I blame the loss on the SMALL Three

[CT34]

First let me say there is plenty of blame to go around for everyone.  However the NBA is a star driven league.  Phil Jackson has 9 championship rings not because he is some great coach it's because he had Mike, Scottie, Shaq and Kobe.  Mike Brown isn't a great coach he just has LeBron. 

The reason why the Celtics won over 60 games this season wasn't because of Doc Rivers it was due to the fact that he had KG, Paul and Ray. The reason why the Celtics have lost a lot in these play-offs and haven't one a single road game yet, has to do with our star playing coming up short.  It's not all on Doc, players must make plays and right now our three all-stars are getting out played by the Cavs One SuperStar.  This has nothing to do with X's and O's. It has to do with the mindset of our star players. That mindset is something you can't be taught you just have it.

If you don't think I'm telling the truth just look at Larry Bird.  You think KC Jones gave Larry Bird the killer mindset to go out there and play at the high level to lead his team to 3 championships?  NO, Bird already had that even before he got to college.

There is reason why KG, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen have never been to the finals none of them have that killer mindset to go out and put a team on his back to take over a game.  By taking over a game I mean making teammates better, controling the game at both ends, making the key pass or hitting the key shot, making the big time steal or block. This guys just don't have it. 

People laught as me during the summer time when I said I would trade both Ray and Paul for Kobe.  I wonder how many of you would love to have Kobe now.  Kobe has it, LeBron has it, Chris Paul has it, Tim Duncan has it, Tony Parker has it......Who on the Cs has IT??? NO ONE

[WedmanIsMyHero]

I don't agree with all of this, but I do agree that the value of someone like Kobe cannot be overstated.  I would trade Pierce and Allen for Kobe in a second. 

First let me say there is plenty of blame to go around for everyone.  However the NBA is a star driven league.  Phil Jackson has 9 championship rings not because he is some great coach it's because he had Mike, Scottie, Shaq and Kobe.  Mike Brown isn't a great coach he just has LeBron. 

The reason why the Celtics won over 60 games this season wasn't because of Doc Rivers it was due to the fact that he had KG, Paul and Ray. The reason why the Celtics have lost a lot in these play-offs and haven't one a single road game yet, has to do with our star playing coming up short.  It's not all on Doc, players must make plays and right now our three all-stars are getting out played by the Cavs One SuperStar.  This has nothing to do with X's and O's. It has to do with the mindset of our star players. That mindset is something you can't be taught you just have it.

If you don't think I'm telling the truth just look at Larry Bird.  You think KC Jones gave Larry Bird the killer mindset to go out there and play at the high level to lead his team to 3 championships?  NO, Bird already had that even before he got to college.

There is reason why KG, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen have never been to the finals none of them have that killer mindset to go out and put a team on his back to take over a game.  By taking over a game I mean making teammates better, controling the game at both ends, making the key pass or hitting the key shot, making the big time steal or block. This guys just don't have it. 

People laught as me during the summer time when I said I would trade both Ray and Paul for Kobe.  I wonder how many of you would love to have Kobe now.  Kobe has it, LeBron has it, Chris Paul has it, Tim Duncan has it, Tony Parker has it......Who on the Cs has IT??? NO ONE

[CT34]

I don't agree with all of this, but I do agree that the value of someone like Kobe cannot be overstated.  I would trade Pierce and Allen for Kobe in a second. 

First let me say there is plenty of blame to go around for everyone.  However the NBA is a star driven league.  Phil Jackson has 9 championship rings not because he is some great coach it's because he had Mike, Scottie, Shaq and Kobe.  Mike Brown isn't a great coach he just has LeBron. 

The reason why the Celtics won over 60 games this season wasn't because of Doc Rivers it was due to the fact that he had KG, Paul and Ray. The reason why the Celtics have lost a lot in these play-offs and haven't one a single road game yet, has to do with our star playing coming up short.  It's not all on Doc, players must make plays and right now our three all-stars are getting out played by the Cavs One SuperStar.  This has nothing to do with X's and O's. It has to do with the mindset of our star players. That mindset is something you can't be taught you just have it.

