For years we watched Danny Ainge and Brad Stevens stage what can only be described as a miraculous rebuild just a few years sfter the beloved stars from the KG era left and retired.
We endure catastrophic injuries, a saboteur lunatic in Kyrie, and every indignity and run of bad luck imaginable. We lose at the doorstep of a championship to a veteran Warriors team.
Now, this year, everything lines up for us. The path is clear and wide.
And we are blowing it. We are throwing away a chance that might never come again. Our guys are risking the stability of that locker room with their nonchalance and hubris.
They don't play for each other. They are not fun to watch. Where is the guy who will drag this team to victory, the guy who hates losing so much he throws up before every game because he just HATES losing.
Maybe it's Timelord, but he doesn't see the court enough (if not now, then when?!?). Or White, but he doesn't have true star talent. I just can't wrap my head around what is going on right now.
The fans deserve better than this. The players deserve better than this. It's a beautiful thing when a team plays cohesively, selflessly. When the Celtics do it they cannot be stopped. They should win the championship. They should be good to themselves. But they don't grasp this yet, and it is as depressing as anything I've seen in sports.
Draymond Green
GSW have had so many games over the last 8 years in the playoffs where they came out flat and did not play with the required intensity or urgency to win. The only guy on that team that consistently responded on those nights was Draymond Green. He is their energizer. He inspires others around him with his effort & intensity. His communication skillsrange from organization o lambasting to inspiring. He fires everyone up. He pushes the ball like the madman after rebounds. Forces the team to play at a higher tempo. He makes those hustle plays for loose balls. He takes the challenge of defending guys much bigger than him and out-works him.
I've often thought of Draymond like a battery and how GSW have worn out that battery over the years. He used to be able to do this, have nights like this were he picked up the entire team when they came out flat, on the regular but now he can only do it about half as often. They wore him out. They did not put enough energetic guys around him on that GSW and relied solely on him and they burnt him out. It is amazing, even at half of his former energetic powers, Draymond is still far and away the best energizer on that team. They still haven't put energetic guys on that squad. Maybe Gary Payton III - he gives you something.
You need energy. Teams need energy.
They tend to get energy from either hustle guys, intense guys or young legs. Smart is the main guy for Boston but he has calmed down some as a result of having to in order to play PG. White gives you a little but he is more steady than energetic. Not a lot of youth in the main rotation. The guys are young in age but far older in terms of experience. They play more like vets at this stage. Blake Griffin, the old timer, is probably the best deep bench player for coming in with lots of energy and trying to spark the squad.
Anyway, Smart continues to be the emotional leader of this BOS team. He is the guy others follow. They follow his fire. His energy. His intensity. His hustle. Most of the others are quieter leaders like Horford, Tatum or even Jaylen. Certainly Brogdon.
Rob Williams is the closest to young legs. He sparks the game with his athleticism and effort when his body is feeling good. Making huge defensive plays, grabbing rebounds and dunking the ball hard on the other end.
Topic: 76ers (0-0) at Celtics (0-0) Round 2 Game #1 5/1/23 (Read 49225 times)