RSS
Home
The Celtics haven't fooled me
Print
Email
RSS
Subscribe
Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
I was young once. And I had my dry spells. But I knew well enough that just because a girl or two fell for the same old line, it didn't mean that I was suddenly Casanova.
So you'll excuse me while I don't get all giddy about the Celtics 2 game winning streak.
No, I'm not jumping off the bandwagon or suddenly putting way too much emphasis on January games against slightly-better-than-mediocre teams. I just see the Celtics doing a lot of the same things they did on their losing streak. The wins are nice, and I'll take them. But it doesn't mean the problems are fixed.
Last night, I staked out my spot at the gym. Right on the treadmill in front of monitor number 3. I hit the start button at the beginning of the first quarter. By the end of the quarter, the Celtics and I looked exactly the same. Worn out. Our shoulders drooped. Our expressions were pained. The difference, of course, is that I'm a 35 year old man who staked out prime couch space and ate two whole pies between Christmas and New Year's while the Celtics are finely tuned athletes at the absolute pinnacle of their physical well being. Except they're not at their pinnacle right now. They're tired. Be it age, too many minutes, a grueling early schedule, or a combination of the three. They're just not themselves.
The Celtics spent much of the game standing around and playing 1-on-1 instead of really working the offense. The Raptors, on the other hand, did the Celtics the ultimate favor over the past two games by relying almost exclusively on jump shots. They weren't making them on Sunday (until the 4th quarter). They were making them for most of last night's game. A younger, more athletic team would have put the Celtics away early. Kevin Garnett, save for a couple of alley-oops, was trudging around for most of the game. He picked it up for the overtime, and we saw the results: key deflections and blocked shots, rebounds, and keying the break. It's no surprise the Celtics built their biggest lead of the entire game over that stretch.
The Celtics were bailed out on Sunday by Ray Allen, and on Monday by Paul Pierce. But that can't last forever. The Celtics need to get back to the things that made them "The Celtics." They're built on a swarming defense that never lets a ball through a passing lane or a shot go up without a hand insomeone's face. Their offense flows from there, capitalizing on the frenzy caused by their defense. I don't care if it comes back this week or in March, but it's got to come back if the Celtics want to defend their title.
Related Articles:
Comments
