The loss to Dallas was pretty crappy. The Celtics went in to halftime with a nine point lead, and that wasn’t because they were playing great basketball. It was because even when they’re just 85 percent tuned in, they can outplay the majority of teams in the league. So it was too bad that they decided to come out of halftime completely asleep. They proceeded to sit idly by as their 9 point lead disappeared and were seemingly complacent as the Mavericks built up a 13 point league. They didn’t play defense, they turned the ball over and they never got set in to their offense. I told myself I should stick it out and watch, because I think it’s important to support the team during these unglamorous moments, but last night I came to a realization. Its one thing for them to lose games when they put in the effort and did all they could but still came up short. It’s unfortunate when that happens, but in a league stock full of talent, it’s inevitable. It’s a completely different thing for them to sit around and twiddle their thumbs while getting their butts beat. During the Dallas game, I realized I didn’t have to watch them do that, so for the second half I watched Kansas State battle it out with Texas. Not only was I able to escape from the grueling commentary of Reggie Miller and the rest of the TNT crew, to listen to the thoughtful and insightful commentary of Bob Knight, but the game was riveting. Every possession was hard fought, the competition was cut throat and neither team ever stopped battling. In juxtaposition, the Celtics looked like they had no fight in them, and above all, like they didn’t care what happened in the game. There’s no excuse for them to play like that, and as someone who paid for a league pass so I could watch them play, it was pretty disappointing. Hopefully the hubris surrounding this team disappears quickly, because their upcoming schedule offers them no mercy (Detroit, Portland, LA Clippers, Orlando, Atlanta and LA Lakers).
They face Detroit tonight. The Pistons have been dealing with their fair share of injuries, too. Will Bynum won’t play, Ben Gordon and Tayshaun Prince are game time decisions and Richard Hamilton didn’t play on Monday because of an upset stomach and is listed as probable for tonight. I’m going to assume that Gordon, Prince and Hamilton will all play. Furthermore, I’m going to assume that Ben Gordon is not only going to play, but he’s going to come out and have a big night. He likes to do that against the Celtics when he’s injured. There are two people on Detroit that absolutely must be stopped. One is Gordon, if he plays. The second is Rodney Stuckey. Gordon has proven to be a very difficult match up for Ray, and Stuckey is a hard match up for Rondo, because he’s taller and bulkier. I don’t really care that he’s coming in to this game having made just two of his last 25 three point attempts, because knowing the Celtics luck, tonight is when he’ll find his stroke. Other people to look out for are Jason Maxiel and Charlie Villanueva. The Pistons haven’t had the best season as of yet, so the Celtics need to come out with the intensity turned up, and hopefully they’ll be able to build up some kind of lead. Then, of course, they’ll need to maintain that intensity for forty eight minutes. They also shouldn’t let Detroit get going from beyond the arc, because Stuckey, Gordon, Hamilton and Prince can all connect.
My faith in this team remains. I don’t think they’re a complacent group, even after this last unimpressive stretch. I know that they want to win, I know that they have a team that’s capable of winning it all, and I know that they’re capable of playing at a very high level. It’s unfortunate that it’s halfway through the season and they still haven’t gotten to play at that level consistently or with their full roster because of all the injuries. Doc Rivers said it best when he said that they’re happy enough with their record, but they’re not happy because they haven’t had the chance to improve. KG is supposed to make his return on Friday, and Marquis’ return after the all star break is fast approaching. If those two guys can manage to stay in the lineup with some consistency, it will do a lot in helping the Celtics find a rhythm to their game. The latest rumor is that the Celtics made an offer for Nate Robinson. That would be a backup for Rondo who’s capable of exploding for 41 points in a second unit that at times has struggled to put points up on the board. I can dig that. The problem is that he’s tiny and he’s not known for his defense. As everyone knows, the Celtics are a defense first team, so investing in a short guy whose defense isn’t his stronghold could be seen as a little bit of a risk. Many people say that the Celtics need a true back up point guard for Rondo, and not someone like another Eddie House, who’s a shooting guard in a point guards body. Nate Robinson is definitely not going to be that traditional point guard, but I still think it could be a good pick up. Plus, I think Tyronn Lue will make a return later in the season, and he’s much more of a traditional 1 guard. The terms of the Robinson offer weren’t disclosed, so I don’t know what the Celtics put on the table. All I can say is that I wouldn’t want to give up Tony Allen or Eddie House for him and would feel better about a deal with Scalabrine and draft picks. Robinson has said he’d like to play on the Celtics, but I don’t think the Knicks would be excited by the prospect of shipping him off to another Eastern Conference team… But who knows?
