waddya say we stop blaming Sheed for last years lack of effort now.

[wahz]

Which leaves us with little other choice to blame Ray(joking).
I don't know what to think, frankly. They have it in their heads that these games don't matter but the margin of error in a short series at the end of the season is so close that without home court you have enough of a disadvantage that blowing these games is more likely than not to cost you a title. LA seems to get it don't they?

[mgent]

Good question.  Who are you guys blaming now that we lost our two biggest scapegoats this offseason?

[More Banners]

Well, let's take it easy here.  The game thread was reading like things were getting more chippy than normal.  The "who are YOU guys going to blame" sounds like looking for a scrap. 
West, Smokey Q, and Erden were each -19 today.  I didn't see the game, but perhaps even in short minutes, a guy new to the team in only his 3rd game after a lengthy suspension, a rookie big man, and a less-than-aggressive-but-multi-talented wing weren't enough to hold the fort?

KG and PP were +14 and 15 in 35 minutes.

It's not a crisis, but we're not as set as it may have appeared at the start of camp.

Trade season is starting...

[Megatron]

I dont think it was Sheed, it was simply that this group of players is extremely arrogant and cocky. Rondo is one of the cockiest people ive ever seen, Pierce is cocky enough to tweet taunts after games including all of last years playoffs, Ray Allen, as profesional as he may seem is cocky in his own right. Garnett is probably the cockiest and most arrogant person in the NBA.

This group knows they are good enough to win when it matters, and they couldnt care less about what the fans think.

It sucks, but we just have to deal with it. Our team is a bunch of cocky, arrogant NBA veterans and they have decided to give half-ass effort during the regular season.

[buellj814]

how bout two losses means that there two losses not that were reverting back to form.... everybody was just waiting to jump on the bandwagon of last year.. they were doing it after game number 2

[vinnie]

The Celts played when they wanted to play last year. The Celts will do the same thing this year. It is frustrating, but it is what it is.

[JBone4eva]

*sigh* requisite celticsblog sky is falling thread after a loss.

like clockwork.

[More Banners]

Let's face it, our starters can do anything they want, play with as much or as little energy as they want, screw off as often as they want, and there is absolutely zero chance that anybody will do a [dang] thing about it.

And they know it.

They believe they're a top team, can beat anyone, and losing, even repeatedly, doesn't seem to shake that hubris.

Making it to the Finals last year only reinforced their arrogance. 

They are not champions.

Those who study these things tell us that highly cohesive units are usually less effective.  That may be what we have here now and last season.

[wahz]

I dont think it was Sheed, it was simply that this group of players is extremely arrogant and cocky. Rondo is one of the cockiest people ive ever seen, Pierce is cocky enough to tweet taunts after games including all of last years playoffs, Ray Allen, as profesional as he may seem is cocky in his own right. Garnett is probably the cockiest and most arrogant person in the NBA.

This group knows they are good enough to win when it matters, and they couldnt care less about what the fans think.

It sucks, but we just have to deal with it. Our team is a bunch of cocky, arrogant NBA veterans and they have decided to give half-ass effort during the regular season.

I think your right. I think this is exactly it. They are overconfident and it probably will cost them hc. It remains to be seen if that costs them a title but they don'y play like they get the connection.

The sad thing is Doc is not an arrogant guy. I think he gets it but there is only so much he can do to motivate these guys.

[More Banners]

I dont think it was Sheed, it was simply that this group of players is extremely arrogant and cocky. Rondo is one of the cockiest people ive ever seen, Pierce is cocky enough to tweet taunts after games including all of last years playoffs, Ray Allen, as profesional as he may seem is cocky in his own right. Garnett is probably the cockiest and most arrogant person in the NBA.

This group knows they are good enough to win when it matters, and they couldnt care less about what the fans think.

It sucks, but we just have to deal with it. Our team is a bunch of cocky, arrogant NBA veterans and they have decided to give half-ass effort during the regular season.

I think your right. I think this is exactly it. They are overconfident and it probably will cost them hc. It remains to be seen if that costs them a title but they don'y play like they get the connection.

The sad thing is Doc is not an arrogant guy. I think he gets it but there is only so much he can do to motivate these guys.

In the early years, before KG and Ray, Doc had the nuts to take PP out of a game for not running up the floor hard enough.  PP was p---ed, but a message was sent and it worked.  PP became the most in-shape player on the team, leading by example.  Remember the reports the next fall of Paul always beating everyone else at sprints in camp, running backwards and all that?  It's because Doc held him accountable.

Doc has turned the team over to the players and has stopped coaching and/or holding anyone accountable.  Granted it's a tough line to walk, but it's what NBA coaches get paid big bucks to do:  be a leader.

