If you read my Carolina Panther’s mock draft article, you know that I’ve been suffering from some kind of indescribable sickness.
Lately, I’ve been wondering if whatever I have has infected the Boston Celtics.
Since the All-Star break, the Boston Celtics have been playing lackluster basketball.
I’m not all that concerned with the fact that they’re losing. They’re playing some of the best teams in the NBA, especially from an offensive perspective. No team goes through an entire season without experiencing some type of losing streak.
I am, however, concerned with how they’re losing.
When the Celtics were at their best this season, they seemed to feed off of Kevin Garnett’s energy.
When Garnett was injured, the young guys stepped in and supplied the intensity.
Guys like Glen Davis and Leon Powe played their hearts out, leading the Celtics to a 7-2 record while Garnett was out.
Then Garnett returned.
Since his return, they’re 0-3, turning the ball over at an alarming rate, giving up way too many points, and getting out-rebounded at a 2-1 clip.
So what happened?
When Garnett returned he brought his own intensity back, but the rest of the team seemed to lose theirs. It’s as if they all breathed a sigh of relief and said, “OK, he’s back; we can relax now.”
Garnett and Paul Pierce have been playing at a championship level all season long. The rest of the team has been up and down, peaking in their seven point victory over Detroit on February 5th.
It would be foolish to expect the Celtics to bring that kind of intensity every night, but you would expect them to be able to get up for a team like the Phoenix Suns.
It’s disturbing to see the Suns able to score at will, to out-rebound the Celtics so easily, and to defend the Celtics’ offense like they did.
Back in early February, the Celtics were the best team in the NBA, but right now, they’re solidly in the hunt, but clearly behind teams like the Pistons, Suns and Lakers.
Luckily for them, they don’t give NBA championships out in February.
The key for the Celtics is to fight through this, get aggressive, bang the boards, and get back some of that intensity that served them so well earlier this season.
With nine minutes left in the third quarter of Sunday’s game against Portland, the Celtics appear more aggressive, are finally starting to hit the boards, and have erased a 17 point first half deficit.
All good signs.
I’m not as concerned with whether or not they win the game, but more-so with the level of intensity throughout the remaining twenty minutes.
Talent is not a problem for the 2007-08 Boston Celtics. Contrary to popular belief, neither is depth. This Celtics team will go as far as their intensity on both sides of the floor takes them.
If the intensity is there, the result (especially in the playoffs) will take care of itself.
I’m SeanMC.
SeanMC is a Columnist at Bleacher Report. His archive can be found here. You can find everything he writes, including articles for other publications, here.
7 comments Last one added about 1 year ago — Leave a Comment
Sean Stancill about 1 year ago
Every team in the NBA has a slide. Its showing that Boston is indeed human.
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Stew Winkel about 1 year ago
I don't think it is anything to be that worried over - the Celtics take their opponents' best shot each and every night. Between their record and the hype they received all off season, teams want to prove themselves against Boston and to try to make a statement about their own talent or that Boston isn't as good as advertised. Denver is a good team, Golden State is a difficult place to play (and they had their largest crowd ever), and against Phoenix, both Pierce and Ray Allen were off and they still had a number of chances to be right in that game. A sign of the energy teams put into playing the Celtics - after beating Boston, Denver went to Chicago and lost by 14, Golden State hosted Atlanta and lost by seven and Phoenix got blown out by 30 to Detroit.
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Sean Crowe about 1 year ago
Good points. I'm not really worried. I just think that right now there are teams playing better than the Celts are right now. They just need to get that edge back before the playoffs, that's all.
If the same team that started this west coast trip shows up in Detroit for a seven game series, they'll get spanked.
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Jason Kivela about 1 year ago
I hope the 2007-2008 Celtics aren't one of those classic examples of a team that has peaked too soon. Will they be able to "take it to the next level" in the playoffs or have we already seen their A+ game when they started 29-3?
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Sean Crowe about 1 year ago
I think the fact that they're a veteran team will stop this from being the case, but then I would have expected the same thing from the Patriots and we all saw how that worked out...
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Anonymous about 1 year ago
KGs injury is of big concern right now. Forget the playoffs and who gets up for Boston. If his injury is not given the time to heal, the chances of Boston winning a title are slim. The season is long and if the role players cannot step up Boston will contiune to lose on the road. Give credit where credit is due Phoenix, Golden State and Denver are all could teams. If Boston had to face the Lakers, Phoenix, Denver, Utah, San Antonio, New Orleans, Houston, Dallas, Golden State and Portland four times a year, there success would be .600 at best. The West has some of the best Coaches in the NBA and everyone knows the East is SOFT. I'm not impressed.
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Sean Crowe about 1 year ago
Lakers, Phoenix, Denver, Utah, San Antonio, New Orleans, Houston, Dallas, Golden State and Portland four times a year? I would happily take .600 against that schedule.
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