Youth Is Wasted On The Young
by Jeff Clark on Jan 8, 2010 10:33 PM EST
in Boston Celtics Games
Email
PrintThis is what worries me about the playoffs. We've already seen this team struggle against young, athletic teams and we're getting older every day while the young teams are gaining experience and confidence.
Pierce did what he could, Rondo and Perkins each got double doubles, but it wasn't enough. The Hawks hit shot after shot and seemed to come up with every loose ball down the stretch.
Now we are 0-2 vs. the Hawks. Hopefully a healthy KG and a more focused Celtics team would be able to beat them in the playoffs. Hopefully.
Video highlights and box score after the jump.
Boston
Starters
Min
FG
3Pt
FT
+/-
Off
Reb
Ast
TO
Stl
BS
BA
PF
Pts
R. Rondo
G
41:20
4-9
2-2
1-2
-10
2
5
10
2
1
0
0
2
11
R. Allen
G
39:53
5-15
3-6
2-2
-10
0
2
2
1
2
0
0
1
15
K. Perkins
C
37:13
6-10
0-0
2-3
-6
4
14
2
3
1
0
1
2
14
P. Pierce
F
39:53
8-15
2-4
3-6
-9
1
5
0
4
6
0
0
1
21
R. Wallace
F
38:02
5-15
1-8
0-0
-8
1
3
4
1
1
1
0
2
11
Bench
Min
FG
3Pt
FT
+/-
Off
Reb
Ast
TO
Stl
BS
BA
PF
Pts
E. House
15:44
2-6
1-2
2-2
+3
0
2
3
0
0
0
0
2
7
G. Davis
12:56
1-4
0-0
2-2
0
1
3
1
0
0
0
1
2
4
S. Williams
6:22
0-0
0-0
1-2
0
0
2
0
3
0
2
0
1
1
B. Scalabrine
4:41
0-0
0-0
0-0
+2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
J.R. Giddens
0:17
0-0
0-0
0-0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Totals
31-74
9-22
13-19
9
36
22
14
11
3
2
13
84
120 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Absolutely do not want this team in the playoffs
They are better than Orlando and are much tougher for the Celts than Cleveland.
i beg to disagree..better than orlando?
they just hitting all the 3’s tonight! Celts is a playoff team! they cant hold a candle under pressure. Celts the most resilient NBA team!
i just had to say i missed TA energy! 1Q we did play D but then no energy the following Q’s
Yes, better than Orlando
Orlando’s chemistry is gone. They miss Hedo tremendously.
Eh
Hawks are too streaky and don’t perform well under pressure. They’re capable of playing high energy basketball but a few of their major contributors lack high basketball IQ, especially in the clutch (i.e. Smith, Horford) Not a championship team in my opinion.
by BOSPORTS on Jan 8, 2010 10:39 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
they may not be title contenders
but they are very, very dangerous and I don’t want to see them in the early rounds
hope they battle it out with the Cavs or Magic
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers" Henry V
dangerous? I don't think so in a series.
The C’s played horribly on an individual execution level – their shooting FG% was only 40% – while the Hawks played out of their minds at an individual execution level – they shot 49.7% (including 50% from 3pt land!!!!).
Those averages are simply not sustainable over a series.
Further, the low shooting percentage for the C’s is probably a sign of players being gassed from the long run of road games in the last 3 weeks and the run of flu that’s hit so many of them.
Give it a week or two and this team will be on a tear again. They just need to get healthy and fresh legs under them.
Cavs I hope
They could make it difficult for the two big old giants on the Cavs.
I am also starting to get the feeling the Magic and the Hawks are heading in opposite directions. It will be interesting to see if Stan can keep his team from imploding.
Agreed, Bosports.
The Hawks were on fire tonight, and it was still the C’s game to lose. Impressive athleticism on this team, but I know the C’s can take them in a series — IF they’re healthy, which feels like a big “if” some days…
Exactly - we had No Marquis, TA and Ticket
The Boston Celtics will be fine. We lost to a talented and driven team last night – for the second time this season.
