Boston Celtics: Do Rajon Rondo and Co. Need to Worry About the New York Knicks?
With less than 30 games left in the season, there is a good sense around the league of which teams are contenders for a title and which are pretenders.
The East-leading Boston Celtics now have another force to reckon with in the Eastern Conference, with two of the better talents of the league in Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire playing their best as of late.
Before the trade deadline was in its final days, the New York Knicks were a sixth seed in the East that most likely would have been under the list of "pretenders." They could arguably have won one round in the playoffs at most and then soon enough made their trip home.
Yet just several days prior to the deadline, after plenty of talk around the league as to where he would end up, Carmelo Anthony was acquired by the Knicks. The deal sent Raymond Felton, Timofey Mozgov, Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler, three draft picks and $3 million in cash to Denver.
Since the trade the Knicks are 2-1 and have been playing arguably the best offense in the league. In their most recent appearance, the Knicks held off the Miami Heat and the "Big Three" of South Beach, 91-86, on the road. If they keep it up the sixth-seeded Knicks may find themselves in the top five come postseason.
Despite the Knicks' hot start, these are the 10 reasons why All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo and the Boston Celtics don't need to worry about the hype brewing in the "The Big Apple."
10) Comparing the Frontcourt Rotation
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In analyzing the two teams, there is a noticeable difference in the skill and size that each possesses on the inside.
Here are the two frontcourt rotations for each team:
New York Knicks
Amar'e Stoudemire: 25.9 ppg, 8.6 rpg
Ronny Turiaf: 4.6 ppg, 3.5 rpg
Shelden Williams: 4.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg (Has yet to play in his last nine games)
Renaldo Balkman: 1.9 ppg, 1.0 rpg (acquired from DEN, 11 min. in three games with the Knicks)
Boston Celtics
Kevin Garnett: 15.1 ppg, 9.1 rpg
Shaquille O'Neal: 9.3 ppg, 4.9 rpg
Jermaine O'Neal: 5.2 ppg, 3.8 rpg
Nenad Krstic: 7.6 ppg, 4.4 rpg
Glen Davis: 11.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg
Looking at each team's rotation, the advantage unquestionably belongs to the Celtics. Despite the loss of Kendrick Perkins, Semih Erden, and Luke Harangody, the Celtics have enough bodies inside to compete against the league's best frontcourts.
With both Shaquille and Jermaine O'Neal still out, Garnett, Davis, and newly acquired Krstic have been getting the job done, to say the least.
Stoudemire is a great talent, but is known as a soft defender. Although his stat line shines brighter than most on paper, he is still considered a one-dimensional player. Outside of Stoudemire, the Knicks simply don't have the players to compete on the glass.
9) Knicks Lack Depth
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If there's one thing Knicks head coach Mike D'Antoni is shaking his head at, it's the fact that three of his starting five players were gone after one day.
Not to mention forward Wilson Chandler practically gave starter's minutes as well. In his last game with the Knicks in a loss to Atlanta, Chandler racked up 35 minutes, 20 points and five boards.
The only remaining starters are Amar'e Stoudemire and rookie guard Landry Fields. The Knicks were fortunate to keep Fields, as he has proven he will be an effective player in the league for years to come.
Granted, the Knicks do get league-best talents in Billups and Anthony, there is still a bitter taste for many New York fans as a team that was just starting to gel together was completely flipped around.
Felton, arguably deserving of a spot on the East's All-Star team, was a point guard that played hard defense and facilitated as well as any in the league. Gallinari had proven himself as well as he had given the Knicks range and spread the floor offensively.
It's the price D'Antoni and the organization face in acquiring the talent, but one that may or may not be worth it in the long run.
8) Adversity at Its Finest: Celtics on Top Despite Setbacks
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The Boston Celtics have been through it all in their fourth season with the "Big Three."
Over the last three seasons they have won a championship, lost a second round in a Game 7 without Garnett and come off a Game 7 Finals loss to the Los Angeles Lakers last season.
This season they have overcome arguably as much as they have ever had to as a unit. More Celtics players than not have suffered injury and the team had been without starting center Kendrick Perkins until late January.
They were also without the services of starters Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett this season for a handful of games due to injury on separate occasions.
Even still, the Celtics were able to maintain the best record in the Eastern Conference while beating the new-look Miami Heat in all three games they have faced them. The Celtics are a combined 7-4 against the West's top three teams (San Antonio, Dallas, L.A. Lakers) and the East's second- and third-best teams (Chicago, Miami).
Despite the controversial trade of Kendrick Perkins last week, the Celtics have proven they can get the job done without him. In their games without Perkins, the Celtics featured the number-one defense in the league and the East's best record.
Safe to say the group has overcome adversity.
7) Edge at the Point Guard Position
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This season has been a statement season for the man wearing No. 9 , as Boston Celtics' point guard Rajon Rondo has continued to make plays for the team.
Whether it was his 24-assist outburst (ironically coming against the Knicks), or his harassing defense on LeBron James in the second half of their third win against Miami, the little guy has a made a name for himself around the league.
Rondo's play this season has had him in talks as arguably the best point guard in the league, as his numbers do most of the talking.
For one, the Celtics have the second-best record in the league and the best record in the East. This season Rondo leads the league with 12.1 assists per game, averages a second-best 2.35 steals per game and averages 10.7 points per game. The 12.1 assists stand as the most in a season since Stockton's 12.3 in the 1994-1995 season.
Chauncey Billups is a veteran who has proven himself on the biggest of stages. They don't call the guy "Big Shot" for nothing. The Finals MVP is a great talent, but does not necessarily have the legs he once did. His 21.0 points per game with New York are impressive, but his 6.0 assists tell the story.
