Boston Celtics: 10 Things We Learned After Christmas Day Game

Considering the Celtics were without veteran forward Paul Pierce on Christmas Day, the team looked to be in solid form heading into the season.

The 2011-2012 NBA season is finally upon us, as the Boston Celtics came out with a strong opener despite falling short to the New York Knicks with two last-minute free throws.

The Knicks were lead by a brilliant performance from All-Star Carmelo Anthony, as he would record a game-high 37 points on 10-of-17 shooting, eight rebounds and three assists in the 106-104 victory at MSG.

After what was memorable game in the Big Apple, these are the 10 things we have come to know about these Celtics.

Marquis Daniels Needs to Step It Up

In what was a two-point win for the New York Knicks, backup forward Marquis Daniels takes a good amount of the blame.

Despite playing against arguably the league's best scorer in Carmelo Anthony, Daniels gave up too many points to Anthony down the stretch.

In the second half of the game, Anthony would score 20 of his 37 points, which ultimately led to a Celtics loss.

Daniels has a particular role with this team—one that is not the easiest of roles. Daniels tends to be assigned to guard an opposing team's most dominant offensive threat, as he had the assignment to take on Anthony on Christmas Day.

Allowing 20 second-half points to Melo isn't exactly what the Celtics hoped for, as Daniels knows he must step up the effort going forward.

Ray Allen Has Still Got It

Celtics starting shooting guard Ray Allen had arguably as efficient a game as any Celtic in the loss.

Allen scored 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting while hitting two of his three-point shots from long range in 38 minutes of play.

He also managed to grab four rebounds and dish out three assists in the process.

More important than the amount of points Allen scored was the fact that he was able to make key baskets when the Celtics needed it most.

Fifteen of Allen's 20 points came in the second half, with 10 of them coming in the third quarter, when the Celtics were down as many as 12 points.

All things considered, it's been one game, as it may be too early to be making a judgment on Allen's game. Yet if one thing is for certain, his efficiency and stroke still seem to be there.

Slow Starts Have to Be Erased

Doc Rivers said it himself in the huddle during the first half of the game, the Celtics were playing "soft."

Thirty-four points allowed in the first quarter is not the best way to start off a game for an older, veteran team like the Celtics.

The Celtics would trail 34-23 after one quarter of play, failing to cut into the lead in the second quarter.

In what was a two-point loss for the team in the closing seconds of the game, an 11-point first-quarter deficit essentially cost the Celtics the game. 

No Pierce, No Perkins, No Shaq...No Problem

Despite trading Kendrick Perkins, losing Shaquille O'Neal to retirement and not having Paul Pierce healthy to start the season, the Celtics seemed to still boast a dominance in the paint.

In what was supposed to be a shaky game for the Celtics down low, the team came out and took control of the painted area.

The C's would outscore the Knicks 48-30 in the paint, led by some exceptional performances.

Brandon Bass, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo were consistently attacking the basket, eventually opening up the outside for Ray Allen to get going with his jump shot.

If the Celtics can continue to take care of the middle and eventually get the services of Pierce in this regard, this team will have the ability to keep up with the best of the them this season.

Rebounding Needs Work

In this particular instance, it's fair to say numbers aren't everything.

Despite out-rebounding the New York Knicks 41-31, the Celtics looked soft on the interior when it came to cleaning up the glass.

With many new faces in the lineup, it can be difficult to develop a rhythm in this regard, yet against a significantly smaller Knicks team, the effort has to be better.

In the first half of the game, the Knicks had their way with the Celtics when it came to rebounding the basketball.

To their credit, Boston was able to handle New York on the boards in the second half. Last time I checked, however, basketball is a game of two halves.

As the team struggled on the glass last season, it will be an important area to keep an eye on this season.

Newly acquired forward Brandon Bass should be a significant contributor in this regard this season, adding an element of physicality and toughness to this Celtics front line.

Garnett Will Be the Key to an Elite Defense in 2012

Celtics starting power forward Kevin Garnett is one guy who knows a thing or two about defense.

