He's hurt, he's fine, he's not playing, he's playing. Do we really care? ESPN seems to think that the possibility of missing Shaq in the playoffs is a daunting prospect for the Celtics. I just don't get it.
I'll be honest. When Shaq was picked up by the Celtics, I was a 50/50 fan on the whole thing, just a little luke warm, I guess. I didn't expect much from him, but I was curious about what he could possibly add to the fold. When he started this season, he looked good. Shaq was "running" the court at times, making big plays, and actually looked like he was making a difference out there. I was sold. I was on my soap box saying how everyone missed this whole thing, and how the C's snuck up on the NBA and snagged Shaq for his big swan song.
Then came the injuries. He was off with his Achille's issue since February 1st, and hadn't been able to play ever since that time until the Sunday game against Detroit. Even before that "big" injury, he was off and on, playing and not. The Celtics played the last two months without Shaq, and despite the recent decline in play, they have been doing pretty good. Sure, they missed the big presence that he could bring to the team, but Nenad Krstic has surely done just as much at the 5 as Shaq would be doing if he had been healthy that whole time.
So, Shaq came back on Sunday for the match against the Pistons, and we won. But it surely wasn't because of him. Homeboy played 5 minutes before limping off the court with another injury. Let the haters step up to the microphone. The C's are reporting that he's probably fine, and is only going to miss a little bit of time, but you have to guess that their report of the situation may not be entirely truthful. I mean, Shaq completely left the arena after the injury, well before the game ended. Why would a player just take off like that after a minor injury? It just doesn't make sense. Either he's injured worse than you might think, or he's a punk who doesn't care about this team since his two month layoff. Both are equally likely, but I'm guessing the first is the answer.
After the game, ESPN was quick to jump all over the "story" that the C's may be nervous about missing Shaq come playoff time. Doc Rivers was peppered with questions after the 101-90 win over Detroit, and seemed to shake them off. He suggested that he doesn't think Shaq will miss time in the playoffs, but I think he meant that the C's aren't worried about marching into the playoffs without him. I mean, we've got Jermaine O'Neal back in the starting lineup, we've got Glen Davis stepping it up as a big 4 guy, and there is that Krstic fellow. Why should we be worried about missing Shaq? Has ESPN been paying any attention to this entire Celtics season?
We're 53-23, and that has NOTHING to do with Shaq. Sorry, I like the guys, but it's true. Not having him for the playoffs doesn't worry me at all. I'm more worried about failing because of not getting Ray Ray the ball as often as possible. This afternoon, the C's go up against Philly, in what could be a preview of the first round of the NBA Playoffs for the Green Army. The Celtics are currently third in the Conference, half a game back of Miami and three games back of the Bulls. If it ended today, we would face the Sixers, so getting a big win over Philly this afternoon would help me feel a little more comfortable about the potential first round test.
Shaq or no Shaq, the C's need to continue to ramp things up over the final 6.
-- Sent from my Palm Prē
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