Is it Time to Jump?

Yeah I wrote a post yesterday about how I thought the Celtics would be alright this year especially when they got Paul Pierce back.  I really was hoping I would never have to write this post.  But I expected them to win last night, especially after I found out the news that Eric Gordon (my pick to finish 2^nd in the league in scoring behind Durant) wasn’t playing.  I thought this will be great; Celtics can get out to a nice lead early in the game, then rest the vets and have the young guys bring us home a victory.

Instead, what I got was a nightmare.  We looked old, sluggish, and just plain awful.  Right now we are 0-3.  Hopefully we will at least win the next few with Detroit coming to town, a home and home with Washington, and then New Jersey.  Starting with the positives - Ray Allen is still Ray Allen, Brandon Bass has been great, and Rondo (well you already know how I feel on him).  And we still have yet to play with Paul Pierce.

The negatives, oh where do I start?  How about the fact that this team prides itself on its defensive intensity and has given up 106, 115, and 97 points in 3 games?  In the first half of those games, they have given up 62, 69, and 48 points.  Wow, this coming from a team that was giving up about 45 points a half and 91 points a game over the last few years.

What has happened?  Well one, Jermaine in a corpse, his career was over 3 years ago.  Two, Garnett has been absolutely terrible on helps and staying in front of his guy.  Finally, our guards (mainly Rondo) are taught to gamble and try and get steals.  This means sometimes letting guys drive by them and try to pick-pocket them after they are by.  In the past, there was always a shot blocker (Kevin Garnett with younger legs or Kendrick Perkins) or a guy who would take a charge (Glen Davis).  Where is that coming from right now?  Bass doesn’t have the same defensive instincts as Baby did so he doesn’t take the charges and he’s not big enough to block shots.  When was the last time you saw KG take a charge?  Has that ever happened?  And Jermaine, well like I said, they should just draw his chalk lines out on the court for him.

My one gripe with Doc is that he always seems to be afraid to play his young guys.  This year, more than ever he needs those guys.  They play 66 games in 120 days, there is no way KG, Jermaine, Pierce, Ray and Rondo can play 30 minutes a night back to back days.  Who knows, maybe E’Twaun Moore would be a Norris Cole type for you.  The only young guys Doc has played are Rondo and Big Baby when he was here.  Rondo was drafted 21^st overall and Baby in the 2^nd round.  The only reason they played were because the team wasn’t very good and Doc’s hand was forced.  Maybe the rookies out of Purdue can be similar to those two.  You won’t know if you don’t play them and let them learn in game experience.  You need guys like Norris Cole of the Heat to give you sparks when you need it and I would love to see the young guys get a shot like him.  If we continue to ride out these old guys every single game 30 minutes or more a night, we will see more nights like last night and it just may be time to jump.

Posted in: Matt,NBA