This Team Is Giving Up

[jpd985]

The notion that Doc Rivers should be replaced is crazy to me. We need a small shake up not a drastic decision.

Firing him in the middle of the season would be bad, but he does need to change something.

[Bankshot]

The notion that Doc Rivers should be replaced is crazy to me. We need a small shake up not a drastic decision.

Firing him in the middle of the season would be bad, but he does need to change something.

Where did I hear recently that players start to tune out the coaches after 5 years?  Can't remember.

[jpd985]

The notion that Doc Rivers should be replaced is crazy to me. We need a small shake up not a drastic decision.

Firing him in the middle of the season would be bad, but he does need to change something.

Where did I hear recently that players start to tune out the coaches after 5 years?  Can't remember.

Other than Pierce, Perkins, and TA, no other Celtic was with the team 5 years ago.

[celts55]

I don't agree that the team has given up. That sounds like they have quit. I think that they are just not as good as we would like to believe they are. Age and injuries have caught up to them. KG has looked really slow since his return. He hasn't been rebounding well, passing or even touching the ball in the low post, and as sorry as i am to say this, can't move well enough to guard anyone. Ray has been shooting at a sub-par level all year. Pierce is hurt and trying to do too much. Not sure what's happened to Perk lately, but he's disappeared. Except for last night I think Rondo has been pretty consistant. I won't even get into the bench, but my point is, they didn't give up, they are just not that good.

[2short]

I feel we need to give it a little time with full squad.  If PP & KG get healthy and play doesn't return to previous level the easiest thing would be fire doc.  It wasn't that long ago (beginning of season) that the c's looked really good.  Our second unit was building leads not just holding them.  I don't know if its marquis' injury, davis coming back etc etc
To early for US to give up on this team.  We need dirty work, rebounding, loose balls and defense.  Then once that is set only after EVERY player is doing that can we worry about ball movement, ubuntu and rotations.

Our bench was the only reason we had a chance to win last night. They got us back into the game after the starters blew the lead.

Agreed.  Doc however isn't the sort of coach who will sit kg, pp and ray if they aren't playing up to par.  I'd like to see each guy get a full game off then go from there.  If Paul or Ray aren't meeting defensive assignments SIT THEM.  Best and easiest wake up calls to team are sitting the vets.  Doc is a vet sort of coach and I can't see him sitting any of the big 3 or 'sheed etc.  These guys should be yanked after all star break as if they were billy walker.  Send the message harder than need be and early so things can get worked out.

[hpantazo]

I think the most telling point here is that they play very, very well in the first half of games. These guys convinced themselves early in the season that they can easily beat any team, so therefore they will coast until the playoffs. They did come to play against the lakers and only lost by a basket at the buzzer. They did beat the cavs in cleveland early on. They just don't care enough about other opponents to give a decent effort, and the comment Doc said some of the players made that they were better than the magic after losing to them points toward that mentality.

[Mr October]

This team needs KG healthy, hustling, and barking at everyone. Look at any of the games/highlights from 2008. Thats the difference.

Otherwise everyone else has their own agenda on how to get on the winning track again.

This team's success lives and dies with KG's legs.

[Timdawgg]

I guess I am just an optimist and I can see why people would say the C's are done but what about the glass half full approach of look how well they play in the first half in a lot of these games, most of them whipping the ball around playing pretty good d.  The 3rd quarters seem to be mental lapses not a physical thing. It just seems like it is something that will eventually be corrected. It has been going on for far too long but I really just think individually we know they have had the determination based on prior years. I am not sure what needs to motivate them but I strongly feel it will snap back in place.

I could see if they were to get smashed out of the gate every game but they seem to have been pretty consistently in playing pretty good in the first half. Again, I am probably being an optimist but I just think they will gel in the second half of the season go on one of their 12-15 game winning streaks and be ready to go in the playoffs.

[ducksawce]

Yeh, if these team didn't have the talent to win, we wouldn't be mad at them.  They wouldn't be smashing teams during 1st halves if they didn't have so much talent.

Clearly, the 2nd half issues are purely mental.  The Celtics play an entirely different game in the 2nd half of games.  It's not like they are exhausted coming into the 2nd half, and incapable of playing!!  It's just that the strategy has changed.

The only exception to the above is that perhaps the Big 3 (being old) are simply stiff and out of rhythm after coming out of halftime (especially Pierce and KG being injured).  This is likely true.

[hpantazo]

Yeh, if these team didn't have the talent to win, we wouldn't be mad at them.  They wouldn't be smashing teams during 1st halves if they didn't have so much talent.

Clearly, the 2nd half issues are purely mental.  The Celtics play an entirely different game in the 2nd half of games.  It's not like they are exhausted coming into the 2nd half, and incapable of playing!!  It's just that the strategy has changed.

The only exception to the above is that perhaps the Big 3 (being old) are simply stiff and out of rhythm after coming out of halftime (especially Pierce and KG being injured).  This is likely true.

maybe they should use Scal's exercise bike during Doc's halftime speeches