Boston Celtics 2011: A Perspective on The Upcoming NBA Postseason
The time of the year always comes when most everyone is itching for the playoffs.
The regular season tends to drag on once spring comes around—the madness is over, baseball has begun and fans can't help but yearn for games with just a little more importance.
I don't feel this way.
Am I excited for the playoffs? Of course.
For me, it's a time when every day means another group of important games (maybe not so much in the first round, but still).
It's a time for mastering the science of NBA/NHL channel-changing and putting an ever-so-slight strain on nearly every significant relationship in my life.
During the Celtics' playoff games, in particular, I am not worth attempting to have a meaningful conversation with.
After losses, I sit in misery until I can rationalize what happened and why things will be different in a couple of days (A few days? Four? Five?).
Each playoff year, I can't help but rant about my irritation and lack of understanding as to why the NBA goes such obscene spans of time without playing games.
It's as if David Stern firmly believes that the NBA playoffs lasting any less than two months would be absolutely criminal. Wait a minute—the Celtics don't play again until Friday!? Great, I'll be miserable for the rest of the week.
Last year, without thinking, I planned a Vegas trip with some friends, which happened to have me arriving a day before Game 7 of the Finals.
With full knowledge of the LA mob that was going to greet me on my trek through the MGM Grand, I sported my Ray Allen jersey.
There's something about a sea of purple and yellow that lacks intimidation.
All-in-all, regardless of the devastating loss, I'm not sure whether I would rather have been anywhere else.
In accordance with the more-bark-than-bite law that LA fans seem to practice religiously, the Strip was relatively quiet after the game in terms of celebration.
I was with college friends I hadn't seen in months and, naturally, Vegas provided me with the perfect amount of sore-loser lubrication.
There can't be a better place to squash an awful mood.
Once I returned home, there were much more important things to worry about than the lingering headache that the Lakers had given me. There were too many questions.
Would Paul Pierce and Allen re-sign? How long would it be until Kendrick Perkins was back? Could we manage to keep Tony Allen?
What's more, when would LeBron James stop the insanity and make up his mind?
Regardless of what happens and what has happened, Celtics fans have been blessed with a contender for the last few seasons.
Even as fans of the most winning organization in NBA history (for at least another year, hopefully), Celtics fans still don't take winning for granted.
24-48 was just four years ago—a team with a starting lineup consisting of Al Jefferson, Kendrick Perkins, Paul Pierce, Delonte West and Rajon Rondo.
I guess it doesn't sound that bad, but there were several other, much less appealing variations.
Which brings us to the most difficult part(s) about this season.
The clock is ticking.
No matter the outcome, three players, nearing the end of their careers, have given Boston everything they have.
That 24-48 team became a 66-16 team in one season on their way to a championship. I happened to be lucky enough to be there and I will never forget how sweet it was.
Think about it. One year.
I won't get too deep into how the Celtics would have won in 2008-09 if Kevin Garnett hadn't got injured.
I won't bother with how they would have won last year if not for Perkins' injury, or why a younger, more skilled Heat team doesn't have a chance of winning in their first year together—trust me, we'd need pages.
The fact is, we are one or maybe two years away from a new era of Celtics players.
The big three will be gone and the rebuilding period will begin. Again.
It's been something I've dreaded for some time now and it makes me want to soak up every minute of it before it's over.
It's why I don't care about the season ending.
With the Bulls, Heat and Knicks left on the schedule, there is more than enough excitement to tide anxious Celtics fans over as the race for No. 1 and No. 2 in the East close out.
Am I ready to watch the Celtics prove the naysayers wrong, once again?
I wouldn't expect anything different. That's what's so great about this group.
However, worse than the thought of this Celtics team having only one more year in the light, is them not having any year at all.
An NBA lockout for the 2011-12 season is not out of the question.
In fact, at this point, it seems fairly probable. ESPN is too busy smothering us with the NFL's issues that many fans don't even realize this could easily happen.
No NBA and no NFL? I'd weigh my chances of survival at around 28 percent.
I've been counting on one more year.
I've reassured myself with it over and over again.
The thought of no NBA season just isn't on people's minds—if it were, wouldn't these remaining games seem a little more important? A little more watchable?
Sure, these Celtics would probably succumb to age if there was a lockout, but what about the Lakers? The Spurs? This adds a little more weight now, doesn't it?
Legends of the game potentially being robbed of one of their final years (count this as reason No. 34 why a Celtics/Lakers rubber-match is a necessity). Think about it.
