Not So Hot: 10 Reasons Why The Boston Celtics Are Better Than The Miami Heat
The Boston Celtics and Miami Heat have met twice this season, with Boston prevailing both times.
It seems as if Boston's combination of experience and structure will continue to dominate Miami throughout the rest of the season too.
The Celtics provide match up nightmares for the Heat, and when you consider Doc Rivers' success with this same core compared to the mess that Eric Spoelstra has on his plate, Boston will be better prepared for every head-to-head battle.
Here's a list of 10 major factors for why Boston will prevail in both the regular and post season against their new foes the Miami Heat.
Coaching
1 of 10
I can't blame Eric Spoelstra for the struggles of his highly-touted team this season, but he definitely takes a back seat to Doc Rivers when compared.
Rivers has coached these Celtics deep into the playoffs since acquiring the core of Garnett, Pierce and Allen in 2008, including visiting the Lakers in the finals twice and winning it all once.
Rivers has magically crafted a beautiful defensive scheme for a team that has gotten used to giving up around 90 PPG to opposing teams, as the team has kept the pace even without Tom Thibodeau.
The Celtics play a very team-oriented and spread offense that runs through star point guard Rajon Rondo, as Rivers uses Rondo's deadly passing, Allen's sharp shooting, Pierce's ability to drive and Garnett's baseline post game to perfection.
As for Spoelstra, he lacks experience with this new team, but at the same time has not gone far in the playoffs in the past. Unfortunately, his age brings about questions of authority in the locker room, as LeBron's ego might ultimately cost "Spo" his job.
Veteran Leadership
2 of 10
Although the offense runs through Rondo in Boston, veteran experience is never short handed for the boys in green.
Garnett, Allen and Pierce are all Hall of Fame type players, and care about winning as a team more than anything.
As for the Heat, Wade and James will be heading to the Hall of Fame as well, but the Heat have shown a one dimensional offense with inconsistencies when both James and Wade are on the floor.
What's the use of having two of the top five best players in the NBA when they don't optimally produce together?
It's up to LeBron James to execute a faster paced offense since his team lacks size to play half court. He likes to hold the ball for long periods of time, but the team will never be firing on all cylinders until he shreds defenses by getting his teammates involved.ย
It may take time for the Heat, but with all this talent, they're expected to win now.
A Better Home Court Atmosphere
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It's not bogus, home court advantage matters entirely in the NBA.
The Celtics as a franchise have always been legendary, and although the fan base dropped off until 2008, the Boston Garden has never been any louder these days.
The fans consistently show up in a city whose sports teams mean everything, because when "Paradise City" starts playing in the 4th quarter, its time to put the game away.
The Celtics might be better on the road, but their opponents never look forward to playing in the Garden.
As for Miami's fan base, we already see empty seats after the WWE-like pep rally in July.
The nightlife in Miami presents a lot to do for the Heat community, as both the Marlins and Dolphins struggle to put fans in the seats as well.
I'm sure LeBron would love to have the atmosphere of Quicken Loans Arena in Miami every night, because there's probably not much that can replace the feeling of adrenaline from the crowd at home.
Fill up the seats Miami!
The Pressure On LeBron James
4 of 10
Perhaps there's never been as high of expectations for a player than there currently are on LeBron James.
He himself claimed that he'd win more than seven championships in July at the pep rally, and left his legacy in Cleveland behind strictly on the basis of winning. Or so he claims.
James has never been humbled before. He's always been told he was the best, even dating back to high school, and now he has so much more to prove as the villain.
Because Dwayne Wade has already won a championship with the Heat, he won't take the blame for their failures, neither will Chris Bosh. LeBron James will.
James has already had scuffles with his coach, and has been deemed "un coachable" by many.
LeBron's entourage and inner circle have fueled his ego and influenced his decisions, but it's up to The King to prove his ego should be as big as it is. He needs to win.
As for the Celts, they have not a distraction in the world.ย
Size Matters
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With Juwan Howard, Joel Anthony and Zydrunas Ilgauskas holding down the paint for the Heat, the paint will be awfully cold on both offense and defense.
Not only will Kevin Garnett and Shaq eat the Heat starters alive down low, I'm confident that Jermaine O'Neill and Kendrick Perkins will dominate Miami even as bench guys.
The Celitcs are facing injuries to their front court right now, but when healthy they will present match up problems for the Heat all day long.
Losing Udonis Haslem might be the blow to the team, considering that Chris Bosh is a very weak defender in the post. Bosh is lanky, and never played in a system with Toronto where any facet of the team was outstanding.
