Despite the blown leads....

[Spicoli]

Am I the only one who feels good about the fact that this team has the ability to go up BIG even on the best team in the league? We've gone up big on just about every team we've played this season. The talent to win it all is still there. If Doc can make some adjustments at the end of games to finish these teams off, i really like our chances.

[fairweatherfan]

Am I the only one who feels good about the fact that this team has the ability to go up BIG even on the best team in the league? We've gone up big on just about every team we've played this season. The talent to win it all is still there. If Doc can make some adjustments at the end of games to finish these teams off, i really like our chances.

I agree, I've been thinking this the last couple of months - blowing big leads is much, much more frustrating to watch than simply falling behind and being unable to keep up, but it's much more promising for our ability to beat teams in the playoffs. 

It's not that this team is just overmatched by the best in the league, it's that we can dominate anyone but have serious, persistent consistency problems.  That's not a good thing but it is better than the alternative. TP for the post and the excellent username/avatar.

[Greenbean]

I hear ya but I would just like to see this team finish off some of these blowouts. Giving teams the idea that they can comeback on the Celtics, especially at home is not a good practice.

Kind of like how when you watch the Red Sox at home. The other team knows no lead is safe in the back of their head and often times they are right.

Well, this year, teams can look back at our regular season and still have confidence if they get down big instead of feeling defeated. Team confidence is the number one factor in playoff basketball IMO.

Teams need to fear the Celtics and not feel comfortable when they are down big. They should feel hopeless.

I see what you are saying though. Maybe winning all of these last few games and a dominant 1st round showing will strike some fear in the hearts of the NBA elite. Unfortunately I think the Celtics are going to have to go out there and play their butts off for 48 minutes every game now because teams just arent as afraid of them anymore.

[celticinorlando]

TWICE now boston has gotten up really big on the cavs..both times in boston. they now must finish

[GreenNote]

For some reason I prefer when the Cs don't have big leads because I find that they focus much better. I felt a lot better watching them play Dallas and even OKC than watching the 4th quarter yesterday.

[wdleehi]

I am bothered because they do it all the time.  Sometimes they win, sometimes they lose.





I will be happy when they start playing hard for the entire game instead of taking a quarter off. 

[kozlodoev]

If the players can make some adjustments at the end of games to finish these teams off, i really like our chances.

Here, fixed that for ya

[guava_wrench]

I am not consoled by those leads because our inability to show up for the intense parts of games seems to me far more relevant to the playoffs.

What seems like it should be a better predictor of performance in the intensity of the playoffs: our 1st half play, or out play at the end of games when every goes all out?

If we can't "turn it on" at the end of games, how can we turn it on for a seven game series?

If you are ineffective when you have your greatest sense of urgency, where can you go from there? It makes it seem like we can only get leads when other teams are taking it easy.

[teddykgb]

Am I the only one who feels good about the fact that this team has the ability to go up BIG even on the best team in the league? We've gone up big on just about every team we've played this season. The talent to win it all is still there. If Doc can make some adjustments at the end of games to finish these teams off, i really like our chances.

I certainly don't agree with you.  Getting leads isn't rare in the NBA, the hard part is surviving the runs of other teams, or, more importantly, preventing them.  This team has shown a serious inability to stop an opponent from going on a run, and it is going to manifest itself in the playoffs.  There's no solace to be taken in happening to build a big enough lead that you were able to withstand Lebron's onslaught this time. 

I don't think it's an effort thing, I think that's a lazy way to analyze it.  I think it's probably a natural outcome from having an old and unathletic roster.  This Celtic team is extremely good as long as the shots are falling, but a few misses exposes them on the fast break and defensively in general

[Greenbean]

I am not consoled by those leads because our inability to show up for the intense parts of games seems to me far more relevant to the playoffs.

What seems like it should be a better predictor of performance in the intensity of the playoffs: our 1st half play, or out play at the end of games when every goes all out?

If we can't "turn it on" at the end of games, how can we turn it on for a seven game series?

If you are ineffective when you have your greatest sense of urgency, where can you go from there? It makes it seem like we can only get leads when other teams are taking it easy.

To be fair, even though I agree with you to a certain extent, you can spin the situation many ways.

How do you know when other teams are "taking it easy"?

Maybe the Celtics were turned "off" int he 4th quarters of these games because they were comfortable. To me when the Celtics play with ANY sense of urgency, they outscore their opponents. But of course both of our opinions are pretty subjective.

[teddykgb]

I don't see it as being "turned on" or "turned off".  At some point in the midst of blowing a double digit lead, your starters are going to be on the floor and asked/expected to dig deep and get a stop or two and make a few buckets to kill the run.  Our starters have been repeatedly unable to do that, which suggests that we're going to be vulnerable to big runs for the foreseeable future.

One analysis that would be interesting would be to see if Doc has a quick hook on the reserves at the start of these runs or if Doc's penchant for starting the reserves at the beginning of the 4th is causing them to blow 6-10 points and then the starters come in and take a while to get going and the rest falls from there.  Anecdotally, I don't feel like this is the case, but there could be some combination of substitution patterns that would result in this not being as bad as it seems, because to me it certainly seems very bad.

[prov1ml34]

I am not consoled by those leads because our inability to show up for the intense parts of games seems to me far more relevant to the playoffs.

What seems like it should be a better predictor of performance in the intensity of the playoffs: our 1st half play, or out play at the end of games when every goes all out?

If we can't "turn it on" at the end of games, how can we turn it on for a seven game series?

If you are ineffective when you have your greatest sense of urgency, where can you go from there? It makes it seem like we can only get leads when other teams are taking it easy.

This is a team of veterans who have been to the "Big Show". I truly believe that this team can and will know what they can and can't do when it comes to the playoffs. I really believe that they are "saving" themselves for the playoffs. I think they look back to the last two years and realize that possibly, it isn't worth it to go "all out" during the regular season. Two years ago, they went all out to the get best record and had some speed bumps through the playoffs which may be a result of being somewhat exhausted. They went 7 game series in the first two rounds but willed their way to the championship. Last year, they were going all out and ended up having the injury bug which derailed their title hopes.

I hope I am right, but who knows. I really think they see what happened last year and realize that being healthy and fresh for the playoffs is far more important than any of the rest given their age. They get these big leads and just almost quit playing, which I don't necessarily agree with, but to each his own. I guess I would rather have the collapses and losses happen now than in the coming month and a half. This veteran team knows (or should know) they have to play a full 48 min basketball game come playoffs. Hopefully they have been saving up for just that.

[incoherent]

The blown lead this game MEANS NOTHING to me at all.

Why? because we were down in the final minutes and we came back to win in a close game.

Our players were clutch and theirs were not.  

The blown lead means nothing, we won the game and we beat them despite Lebrons amazingness.

The blown lead is not scary..  The fact that we got that lead is great, the fact that we pulled out a close one is great.

[Timdawgg]

TP Incoherent! I agree!

[Vermont Green]

The Celtics blew a lead and put on display some serious flaws in their team but in a way, this is the best possible outcome.  If they had won more easily, the flaws would still be there but they would be less likely to listen to Doc and the other Coaches.  As it is, I hope they take things very seriously and continue to recognize and work on the flaws.