Thunder (11-2) at Celtics (4-7) 11/16

[JOMVP]

I see a team that can still play championship caliber defense but the offense is lagging well behind.

During this losing streak:

Young/Athletic Indiana team 87 points.
Defending champions Dallas: 90 points.
Derrick Rose playing Chicago Bulls: 88 points.
Young/Atletic Indiana team on back to back: 97 points.
Oklahoma City who has 3 of the better scorers in the league and a pretty prolific offense: 97 points.

Defense is looking pretty good against good teams. Our offense needs to become more creative with the older players, and Rondo needs to take more on himself.

[ChainSmokingLikeDino]

At what point do you begin to feel embarrassed if you're a Celtic? This fall from grace is tough for me and I'm not even playing...

I wouldn't feel too embarrassed about tonight.  The Thunder are an excellent team, and for the most part the Celts played well.

Amen. This wasn't an embarrassing game. Gosh, perspective, banned at celticsblog for how long now? Do you all realize how good The Thunder are? How good Westbrook is? Are you seeing what he is doing whenever the game has become close?

Does everyone remember just a few years ago? Probably not or the entitlement that we must be the best at all times wouldn't exist. Ugh, makes reading this site so deflating sometimes.

Oh stop with the dramatics. Please. I was not talking about this game in particular. I meant the season as a whole.

And it hasn't been embarrassing either. Look at the circumstances. Did you really expect, given the lockout, the lack of training camp, the hyper speed schedule, The C's to come out gunning to a 10-1 record? I absolutely expected a slow start, a mid-season run, make the playoffs mid-seed and hopefully playing strong enough then to make a run (heck, the 8th seed made the finals last lockout). I haven't seen this season as embarrassing so far. It is still a long burn. I'm not leaping to conclusions on, what, 1/5th  of the season?

But, yeah, I'm the one being dramatic. Embarrassment and falls from grace...

I'm really so over the excuses...the lockout, the schedule, lack of training camp, blah blah blah. Are we the ONLY team that had to go through this? No. So did every other team in the league so I really don't want to hear it.


Yes its a fall from grace. FACT. We went from one of the best teams in the league (right before last season's all star break) to now being one of the worst. That's not being dramatic, its simply the truth. Embarrassing? Matter of opinion, but definitely embarrassing to me. I will never find a 4-8 record acceptable for a team with 3 future Hall of Famers and 4 All-Stars.

If this is acceptable to you, great. Enjoy.

I'll have a blast. Anyways, snide remarks aside, I don't really think it is absurd to see that the circumstances aren't excuses but FACT. And, it isn't ridiculous to see how it has a different effect on this team, and teams like The Lakers, as opposed to a team like The Thunder. I don't think acknowledging realities are excuses, and seeing how that can play out in the long term, not taking the next three months as predestined. All teams aren't in the same boat. To think that is just as absurd as what you think I am saying.  I'm not being all lovey dovey here. This team needs to be better, must improve. But I can see a way in which that occurs. And all those factors that have made the season what it is so far also play into the future. I guess, and this isn't directed at you, never understood the lure of blanket dismissals, all the sucks, and blow it up, and all the outright dismissals that reek of entitlement, that we deserve to be the best team, and the accusations that seem so dismissive of the players on the team, that they mustn't care or whatever.

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

Hey guys, wouldn't it be great to have a point guard who can shoot?

Really, people joke but RR had a lot of wide open shots late and held the ball forever only to pass, you gotta take and make those with the game on the line... heck, just take them!!!! Okay RR numbers were 12,9, and 9... but if you think he had a good game you are blind! He was invisible almost the entire game (even on defense)! Jo is getting rbs (got a dbl dbl) but he left about 10 EASY baskets out there! KG, ehhh. PP came out killing it, my man may be back (too early to call it)! Ray made me mad... he ran off a lot of open 3s and he didn't look himself. Bass was bad. PIE WAS GREAT! Moore will be good once his shot starts to fall he ran the offense well and played good D! Stiems got like 25secs and never sniffed the floor again (he did look bad though lol)! AB, DNP, ty! Quis, looking better, made the bunnies he had been missing!