He will also be the one guy that determines just how well this team performs defensively this season.

Arguably the most polished defender at his position, the All-Star will have to bring his toughness on defense each time the team takes the floor.

Without the services of players like Jeff Green, Kendrick Perkins and Shaquille O'Neal this season, Garnett knows he will have all the more pressure to perform on the defensive end of the floor.

Brandon Bass Is This Team's Sixth Man

For the entirety of his six-year career in the league, Brandon Bass has been a no-name role player who has never gotten the chance to prove his worth.

After showing glimpses of greatness with the Orlando Magic, finally Bass has been given the chance to shine—and has done just that.

In his first outing with the team, Bass put up a solid 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting.

Meanwhile, Bass contributed immensely on the glass, grabbing 11 rebounds and five on the offensive end.

His ability to keep balls alive on offense and give this team second-chance buckets will not only be of help, but will be vital going forward. On a team notorious for getting out-rebounded, Bass has a chance to improve this Celtics team in a big way going forward.

During the second-half comeback for the team, Bass was helping the Celtics to get second-chance points and keep the team alive. Last season, going down double-digits would be all the more difficult to overcome for this Celtics team due to the lack of rebounding.

Perhaps Bass has what it takes to help turn it around for Boston in this area of the team's game.

These Celtics Need Paul Pierce Healthy...That's the "Truth"

When Carmelo Anthony is able to score 20 of his 37 points in the second half, there is a problem.

Besides the evident disadvantage the team suffers offensively with veteran talent Paul Pierce on the bench, there comes a huge hole the team has to fill defensively as well.

Both Marquis Daniels and Sasha Pavlovic tried to contain Anthony, yet their efforts defensively simply were not enough to get the job done for four quarters.

Anthony shot well above 50 percent and was able to get to his spots on the floor and draw fouls with ease.

Having Pierce to put a body on Anthony for three quarters is a huge advantage for the Celtics and would have benefited the team significantly in this Christmas Day matchup.

The Knicks won the game in deserving fashion and made the buckets they had to down the stretch, yet not having Paul Pierce was an evident setback for the team in this contest.

Veteran Leadership Makes These Celtics Championship Contenders

It was ugly. It was ugly to say the least.

From the opening tipoff onward, it seemed as if these Boston Celtics not only had lost a step from last season, but were on the verge of getting handled by their rival New York Knicks at MSG.

Yet with four All-Stars and veteran leadership comes a will to win and an understanding of how to win basketball games when the going gets tough—and that's exactly what  Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo helped this team to do.

Although the Celtics did not come out with the win, it was impressive to see just how quickly things turned around for this team when people least expected it.

Despite the two-point loss in the closing seconds, there was one thing apparent in this Celtics team—this is an experienced, talented ball club that has the will and understanding of how to win basketball games.

It's an advantage that simply cannot be measured and will favor this team heading into the postseason.

Rajon Rondo Is Motivated

Chris Paul or Rajon Rondo?

This was the question that was discussed throughout the shortened offseason period and one that has Rondo playing at the top of his game.

In the loss to the New York Knicks, the one player for the Celtics that was able to play consistently well for four quarters of play was Rondo.

In 41 minutes, Rondo went 11-of-19, scored 31 points, dished out 13 assists, had five steals and recorded five rebounds.

Talk about some numbers.

What made the feat all the more impressive? Rondo did exactly what most tend to think he can't do—shoot jumpers more than 15 feet away from the basket.

Outside of the numbers, it was clear to see that Rondo is not only a league-elite point guard, but he brings intangibles at the position for this team that other point guards simply don't have. His timing, decision-making, defensive instincts and passes were both precise and exciting to watch.

His vision and feel for the game on both ends seemed to be as on-point and impressive as they have been his entire career. Not to say that Rondo is clear-cut better than a player like Paul, yet it's fair to say he brings these special intangibles that Paul doesn't necessarily bring to the table with the precision that Rondo does.

Expect a breakout season for the Celtics starting point guard, as he will easily be the leader and best player the Celtics have this season.

Just ask the Big Three, and they'll tell you who their leader is.