Celtics 2010 Strategy: Lose Now, Win When It Counts

By DRJ

The NBA’s 82-game season is, let’s face it, a nightmare. Every team is forced to suffer through multiple back-to-backs, some with traveling thrown in as salt on the wound. This ridiculous schedule was created for one reason: more games = more TV and ticket sales = higher revenues. It doesn’t make sense from a pure sports perspective, but then, this is a business and if they want to make the big bucks, this is the price they must pay. 

The Celtics looked around this season and made the following decisions:

We’re not going to play their game. We’re coming with our own plan, and to hell with the league and their schedule.

We love our fans, and we know they won’t like our plan, but they’re gonna love #18, so they’ll just have to suck it up during the regular season.

We are NOT going to chase Home Court Advantage (HCA) this season. We do not care about that, at all. We’re good enough to win anywhere when we’re healthy and motivated: we believe we can literally beat anybody, anytime. In fact, we’re doing BETTER this year on the road than at home. For all we know, we’re better off not having HCA. But whether that’s true or not, we don’t care… we’re not chasing HCA and that’s that.

Instead, we’re going to focus on the one thing that means more than anything else in this game: health. We are SURE that if we get into the post-season fully healthy and stay that way, #18 is coming to Boston. So that’s our primary, and ONLY concern… other than actually making it into the playoffs. We don’t care if we come in as the 8th seed. We don’t care if EVERY team we face in the playoffs has HCA over us. Whatever. Health is all we want or care about.

With all that in mind, the moment any player shows any sign of failing health, we’re going to rest that player until we’re sure he’s OK to return. Especially the Big 3 and Sheed… you know, the old guys.

We’re going to lose some games we could win with some extra effort. So be it. In fact, we think that the worse our record, the less likely it is that certain teams will always play us like it’s playoff time.

We do NOT want to be considered a top team. Put us at the BOTTOM of your lists, please. And keep us there… until the Finals.

We know that Doc will sometimes forget the game plan. He’s a bit scatter-brained, you know, especially when it comes to rotations and PTs. But he’ll get it in the end.

We know that we need a backup PG for Rondo. We’re working on it. Hudson just didn’t cut it (though some of our fans did not agree… yeah, we’re looking at you, wise guy… but hey, we’re in charge) so we’re working on an alternative. One way or another, we’ll have that piece in plenty of time. Soon, in fact.

And btw, we’re happy that the Lakers see fit to play Kobe through multiple injuries in a frantic effort to guarantee HCA against us. We think they should continue doing so for the rest of the season. And if Kobe’s finger/elbow/knee/back/whole-body should disintegrate one day from all this abuse, we’ll be real sorry.

May there be peace in the round
May love fill all that is seen
May the sick be healed and the lost be found
And may the color of 18 be green.