Have we even considered this reality yet? I mean after all, the Celtics are supposed to win Saturday night aren't they? They are a much better team than the Sixers right?
Is it me or is there minimal panic in Celtics Nation for what could be one of the biggest Game 7's in the Big Three era? Few have been losing sleep at night wishing they could get just one or two shots back (Ala 2010 NBA Finals) and I have to wonder why that is. It is that overconfidence in Celtics Nation that has worked its way via osmosis into the heads of the Celtics players throughout the season. It is that overconfidence that has fueled the Sixers to push that much harder to prove everyone wrong; for the first time this postseason the Celtics are no longer the underdogs. But what if they lose? What will the fallback be?
Yes, the Celtics are the favorite, but what if they lose? How will fans remember this team? Will they be remembered for the miserable start to the season? Will they be remembered for the heart and hustle they found late in the season? Will it be remembered for the moves (or lack there of) made at the deadline? Or will they be remembered as the team that just didn't take advantage of a golden opportunity that lay before them? Personally, anything short of a championship in the city of Boston is a failure. When the Celtics had the opportunity to blow things up or make one last push, the goal wasn't to make Game 7 of the second round, it wasn't to just make the Eastern Conference Finals, it was to win the 18th Banner and anything short of that is a failure.
That may sound harsh but that is the reality of the decision that was made at the deadline. The Celtics had opportunities to get younger, more athletic and to give a headstart to the rebuilding process, while I didn't agree with the decision to stay put at the deadline, I knew we as fans had no choice but to ride the wave, but at the end I feel that if the Celtics fall short, Ainge will be questioned for his decision to stay put as much as he was questioned for the trading of Kendrick Perkins. Making the Conference Finals will dwindle the crowd that will question this, but a loss in the second round to a far inferior team from Philadelphia will undoubtedly raise the question.
So instead of just assuming the Celtics will win, have a bit of concern; this team isn't exactly in the best physical condition right now, they do have depth problems and quite frankly they're exhausted. It's healthy to have a little concern about your team, its obnoxious to be overconfident. So what if the Celtics lose this game? What will your history book say about the 2011-12 Boston Celtics? Will a loss change your final view on what you remember about the New Big Three era? 1 Championship in five seasons, weren't they supposed to win at least two when the team came together according to the "experts"? Overconfident or not, Celtics fans should get ready to ride the palomino stallion and get behind your Celtics, but man if they lose won't it be an old fashioned shot to the nutsack?
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