Mid-Season Lull May Benefit Long Term

by Jeff Clark on Feb 8, 2008 3:00 AM EST in Articles Comment 12 comments

The Celtics started out the season making an emphatic statement to the league that this team is for real. The players simply couldn't contain their excitement to finally be on a team with title aspirations. Everyone checked their ego at the door, the ball moved like a hot potato, and every shot seemed to fall.

Of course it couldn't last forever. The huge win over the Pistons on January 5^th really marked the peak of the season thus far. Critics were looking for the Celtics to get tested, and the team handled the playoff atmosphere in style to run their record to 29-3.

After that, the team either let its guard down or finally started feeling the effects of the 100 mph pace they had set from the start of training camp. They dropped the next game to the Bobcats and got beat back to back by the Wizards.

More recently the team has lost to 3 future potential playoff foes (Toronto, Orlando, and Cleveland). Of course a lot of that has to do with the fact that Kevin Garnett has been sidelined with an abdominal injury. And it isn't as though the team has stopped winning. They just slowed down the pace of the wins. (They went from a 90% winning percentage through Jan. 5^th down to 57% since then.)

Nobody likes losing, and after last year I'm not about to start back down the road of applauding moral victories. However, there are some silver linings I see as a result of the recent downturn.

First of all, the team currently has a built in excuse for any loss. No KG, no pressure. Ray Allen has missed time with still-sore ankles. Even Pierce has found himself victim of whatever bug that seems to be going around these days. It is no surprise that these 30-somethings are starting to feel old. But the team seems to be handling it well. Doc and the trainers are erring on the side of caution and when they know a guy is hurting (read: when Ray and others are willing to admit it) they make sure he gets all the rest he needs.

The team has already proven that they can beat anyone when fully loaded. Recently we're seeing that the team can still pick up its share of W's shorthanded. Give credit to the other players stepping up when called upon. We've seen Perkins drop 24 points on the Knicks and 21 on the TWolves. We've seen Rondo grow by leaps and jumps in recent weeks. And the bench that was much maligned in the preseason has proven its worth.

Posey seems to be the Captain of the second unit, providing a solid foundation even when he's not scoring. Tony Allen is progressing day by day, little by little. Eddie House is still deadly from outside. And the two headed monster of Powe and Big Baby has been a delight to watch.

So the team has fallen back to the pack a little bit. So what? They aren't the story of the day anymore. The media has moved on to the Lakers and Suns and the upcoming trade deadline. No problem. I kind of like them flying under the radar a bit. They still hold the best record in basketball and have a very good shot at getting home court advantage in the playoffs for at least the first few rounds.

Coming out of the gates strong was good for this team. But ultimately the most important time to shine will be the end of the year. Hopefully we can get Kevin back at full speed in a week or two and Ray will be honest with the trainers about when he needs some time off his feet. In the meantime, role players are getting a chance to step up and gain valuable experience.

I'll take a market adjustment in the mid months if it means the team will come back stronger in the last third of the season leading up to the playoffs.

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amen, jeff. better to be under the radar. the effort is still there, albeit, not the same way as before on defense.my biggest wish is for tony to continue to progress. i still hold my breath when i see him go up strong to the hoop. if i’m traumatized by it, what must it be like for him. he will always make goofy mistakes and off the foot dribbles, but he has such great and developable offensive and defensive skills, that if his knees survive and he stays coachable, i think we have many more salmon and mashed potatos days ahead. he could out- posey posey for the 2-3 position.

by nazzbo on Feb 8, 2008 6:40 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Thank you for the good observations, Jeff. Winning at the end of the season matters the most.

by BleedinGreen417 on Feb 8, 2008 8:13 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I agree that Tony Allen’s development will be key (we’ve all thought that all year) but I don’t ever see him comparing with a James Posey – he’s just not that intuitively sharp – not a knock on Allen so much as a compliment to Posey

either way, I’m happy to have them both

by Jeff Clark on Feb 8, 2008 9:07 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Its all good news unless these injury problems become chronic. Watching Rondo mature has been great. Watching Tony attack the basket again, awesome. Considering the teams we’ve lost to recently and the margins (Toronto, Cleveland, Orlando) Hedo’s last second 3 for example tells us that even without the MVP our team can hang with some of the top teams in the league.

by GreenBalls on Feb 8, 2008 9:42 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

The key to the season for me other than the big 3 has been the growth and development of Rondo and Powe of late…..

This team is still trying to find itself, believe it or not…..

I truly feel we need another player coming off the bench for this team… They need that Veteran presence…..

Believe it or not….But Reggie Miller would have added alot and brought this second unit to another dimension in my opinion…

I don’t like the trades for Gasol and Shaq…..but that’s my thoughts on it….

Someone like Jason Kidd would be great for the Celtics…but that won’t happen…

by Ancient Red on Feb 8, 2008 11:32 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Good article. It is very encouraging to see Tony Allen now vs same in Nov. Rondo, Big Baby, Leon all are better now than start of year. The bench has shown it can keep us in games. It comes down to last couple of minutes and how we execute and I believe thsi current stretch will help us at the end.

by Wildblu1 on Feb 8, 2008 11:45 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

With the possible exception of the month of September, the NBA all-star game is the absolute low point of the NBA season. Who cares? It’s a meaningless shooting and dunking exposition with no real basketball being played. Totally boring.

I’ve enjoyed this period without Garnett. It has allowed players like Powe to show their stuff and (with some aberrations like the Cleveland game), the team is playing better defense without having to rely on KG to erase mistakes. Rondo is starting to figure out how to defend the pick and roll, and Tony Allen is really starting to come into his own.

The only downside is that, with Scalabrine starting in place of Garnett, I have to watch the game with a bucket between my legs, like poor Pierce on the bench in Cleveland the other evening.

by Brickowski on Feb 8, 2008 11:50 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Good article Jeff.

The only thing that we might want to watch for is trying to get home court advantage throughtout all of the playoffs. If it comes down to the old Celtics/Lakers rivalry, we definatley need home court advantage come game 7.

On the other hand, like you said, we are gonna need the guys rested in order to get to that game.

by bringbackcousy on Feb 8, 2008 12:47 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I wouldn’t call the All-Star game ‘boring’, per say.
But it is as you said it is, Brick:
‘a meaningless shooting and dunking exposition…’

I like the Dunk contest as I find it a lot of fun to watch.
Gerald was amazing in it last year.

by mcpu40 on Feb 8, 2008 12:51 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Doc gets to manage a roster in the context of both winning now and keeping the core players healthy for the
postseason. Last year he was mangaging a roster and trying to tank gracefully. It has to be much more fun for him this year. But the nicks to KG and Ray Ray are
little reminders that great players can stay great into their 30s but they do take longer to come back from injuries.

by Greg37 on Feb 8, 2008 1:07 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

With KG recovering from his injury and I hope he is back healthy soon. Our temporary new Big Three are Powe, Perk and Baby. Fun to watch, they love to rebound, block shots, play Defense and surprise you with their offense.

by CelticsWin on Feb 8, 2008 2:38 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

yes, Jeff. Yes, long term we look great. Get healthy before you come back Kev!

I am ready for the playoffs – except I’m not.

I am ready to see whether Doc and the players can maximize the match-ups. Bring on the dishes and big baskets – because everyone in green will have a few after our first 82.

I am totally content to see the bench develop while I wait for our first round fodder. I love watching baby Davis, TA, and the grown man make plays.

by ATX on Feb 8, 2008 10:26 PM EST reply actions 0 recs