Boston Celtics: 5 Reasons C's Are Title Favorites Despite Kendrick Perkins Loss
The Boston Celtics have now played five games since they traded Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Nenad Krstic and Jeff Green, and they have won them all.
Along the way, the C’s also added Troy Murphy, Sasha Pavlovic and Carlos Arroyo to the mix. While those three haven’t played enough to assess their impact, it’s safe to say that we are at the point where we can begin to accurately predict how the Celtics will fare in the playoffs with their new-look team.
The initial backlash from Perkins’ fans has died down, and people can finally turn the page and focus on the current squad. Let’s examine five of the reasons the Celtics are still the title favorites despite the loss of Kendrick Perkins.
Nenad Krstic’s Fast Start
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Nenad Krstic and Rajon Rondo have had some good chemistry so far. Late in the first quarter against Milwaukee, Krstic showed off his worth by readjusting an alley-oop from Rondo and throwing it down.
Kendrick Perkins would not have been able to make that play.
Krstic will continue to have detractors since he’s generally not viewed as a great defender or physical player, but in the early going, he’s performed at a high level, and fans will begin to embrace the hustle and mindset he brings to the court.
They’ve Limited Their Injury Risks
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Do you realize that if the Celtics hadn’t traded Nate Robinson, Semih Erden and Kendrick Perkins, they would have had eight injured players on their roster as late as Saturday night?
Jeff Green, Nenad Krstic and Troy Murphy have all been relied upon since the trade deadline. If nothing else, at the least, they have help the Celtics keep a competitive rotation on the floor.
With that, you can’t overlook the fact that the trades and signings the Celtics made have helped them considerably over the past five games—all wins. Perkins hasn’t even played since the trade, so he has not been missed yet.
Maybe Rebounding Doesn’t Always Matter
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The Celtics got burned against the Bulls on the glass back in November but still came away with a 110-105 overtime victory. The 43-31 margin showed that the team can win a game while getting blown out on the glass.
This contradicts Game 7 of last year’s NBA Finals against the Lakers, but if the Celtics had shot 52 percent from the floor in that game as well, they’d be the reigning champions.
This coup de grace comes in the form of the Celtics' 11-point loss to the Bulls in December. The Celtics were outrebounded 48-27 and only shot 38 percent, proving you can’t shoot poorly and lose the rebounding battle in the same game.
Dwight Howard Is Only One Man
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If anyone is still concerned that the loss of Kendrick Perkins will allow the Orlando Magic to feast on the Celtics, think again.
Sure, Dwight Howard may have a chance for more success against Nenad Krstic, but he’s not going to score 100 points a night against the C’s. Until the Magic prove that they can provide scoring from a consistent second and third option, the Celtics don’t have to worry about them.
The Celtics Have Been Playing Without Perkins All Season
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The Celtics have had to continuously adjust their roster all season. There have been an enormous number of injuries the team has had to overcome, and it’s the Celtics' ability to compensate for these setbacks that has them where they stand now—atop the Eastern Conference.
