Breaking Down The Sweep
by Greg Payne on Jan 30, 2010 11:00 AM EST
in Boston Celtics Articles
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PrintNeedless to say, things did not go as planned last night for the Celtics. The Hawks successfully completed their regular season sweep of the Boston Celtics, leaving some fans to question the overall state of the C's and what the future holds for them as they continue to move forward with their season.
But back to the sweep. Stats can be inconclusive in basketball at times, as some scenarios simply cannot be measured by points, rebounds, assists, etc. But for those still searching for answers in the aftermath of the Celtics' fourth straight loss to the Hawks, here are some statistics that help paint a clearer picture:
The Early Bird Doesn't Necessarily Get the Worm: The Celtics had a higher first quarter scoring average than the Hawks in the four games, as they put up a respectable 23.0 points over the first 12 minutes, while holding the Hawks to 21.75 points.
However...
It's Not How You Start, It's How You Finish: Despite Atlanta's slower starts in the four games, they certainly made up for it over the final 12 minutes. While the Celtics managed to average just 18.75 points in fourth quarters against the Hawks this season, Atlanta exploded in the final frames, posting a 25.25 points per fourth quarter average, outscoring Boston by 6.5 points. Atlanta scored at least 25 points in all four fourth quarters against the Celtics this season, while the C's posted more than 20 points in the fourth quarter just once.
Say It Ain't So, Joe: Despite both teams' leading men being named All-Stars this past week, Joe Johnson had a decisive scoring advantage in the fourth quarter over Paul Pierce. Pierce posted a 5.5 points per fourth quarter average over the four games, while Johnson brought the C's to their knees, scoring an average of 8.25 points in the four fourth quarters, meaning Johnson accounted for nearly one-third (32.7 percent) of Atlanta's fourth quarter scoring.
We Could Use A Little Help Out Here: Boston's bench, while depleted at times, simply didn't cut it against the Hawks this season. The pine guys managed to score just 16.25 points per game over the four games, compared to a whopping 29.5 points per game from the Hawks' bench. You won't be shocked to hear that many of those bench points came from a guy named Jamal Crawford, who posted 20.25 points (off the bench) against the Celtics this season. So, Crawford not only accounted for 68 percent of the Hawks' bench points, but he also outscored the entire Celtics' bench by himself. Sixth Man of the Year, anyone?
Attack The Glass...Or Not: The C's have been a poor rebounding team all season, but were especially inept against the Hawks. Atlanta didn't even post an overwhelming amount of rebounds per game - 38.75 to be exact. The Celtics for the season average 38.81 boards per game as a team, but against the Hawks, they saw that average drop to a lowly 33.75 rebounds per game. Al Horford was especially cruel, gobbling up 10.75 boards per game all by himself.
Making Matters Worse: Was the fact that Boston committed 16.5 turnovers per game against the Hawks this season, while Atlanta valued the ball (as it has done all season), giving it away just 12.25 times per game. The Celtics' turnovers turned into 20.75 points per game for the Hawks (!), while the Celtics managed to convert the Hawks' miscues into just 10 points per game.
The Celtics' rebounding woes and turnover issues have plagued them all season long. Besides injuries, these two statistics have really been Boston's achilles heel, and, if not corrected, will continue to haunt them come playoff time. A team might be able to overcome a significant amount of turnovers, but by limiting your possessions and chances to score, while simultaneously giving the opposing team more opportunities for both, you're setting yourself up for disaster.
It's interesting how a veteran team like the Celtics can't seem to keep their turnovers down. With Rajon Rondo at the helm (a few too many uncharacteristic turnovers last night), the Celtics should be better in this department.
Widening the Gap: The Hawks held double-digit leads in three of the four games, putting Boston in difficult holes to climb out of, especially given the struggles its bench faced. It was one of those season series where, either the Celtics' starters lost a lead and the bench either compounded the problem or was unable to make up any ground, or the Celtics' starters held their ground, only to watch their bench fall apart against Jamal Crawford. Either way, the Celtics found themselves looking up at the Hawks for much of the series.
Picking Up the Pace: The Hawks averaged a convincing 17.25 fast break points per game against the Celtics this season, while the Celtics lugged behind with asthma-filled lungs, posting just 12.75 fast break points per game. Slow and steady did not win this race. Usain Bolt would be proud.
