Everyone remembers the Gino phenomenon of a year ago. When the Celtics were putting the finishing touches on a blowout win, Gino came on the screen and danced us home to victory.
It just seems like we've seen a lot less of Gino. With the injury issues and the post-Christmas hangover, our win-loss record is off of last season's remarkable pace.
But it isn't just the win totals that are down. Our point differentials are down from a year ago. Last year we scored 10.3 more points than their opponents. This year it is only 8. By my (very) rough count, we won 22 games by 20 points or more last year. So far this year, there have only been 9 games like that.
I'm not going to disparage a 19 point win that much, but honestly, why were the Thunder leading anytime after halftime? Why were they within 3 after 3 quarters? No disrespect to Oklahoma City..., no, scratch that. Disrespect intended; this shouldn't have been close.
With a tip of the cap to Dancin' Daylon, I really miss Gino! Blowouts are fun for everyone (except the other team of course). The coaching staff gets to sit back and relax (or start thinking of the next game). The starters get to rest. The young players get a no-pressure chance to play. Fans have the option of enjoying the rout or heading home early to beat traffic.
So, why aren't we seeing more blowout wins? Is this year's edition really not as good as last years? Is the rest of the league catching up with us? Or are the Celtics simply pacing themselves more?