Encouraging Loss?

[Bankshot]

The bench looked great tonight and while the defense started out slow, it was pretty good tonight.  The starters just couldn't score!  Especially Ray and KG.  The Big 3 just wasted a good game for the rest of the team, especially Krstic and Green.  Krstic was a monster!

I do think it was an encouraging loss.  If Ray and KG hit a couple of shots, we win.  But most importantly, the defense was there, especially in the second half.  I thought the bench set the tone defensively.

We need Baby, Shaq and Delonte back to give the starters more rest.

[Roy H.]

I appreciate the optimism, and there are a lot of legitimate excuses for why we lost the game.  However, no, I'm not overly encouraged by the fact that we got our butts handed to us by the #7 team in the East.

[Eja117]

I was encouraged by Nenad, but I'm getting nervous that every time he plays well they lose. Weird

[vinnie]

Call me a cynic, but I am also not sure I want Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic taking a combined 30 shots for a total of 34 points. Loved Nenad's rebounding tonight, though.

[Bankshot]

I'm mostly encouraged because the defense looked better, especially from the bench.  That means that they are starting to pick up the schemes, which is good to see.

[LB3533]

Our starters shot like 28% and the Big 3 played pretty small....we were still in this game, on the road.

I think it was an encouraging loss....but it's still a loss.

[Megatron]

We need to start running our offense through Krstic and Green because its pretty clear that the Big 3 just dont have the energy at this point in the season, all 3 have regressed noticably.

Rondo has proven that he cannot carry teams on his back, he isnt a go to player like Rose, Williams etc.

Were SOL until the bench gets healthy because the team as a whole is out of gas.

[Andy Jick]

That last 5 minutes was a debacle...  Nothing encouraging about losing to a team you should beat.  It's a sad state of what the NBA has become if this joke of a sixer's team is playing like world-beaters over the last month. 

[footey]

I missed the game.

Most glaring stat: Rondo 5 assists.

!!!

[winsomme]

The Celtics struggles right now are all about defense. We go as far as our defense takes us and that is worrisome considering how many changes have taken place.

Like others have mentioned we need Shaq, Baby, DWest and JO back in the fold because our defense is not going to get solidified otherwise.

and it needs to be sooner rather than later so we can get some sort of chemistry going...

[winsomme]

We need to start running our offense through Krstic and Green because its pretty clear that the Big 3 just dont have the energy at this point in the season, all 3 have regressed noticably.

Rondo has proven that he cannot carry teams on his back, he isnt a go to player like Rose, Williams etc.

Were SOL until the bench gets healthy because the team as a whole is out of gas.

we can't change our offense to go through minor parts. Once Shaq and Baby are back Krstic and Green are going to be playing a lot less.

[Megatron]

We need to start running our offense through Krstic and Green because its pretty clear that the Big 3 just dont have the energy at this point in the season, all 3 have regressed noticably.

Rondo has proven that he cannot carry teams on his back, he isnt a go to player like Rose, Williams etc.

Were SOL until the bench gets healthy because the team as a whole is out of gas.

we can't change our offense to go through minor parts. Once Shaq and Baby are back Krstic and Green are going to be playing a lot less.

Shaq isnt coming back until the playoffs, and Baby is going to get his return date pushed back another week at least.

[Bankshot]

The Celtics struggles right now are all about defense. We go as far as our defense takes us and that is worrisome considering how many changes have taken place.

Like others have mentioned we need Shaq, Baby, DWest and JO back in the fold because our defense is not going to get solidified otherwise.

and it needs to be sooner rather than later so we can get some sort of chemistry going...

This loss had nothing to do with defense.  The defense was good tonight, especially in the second half.  They gave up, what? 90 points?  They got multiple stops in the 4th quarter, but couldn't score themselves.

[Andy Jick]

The Celtics struggles right now are all about defense. We go as far as our defense takes us and that is worrisome considering how many changes have taken place.

Like others have mentioned we need Shaq, Baby, DWest and JO back in the fold because our defense is not going to get solidified otherwise.

and it needs to be sooner rather than later so we can get some sort of chemistry going...

This loss had nothing to do with defense.  The defense was good tonight, especially in the second half.  They gave up, what? 90 points?  They got multiple stops in the 4th quarter, but couldn't score themselves.

Exactly...  Anyone who watched this game and understands Basketball 101 saw a team UNABLE to score points in the closing minutes.

The second unit played GREAT basketball down the stretch.  Doc should have sat the starters and let that group go as long as he could.  Rondo looks like he's going through the motions, Paul morphed into his old self of throwing up shots that he shouldn't have, and KG (noted astutely by Tommy) was "aiming" instead of shooting the ball, and Ray looked nothing like himself.

The defense was good, but the offense was offensive...

[vinnie]

Rondo is definitely going through the motions. No aggression at all. Two free throw attempts total in the last three games. Doc's challenge to Rondo to try to get at least 10 attempts per game looks like it is falling on deaf ears right now.