So, I guess my last Celtics post didn’t go according to plan, huh? Losing both games in Washington by a combined 300 points is bad. Giving up 1,000-0 runs every single game is bad, and I think they should do something to stop it from happening. They looked like they were playing dead to try and trick an attacking mother grizzly. But, am I worried? Not really. They can’t win in Washington, big deal. Washington can’t win in Boston, either. Now, the way they lost both games was certainly a little troubling. Literally no one played well. The only way they can go is up. And, there’s just no place for worrying in this series. If the Celtics lose at home, it’s over. Plain and simple. The state of the Panic Button will never even be debated on sports talk radio. The series is already over in my head, anyway. Nothing about the first two games (besides the 20-0 starts) said the Wizards can win in Boston. Nothing about the last two games said the Celtics could win in Washington. It turns out there’s more games in Boston than Washington. And if the Wizards steal one in Boston? Well, the lottery’s next week (Of course, in the grand scheme of things, worrying about this series is also pointless because whoever wins is just going to get brushed aside by the inevitable, unavoidable, inescapable Cavs-Warriors Round 3) (LeBron is at a completely different level than anyone else in the league right now. He just keeps getting better physically the older he gets. Hmm…). Before the season, I considered making the Conference Finals to be a realistic goal for this Celtics team. Now, I would still be disappointed if they got knocked out by the Wizards, who have come out of nowhere and become my least favorite team, but at this point all I want is for them not to screw up this offseason. Losing here would save a lot of embarrassment next round, anyway.
The 2008 Celtics team has been on my mind recently, too. Starting with the obvious, allow me to be the 1,000,000th person to compare this series to that Celtics team’s first round (really, first two rounds, but no one remembers that for some reason) against the Hawks, when they couldn’t win in Atlanta for some reason. Zaza was staring down KG every play. Josh Smith was dunking on everyone. Joe Johnson was iso-ing at 15 mph instead of his current 5 mph. But then the Celtics won by a million in game 7. Will that happen this year? It’s hard to say. But probably. They also brought the band back together for KG’s Area 21, which should be uncensored at all times. It was great. They talked Celtics, bashed every other team in the league, made fun of Paul Pierce for The Wheelchair, Perk was somehow making the most sense and breaking news:
“They’re back on talking terms… -Kendrick Perkins discusses Kevin Durant/Russell Westbrook relationship on #KGArea21 pic.twitter.com/wsUmpnhxqi
— KG’s Area 21 (@KGArea21) May 9, 2017
I highly recommend going to the Area 21 twitter page and watching all the various clips if you’re a Celtics fan. But the most important thing they talk about, mostly because it still drives KG’s and Rondo’s very existence, was Ray Allen:
“It was more than basketball for us… It felt like a sour breakup.”
Pierce, KG, Rondo, Big Baby & Perk shared their thoughts on Ray Allen. pic.twitter.com/DjQKrFMxAT
— KG’s Area 21 (@KGArea21) May 9, 2017
I think it’s funny that everyone kind of rolls their eyes at the fact that they’re all still so bitter about how it ended, but then the same people can’t stop LOLing at all of Russell Westbrook’s antics this season. My thoughts? I can’t really blame Ray at the base level. Considering what I’ve said about Kevin Durant, that’d be pretty hypocritical. The two situations are almost identical. Yeah, it’s a huge bummer that he went to the Heat/Warriors, but I’m not going to get super mad about it. As a free agent, the player has the right to sign wherever he wants. Ray decided to do what was best for him, and it worked out for him. Maybe it’s because he’s a fellow UConn Husky and I’m going easy on him, but my animosity towards Ray has lessened every passing year. But, obviously, I wasn’t on the actual team. He could have handled his free agency better, but I think it’s time for KG and the boys to move on. I rip on Westbrook for handling KD leaving like a toddler who had his toy taken away, so it’s only fair I say the same to my guys. I mean, Ray left in 2012. The run was over. They won one title and should have won two. It was an awesome team but everyone was old. Ray could still contribute as a role player to a LeBron-led Heat team. It made sense for him to go there. It happens. It’s not 1963 anymore. Teams break up. Players leave. It’s okay. Yeah, Ray was kind of a dick about it, but it’s time to bury the hatchet.
Brian's Den 