Celtics (49-19) at Knicks (35-34) 3/21

[fairweatherfan]

Yeah we need Shaq and probably JO back to win a title.  We knew that all season.  This is just one bad half and we aren't even out of the game by any stretch. 

Sheesh, it's like last year all over again.  This is a good team that's playing poorly right now.  This too will pass.  I promise. 

[JohnBagleyValueMeal]

I'm usually pretty upbeat about the team, but I don't have a good feeling about this game. Just seems like one of those "here we go again" deals. But we'll see.

Way too early to start wailing about the playoffs. I won't go that far.

Serious question, though: Is Jeff Green better than Marquis Daniels or Tony Allen? I kept hearing that he was the best player in the trade but so far he's seemed to meld the ups and downs of Tony (maybe less spectacular) with the weird passivity of Quis.

[outcry]

After watching Perkins get abused last night on the pick and roll, shall we bring him back at the half and watch Amare get 50?

Bad, really bad defensive performance at every position. One player or one position changes very little.

Perkins was our best player and leader, his presence and toughness alone made this team what it was. We cant look past that.

Sarcasm, right?  

No, he's said that quite a few times before. He really does believe Perkins was our best player.

[celticinorlando]

i just think the 1 seed is important for this team....having to go on the road to miami and then the bulls will be too much,

[vinnie]

I am laughing at the picture in my head of Mikki Moore in cement shoes.

[celticinorlando]

I'm usually pretty upbeat about the team, but I don't have a good feeling about this game. Just seems like one of those "here we go again" deals. But we'll see.

Way too early to start wailing about the playoffs. I won't go that far.

Serious question, though: Is Jeff Green better than Marquis Daniels or Tony Allen? I kept hearing that he was the best player in the trade but so far he's seemed to meld the ups and downs of Tony (maybe less spectacular) with the weird passivity of Quis.

playoff are 14 games away..every other contender has taken their game up a notch..boston has gotten worse

[Tai]

We've given up less than 90 points in 6 of our last 8 games. Defense hasn't been our problem lately, although the 1st half wasn't a very encouraging sign for our defense at all.

Everyone saying how the Celtics traded away their title by trading Perk....we were on auto pilot last season around this time WITH Perk, and we seemed to be giving up more points than this around that time.

We missed easy shots. Even Tanguay and Donny noticed that at the halftime show. Those have to go in this 2nd half.

And maybe, like in the Hornets game, they can step up their defense this 2nd half.

Game's not over, championship aspirations NOT OVER.

[GrandTheftRondo]

After watching Perkins get abused last night on the pick and roll, shall we bring him back at the half and watch Amare get 50?

Bad, really bad defensive performance at every position. One player or one position changes very little.

Perkins was our best player and leader, his presence and toughness alone made this team what it was. We cant look past that.

Sarcasm, right?  

No, he's said that quite a few times before. He really does believe Perkins was our best player.

IMO, the C's don't have a best player. Our best player could be anyone on any given night.

Perk was special because he was part of that 5 who had electrifying chemistry. The guys on the court have none and its painfully obvious.

[CoachBo]

I'm usually pretty upbeat about the team, but I don't have a good feeling about this game. Just seems like one of those "here we go again" deals. But we'll see.

Way too early to start wailing about the playoffs. I won't go that far.

Serious question, though: Is Jeff Green better than Marquis Daniels or Tony Allen? I kept hearing that he was the best player in the trade but so far he's seemed to meld the ups and downs of Tony (maybe less spectacular) with the weird passivity of Quis.

playoff are 14 games away..every other contender has taken their game up a notch..boston has gotten worse

Chuckle. I don't agree. At all.

This team is old. And it's transitioning new players into a very complex system. It takes some time.

I'm not going to address the Green comparison. Not worth tangling with the mods.

[Drucci]

What's up with all the negativity guys?

TP.  I like your sentiment.  It's easier being negative.  That way if your hopes are dashed, you don't feel as bad.  You can say you "expected it".
Seriously, that's part of the psychology.

Moreover I would understand if we were getting torched by 20 points or more but we're down 14 at halftime against a Knicks team that played out of its mind defensively for one half, will get tired legs because of the back to back in the 2nd half, and we always play better in the 2nd half. Not worried, not to mention that 10 or 15 point leads mean nothing in the NBA, especially with the Knicks.

I hate to be negative, but I read too many excuses in your post.
By the way, the same excuses I read every time by "positive" fans when C's throw out such performances.

What's the big difference between being down 20 or 14 when you're playing THAT bad?

Oh we're definitely playing poorly, I didn't mention it because it's obvious. But to me there is a difference between playing really poorly (like against the Rockets, without effort or hunger) and "okay" (not the good word but you get the idea) poorly (like right now) which means, in the second, case that you can get back in the game by only turning it up a notch and playing smarter (like in the case of 14 point deficit) while in the first case you have to turn it up a big notch and get mentally back in the game which is really tougher (a 20 point lead). The difference between a 14 point deficit and a 20 point is huge in the minds of players.

[vinnie]

Look up the word passive in the dictionary and you find Jeff Green's picture.

[fairweatherfan]

Serious question, though: Is Jeff Green better than Marquis Daniels or Tony Allen? I kept hearing that he was the best player in the trade but so far he's seemed to meld the ups and downs of Tony (maybe less spectacular) with the weird passivity of Quis.

I mostly agree; I like Green long term but I'm not sold on what he's going to give us in the playoffs yet.  He's inconsistent and isn't moving the ball or defending particularly well (especially tonight).  He does have that passive body language like Quis did, too. 

[aporel#18]

I agree with Drucci, let them turn it around in 2nd half. They are more than capable of doing that.

The Celtics are playing a bad game on defense, and that leads to a lot of half court sets. Rondo and West are playing injured/out of injuries, and the ball movement is not there. The Big 3 is not having a good night either, and BBD is not shooting well. When defense improves in the 2nd half, they will score easier.

Go Celtics!!! Beat the NY Bricks!!!

[JohnBagleyValueMeal]

It's clearly too early to call th

I'm usually pretty upbeat about the team, but I don't have a good feeling about this game. Just seems like one of those "here we go again" deals. But we'll see.

Way too early to start wailing about the playoffs. I won't go that far.

Serious question, though: Is Jeff Green better than Marquis Daniels or Tony Allen? I kept hearing that he was the best player in the trade but so far he's seemed to meld the ups and downs of Tony (maybe less spectacular) with the weird passivity of Quis.

playoff are 14 games away..every other contender has taken their game up a notch..boston has gotten worse

Geez, that didn't take long. I'm not getting into it with you. If you think the season's over already, I suppose that will free up your evenings in April. If you don't think it's over, then I guess I'm right and it's too early to tell.

[Cman]

You can rationalize -- we flipped the switch last year, the team is banged up and is missing players, etc. -- but the play on the floor stinks. 

Completely agree.  The play on the floor stinks, and has stunk, for a few weeks.  And I hate the idea of "flipping the switch" as if its something easy to do (just like I hate the idea that "all Rondo needs to do is add a jumper in the offseason, as if that is something really easy to do that's just been an oversight on his part).

Where I disagree is that all of the "fault" with the team right now lies with Danny's trade (or two trades).  I can understand lashing out at someone in frustration, and Danny's an easy target.  

But there's a lot of stuff that factors into the poor play, and the trades are just one of many (others include injuries to Shaq, JO, West, Rondo, Wafer) and poor play by some really old guys.  To say the poor play is because we lost Perk and he was the heart and sole of this team is a cop-out.  He was a good Center, I miss him, but he was not the heart and sole of this team.