out because her boyfriend is leaving for college in a few months)."
Bottom line: Nothing is guaranteed. But as one reader of this crog pointed out, it was back in 1976 that the Cavs were holding their last practice before facing the Celtics in the playoffs. Jim Chones broke his foot — in the last stinking practice. The Celtics won in six. (And Alan … I think the Cavs had a legitimate chance had Chones not been injured.) I don't think anyone calls that Celtics victory tainted. Injuries happen in sports, and sometimes they happen at the exact wrong time.
There is no taint at all when an opposing team has injuries. Nobody remembers how people go there – they just remember who won. As for Garnett the problem is he is simply old. And this was the gamble the celtics made. The next to break down will be Pierce and Allen. They put it all on the line to win one championship which they were very lucky to win. But they sold off their future in order for that to happen.
So funny how other teams and the national media are unable to hide their OUTRIGHT JEALOUSY of what's happening in Cleveland! ha ha ha!!!
The Celtics and Celtic media actually QUESTIONED DAVID STERN about the displays of joy and happiness that the Cavs are feeling! Like they wanted Stern to put an END to it! So freakin' jealous! Somebody sure shoulda put a cork in Paul Pierce and his self-aggrandizing rambling rant after Boston's win.
And now, this Simmons idiot from ESPN thinks that the Cavs fans are only cheering the greatest player in the NBA because we're all so "fearful" of him leaving in two years? More ridiculous jealousy! Get a clue, jerk: We've got the best player, the best team and the best shot at winning the NBA title. We're gonna cheer, be loud, and hope that the entire team feeds off the energy. Would you rather the fans sit on their hands, or something? Sheesh.
Bill Simmons is way off base in his assessment of the motivation of Cavs fans. Seems like the national media is still operating under the assumption that LBJ is as good as gone. Does he honestly believe that we'd be cheering this team any less if there was no chance of him leaving? Ridiculous.
That said, the "high school junior" reference is outstanding. It's funny because it's true!!! I've seen it more times than I can count….
Yeah, Simmons surprised me: in his article about ranking the candidates for MVP he was totally complementary to the team and then that little dig – hhhwhat? I'll give him the benefit of the doubt: his team is down to pinning its hopes on people like Stephon Marbury…
Its not that Cavs fans are doing this just to do their part to keep LBJ here – its the only team where the management and coaches are up front about everything and its not a system of smoke & mirrors (Indians) or top-secret-you-don't-have-the-password (Browns), so we can buy in and go for the ride, good, bad, or indifferent.
…at least for me
good call elizabeth.
simmons is clueless about cleveland sports culture. the city is so hard up for a championship that anyone who brings a ring will get a free pass for life in northeast ohio. a scumbag like joey belle could have been king of cleveland had he brought his bat with his roid muscles to the playoffs.
First, come on, Simmons is right. *Of course* the crowd would cheer loud anyway, but please, don't tell me that it's not in the back of everybody's mind while they're doing it. (As a sidebar, I wonder how much of that fan noise is "sweetened".)
Second, Pat, that Chones thing is a fond myth. Maybe the Celtics would have taken Cleveland in 7, not 6, but the Celtics would have still won the series. Sure, contrary to that other myth, Thurmond was actually washed up by the time he got to Cleveland and he had no offense, but Chones was a black Ilgauskas with slightly better rebounding skills.
Those Celtics were simply better. I mean, Chones only shot about 40% during the first series against the Bullets. Yes, he would have added his little 12 to 15-foot shot on offense, but the Celtics had homecourt advantage and were a better team. Even on his worst day, Thurmond was still a better defensive player than Chones. Cowens would have dominated Chones, the same way Cowens dominated Thurmond. Maybe even more. Comparing the Cavaliers losing Chones then to the Celtics losing Garnett now is just plain off-target and wrong.
But I'll say this about those excited home crowds as opposed to these home crowds. There was absolutely nothing being piped in, and God, compared to what folks now endure in that arena, the genuineness of it all was a sheer pleasure.
C'mon, alan. Chones went on to lead the Lakers to a couple titles, didn't he? I think Jim Brewer even assisted on one of them.
I can attest to the home crowd back then, though. I went to the final game and saw a Boston fan get drop kicked over a row of seats as the final seconds ticked down. A great experience for a twelve year old.
Chones AND Thurmond were a handful that season. Cavs could very well have pulled the upset with both of them available.
Ahem! Or so I've been told. Way before my time!