C's need Big Three consistency to beat the best teams

[nickagneta]

So I haven't read all the reactionary threads to last night's game but I bet a few of them are discussing the officiating(it was fairly lopsided in favor of the Cavs), the bench giving the team next to nothing, Rondo's great game getting wasted, the defensive collapse for most of the second half, and many other things.

But to me the reason the Celtics lost is because of a very consistent reason that has shown itself this year in losses to the better and best teams in the league, at least one of the Big Three are injured or have a bad game. Last night that Big Three alumnus was Paul Pierce. He started out good but he then picked up some bad fouls guarding LeBron, started turning the ball over at an alarming rate and could hit a shot.

In the final 3 1/2 minutes of last night's game with the Celtics down 1, the C's went to their Big three and Pierce was o for 4, Ray o for 2 and KG 1 for 2.The Celtics HAVE to get consistently good to great performances from all three of these guys for them to win big games versus the best competition this year, otherwise, this will be a very short series.

That's not to say that they can all three play well and it guarantees a win. That has happened several times this year as well. At Milwaukee and at Cleveland late in the year come to my mind as prime examples of that. But:

SA 94
BOS 73

Ray Allen 2-9 for 7 points and 1 assist and 2 rebounds
Paul Pierce 4-11 for 18 points and 3 rebounds

UTA 110
BOS 97

Kevin Garnett 5-9 for 10 points and 3 rebounds and 0 assists
Paul Pierce 3-13 for 11 points
Ray Allen 4-12 for 15 points

CLE 108
BOS 88

No Pierce, out with injury
Kevin Garnett 4-10 for 10 points

ORL 96
BOS 89

All three of the BIG Three combine for 14 for 38(36%) for 40 points, 8 turnovers and 6 assists

LAL 90
BOS 89

Ray Allen 2 for 10, o for 6 from three for 7 points and o assist
Kevin Garnett 5-9 for 10 points and 5 turnovers

There were many other losses to good teams that were the result of one of the Big Three being injured and not playing.

The simple idea that we have to get into our minds is that this team was built around the three Hall of Famers coming together and sacrificing some of their game for the greater good of the team while increasing their efficiency and performing consistently good to great. This year that hasn't happened. Whether it be age, slumps, injuries, rehabilitation of former injuries or what, of the three years they have been together, this year has seen the most instances of poor play or non play by at least one member of the Big Three at a time.

Due to this the overall quality of play of the three has taken a serious setback this year. It has been offset by the remarkable jump in the overall quality of play of Rajon Rondo but that hasn't been enough.

The Celtics lost last night because Pierce faltered when they needed him most. The Celtics have a poor record versus the best teams in the league because of a terrible inconsistency of the Big Three not to all play well together.

This has to end if the Celtics are to win a title this year. The surrounding cast just is not good enough to carry one of the Big Three having a bad game and have this team win. The 2010 NBA Championship will be won by the Celtics on the backs of the Big Three or it will be lost there. Forget the refs or the bench or Rasheed or Doc or any other excuse you can come up with. The Big Three is where you have to look for a championship.

[wdleehi]

They definitely need them to play better down the stretch. 


But I also think what hurts them now is that they are given the ball like they can still create shots easily. 


I think ball in Rondo's hands to create for them is the way to go down the stretch. 

[Tai]

I don't think Ray was given the ball to even shoot in Game 1, let alone create for himself.

[wdleehi]

I don't think Ray was given the ball to even shoot in Game 1, let alone create for himself.

Ray got 14 shots. 

[Mike-Dub]

Excellent post Nick and I completely agree.  If we are going to win banner 18 the big three have to produce day in and day out.

[PosImpos]

This is exactly what I was thinking last night after the game.  The Cavs have a player they can count on to be great every game for almost the entire game.  They know he'll end up with a great stat line and they know he'll do everything possible to carry them to victory. 

The Celtics have 3-4 guys who are capable of doing that, but on any given night they can't be sure who that will be - if anyone.  It's difficult to beat a great team with a player who is always great when your team doesn't have that same consistent, reliable force.

[Mike-Dub]

The Celtics have 3-4 guys who are capable of doing that, but on any given night they can't be sure who that will be - if anyone.  It's difficult to beat a great team with a player who is always great when your team doesn't have that same consistent, reliable force.

Rondo was that, but only for the first half. We either need someone to have a very good game throughout or some one to have a very good first half, and then someone else to pick up where that player left off in the second half and we didn't get that last night, great first half by Rondo and an ok second half by him, in which nobody stepped up.

