Why the Celtics should win:
The core of the team consists of hardened veterans with championship bona fides. Kevin Garnett is obnoxious but scrappy. Paul Pierce has enough left in his tank to run wild against the Knicks’ porous defense. The return of Shaquille O'Neal will provide an overpowering presence in the paint, plus monstrous screens to facilitate Ray Allen’s constant cuts, curls and fades that will befuddle the defense of rookie Landry Fields. Rajon Rondo can run circles around Chauncey Billups, New York’s senior citizen point guard. Above all, the Celtics play with discipline at both ends of the court.

Despite their recent woes, the Celtics will be as greedy as King Midas once the money season commences.

How the Knicks could win:
Amar’e Stoudemire’s quick-stepping offense leaves KG in the dust. The sheer versatility of Carmelo Anthony’s ability to put points on the board wears out PP at the defensive end. Billups can bully Rondo and still make big shots — and Rondo sorely misses the company of his best buddy, Kendrick Perkins. Shaq is old, increasingly brittle and unlikely to keep his wobbly wheels intact for long.

If the Celtics stumbled through the last few weeks of the regular season, the Knicks have learned to integrate the respective talents of Melo and Amar’e and ended the season with peak performances. Except for Billups, New York’s young legs will make a huge difference as the series unfolds.

Most important, the Knicks are much hungrier than the staid, elderly Celtics.

Prediction:
Despite Boston’s plan to win the very last game of the season, they are on their collective way down while the Knicks are surging. New York in seven.

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/nba-eastern-conference-quarterfinals-analysis-041311

I like what I'm hearing. Let's pray that Landry returns to 1st-half season form, that Shawne's 3-pt shot isn't comPLETELY destroyed by Boston's D, and that Shaq plays like a former shell of himself. We already all know what the superstars will bring to the table. Let's get it onn

JrZyHuStLa wrote:Love the optimism, but it comes down to defense. And we're not there yet because of Dantoni.

our offense has to click and everyone has to work together, they have to be clicking.

this is key.

all you need is a few key stops, moments of heightened defensive intensity, and this is good.

loweyecue wrote:

nixluva wrote:

JrZyHuStLa wrote:Love the optimism, but it comes down to defense. And we're not there yet because of Dantoni.

I don't think it comes down to D for us. It comes down to Smarter possessions for us on offense. We almost never truly stop any team anyway. We win because teams can't stop our offense. I think the C's didn't really show they could stop us as much as we stopped ourselves. Billups is comfortable now as is Melo. It's gonna be a much different ballgame now that STAT is healthier too. I just think this team is better than some are giving it credit for.

Not sure I can agree with this. Defense is important. I don't think we will ever get stellar defense from an MDA team, but I am looking for increased defensive intensity in the playoffs. We can't have standing around a watching Big Baby and KG go for 30 each. Regulsr season is over, if you really wanna win, crunch time starts now. No more taking nights off. If we can play defense at or around the NBA average, I really like our chances.

This team is going to defend. I have no doubt that this team is going to show up and play with pride on D. I believe that STAT, MELO and CB see this as another opportunity to go for it. Even if it's not the strongest roster. Once you're in the playoffs and you have 3 All Star level players you have a chance to get to the finals and I think they believe they can do it together.

I just think that we can't ignore what our biggest strength is. This is an offensive team and we have Elite offensive talent. We can only be so good on D with our lack of good size. To win we must execute on offense at a high level. I can just imagine how into it all the Knicks are. Especially the guys who've never been to the playoffs. I see us doing better than expected also cuz we've got guys that have been thru the wars like STAT, MELO, CB, Turiaf, Shelden & AC. This situation isn't going to phase them like it would if we still had Gallo and Chandler etc.