Skip to main content

My 64th NBA Celtics Post-Season! Mental discipline is key for The Green.

Image
By

 I started following pro basketball in 1960. My next-door friend was from Lawrence, Massachusetts - and like most young guys from that city - he was a hoop fanatic. As a senior in high school, I quickly became one. These playoffs will be number-64 for me.


The present version of my home team has been brilliantly constructed. They have been close to omnipotent in the regular season and should have corrected any weaknesses that have revealed themselves in the past several post-seasons.

Physically, they really lack nothing. The starters - the bench - the role players are all there. Scoring? Check! Defense? Ditto! Luck? They have that. Unlike a few opposing teams, they are healthy. 

My point here is that:

"You can not tweak your little finger without your brain initiating the action". -- Tom Lane

It seems the only thing that can get in the way of Banner 18 for the Boston Celtics would be mental lapses. Taking plays off - repeating bad habits - overreliance on 3- pointers - slowing the pace in the clutch - relying too much on isolation plays. etc. 

The window for success is long for The Green, but they are poised beautifully this post-season to take it all. But they are not robots. They could fail, and I can live with that - as long as their mental discipline remains staunchly in place. 


Labels:

Comments

  1. Don RussoApril 22, 2024 at 3:39 AM

    My first real memory of the Celtics is 1963. Cousy had just retired, Sam and KC were the backcourt and Havlicek was emerging as the 6th man. The key to the Celtics success was teamwork, but it was also knowing there was one key guy who could, by force of will, ensure they win. Russ, initially, then Halichek, then Bird. Each team was cohesive, with defensive stoppers(Russ, Satch, KC) and lights out shooters(Sam, Hondo, Bird, etc) and great rebounders ( Russ, Silas, Cowens, Parish). In the most recent incarnation, KG was the stopper and rebounder and Pierce and Ray were the shooters). Plus there were always role players who could rise to the occasion (Nellie, Max, Walton, etc).

    The current team has all of those elements too. They just need continued focus and courage and it’s theirs. They have the talent, do they have the will? We’ll find out shortly.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tom LaneApril 22, 2024 at 2:15 PM

      This current team is really good. Are they post-season good. As you state, we'll find out.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Elm Street Nightmare

By
 A true-and-suspenseful horror tale of haunting, homicides and the hunt for triple-murderer, Daniel Laplante - as told by the cops that were there By Lt. Thomas Lane (Ret.)  Daniel Laplante - cold, calm, clever, calculating- Photo: YouTube   Elm Street  surfaces on six (6) occasions in the Laplante saga: 1.) He  resided on Elm Street  in Townsend, Massachusetts  2.) He  kidnapped a woman  at gunpoint on  Elm Street, Pepperell , Massachusetts 3.) That kidnapped woman fled to the Gillogly residence on Elm Street after escaping from the armed fugitive, Laplante. 4.) He was arrested and transported to Massachusetts State Police Barracks on Elm Street in Concord . 5.) He was  tried, convicted   and sentenced for the murders at  Superior Court , corner of  Elm Stree t and Gorham Street, Lowell, Massachusetts. 6.) The author, Thomas Lane, lived on Elm Steet, Pepperell, Massachusetts while a police Sgt./Lt. for the t...
23 comments
Read more

A sorrowful farewell to Kitty's Restaurant (North Reading, MA) as a family tradition

By
  Time to say "Goodbye" to Kitty's Restaurant - my   family's destination and tradition for six generations and more than 80 years. My memories of Kitty's go back to the early-1950's . I would accompany my dad and grandfather on fishing trips to the Ipswich River in North Reading, Massachusetts - followed by a visit to the restaurant on Main Street. In later years, my wife, Linda, and I would eat there with our two kids, Marc and Lisa - and years later - with our two grand daughters - and still later - with our great grandson, Carson. Author and family at Kitty's approx. 10 years ago Kitty's never disappointed. The drinks were big and well-made . The food was terrific - as were the portions. The service was exceptional and we became well-acquainted with the waiters and waitresses. It all worked so very well for many decades. My grand daughter, Courtney , was particularly fond of the restaurant. She was born with cystic fibrosis , and during her fr...
15 comments
Read more

Wemby versus Kareem as rookies

By
 We already know that the Spurs Victor Wembanyama is going to be an NBA phenomenon, but will he surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar by the end of his career. It is highly likely.  I did a "per-36-minutes" comparison between the two stars, mainly because Kareem logged 43.1 MPG in his rookie campaign - while Wemby has been held to only 29.4 MPG. Kareem: 24.1 PPG - 12.1 RPG - 3.4 APG - .518 FG - .653 FT Wemby:  25.9 PPG - 12.9 RPG - 4.5 APG - .463 FG - .796 FT No blocks, steals or 3-pointers were looked at since they were not tracked in Jabbar's first year in the NBA. It should also be noted that Kareem was 22 years old at the time, while Victor started at age 20. Two factors favoring Wembanyama ultimately surpassing Jabbar on any "Best-of-All-Time" charts are his point guard skills , shared by so many European players.  and the fact he is being mentored by Gregg Popovich. His potential seems astounding. But the question remains. Can he garner six Titles and six MVP ...
1 comment
Read more