They are indeed the only team that we haven’t beaten this year. But I’m not worried. ATL has yet to beat us at full strength – no Glen and KG was getting his legs back in the first Hawks game, and we had no Marquis, KG or TA this game.
As a matter of fact – the Celtics have yet to be completey healthy so far this season? But yet we are 25-9.
No one wants to meet Boston in the playoffs – that’s my mindset. ATL is talented, but not consistent.
Not In My House!
by Celtics18and19 on Jan 9, 2010 6:44 AM EST up reply actions
Id rather
Have the Magic in the 2nd round rather than these Hawks.
"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."
cuz we have Perks on Dwight
we can beat Hawks,we can play D on this team bigtime! just need to stay healthy and LOTS of energy! we look really old tonight!
Been sayin that since day 1
Of the 3 east beast cavs magic and hawks, magic r the ones I hope we meet (first)
by Warrior Spirit on Jan 9, 2010 2:23 PM EST via mobile up reply actions
Jamal Crawford got game
But not too worried. Once we are all healthy, ATL doesn’t stand a chance. Jamal got game!
You really believe Atlanta does not stand a chance against the Celtics?
I think it would be a great series, but they would have a great chance.
This same team gave us fits in the playoffs 2 yrs ago when we are healthy and now they add Jamal Crawford, I think you underestimate them too much.
Believe me this is one team that can knock the C’s out in the playoffs.
"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."
In a series where adjustments can be made
the Celts can take ’em, no question.*
- IF they are healthy (maybe I should make this my sig).
that is the 1st year
wc i think we are still adjusting as opposed to Hawks they already have the legit chemistry.
and that’s why i hate RA trade topic, you’re asking for another player then after 1-2 yrs u want him to be replaced as well. I think Hawks is a great example of a Team chemistry playing together for how many years now and now theyre on of the Elite teams!
Thanks, Scal
Six straight games now with no points for the Anti-Geno. Only 5 minutes tonight, but another pure line with zeros across the board. He had nothing to do with the loss, but think it is funny. Will he score again this year?
Can someone please tell me....
What Doc and Danny see in Scal????
Also when on earth are we going to see Walker???
We were getting beat by young, strong, athletic players tonight, TA was out sick and it would of been nice to throw Walker out there who is also young, strong and athletic to give the Hawks a taste of their own medicine!
I just do not get it and its driving me crazy!!!!
why do you guys waste your energy complaining about Scal v Walker?
It is a non-issue. It has nothing to do with why we lost this or any game so far.
Would I like to see Walker get some minutes in blowouts? Yes.
Do I think Scal has completely lost the ability to shoot a basketball? Yes.
Do I think that makes any difference to any of these games? No.
Doc has valid reasons for playing Scal based on the bodies that are healthy and the roles that need to be filled in the rotations. The same reasons keep Walker on the bench. When everybody is healthy, (KG, Daniels, TA) you won’t see either of these guys on the floor except maybe in blowouts.
Give it a rest.
I disagree
We got beat last night because we had problems matching up against young, athletic players.
Walker is a young athletic player with talent and Scal is a non athletic player with no talent.
Walker could of come in and put a body on all the Atlanta wing players and helped slow them down.
Its a no brainer at least to me that it makes more sense basketball wise to play Walker than Scalabrine.
How anybody can argue they want Scal on the floor over Walker is puzzling?
So you really, honestly think that playing WALKER for 5 minutes would have won that game?
You do realize, that at the #3 position, Walker is behind Pierce and a half dozen other guys? If Walker was showing Doc anything in practice, maybe he’d be higher up the depth chart. Have you personally watched their practices?
It isn’t as simple as wanting Scal on the floor over Walker. Are you not listening? Scal plays 3 different positions – even if he’s worse at any one of them than Walker, he still is going to fit into more rotations than Walker.
Not all of Scal’s minutes are in at 3 – so even if Walker was ahead of Scal at 3 on the depth chart, you are only talking about getting Walker into the game instead of Scal for a fraction of those minutes.
