Random Thoughts on the Day After

 First, I have to apologize for not posting the Comments from the Other Side today.  I was doing the comments as the game was going on and through the half, they were trashing their team and they were trashing LeBron and the Cavs were the worst team ever and Ty Lue should be vaporized etc, etc.  The refs didn't give the Cavs a call and the Celtics got every call.  I just couldn't go through the end and have them suddenly crowing about how great their team was and how great LeBron is etc.  I just couldn't.  Those fans don't deserve a good team.  So, no Comments today.  Just my random thoughts.  

I still remember back to the 2010 Finals.  I think about it often.  I guess that stays with me because that Game 7 was stolen from the Celtics.  For one, I believe that the injury to Perk in Game 6 was a dirty play on behalf of the Lakers.  If Perk wasn't injured, the Celtics would have won that in spite of the crooked referees. 

That's the second thing that bothered me.  The Celtics were up 6 going into the 4th quarter.  The refs had called the game fairly evenly up until then.  But in the 4th quarter, the referees took over and it cost the Celtics that game.  The Lakers took 21 free throws in the 4th quarter alone while the Celtics took 6.  The Lakers took more free throws in the 4th quarter than they did in the first 3 quarters combined. 

My opinion was that the refs didn't want Rasheed Wallace to get another ring.  He had been a thorn in the refs' sides for his entire career.   Because of Rasheed, people still say "Ball don't lie" when a player misses a free throw to show that the refs made a horrible call.  The refs did everything in their power to keep him from getting a ring.  I believe Rasheed believed that as well because immediately after the game he stormed to the refs' locker room and was pounding on the door and yelling at them. 

Losing that Game 7 hurt then and it still hurts now.  But last night, when the Celtics lost Game 7 I didn't feel any of those feelings.  I felt pride in this year's team.  When Hayward went down 5 minutes into the season everyone wrote the Celtics off.  They played well enough all season, in spite of losing key players for long periods throughout the season, to clinch the second seed in the East.

Then, when Kyrie went down they were written off again. Everyone picked the Bucks in the first round.  The Celtics were the underdog in every game.  But, they went on to the second round and once again, everyone picked the Sixers to advance.  But the Celtics once again defied the odds and went on to the Eastern Conference Finals where everyone expected the Cavs to sweep them.  But they took the series to a Game 7 and put up a heck of a fight before falling to the Cavs. 

I am so proud to be a Celtics fan today.   This team showed such heart and such grit throughout the season and especially in the playoffs.  When one player would go down, another would rise up and take his game to another level.  The result was that Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Terry Rozier and others have become very good, very quickly. 

Markelle Fultz may eventually become a very good player but at this point in their careers,  I fully believe that Tatum will be better.  He is so poised and has so much talent that he works very hard to improve, game by game.   And, we also have the Kings draft pick next season to boot.  I can't wait until next season to see Tatum with a few more pounds of muscle and the improvement from an off season of work. 

Thinking of next season also, Danny needs to do what it takes to bring Marcus Smart back.   He is so important to everything this team is about.  He brings grit and heart and intensity and most importantly, defense to this team.  I read this morning that Smart is looking for something in the range of 12-14 million dollars.  Pay the man, Danny. He is worth it.  I have no doubt that some other team will make him an offer in that range.  If Danny is smart,  he should pay him. 

Aron Baynes and Daniel Theis definitely need to be back as well.  After last night's loss, Baynes told his teammates that he was on the 2013 Spurs team that lost Game 7.  He told them that that loss "galvanized the group" for the next season and that the following year they won the championship.  I have a feeling that this might play out for this team as well. 

If I were to lay blame for this ECF loss, it wouldn't be the coach or the players or the injuries.  It would lay squarely on the shoulders of Charles Barkley, who picked the Celtics to win Games 6 and 7.  He picked against the Celtics right up until Game 6 and then he had to go and pick the Celtics.  I don't remember the last time he was right in one of his picks and I have a feeling that his picks are just bad mojo.  I hope next year he picks against the Celtics every game. 

Well, now we go into draft mode and then Summer League and then the long wait for next season to start.  The Celtics are going to be very good next season.  Tatum or Brown or maybe even Hayward will be coming off the bench.  Scary Terry, if he is still here, will be backing up Kyrie Irving.  All our rookies and young guys will be a year older and a year better.  We may even have another vet or two off the bench.  I can't wait!!  

In the meantime, I love this team and it has been one of the most fun seasons that I can remember.  Next year is going to be even better.   As for the Cavs, I hope they enjoy this run.  Next year, even if he's back in Cleveland, which it's not certain he will be, LeBron will be a year older and, even adding the 8th pick in the draft, I don't see them getting much better.  The future is bright for the Celtics and next season can't get here quickly enough. 

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