C's Still Don't Respect Us...

[ahlthe3rd]

Anytime we play an opponent, I like to know what their fans think about us so I find forums and chatrooms for each team. I found this article in a Celtics forum especially interesting...

"They look at us like a rival, but I don’t think we look at them as a rivalry team.” - Perkins

Your Morning Dump... Where The Celtics Lack Humility

[spotatl]

Do you really think the Celtics should consider the Hawks to be bigger rivals than the Magic, Cavs, and Lakers? You don't have 5 rivals... I think its a prefectly valid thing to admit- the Hawks consider the Celtics to be Rivals but the Celtics do not consider the Hawks to be Rivals. I don't see how you can see it any other way.

Edited January 12, 2010 by spotatl

[Sothron]

The Celtics won't give us any respect until we put them out of the playoffs.

[Blunt91]

The Celtics won't give us any respect until we put them out of the playoffs.

I second this motion.

[ahlthe3rd]

Do you really think the Celtics should consider the Hawks to be bigger rivals than the Magic, Cavs, and Lakers? You don't have 5 rivals... I think its a prefectly valid thing to admit- the Hawks consider the Celtics to be Rivals but the Celtics do not consider the Hawks to be Rivals. I don't see how you can see it any other way.

But what makes a 'rivalry'? I didn't think we were rivals after the 7 game series where they dominated us in Boston but we came back the next season and were a Paul Pierce buzzer beater from beating them in Boston. All of our games last season were competitive and then we've beaten them in 3 very competitive games this season. I also think rivalries must have history...Dominique dropping 47 in the Garden in Game 7 ring a bell?? How much history do Celtics-Magic and Celtics-Cavs have?

In addition to the history take into account the bad blood between the teams: Zaza vs. KG, Bibby vs. the fans (they still boo him everytime he touches the ball)... I bet if you ask a Celtics fan who they enjoy beating more (aside from the Lakers) they would say the Hawks.

I'd argue that the Lakers is their #1 rival, but the Hawks is their #1 Eastern conference foe. Perhaps another playoff series would solidify it but Orlando and Cleveland haven't met Boston in the playoffs any more in the last few years than the Hawks have.

Edited January 12, 2010 by ahlthe3rd

[Admin]

I like this from that same site

There's not much humility on this Celtics team, huh? Three straight losses to Atlanta and they still refuse to give the Hawks much credit. I get that confidence and swagger are a big part of winning consistently, but maybe if the Celtics had the respect for Atlanta that they have for Cleveland and Orlando, they might have won a game or two. For those wanting to blame the refs for last night's loss, here's the Globe's Gary Washburn:

Blame the officials for adversely affecting the game in the third quarter as Bennett Salvatore tossed coach Doc Rivers for arguing a flagrant foul call on Glen Davis, but the Hawks were the better team in the final 12 minutes.

They locked on the Celtics defensively, forcing Boston to opt for Davis in key offensive possessions, and even though he had 9 of the Celtics’ 16 points in the final period in his best offensive performance of the season, he is not a go-to guy down the stretch. Atlanta’s confusing zone defense limited Paul Pierce to two fourth-quarter shots while Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo combined to go 2 for 8.

[spotatl]

It makes it a rivalry when you care more about beating that team than you normally would. And it comes from them having something that you want or them denying you something you want. The Hawks WANT to be on the level of the Celtics but until they get there I can't see why the Celtics should consider them rivals. If the Hawks had made the finals last year and the Celtics thoguht that they ahd to get through the hawks to make the finals then it would be different.

Put it this way- do you really think the Celtics would rather face the Cavs or Magic than the hawks in the second round of the playoffs? A couple regular season wins doesn't change stuff like that. To be honest if I were them I'd still much rather face the Hawks.

Edited January 12, 2010 by spotatl

[ahlthe3rd]

LOL. Why would you want to play a team in the playoffs that swept you on your home floor in the regular season? What has Boston seen that would make them believe they can beat the Hawks in the playoffs?

