An encouraging sign for this season.......

[BC1996]

I think we can all acknowledge the mental toughness that this group has shown over the past week.  More than anything, I'm encouraged that we might be turning into the type of team that nobody wants to play come playoff time.

The little things, such as fighting for loose balls, closing out on every shot(even when the opposing team still has a great look), and scrapping for EVERY rebound/loose ball, are all hallmark attributes of this Big Three era.

What makes me more optimistic about our chances this season is that we have a full roster of players who will be committed to our hard nosed approach going into the postseason.  It looks like we have an opportunity to develop a rotation that is 10 deep.  The continuity from the starters to the bench is arguably the most important factor in determining this group's chances at a title.

I don't want to rehash the Perkins trade, but our playoff roster last year was entirely reliant upon the starting lineup to provide any mental toughness.  Not only did I know that our
bench would squander any lead that we had built, but more importantly they provided no resistance to the opposition.  

Regardless of whether or not we struggle to maintain a lead, it's often equally important to make the opposition earn EVERY point.  We saw this Celtics team wear down Cleveland and Orlando in 2010 by making all of the hustle plays.  In a perfect world we would execute more consistently in the first half, but truthfully I love an ugly dogfight because I trust that our guys wont ever lose their mental edge.  

I'm starting to get a similar feeling about this year's team.  Let's be real, most of these teams in the Eastern Conference aren't prepared for the mental grind of the playoffs.

[radiohead]

KG has now held his own against two of the better centers in the league (howard, hibbert). The move to Center seems to have lit his belly defensively. Once we get all the other players healthy, this team could really make some noise come playoff time.

[cman88]

the most encouraging sign to me is that this renewed intensity/turning the corner has come without 2-3 of our starters

I mean, we are starting a lineup with 3 bench players in it...we're showing to have a team of really good depth with production coming from guys like E'tuan moore, Avery bradley, steimsma, Chris wilcox etc.

[BC1996]

the most encouraging sign to me is that this renewed intensity/turning the corner has come without 2-3 of our starters

I mean, we are starting a lineup with 3 bench players in it...we're showing to have a team of really good depth with production coming from guys like E'tuan moore, Avery bradley, steimsma, Chris wilcox etc.

This will only pay dividends in the long run as well.  We are going to need contributions from everyone to make a legit run at a title.  I'm hoping that we get to the point where our players can be used interchangeably throughout the game.