If you don't think I'm telling the truth just look at Larry Bird.  You think KC Jones gave Larry Bird the killer mindset to go out there and play at the high level to lead his team to 3 championships?  NO, Bird already had that even before he got to college.

There is reason why KG, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen have never been to the finals none of them have that killer mindset to go out and put a team on his back to take over a game.  By taking over a game I mean making teammates better, controling the game at both ends, making the key pass or hitting the key shot, making the big time steal or block. This guys just don't have it. 

People laught as me during the summer time when I said I would trade both Ray and Paul for Kobe.  I wonder how many of you would love to have Kobe now.  Kobe has it, LeBron has it, Chris Paul has it, Tim Duncan has it, Tony Parker has it......Who on the Cs has IT??? NO ONE

What is it that you don't agree with?  The fact that none of the small three have step up and took charge like real super-star players do?  The fact that the small three is being out played by Lebron James who is making this teammate look better?  Is it the fact that no matter what it always comes down to the Players making plays and the "small three" haven't make any plays to take over the game. 

Really it's all about the players, mainly the star players who have to make plays and lead their team to victory.  We have 3 all-star players but the Cavs they have 1 super-star player.  That's the difference in this series. 

[celticmaestro]

no one? have to disagree with you on that one. each player (bar garnett) had career years last year and could have had equally commanding seasons this year - but i blame doc for that a little bit.

[acieEarl]

I would put the blame on the guy who sits his two starters, Rondo and Garnett for more than half of the 4th quarter in a tight game when neither guy is:

A: injured
B: in foul trouble
C: just playing horrible

and the guy who give way too many minutes to guys that were not part of a 66 win team. Way to out coach your self Doc.

[CoachCowens]

First let me say there is plenty of blame to go around for everyone.  However the NBA is a star driven league.  Phil Jackson has 9 championship rings not because he is some great coach it's because he had Mike, Scottie, Shaq and Kobe.  Mike Brown isn't a great coach he just has LeBron. 

The reason why the Celtics won over 60 games this season wasn't because of Doc Rivers it was due to the fact that he had KG, Paul and Ray. The reason why the Celtics have lost a lot in these play-offs and haven't one a single road game yet, has to do with our star playing coming up short.  It's not all on Doc, players must make plays and right now our three all-stars are getting out played by the Cavs One SuperStar.  This has nothing to do with X's and O's. It has to do with the mindset of our star players. That mindset is something you can't be taught you just have it.

If you don't think I'm telling the truth just look at Larry Bird.  You think KC Jones gave Larry Bird the killer mindset to go out there and play at the high level to lead his team to 3 championships?  NO, Bird already had that even before he got to college.

There is reason why KG, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen have never been to the finals none of them have that killer mindset to go out and put a team on his back to take over a game.  By taking over a game I mean making teammates better, controling the game at both ends, making the key pass or hitting the key shot, making the big time steal or block. This guys just don't have it. 

People laught as me during the summer time when I said I would trade both Ray and Paul for Kobe.  I wonder how many of you would love to have Kobe now.  Kobe has it, LeBron has it, Chris Paul has it, Tim Duncan has it, Tony Parker has it......Who on the Cs has IT??? NO ONE

Who knew Ray Allen had nothing left in the tank. I would have thought he had a couple years left at a somewhat high level.   

[CT34]

I would put the blame on the guy who sits his two starters, Rondo and Garnett for more than half of the 4th quarter in a tight game when neither guy is:

A: injured
B: in foul trouble
C: just playing horrible

and the guy who give way too many minutes to guys that were not part of a 66 win team. Way to out coach your self Doc.

All season long I hear people crying about why the big three are not playing 40 minutes. Last night all of them played close to or played 40 minutes in the game.  There isn't any excuse to give them.  They just haven't played like Super-star players and really when have they ever? 

Look at their careers they all have failed because they have failed to lead there teams.  KG didn't get it done in Minn. in large part because of him.  KG can't carry a team on his back.  KG is this era Patrick Ewing.  Ewing was an above adverage center in my mind.  How played the game from the outside in. The same with KG, he plays from the outside in.  At 7 feet you out to dominate the paint and KG just doesn't do that. 

