2016-2017 Boston Celtics (NBA) Appreciation Thread!

[Abishai100]

The 2016-2017 Celtics season brought great smiles to Bostonians and NBA fans who missed the glory days of Bill Russell and Larry Bird and mourned the under-achieved potential of the Paul Pierce era.

True, Pierce captained the Celtics to the NBA Championship in 2008, but that season, the team boasted the titans Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, so we never really champagned the greatness and class that Pierce brought to the Celtics *single-handedly*

Now, Bostonians can cheer on the Isaiah Thomas led Celtics who were the *darlings* of the 2016-2017 NBA season. Thomas brought newfound teamplay and coordination choreography which arguably the Celtics had never seen before. While other standout role-players such as Al Horford contributed to the greatness of this year's Celtics, it was Thomas who served as the bandleader to this rendition of 'Celtics magic.'

The Thomas-led Celtics were down 2-0 to the Bull before pulling out a 4-2 victory before crawling through a tough 4-3 victory over the motivated Washington Wizards in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.

Now, the Celtics need a miracle to get past the last two post-season Goliaths --- the mighty Lebron-led Cavs and the seemingly-indomitable Curry-led Warriors (who seem to flourish even without the monstrous Kevin Durant!).

If the Celtics can beat the Cavs, it will be in 7 games (IMO) to no doubt face the Warriors in the Finals (unless the Spurs pull out a shocker). If the Celtics can coordinate *perfect* teamwork against the Warriors, they just might squeak out yet another 7 game series victory and championship.

It's been done before folks (if not in the NBA). The *darling* national soccer team Spain pulled out a gritty 2010 World Cup victory behind the diligent play and leadership of David Villa, winning multiple tourney games by only a margin of 1-0 to squeak out a trophy.

Whatever the Celtics accomplish now that they've reached the Eastern Conference Finals to face LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers, Bostonians will not forget how Isaiah Thomas helped the magical Celtics down both the Cavs and the Warriors in important season games. The only question is, "Can they repeat such success in this tourney which seems manhandled by the Cavs and the Warriors?"

So regardless, the 2016-2017 Celtics season should have Bostonians and video-game fans daydreaming about this magical season. I can't wait for NBA2K18 to come out, so I can recreate the *darling* season and the quiet-wizardry of guard Isaiah Thomas!!

IT for MVP!!!

I will be drinking some Irish lucky beer to toast this year's Celtics for sure, especially since I'm a former Bostonian...

Do you have a favorite regular-season Celtics game this year to recount (or recreate for your favorite NBA video game)? Please share!


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Wed, Mar 1 (Celtics 103 - Cavs 99)
Wed, Mar 8 (Celtics 99 - Warriors 86)

====

 

[Valerie]

who woulda guessed the op is a boss town fan..??

 

[Papageorgio]

Cleveland 4 Boston 0. Boston is just a warm up for the Cavs before they meet the Warriors in the finals.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Leweman]

Boston is dirty. Just hope Cleveland get out of the series with out injuries.

 

[Papageorgio]

Cavs clobbered Boston in Boston, this is a four and out for Cleveland.

 

[Abishai100]

What a terrible blow-out for Game 1. As a Celtics fan, I'm tremendously dejected (and I'm surprised Thomas and the Celtics even managed to make it a final score of 104-117, because the way the game was going, it could have been 75-120).

The Celtics need to focus on rotation and forward-play more and definitely work on their 3-point shooting (which will be vital to challenge the Cavs in any way). LeBron was the hand-waving monster everyone expected...

I'm not giving up on my greenies just yet, so just maybe, Thomas and Horford have something cooking (and will receive better coaching for Game 2 maybe) to make this a comparable entertaining series. If they turn things around *completely*, I could imagine a 4-2 dignified loss for the Celts and if they *really* change their ways, we could see the kind of confidence that helped the Celts beat the Cavs in March and pull out a *miraculous* 4-3 victory.

Remember folks, the Celtics were down 2-0 to the Bulls before clawing their way back and past the Wizards 4-3.

We know LeBron dons Michael Jordan's iconic #23, while the Celts' Thomas dons #4 which is a jersey-number worn by Charles Barkley.

At the very least, I'll be simulating Thomas-Celtics magic on my Playstation this year...

 

[Abishai100]

Speaking of the great Charles Barkley, here's a cool team photo I found of the Gminski-Mahorn-Barkley-Hawkins-Dawkins 76ers from 1990.

