Earlier this week, a point guard said, "It's March Madness for us. We're trying to make the tournament."
Despite the bracket craze that began Sunday, this quote was not from a collegiate competitor, but instead from the Boston Celtics' Delonte West.
The NCAA Tournament is currently dominating the sports world and the minds of fans (I know I spent countless hours staring at my bracket trying to figure out which Missouri Valley school will score the big upset), but the pros, with a month left in the regular season, have some important games, too.
For the Celtics, every game from here on out is a desperately-needed win. Thanks to some better play over the last few weeks, this year's team (somehow) is still in the playoff hunt in the NBA's Eastern Conference, albeit with an outside chance.
Since a late-January to early-February six game losing streak, and before last night's contest at Miami, the Celtics had won nine of 15, with three of those losses coming at the hands of some of the best teams in the league: Cleveland in OT, Phoenix, and Miami. The Celtics have risen from number 24 to 17 on ESPN.com's weekly Power Rankings.
With a combination of wins and individual performances, the Celtics have reemerged in Boston. There is talk that rebuilding is finally yielding results, that the Celtics are an up-and-coming team which will be successful in the near future, and that GM Danny Ainge's "vision" for this basketball team is being realized. The last five home games have been sellouts. Even electric draw LeBron James had about 800 empty seats when his Cavs came to Boston a month ago.
The Celtics have been my favorite team for so many years, but I have yet to write about them in depth. I've been afraid to. Besides, there hasn't been anything noteworthy to say.
The record has improved, but we Boston fans are often labeled by our lack of true optimism. We are wondering whether this recent stretch is an aberration or a sign of changing times. Are the Celtics really on the right track?
Personally, I don't care whether we make the playoffs; I know we won't do any damage there. As a diehard Celtics fan who was born in the year we last won a title and who missed the Larry Bird Era, I just want a reason of my own, in our time, to cheer the NBA's most celebrated franchise.
I rooted for the Celtics as M.L. Carr coached us into the ill-fated lottery in which we defied mathematics to lose out in the Tim Duncan Sweepstakes. I suffered through the Rick Pitino years and thanked him when he returned to the college game. I've cringed at a number of moves and signings during the Ainge era.
On the other hand, I was present for every home game of the 2002 Playoff run that saw the Celtics advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, including an unforgettable Game Three in which the Celtics won by overcoming the largest fourth-quarter deficit in history. This was Boston's first 40-win season in ten years, and although I knew the team wasn't that good and surprisingly excelled in a weak conference, it gave me a glimpse of big-time Boston basketball, and I craved more.
That's why this current team is important. Boston is aching for a winner, and not just one with enough wins to eek into the playoffs. That's why the press is obsessing over every good game posted by a young player. We're dying for a team to take us to levels not seen since the 80's.
Let's look at why the Celtics are generating some buzz, with a State of the Union-type examination of the team.
Paul Pierce is the unquestioned leader of the C's, on and off the court. As he goes, so do the Celtics. The reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week is playing the best basketball of his career. He is averaging more than 30 points per game for the past five weeks, and he has hit multiple clutch baskets in close wins over Indiana, Washington, and Philadelphia. As Denver coach George Karl asked rhetorically about the Truth, "Is there a more complete player in the NBA?"
While Pierce's renewed dedication to Boston is one reason for enthusiasm, the play of youngsters is the other. West has proven himself as a solid and efficient point guard who can do everything well. Big men Al Jefferson and Kendrick Perkins complement each other, as Al has the low-post moves and Perk rebounds and blocks shots. The most recent addition has been Ryan Gomes, who has averaged 15 points and eight boards per game in March after moving into the starting lineup because of injuries.
I could talk forever on the Celtics, including what has been positive this season and what still needs to be addressed. However, the bottom line is that the Celtics have a superstar leader hungry for success and a group of likeable, hard-working young players supporting him. The Celtics may be a few years and another player (or coach) from really competing, but, finally, I'm starting to get excited about my team again. We'll see how long it lasts. On this St. Patrick's Day, I really hope I didn't just jinx the Green.
