Boston Celtics: Who Will Be the Difference Maker in the Playoffs?
In spite of the inconsistency Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics (48-18) have faced since the Kendrick Perkins trade, the team has gone on to win seven of its 10 games with the new roster.
Seven of their next nine games are on the road, five of which are against teams above .500, including the San Antonio Spurs, New Orleans Hornets, Atlanta Hawks and a Carmelo Anthony-led New York Knicks team.
Tied for the East's best record with Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls, the Celtics are in need of wins late in the season, but they won't come easy.
The stretch should have Rivers with smiles, as the elite competition will help test this new Celtics team before the playoffs.
Come playoff time, the question for Pierce and company will be who can step up and get it done in given situations. Join B/R and myself as we go through the potential difference makers on the new-look Celtics team come playoff time.
Frontcourt Difference Maker: Nenad Krstic
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Kevin Garnett will be Garnett and is as vital a piece as any player on the Boston Celtics. The anchor of the league-best defense is still a more valuable frontcourt player for the Celtics than Krstic, but the latter's addition has added a dimension to the Celtics that Perkins couldn't provide.
In 10 games with Boston, Krstic has averaged 12.5 points and 7.1 rebounds in 27.1 minutes a contest. He has scored in double-figures in eight of the 10 while managing to grab 15 and 14 rebounds in two games.
With Kendrick Perkins in the lineup, there was a lockdown defender in the post who made his career guarding the paint. Although his presence is no longer the case defensively, Krstic provides balance offensively in his ability to shoot the mid-range jumper and make moves in the low post.
Come playoff time, having both Krstic and Garnett to spread the floor in the half-court offense could prove to be effective in stretching opponent's defenses.
Offensive Difference Maker: Paul Pierce
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At the end of the day, Paul Pierce is the one in green and white that will have the ball during crunch time.
As a player, Pierce's best asset is his ability to score. There is a reason that he is in his 13th year in the league and 13th as a member of the Celtics franchise. He gets the job done.
This season, Pierce is averaging a team-high 18.7 points per game on 49.9 percent shooting from the field. Statistically, he is averaging career-high numbers in field-goal percentage, free-throw percentage and a career-low in turnovers per game.
The three statistics all have one thing in common: They all have to do with basketball intelligence. The numbers imply improved shot selection, making fewer mistakes with the basketball and making the freebies.
On a team of veterans, smart basketball can only help down the stretch.
Defensive Difference Maker: Kevin Garnett
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Whether on the bench or on the court, it seems as if Kevin Garnett always has something to say. Yelling from the sidelines, Garnett always has something to say about the team's defense, as the sky is the limit to him.
A six-time NBA All-Defensive Team member, the health of Garnett will play a factor in the Celtics' ability to play the defensive style they wish.
In three postseason appearances with Boston, Garnett and company have been to the NBA Finals twice. The one year they didn't get there, the Celtics lost in the second round to the Orlando Magic, without Garnett.
With Kendrick Perkins having been out for the majority of the season, the Celtics were still able to maintain the top defensive team in the league. Garnett's 9.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals a game have been positive in helping keep together the defense that Perkins played a significant role in.
"The" Difference Maker: Rajon Rondo
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Let's face it. The little guy can play.
"You can't guard passes like that. It's hard when somebody doesn't have to score and they can still control the game."
These were the words of Derrick Rose in an ESPN Chicago blog post.
As Paul Pierce and the Big Three continue to age, Rajon Rondo has been given an increased role in the Celtics' game plan and gradually elevated his level of play.
Since acquiring the starting role, Rondo has improved his numbers each year, averaging 5.2, 8.2, 9.8 and now 11.7 assists per game. His play this season has heads turning across the league, as his 11.7 assists would be the most averaged since Magic Johnson's 11.9 a contest in the 1987-1988 season.
In the first few weeks of the season, Rondo would post a career-best 24 assists, the second-best in Boston Celtics history behind Hall of Fame point guard Bob Cousy posted 28 in a game.
Not bad company to be around.
During his playoff career with the C's, Rondo has proven his ability to step up his play. Just two postseasons ago, Rondo averaged just shy of a triple-double, posting 16.7 points, 9.8 assists and 9.7 rebounds in 14 games.
Potentially competing against the likes of the Bulls' Derrick Rose and the Magic's Jameer Nelson, Rondo will have his hands full this postseason.
Rose and Rondo statistically are having their best seasons in the league, as the potential postseason matchup would have both playing with plenty to prove while making for an exciting playoff series for fans across the league.
If head coach Doc Rivers and the Celtics plan to raise an 18th banner in TD Garden, having Rondo effectively control the pace of the game against the league's elite teams could prove vital.
