Has anyone figured out why the C's were such a poor home team last season?

[Spicoli]

Is there anything out there that can give some kind of explanation as to why they appeared to be a better road team than home team? Any statistics? Any theories? Anything?

Also, do you guys think the C's will be a better home team this upcoming season? And do you think they will need to have home court throughout in order to win the title? Playing all those games on the other teams floor isn't the best way to go IMO.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

[Snakehead]

The only thing I can think of was that the team only got up to play teams on the road, with the mentality of "let's embarrass them on their floor", and couldn't get up for the home games.  Given the talent and level of play shown in the playoffs, I think it's safe to say they weren't playing up to potential and were playing selectively all year.

KG was also coming back from an injury and he kept improving all year.  He went from getting blown by embarrassingly by Al Harrington to being very good and pretty explosive and quick in the Playoffs, dominating matchups including Gasol (at times, though especially on offense once he figured to face-up on the post up and blow by him), Jamison, and Rashard.

Rondo may be the MVP of the team but KG still provides the heart and soul, especially of the defense.  

This year we'll have a better KG and with the new additions and younger legs playing more minutes (with regards to Nate, Shaq, Wafer, and whoever we get) I think we'll be better at home.  But I still expect a good deal of the "coast" mentality to the regular season we saw last year.  But we should have won the title, so that's not a big deal at all obviously. 

Playing your hardest at an old age is risky in creating injuries... I'd say this Celtics team would have won 3 years in a row if they had managed to be without injuries. And anyways, I would rather win the ring than 10 more regular season games.  There are a lot of good teams in the East now so I don't know how important the seeind really is.

[manl_lui]

The only thing I can think of was that the team only got up to play teams on the road, with the mentality of "let's embarrass them on their floor", and couldn't get up for the home games.  Given the talent and level of play shown in the playoffs, I think it's safe to say they weren't playing up to potential and were playing selectively all year.

KG was also coming back from an injury and he kept improving all year.  He went from getting blown by embarrassingly by Al Harrington to being very good and pretty explosive and quick in the Playoffs, dominating matchups including Gasol (at times, though especially on offense once he figured to face-up on the post up and blow by him), Jamison, and Rashard.

Rondo may be the MVP of the team but KG still provides the heart and soul, especially of the defense.  

This year we'll have a better KG and with the new additions and younger legs playing more minutes (with regards to Nate, Shaq, Wafer, and whoever we get) I think we'll be better at home.  But I still expect a good deal of the "coast" mentality to the regular season we saw last year.  But we should have won the title, so that's not a big deal at all obviously.  

Playing your hardest at an old age is risky in creating injuries... I'd say this Celtics team would have won 3 years in a row if they had managed to be without injuries. And anyways, I would rather win the ring than 10 more regular season games.  There are a lot of good teams in the East now so I don't know how important the seeind really is.

I agree, with KG coming back hungrier than last year (who isn't, they were so close), I think we would head back to the conference finals against Miami this time, maybe a game 7? then back against LA, I like our chances this year as well

injuries did play a role this year, KG had a bruise thigh, Sheed out with injured foot and back, BBD thumb, Pierce, I got scared when Rondo got decked in the playoffs against Orlando

[MBunge]

I think pretty much the entire team, except for Perk, came into camp last year with a Sheed-like attitude that the regular season wasn't that important, which only got worse after they started off so strong.  Then there were some injuries and some "chemistry" problems and I think the team just developed a bad habit of not getting up for home games that they just couldn't shake.  By the time the home losses started to pile up and some of them got embarrassing, the vets were already in "waiting for the playoffs" mode and there was no one on the bench who could come into the game and change that mindset.

Hopefully having Nate all season, bringing in Shaq and JO and the team being adjusted to Rondo running the show will prevent a repeat performance.