Missing Their Mark: The Celtics rely heavily on their production from three-point nation, but against the Hawks, they managed to hit just 23 of 71 three-point field goal attempts, good for a repulsive 32.4 percent. Atlanta, on the other hand, had a jolly good time behind the arc in the series, hitting 27 of their 62 three-point field goal attempts, measuring out to 43.5 percent.
Ball Don't Lie: You're right, Rasheed. The ball doesn't lie. It's awfully sore from the number of times it clanged off the rim after you shot it. Wallace shot just 10-30 from the field in the series (33.3 percent) and a truly abysmal 3-18 from three-point nation (16.6 percent). He averaged just eight points in three games against the Hawks this season, but the stat that probably has so many people fuming is his 2.6 rebounds per game average. His perimeter preference truly hurt the Celtics against the Hawks this season, and if these two teams are destined to meet in the postseason, hopefully enough film will have been watched to illustrate to Rasheed that he needs to park his butt in the paint against Al Horford and Josh Smith.
So there you have it. 10 reasons the Celtics struggled against the Hawks this season. The C's still have slightly over half a season left to get their act together, which they will need to do, if these two squads are destined to meet in the postseason.
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Impressive thorough analysis
Hard to believe that the only advantage anywhere for the celts was 1st quarter scoring – Hawks appear to defend the arc better tan any other team…
by nba is the worst on Jan 30, 2010 9:14 PM EST up reply actions
celtics
for all you people who said we cant win a game with good teams you need to relax a bit all star break is coming and we will have some time to rest daniels will be back too and we could get some decent post player .dont worry about sheed neither he will be ready i for playoffs.go celtics never give up
Awesome line right thar...
“You’re right, Rasheed. The ball doesn’t lie. It’s awfully sore from the number of times it clanged off the rim after you shot it.”
I laughed so hard. Good job… keep it up.. ^_^b
The C's rebounding has been horrible this year
The C’s have got to trade the non rebounding dead weight big man (Scal, Baby and Williams) in order to get a big man who can rebound.
Am I the only one?
Not to be pollyanna about this, but I see this season’s series as something of a changing of the guard. It’s not just that we don’t match up well against the Hawks and their youth — it’s that nobody does. After watching the C’s get dismantled 4 times this year and seeing a few ESPN/NBA Network games that Atlanta has played, it’s pretty clear to me that they’re better than their record (30-15) and have to be considered a legitimate contender to come out of the East this year. We still match up fine against just about anyone else in the conference, but I get the feeling that we could play Atlanta 4 more times and get swept again unless we figure out how to infuse some youth and energy into this lineup. Nobody in the conference has an answer for Crawford or Johnson right now and they’re just gaining confidence with every big win. I don’t see any shame in admitting that I love watching that team play, as long as it’s not against us. They’re a lot of fun and play with a sort of controlled frenzy that can rattle even the best defensive teams. Danny should be happy that we got all 4 games against them out of the way relatively early this season, because it gives him an idea of what moves need to be made if we’re going to be able to compete better against Atlanta in the playoffs. All is not lost, but significant changes are in order.
by Artie Vandelay on Jan 30, 2010 12:27 PM EST reply actions
Uhh...
I meant “not to be Chicken Little about this,” not “pollyanna.” Got my cliches mixed up, which should be a good lesson to stop dealing in cliches.
by Artie Vandelay on Jan 30, 2010 12:30 PM EST up reply actions
I Picked Atlanta
…to win the EC two months ago. Everyone thought I was nuts.
Two of the NBA’s leading knuckleheads, Josh Smith and Jamal Crawford, have started to play the right way. Maybe there’s something in the water down there in Atlanta, or maybe Mike Woodson is doing one heck of a coaching job. Put those two together with Joe Johnson and Horford— who is a throwback to guys like Ricky Mahorn— and the Hawks can play with anyone. Their main weakness is Bibby, but with Crawford playing so many minutes Bibby’s flaws are minimized.
Getting past Orlando...
