I often wonder what opposing teams, their beat reporters and bloggers are saying about the Celtics after playing the Celtics. Here's a dose of 'enemy chatter' from Orlando.
Sentinel: Is the team tougher now?
(Magic GM) Otis Smith: Tough is relative. Tough to who? Is anybody tough?
Sentinel: One could argue the Celtics are tough.
Otis Smith: They act tough. They're not really tough. They act tough.
That's bulletin board material if I've ever seen it.
I get that Smith doesn't want to insinuate that the Celtics are a tougher team than his Magic. But you don't need to take a swipe at the Cs to accomplish that. I think everyone will agree that Boston is one of the most physical, mentally tough teams in the NBA.
And while we're on the subject of toughness… maybe Smith should have a discussion with his always smiling center Dwight Howard. If I were a Magic fan, I would be pissed to see him joking around with opposing players, especially in crunch time.
Howard's already a shot blocking phenom. Imagine if players not only had to worry about getting their shot rejected, but also the possibility that a hard foul is coming. It's called intimidation. Look up the definition.
(h/t to Zach Lowe for the link)
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