[snively]

I see a team that can still play championship caliber defense but the offense is lagging well behind.

During this losing streak:

Young/Athletic Indiana team 87 points.
Defending champions Dallas: 90 points.
Derrick Rose playing Chicago Bulls: 88 points.
Young/Atletic Indiana team on back to back: 97 points.
Oklahoma City who has 3 of the better scorers in the league and a pretty prolific offense: 97 points.

Defense is looking pretty good against good teams. Our offense needs to become more creative with the older players, and Rondo needs to take more on himself.

The defense hasn't been good; the pace has been slow.

[JOMVP]

I see a team that can still play championship caliber defense but the offense is lagging well behind.

During this losing streak:

Young/Athletic Indiana team 87 points.
Defending champions Dallas: 90 points.
Derrick Rose playing Chicago Bulls: 88 points.
Young/Atletic Indiana team on back to back: 97 points.
Oklahoma City who has 3 of the better scorers in the league and a pretty prolific offense: 97 points.

Defense is looking pretty good against good teams. Our offense needs to become more creative with the older players, and Rondo needs to take more on himself.

The defense hasn't been good; the pace has been slow.

Isn't part of good defensive basketball slowing the offensive pace of the other younger/athletic teams?

I've seen some pretty good stops, players making big shots against them too.

Defensive rebounds have been horrible, with teams getting like 20 second chance opportunities a game, its hard to win anything.

The team needs a big that can dominate a game rebounding, and a new offensive identity.

They probably don't have the players for either, which is why I think the team is still gonna struggle all year. But defensively they've been sound.

[Tgro]

I seem to recall during this losing streak that it was said we could stomach losing under the situation but we could not tolerate the lack of effort. Well, I think its hard to stomach losing just as much as any of the other games but I'll take this effort over others. I hate the loss but I'll take the tired cliche' moral victories. We played well tonight. We had chances. We made it a game. We played an excellent team with a killer instinct. We aren't there but slowly I'm seeing things coming together bit by bit. We just have to work on eliminating the mistakes that took us out of this one. We've just had 5 extremely tough games against some of the best teams in the NBA. This is going to make us a better team when we finally get over this hump. You can jump my crap for making excuses and being sentimental and all of that other stuff but I still believe we're going to shake this off and start playing some good ball here real soon. I'll take tonight's loss over the other ones.

 

[Q_FBE]

I seem to recall during this losing streak that it was said we could stomach losing under the situation but we could not tolerate the lack of effort. Well, I think its hard to stomach losing just as much as any of the other games but I'll take this effort over others. I hate the loss but I'll take the tired cliche' moral victories. We played well tonight. We had chances. We made it a game. We played an excellent team with a killer instinct. We aren't there but slowly I'm seeing things coming together bit by bit. We just have to work on eliminating the mistakes that took us out of this one. We've just had 5 extremely tough games against some of the best teams in the NBA. This is going to make us a better team when we finally get over this hump. You can jump my crap for making excuses and being sentimental and all of that other stuff but I still believe we're going to shake this off and start playing some good ball here real soon. I'll take tonight's loss over the other ones.

 

I guess we lost the right way. OKC hit four contested 3's to account for the final differential. To wit, both Dallas and and the Fakers both look very bad in the TNT night cap. Boston would beat both of these teams tonight. There was energy, there was effort. The Celtics did a good job in rebounding. The offense still is not there. I think we will finish 10 (38 wins) to 16 games (41 wins) over .500.... Good enough for a 3 to 6 seed in the East. The Celtics take on Philly or New York and beat them and then we get Chicago or Miami in the 2nd round. Then we talk draft, free agents, summer leagues and trades (rinse, lather, repeat).

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

I didn't think Boston would finish the game within 15 points, so I guess this was a bit of a moral victory.

[Drucci]

The Celtics played better than they usually do this season, especially to start the game and on the offensive boards in the 2nd Half. Pierce was better too, also he still hasn't his midrange shot working, but at least he played smart and attacked the rim.