…will be the big test for them. Not sure Horford has the size to handle Howard, even with Pachulia coming in to give some fouls and generally annoy him with hustle plays. I don’t think the Cavs could win a 7-game series against Atlanta, especially with their issues at PG and Shaq being old and fat. Hawks had them against the wall twice last month and blew big leads in the 4th quarter both times…wouldn’t count on that happening when all the chips are on the table. Agree with you about Bibby — he’s pretty clearly running out of time as a starter, but is probably a good clubhouse guy for them since he’s been on contenders in the past.
by Artie Vandelay on Jan 30, 2010 12:47 PM EST up reply actions
Hawks 0-6 and lose by average of 18.5 against Magic
Ownage
"Memphis then used a pick-and-roll to get Conley free and he drove past Shaquille O'Neal for the go-ahead layup."
Crawford has been a very good fit for that team..
He is a strating SG in any other team and he is coming off the bench for them which is good because he deald with opposing teams second unit and that is when their scoring does not drop even with JJ on the Bench….heck, they haven’t even harness the talents of Marvin Williams, who IMO appears to have PP’s number.. I agree with you Brick, my money is on the Hawks against the Cavs…
This is where I think a trade for Monta will help against teams like the Hawks. Ray Allen just has a hard time creating offense for himself, which will make him useless in the playoffs, whereas with Monta, he is a monster scorer and will create problems for the Hawks defense specially with PP slashing as well.I certainly believe Monta and Rondo will be able to coexist…do it Danny!!
"No I’m not KG. Not at all, but I’m Big Baby Glen Davis from LSU, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I’m not the Big Ticket. I’m the Ticket Stub. Don’t count the Ticket Stub out. You might need the ticket to get in the game, but you leave with the ticket stub, because you’ll never forget this game."
Seriously?
heck, they haven’t even harness the talents of Marvin Williams, who IMO appears to have PP’s number..
PP was 11-15 from the floor and 12 of 13 from the line. If Williams has had his number he sure didn’t know what to do with it.
i don't think so
Sometimes when a team sweeps you, you give them much more credit than they deserve. Why? Because as celtic fan, you probably rarely see the Hawks play unless they are playing and beating the celtics.
The truth is far from what you guys think. Atlanta is NOT a title contender. In fact, not even close. They are far worse than their record shows. The only team Atlanta can beat, out of the elite teams, is the Celtics. They lose EVERY game against Orlando, the Cavs usually beat them, and the only game they played against the Lakers this year they lost, when LA was without Pau Gasol.
Atlanta is a 2nd or 3rd tier team. They should not make it past the 2nd round.
They will make it past the 2nd round if they were to meet the C's
The bitter reality is the Hawks have our number, and not until I see a Healthy 100%KG will my opinion change…The Hawks are motivated enough to beat us, at some point they will also learn how to beat the Magic and the Cavs.
and if the Hawks are a 2nd or 3rd tier team, then how do we rank our beloved Celtics who are 6-10 in their last 16 games..that certainly looks like a lottery bound team to me ain’t it?.
"No I’m not KG. Not at all, but I’m Big Baby Glen Davis from LSU, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I’m not the Big Ticket. I’m the Ticket Stub. Don’t count the Ticket Stub out. You might need the ticket to get in the game, but you leave with the ticket stub, because you’ll never forget this game."
But ATL coming out the EC??? Nahhh…! The game they run is ok maybe against teams that doesnt have a legitimite post player. Not saying yall dont..but if Sheed wud post up Al Horford a bit and open the lanes a bit that could mean the world of difference. All that running doesnt get u anything but easy playoff fodder. Get healthy! When your good defensively it doesnt matter what seed u take. The why the Cavs look as if there going balls to the walls this year. They need that 1 seed..but just like last year..theyll be worn out by the second round.
by Kobe Won Kenobi on Jan 30, 2010 1:05 PM EST via mobile reply actions
The BIG difference ofcourse has been Crawford...
For all the diehard C’s fanatics out there looking at the green glass( me Included), Its hard to fathom that one man can be the difference in our matchup against the Hawks.
J. Crawford is just a matchup nightmare for the C’s as he has a vary respectable pullup off screens that neither Rondo or the Allen’s can handle, and JJ…Please, this guys is just lights out good..Me thinks he can really turn it on anytime as evidence in last nights game.. A completely different player now as he was and Yes, he is definitely an ALL STAR.
