Boston probably in playoffs, despite GM's wishes

You don't always get what you wish for.

This credence has held true in the NBA's Eastern Conference, where it appears that several teams gunning for the playoffs will come up short while a team whose general manager wanted them to lose will make the cut.

With under two weeks remaining in the regular season, the Boston Celtics (35-42) seem to have an insurmountable lead on the Cleveland Cavaliers (32-44), Philadelphia 76ers (32-45), and Toronto Raptors (30-45). Ironically, the latter three teams made personnel moves to try to reach the postseason, while Boston GM Danny Ainge wanted his team to avoid it like the plague.

Cleveland traded for veterans Tony Battie, Eric Williams, and Jeff McInnis. The 76ers dealt for Glenn Robinson in the offseason, a well-intentioned but misguided trade if ever there was one. The Raptors gave Vince Carter some buddies who could put the ball in the hoop in Jalen Rose and Donyell Marshall.

And none of those moves have elevated those teams to the playoffs. It should be noted that Cleveland's defense, intensity, and record all improved drastically post-trade, and they probably would have made the playoffs if not for McInnis' recent injury.

But the bottom line is that with only five or six games remaining for each team, the Cavs are still 2.5 games back from the Celtics.

The Celtics weren't supposed to be here, not after Ainge traded Antoine Walker for Jiri Welsch, Chris Mills, and Raef Lafrentz. Not after Ainge traded Battie and Williams for Ricky Davis and Chris Mihm. Not after he named John Carroll as a lame duck coach. But that's the way it happened.

Again, ironically, it seems that Boston's turnaround coincided with Ainge admitting that he wouldn't mind if Boston ended up in the lottery instead of the playoffs. Maybe this makes Ainge an accidental motivational genius. The players don't need to like their coach but they need to respect him; it doesn't even matter if they respect the GM. They can hate him (or at least his decisions) and band against him, and that seems to be what the Celtics are doing here.

Could the Celts be overtaken? Sure. But they have a pretty favorable schedule remaining, with two of their last three games at Miami. The Cavs, on the other hand, play five of their remaining six games against playoff teams, including a road game against the Memphis Grizzlies. And Philly's schedule is pretty tough too.

It's possible that Boston could go 2-5 and Cleveland could go 5-2, especially if Atlanta decides to play the spoiler role. But that would mean a complete collapse by the Celtics, and Paul Pierce probably won't let that happen.

It's certainly been a wacky season in the East; if someone had told you before the season that Philly, Toronto and the Orlando Magic would miss the playoffs, while the Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat would be there, you would have looked at them like they were crazier than Mike Tyson, and immediately moved your children to a safe location.