2008 East Finals: (1) Celtics Vs. (2) Pistons

[SpaceFlare]

Boston has played too nonchalantly on the road imo and unless they can turn that around, I don't see them getting past the Pistons. Of course, if the Pistons do manage to steal a game in Boston, we might see Boston playing more motivated.

For now, I'll say Pistons in 6.

[BigKaboom2]

Boston has played too nonchalantly on the road imo and unless they can turn that around, I don't see them getting past the Pistons. Of course, if the Pistons do manage to steal a game in Boston, we might see Boston playing more motivated.

So they might play better, they might play worse, or they might play the same. Interesting.

[Matt]

I wonder how much fatigue will factor into this?

2 months ago i said Boston in 6, but im inclined to pick Detroit now. Stuckey & McDyess have been excellent so far, even Sheed has seen a lot of post time, and on the other side you have Allen gone AWOL and Cassell klling the offense and playing no D.

[Lamrock]

NOOOOOOOOO! This was going to be my topic! Damn my mom's birthday party! No more novelty choices.

Anyway; I'm saying Detroit in 6, a 2004 rematch! Celtics are not able to win on the road, and are no longer killing teams on the road (see the three close games in Boston). Detroit is they best team they have encountered to this point, and I think Game 2 will be won by Detroit.

[MANIPON]

The pattern will continue. All the home games will be won by the home team.

[Carmo]

Or because in the end it is just a guess, and I do not care about outcome of games enough to bother researching to make an educated one I'd be satisfied with. Especially when luck and random events play such an incredibly large factor in it. I already told you and everyone else this. I'm not here to gain self-gratification from "being right" by correctly guessing the winner of and number of games in a playoff series.

Dude...it's just a pick. You don't have to think about it too much, you just choose someone, you shouldn't even have to be worried about being satisfied with it.....we aren't espn analysts or anything (although you'd probably do a better job than them). If I get a pick right or something I don't pump myself up as the greatest thing in the world, it's just a pick, lol.

[benji]

Dude...it's just a pick. You don't have to think about it too much, you just choose someon

Right, it's irrelevant and meaningless. Not an entrance fee to discussion.

[Fizdale]

Haha, I was right bout BOS winning in 2 game sevens, and they will, again.

Boston in Seven.

[Sauru]

so they are currently down to the "big" 2 instead of 3

I think the rest of the team has been a bigger issue than Allen, they weren't getting as much, in the Cavs series, from Perkins, Cassell, Powe, etc. like they did during the season or even like they did in the Hawks series.

thats a good point, the bench has dropped off alot, nice to see house get back into the games though. brown did great in game 7 but his play was actually angering me before that. still i guess the overall point is, they better start playing or thier season will be coming to an end very soon.

question is, do you fire rivers if they lose to detroit?

[Martti.]

I'd say Pistons in seven. First 6 will go to home teams and the Pistons will take game 7 in Boston. They're experience of playing together will be a factor.

But KG, Ray-Ray and Pierce will have a major thirst for a title. Also Pistons have had more rest. Only a 5 game series, mean while the Celtics have had two game sevens already.

[Sauru]

edit: damn it

[Skills]

question is, do you fire rivers if they lose to detroit?

IMO, no. Yes it's not his first year in Boston, but it is his first year with the Big 3. If Boston ends up losing, who knows?
They could easily take a gamble and bring in Avery Johnson or somebody else who's had more experience coaching in the playoffs.

[Lamrock]

I think he would get fired. He was never that good a coach to start with, and the Celtics have 1, maybe 2 more good years left in them after this, and they wouldn't want to waste it on a mediocre coach.

[Drex]

Celtics in 7. I doubt the Pistons steal Game 1, don't know why, but I feel like they're always rusty at the beggining of their series.

[benji]

question is, do you fire rivers if they lose to detroit?

I'd fire him before the series if I wanted to improve my chances of winning the series. Make KG player/coach in hopes of bringing it back in style.

If the team hadn't won so many games despite him, he would've been gone for sure. If they win no road games in this series and lose it, that still gives them an out to get rid of him.

The one problem might be that he was Ainge's hire, and the Celtics are a better team than when he arrived. And the youngins have improved to an extent. Of course, whether that was his doing or just natural development...

[Matthew]

Of course thats the flip side of giving predictions. But if you choose not to give one yourself, you then can't question the bejesus out of people who did give a prediction imho.

agreed

Why can't you criticize people for making predictions based on logic you disagree with unless you make a prediction yourself? What's to be gained from making predictions? The glory of saying "Awesome, I was right" if it happens that way?

Just for clarification, you questioned me for criticising Ben's stats without offering an alternative in the all defensive teams but then you think its OK to criticise people's predictions without offering your opinion?

[BigKaboom2]

Just for clarification, you questioned me for criticising Ben's stats without offering an alternative in the all defensive teams but then you think its OK to criticise people's predictions without offering your opinion?

I still don't accept that you criticized the stats in any way. You merely restated the obvious that a few incomplete listings of stats could not be used to definitively select an All-Defensive team, especially when the data was only available for Atlanta through Milwaukee. That's really not questioning; it was more agreeing with him but in a contentious sort of tone.

That said, you pointed out things the stats do not cover but never suggested how those two things (help defense and the prowess of the other team) could be measured, while generally going out of your way to avoid actually discussing the topic.

I can actually give reasons for why I criticize people's predictions - I'm not going to say anything along the lines of "Wow, you're a total retard if you think that's going to happen." And as I explained before I have no desire to post my own predictions, for I believe forecasting the future to be a useless pastime that I'll leave to Miss Cleo.

[Andrew]

Looks like a seven game series (regardless of the winner) is the favourite pick so far. I'm sticking with the Celtics and I too will pick the series to go to seven games. Just for fun, I'll pick both teams to win one game on the road before the Celtics take advantage of homecourt in Game 7.

Of course, history seems to suggest picking against Boston, if not in the ECF then in the NBA Finals:

According to Stats LLC, no team has lost its first five road playoff games and gone on to win the NBA title. Of course we're referring to Boston, which was 0-5 on the road entering Friday's Game 6 in Cleveland.

(Source)

Still, there's a first time for everything.

[Sauru]

yup first time for everything, after the celts go 7 games in rounds 1 2 and 3 they sweep the nba finals, just watch and see

[Matt]

Game 1 goes to C's.

They played a better game on both ends of the floor. Pistons were just too stagnant and slow offensively and defended the P&R very poorly.

Probably some rust involved, but we'll see what they can bring in Game 2.

Really impressed with Stuckey...if Billups doesn't up his game he should be benching it the rest of the way.

[Matthew]

I don't agree that it was rust that caused the problems for Detroit in game 1. It was more just a more dramatic jump in the level of competition. Orlando and Philly are no where near as tough as Lebron James and Cleveland. It's also too early to consider benching Billups, it's just game 1. If you bench him for the rest of the way, you're essentially waving the white flag.

[Sauru]

benching billups would be a really dumb thing to do, though i would be happy to see it happen

[Andrew]

It looks like Cassell may have fallen out of favour after his struggles in the last series. Not that it matters if Rondo and House can handle things but I thought Cassell would prove to be a more valuable player off the bench in the Celtics' postseason run.

[Sauru]

yeah he has been seeing alot of bench time but i am fine with that, i always liked house anyway

[Andrew]

I can see him getting some time in the series though if Rondo and House falter. Doc Rivers obviously has enough confidence in them to leave Cassell on the bench but House still seems more of a shooting guard and Rondo is still prone to playing a little out of control or trying getting fancy when he should be making the simple pass so he might end up turning to Cassell at some point.