I had the chance to check out the game tonight in Portland, and generally I like the effort and execution and I think some small fixes could change the Celtics's outlook dramatically. It all starts with confidence in the shot. Guys like Jason Terry, Brandon Bass and Jeff Green just need to take the open shot when they have it. Let's cut it out with all the pump fakes. Let's just leave that to Paul Pierce, who actually uses the fake as a tool to get BETTER SHOTS. If guys were taking the open shot in rhythm, tonight's final score looks a lot different.

I also must make some observations about minutes. This is not news, but Kevin Garnett gives the best minutes if any player on the team by a wide margin. It is more apparent in person than on TV just what a dramatic impact this guy has, not only on the defensive end but also offensively. Jeff Green impressed me as well, despite the underwhelming stat line. This is a player clearly gaining confidence, which is all he needs to turn the corner and become a dependable and consistent player. Green gets his shot with ease, and can get to the rim on a whim. Tonight's game action changed my view on Green. Then there's Brandon Bass. If it was just this game, I apologize, but this guy should not be getting big minutes. He is a major liability and for a guy that is out there for scoring his instincts on the offensive end are not very good. Also, nice game by Terrence Williams. He looks like a great pickup. Not a great game for Paul Pierce, especially in the 4th quarter. He looks good, but the shots have to fall for this team to win games. And Jordan Crawford... I'm not sold on this guy. He looks lost.

In conclusion, let's give way less minutes to Brandon Bass, and more minutes to Jeff Green and Terrence Williams. I don't think necessarily that the team needs a lot more in the front court for the playoffs assuming Garnett can pick up minutes and both KG and Green can stay healthy. If that doesn't happen, no free agent addition will have an impact to mitigate that loss of productivity. This season clearly lies in the 4th quarter shooting of #34, the minutes for KG, and the consistency of Jeff Green.