Walker is still young and not as versatile yet. Walker plays a PF game in a SF body. We already have plenty of PFs that are ahead of him and Doc needs his SF to play away from the post. He may eventually be able to turn that raw athleticism into a successful NBA career. But right now he is just that. Raw.
And frankly, your very first premise is wrong. We didn’t get beat last night because we had problems matching up against young, athletic players. We got beat because we shot 40% and they shot 50%. Plain and simple. We had plenty of chances to score easy points that we missed. They took some amazing shots and made them. Sometimes that happens.
Yeah, but...
…how many deflections and did you see those pick he set?
we were lucky last night not so lucky tonight
the hawks got ridiculously hot and we got cold. Not a good game for us nad overall very disappointing . I know Pierce had 21 but I hated his game tonight
We need to get healthy
and we need much more of a contribution from the bench. Eddie House continues to stink it up much more than he plays well, and we got zilch tonight from the bench.
we need another athlete
cuz pierce and ray and williams are slow
Agreed
"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."
that 3rd qtr was brutal
No energy, and allowed the Hawks and their fans to run away. Very bad qtr for the C’s
"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."
Bad bad game
missed free throws, too many turnovers, too may second chance opportunities and some really bad shots in the the 3rd quarter will do it every time. It’s a miracle this game was as close as it was.
And I want nothing to do with this team in the playoffs btw
P2 is the man.
Ray and Rasheed combined to shoot 10-31 tonight
Add in Eddie and they were 12 for 37. And that, my friends, spells L-O-S-S.
Not worried about them in the playoffs.
They won’t be able to beat us in a 7 game serie, they lack mental toughness.
Sure they can give us hard times but… the only guy that really worries me is Jamal Crawford. He went crazy in the 4th quarter in both games and killed us. He was well defended for the most part tonight.
Also, did you notice how the Hawks went back to on one one plays when they were struggling at the end during our comeback? That’s not the sign of a mentally tough team. We did a good job rebounding the ball for 44 minutes out of 48 I would say, and the Hawks got hot when we got cold. It happens, but if we win the battle of the boards and play more inside, – and we will do it in the playoffs -, there are no cause for concerns.
I believe the Hawks are talented, but man were they hot tonight. Ridiculous shot after shot. I can’t see them keeping that up for 7 games. As I mentioned before, they’re streaky and rely heavily on positive energy. At least the Celtics have pretty consistent defense and scoring night in and night out, but the Hawks will have these high energy games where everyone is shooting lights out, dunking, etc. Then, they’ll go on runs where no one is stepping up. I think that is what makes them NOT a title contender – the notion that offensively and defensively they lack identity.
Don't Worry.
We will not be injured all season. We’ll get through this stretch.
ATL is talented, but they are having the same problems as every other Contender this year – consistency. They haven’t beaten CLE or ORL this year – Boston has…In ORL and at CLE.
We’ve been somewhat inconsistent too, but Injuries have been a big part of it.
Not In My House!
by Celtics18and19 on Jan 9, 2010 7:07 AM EST up reply actions
agreed! they just hit those ridiculous shots!
not a real threat in the playoffs (atleast compare to Cavs and Magic), we are way better!
TA would of been nice this game, some energy, attacking the hoop, and somebody to throw at Crawford.
So true...
I am not the greatest TA fan, but this team is in such a need of athleticism I will take it even if it comes form TA .
Plus he has not played bad since he has returned.
If Danny can find a better player to trade TA for (like a long, strong, athletic small forward defender) I would be all for it.
But if no trade takes place or until one does we need TA’s athleticism off the bench , so lets hope he recovers from the flu ASAP.
Don't forget Daniels - he also brings a lot of athleticism to the court.
And KG’s physical presence makes a HUGE difference in allowing the team to contest 3 pt shots. On an individual level, few big guys can come from the post to the perimeter in as few steps and get long arms up like he can. On a team level, his length and presence in the paint allows the other guys more freedom to defend man up on the edge.
Very true...
Daniels does bring us athleticism.
