Boston Celtics: Evaluating Every Player at the All-Star Break

After a tough loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Boston Celtics will limp into the All-Star break on a five-game losing streak and a sub .500 record at 15-17. This rest will be very important for the Celtics who have suffered several injuries so far this season and will hopefully help them have a better second half of the season, because let's face it, they will need to.

Throughout this first half of the season, the Celtics have been inconsistent as a team and individually. Obviously, they will need to find more consistency in the second half of the season.

For now though, let's take a look at each player and see, individually at least, who needs to improve and who needs to keep doing what they are doing. Consider this like a first semester report card—there is still another semester to improve, but this is a good indicator of where every player is at now.

Rajon Rondo

Stat Line: 14.8 ppg, 9.5 apg and 4.9 rpg

Best Game: February 15th against the Pistons

32 points, 15 assists and 10 rebounds in a losing effort

Worst Game: February 19th against the Pistons

Five points, ten assists, six turnovers, 1-6 shooting before being ejected and handed a two-game suspension for throwing a ball at a referee

Analysis:

The biggest thing lacking for Rondo at this point is consistency and partly as a result, the Celtics have also failed to find consistency. Watching him play has been a bit frustrating so far this season because you know that he can tear up opposing defenses at will, but that isn't always the case. When he is in attack mode, good things happen. Unfortunately, he is not always in attack mode. His best and worst games are perfect examples of the kind of season Rajon has had so far. In the first game, he torched the Pistons and recorded a triple-double with over 30 points. Then, just four days later, against the same defense mind you, he had more turnovers than points and got ejected. The Celtics rely on him and he will need to find more consistency in the second half of the season.

Grade: B-

Ray Allen

Stat Line: 14.3 ppg, 2.6 apg, 3.2 rpg

Best Game: December 27th against the Heat

28 points on 8-12 shooting from the field, 6-8 shooting from three and 6-6 shooting from the line

Worst Game: January 16th against the Thunder

6 points, 3 turnovers

Analysis:

It is pretty clear that Ray Allen has become a one-trick pony. He runs off screens and knocks down shots. Unfortunately, opposing defenses have really started to key on this and are denying him open looks. So the fact that Ray has only scored over 20 points four times this season isn't necessarily a sign that his shooting isn't as good. In fact, his shooting percentages are very high, but defenses are just focusing on him even more. With more consistency from Rajon Rondo, Allen will also benefit because if Rondo is commanding attention it will free up shots for Ray, and he will hit them.

Grade: B

Paul Pierce

Stat Line: 17.4 ppg, 5.3 apg, 5 rpg

Best Game: January 22nd against the Wizards

34 points, eight rebounds, 10 assists

Worst Game: February 12th against the Bulls

Nine points, one rebound, two assists, four turnovers

Analysis:

Paul Pierce has actually been one of the most consistent Celtics on paper. However, he still cannot be counted on to lead this team on a nightly basis—that should be up to Rajon Rondo. He is still the captain though and, at least for stretches, can lead the team as he is still the best option as a go-to-scorer for the Celtics. For the second half of the season, he should just focus on staying healthy and consistent because that will help the Celtics win more games.

Grade: A-

Kevin Garnett

Stat Line: 14.1 ppg, 7.8 rpg

Best Game: January 1st against the Wizards

24 points, nine rebounds, three assists

Worst Game: January 13th against the Bulls

Eight points (4-11 shooting), seven rebounds

Analysis:

I'm not even going to bother talking about Garnett's inconsistency because that isn't the real issue. The real issue is much simpler: he's old. It's sad but it's true, Garnett's days are numbered and he is no longer the same player. He can't jump anymore and that is hindering his ability to finish down low. Nonetheless, he still is a great defender, the anchor of the defense and he can still knock down shots. But, the Kevin Garnett of 2008 isn't walking through that door anymore.

Grade: C+

Jermaine O'Neal

Stat Line: 5.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 1.7 bpg

Best Game: December 30th against the Pistons

19 points, seven rebounds and two blocks

Worst Game: February 15th against the Pistons

One point, two rebounds, five fouls

Analysis:

If Kevin Garnett is old, than Jermaine O'Neal is ancient. He brings about zero offense to the table, but to his credit, has still been able to contribute all he can on the defensive end. Not only has he blocked a lot of shots, but he has also taken his fair share of charges and that impact is invaluable. That should not take away from the fact that he is by far the worst starter on the team.

Grade: C-

Brandon Bass

Stat Line: 11.6 ppg, 6.1 rpg

Best Game: December 25th against the Knicks

20 points, 11 rebounds

Worst Game: January 16th against the Thunder

Four points (1-5 shooting), one rebound

Analysis:

Trading for Brandon Bass was one of the best moves of the offseason. He literally is Big Baby 2.0—a good, consistent shooter, finisher and rebounder off the bench. His play off the bench has been very important for the Celtics so far this season and could definitely draw some votes for Sixth Man of the Year. For now, though, it is most important for him to get healthy again.

