The rebuilt Orlando Magic? The race in the Eastern Conference? A big star like Chris Paul?
It doesn't matter to them. They're the Celtics, and as long as they do their jobs right, they should be fine. That's all that matters — or so they say.
The Celtics are big on focusing on themselves. It's not that they're arrogant — they're just introspective. That's their style.
And on Sunday evening, when they visit the Toronto Raptors north of the border, that's exactly the key. They can't worry about the opposition and the challenges they present — they have to figure themselves out. The C's have lost three games out of four over the last week, and their problems must be solved from within.
Forget about matchups. The Raptors don't have much to offer in the way of marquee matchups — their roster is already pretty barren, and it's even worse with their recent injuries. Andrea Bargnani has a strained calf, Jose Calderon has plantar fasciitis, Peja Stojakovic has a swollen knee, and on and on and on. The Raptors are extremely banged up, even more so than the Celtics, and they've lost 10 of their last 13 games as a result.
On paper, the Celtics should win easily. But they have a lot of problems that aren't documented on paper, many of them chemical in nature.
With the absence of Rajon Rondo, they've had to figure out who handles the ball in what situations. Does Paul Pierce become more of a point forward? Does Marquis Daniels? Do the Celtics trust a guard like Ray Allen or Nate Robinson to handle the point guard duties as a temporary measure?
With the absence of Kevin Garnett, they've had to welcome Glen Davis into the starting five — and the closing five. That didn't work well on Friday against the Hornets — Big Baby launched a terrible 3-pointer that led to a blown possession in crunch time and a loss.
We're 31 games into the season, but the Celtics are still figuring out their roles. Doc Rivers has talked about making sure his players don't "try to do too much," and so far, he's still struggling with that.
The Celtics are headed to the Air Canada Centre on Sunday, but they're not there to play the Raptors. They're there simply to be themselves. If they can do that, they'll be on their way to reversing the losing skid of the past week.