What's so frustrating with this team is that everytime they comeback to -1 or to tie the game you say to yourself "OK, now they will take the lead and take care of business"... but everytime they get to that point you can be SURE they will have a stupid, careless turnover that will break all momentum and give the opponent an easy shot. It is exactly what happened in this game when we were down 1, and KG made a terrible pass that got stolen by OKC who immediately crucified us with a Durant 3 pointer...

Then we did came back once again (didn't expect that, to be honest) but Westbrook hit clutch 3 after clutch 3. He took terrible shots but he made them ; I hate to see one on one basketball get the best of us but, well... it worked...

At least Pietrus had a great game once again. His defense and clutch shots are really a joy to watch, it looks like we finally found our replacement for Posey... too bad he arrived too late. :/

5 losses in a row, 4 at home in a row too, both first times for the Big Three. Ugh!

[celticinorlando]

pathetic...doc using moral victories now..we all need to accept the fact that this is an old .500 team at best. the end is now and it is time to start over

[Rondo2287]

pathetic...doc using moral victories now..we all need to accept the fact that this is an old .500 team at best. the end is now and it is time to start over

Fixed.. Everything else you said was true, but I don't think there was much that was pathetic last night.

[kozlodoev]

Isn't part of good defensive basketball slowing the offensive pace of the other younger/athletic teams?

Not all younger and athletic teams want to play at high pace. Chicago is 26th in the league in pace (second in points per possession). Also, not all good defensive teams want to slow down the pace. Philadelphia, the league leader in points per possession is also sixth in pace.

In any case, I don't think the Celtics have made any good "stops" defensively on a regular basis, since it isn't really a stop until you secure the defensive rebound.

[Rondo2287]

Isn't part of good defensive basketball slowing the offensive pace of the other younger/athletic teams?

Not all younger and athletic teams want to play at high pace. Chicago is 26th in the league in pace (second in points per possession). Also, not all good defensive teams want to slow down the pace. Philadelphia, the league leader in points per possession is also sixth in pace.

In any case, I don't think the Celtics have made any good "stops" defensively on a regular basis, since it isn't really a stop until you secure the defensive rebound.

I wouldnt use points per possesion as a measurement for pace.  What are they in shots per game?  Or Possesions per game

[kozlodoev]

Isn't part of good defensive basketball slowing the offensive pace of the other younger/athletic teams?

Not all younger and athletic teams want to play at high pace. Chicago is 26th in the league in pace (second in points per possession). Also, not all good defensive teams want to slow down the pace. Philadelphia, the league leader in points per possession is also sixth in pace.

In any case, I don't think the Celtics have made any good "stops" defensively on a regular basis, since it isn't really a stop until you secure the defensive rebound.

I wouldnt use points per possesion as a measurement for pace.  What are they in shots per game?  Or Possesions per game

Points per (100) possession(s) is the measure of offensive/defensive efficiency. Possessions per game is the measure of pace. Sorry if it wasn't clear.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=Aj6EWCVWY94.H8WMh8ORtiG8vLYF?slug=nba_com-week3-20120116

[Rondo2287]

Isn't part of good defensive basketball slowing the offensive pace of the other younger/athletic teams?

Not all younger and athletic teams want to play at high pace. Chicago is 26th in the league in pace (second in points per possession). Also, not all good defensive teams want to slow down the pace. Philadelphia, the league leader in points per possession is also sixth in pace.

In any case, I don't think the Celtics have made any good "stops" defensively on a regular basis, since it isn't really a stop until you secure the defensive rebound.

I wouldnt use points per possesion as a measurement for pace.  What are they in shots per game?  Or Possesions per game

Points per (100) possession(s) is the measure of offensive/defensive efficiency. Possessions per game is the measure of pace. Sorry if it wasn't clear.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=Aj6EWCVWY94.H8WMh8ORtiG8vLYF?slug=nba_com-week3-20120116
"Possessions per game" is the measure of pace. The Sixers are first. The

Sorry, my bad, I follow you now