[tuq]

I also want to comment on something I read in the Dime today: I can see both the Magic and Celtics kind of feeling new to the whole contender/being good thing. For the Magic this is obvious. For the Celtics, as long and storied as the careers of the Big Three have been, their respective playoff experience is sorely lacking.

KG: Minny got out of the first round what, once? In KG's MVP year, where he averaged like 45/25/10 in the playoffs and it still wasn't good enough to beat the Lakers.

Pierce: well there was that epic comeback against the Nets in 2003 (? - I think that was the year), but really have they been to the postseason more than once or twice in his career?

Allen: they were surprisingly good three years ago before falling to the Spurs in the playoffs. This is the one I'm having the hardest time remembering. Didn't the Bucks contend one year several years back? Aside from that and 2005 I suspect Allen's playoff resume is really short.

Which is why I'm surprised that we all didn't see this start coming, three bona fide hall of famers in the back nine of their career coming together with a common goal. Of course they're gonna be hungry and dominant. This hot start could well be meaningless come May and June though. Injuries, chemistry, motivation, who knows what might be their undoing. But right now none of us should be surprised.

It's also funny given the fan base on this board. It was but a few months ago that the C's got donkey punched by not getting a top three pick. Then the Ray Allen trade happened and everyone was like WTF. Then the KG thing went down and it's been all smiles since. Talk about an overnight transformation.