Celtics (0-1) at Heat (1-0) 12/27

[snively]

thank you rajon rondo  team fought so hard to cut the lead stupid dumb play.

No need to blame the loss on Rondo.  Rough time to make a mistake, but he deserves a mulligan for how well we played. 

Rondo and Ray were the only reasons the game stayed honest.  Dooling's incredible shooting was the only reason it got close.

7 turnovers total tonight and 12 in the first 2 games. But I'm sure there's no need to blame the losses on this.

He's also got a combined 25 assists and he's pushing the pace at breakneck speed to make up for our lack of shooting/offensive quality.

Rondo hurt us at the very end.  Does that invalidate everything else he did?

[Kiorrik]

Rondo hurt us at the very end.  Does that invalidate everything else he did?

To be honest, I think we need to stop looking for "the person that lost us the game" and start looking at why our defense just isn't doing what it should be doing.

There's too many things wrong with this team to point to one person and say "you're it".

[kozlodoev]

thank you rajon rondo  team fought so hard to cut the lead stupid dumb play.

No need to blame the loss on Rondo.  Rough time to make a mistake, but he deserves a mulligan for how well we played. 

Rondo and Ray were the only reasons the game stayed honest.  Dooling's incredible shooting was the only reason it got close.

7 turnovers total tonight and 12 in the first 2 games. But I'm sure there's no need to blame the losses on this.

He's also got a combined 25 assists and he's pushing the pace at breakneck speed to make up for our lack of shooting/offensive quality.

Rondo hurt us at the very end.  Does that invalidate everything else he did?

No, but it raises interesting questions about his ability to carry a team on his back. Early results seem to be that Rondo really isn't very clutch at this stage of his career.

[greensquirrel]

I never thought I woul feel good after two consecutive losses. This team is game and will only get better.
Go Celts!

[GreenEnvy]

The only things I took away from this game is Miami doesn't scare me and our bench is gonna be good.

Regardless of the game Cole had and the refs clearly making numerous terrible calls, we were still right in the game. LeBron and Wade were getting to the rim too often and those will eventually turn to jumpers in the halfcourt.

I'm gonna love watching Dooling, Pietrus, and Bass with a starter or two.


It looked like the Heat were practicing together all summer and the Celtics started getting ready a couple weeks ago. And yet we were right there in the end without our best scorer and wing defender.

Yes we are 0-2, but neither the Knicks nor the Heat look as tough as most are making them out to be.

[ChainSmokingLikeDino]

thank you rajon rondo   team fought so hard to cut the lead stupid dumb play.

Yeah, Rondo had nothing to do with the comeback. Wouldn't have been a comeback without Rondo. The guy can't win around here.

And The C's lost this game by getting into some ruts and the fact that for 3 quarters Miami just could not miss. That said, some of those 4th quarter calls were atrocious and did not help. The matter of a possession here and a possession there. Made a huge difference. Wouldn't have minded seeing Doc get tossed in this one. A few were just atrocious and ruined any momentum we had.

[snively]

Rondo hurt us at the very end.  Does that invalidate everything else he did?

To be honest, I think we need to stop looking for "the person that lost us the game" and start looking at why our defense just isn't doing what it should be doing.

There's too many things wrong with this team to point to one person and say "you're it".

Sure, I just hate to see a guy who put in a flawed, but overall pretty special all around performance getting scapegoated for the loss.

[lightspeed5]

sadly not getting pierce or pietrus anytime soon.

[Lord of Mikawa]

A random rookie beat us instead of Wade, James and Bosh.  I'm strangely okay with this.

Refs also had a lot of assists.

They should have had on Heat jerseys.

[KCattheStripe]

This team is fine when Pierce comes back. Get ready to see a lot of that zone in the coming weeks, KG's atleticism is limited and the Zone allows him to use it in shorter contained bursts. Like taking your ar-15 off full auto.

[snively]

thank you rajon rondo  team fought so hard to cut the lead stupid dumb play.

No need to blame the loss on Rondo.  Rough time to make a mistake, but he deserves a mulligan for how well we played. 

Rondo and Ray were the only reasons the game stayed honest.  Dooling's incredible shooting was the only reason it got close.

7 turnovers total tonight and 12 in the first 2 games. But I'm sure there's no need to blame the losses on this.

He's also got a combined 25 assists and he's pushing the pace at breakneck speed to make up for our lack of shooting/offensive quality.

Rondo hurt us at the very end.  Does that invalidate everything else he did?

No, but it raises interesting questions about his ability to carry a team on his back. Early results seem to be that Rondo really isn't very clutch at this stage of his career.

I certainly wouldn't want Rondo as the crunch time scorer for my squad, but he has more than enough crunch time bonafides as a distributor.

LeBron, Wade, Pierce, KG, Ray: they all have made significant mistakes in crunch time.  It's a function of being relied on so much for decision making. 

[CoachBo]

Rondo hurt us at the very end.  Does that invalidate everything else he did?

To be honest, I think we need to stop looking for "the person that lost us the game" and start looking at why our defense just isn't doing what it should be doing.

There's too many things wrong with this team to point to one person and say "you're it".

Sure, I just hate to see a guy who put in a flawed, but overall pretty special all around performance getting scapegoated for the loss.

Scapegoated is a strong word.

I keep reading on this blog - again and again - that we have the best point guard in the league.

To get that designation, you have to play better down the stretch of big games than Rondo did tonight. He did some good things - but his FT shooting still isn't good enough, either, and his lack of defense on Cole out front hurt late, too.

No one person lost this game. Plenty of blame defensively in the first half to spread around. Bass' shot selection late wasn't great, either.

But the criticism of Rondo's last two minutes is precise and spot on, IMHO. He has to be better than that.

[snively]

Rondo hurt us at the very end.  Does that invalidate everything else he did?

To be honest, I think we need to stop looking for "the person that lost us the game" and start looking at why our defense just isn't doing what it should be doing.

There's too many things wrong with this team to point to one person and say "you're it".

Sure, I just hate to see a guy who put in a flawed, but overall pretty special all around performance getting scapegoated for the loss.

Scapegoated is a strong word.

I keep reading on this blog - again and again - that we have the best point guard in the league.

To get that designation, you have to play better down the stretch of big games than Rondo did tonight. He did some good things - but his FT shooting still isn't good enough, either, and his lack of defense on Cole out front hurt late, too.

No one person lost this game. Plenty of blame defensively in the first half to spread around. Bass' shot selection late wasn't great, either.

But the criticism of Rondo's last two minutes is precise and spot on, IMHO. He has to be better than that.

I think the consensus on the board is that Rondo's a top 5 pg, after Paul, Rose, D-Will and Russell Westbrook.  But if you feel it necessary to address the "Rondo is the best" contingent in every Rondo discussion so be it.

He's an excellent PG and had a very good game with a bad ending.  Just didn't want that perspective to get lost in the hostile outpouring to finish the game.

[Lord of Mikawa]

We played from behind the entire game. That is why we lost.

[kozlodoev]

I certainly wouldn't want Rondo as the crunch time scorer for my squad, but he has more than enough crunch time bonafides as a distributor.

Being clutch doesn't mean being a score. It means giving him the ball when the game is on the line and trusting that he can make stuff happen.

Sadly, I haven't seen this from Rondo really (and I think the problem is more fundamental than shaky free throws). He can carry your team for stretches during the game, but closing out is a different story.