Help me understand..whats happening???

[Migman]

Okay, let me explain myself first. I'm a long (very long time) time lurker, and post infrequently.. however Celticsblog is without a word of a lie the site i visit most frequently...

At my end of the world (I was awarded for being the Southern-most in the world Celticsblogger)coverage of most NBA games is sketchy 3-4 games per week, plus given the time difference most are played whilst i'm at work, hence I watch most on Gamecast in the background and have little, if any, opportunity to see live games.

I need someone to explain just WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?

I follow everything, trades, acquisitions, injuries, etc.. and even though it pained me to see Perk traded I still felt the team looked a solid playoff caliber team. But recent results have left me trying to figure out whats happening.

My question to you all, who have better coverage and perspective than I do, is what is really happening chemistry-wise.. offensively.. moral.. etc. Because I really want to know, has the recent move which ejected Nate, Perk and all from the team dealt the moral fiber and team spirit a mortal blow or do you think that this is just a period of pain while Green, Murphy, Kristic and Co find their places in the C's environment?

I'm truly interested to hear the opinions of those of you closer to the coalface.     

[Mazingerz]

Well the recent trend is that the Celtics really do not like to play back to back games. Maybe its because of age, level of fatigue due to long haul flights, etc.

I think there was a thread here that discussed back to back games and the way the Cs end up losing on the 2nd game more frequently.

[Megatron]

The team is just playing really poorly. Especially the starters, they have regularly come out lethargic and disinterested in playing which results in them playing bad defense and being unable to hit shots, then out bench has to come in and try to dig themselves out of a hole the startere put us in. Thats askint alot for a bunch of new players just getting to know each other. Rondo has been the worst, hes injured in some way thats effecting his play because he is playing like the worst player in the league and its hurting the team drastically whenever he is on the floor

[nba is the worst]

The schedule to finish the season is tough - no question. 4 more B2B's left, and road games @ Spurs, Knicks, Bulls, and the new heatles...

The only "bad loss" recently was the Clippers - the 76ers are up and coming, and very few teams win games with an 8-24 ft disadvantage and one or two nocalls on goaltending.

Got to find a way to stay ahead of the Lakers...

[Cman]

I think the above points are pretty good.  There are a number of factors.  Part of it is just getting the new guys up to speed, part of it is the vets not playing as hard as they could, part of it is poor play by Rondo.  Getting BBD back is big for this team, as he brings a lot of hustle.

At the end of the day, though, it's not as if the sky has fallen.  The Cs are a .600 team in the ten games since the trade (whereas they were a .750 team prior to the trade).  Considering the lack of depth for a few games there, then the need to get the new guys up to speed, that's not that bad.  Time to be worried? Perhaps. Time to panic? Absolutely not.

Oh, and the game against NJ was much closer than the final score might indicate.

[vinnie]

^^^^^^^^

Lakers are playing the best basketball in the league and only have four road games left. Bynum is playing unreal ball. It is going to be tough the way the celts are playing right now.

[GreenEnvy]

The team is just playing really poorly. Especially the starters, they have regularly come out lethargic and disinterested in playing which results in them playing bad defense and being unable to hit shots, then out bench has to come in and try to dig themselves out of a hole the startere put us in. Thats askint alot for a bunch of new players just getting to know each other. Rondo has been the worst, hes injured in some way thats effecting his play because he is playing like the worst player in the league and its hurting the team drastically whenever he is on the floor

Didn't they just set a franchise record for fewest points?

You're gonna give the Bucks an excuse but not give the C's the same?

They are playing poorly right now, but they are in all the games, they just aren't focused when teams are giving them their best shots.

[Roy H.]

Just before Thursday's 3 p.m. ET trade deadline, the Boston Celtics agreed to ship center Kendrick Perkins and guard Nate Robinson to the Oklahoma City Thunder for forward Jeff Green and big man Nenad Krstic in a deal the NBA approved about five hours later.

 

[Chris]

Just before Thursday's 3 p.m. ET trade deadline, the Boston Celtics agreed to ship center Kendrick Perkins and guard Nate Robinson to the Oklahoma City Thunder for forward Jeff Green and big man Nenad Krstic in a deal the NBA approved about five hours later.

 

Correlation does not equal causation... 

[ACF]

The opposing teams are putting the ball in the basket more frequently than the Celtics and thus, are winning games.

 

[feckless]

IMO

1-fatigue physical,  missing same shots they made earlier in the year--PP has not shot the 3 anywhere near the same as earlier..KG's shot at the end of games is short = tired legs

2-fatigue mental, playing in spurts, coasting til the end of games, bad calls and mistakes are frustrating whereas earlier it would make players more determined

3-Rondo is exhausted, last night he took a horrible hit from Humphreys and never recovered

4-Perk's mental toughness is missing, Shaq's physical presence is missing, Delonte's understanding and spurt hustle is missing,

5-new guys are trying to fit in, only Jeff Green has become assertive, the rest are trying to role play and fit in--even Krstic (although doing a great job) is just trying to fit in-

6-tough situation new guys need to figure the Celtics--the Celtics need to figure out the new guys and the big 4 other than Ray are burnt from too many minutes

Despite all that we are still in games and have moments of unbeatability--most games we determine our own outcome if we play well we win no matter what the other team does!

[mgent]

Just before Thursday's 3 p.m. ET trade deadline, the Boston Celtics agreed to ship center Kendrick Perkins and guard Nate Robinson to the Oklahoma City Thunder for forward Jeff Green and big man Nenad Krstic in a deal the NBA approved about five hours later.

 

You're talking about when we traded Nate, Perk, and Rondo for Krstic and Green right?

[LakersFan_33]

Just the ups and downs of the regular season. I would prefer to be wrong, but I'm probably not. Just a slump.

[the_Bird]

Just before Thursday's 3 p.m. ET trade deadline, the Boston Celtics agreed to ship center Kendrick Perkins and guard Nate Robinson to the Oklahoma City Thunder for forward Jeff Green and big man Nenad Krstic in a deal the NBA approved about five hours later.

 

Correlation does not equal causation... 

[LarBrd33]

We will be a far superior team to the pre-trade squad once all the dust settles.   I see flashes of total brilliance, but you're basically seeing this team have it's training camp and pre-season in March.   After we rattled off 5 wins in a row I kept saying "This team will be great, but I expect an inevitable slump while they work out the kinks".  I don't know why anyone is freaking out about the inevitable slump inevitably hitting.  Give it time.  Let the Thunder overreact to their first big win with Perk (sure it had nothing to do with 57% shooting from three)... time will prove we won that trade.


Does anyone think Pierce and Rondo combining for 3-20 last night has something to do with Perkins?  Come on.