Though I do not think he is big or strong enough to defend the big , long, strong small forwards that give us problems, Daniels does play very well defensively and offensively against smaller light weigt small forwards.
I also like when Doc drops him in the back court and Daniels then uses his size both defensively and offensively against his opponent.
Lets hope he gets back soon, as he was I think a big signing over the summer and will be a major player and contributor for us in the playoffs.
No Chance.
Atlanta doesn’t have a prayer in hell when the C’s are healthy. None. You can “trade talk” all night, but you know it to be true. Rings are won in June.
playing 3 quarters out of 4 wont get it done....scal and sheldon are awful
by celticinorlando on Jan 8, 2010 10:50 PM EST reply actions
Agree...
He looked fine early in the season, but looks out of it now and not motivated.
He seems to play rather polite and nonaggressive and has to stop that tendacy and begin to throw his weight and muscle around as well as use his 6 fouls.
His role is should be our enforcer, low post defender and rebounder which this team needs.
I hope he starts being all that especially come playoff time because we will need his physical play against all the teams with big front court men we will face in the playoffs.
boston wont survive a 7 game series with the hawks. monday needs to be a win over them
by celticinorlando on Jan 8, 2010 10:51 PM EST reply actions
C'mon now.
Can Any team beat Boston in a 7-game series?
LA was the younger, faster, sleeker model in 2007-2008, and we all know what happened then.
The Old, Slow Cadillac Locked them up Defensively.
When it really counted, the Cadillac was tuned up and in good health, unlike now.
Not In My House!
by Celtics18and19 on Jan 9, 2010 7:12 AM EST up reply actions
Tough matchups for Ray Ray tonight—long athlelic 2’s. Needed Quis-Tony in there. ps memo to Rasheed, let up on the treys?
if danny thinks this team can win a championship then he is nuts...injuries are going to be with boston all season
he needs to add another wing and get rid of the deadweight
by celticinorlando on Jan 8, 2010 10:57 PM EST reply actions
Danny please get a ......
long, strong, athletic small forward defender and a stud rebounder for our bench using Scal or TA’s expiring contract(s) ASAP.
Also Baby, Williams and House have to start contributing !
And who is out there that we can get?
Without us giving up too much? The only one I can think of is Gerald Wallace and we ain’t getting him, without giving up our Title 18 (and 19?) opportunity.
Not In My House!
by Celtics18and19 on Jan 9, 2010 7:30 AM EST up reply actions
My suggestion is if (and only if) the Knicks and Bulls want to dump salary they may be willing to give us either:
Chandler a long, strong, athletic wing defender from New york only makes 1.2 million this season or Tyrus Thomas A long, strong, athletic small – big forward who only makes 4.7 million this season would be great wing defenders.
Joakim Noah who only makes 2.4 million this year is a great rebounding power forward /center
All the above players can be obtained by trading our either or a combination of
Scal’s 3.4 million expiring contract 2.5 million expiring contract
TA’s
Gidden’s -1.0 million expiring contract
Again many teams will be looking to give away even talented players if they have to in exchange for expiring contracts this year in order to dump salary, reduce their payroll so they can go after big star free agents next year.
If New York or Chicago are 2 such teams maybe Danny can deal with them.
If not I am sure their are other teams with similair players out their that can help us that may be willing to trade with us.
Only Danny knows for sure thougfh since he has all the inside information.
I just hope he can pull off some deal at the deadline to help get us remedy those 2 weak spots so the C’s can be primed prior to heading into the playoffs.
crawford was the difference
This team is dangerous and are for real ,even with KG I don’t wanna see this team early or late in the playoffs,I see giddens came in for 17 seconds wow thanks doc.Let me say this as well Sheldon williams may very well have THEE WORST hands I’ve ever seen in my life .I used to just think it was nerves or too fast of a pass but this guy can’t catch the flu.paul had a steady game good game I love paul and I think its hard for him to transition to literally taking over the game paul for some reason he’s become too unselfish at times because he can still go for forty any time but he only shoots the ball 13 times or less.in games like this I wish he would though.Really don’t like the hawks hate losin to them just a bad night .Someone please talk to eddie and help him find his shot this is goin on 3 months now….
by reggie_35 on Jan 8, 2010 11:04 PM EST via mobile reply actions
So who has worse hands?