[PosImpos]

The Celtics have 3-4 guys who are capable of doing that, but on any given night they can't be sure who that will be - if anyone.  It's difficult to beat a great team with a player who is always great when your team doesn't have that same consistent, reliable force.

Rondo was that, but only for the first half. We either need someone to have a very good game throughout or some one to have a very good first half, and then someone else to pick up where that player left off in the second half and we didn't get that last night, great first half by Rondo and an ok second half by him, in which nobody stepped up.

Well, that's my point.  Even Rondo has amazing first or second halves, but rarely if ever does he dominate the entire game. 

[wdleehi]

The Celtics have 3-4 guys who are capable of doing that, but on any given night they can't be sure who that will be - if anyone.  It's difficult to beat a great team with a player who is always great when your team doesn't have that same consistent, reliable force.

Rondo was that, but only for the first half. We either need someone to have a very good game throughout or some one to have a very good first half, and then someone else to pick up where that player left off in the second half and we didn't get that last night, great first half by Rondo and an ok second half by him, in which nobody stepped up.

Well, that's my point.  Even Rondo has amazing first or second halves, but rarely if ever does he dominate the entire game. 

Rondo needs someone else to be knocking down shots to have a great whole game.  Otherwise, the other team can start packing in on him.

[Mike-Dub]

The Celtics have 3-4 guys who are capable of doing that, but on any given night they can't be sure who that will be - if anyone.  It's difficult to beat a great team with a player who is always great when your team doesn't have that same consistent, reliable force.

Rondo was that, but only for the first half. We either need someone to have a very good game throughout or some one to have a very good first half, and then someone else to pick up where that player left off in the second half and we didn't get that last night, great first half by Rondo and an ok second half by him, in which nobody stepped up.

Well, that's my point.  Even Rondo has amazing first or second halves, but rarely if ever does he dominate the entire game. 

Rondo needs someone else to be knocking down shots to have a great whole game.  Otherwise, the other team can start packing in on him.

That is completely true and what they did with Shaq in the middle.  KG was playing decent, but I feel for Rondo to have a great entire game he needs Ray or Paul to be playing well and hitting shots from the outside and they weren't.

[snively]

Consistency is probably in the rearview mirror for these players.  At this point in their careers they are limited to exploiting mismatches and riding hot streaks.  Unfortunately neither Pierce nor Ray could sustain a hot streak last night and KG couldn't finish some of the great looks he got off of his mismatch (but how great was that dunk on Varejao!  KG looked very good last night).

We could feature Rondo more, but that will mostly just shift the burden of consistency onto the Big 3's spot-up jump-shooting and Perk's finishing ability, since Rondo's scoring (but not his passing) can be taken away by most good defensive teams.

The limitations of our "Big 4" really highlight Perk's offensive regression.  His inability to catch and finish consistently (49% true shooting) and his ridiculously high turnover rate (32%) put all the more pressure on the rest of the guys to do it all.  Sheed was supposed to be the offense sub for Perk, but that obviously hasn't worked out.

A team like this has to have additional offensive weapons to increase the chances of someone getting hot.  Who do we have in our rotation?  Rasheed (35% shooting), Glen Davis (44%), Michael Finley (36% shooting), Tony Allen (53% shooting but plateaued at 6 ppg).

[Mike-Dub]

Consistency is probably in the rearview mirror for these players.  At this point in their careers they are limited to exploiting mismatches and riding hot streaks.  Unfortunately neither Pierce nor Ray could sustain a hot streak last night and KG couldn't finish some of the great looks he got off of his mismatch (but how great was that dunk on Varejao!  KG looked very good last night).

We could feature Rondo more, but that will mostly just shift the burden of consistency onto the Big 3's spot-up jump-shooting and Perk's finishing ability, since Rondo's scoring (but not his passing) can be taken away by most good defensive teams.

The limitations of our "Big 4" really highlight Perk's offensive regression.  His inability to catch and finish consistently (49% true shooting) and his ridiculously high turnover rate (32%) put all the more pressure on the rest of the guys to do it all.  Sheed was supposed to be the offense sub for Perk, but that obviously hasn't worked out.

A team like this has to have additional offensive weapons to increase the chances of someone getting hot.  Who do we have in our rotation?  Rasheed (35% shooting), Glen Davis (44%), Michael Finley (36% shooting), Tony Allen (53% shooting but plateaued at 6 ppg).

Finley and Nate Rob need to be utilized more, but it all boils down to the big three and their consistency.

