End of season thoughts

["Shawn Niles" <shizzjr@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

5 thoughts:

1) We all knew before the series that the Nets were the better team. More 
depth, great PG, better bench. This is simply because the C's have been 
hampered by a bad owner who wouldn't spend and an incompetant GM who had no 
clue. The distance in how good these 2 teams are is staggering. The Nets are 
light years ahead of the C's right now. My point is this...  despite all 
this, 3 of the 4 games came down to the last few possesions. With any bit of 
luck and 1 or 2 more made shots, the C's could be up 3-1 right now. This is 
because there is one are where the C's are 10,000 times better than or ahead 
of the Nets. That is in the area of Heart and Will To Win. I know(as we all 
should now) that those attributes alone do not get you wins when you play 
the good teams. But I am confident Ainge will bring in better players, and 
if the C's can hold onto that heart and will to win depite the changeover in 
personnel, the C's will be very tough to beat for years to come.

2) One thing I personally harped on all year as something I thought was 
either 1A or 1B in the list of C's problems, was horrible late game free 
throw shooting. Interesting that missed free throws cost them this game at 
the end.  (Before someone says that there were other things that led to the 
loss, I'll say I understand that. I know there are a lot of things over the 
course of the game that bring you to where you are at the end. But that 
having been said, If EWill or Paul makes that free throw at the end, the C's 
are playing tomorrow night.)

3) The Nets are the biggest group of pompous asses to have never won 
anything. It is sickening. The only reason this doesn't bother me too much 
is that I have no doubt that soon the Nets will return to their rightful 
spot in the NBA (The Cellar, The Pits, The Swamps, so to speak) and that the 
C's will return to their rightful spot (serious challenger for the NBA crown 
3 out of every 5 years). Within 2 years these 2 teams spots will be 
reversed. The C's will be the ones with the 9 game win streak over the Nets, 
or whatever the ridiculous streak is right now.)

4) Jason Kidd confirmed on the last play of the series what a classless jerk 
he is. The Nets rebound with about 20 seconds left and bring it across 
halfcourt. The Celtics, in a classy move, are willing to concede the game 
and the series by deciding not to foul. Kidd decides though, that instead of 
showing some class and just letting the clock run out, that he is going to 
shoot one more three. And it's not like he had the ball the whole time and 
just decided to fire it up. He was literally calling for the ball (I think 
Harris had it). So here is the wife beater(I don't care if some think it is 
tired to call him that.. it's who he is) calling for the ball because he 
wants to rub it in just a little bit more. I guess though that we shouldn't 
expect much else out of him. It almost makes me glad at the moment that we 
don't have cap space to try and sign the guy because it would make being a 
fan very difficult if he was here.

5) Lastly, if that was Antoines last game, he went out in a gutsy and classy 
way. He overcame the problems he was having to a great degree and battled 
hard. I for one, think it is time to trade him. I just think he has taken us 
as far as he ever will. But he will be missed and will be remembered as 
maybe the guy with the most heart to ever wear Celtic green. It was great to 
hear the fans chant "Antoine - Walker" after he fouled out. He deserved it 
not just for last night, but for 7 years of giving all he had. He deserved 
it for having a big part in bringing this franchise back to respectibility. 
If it was his swan song, then farewell old friend.

(of course, if he is here next year, then forget everything I just said in 
#5.)

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