Similarly, Cleveland is the #1 seed and swept us in the playoffs last year but at this point I would rather play them than Orlando because Orlando has dismantled us twice this season. You don't choose your opponents based on reputation, you pick them on how you fare against them.

Remember Dallas in '07? Golden State had swept them in the regular season and everybody said "they don't want to see the Warriors in the first round", but there were a select few saying "Nah, they are the #1 seed. they won't have to worry about a lowly #8 seed"...look what happened. Logical people use the regular season as a barometer for how you will fare in the playoffs against opponents. You can't completely throw those games out the window just because one team is perceived to be better than the other.

[Duff_Man]

I have considered Hawks/Celts a rivalry since the 1987-88 season.

[spotatl]

I don't care much at all about 2 regular season wins no matter where they were played. Its just 2 games. I think that Orlando and Cleveland are both better teams- I'd rather face the weaker team. Orlando beat the Celtics in the playoffs last year- that carries a LOT more weight to me than a couple regular season wins.

[Crank]

Regular season respect means little at this point . The only way to shut anyone up is to be playing in game 7 of the east finals . Boston will never respect us until we send them fishing.

[ahlthe3rd]

I don't care much at all about 2 regular season wins no matter where they were played. Its just 2 games. I think that Orlando and Cleveland are both better teams- I'd rather face the weaker team. Orlando beat the Celtics in the playoffs last year- that carries a LOT more weight to me than a couple regular season wins.

You DO know its 3 wins this season, not 2, right? Just asking.

[HawksFan87]

I could careless who does or doesn't respect us, we should still go out and play hard no matter what..

[Plainview1981]

I do think that they're "frontin'" a bit at this point. I think most of their confidence is more show than anything. The body language doesn't back the words they use.

Edited January 12, 2010 by Hotlanta1981

[Admin]

I do think that they're "frontin'" a bit at this point. I think most of their confidence is more show than anything. The body language doesn't back the words they use.

Yep and reading some of the quotes from the players they absolutely do not sound like a team who is unafraid of the Hawks. We're without a doubt a worry to them. The Celtics are a good squad but they're far from the team that dominated the league 2 years ago. They're like Sylvestor Stallone in Rocky IV who won the fight but was so beaten to hell that he was never the same after. Well 2 years in a row they had a young team give them all that they could handle and it looks like that swagger is gone with only lip service remaining.

[buckeye242424]

Anytime we play an opponent, I like to know what their fans think about us so I find forums and chatrooms for each team. I found this article in a Celtics forum especially interesting...

"They look at us like a rival, but I don’t think we look at them as a rivalry team.” - Perkins

Your Morning Dump... Where The Celtics Lack Humility

Tell that to your fans then, Perkins. Every single time Bibby touched the ball, he's still getting "booed". Seems like those simple comments he made a long time ago tend to stick around....Especially after beating them 3 times this year.

[dlpin]

I've touched on this issue before, and I really don't get why some of you are so incredibly concerned if a team thinks of you as rivals.

First of all, on the issue of respect:, do you really expect any basketball player on a contending team will ever come out and say "yes, we fear them a lot. I hope to god I never play them again?"

Second, on the issue of a rivalry: why does it matter? And what is your definition of a rival?

Because if one tough playoff series and one season of regular season domination are enough to make something a rivalry, especially when the teams aren't even in the same division, then Boston, based only on the last 10 years, would have the following rivals:

- Lakers (finals, swept the celtics in the regular season last year)

- Orlando (eliminated the celtics in a 7 games series last year)

- Bulls (toughest 1st round series ever last year)

- Cleveland (7 game series in 08, race for top seed last year)

- Detroit (ecf in 08, only team to win in boston in 08, another series in 02)

- Pacers (3 straight years of playoff matchups between 03 and 05, with the pacers winning twice, one of them in a game 7 in boston)

- Nets(eliminated the celtics two straight years in 02 and 03)

In other words, if the hawks meet the criteria to be a Boston "rival," then about 1/3 of the eastern conference also meet that criteria.

Let me put it this way: how many of you think miami is a serious rival to the hawks? how many of you fear the heat?

Edited January 12, 2010 by dlpin