The Bad Boys Of Beantown

It takes a man to admit when he is wrong. Last week, I said Lebron James will continue his annual ending of the Boston Celtic's season. Well, I couldn't have been more wrong. I was still recovering from the Raptors going extinct and got caught up with the numbers and analytics. However, I didn't take in the most important factor of playoff basketball - manalytics.

Manalytics is the killer instinct that very few athletes possess, it's the ability to block out all the mental noise and physical pain and still perform in high pressure situations. To further explain, here is video footage of Lebron James, who statistically dominates this series, however, he holds one of the lowest manalytic ratings in pro sport because of this type of consistency.

Granted, head injuries are no joke but this man is built like a linebacker and returned back to the court before that quarter even ended. There was no reason to leave the floor, other than being overwhelmed and tired from the bad boys of Boston, therefore, his manalytics rating continues to plummet.

But it wasn't till after the game, where his rating took a nose dive to the sector of the manalytic scale where most soccer players lie.

You dismantled the Cavs, you send a franchise player to Boston for a total of 1 pick and 4 players (who got a total of 3 points Tuesday,) now your down 0-2 to them and you don't even care?

Larry Bird called his entire team a bunch of sissies when they were down 2-1 to LA in 1986 and they came out in game 3 clothes lining anyone who tickles the paint. Seems like LeBron is complacent with his current situation and not willing to lose in the NBA finals for the 6th time in his career, as he is slowly nipping at the heels of Elgin Baylor, the current record holder of 8 NBA championship losses.

High manalytic ratings run deep in the Boston Celtic's franchise. With Larry Bird practically ordering a team-wide hit on the LA Lakers back in the late 80's, to the current Celtics team who has made it their mission to dethrone King James. Starting with Markieff Morris, who has been assigned LeBron. Before the series began, Markieff said that no one can guard James the way he can and the basketball world scoffed at him.

And he's not only bringing intensity to the defensive end...

He did that one for Khole K and all the other faithful men out there not taking their beautiful wives/gfs for granted and motor boating Instagram models in clubs just days before your first child is born.

But Tuesday night's most significant player and biggest killer on the court was easily Marcus Smart. For those still unaware of the true meaning of manalytics, posted below is a perfect portrayal of how athletes with high manalytic ratings play.

Notice LeBron, who is down by 9, not moving his feet and watching in awe, as Smart follows the play right to the basket to finish on second chances? This was the underlying theme of the entire game. Heart beating talent.

However, back in 2013 during Smart's sophomore year of college, USA Today did an article about Marcus and his hard-nosed upbringing. It talks about how his selfless and fiery character was shaped around deep loss, when he lost a brother at the age of 12 to cancer and nearly lost another to a battle with cocaine. With that kind of pedigree, it is no surprise Smart is the workhorse we witness today.

Also, the article kicks off with the greatest opening paragraph that would have any reader hooked immediately,

But lets not forget about Terry Rozier, who has evolved into Scary Terry since the opening round of the playoffs. He has been manifesting this LeBron James beat down for years, trash tweeting the NBA superstar since he was in senior year of high school.

*NSFW

All this aggression coming at the Cavaliers had them overwhelmed and desperate. They lacked emotion all game and JR Smith, who went 0-7, had enough and got nasty.

This was dirty, but may have been necessary after getting bullied all game. Unfortunately, it was too little too late and if your team is going to pull this stunt in the dying minutes, don't have your head coach complain about the Celtics "Gooning it up" in the post game presser.

Then again, he isn't really the Cavaliers head coach, except on paper.

He looks like the little brother trying to see what his older brother and friends are talking about.

That is not what a team looks like.

And this is not what 2 franchise players look like when they're down 0-2 with minimal signs of hope.

But this looks like a team that is 2 wins away from the NBA finals and have the highest manalytic rating in the league.