Re: At least Obie can keep things in perspective...

["Dan Forant" <dforant1@nycap.rr.com>]

This is amusing. I do want to win all 4 games. I'll take 2 and be very
happy. Exactly what would your attitude toward the team be if we split? Your
making the noose a little tight.

DanF
----- Original Message -----
From: "Berry, Mark S" <berrym@BATTELLE.ORG>
To: <dforant1@nycap.rr.com>; <celtics@igtc.com>
Sent: Wednesday, March 13, 2002 12:35 PM
Subject: Re: At least Obie can keep things in perspective...


> Dan wrote:
>
> Portland, Philly, Milwaukee and the Nets? The Celts have been playing
well,
> but have I missed something? If we win 2-4 I'm a happy guy. Rubbing a
genie
> in a bottle won't do it. We're still lacking. Prove me wrong!
>
> ---end---
>
> Am I missing something? We're in the home stretch and the Celts are
playing
> their best basketball of the season. Their record is comparable to those
> teams and the Celts are surging. All four games are at home. And all you
> want is a split? What do they have to do to prove it to you?
>
> Look, you go on the road and all bets are off. But if this team wants to
be
> a playoff contender and not just a playoff team, then it's time to start
> looking at games like these as not just winnable, but almost must-win.
> Everything is so bunched up, the difference could be home-court edge
through
> the Eastern Conference Finals or no home-court at all. Has it been that
long
> since we've played important games in March that we don't recognize them
> anymore?
>
> At some point we have to stop looking at this team as overachievers who
> "will make me happy if they just make the playoffs" and start looking at
> them like Eastern Conference contenders. Thank goodness Chris Wallace
didn't
> share the "playoffs are good enough" attitude or he never would have made
> the Rogers-Delk trade. I only hope the Celtics understand how each and
every
> one of these remaining games is crucial.
>
> The tendency is to think this is just the beginning and the team will do
> better next year and the year after and so on... But that isn't
necessarily
> the case. Toronto made it to Game 7 against Philly last season and was a
> Vince Carter jumper away from the EC Finals. They added Hakeem and kept
all
> their free agents. Everyone, including the Raptors, assumed the team would
> take the next step this year. Instead, they're going to miss the playoffs.
> The same thing could happen to the Celtics. The time is now. They're good
> enough, they're healthy, the conference is there for the taking. This is
no
> time to guard against disappointment. This is the time to embrace the
> possibilities. I certainly hope the team is thinking bigger than some on
> this list.
>
> Mark