Celtics won’t be a playoff pushover

Ira Winderman

You ask, we (try to) answer:

Q: With the Celtics' recent struggles, have they become the team of the top four in the East most likely to be upset in the first round? And if so, which team among the bottom four seeds is most likely to pull it off?
— Kyle, Miami.

A: I'm not as down on the Celtics as some have grown, even in light of Sunday's performance in Cleveland.

Mostly, I think you can put only so much stock into the regular season. The playoffs will not feature back-to-back games and the schedule should be far more forgiving for an older team.

While the Celtics have had their missteps, it still is difficult to characterize them as an easy out, what with the potential for Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo to each win games on their own. Plus, there is a hunch that Rasheed Wallace will step up his game in the postseason (or at least such a hope internally).

As far as the elite in the East, I'm not as sold on the Hawks, who were awful in the second round last year against Cleveland and still do not inspire sideline confidence with Mike Woodson. Beyond Jamal Crawford, there isn't much of a bench there.

Of the second-tier teams in the East, I'd almost guarantee that none of the top four want to face the Heat in the first round, with Dwyane Wade already having proven he can carry a team through a series on his own.

The Heat already has played three competitive games against the Cavaliers, is 2-1 against the Magic and 3-1 against the Hawks.

If the NBA had its way, the choice almost undoubtedly would be Heat-Cavaliers in the opening round, with no better one-on-one matchup in the East than LeBron vs. Wade.

And don't sleep on the Bucks, who stand as the hottest team in the East, with Andrew Bogut standing second only to Dwight Howard among centers in the East.

Q: What's going on with the Bucks? Are they as good as their record over these last few weeks?
— Clem, Atlanta.

A: As I was saying, nobody has been hotter than Milwaukee, where Bogut has gone from supposed 2005 draft bust to elite center, standing with the Magic's Howard as the only players in the league averaging at least 15 points, 10 rebounds and two blocked shots.

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Yet if you're asking for the biggest game-changer during this season-changing run by the Bucks, that would be John Salmons.

All season, the sense was that teams with the focus on 2010 free agency would have to sacrifice some of their 2009-10 soul. That proved to be just the case with the Bulls, who were so concerned about Salmons picking up his 2010-11 player option, that they unloaded him on the Bucks at the trading deadline.

Now Salmons is playing so well in Milwaukee that it might be in his best interest to bypass that $5.8 million option.

Based on the Bulls' struggles, think they don't miss Salmons now?

Meanwhile, the Bucks' problem after the drop-off by rookie point guard Brandon Jennings had been the lack of a creative scorer. That is exactly the element Salmons has delivered.

Factor Bogut and Salmons into a team driven by Scott Skiles' defensive precepts, and Milwaukee has the halfcourt, post-up, defensively driven style that could create headaches in the postseason.

Suddenly, Skiles is a candidate for Coach of the Year, Bogut is a candidate for Most Improved Player, and Jennings certainly will be an All-Rookie choice.

Q: I was at the game in Charlotte and it seemed to me the refs were eating their whistles. I thought because of the ownership change in Charlotte, it might be what league wants, the Bobcats in the playoffs. Your thoughts?
— J.A., Charlotte

A: I wouldn't go that far. But I do think it's odd to have Michael Jordan sitting at the end of your bench.

There is no doubt he is a compelling figure. It just doesn't seem like that's where an owner or lead executive should be situated. At least Mark Cuban has the courtesy of sitting along the baseline.

It not only is odd to have Jordan literally sitting alongside the 12th man (think there isn't a bit of jockeying for that spot?), but Larry Brown even acknowledged during a recent game that he consulted with Jordan about possibly fouling with his team up three in the final seconds.

At least it's a good thing that the Bobcats just signed Larry Hughes to fill out their roster with the maximum 15 players. Now we also don't have to worry about Michael suiting up for the playoffs.

Q: How lame is it when players don't take last-second three-quarter-court shots before the end of the quarter and just let the clock run out? They're only doing that to save their shooting percentages. But why? If it somehow affects their salary, any good agent would make note of how many misses were those long prayers.
— Eric, Tampa.

A: Very lame. To me, sacrificing such a scoring opportunity is the epitome of selfishness. But I think the way to get around that is like empty-net goals in hockey, that it doesn't impact your shooting percentage, say any shot beyond midcourt.

Such shots are the type of highlight material the league should make every effort to encourage. I think it should be left to the official scorer to determine if a shot is an end-of-quarter-heave as opposed to a legitimate attempt to score. If it is determined to be a "heave," then the player should not be credited with a field goal attempt and the box score would be balanced by saying the quarter simply came to an end.

As for players and statistics, it doesn't have as much to do with future contracts as ego and pride. Players constantly are sneaking peaks at their statistics during the course of games. Some teams have gone as far as banning box scores in the locker room after games. All that does is leave players to question the media about their statistics.