Ultimately, it comes down to who controls the game the best for their respective teams. It's tough to say Billups, or any point guard for that matter, competes with Rondo in this regard.
6) Coaching Matchup Favors Boston
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It's hard to argue with the man's resume over the last three seasons: two conference finals trips, two trips to the NBA Finals, and an NBA championship.
Although the season is not even over, this year might even be his best. Dealing with injuries to over half the team and to three-of-five starters, Rivers has put in the right players in the right roles and has kept the Celtics as arguably the best team in the league.
Knicks head Mike D'Antoni has one of the better offensive minds this game has to offer, but has a long way to go before catching Rivers. D'Antoni was 61-103 prior to this season with the New York Knicks.
Although Rivers has had his struggles as well, D'Antoni is certainly the weaker of the two. D'Antoni will undoubtedly continue to get better as his knowledge on the offensive end is unmatched by most.
5) Despite Age, the Big Three of Boston Even Better Than Last Year
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With aging coming into effect, it's hard to believe that being one year older has helped Boston's "Big Three" become stronger.
Indeed it has, as Pierce, Garnett, and Allen have all increased their production from last season to this season.
Pierce is averaging 18.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game while shooting 49.7 percent from the floor. These figures are all higher than last season's, and his 49.7 percent shooting is a career-high for "The Truth." This season he is also averaging a career-low 1.9 turnovers a game, proving his ability to make the smarter play has gotten better over time.
Meanwhile, the Celtics have Garnett playing better basketball as well, as his knee surgery days are seeming more and more distant. His points are up to 15.3 a game while his rebounds are nearly up two from last season, averaging 9.2 on the year. This month he averages just shy of 10 (9.9 rpg).
The talk around Allen has been his dominance from the outside. His mark of 45.1 percent from distance is a career-best for the all-time leader in three-point field goals. Allen is on pace to hit the most three-pointers in a season since his final year in Seattle. With 1.5 turnovers a game, Allen is also averaging a career-low.
The "Big Three" may be a year older, yet look all the more strong coming into the final stretch of the season.
4) It Takes Time...Just Ask LeBron James and Company
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The Miami Heat, currently holding the second place spot in the East, will be the first to sit down Anthony, Billups, and Stoudemire and tell them how it really is.
The art of winning basketball games is more complicated than it seems, more difficult than bringing in a plethora of talent and forming aspirations.
Chemistry is built in playing games together, and winning games is a result of good chemistry. The new-look Miami Heat started the season with fans already predicting multiple championships in South Beach before the players even took the court. Their 9-8 start shook the NBA nation, as analysts and fans were left in disbelief.
Ultimately they got over the hump, and ended up winning 20 of their next 21 games following the 9-8 start through 17 games.
The New York Knicks have also given away their entire team and are now left with role players and three superstars in Billups, Anthony, and Stoudemire. They have started their Knicks careers going 2-1 in their first three games, but have much to face before becoming a league elite.
Might it be too late for New York to start a late-season run? Most probably. Considering there is under 30 games left to play, the Knicks will more than likely not develop consistent winning ways until next season.
3) Better Than the Knicks at What They Do Best
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Offense is what the New York Knicks pride themselves on, as head coach Mike D'Antoni and company are ranked No. 2 in the league with over 106 points per game.
Yet, might it be that the Celtics are in fact better than the Knicks offensively? No question.
This season the Celtics have shot 49.1 percent from the field, while the Knicks have managed to shoot 45.8 percent. The Celtics' 37.1 percent mark from long-range is also just a tad better than the Knicks' 36.3 percent shooting from distance.
Not to mention their points per game are also down to 104.7 since the Anthony trade.
2) More Veteran Experience in Beantown
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What if I was tell you that the five players to your left have combined for 512 playoff games, eight NBA championships, and four of those players had won one together? Would you believe it?
Truth is that there may not be one team in the league that has more experience with winning when it counts than do the Boston Celtics.
The Knicks have an array of talent in their own version of the "Big Three," but have plenty to learn from the Celtics' crew. In comparison, Stoudemire, Anthony, and Billups combine for 236 playoff appearances, with Billups being the only player of the three with a title.
Granted they are young and championships will likely be in line for the talents in years to come. Yet at the end of the day, the Knicks don't pose the threat just yet.
1) Defense Wins Championships
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There is no secret to the Celtics' success. Kevin Garnett swatting Greg Oden's shot out of TD Garden might just give it away.
The saying that "defense wins championships," may not always be the case, but certainly can be said of the Boston Celtics.
Since acquiring Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett in 2007, the C's have been a top-five team defensively each season. This season they are better than they've been since building the 2007 team, as this year they own the best defense in the league.
In this regard the Knicks find themselves in the bottom four, allowing a mark of 105.6 points a game that stands at 27th in the league. In the process, the Knicks have allowed teams to shoot nearly 47 percent from the field.
The Celtics on the other hand have allowed just over 91 points per game this season. If they can hold strong to finish the season, their mark of 91.2 points per game allowed would be the fewest since Detroit's mark of 90.1 in the 2007-2008 season (Celtics were second with 90.3 points allowed).
With the injuries they have suffered, including going nearly the entire season without their best one-on-one defender in Kendrick Perkins, the Celtics have still managed to maintain the No. 1 defense in the league. As a result, they are atop a talented Eastern Conference and own the league's second-best record overall.
Since the team was put together four seasons ago, the Celtics have won a championship, been to two NBA Finals, and played in two conference finals.
Hard to believe it's all a coincidence.