[Megatron]

I dont think it was Sheed, it was simply that this group of players is extremely arrogant and cocky. Rondo is one of the cockiest people ive ever seen, Pierce is cocky enough to tweet taunts after games including all of last years playoffs, Ray Allen, as profesional as he may seem is cocky in his own right. Garnett is probably the cockiest and most arrogant person in the NBA.

This group knows they are good enough to win when it matters, and they couldnt care less about what the fans think.

It sucks, but we just have to deal with it. Our team is a bunch of cocky, arrogant NBA veterans and they have decided to give half-ass effort during the regular season.

I think your right. I think this is exactly it. They are overconfident and it probably will cost them hc. It remains to be seen if that costs them a title but they don'y play like they get the connection.

The sad thing is Doc is not an arrogant guy. I think he gets it but there is only so much he can do to motivate these guys.

In the early years, before KG and Ray, Doc had the nuts to take PP out of a game for not running up the floor hard enough.  PP was [peeved], but a message was sent and it worked.  PP became the most in-shape player on the team, leading by example.  Remember the reports the next fall of Paul always beating everyone else at sprints in camp, running backwards and all that?  It's because Doc held him accountable.

Doc has turned the team over to the players and has stopped coaching and/or holding anyone accountable.  Granted it's a tough line to walk, but it's what NBA coaches get paid big bucks to do:  be a leader.

Yea, but you also have to take into account that coaching a team of proven veterans that have "been there and done that" is different then coaching a bunch of wide eyed youngsters that are just fighting to make a name for themselves in the league.

[MBz]

Nate played very good today, but remember he is not Rondo.  Playing without Rondo can definitely be a reason for losing a game, not an effort thing.  Shaq also had a poor game today.  2-8 shooting and fouling out in just under 20 minutes of playing time.  Though I do understand the matchups for Shaq against Toronto are poor ones.

[Casperian]

Good question.  Who are you guys blaming now that we lost our two biggest scapegoats this offseason?

I´m tired of blaming anyone on the team, so I will continue to blame Sheed. 

[More Banners]

I dont think it was Sheed, it was simply that this group of players is extremely arrogant and cocky. Rondo is one of the cockiest people ive ever seen, Pierce is cocky enough to tweet taunts after games including all of last years playoffs, Ray Allen, as profesional as he may seem is cocky in his own right. Garnett is probably the cockiest and most arrogant person in the NBA.

This group knows they are good enough to win when it matters, and they couldnt care less about what the fans think.

It sucks, but we just have to deal with it. Our team is a bunch of cocky, arrogant NBA veterans and they have decided to give half-ass effort during the regular season.

I think your right. I think this is exactly it. They are overconfident and it probably will cost them hc. It remains to be seen if that costs them a title but they don'y play like they get the connection.

The sad thing is Doc is not an arrogant guy. I think he gets it but there is only so much he can do to motivate these guys.

In the early years, before KG and Ray, Doc had the nuts to take PP out of a game for not running up the floor hard enough.  PP was [peeved], but a message was sent and it worked.  PP became the most in-shape player on the team, leading by example.  Remember the reports the next fall of Paul always beating everyone else at sprints in camp, running backwards and all that?  It's because Doc held him accountable.

Doc has turned the team over to the players and has stopped coaching and/or holding anyone accountable.  Granted it's a tough line to walk, but it's what NBA coaches get paid big bucks to do:  be a leader.

Yea, but you also have to take into account that coaching a team of proven veterans that have "been there and done that" is different then coaching a bunch of wide eyed youngsters that are just fighting to make a name for themselves in the league.

Our starters are surely "been there, done that," but the question remains as to whether they can do it again.  They play like they only want to be on the court during 4th quarters and game 7's.  It doesn't work that way.

These guys were hungry when they came together.  Now, should be very clear that they're not.  Sure, they'd like a title, but don't want to have to earn excellence every day.

The back-to-back NBA champions got better this year. 

[Due to injuries] I'm starting to doubt whether we did...or whether we wasted the MLE for the second year in a row.

[hpantazo]

amazing. We lose a game or two by a few points and suddenly the team is coasting and the starters don't care. They care, I saw it today, but they played without there floor leader, Rondo, and we have 1 healthy center who is too old to play big minutes. Semih is playing injured, and Perk and Jermain are out. I'd say they have done an excellent job so far this season. Ray, Paul, and KG look great, Nate is improving, Baby looks better than last year, and Delonte is just working his way into the system. What more do people expect? We already beat the heat twice and went 3-1 on a rough west coast trip.