Re: What The Knicks Trade Means To The Celtics

[Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>]

> --- bird <birdw@aloha.net> wrote:
>
>
> > Subject: Re: What The Knicks Trade Means To The
> > Celtics
> >
> > >From: Way Of The Ray <wayray@ix.netcom.com>
> > >
> > >With the Knicks' absolute steal of a deal and
> > their blatant heisting
> > >of Glen Rice and Vin Baker for a practically
> > defunct Pat Ewing,
> > >it now means that four teams  -- Miami,
> > Orlando, New Jersey,
> > >and the Knicks -- in the Eastern Division -
> > the very same milieu,
> > >where your hometeam Boston Celtics reside -
> > have
> > >improved themselves dramatically in the off
> > season.
> >
> > Now, when you say "Eastern Division" -- do you
> > mean Eastern
> > Conference or Atlantic Division?

Why it's the Atlantic Division. Whooo you caught me on a mistake.

> Because if
> > you're just talking
> > about teams in the Atlantic, then your point
> > about a playoff gap
> > existing is misused, because it's the ranking
> > of teams within the
> > Conference (more or less) that's important.
>

Really, did the teams from the Atlantic Division suddenly vacate the
Eastern Conference? There is a playoff gap, when four teams
in your own division are improved and better than you. Then add Indiana,

Milwaukee, Cleveland, Toronto, Charlotte, and did I mention Philly,
and it's slip sliding away. Hell, if Strickland gets his act together
with Washington, they could surprise some people. If the Hawks
keep Mutumbo, Terry improves, and DerMarr Johnson shows anything,
they're better than they were last season - so are the Bulls.


>
> > Of course, if all those teams actually did
> > improve vastly, then it's
> > true that the C's would have to play them more
> > times than teams from
> > other divisions, so presumably that would
> > affect the Celtics' chances
> > of making the playoffs.  But I don't buy that,
> > because I don't think
> > the Knicks committed any larceny.

If it's just Baker for Ewing, it isn't God awful, but Rice and Baker
for a Ewing about to break down at any time, that's grand
thievery.

> As someone
> > else mentioned, Baker's
> > on a downward turn, and Glen Rice -- well,
> > where does he play?
> > Backup?  That'll go over.  So there's probably
> > another move coming --
> > if the Knicks stay pat, I'm not so sure they
> > haven't made themselves
> > worse.  I don't think the Nets have improved
> > all that much,

They added the first pick in the draft, who's healthy, healed and ready
to rebound and block shots, something the C's could use more
of - Then add him to the core of Marbury and Van Horn and
that's improvement in my book. Forget Williams and Kittles not
being around as they were basically MIA last season too.



> and,
> > although Orlando has improved, it's possible it
> > takes them a year or
> > a good fraction of a year to really gel,
> > especially if McGrady's not
> > as good as he thinks he is.
> >
> > In short, I don't think that Boston's little
> > milieu (I feel very
> > chi-chi, oui-oui saying that, btw) has quite
> > left us in the dust,

The C's have been dusted out of the playoffs.

Geez, how clear is this: The Celtics missed out on the playoffs
last year, only improved slightly during this off season, seem to
have the same starters that weren't good enough to propel them to the
playoffs last season in a weaker Eastern Conference, and now
a majority of the other teams in the Conference have improved
for their clubs for this season,  with some showing dramatic
improvement. The Eastern Conference is simply a lot stronger this
season.

So tell me how the Celtics are going to make the playoffs?

How? How? How?
Ray


> > although Miami is close to doing just that to
> > virtually the entire
> > Conference.
> >
>