Hmm, I wonder if Celtics fans/alumni can find discount '76ers viewing-packages' for some 'veteran East Coast fanfare.'

Do the 76ers really have a rival?

 

[HaShev]

Boston will regret getting to cute with its trade offers for a legit Center.
Now they got the top pick which will only compete with its already guard heavy team and not add the necessary pieces.
They need to trade the top pick for a legit center and a later pick to draft another big.

 

[sealybobo]

The 2016-2017 Celtics season brought great smiles to Bostonians and NBA fans who missed the glory days of Bill Russell and Larry Bird and mourned the under-achieved potential of the Paul Pierce era.

True, Pierce captained the Celtics to the NBA Championship in 2008, but that season, the team boasted the titans Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, so we never really champagned the greatness and class that Pierce brought to the Celtics *single-handedly*

Now, Bostonians can cheer on the Isaiah Thomas led Celtics who were the *darlings* of the 2016-2017 NBA season. Thomas brought newfound teamplay and coordination choreography which arguably the Celtics had never seen before. While other standout role-players such as Al Horford contributed to the greatness of this year's Celtics, it was Thomas who served as the bandleader to this rendition of 'Celtics magic.'

The Thomas-led Celtics were down 2-0 to the Bull before pulling out a 4-2 victory before crawling through a tough 4-3 victory over the motivated Washington Wizards in the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals.

Now, the Celtics need a miracle to get past the last two post-season Goliaths --- the mighty Lebron-led Cavs and the seemingly-indomitable Curry-led Warriors (who seem to flourish even without the monstrous Kevin Durant!).

If the Celtics can beat the Cavs, it will be in 7 games (IMO) to no doubt face the Warriors in the Finals (unless the Spurs pull out a shocker). If the Celtics can coordinate *perfect* teamwork against the Warriors, they just might squeak out yet another 7 game series victory and championship.

It's been done before folks (if not in the NBA). The *darling* national soccer team Spain pulled out a gritty 2010 World Cup victory behind the diligent play and leadership of David Villa, winning multiple tourney games by only a margin of 1-0 to squeak out a trophy.

Whatever the Celtics accomplish now that they've reached the Eastern Conference Finals to face LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers, Bostonians will not forget how Isaiah Thomas helped the magical Celtics down both the Cavs and the Warriors in important season games. The only question is, "Can they repeat such success in this tourney which seems manhandled by the Cavs and the Warriors?"

So regardless, the 2016-2017 Celtics season should have Bostonians and video-game fans daydreaming about this magical season. I can't wait for NBA2K18 to come out, so I can recreate the *darling* season and the quiet-wizardry of guard Isaiah Thomas!!

IT for MVP!!!

I will be drinking some Irish lucky beer to toast this year's Celtics for sure, especially since I'm a former Bostonian...

Do you have a favorite regular-season Celtics game this year to recount (or recreate for your favorite NBA video game)? Please share!


====

Wed, Mar 1 (Celtics 103 - Cavs 99)
Wed, Mar 8 (Celtics 99 - Warriors 86)

====

View attachment 126912

View attachment 126913

Congrats on not getting swept

 

[Abishai100]

The Drive-In Blues...


You know the reason America's biggest names in movies (i.e., Tom Cruise, Kevin Costner) make very symbolic films related to sports (i.e., Jerry Maguire, For Love of the Game)? It's because Americans care about competition...

I just don't want to see another domination in sports like we've seen in recent years (i.e., Brady NFL, Federer ATP, LeBron-Curry NBA), and the Celtics were the best chance to dismantle some of that this season. Their nifty 2016-2017 season reminded people that in sports, surprises are welcome and upstarts can become superstars (e.g., Drew Bledsoe).

So they managed not to get swept, and *maybe* they can eke out one more win in this Cavs series to make it an honorable 4-2 defeat (and who knows(?) --- maybe a miracle is in the works, sealybobo).

Regardless, an offseason acquisition for the Celts such as Chris Paul or Jahlil Okafor or Michael Dunleavy could bring depth and the Celts back next year for something exciting...

If we don't see another 'darling upstart' like the 2016-2017 Celtics flourish in future years, and professional sports continues to see dominating Goliaths such as Tom Brady and LeBron James, at the very least, people will remember the Isaiah Thomas Celtics, the Eli Manning Giants, and cross-over prodigies (not necessarily overbearing 'Goliaths') such as Bo Jackson (and heck, we'll always have Tom Cruise/Kevin Costner movies!).


Jerry Maguire

For Love of the Game