NBA Blogging: Chauncy! Come Back to Me!

I have this British friend and the way she pronounced Billup's name the way it sounds like to me is "Chancey." As in "Boy, it sure is chancey whether he's going to be back or not in time for Saturday's game". Okay, I really don't have a friend like that but wouldn't it be cool if I did?

You know what else would be cool? If a healthy Billups played Saturday.

Don't get me wrong, it's not a monumental disaster if he has to spend a game or two getting back. There were some encouraging signs to be drawn from game 3. Maybe not so much he final score, of course, but the team battled back from yet another early deficit (Which in and of itself isn't a good sign - they get down early far too often.) and closed to within striking distance by the end of the 3rd period. They couldn't close the deal out but it shows that even without Billups they can play with the Magic. And with time to prepare a gameplan without Billups (Which, I know Saunders isn't exactly at the top of the coaching class but he's got to have prepared two schemes for this next game - one with Chauncey and one Billups-less - right?) they should do even better.

But, really, it wasn't a good game at all. Billups is the Piston who makes the entire engine go. Without Chauncey that have - maybe - a shot at beating the Magic. But that's about it. If he can't play or he plays below his standards then, well, it's time to start penciling in a finals trip for the Celtics, I guess.