Paul Pierce isn't at the level of a Lebron or Kobe.  Sorry to say it folks but he is not.  Paul Pierce isn't captable of leading this team and taking over a game like we all think.  Paul takes bad shots and he lost sight of being a team player.  Paul has done back to being the Paul Pierce of a couple of years ago.  The person who doesn't make his teammates better. 

Ray Allen he never really had it to begin with.  I thought the Ray Allen trade was bad when it first came down unless the Cs got a KG.  But if that wasn't going to get KG I thought getting Ray was a bad move.  Right now who would much rather have Wally over Ray???  Ray Allen hasn't done anything all season, he hasn't had one standout game.  One game that made you say "that's why we got him".  Yes he made a couple of game winners and one of which came on a broke play but Ray Allen is not going to put the team on this back.

So where does that lead this team, you have an supposed "great big man" in KG who doesn't want put the team on his back.  You have SF in Paul Pierce who can make others better like a Scottie Pippen.....You have Ray Allen who just hasn't proven anything all season long.  It's season to hind flaws during the season but come play-off time those flaws are highlighted. 

[acl rupture]

Our coaching staff doesn't know how to maximize our personnal.

[irememberbrettszabo]

I blame Doc for that attrocious lineup he started the fourth quarter with. We know what kind of team we have and yet our identity seems to be ever changing on the road, its as if doc put all 12 players name in a hat after the third quarter and the first five he picked were going to play. How does KG and Rondo not play the entire fourth quarter? I will just not understand that....however, with all of this being said I have been tremendously disappointed in Ray and I brought it up in a previous post. He is getting absolutely schooled by Wally and whoever else he is guarding. He needs to stop pouting about not getting enough shots or being involved and man up and be teh superstar he claims to be. Wally should not be locking him down on D and lighting him up on offense there is no excuse, Ray needs to work harder, championships are not easily won, especially not with this type of effort.

[acl rupture]

Wally is too strong for Ray. Its a bad matchup for Ray. They should move Pierce to SG and have Posey start at PF.

[BASSTHUMPER]

we need to wear down the cavs and detroit big men...scalabrine is a person whos d is needed he hussles...he was apart of the 66 wins..i've said this before put we were still winning games with scal starting when kevin went down for 9 games.we won 7 out of nine games then....house was a key playa..big time 3pt shooter and d...tony played hard on d and got to the basket with his speed..big baby was a threat...doc cant forget that...

[Cswin17]

It seems surprising that the best team in the NBA cannot win a road game in the post season, but it is really not a mystery.

 A number of years ago, Stern and company made a decision to market individuals rather than teams.  Thus we have had the cults of Michael and Shaq, and a few (smaller) others.  It is likely that when the rules and their implementation are discussed by NBA officials, that a necessity for promoting star achievement is tacitly acknowledged, especially in the post season.

The post season is officiated a bit differently than the regular season.  The coaches who have most realized this and adopted their philosophy accordingly are, I believe, Phil Jackson, Greg Popovich, Larry Brown, and Pat Riley.  Detroit is the maverick of the bunch, because they are the team without a superstar, and in many respects they are now suffering the same difficulties as the Celtics.  But they have a little more experience in playing uphill.  For it is not impossible to win without a superstar; it is simply that the obstacles have to be properly understood and allowed for in the construction of the organization, and the strategy of the team. The Celtics are built to win the regular season, but I'm not sure they are constructed to win the play-offs.  In the public eye, do the Cs have a star?  They have KG, but he doesn't stand up to Lebron in terms of marketing and popularity.  The Celtics have a Team in which everyone has their role, but they do not have one star player who can carry them on his back as Kobe or Lebron can.  The player closest to that ability is Pierce, and he has worked all season to subordinate his individual, "go it alone" instincts.  This has payed big dividends for the Team, but ironically, there are times in the playoffs when it would have been good to have his unstoppable dominance, the player who hit all the big shots two years ago.  This season he hasn't had to.

