Celtics Can Learn From Mistakes of 09 Team

As the NBA playoffs get set to start this coming weekend, the Boston Celtics will be trying to repeat as champions. No team has done so in a few years within the NBA landscape, and the Celtics franchise hasn't repeated as champions in over 50 years.

Due to this, the odds may be going against the Celtics, despite the stacked team that they have. But the Celtics aren't letting this sway them, and they remain as confident as ever.

"I think when you compete for the Celtics, it doesn't have to be talked about, because [winning a title is] an expectation every single year, regardless of the past result,” said Mazzulla. “Each and every single night, each and every year, we know what the standard is. And the standard is playing Celtics basketball. The standard is going after greatness with an opportunity to win."

But this team can learn from the mistakes of the last title team before this group, the 2008 squad. The big three of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett only won one title together, with injuries and other factors playing into things.

"A second title eliminates so much of the “what could have been” that tends to linger with teams....That Big Three will forever be revered, but falling short in 2009 and 2010 forever leaves team members wondering if they could have won more."

History may not be on the side of the Celtics, but they won't let that stop them from reaching this goal. Boston is determined to win another title with this group, and many believe that they have a good chance to make it happen.

The Celtics will likely be favored in almost any series that they are in during the postseason, except for a potential matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Oklahoma City won both meetings against Boston this year, giving them a slight edge.

But other than that, Boston should be seen as the favorites to win. Only time will tell for this group, but banner No. 19 could be coming to the TD Garden.

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For more news and notes on the Boston Celtics, head on over to Boston Celtics on SI.