Boston Celtics VS. Atlanta Hawks
Preview
The Atlanta Hawks don’t get very much respect. They certainly didn’t when I previewed the South East Division before the season started. They’ve found themselves in a tough spot in their first-round match-up against the suddenly title-contending Boston. On paper, the Celtics and Hawks are nearly identical. Joe Johnson does a solid impersonation of Paul Pierce. He’s a 30 point game waiting to happen, but it remains to be seen whether he really wants it enough to actually dominate a playoff series (we saw glimpses of this against Orlando in Atlanta’s opening round upset last year). Josh Smith is Kevin Garnett. He’s got all the tools (except KG’s reliable jumper) to be an All-NBA player each season, but he’s frequently passed over for the forwards out west. He’s a shot-blocking, oop-dunking, athletic freak (hailing from the same high school as opponent, Rajon Rondo), but can he dominate in the playoffs? Can Smith and Johnson combine to actually upset the Celtics? That’s too many question marks.
Boston was supposed to be done. No one expected them to be a title-contender and there were times earlier this year when people wanted Danny Ainge to blow up the championship nucleus they’ve had in place since that amazing summer in 2007 (the summer they landed Ray Allen and Garnett). Ainge held tough (which is something he should have done with Kendrick Perkins last year), and now the Celtics are in a position to again compete for a title. First they’ll have to get past this surprising Hawks team. Since Allen is somewhat hobbled (bone spurs in his ankle), and Pierce and Garnett are evenly matched with Joe Johnson and Josh Smith (evenly matched in talent, but not in titles or toughness or smarts), it will fall on Rajon Rondo to carry the day. He’s been able to turn up his intensity (like all nationally televised games) and play when the playoffs roll around, so I don’t expect anything different this year. The Celtics have their sites on another title, and unfortunately for the Hawks, they’ll be moving on to bigger and better things after a tough, tough series.
In Head to Head this season - Boston won 2-1 (but Atlanta won the decisive 3rd game to get homecourt in the playoffs despite Boston winning their division with a worse record)
Prediction
Celtics in 6
Schedule
Game 1 - Sun. April 29, Boston at Atlanta, 7 p.m./4 p.m., TNT
Game 2 - Tue. May 1, Boston at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m./4:30 p.m., NBA TV
Game 3 - Fri. May 4, Atlanta at Boston, 7:30 p.m./4:30 p.m., ESPN2
Game 4 - Sun May 6, Atlanta at Boston, 7 p.m./ 4 p.m., TNT
Game 5 * Tue. May 8, Boston at Atlanta, TBD
Game 6 * Thu. May 10, Atlanta at Boston, TBD
Game 7 * Sat. May 12, Boston at Atlanta, TBD, TNT
If you think this series just became worthy of being talked about, you are wrong.
I could’ve told you this was going to be a dogfight of a series. I was just too busy WEEPING. In all seriousness, though, this might be the best Hawks team to ever be in the playoffs (recently) and the worst Celtics team (in the Big Three era). I’ve just never seen the Hawks fight for games so violently before. Maybe it’s because Josh Smith is playing out of his mind? Maybe Ivan “Drago” Johnson’s history of violence is just rubbing off on everyone. The point is, they’re finally taking some pride in their game, and it will pay off big.
Meanwhile, the Celtics keep getting their egos stroked by everybody pointing out how they always “turn it on” during the playoffs, and how experience always win. They apparently haven’t seen a game from this season. Not just a Celtics game, but any game. All rules are out the window. Expect the unexpected. Yeah I just saw New York lose by damn near 40, but you know what? They’ll still win a game. They’ll win two games. Because nothing that has ever happened before matters now.
That’s not to say the Celtics won’t be good in this series. They will. If I had a gun to my head, I’d say they win the first game without Rondo. Then they’ll lose because they don’t have Rondo. Shit, even if they did have Rondo, I’m getting zero momentum vibes from this Celtics team. How does Kevin Garnett have anything in the tank after that pretty damn good season? Why did Greg “Steamboat” Stiemsma get so many minutes this season? Am I supposed to believe he’s good? Because he’s not.
I can’t blame you if you think the Celtics are going to pull out the series, but the Hawks will fight like hell to win. I really think this Hawks team could make a run into the Eastern Conference Finals, provided they make it past my Rose-less Bulls (and depending on the mood of my team going into that series, they might). The Hawks finally know who they are, and they have an identity. Get scared.
Prediction
Hawks in 6
Ivan “DRAGO” Johnson
We’re seeing the making of a new cult legend, folks.
Although what does it say about your team when you need the D-League guy to pump you up?
