2011 NBA Playoffs: Will the Boston Celtics Regret Mailing It In?
The New York Knicks and Boston Celtics will face off in the regular season finale Wednesday night before their first round playoff series gets underway this weekend.
Don't expect many of the starters to be playing for either team, with rest being of the utmost importance heading into the playoffs.
Earlier in the season, the Celtics were the overwhelming favorite to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals.
After trading Kendrick Perkins to Oklahoma City at the trade deadline for Jeff Green, the Celtics have a mediocre 14-12 record (with one game to play) and were especially dreadful on the road (7-9), sporting losses to teams who barely made the playoffs like the 76ers and Pacers and even worse teams like the Nets, Bobcats and Wizards.
Don't get me wrong, it hasn't been all bad for the Celtics. On a nationally televised game a couple of weeks ago, they made a statement with a 107-97 road win against the top team in the West, the San Antonio Spurs.
What worries me (as a Celtics fan) is that putrid performance against Miami earlier this week.
A win would have all but wrapped up the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference and a playoff date with the Philadelphia 76ers. Instead, they sort of gave up and were manhandled for the final three quarters. The Heat out-rebounded the Celtics 42-26 including a 15-3 advantage on the offensive glass.
After being outworked by the likes of Chris Bosh, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Joel Anthony, Knicks star big man Amare Stoudemire must be salivating at the chance to bump bodies with the undermanned Celtics front line.
After trading Perkins, the Celtics are left with the injury prone O'Neals (Shaq and Jermaine) and Nenad Krstic, who was thrown into the Perkins trade as an afterthought.
Defensive stalwart Kevin Garnett will of course be in the trenches but without Perkins there to help control the paint, it's a lot to ask of your 15 year veteran to night in and night out stop the opponents best inside player.
I believe one of the biggest X-factors is going to be the Madison Square Garden crowd. The Knicks haven't been to the playoffs since 2004 when they were swept in the first round. New York City always has one of the great basketball crowds and they have been biding their time, waiting for the day they could attend meaningful playoff games.
Even though the Celtics are the better team, it doesn't take much to convince me that Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire and the rest of the Knicks team will give Boston all they can handle.
I still like the Celtics to win this series but I have a feeling they will be unable to win on the road and have to go the full seven games to take out the Knicks.
Unfortunately for the C's, the Heat will be waiting in the next round with home court advantage in their pocket. As much as I hate to say it, the Celtics and their fans could be in for a long offseason of second guessing everything from the Perkins trade to the coasting through the final week of the regular season.
And with an NBA lockout looming, who knows if and when the Boston Celtics will raise Banner 18.
