I was talking to a couple of my Celtic honk friends -- yes, they still socialize with me despite my opinion of Isaiah Thomas -- and they're convinced the Celtics have a legitimate chance to land Kevin Durant in the offseason as a free agent.
Well, their enthusiasm is somewhere between cute and nauseating. But I applaud them for their optimism. Prior to Friday night I felt the Celts had a zero percent chance of getting KD even though he called Boston a “nice” city.
And then Friday night happened.
I have upped the chances of Durant coming here to . . .
2 1/2 percent.
You were expecting 50-50? 60-40?
Please.
Boston Celtics
But, 2 1/2 percent is progress. There's improvement there.
Here's the only shot the Celtics have in the Durant sweepstakes:
Last Friday he was relaxing at home the night after the Thunder’s win over the Clippers when he witnessed something special. He saw that the Celtics very well could be the Warriors’ kryptonite. Of course, that may be a bit strong but -- without Jae Crowder -- he watched a tough bunch, led by the league’s greatest coach, end the Warriors' 54-game home winning streak. Regular season or not, this is a big deal. The Celtics were playing the night after a loss in Portland. Plus, the Celtics had taken Golden State to double overtime earlier in the season before losing. Yes, I realize that Harrison Barnes and Klay Thomson were not playing that night.
If the Thunder can't get to the finals and the Warriors win back-to-back titles, Durant may think his best shot to beat the Warriors is to bolt to Boston and play for the highly respected Brad Stevens in an Eastern Conference that lacks the competition of the West.
Do I this will happen? Like I said before Friday night, I felt no way. But after Friday night, the Celtics have a chance. A small one, but it’s better than nothing.