Bedard's Daily Briefing 02.27.19: Don't insult Patriots by mentioning them with Celtics; Bruins inspire

Good morning!

A few random thoughts while I wonder if Boston sports teams are trying to kill the idea of the regular season...

• One of the popular storylines of late has revolved around how the Celtics' uninspiring (to be kind) regular season play could be reminiscent of the Patriots, who flipped a switch late and rode that to a Super Bowl title.


• Look, it's the NBA so it's definitely possible — LeBron basically did that every season in Cleveland and a few in Miami.


• But can we please stop any of that talk for a while, at least after last night? You're insulting the Patriots.


• The Celtics went up to Toronto, off the latest worst loss of the season in Chicago, and just laid a complete egg starting in the second quarter in a blowout loss to the Raptors.


• Yes, the Patriots had some issues and largely underachieved through 14 games, but they never stopped competing, which the Celtics did last night. You never got the feeling that the Patriots had some sort of internal strife — like, perhaps, Kyrie Irving's future being a dark cloud hovering over the entire organization — that would derail the season.


• The Celtics do not deserve to be mentioned with the Patriots, who have two of the greatest winners in sports history leading them. What do the Celtics have? In Kyrie and Brad Stevens, they have two people who are brilliant at times in their roles, but who are also ultimately unproven in them.


• So the Celtics are left searching for answers. Again.


• And then the Bruins are the polar opposite. That's a team you could make a Patriots comparison with. It's obviously early, but the new additions look like perfect complementary parts that make the team greater than the sum of its parts.


• Last night's win was very impressive over the Sharks.


• Big Zee vs. Big Daddy Kane ... who ya got?


• Good story by Price on the Patriots at the combine. Guarantee you'll learn something new.

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