Mike

[hpantazo]

I think pretty much the entire team, except for Perk, came into camp last year with a Sheed-like attitude that the regular season wasn't that important, which only got worse after they started off so strong.  Then there were some injuries and some "chemistry" problems and I think the team just developed a bad habit of not getting up for home games that they just couldn't shake.  By the time the home losses started to pile up and some of them got embarrassing, the vets were already in "waiting for the playoffs" mode and there was no one on the bench who could come into the game and change that mindset.

Hopefully having Nate all season, bringing in Shaq and JO and the team being adjusted to Rondo running the show will prevent a repeat performance.

Mike

I think that's part of it. Part of it also is that in 2008 they dominated at home but had a tough time wining on the road, especially in the playoffs, and they decided to put the focus on wining on the road because they knew they could get it done at home when needed. A major part of it though, was that the team in 2009 learned to rely on Rondo and Davis much more, and when KG came back it was difficult to shift the focus, especially since KG and eventually Pierce played pretty badly coming back from injuries.

[manl_lui]

I think pretty much the entire team, except for Perk, came into camp last year with a Sheed-like attitude that the regular season wasn't that important, which only got worse after they started off so strong.  Then there were some injuries and some "chemistry" problems and I think the team just developed a bad habit of not getting up for home games that they just couldn't shake.  By the time the home losses started to pile up and some of them got embarrassing, the vets were already in "waiting for the playoffs" mode and there was no one on the bench who could come into the game and change that mindset.

Hopefully having Nate all season, bringing in Shaq and JO and the team being adjusted to Rondo running the show will prevent a repeat performance.

Mike

I think that's part of it. Part of it also is that in 2008 they dominated at home but had a tough time wining on the road, especially in the playoffs, and they decided to put the focus on wining on the road because they knew they could get it done at home when needed. A major part of it though, was that the team in 2009 learned to rely on Rondo and Davis much more, and when KG came back it was difficult to shift the focus, especially since KG and eventually Pierce played pretty badly coming back from injuries.

when people say 2010 was our last window to win a championship

and then looking at what we've achieved this offseason, Id like to think we have 2 more years of window

this year and see if we can get any max players next year

[Alleyoopster]

I thought it was ridiculously obvious. Didn't everyone think the following?

My guess is the writers, coaches and players  are too embarressed to talk about it.  It was mostly about having too much 'good-lov'n' when the boys came home.  And, all the other distractions like; taking care of their kids, visiting family, business, hobbies, etc. 

The players got too worn out on home visits.  I was hoping Danny would put the players up in hotels, away from family, when the Finals games were played at home.  Too many 'distractions' wore them out. Friday nights loses were the worst...often when they first came home.   

[LB3533]

Doc Rivers is just not a good home coach.

We've lost a lot of big games on our home floor during Doc's tenure as HC.

[GreenEnvy]

Doc Rivers is just not a good home coach.

We've lost a lot of big games on our home floor during Doc's tenure as HC.

I don't understand what that means. What makes a coach worse at home? The last three seasons, we were 2nd (35-6), 3rd (35-6), and then tied for 15th (24-17) in the league. Hard to pin that on the coach after such success the previous two seasons. Comparing that with the road record, where the C's were 1st (31-10), T-2nd (27-14), T-3rd (26-15), it's even harder to blame Doc, he is a good coach. Usually a team with a large discrepancy in home and road wins is a sign of something with the coach, but Doc is great on the road too.

The Celtics also went 13-1 in the 2008 playoffs en route to the Championship, so don't say Doc lost a lot of big games at home. 27-7 home playoff record in the Big Three era.

The players last year were to blame, for reasons unbeknown. I'd like to think it was simply an aberration, perhaps a mental funk, which, coupled with opposing teams confidence, snowballed. This season, we need to go out with an early statement (how's game #1 sound?) and put the fear back into coming to the TD Garden.


[I went to my first game at the TD Garden last season (against the Lakers 1/31...ugh) and the atmosphere was unbelievable (at least compared to the comatose audience in NYC/NJ where I regularly see Celtics games). So the fans are definitely into it, time for the players to join us.]