2 yrs ago we had our swagger against this team yet we struggled against themin the first round with a healthy Garnett, PP and a fairly good Ray Allen…But now Allen’s skills are diminishing, KG is not 100%, (more like 75 to me when he played last night), and Crawford was not playing for them 2 yrs ago…He is now and say what you want about this guy when he is hot, he is definitely hot, Id trade RAy Allen for him right now in a heartbeat. (lets just all admit it that RAy is just not that good anymore, he is still decent, and really should be coming off the bench right now in his career.)
The HAWKS are a very good team at the moment, they are going to really challenge for the title and me sort of just hopes that they meet the Cavs in the second round as Id rather prefer the Magic than these Hawks in round 2.
"No I’m not KG. Not at all, but I’m Big Baby Glen Davis from LSU, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I’m not the Big Ticket. I’m the Ticket Stub. Don’t count the Ticket Stub out. You might need the ticket to get in the game, but you leave with the ticket stub, because you’ll never forget this game."
Jamal Crawford gets buckets, always has. D has always been his liability.
If you’ve seen him in Chicago and NY, you know this. He can decimate 2nd units.
ATL is just younger, more energy, athletic, and JJ can FINISH games. they have everything in their toolbox. I’m not counting the Cs out just yet, its a long season, but from what we’ve seen, its a bit unnerving.
ATL can most definitely come out of the east. As good a shot as ORL or CLE. I do think they will need a Dwight Stopper. Luckily the best post defender in the L is with us.
Atlanta was the first team...
….to display no fear of the Celts, and to give other clubs a “license” not to fear them either.
As for our fellow Celtic fans, who remain in deep denial over our current 6-10 skid and feel that it`s OK because the calendar still says January….you are the same folks who, had you been on the Titantic, would have said, “There is no need to panic…we are only stopping for ice”!
I don't think there's anything wrong in still believing in your team
I’m not saying I’m not worried at all, because things definitely have not been looking great lately. But, I think not throwing all hopes out the window because it’s still January is a fair statement. Who knows what will happen in the next few months. The Celts the entire season so far have been dealing with injuries which really throws team chemistry off, it’s not a complete excuse, but it definitely has something to do with it. If any other contender had some of their good players go down they could start losing games too. I just don’t think these losses are fair enough reason to just cut the Celtics out of any chance at still being a contender.
by faithfulcelticfan34 on Jan 30, 2010 3:14 PM EST reply actions
Confucius say...
Posts of wisdom by Celtic Faithful show path to turn team into Title Powerhouse a difficult one. Easier advice is how to turn fox into elephant… Marry it!
haha, classic
that was awesome…fox to elephant…lol
are the hawks the new beast of the east ?
seems like that the celtics can,t keep up with the younger quicker hawks if danny does not make a good trade that will improve this team by playoff time nocioni ? it will be a early exit from postseason cause this team should not want to play the hawks in the playoffs ..
rebounding n youth
williams n davis hustle n rebound. they aint dead weight.sheed cant get more than 2 rb standing out 3 pt. line.young players want a chance 2 play. cant get because of sheed. plus he’s taken house’s shots from him. one player has thrown team chemistry off. This is doc n danny.they signed him. All i see is robert horry shootin a 3 while sheed,s eyes move but his feet don’t. bring back posey!!!!
Re Those Turnovers
None of our wing guys (Ray, Paul, Tony) are great with the ball. Add some fumbles from Perk and Kg, force feeds from Rondo (just.take.the.shot.) and a little too much ubuntu (just.take.the.shot) and that’s a lot of TOs. Which means a lot of fast breaks. Add the rebounding edge, and, well that’s a problem.
Dec. 27, 2009
Celts at Clippers…score tied at 90….1 second remaining on the game clock….Rondo at the line shooting two free-throws….Celtic record stood at 23-5 {.884%}.
Rondo missed both FT attempts….Celtics are 6-10 {.375%} from that moment on!