Shelden or Mikki? I say Mikki… the original “Stone Hands”. Shelden trying to catch up tho….
We lost to the likely EC champions. What did you expect? This is not a team that the Celtics can beat in the playoffs.
Hawks are the likely EC champs? Can we give minus TPs?
I don’t think you’ll find many Hawks fans past the age of 25 who believe your claim.
Hawks can't beat the Cavs (or ORL), but Guess who can? And has?
Boston.
Not In My House!
by Celtics18and19 on Jan 9, 2010 7:34 AM EST up reply actions
Rondo's young
What happened to him tonight? For long stretches, I actually forgot he was in the game. I know, double-double… barely. And hey, he went 2-2 on his 3-pointers. That’s something.
Cs played like crap, deserved to lose… end of story. Atlanta is no better than many other teams… not worried about them at all, if the Cs play like they’re AWAKE, that is. Hawks have been lucky to catch the Cs snoozing twice so far. Enough hand wringing.
He can't possibly have recovered from his hamstring injury after playing 50 minutes in Miami.
It’s kind of scary that this team can’t seem to win big games unless Rondo plays like a superstar.
Take it easy with throwing Sheldon under the bus, he is better than people give him credit for. As for the Hawks, this team beat us because they play THE EXACT opposite kind of game that the Celtics do, and we just don’t have the personnel to deal with it. They are like a team full of Rondo’s (Young, quick, athletic). Our offense is predicated around three older guys that dont really have the speed/athleticism they used to, and rely on their superior skill sets and lots of picks. The Hawks are all about speed and one-on-ones, and unfortunately, the Celtics cant deal with that. If we meet these guys at any point in the playoffs it will be an absolute dog fight, and it could really go either way. Remember how much trouble we had when we went on the title run? That Hawks team was much worse, and that Celtics team was much better. However, Perk played well, and Ray showed he can still shoot, so not all bad.
Agree witth ...
your point about Shelden.
Though he is in a rut now he has played decently overall this year so far considering he gets light minutes and is our 5th big man off the bench.
Dog Fight Indeed
This is one of several teams where I think the C’s could benefit by pairing TA/Q is with Pierce, for extra length and quickness. Unfortunately, the club lacks a quick footed long forward to bring in behind KG/Wallace/Perk. I like BB and Shel but they dont get up there like Horford/Smith.
Yeah, but if you remember...
They fed off their fans’ energy, just like tonight.
"I hate to lose" - KG
We're just so slow..
It takes our bigs forever to get back into the paint on offense after we get a rebound. We’re slow with our transition defense. We’re slowing bringing the ball up the court. We’re slow to set picks. We’re slow to realize that complaining about calls isn’t getting us anywhere. We’re slow to pick ourselves up from the ground. We’re slow putting our hands in guy’s faces to contest shots. We’re slow to adjust that our 3 pt shots aren’t going in anymore. We’re slow moving off the ball. Slow moving the ball.
Some good things to take away from this game… Rondo was 2/2 from the 3pt line. Increased urgency for a backup point guard since Eddie is useless these days. Fewer turnovers than last game. Maybe we’re not slow, maybe everyone’s just feeling flu-like. Maybe Eddie should have just stayed home.
Obv this team was built for yest and today, not tmrw
How many times does this point need to emphasized? Before RA and KG the team was rebuilding with youth and wasn’t going anywhere. OMG it was painful to watch and follow. thankfully DA and company gambled and traded youth for experience. If you want to fret about tonight then you’re missing the point and only know one thing, Greed. Tonight’s game was v competitive and the Hubie made a great point that based on DEFENSE this team will hang in any game.
And I agree...
I hate to admit it as well, but Scal could find himself on the trading block soon. He’s a known character in Beantown, but what good is a character if he’s not contributing to his team’s effort?
