Supergirl ([info]realsupergirl) wrote,
@ 2008-03-19 08:29:00
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Entry tags:sports

Update
OK, I think I'm officially convinced in the Celtics' superiority.

Their defense is simply terrific, and that's all KG. Pierce has always been an underrated defender, but with KG they are simply great. The intensity he brings, and the hunger you can see in every game - he *wants* a championship badly - wow.

I still think the only team equipped to match up is the Spurs, and that if those two teams meet in the Finals, it will come down to fatigue and injuries, but right now the Spurs have some major psychological work to do in order to figure out where their offense goes after the first half of games. Right now, the Celtics look better than anyone else, including the Pistons, and it's taken me till now to really believe that.


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[info]offy
2008-03-20 12:11 am UTC (link)
Got here via UniversalHub.

The great thing about Pierce's all-around game this season is that he can rest a little more on offense since he doesn't have to carry the whole team and can put more intensity into his defensive game. He doesn't have to worry that if he tries to take a charge and the call goes the wrong way that he's going to have to go to the bench or leave the game due to fouls.

It's amazing to see the intensity that KG, Pierce and Allen have been playing at to bring that elusive championship to Boston. I think that it also means a lot to each of them that they are doing it for a prestigous organization.

KG has just been a beast this season and I think his presence has a lot to do with the improvement of Perk and the surprising play or both Powe and Davis. Those two are going to have a lot to do with how far we can go in the playoffs. The bench has gotten very good over the course of the season and the additions of P.J. Brown and Sam Cassell should make them even better.

I'm with you, the Celtics have beaten any and all teams that they'd have to beat on the road to 17 and look like the current favorite. We just have to wait and see how things play out over seven game series and if opponents can adjust to take advantage of some of our weaknesses such as the center position.

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[info]realsupergirl
2008-03-20 02:35 am UTC (link)
Welcome!

I agree - Pierce playing less minutes and not having to carry the team by himself goes a long way.
I think the intensity shift is really about KG, and KG alone. He plays hard, as anyone can see by his record in Minnesota. The fact that he made it to the WCF with as little help as he had out there, and the fact that he played as hard as he did for a decade, without complaining - that says a lot about KG's character and what he brings to the game.

Perkins, Powe, 'Big Baby'...all these guys are mediocre players who look a lot better playing with a talented big man like KG. The comparison of Duncan and the Spurs (my #1 team) is impossible to ignore. Duncan has made a lot of players look really, really good - because of how good he is.

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[info]offy
2008-03-21 03:00 pm UTC (link)
One of the best moments from early in the season which demonstrates Garnett's effect on the team involved Pierce. Garnett had seen how sometimes Pierce lets his intensity get out of control especially if he thinks a call goes against him (the medical tape wrapped around his head coming to mind). Garnett told Pierce to channel his intensity elsewhere and suggested push-ups so after a particularly hard foul that wasn't called as a hard foul, Pierce was doing push-ups before taking his free throws.

The biggest change that I see this season is that when Pierce drove in the past he could get swallowed up by 3 or 4 guys because no one else on the team was a threat. You can't cheat off of Garnett or Allen and that's what has enabled Perk, Powe and Davis to have big games. Pierce and Garnett are such great passers and they've done a great job of finding those three guys when they are open in the paint.

Not only has Garnett's intensity quickly endeared himself to Celtics fans, but you wouldn't even know that this was his first season in Boston with how much Celtic Pride he exudes. There isn't a more professional player in the league. He proved that again after the owner of the Timberwolves took pot shots at him recently. The fact that Garnett loves Gino just makes him that much cooler.

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