I remember reading about the difference between bias and pre-judgement.  Bias:  If I can rule a particular way, I will.  Prejudgement:  No matter what happens, I will rule a particular way.  I suspect that the NBA allows their refs a bit of bias, but not (of course) pre-judgement.  This is not a conspiracy theory, simply an observation easily borne out in the playoffs:  the home team usually gets the calls, but sometimes a star player can get around this.  Of course a team without a spearhead and a style built mostly on defense will suffer under this scenario, because the calls will go against them.

It seems to me that the ideal strategy to take advantage of the NBA bias is one where a team can go back and forth between playing a team game and one where they hand the ball to a star with a strong supporting cast to spearhead the effort.  It sounds a bit like the triangle offense, doesn't it?  Bottom line:  the Celtics have the talent, but I'm not sure that they have the right strategy to win.  We shall see.

[chrismcc13]

I'll challenge anyone to a game of 1-on-1 who would rather have wally **** szczerbiak over ray allen.  And to say he never "had it" is absurd.  He was sick in Seattle.  He is definitly 33 though, and is definitly on the decline.  I don't know what season you watched (the Bruins?) but Ray defintly brought a lot to the team this season.  So they lost on the road.  It's not like Wally was tearing it up before the other night and one game vs. Washington.  Again, I blame Doc.  But all this blaming going around is absurd.  I'm absurd, you're absurd.  Series ain't over.

[Edgar]

Lakers 2  Jazz 2

Bozzerr doesnt have IT.

[CelticG1]

I would put the blame on the guy who sits his two starters, Rondo and Garnett for more than half of the 4th quarter in a tight game when neither guy is:

A: injured
B: in foul trouble
C: just playing horrible

and the guy who give way too many minutes to guys that were not part of a 66 win team. Way to out coach your self Doc.

All season long I hear people crying about why the big three are not playing 40 minutes. Last night all of them played close to or played 40 minutes in the game.  There isn't any excuse to give them.  They just haven't played like Super-star players and really when have they ever? 

Look at their careers they all have failed because they have failed to lead there teams.  KG didn't get it done in Minn. in large part because of him.  KG can't carry a team on his back.  KG is this era Patrick Ewing.  Ewing was an above adverage center in my mind.  How played the game from the outside in. The same with KG, he plays from the outside in.  At 7 feet you out to dominate the paint and KG just doesn't do that. 

Paul Pierce isn't at the level of a Lebron or Kobe.  Sorry to say it folks but he is not.  Paul Pierce isn't captable of leading this team and taking over a game like we all think.  Paul takes bad shots and he lost sight of being a team player.  Paul has done back to being the Paul Pierce of a couple of years ago.  The person who doesn't make his teammates better. 

Ray Allen he never really had it to begin with.  I thought the Ray Allen trade was bad when it first came down unless the Cs got a KG.  But if that wasn't going to get KG I thought getting Ray was a bad move.  Right now who would much rather have Wally over Ray???  Ray Allen hasn't done anything all season, he hasn't had one standout game.  One game that made you say "that's why we got him".  Yes he made a couple of game winners and one of which came on a broke play but Ray Allen is not going to put the team on this back.

So where does that lead this team, you have an supposed "great big man" in KG who doesn't want put the team on his back.  You have SF in Paul Pierce who can make others better like a Scottie Pippen.....You have Ray Allen who just hasn't proven anything all season long.  It's season to hind flaws during the season but come play-off time those flaws are highlighted. 

Well there were at least 2 games where i thought "thats why we got him"- i think they are self explanatory. He has not been a stud this year however I do think he was very valuable to the team all year long. His shooting percentages are on par with his career averages in FG% 3Point% and FT%. I dont know who you were expecting to get prior to the season. He came to this team as the 3rd scoring option and thats exactly what hes been all year no more no less......We are not in serious trouble we are in a 2-2 series with home court advantage. We just need to take one game at a time. So now we focus on our home game and completely disregard a road game until it's our next game. The celts are having a tough time putting together solid games- obviously especially on the road. The more games that they survive gives a better chance for these guys to put it together, get hot, find their identity in this playoffs. It's a different game in the playoffs and these guys haven't been in the mix for years. Lets not write them off while we are 2-2 in the second round with home court....