The Breakdown

Well, that just happened.

Just days ago things were going great for the Boston sports fan. The Bruins, down 3-1 in their series with the Hurricanes, began to show why they were one of the two best teams in the NHL all year. The Celtics, constantly seeming to be on their last legs and down 2-1 to the Magic, fought back using heart and tenacity that hasn’t been seen since the days of Bill Russell. The Red Sox, despite struggling starters and a non-existent Big Papi, were continuing to win. To top it all off, the Sox, Bruins and Celtics all pulled off wins on the same night two times in a 4 day stretch.

Then it began to fall apart. The Sox entered their final west coast trip of the year, losing two of three to both the Angels and Mariners. The Bruins entered game 7 with all the momentum in the world, but ended with Scott Walker entering the realm of Bucky Freakin’ Dent with his game winner in overtime. The Celtics hit the bottom of their tank late in the fourth quarter of game 6, then had just enough left to tug fans along until the fourth quarter of game 7 when the Magic showed their potential.

Sterling and I witnessed that aforementioned game 7, not just from any seats but from loge box 17, 10 rows from the court. The view was great and the seats were amazing, but there was one issue that surfaced as the game went on. We were amongst all season ticket holders. While many fans were just happy to be at a game 7, these fans were mostly silent midway through the fourth as Mickael Pietrus did his best Ray Allen impersonation. They had blank faces, unsure of what to do next. This wasn’t just a game for them; this was part of their lives. For 49 games these seats were there whenever they needed a break from real life. At times they were their home, a part of their daily routine.

We've all heard of life imitating art, but last night was life imitating sports. The Sox aren't even at midseason, and although the Bruins lost they have a bright future. The same cannot be said for the Celtics. They are getting older, and their future, like their fan's expressions last night, is partially blank and unsure. They have multiple important free agents that they won't be able to afford. The big three have more miles on them than Black Beauty, my 1999 Oldsmobile Alero. And like Black Beauty you can see the rust, parts sometimes aren't working and it isn't as fuel efficient as it once was.

The good news? Right now, Black Beauty is still running fairly smooth on a daily basis. But I know the inevitable breakdown is coming and it could happen at any moment. The only question is how many road trips are left before it happens.

~Aaron Jackson

(Aaron was formerly the co-producer and writer of White Hat Sports, now Sterling's Sports. He is currently a sports reporter/anchor for an ABC/Fox affiliate in Maine.)

The Road to the Playoffs

I've decided to do the first half of my Eastern Conference projections today rather than waiting till early next week. If you missed them, you can read part one of the Western Conference projections here, and part two is here. I'll do teams 1-4 in the East now, with the bottom part to come the middle of next week. Lets DO this.

1. Boston Celtics (final projection 64-18): This team has been the best team all season, and I see no reason why that shouldn't continue into the playoffs. It's amazing that they have been relatively healthy, and they really have clicked as a team. Sure, the big three are great and work well together, but it is the role players that are making the difference. Kendrick Perkins looked like the best player on the court at times in both Celtics games I saw live this year, and Rajon Rondo has been a jack of all trades for most of the season. Add in veterans like Eddie House and Sam Cassell and you've got a really good mix of players. If they continue to play like they have all season they could very well have an easy path to the finals.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers (final projection 47-35): As I've stated before, this ranking is a mix of my personal thoughts and what has actually occurred this season. It isn't necessarily a strict ranking of which teams I think will have the best regular season records (although that does absolutely factor in). It's an overview of which teams I think will be the most dangerous in the playoffs. That is why I have the Cavs here. They won't win their division, and will likely be the 4 seed come playoff time, but they have one thing no one else in the East has. Lebron James. He is clearly the best all around player in basketball, and showed last year that he can get it done in the playoffs. They have a good nucleus of players around him, and they are the reigning Eastern Conference champs. I believe they have the best chance of any team in the East to take out the Celtics.

3. Detroit Pistons (final projection 57-25): After the Spurs you could make a case that this Pistons team has the most playoff experience as a group. They have had the same nucleus for the last few years, and are certainly expected to be major factors in the Eastern Conference playoffs. I put them as the third best team despite their regular season record because they don't have the one guy who can take over games. Say what you want about Chauncey Billups, but the fact is that since they won the NBA Championship he hasn't been Chauncey "big shot" Billups. He could return to form this playoffs, but I don't see it happening. I expect a second round playoff exit is where this team will end up when it is all said and done.

4. Orlando Magic (final projection 52-30): This is a team that could definitely make some playoff noise. Everyone knows about how dominant Dwight Howard is, but it's the other guys there that will make the difference. Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis need to play good defense, and they need to be efficient on the offensive end. They also need Jameer Nelson to step up and play the best of his career to make it past the second round. To me, they are one or two players away. They could've used Jason Kidd or Mike Bibby, but I think they are taking the philosophy that they have a rather large window to work with, and don't need to push in all the chips quite yet. At this point anything past the second round would be considered a huge success for them.

Part two of my Eastern Conference projections to come.

~Aaron Jackson

Cassell in Green?

The Boston Globe reported that according to a Clippers source, the team will announce the buyout on Tuesday. The Celtics, Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets are preparing to make Cassell an offer once he clears waivers in 48 hours, NBA sources indicated, according to the report.

"They've been discussing it, so what more can I say?" Cassell said, according to the Los Angeles Times. "Both parties are getting to a number and saying, 'OK, this is what we'll do it for.' I just want to be treated fairly."

If the Boston Celtics would be able to land Cassell, it would be huge for the team as Eddie House could go back to his original position of playing the 2 (Shooting guard) and Cassell would back up Rondo at the 1 (Point Guard). The depth and veteran experience could rally help the Celtics. It would pay big dividends in the playoffs against Detroit Pistons and Billups as well.

-ryan-

Whats wrong with the Celtics?

What is wrong with the Boston Celtics? They are going through there first 3 game losing streak of the season. Well I tapped the past three games and have dissected them and come to these conclusions on what the Boston Celtics need to do to get back to there winning ways.

1.) Box out- the Celtics are not boxing out and are allowing 2^nd and 3^rd possessions for the opponent which has led into points.

2.) Fast break points- the Boston Celtics have allowed only 8.3 fast break points per game, however during this 3 game losing streak there allowing 17.6 fast break points per game, so they need to cut that out of the game.

3.) Injuries- yes you can say that it is an excuse but the Boston Celtics have had injuries starting with there all star Kevin Garnett as well as Scott Pollard, Glen Davis, Leon Powe, Kendrick Perkins and all star Ray Allen.

4.) Ball Movement- The Celtics do not seem to be playing as a team there is a lot of standing around or one on one, and not playing as a team. I almost want to say everyone is playing like there an all star instead of a team which got them to the great start in the first place.

If the Boston Celtics can do these 4 simple things I truly believe they will be back to there winning ways.

-Ryan-