Friday Notebook: Optimism

Posted by Zach Lowe on Mar 5, 2010 657110 commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F2010%2F03%2F05%2Ffriday-notebook-optimism%2FFriday+Notebook%3A+Optimism2010-03-05+14%3A33%3A43Zach+Lowehttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F%3Fp%3D6571

It’s Friday, and everyone’s happy. 

• There is optimism about Kevin Garnett’s health, according to Chris Forsberg at ESPNBoston.com:

“Everybody is picking their play up, I am no different from that,” said Garnett. “I told you, I wanted to be a lot more aggressive the second half of the year. I am, personally, going to have a nice rhythm going into the playoffs. I am taking it one game at a time, as we get healthy. I think you will start to see a better team.”

And Doc:

“I think he’s just getting better step by step. I’ve been watching him so closely all year — I just think he’s improving, slowly. Even when he’s on his bad nights, you can see some of the good things he’s doing that he couldn’t do earlier”

The Charlotte game was encouraging. But we’ve seen encouraging games before. Which scenario represents KG’s new reality: the one where he works himself back to health, or the one where we see flashes of the old KG within a broader narrative of decline? 

• It’s not just internal optimism, either. A two-game win streak, some flashes of health and an energizing trade has league observers thinking the C’s might be on the right path.

Here’s Larry Brown (a noted Doc fan and ally, by the way) in Julian Benbow’s Globe story:

“I don’t buy all this stuff that they’re in trouble,’’ Brown said. “They’ve had some injuries. They’re just starting to get healthy. They got some new players like [Marquis] Daniels and Nate [Robinson] now, Rasheed [Wallace].

“They’re going to be fine. They’ve got a great coach. They’ve got great chemistry. I think everybody has bad periods, but when you have the injuries they faced, all that’s done is develop depth. So they’re going to be all right.’’

And Pistons coach John Kuester:

“If you stay healthy, with the type of people you have with Ray and Paul and Kevin, there’s a reason why they win,’’ Kuester said. “They’re so focused. They’re not only talented, they’re very good leaders.’’

Mike Finley’s agent sure sounds optimistic, according to Gary Washburn’s piece in the Globe:

“The opportunity to earn minutes in the rotation. And the chance to seek a ring and the chance to play for Doc [Rivers] and with [Kevin Garnett] and some of the other guys. All of those things made Boston attractive,’’ Thomas said.

A ring? Is it really still possible? 

Happy Friday.