Why You Shouldn't Hate the Celtics

Over the course of this season we've seen a tremendous amount of negative sentiment towards the Boston Celtics to the point that they may be the most disliked champion in quite some time. Criticism seems to focus on the following points:

1. They're dirty. LaRocque touched on this in a couple of posts not to long ago. Read them here and here. I'll hold off on my take on this for now and just say that I agree with LaRocque's line of thinking on Trevor Ariza's flagrant foul on Rudy Fernandez. Ariza definitely looked like a guy trying to make a basketball play.

2. They talk way too much. LeBron, Quentin Richardson and other have led the charge on this at times.

3. Some of the C's are arrogant in a way that is not in line with their abilities. Kendrick Perkins and Leon Powe often come up in these discussions. People around the league hate the perceived sense of entitlement.

4. They're fake tough. Ric Bucher frequently references D.J. Augustine's take on the Celtics' tendency to punk their opponents and fold if they meet resistance.

Clearly I'm here to argue on behalf of the Celtics. In the words of Adam Carolla, "let's get it on" one point at a time:

1. By the 2009 NBA standards the Celtics definitely walk the line between physical and dirty. In the process they cross over to the dirty at times, based again on those aforementioned standards. I'd argue that the Celtics' dirty plays often stem from their tremendous effort on D and dedication to contest everything. I also don't believe they ever play with an intent to injure. Ultimately I hope this doesn't take away from the fact that the 2008 Celtics were a truly special defensive team. And though the 2009 edition is a notch below that, the players still care. In a league where people are often suspect of whether or not certain players or teams do in fact care, it should be refreshing to witness a team that does.

2. Keeping in mind the fact that I'm incredibly biased, I'd aruge that the C's never ending talk is a part of their desire to win another title. Would it be better if the C's completely folded like the Heat did after 2006? What if Boston rested on its laurels like the Detroit Pistons did at times? To be fair the C's have much to accomplish if they want to match Detroit's run. But I'm not the only one that thinks Detroit may have left a title on the table. Whether the C's get there again or not, and given injury and depth concerns it's going to be a struggle, the C's will give it their all and go down fighting. That's all a fan can ask. Furthermore, the league should be excited about a team that values its title and desperately wants to repeat.

3. Leon Powe, despite his one big game in the Finals, still has a lot to prove. So the fact that he's adopted KG's persona at times may be a bit much. I've been on the Powe bandwagon for three years and even I can accept that. Although it has to be mentioned that he's also out there fighting for every minute. People are kidding if they say they wouldn't want him on their teams. Now on to Kendrick Perkins. He does have his limitations as a player. His offensive repertoire is basic, he's not great against the pick and roll and his constant scowling rubs people the wrong way. But he's a much better passer than he gets credit for, positions himself well on offense and defends the basket with a vengeance. Yes KG makes Perk better. That's what great players do. Perk needs KG. And KG needs Perk, albeit to a lesser degree. I bet KG would have taken Perk on those Minnesota teams. Bottom line Perk has worked tirelessly to be a starter. He was an instrumental part of a title team and just happens to be a bad ass. I don't think he should apologize for that.

4. Let the record show that the Celtics make everyone else bring it. The 2008 squad was impossible to blow out and the 2oo9 team fights as well. Maybe it was a poor decision to come out of the gates so hot. Yet as you've probably figured out at this point, I'm okay with that a flaw. How a team that fought its way through 108 games for a title could be fake tough is beyond me. I'll close with a brief recap of the recent win over Charlotte.

Wednesday night the C's went to double OT at home against a Charlotte team that was playing its second game of the dreaded back-to-back. The Bobcats are 34-41. You can easily make the case that despite its injuries Boston should have taken care of business in regulation. I understand all of that. However, it's really a testament to what the C's have established over the last few seasons. They could have accepted the fact that they're banged up and it just wasn't their night. They've fallen short in other games, such as that trip to Chicago a while back. In a league that gets it's fair share of criticism the Celtics embody a lot of the traits that are supposed to be non-existent. And as a fan of the Celtics it makes me look forward to watching them every chance I get. Bring on the Hawks...

Random Aside - DeSagna Diop is AWFUL from the line. Just throwing that out there.