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| Thursday, September 6 Users: Celtics not far from playoff berth ESPN.com |
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Anybody can see that the Celtics have two great players in Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce, but what about the rest of the team? Are the Celtics merely a two-man team, or can other players be relied upon?
In discussing the Summer Spotlight on the Celtics, we posed this question: What needs to happen for this group to make the playoffs? Here are some of your responses, other than the ones that just said "a miracle.":
Your Celtics Feedback To make the playoffs the Celtics need a series of things to happen. First, Walker and Pierce have to stay healthy and continue to average close to 50 combined points per game. Second, Kenny Anderson or some point guard has to be more solid, presenting an offensive threat and, most importantly, playing some defense. Third, a couple of the rookies have to step up. The most likely candidate seems to be Joe Johnson, who should start and should bring some athleticism. Hopefully he can play defense. Joseph Forte is a tweener and may be a future "lead" guard in the offense, but probably won't contribute much this year. Brown is extremely athletic and will hopefully present some shut-down defensive skills. Fourth, the center position, if nothing else, must play defense. That is why Tony Battie and Mark Blount make more sense at the five than Vitaly Potapenko. Is that it? Well, it would nice if some of the veterans on the bench, namely Eric Williams, add some offensive punch off the bench when Pierce or Walker need a blow.
Brendon Desrochers
The change from Rick Pitino to Jim O'Brien is enough to at least let the "hope" of a playoff spot come to mind. If at least one of the rookies can contribute (Johnson?) this team will be improved over last year. Like the Spotlight said, until some contracts end (Battie, Anderson), or those players get traded, this team will be stuck in the middle of the pack in the mediocre East.
Craig Sutliff
The Celtics are closer than most people think to making the playoffs in a weak East. Walker and Pierce are solid, but need help and the two people that have to step in and provide that help are Blount and Johnson. If Blount can stay clear of foul trouble and raise his averages to 10 points and 8 rebs a game while Johnson comes in and gets 12-14 points a game this team can grab a No. 8 seed. Pierce and Walker just need that third scoring option to help them hurt the double teams, and Johnson can be that man. While Blount's main concern is holding the social security group of Ewing and Hakeem to less than 30 points.
Dave C
I think the Celtics will be much improved this year. They have added some much needed scoring punch with the additions of Kedrick Brown, Forte and Johnson. I think a healthy Battie could have a breakout season as well. In the early part of the season last year he started to show promise and consistency before he was injured. I think they could end up winning 40 to 47 games and sneak into the playoffs as a 7 or 8 seed. In my mind and in the minds of other Boston fans that is a huge improvement.
Steve Haddock
There is a three-fold answer to this question. The "Three Headed Monster" named Blount, Battie and Potapenko need to step up and combine for 14 points and 10-plus rebounds a game, which is what a quality center might produce. Kenny Anderson has to realize that he is no longer a No. 1 or 2 scoring option and distribute the ball like a point guard. Third and most important, Joe Johnson has to pull a Paul Pierce and leave GM's around the league wondering how he slipped to the 10th draft pick. If all these things come to pass, we may see Boston slide into the seventh or eighth playoff position.
Robert Weintraub
One thing that must happen for the Celtics to return to postseason play is Antoine Walker logging more time in the low-post area on offense rather than standing behind the three-point line waiting to hoist a bad shot. When he decides to play down low, Walker is explosively quick and can pass exceptionally well, but for whatever reason the guy still looks for a jump shot first. Antoine might take some bad shots, but what's really holding down the team is the group of scrubs that play alongside the Pierce-Walker duo: Kenny Anderson, Vitaly Potapenko, Tony Battie, etc. They contribute little, and thanks to Mr. Pitino they are a serious burden to the team's salary cap. Unless a couple of these guys can get their acts together (hopefully Kenny's listening) and start contributing or even better get traded, I don't see Paul Pierce and Antoine Walker alone carrying this team into postseason play despite how "average" the Eastern Conference is right now.
Chuck Coyle
For the Celtics to make the playoffs, one of their first-round draft picks will have to produce. Pierce and Walker will bring to the table the same package as they have in the past. If Joe Johnson steps up, then the Celtics will have a younger formula of the one currently working magic in Milwaukee. Kedrick Brown is as yet an unproven player on any serious level, but Forte should be able to contribute as a pure mid-range shooter that teams will have to respect. His soft touch as well as his slashing ability should open up ideas about converting Forte's playing style to the point guard position. Considering Boston's production from the point in past years, the thought of such a move is by no means outrageous. First and foremost, Boston might one of the few teams that a zone cannot be played on, and it might take teams a while to realize that. A good start certainly wouldn't hurt their chances at a playoff run.
Philip Price
First off, for this team to make the playoffs everyone needs to be healthy. With the easy part of their schedule again in the first half of the season they will need to come out of the gate a lot better than the 12-22 they did last year before Pitino left. This team has the talent now and should have the desire to win a good handful of the games in the early going. Every player on this team has something to prove this year. Anderson has to accept his role this year and try to fit in with a team that he has yet to show his full skills to. With the addition of Dick Harter they have got to play better defense. Maybe they can use some of the zone principles to their benefit and unveil the press again in spot moments now that they have the athletes to run it. This could be a dangerous team to face in round 1.
Aaron Savoy
People tend to forget that the C's were not that far removed from going to the show last year. I look at the Celtics as this year's Milwaukee Bucks. It's true that we don't have a Sam Cassell, but we have more depth than that team did last year. The rookies don't need to come in and give 15 ppg each for the C's to go someplace. I saw Joe Johnson this summer and was thoroughly impressed. He's an upgrade, as a scorer, from Bryant Stith. Maybe he won't bring the leadership skills that Stith had, but what about Randy Brown and Eric Williams. Williams has shown himself to be a vocal leader. The bottom line is that this team has speed, two All-Stars, and we're in a bad conference. We'll see all the haters in late April; believe that!!!
Harold
The glory days of Boston should be deeply missed in Beantown. The draft did give hope to a franchise with two All-Stars. But this team does not look like a playoff team. Pierce and Walker need great seasons and all of the rookies need to be big contributors. Joe Johnson is likely the key. He needs an outstanding rookie season. If he averages over 14 points and 5 assists, Boston could be a 7 or 8 seed out of the East. Otherwise, look for a team that misses the playoffs again..
James McClain
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