Perk tells it like it is: Celts weren't focused

[Roy Hobbs]

"We weren't locked in, focused from the shootaround from the time we walked into the building," Perkins said. "There was a lot of laughing. There was a lot of joking around before the game. We weren't really locked in. That's what happens." . . .

"We weren't there mentally," Perkins said. "Our focus wasn't there. We knew it as a whole. I think we get too comfortable after we get a little success, have a win. We got through the [Chicago] series and we dropped our guard a little bit."

Link.

That pretty much sums it up.  As many on here have said, the Celtics are playing without fire.  If you can't get up for a second round series, you may as well pack your bags and head home for the summer.  That's pretty disappointing to hear.

I hope Doc does his job and has the team prepared for Game 2.

[Mr October]

Doc can say all he wants.... the fire has to come from Pierce, Allen and Rondo.

[Change]

Perk is probably the only reasonable Celtic these days. Its nothing new. This team is full of themselves.

[Reggie's Ghost]

Doc can say all he wants.... the fire has to come from Pierce, Allen and Rondo.

Yup, and wow is this disheartening to hear...

[Amonkey]

In the playoffs, it's all about peaking at right time.  Last year the Celtics was playing their basketball in the finals, against the Lakers.  I am hoping that we can step it up every round.  I believe if the Celtics can step up their level from last round, then we'll win, but most importantly, the Celtics need to know that.

[PosImpos]

Makes a lot of sense but it's disappointing to hear.

[celticinorlando]

sad a championship would come in so unfocused and screwing around....sad that i cared more about beating the magic then the guys playing the game

[Drucci]

Makes a lot of sense but it's disappointing to hear.

Yeah, but it was the same scenario in game 1 against Chicago. However this is even more frustrating because the Celtics knew, from the first series, that they couldn't come unfocused like that and expect an easy win. Plus it wasn't an afternoon game.

I just hope that the Celtics redeem themselves in games 2 and 3 to take the series lead but they must focus on game 2 before anything. I just think it will be tougher because the Magic is a better team than Chicago (many more weapons) and they'll try their best to get a 2-0 lead.

[wil]

yet another reason to love Perk.  He's not afraid to tell it like it is. 

[angryguy77]

Said this after game 1 of the bulls series. They dont have the fire to do it. With the injuries they dont have room for this attitude, it will come back to haunt them in the end. I'll still watch and hope for teh best and hope like hell that I'm wrong.

[reality1111]

Not focused??? The Celtics have been there and performed at such a high level last year. They know what it takes mentally to play well in the NBA playoffs. All those playoff games last year and the games without KG this year should have given them plenty of mental toughness. Not focused??? Did they expect to come out flat and beat a better Orlando team with more rest? Honestly, I don't buy the whole "not focused" deal. I just can't see how it's possible for a team to attribute a loss to "not being focused". They expected a cake walk against a better Orlando team when it took the C's seven games to beat a weaker Chicago team? I really don't understand the logic here...

I would, like many others, attribute this hard to take loss on fatigue and lack of time to prepare.

My two cents...

[Hoops]

"We weren't locked in, focused from the shootaround from the time we walked into the building," Perkins said. "There was a lot of laughing. There was a lot of joking around before the game. We weren't really locked in. That's what happens." . . .

"We weren't there mentally," Perkins said. "Our focus wasn't there. We knew it as a whole. I think we get too comfortable after we get a little success, have a win. We got through the [Chicago] series and we dropped our guard a little bit."

Link.

That pretty much sums it up.  As many on here have said, the Celtics are playing without fire.  If you can't get up for a second round series, you may as well pack your bags and head home for the summer.  That's pretty disappointing to hear.

I hope Doc does his job and has the team prepared for Game 2.

Very interesting stuff. Though I'd have to argue that there's a distinction between "getting up" for a second round series and having a lack of focus. Motivation and focus aren't necessarily connected. You can be motivated but lose focus. The mental and emotional fatigue from the Chicago series could easily be harder on these guys than the physical fatigue. When you're emotionally and mentally fatigued, that's when you lose focus.

My guess is that Game 1 last night will serve to snap the team out of their emotional/mental exhaustion from the Chicago series and regain a sense of urgency and focus.

Their bodies might be fatigued still, but they can beat Orlando as long as they're mentally focused. Fortunately, they're not playing the Bulls again in the second round because the Bulls might break Boston physically if they went at it again. Orlando? Not so much.  

[Roy Hobbs]

Not focused??? The Celtics have been there and performed at such a high level last year. They know what it takes mentally to play well in the NBA playoffs. All those playoff games last year and the games without KG this year should have given them plenty of mental toughness. Not focused??? Did they expect to come out flat and beat a better Orlando team with more rest? Honestly, I don't buy the whole "not focused" deal. I just can't see how it's possible for a team to attribute a loss to "not being focused". They expected a cake walk against a better Orlando team when it took the C's seven games to beat a weaker Chicago team? I really don't understand the logic here...

I would, like many others, attribute this hard to take loss on fatigue and lack of time to prepare.

My two cents...

Well...  I'll trust the player on this one.  If one of the starters comes out and says the team was laughing and joking around, rather than being focused on the task at hand, I tend to believe him.  Perk has nothing to gain by lying.

[Hoops]

Not focused??? The Celtics have been there and performed at such a high level last year. They know what it takes mentally to play well in the NBA playoffs. All those playoff games last year and the games without KG this year should have given them plenty of mental toughness. Not focused??? Did they expect to come out flat and beat a better Orlando team with more rest? Honestly, I don't buy the whole "not focused" deal. I just can't see how it's possible for a team to attribute a loss to "not being focused". They expected a cake walk against a better Orlando team when it took the C's seven games to beat a weaker Chicago team? I really don't understand the logic here...

I would, like many others, attribute this hard to take loss on fatigue and lack of time to prepare.

My two cents...

I don't think you understand the emotional and mental grind of playing professional basketball for 8 straight months. It's brutal. Minds can tire just like bodies tire. You may be willing to do 100 more pushups after completing 500, but your body just might not be capable. The mind is the same way. It needs a break once in awhile.

[PosImpos]

Not focused??? The Celtics have been there and performed at such a high level last year. They know what it takes mentally to play well in the NBA playoffs. All those playoff games last year and the games without KG this year should have given them plenty of mental toughness. Not focused??? Did they expect to come out flat and beat a better Orlando team with more rest? Honestly, I don't buy the whole "not focused" deal. I just can't see how it's possible for a team to attribute a loss to "not being focused". They expected a cake walk against a better Orlando team when it took the C's seven games to beat a weaker Chicago team? I really don't understand the logic here...

I would, like many others, attribute this hard to take loss on fatigue and lack of time to prepare.

My two cents...

I don't think you understand the emotional and mental grind of playing professional basketball for 8 straight months. It's brutal. Minds can tire just like bodies tire. You may be willing to do 100 more pushups after completing 500, but your body just might not be capable. The mind is the same way. It needs a break once in awhile.

I'd be happy to do 100 pushups in the first place.