NBA Playoffs 2012: Celtic Star Power to Vanquish Valiant 76ers in Game 7

Superstars win in the playoffs.

Traditional knowledge tells us so.

A cleverly crafted collection of cohesive collaborators, however well coached up, can take you only so far.

Larry Bird’s brash Indiana Pacers encountered this reality yesterday.

Red Auerbach acknowledged as much in his and John Feinstein’s Let Me Tell You a Story when he said:

"

Coaching, in the end, is about communicating. If you can’t get your players to respect you and buy into what you’re telling them, you don’t win—with or without talent. If you can get through to them, you win—providing you have talent.

"

So why, then, do life and hope yet reside in the hearts of the Philadelphia 76ers faithful?

Doug Collins’s baby-faced minions have embraced a division of labor.  When youthful reserve posts Thaddeus Young and Lavoy Allen followed up their heroics in Philly’s phenomenal Game 4 comeback with a Game 6 no-show, Spencer Hawes and grizzled old Elton Brand stepped up to the tune of 22 points on 60 percent (9-for 15) shooting.

All the Sixers rotation players have mixed stellar stretches with shudder-worthy showings, befitting a series in which 16 quarters of play have generated fewer than 20 points.

Barring some foul free-throw shooting—7.5 misses per game this series—the Sixers might already be preparing for a Miami match-up, as they outperformed Boston 46 conversions to 45 in their Game 1 defeat.

But star power—Iguodala, Holiday, Turner?

Springfield is not yet clearing space.

Now, both Springfield and the Garden rafters will be welcoming multiple members of the current contingent of Celtics.

Which brings us back to tradition, and all that good stuff.

The young 76ers will take the court Saturday night, confident and well-prepared by their veteran mentor…and their season will end.

Kevin Garnett displayed that he can still be a dominating player.

He craves the chance, beginning next week, to show that he can still be THE dominating player.

He won’t squander the opportunity.

Superstars win in the playoffs.