Clutch Slipped While on the Holiday

This teams reminds me so much of the 1987-1988 team. Not sure how many readers can go that far. For those who may not remember, it was somewhat the beginning of then end for the original big three, and the decline towards insignificance. I am not saying we are headed that way, I hope Danny Ainge recognizes this and makes the move to avoid such a spiral.

The 1988 team lost to the Pistons in the conference finals. A young upstart team looking for respect, who lost to the Celtics in 7 games a year before. TheCeltics had a great starting five, but not much of a bench. The best bench player was a declining Jim Paxson. Really, at least that team had Jim Paxson. The rest of the bench had guys like Greg Kite, Mark Acres, Darren Daye, Brad Lohoaus, Fred Roberts, a Reggie Lewis that averaged 4.5ppg, and an Artis Gilmore that no longer had anything. First few names really ring the same way, Leon Powe, Tony Allen, Eddie House, and Glen Davis do (Will Bill Walker be the next Reggie Lewis?).

Anyways, hopefully Danny Ainge makes the adjustments needed to avoid what happened then. He should know, he was part of that team, and was traded the next year.

House was good enought to be the backup PG last year. Powe is highly productive. I really think it’s more of a usage thing. You could play House 10 Minute a night behind Rondo with the rest of the starters and the team would be quite effective. In similar fashion, moving KG to C and playing Powe at PG yields the most effective lineup by +/-.

First of all, I never heard of Jack Jemsek. No disrespect meant to him but I’ll take my own lying eyes over his. We did not have much of an offseason, played nuts for the first 30 games, hit the wall, and now look back to Celtics basics. Changing up the team (aside from a PJ Brown type injection) is not necessary to win championship again. House is a sniper and like all blows hot and cold, his defense is not bad. They now are back driving the ball in to Leon, Big Baby is not “atrocious” etc. He just shoots poorly. The rest of his game is good off-the-bench work. Tony Allen’s injury may be a good thing as his head had gone way toward “bad Tony” the last few weeks. Maybe he comes back fresh. Let’s not forget that KG whupped twice one of the best young bigs in the game in Bosh. Ray can still go unconscious. Perk’s shoulder is a real worry though. Rondo is dazzling and unselfish but not quite at Chauncey Billups level of consistency and shooting skill. But there should be no question by anyone about his present and future. Not to worry, All

During the string of losses, it was the starters who collapsed in the 4th quarter. The Celticas had a lead in the 4th quarter of the majority of those games.

The starters were tired. They looked tired and played tired. The bench had its ups and downs, but so did last year’s bench. The people who are waiting for Leon Powe and Glenn Davis to outplay Kevin Garnett will be waiting forever.

I’m not disappointed but like all Celtics fans, I felt the pain during the slump. And what an awful slump it was. 7 out of 9 is scary but then Doc said that probably that was their test that they needed, especially a champion looking to repeat. You know during that 9 game stretch, there were only two games at home so all but one of those losses came on the road against teams (except the Lakers) that were not that great.

It’s not so much that these teams “figured us out.” I think it was a matter of fatigue and scheduling. Look back at those games and you will realize that our guys were dog tired. You could tell it. But still, of that slump, the Laker loss bothered me the most and still does. You could also argue we got screwed with the Blazers game when they had 6 on the floor vs. our 5.

I am concluding that the reason for our slump was fatigue and possibly burnout. We won 19 in a row and 29 games. Then the slump and it was scary, but I was still confident that they would get their swagger back. Maybe Red was watching over them too.

As for our bench, this is basically the same bench that won the title for us. The only difference is James Posey is not on it nor is P.J. Brown. Now we have Tony Allen, Big Baby, Scalabrine and Gabe Pruitt (finally) taking up minutes. We didn’t see a lot of these guys during the playoffs or the Finals (if at all). Danny Ainge did lose just one player, it’s basically the same bench, but they didn’t add anything either. I think that’s why we’re frustrated a little, especially losing Posey. But Posey is just one player and we still have Ray Ray, KG, and the Truth! Also we still have Perk and Rondo. The outlook is still good.

About Doc’s coaching: He’s doing what he has to do with what he’s got to work with guys. The most frustrating about Doc and his backup centers is that they can hardly produce. But it isn’t Doc’s fault or Powe’s or Big Baby’s fault. They’re undersized but they are the only two tough enough to handle the paint. I love Powe but center is not the place for him to play or Big Baby, because he gets blocked almost every time under the basket. That’s why we need to get a big man and I am really liking the idea of Alonzo Mourning coming off the bench, that’s if it happens and I hope it does.

Finally, I’d like to close with Stephon Marbury and Bill Walker. First: Starbury. I’ll be honest—I don’t know. I kinda like it and then again, I kinda don’t. The idea is intriguing because he gives you offense and his defense can be good (if he cares to play it) but the downside is that he is…well…Stephon Marbury! All basketball fans who hear that name, their faces turn into like a baby who just ate mashed up spinach. We know who he is all too well and how he turns relatively good teams into a disaster zone. And he and KG didn’t even get along in Minnesota. I just hope if it happens, the whole team who’s mottos are defense first and ubuntu can set him straight and he can be “born again” if you will.

I think things are going to be just fine and maybe the slump taught our boys that repeating the title is not going to be easy and this season will not be as easy as last season for them. But keep the faith because the outlook is still good.

Ubuntu!

“The only difference is James Posey is not on it nor is P.J. Brown.” And Cassell.
That’s a heckuvan “only” in my book, and I think it’s THE difference. I think Ainge may have missed his opportunity to continue the “win now” philosophy by not re-signing Posey — however too much that might have cost on the back end.

I wasn’t going to read the article and just comment that the three items listed are simplistic and bogus. Then I thought I’d better read before I write and I saw an overcomplicated compilation of words and data which could have been whittled down to saying the C’s had a tough schedule with lots of plane rides and were just worn down physically and mentally. I’m even excluding Perk’s injury. With the week basically at home the team seems totally revived.

and seem to be a lot less tense since winning a few games, but let’s not completely swing the other way. We beat a 19-22 team and a 16-26 team twice each. Two of them were close games. I don’t know that we should be stating the worst is over yet. If we beat the Suns today then I might be a little more of a believer.

I think part of the reason we are playing better though is that TA has been sitting on the bench in street clothes and Gabe has been getting most of his minutes. That is a trend I’d like to see continue.

and have them fresh at the end of games and have as little drop off as possible with the bench player or players in the game. Well Posey was literally NO drop off at all, and by the time PJ had been absorbed he was almost no drop off from Perk, if any at all. Plus they were clutch.

That is not the situation we have now. That is the problem we have. I realize an, incredible to me, 2/3 of the posters disagree. But I think Danny gets it and that is what matters. He made a mistake not going after replacements right away this summer. Until proven otherwise I think he made a decision to let it fly with what he tried to salvage from the Posey debacle, with the plan being to pick up help before March again. He guessed, properly imho, that we would need LESS help because of improvement of the big 3 and Rondo and Perk. So now he just needs to get a couple solid bodies, a serviceable shooter and big man and we got to war with that. If its someone like PJ and Stephon I think we are good to go.