Paranoia

Psyched to see Denver and Golden State on TNT tonight, I expect roughly 350 points to be scored overall.

So, I have to admit, the e-mails I have been getting all day today from Ballgame may have gotten me a little bit. He's right, I can't write off last night's loss to the Wizards the way I would have been able to write off a loss on Saturday night or Tuesday night. The Big Three all saw considerable minutes in this one. Rondo and Big Baby both left the game early (Note: John Hollinger had Rondo as his top choice at point guard for the all-defensive team). Sam Cassell missed another night with a bad back. But, these things are bound to happen. The bottom line is that as long as Pierce, Garnett, and Ray Allen are playing, we should be beating the Wizards.

So, I can't make any exscuses about last night. I was really hoping that the Celts would pound the Wiz into the ground for four quarters. This would serve two important purposes. First, it would avenge the back-to-back losses that the Wiz laid on us in January. Second, it would send a message that the Wizards don't have our number. Unfortunately, the Wizards once again proved to be a tough matchup for the Green. I guess every first place team has a team like this. The extreme example would be the Mavericks and Warriors last year.

So, the Wizards have now beaten the Celts three times this season, and that opening-night slaughter on November 2nd seems like a distant memory. This begs the question: as a Celtics fan, should I be worried about a potential second-round matchup with the Wiz? I can't say no. I can't ignore a 1-3 record. But, I have to believe that the playoff scenario changes everything. The Celtics have had less to play for than any other team in the league for months now. The Wizards have had the opposite situation. They have been fighting for position and dealing with injuries to major players all year. When I think back to the opening night victory, I can't help but think that the sense of urgency that comes with the playoffs will help the Celtics superior talent and depth prevail.

All of this begs an even more intriguing question: as a Celtics fan, will I actually root for the Cavaliers to beat Washington in Round 1? Will I ACTUALLY hope that my team has to play against LeBron in the playoffs because it's a better alternative than having to play the Washington Wizards? This entire situation totally defies all basketball logic. I've said all along that if there's any team that can come out of the East besides the Celtics or Pistons, it's Cleveland. LeBron is the ultimate X-Factor. And yet, at this point in time, I like the Celtics chances against LeBron more than I like them against the Wiz. I can't help imagining this horrible scenario: the Celtics are beaten in the second round by the Wizards, because it's just one of those weird things, and then the Wizards are swept by Detroit. Then, we're all left scratching our heads wondering what the hell happened.

Let me be clear, I think the Celtics are far too deep to lose to Washington or Cleveland in the post-season. My basketball logic tells me that the Celtics can out-last anyone in a seven game series. Yet, somehow I still can't shake this paranoia.