In fact, I believe that Bosh's numbers on offense overshadowed just how bad of a defender he really is, considering he was the only major talent the Raptors had.ย
This season has fully exposed Miami's front court woes and their lack of depth, while also suggesting that Chris Bosh might not be as good as we thought.
Rajon Rondo
6 of 10
He's the piece that holds the Celtics together.
At the beginning of last season, I still questioned whether Rondo looked better because of his teammates, or if he really was a great player. I no longer have that dilemma.
Not only is Rondo the best passer and defender at his position, he's made himself the perfect accessory to each of the "Big Three's" talents.
Sure, Rondo lacks a consistent jump shot, which will hopefully get better with time, but his leadership and maturity cannot be mistaken.
Rondo was given the opportunity to learn from three greats, and he never took anything for granted. He's as competitive as they come for a point guard, and he's also deadly at the basket.
Rondo should take Carlos Arroyo for a spin if given the chance, so Eric Spoelstra might want to consider having LeBron or D-Wade cover him. After all, LeBron is playing "point guard" right now.ย
Pat Riley's Restricted Authority
7 of 10
Pat Riley happens to be one of the All-Time great when talking about NBA head coaches, but as of now he's sitting in the stands.
There's been speculation about Riley stepping into the head coaching position for Miami if the mess continues between the players and Eric Spoelstra, but the Heat should make the move sooner than later.
Not only would Riley abandon the presence of any egos on the team, he'd fix LeBron James' attitude, and provide the same playoff mind as a legendary coach that he did when the Heat won in 2006.
Riley is a better coach than Doc Rivers, so he'd probably be able to use Miami's strong suits better, while possibly developing Chris Bosh's defensive game once Bosh is forced to work, and not "chill."
The Media and Hype
8 of 10
"Miami Thrice" sort of dug their own hole when deciding to play together. LeBron James guaranteed loads of championships and Chris Bosh opened his mouth a few too many times about planning this team for years.
All of this took place after the highly publicized "Decision" for LeBron James, and at a pep rally that looked more like a championship ceremony.
The media demons will be all over this team as long as James, Wade and Bosh play together, as even Dwayne Wade said: "Sorry we won't be going 82-0." This after losing their opening game to those Celtics.
ESPN has even began using the "Heat Index", an informative heading on the network's website that dissects everything Miami Heat.
The flash of the city itself adds a vibe to a sports story like none other, and the media gives every sports fan an inside look at the team's every move.
The world is watching, and the majority of the league's fans are rooting for this team to fail. How much more pressure can you ask for?
Depth Off The Bench
9 of 10
Not only do the Celtics have Kendrick Perkins and Jermaine O'Neill due back from injuries sometime in the near future, their bench is stacked in other departments as well.
The Celts have Glen Davis, who's very well rounded on both ends of the floor and plays with drive.
His pal Nate Robinson holds down the backup point guard position, and provides a spark to the back court with his freakish leaping ability and outside touch.
Marquis Daniels is a serviceable defender, and with Delonte West's recent broken wrist, Daniels will see more floor time.
The Celtics have moved on without Tony Allen just fine so far.
As for Miami, there isn't much to fret about.
Mike Miller went down with an injury in the preseason, as the Heat have James Jones and Mario Chalmers left to hold down the back court of the bench.
Juwan Howard's long past his days of being effective for any team, and Erick Dampier is in the same category.
Eddie House was actually stolen from Boston, but he has not been very consistent for the Heat in his second tenure with the team.
Miami has stretched their allowed salary to the max, so they won't be improving around "Miami Thrice" any time soon.
A Hungry Defense
10 of 10
As mentioned earlier, Boston hangs their hat on defense, and produces several points from forced turnovers.
It helps to have a guy as psycho as Kevin Garnett around the rim, but we can't forget about Paul Pierce's defensive merits either.
In addition, Rajon Rondo broke Chris Paul's record for consecutive games with a steal, as his quick hands on the perimeter make it difficult for any point guard to become comfortable running plays.
Boston has given up around 90 points per game as a defense the past few seasons, which is good enough to be in the top two each year.
The Big Three obviously realize that they have about two seasons left together to legitimately contend, so they set out to choke each opponent every night.
As for the Heat, LeBron is terrific and Wade is solid too, but the rest of the lineup is consistently lit up like a Christmas tree.ย
The inside defense is a joke, and its scary to think that it won't get much better, considering that Haslem is out for the season.
The Heat have to rely on getting ahead of teams with runs on offense, because they have not fared well against teams above .500, and have looked horrible against the Celtics.
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