I started this blog as an outlet for my thoughts on basketball both as a coach and as a life long Celtics fan but I am receiving demand to give more of myself. To really open up and grab the readers (well right now my friends) and share who I am besides a coach and a fan of the best game on earth. Maybe I have held back because I am afraid to committ (been guilty of that before) or maybe I am spread quite thin as it is as far as time goes that I do not want to disappoint people (guilty of that in the past as well) Well to those who want all of it here we go. (WHO ARE YOU by the WHO just came on in my office, I am in no way kidding, wow!)

In a two week span where my job has never felt more thankless, my ex-girlfriend made a strange appearance and my basketball team has become a possession by possession potential heart attack, it is those Boston Celtics that have lost now 18 straight games that are past testing my patience. That is 18 straight basketball games. 18, yes, 2 more games in a row than their 16 championship banners that hang from the rafters in Boston. It is surreal.

Yes, Paul Pierce did miss 24 games, Tony Allen did sustain a season ending knee injury and Wally Szczerbiak, Delonte West, Kendrick Perkins and Brian Scalabrine have been in out of the lineup, but 18 games in a row as an eastern conference team?!?! (Drum and guitar solo! Unreal) Come on green where is the Celtic Pride? I wear two wrist bands every day on my right wrist. One is for my company, Fastbreak Kids. The other is GREEN and it says CELTIC PRIDE in white bold letters. The only time they come off is if I am getting dressed up to go out which is rare. (Besides coaching, 2 weddings and temple I have worn a button down shirt 5 times since I brought Jack Bauer back from China in August) But that is neither here nor there. I don't wear the Celtic Pride one for show or because I am just a fan. I wear it because it is something I really really believe in. It is something that I learned about when I was a kid growing up amongst tasteless Knick fans that I was proud of despite the Green's fall from glory following the retirement of the big three and the tragic death of Reggie Lewis. I never thought it would be gone forever, even when things got real bad both before and during Pitino. And from 2001-2003 it looked like it was in the process of returning when Pierce, Walker and a bunch of role players were within two wins of the NBA Finals. A few years ago it was part of the routine to throw on the Larry Legend DVD or a disc from the Celtic Dynasty set but now it is just flat out depresing. The last title came in 1986, I was 8, 8 years old!!! Bird's game against the Pacers after he hit his face on the floor and then made the all-time return to the court to a roaring Garden was when I was in the 7th grade. We have been thru the horrible drafts, aging free agents, ML Carr and then Pitino. Now we are currently in year 4 of the Danny Ainge project. Does the team have more talent on it then when Ainge took over? The answer is clearly yes, but where are the results and how much longer can we wait for the tradition to be restored? Or did Celtic Pride pass on along with Red Auerbach on the night of October 28, 2006?

There are many questions. I am trying to create some answers.

The Draft Lottery.
Right now the Celtics are in a dead heat with the Memphis Grizzlies for sole possession of the worst record in the league. Either way the Celtics, if the ping pong balls cooperate will have a shot at Greg Oden or Kevin Durant. Now there are many angles you can take here. The comparisons between Oden and Durrant have been going on for weeks and as a pretty good judge of talent I think they will both be terrific in the league. The question looming for the Green is who fits better, and by better you also have to heavily count IMMEDIATELY. As talented and special as Durrant will be, Greg Oden is exactly the type of player the Celtics need. A defensive force that will rebound, block shots and change the game by just his presence alone. As we know these players are few and far in between. Oden will give the Celtics that, but is another "young" talent what the C's need? I have been repeatedly asking myself the past few days if they would indeed consider trading the pick and trying to get a veteran star to team with Pierce and Co. and steer this ship back to immediate respectability. Could the pick, an expiring Theo Ratlif contract and a young player land Kevin Garnett? I asked myself that exact question this morning while showering, last week while driving to practice drinking a large mocha (Duke Carolina took a lot out of me Wednesday night) thursday night eating dinner while watching The Office and of course falling asleep last night after loosing to Garnett and the Wolves yesterday at the buzzer in Minnesota. When I mention Garnett instead of Oden or Durrant people look at me and say "Garnett is great but he is on the downside of his career." If you want to call last night's triple double on the decline then I am not sure we are watching the same thing. Garnett needs a new look, the Celtics need a veteran star to team with Pierce, who better then Garnett who brings it every single night. He talks the talk, he walks the walk and all he wants like Pierce is to win. I am not about to start breaking down trade scenarios right now but this is something the Celtics need to at least consider when this season finally ends. (Just so everyone knows the draft lottery is on May 22, two days before my birthday, if the Celtics win it there will be another Super Bowl like event in my apartment)

Back to the streak. The Celtics have lost 18 straight, 18 is as far as it will go as the Celtics will beat the Bucks on Wednesday at home. Mark it down right now. Pay the bill, hit the card, however you'd like me to spell it out there is no way they do not win that game. As I am single this will make for a very special Valentines Day evening. Last evening however in Minnesota one thing was made clear about the Celtics besides Pierce still being a clutch 4th quarter player, (13 of his 29 in the 4th) the Green are still soft. After Ricky Davis hit that shot and stood there rubbing it in the Celtics face directly infront of their bench with .2 seconds left someone needed to do something. Yeah, you still think you have a shot to tie it with .2 left on the clock but not with Garnett looming to break up any lob pass attempt. Even the Celtics of 2002 would have done something, whether it be Walker, Eric Williams or E Strickland. We know what the 80's and early 90's Celtics would have done. At worst Ricky Davis would have had someone in his face and in the world formly known as the glory days of the NBA he would have been on his back. But I guess when you loose 18 staight and a former teammate just tears your heart out with a jumper infront of your bench you may be stunned or numb at that point. But the Green need to get tougher and quick.

The streak will end soon, Wednesday is the target, but more importantly when will Celtic Pride return? I still bring it with me everyday, so does Pierce, so does Red wherever he is. When will we start to see it from all of the guys in Green? It needs to start soon because this season has turned from painful to unthinkable.