"I hate to lose" - KG
JR Giddens did a great job
in his 17 seconds, blocking Jamal Crawford’s shot at the end of Q3. Looked like the only guy in green with some energy. Good thing Doc took him out for the rest of the game.
I agree it is puzzling...
and frustrating how Doc handles the kids on this team.
I know he likes vets, but why he does not allow our young, athletic players on the roster to get some meaningful minutes, especially when our vets have problems matching up against opposing young, athletic players like we faced tonight is bewildering??
I agree give giddens and walker some time.
at least have them play 5-10 minutes a game. who knows what you could have with both!
only change what you can control
We know ray I like ray but hate the fact that he can go cold and disapear for games at a time and whole series,apparently no matter what doc or anyone else says sheed has the green light bcuz he keeps on throwin them up .Baby will get back in rhythm .and as far as things go we might not make a trade or sign anyone so this is our squad gotta love em ,can’t help the ulcers their gonna give us though
by reggie_35 on Jan 8, 2010 11:26 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Scalabrine is Working On His Scoreless Streak
It would be a shame to trade him before he breaks the record, and he has a long way to go.
Yes -- six straight games without a point
But, he must lead the league in intangibles
Can this team please come out clear on garnett's injury?
I’m just sick of hearing a thigh injury turned into knee injury in a matter of days. Just come out and say what’s wrong with him. That is what irks me along with Rivers’ coaching at times. Could he have given a shit tonight?
I agree with your first point, but
Really? Doc didn’t give an ish? Tonight was the most animated I’ve seen him in a while.
As was the case last year, this shows that the C's will go nowhere without Garnett.
Wallace is rounding into shape at about the same pace Marbury did last year. He needs to drop some pounds, and park his butt in the post whether it’s in shape or not. Even if he does eventually improve his 3-point percentage, the post is where he should be for the most part.
This would have been a good game to give Walker some minutes at small forward, but coach chose to stick Scal out there when the only Hawk he matches up with even remotely is their mascot.
Not having watched Ray Allen on an every game basis before he came to Boston, I never realized he was such a turnover machine. More than two or three dribbles and cross your fingers with him.
With all this talk about the Hawks and Orlando, who took another hit tonight with a 4th straight “L” and a shoulder injury to Carter, Cleveland has seemingly assumed the role of team to beat in the East. If they get Jamison or Butler from the Wizards, watch out!
Paul Pierce's Leadership and Character
I hate Paul Pierce’s mannerisms. He’s an even bigger douche in person. He’s so arrogant and totally immature at his age! Everytime I see him when the c’s are down. He always looks like he’d rather be somewhere else. We should have shipped him out when we got ray allen and kevin garnett. True leaders!
I had respect for him when he was younger and the celtics were nasty in the early 2000’s.
However, I’ve lost all respect for him when we played Indiana in the playoffs in 03 and he took his jersey off when he was ejected! Another time was when the celtics were playing the nets in a meaningless preseason game in 08. I was the only celtics fan in my section which was right next to the celtics entrance to the court. Every player said What up to me and was very generous in giving me autographs. Except for one player: Paul Pierce. When I asked for an autograph. He completely ignored me and embarassed with me with a" look as if he had just saw a dead possum in front of him" in front of his own players. He’s a clown and will always be a clown! The dude needs serious help.
How old are you?
Agreed, Pierce was a punk in his yout— but he’s done all we could reasonably ask of him the last three years. Even professional sports players in their 30’s aren’t robots, and giving a fan ‘a look’ in response to one autograph request doesn’t mean one needs help.
being overly sensitive and having unrealistic personal expectations from celebrity athletes
might mean that one needs help …
hawks have our number
I think this team really gears up to play us. Simple as that. I will agree with Jeff though at some point not this year but after the season the Celts organization has to make a decision. When to start the integration of younger guys into the mix. Don’t think for one second that KG is playing a full season next year and Ray’s contract is up.
