The Eastern playoff picture is a wasteland for teams with very good regular season record. The problem with that is both the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic have been turned into roadkill by the Boston Celtics who turned things up a notch come play-off time. It's like they were bored during the regular season grind waiting for the playoffs to begin then boom! It was lights out for everyone else. There were two bumps on the road for these Celts but what they needed in the end was that good old homecooking. Re-energeized by being back home, they pulverized the Magic who were Tragic in the end. Another season of futility for Dwight Howard and company.
I'm happy for Nate Robinson. Many wondered why Boston picked him up. He seemed miscast in green and white. But now -- Doc Rivers and Magic Johnson look like seers.
I'm happy for Danny Ainge. He sure took some heat for picking up some of the bench players they have but look at these guys -- they're now in a position to win an unprecedented 18th NBA title.
In 1981, when the Celtics picked up Ainge away from the Toronto Blue Jays (he did hit two home runs for the Jays in an okay career as a Major League ballplayer), in those first few games, I remember telling myself, "Now this is one guy who seems born to play for Boston." I said that because he was like a ML Carr lite. Waving his towel, exuberant, and one who embraced what it was like to play in Boston. I still think it was a mistake that they traded him away to Sacramento but Ainge did find success with the Portland Trailblazers and the Phoenix Suns. And what a homecoming for him in Beantown (of course he had a couple of lousy years as GM that sort of made everyone wonder if he knew what he was doing)!
Now they wait and that gives time for Rajon Rondo and Rasheed Wallace to recuperate. If they're up against the Los Angeles Lakers that's going to be one heck of a finals. One that no one saw coming.
No comments:
Post a Comment