[snively]

Consistency is probably in the rearview mirror for these players.  At this point in their careers they are limited to exploiting mismatches and riding hot streaks.  Unfortunately neither Pierce nor Ray could sustain a hot streak last night and KG couldn't finish some of the great looks he got off of his mismatch (but how great was that dunk on Varejao!  KG looked very good last night).

We could feature Rondo more, but that will mostly just shift the burden of consistency onto the Big 3's spot-up jump-shooting and Perk's finishing ability, since Rondo's scoring (but not his passing) can be taken away by most good defensive teams.

The limitations of our "Big 4" really highlight Perk's offensive regression.  His inability to catch and finish consistently (49% true shooting) and his ridiculously high turnover rate (32%) put all the more pressure on the rest of the guys to do it all.  Sheed was supposed to be the offense sub for Perk, but that obviously hasn't worked out.

A team like this has to have additional offensive weapons to increase the chances of someone getting hot.  Who do we have in our rotation?  Rasheed (35% shooting), Glen Davis (44%), Michael Finley (36% shooting), Tony Allen (53% shooting but plateaued at 6 ppg).

Finley and Nate Rob need to be utilized more, but it all boils down to the big three and their consistency.

My point is that they're not going to be consistent.  That's why the Cavs are favored.  They have a consistent scorer who pours in 33-8-7 every playoff game, and a host of inconsistent scorers who they can play Russian roulette with every night Mo, Jamison, Shaq and D West, with good offensive role-players in Parker, Moon, Hickson and Varejao to push them over the edge.

We have a consistent playmaker who puts in 16-10-6 every playoff game, with inconsistent scorers in Pierce, Ray and KG (each of whom can thankfully do a little playmaking of their own) and nobody else of worth on offense.   

I would like the Big 3 to be consistent (they're certainly paid enough to be), but they aren't and they aren't likely to be. We'll need big games out of someone other than the Big 3 to win a game in this series.  Perk is the best candidate on paper, with Baby and TA the dark horses.  If he can rediscover his 60% shooting for a few games and cut down on the turnovers (right now he has more turnovers than made field goals), we can beat the Cavs.

[Mike-Dub]

Consistency is probably in the rearview mirror for these players.  At this point in their careers they are limited to exploiting mismatches and riding hot streaks.  Unfortunately neither Pierce nor Ray could sustain a hot streak last night and KG couldn't finish some of the great looks he got off of his mismatch (but how great was that dunk on Varejao!  KG looked very good last night).

We could feature Rondo more, but that will mostly just shift the burden of consistency onto the Big 3's spot-up jump-shooting and Perk's finishing ability, since Rondo's scoring (but not his passing) can be taken away by most good defensive teams.

The limitations of our "Big 4" really highlight Perk's offensive regression.  His inability to catch and finish consistently (49% true shooting) and his ridiculously high turnover rate (32%) put all the more pressure on the rest of the guys to do it all.  Sheed was supposed to be the offense sub for Perk, but that obviously hasn't worked out.

A team like this has to have additional offensive weapons to increase the chances of someone getting hot.  Who do we have in our rotation?  Rasheed (35% shooting), Glen Davis (44%), Michael Finley (36% shooting), Tony Allen (53% shooting but plateaued at 6 ppg).

Finley and Nate Rob need to be utilized more, but it all boils down to the big three and their consistency.

My point is that they're not going to be consistent.  That's why the Cavs are favored.  They have a consistent scorer who pours in 33-8-7 every playoff game, and a host of inconsistent scorers who they can play Russian roulette with every night Mo, Jamison, Shaq and D West, with good offensive role-players in Parker, Moon, Hickson and Varejao to push them over the edge.

We have a consistent playmaker who puts in 16-10-6 every playoff game, with inconsistent scorers in Pierce, Ray and KG (each of whom can thankfully do a little playmaking of their own) and nobody else of worth on offense.   

I would like the Big 3 to be consistent (they're certainly paid enough to be), but they aren't and they aren't likely to be. We'll need big games out of someone other than the Big 3 to win a game in this series.  Perk is the best candidate on paper, with Baby and TA the dark horses.  If he can rediscover his 60% shooting for a few games and cut down on the turnovers (right now he has more turnovers than made field goals), we can beat the Cavs.

I think those two can be consistent though IMO. Well at least Michael.

[j804]

Wasnt Nate supposed to be that lift and scoring punch off the bech, thatll win a playoff game or two for us? Where the hell was he?