The Hawks can take themselves to the next level when the organization decides to take itself to the next level. Yes they’re players are talented but there is really only one HOF on that team and it’s Johnson. Bibby for the most part is slightly overrated and their athleticism often times gets them over the top. That being siad however, they can always be a second round team but that is it right now but I wouldn’t the Celts taking them in the first round again. I do think Tony Allen would have had an impact on this game. He’s got as much athleticism as any member of that team.
Rondo and Rasheed
In order to survive without KG in the interim, these two have to show up every night, and they simply didn’t tonight. Rajon showed why he’s still so maddening, having a terrific first half followed up by a perplexingly passive second half. Why he stopped trying to go to the basket in the second half is beyond me, it wasn’t like he was in foul trouble or anything. And Rasheed was a liability tonight on both sides of the ball, pretty much showing why he got sixth man money instead of starter money. He still has streaks of brilliance, but he can’t produce at his former star level night in and night out anymore.
When you think about it, our most solid and consistent player this season has been Perk. Who woulda thunk that a few years ago? You can count on the guy for 15 and 10 every night it seems, whereas with almost everyone else, it seems like a crapshoot.
Everyone who’s freaking out and demanding Danny to make a zillion trades needs to relax. This will be a vastly different team when KG and Quisy get back at 100%, especially if TA can keep up his recent level of play. We have to tread water until that happens, and if you haven’t noticed, the other top teams aren’t exactly separating themselves from us (knock on wood). We’ll be fine.
I agree that they'll be fine
I agree with Joe that they’’l be just fine when they get some people back. They are much better defensively without KG this year (and have more options without KG offensively as well), and could have won tonight. But thay need KG healthy, in all likelihood, to win in the playoffs. They played a tough defensive, competitive game and came very close to winning. Very good chance that without the lucky, ridiculous, unconcious, desperation 4-point play by Crawford the Celts have a different outcome.
Rondo is probably still struggling some physically which may explain his fall of in the second half. Pierce is still playing a cautiously. Garnett, Daniels and T. Allen out. Baby’s still rounding into shape, although I hope he didn’t hurt his hand to much in diving on the floor with Joe Johnson. Rasheed is not quite up to that many minutes and took a handful of ill-advised 3’s (maybe to save himself a litlle, but not helpful to the cause).
If they meet in the playoffs I feel that while not a totally sure thing, with each team at full strength, Atlanta would be tough because they are good, but the Celtics have better depth and defense, and likely win in less than seven .
by SteveZ from Edgemont on Jan 9, 2010 4:14 AM EST up reply actions
2 holes to plug
Quick big, back-up point, same a s last year. Faces have changed, but the holes are still the same. Im intrigued by the Raja Bell idea being floated (though that would make Eddie an odd man out). No idea whats realistic in the fwd dept—the club has indicated they wont pay for Noc. If that;s the case, can prob rule out Battier, Prince, G-Wallace.
Has Wilcox in DT got anything left? He’s got one year left on short money.
tony allen would have helped a lot in this game against crawford. tony is the perfect guy to put on him. I still think that if we’re full strength we beat this team. baby is obviously out of shape and overweight. he needs to get his lift and shot back by the end of the year. I can’t tell you how discouraging it is to see him getting stuffed time and time. paul and ray just aren’t young bucks anymore and it shows. they try to guard people but most players in the league can geet around them pretty much any time. IMO this is the last year for this group regardless of whether we win it all. we just have too much money wrapped up in 3 aging guys who are getting slower all the time. we don’t have a kobe or a lebron or a wade on this team. Pierce is the closest we have to a go to guy and he hasn’t looked like a go to guy for the last 2 1/2 months
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
NBA Playoffs Content Module
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recent FanPosts
In Association With
Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sport
- NBA Playoffs Fan Fiction: Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics
- The 10-man rotation, starring the Flaming Lips singin’ about the Oklahoma City Thunder
- The Philadelphia 76ers? Gone till November
- ‘Deep Thoughts’ and Cheap Thoughts: Miami Heat vs. Boston Celtics
- Metta World Peace wishes everyone a happy Labor Day on Memorial Day
