This may very well be the go around for
the Celtics' Big Three. The venerable Tim Duncan, he of the 4 NBA championships, knows that Father Time awaits in the tunnel. Can these future HOFamers win before their AARP magazines show up in the mail?
Can the Green beat the Heat?
The short
answer is yes, as they have defeated Miami in three out of four games this
season, but winning a playoff series is a different animal. The Celtics went to battle with the 76'ers
for seven grueling games while Miami dispatched a gritty but overmatched Pacers
team in six. It essentially gives the
more youthful squad extra time to heal and prepare for an aging veteran
ballclub whose last hurrah will feature three Hall of Famers in the twilight of
their illustrious careers being guided by a talented but oft-times petulant
point guard named Rajon Rondo.
Miami has a
Big Three of their own but one third of their talented trio will most likely
be on the sidelines as Chris Bosh is healing from a lower abdominal strain
sustained in Game 1 against Indiana. Perhaps that is merely leveling the playing field because defensive whiz
Avery Bradley has been shelved due to a shoulder injury and his recent surgery
has eliminated him from the postseason discussion. It is more than just a bit surprising that we
mention All-Star Chris Bosh in the same breath with a once forgotten spare part, but Avery Bradley turned heads all around the league when he got his shot in
place of an injured Ray Allen. Bradley
played Allen right out of a starting position and gave the Celtics and their
fans a reason to believe. But that has
all changed now, and Ray Allen is back, but not fully healed as you can see him
grimacing from Faneuil Hall all the way to South Beach as races up and down the
court.
Kevin
Garnett described this year's Celtics edition as grit and balls. You would think with names on the roster like
Pierce, Allen, Garnett, and Rondo that this is a liberal use of hyperbole. A team of all-stars don't generally conjure
notions of a lunch pail crew putting on their hard hats and getting it done on
sheer will and determination. But grit
and balls might be a perfect description for this team. Kevin Garnett is the oldest 36 year old
basketball player alive. He made the
jump directly from high school and is a 14 time NBA All-Star with more worn
tread on his tires than any set of Michelins on the road. Paul Pierce still has a few years in front of
him but, at 34 years old and thousands of basketball games behind him, he cannot
do it alone. And finally Ray Allen will
be 37 before next season commences and injuries are now the rule rather than
the exception on his battered body. So, yes, these elder statesmen are banded together for one last go around and they
play through the pain, relying on guile, experience and determination to bang
bodies with the new generation of 20-somethings who beat their chests after
every highlight reel play and gravity defying move. It takes true grit and a big set of balls, knowing that the clock is ticking and there's a new breed of All-Stars slamming
and jamming their way into the spotlight.
If you're
wondering who those young bucks could be, look no further than the American
Airlines Center on Monday night when Gang Green travels to Miami. LeBron James and Dwyane (always have to think
twice before spelling his name) Wade personify this "look at me"
generation of basketball players. They
are among the first to create their own destiny by colluding to sign in Miami
and build the next great hoop dynasty. But a funny thing happened or, to phrase it more accurately, hasn't
happened, namely, a championship banner hanging from the rafters. There
was talk of six, seven or more championships in Miami's future but right now,
at this moment, those plans have not fostered anything but disappointment. After all, according to the architects themselves,
anything less than an NBA World Championship would be failure. If grit and balls is the true measure of a
winner, then the Boston Celtics win this series in seven games. But if youth and athleticism prevail, then the
Heat will get another bite at the championship apple.
Will the Thunder roll?
Not if Tim
Duncan has anything to say about it. It's
amazing that it was fifteen years ago when Duncan was the draft bait that lured
Rick Pitino to coach the Boston Celtics. The odds were heavily stacked in Boston's favor to get the talented kid
from Wake Forest as the number one overall pick. But if you're reading this article, there's a
pretty good chance you know a thing or two about odds and how fickle they can
be. San Antonio caught lightning in a
bottle and didn't hesitate to tap Duncan as the heir apparent to The Admiral
himself David Robinson.
Duncan is a
13 time NBA All-Star and has 4 World Championship rings on his fingers. He is now in the twilight of his own career
but has a very real chance of getting a fifth NBA title. The Spurs have currently won eighteen games
in a row, dispatching both the Jazz and the Clippers in four straight. They have won six of those eight playoff
games by double digits and now clash with the Miami Heat of the Western
Conference in the Oklahoma City Thunder. Miami may have LeBron and Dwyane but the Thunder has Kevin and
Russell.
This should be a tremendous series and the
winner will meet either Showtime or Slowtime from the Eastern Conference. The NBA brass has to be loving this as the
old guard will attempt to stave off Father Time for one final romp in the
sun. No doubt Miami fans are
clamoring for King James to strut around their basketball court with the Naismith
Trophy hoisted aloft while Oklahoma City Thunder fans believe Kevin Durant is
truly the best player in basketball and deserves the honor. But I have a feeling the rest of the
basketball world may be secretly hoping that the old men teach the whippersnappers
one last lesson before they step gracefully to the sidelines.