TA does a reasonable job on Jamal
…though it’s always true that a great offensive player will get his shots in. But TA can slow him down well enough. Don’t know why he was on Joe J last night at times (who is too big and strong for TA)…. seems to me Paul is the right guy for that job. A little work with the tape should do it on D. Stop (or slow down) those two and the game will be in hand…. assuming you don’t throw the ball away as the Cs have been wont to do so much this season (Paul, Ray, Sheed, Rondo…. hell, everybody).
ATL has not beaten us once this season for real. The Cs have beaten themselves. In every game, there were screwups galore to account for the loss. Bottom line: I think we can beat this team handily, with our D in place and our heads out of our lower digestive tracts when it comes to holding on to the rock. And maybe Sheed shouldn’t play vs. Atlanta altogether.
I’ve been saying all along that the Cs don’t care about reg season games, that they don’t care about seeding, they’re gonna turn it on in the playoffs, yada yada yada. I’m sticking with that story. But my confidence in it is waning……
Breaking Down the Sweep??????
Sorry……can’t even read it…I am sure it’s a very nice job but….
it sounds too much like:
“Break Down the Defeats”……
My instructions the next we see the Hawks
Is it Soup Yet?
We just don't have it this year
I’m sorry, I am losing my enthusiasm and am very frustrated watching the Celtics this year. They are playing soft and with poor energy and this team just does not seem to care anymore. Plus they really don’t have the talent to compete and will be lucky to win the Atlantic Division and will get knocked out in the 1st round.
Injuries are a lame excuse. I question their passion for the game.
Boston Celtics - 2008 World Champions
The Hawks can't get past Orlando or Cleveland.
Orlando and Cleveland are built to play each other. The playoffs will be all about the brackets and those playoffs are a long time off. If we are healthy and focused I don’t worry about any team in the East.
Interesting turn of events Hawks found out what it is like on a back to back. C’s played better then they did in their back to back.
HAWKS 86
Magic 104
Their talk should stop immediately
It'll keep happening...
…until they find a big man who’s actually, uh, big. Howard is just flat-out too big and too strong for anyone on that team. I don’t think they’ll have as much trouble w/ Shaq, since he doesn’t have the mobility of Horford. The Magic have their number and will continue to beat them because of the size difference.
by Artie Vandelay on Jan 31, 2010 10:34 AM EST up reply actions
regular season is for noobs
these guys on the celtics don’t care about the regular season. lol ! you think they’re gonna show their stuff now ?? no way. They are just entertainment now. collect the paychecks until its playoff time
then the gloves come off, the playbook is unveiled they all look 25 again.
you will see a glimmah tomorrow
a glimmah.
then they will go back to rope-a-dope, after they blast the Lakers tomorrow. just cuz they wanna show they can drop bombzzz anytime they want
ha...
you’re funny, with kg hurting there is no way we’ll get blasted. narrow victory, maybe. we shall see….
how about Ray Allen as a microwave roll
Everybody likes to blame Rasheed, but Ray Ray only had 9 pts at the shooting guard position in over 36 minutes. Thats what kills us SG is 1/5 of the 5 spots and he plays 75% of it and only puts in 9 pts. ( in a 90 pt game ,thats only 10% of load)(with are defensive oriented big men, we need 25% from SG spot)
I dont expect him at his age to put up the numbers j Crawford put up against him. With that said, maybe let Tony Allen start and bring Ray off the bench with fresh legs and let him score,score and score some more. Crawford shouldnt have hit for 30 + points in an Eastern defense oriented game. Tony might have held him from getting so many touches were Ray is to tired to keep up and help out, Ray is so overplayed for his age that he couldnt even hit double figures in scoring and this isnt the 1st time this yr . I love Ray and would be open for him to start in games that he matches up well defensively with his opponents, but bring him in off the bench for awhile and see if TA can improve on the numbers he put up as a starter in Pierces absence, then add what Ray brings and the SG position could become a strong point for this team.
The Lakers will not b the team the Celtics will decide to show there stuff. Not saying were going to win..but..yall problems stem alot deeper than just “hey lets beat the Lakers on the 7th game of there 8 game roadie and prove were a legit championship team”
by Kobe Won Kenobi on Jan 31, 2010 1:48 AM EST via mobile reply actions
A Laker win is likely
Rebounding is the key
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