Grade: A-

Mickael Pietrus

Stat Line: 6.7 ppg, 3.1 rpg

Best Game: February 22nd against the Thunder

16 points and seven rebounds

Worst Game: February 19th against the Pistons

0 points, two rebounds

Analysis:

Pietrus has also proved to be a valuable addition. His shooting and energy off the bench have been very impactful so far this season, especially with the rest he has been able to give at nearly every position (last game, he played point guard for a stretch and the game before he played power forward for a stretch). Lately, he has proven worthy of crunch time minutes. Overall, he has performed well in his role and will hopefully be able to continue to do so in the second half of the season.

Grade: B+

Avery Bradley

Stat Line: 4.1 ppg, 1.2 apg, 1.7 rpg

Best Game: February 22nd against the Thunder

12 points, five assists, three blocks, two assists and one posterization of Kevin Durant

Worst Game: December 25th against the Knicks

0 points, one turnover

Analysis:

Bradley may have been my favorite Celtic from the first half of the season. His role is simple—wreak havoc for opposing ball handlers—and he is doing it as good as anyone I've ever seen before. He is doing what Tony Allen did, but there is one difference: Bradley can shoot. At least a little bit. Throughout the season, Bradley has received more minutes and more confidence as his game is flourishing. Plain and simple, opposing guards aren't happy when Bradley checks in.

Grade: B+

Keyon Dooling

Stat Line: 5.3 ppg, 1.1 apg

Best Game: December 27th against the Heat

18 points, 4-6 shooting from deep

Worst Game: February 12th against the Bulls

0 points, two rebounds

Analysis:

Dooling splashed onto the scene with his great performance against the Heat, and then continued to produce off the bench before he was injured. Since being injured, he has sort of disappeared and has failed to score over five points in any game since hurting his hip. He proved he can be effective when healthy, so now he just needs to get back to 100 percent again.

Grade: C+

Marquis Daniels

Stat Line: 2.9 ppg. 1.4 apg, 1.7 rpg

Best Game: January 23th against the Magic

Eight points, five assists, three rebounds

Worst Game: January 6th against the Pacers

Zero statistical impact

Analysis:

It is hard to judge Daniels because he really hasn't played that much this season. When he has played, though, one thing has been evident: his jump shot is far from consistent and too often he tries and fails to create offense on his own. That being said, he is a good defender. In any case though, if he wants to crack the rotation, he will need to improve his offensive game.

Grade: C

Sasha Pavlovic

Stat Line: 2.4 ppg, 1.1 rpg

Best Game: January 23rd against the Magic

Nine points and four rebounds

Worst Game: February 20th against the Mavs

0-4 shooting, zero points

Analysis:

Like Daniels, Pavlovic is another hard player to judge given his minimal playing time. He started the first couple games and proved ineffective, then found himself on the end of the bench. His three-point shooting still is very good, but it helps little on the bench. Barring any injuries, I don't see Pavlovic cracking the rotation again.

Grade: C

Chris Wilcox

Stat Line: 5.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg

Best Game: February 15th against the Pistons

17 points, nine rebounds, three assists

Worst Game: January 2nd against the Wizards

0-2 shooting, zero points

Analysis:

Wilcox was one of the few big signings by the Celtics this offseason and up until about a month ago, it seemed like a bad move. However, as of late, Wilcox has proved that, when healthy, he can come off the bench, score and rebound—something the Celtics desperately need. Unfortunately, he has gotten injured yet again. Hopefully, he can be fully healed by the time play resumes.

Grade: B

Greg Stiemsma

Stat Line: 1.5 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.9 bpg

Best Game: January 2nd against the Wizards

13 points, seven rebounds, two assists, two blocks

Worst Game: February 15th against the Pistons

One point, two rebounds

Analysis:

It was a great homecoming for Greg Stiemsma and the Boston Celtics as he recorded six blocks in the first game he touched the floor. However, reality would soon kick in and Stiemsma now finds himself on the end of the bench. Although he can block shots, he is not a great defender nor a great rebounder. He will likely remain a reserve.

Grade: C+

JaJuan Johnson

Stat Line: 4.1 ppg, 1.6 rpg

Best Game: February 12th against the Bulls

12 points, four rebounds

Worst Game: Any of his DNPs

Analysis:

Johnson began the season as a seldom-used reserve. But as of late, he has been getting a lot of minutes and has played well in that time. His jump shot looks a lot like KG's and his athleticism is impressive as well. His minutes may decrease as the team gets healthier, but that doesn't take away from the fact that he is a great young talent and has All-Star potential some day.

Grade: B+

E'Twaun Moore

Stat Line: 3.1 ppg, 1.0 apg

Best Game: January 26th against the Magic

16 points on 4-4 shooting from deep, helped orchestrate the best comeback of the season

Worst Game: Any of his DNPs

Analysis:

Although he has not played much, like his fellow former Purdue Boilermaker, Moore has still proved to be effective in the time he has seen. He finds ways to score whether that is spotting up, hitting a step-back jumper or getting into the lane and making a floater. For his rookie season he may spend the majority of his time on the bench, but he still has good potential for the future.

Grade: B