Why are the Celtics sucking so badly right now?

[Celtics4ever]

We are inconsistent.  We are old.  These are our two biggest issues not Rondo.   

[jdz101]

Danny must make a decision at the deadline.. Either go hard for a center to compete with this core or break the team up. Keeping things as they are now isnt going to be that constructive come playoff time. If we're not going for a chip we may aswell get some young kids and stack some draft picks and start fresh. As painful as that is to say.

[CelticsFanNC]

  The Celtic's are going through an identity crisis.

  Their best player and some of the younger guys thrive in the open court.  The older guys don't like to run and prefer to play in the half court.

  The older guys are too old to carry a team like they could a couple of years ago.

[chambers]

Kg is important, but Wilcox more than made up for KG's absence.
Ray and Paul were no where to be seen, partly because Rondo got out on the fast break so often- and he took jumpers that he would often avoid by taking an extra dribble and finding Paul or Ray.
They will probably adjust and let Rondo continue this style of play.
It will be interesting to see if Doc continues to push Rondo to be aggressive or whether he tries to get Ray and Paul going earlier.
Hopefully they find a balance.
Our free throw shooting was terrible as well- we will have to get used to losing games via the free throw line if we are going to see Wilcox and Rondo dominating on offense like this.
19 of 32 lol.
Just a heinous night.

[pjbigshow]

Danny must make a decision at the deadline.. Either go hard for a center to compete with this core or break the team up. Keeping things as they are now isnt going to be that constructive come playoff time. If we're not going for a chip we may aswell get some young kids and stack some draft picks and start fresh. As painful as that is to say.

Couldn't agree more... This team has a major identity crisis right now and it's just not working. Danny has a tough decision on his hands. You either let Rondo be the man and run and gun a la Mike D'Antoni's Phoenix Suns or you give the grizzled veterans one last go.

Either way, as constituted, I think this team has no shot. When Rondo goes off he looks great but u can't have Paul Pierce and Ray Allen standing there like 2 stooges only taking a combined 11 shots in three quarters... No point of having those guys on the team then.

Rondo and Paul are our two best players but neither is effective unless they are able to get in a rhythm and that's exactly what's going on. No point of playin 4 on 5 all game, Danny is gonna have to make a tough decision next month and I am the last person alive that would want to be in his shoes. He's gone gray but after this season he might go bald too.

[SHAQATTACK]

If ROndo wants to score on short runners and fast break , layups penetration ect, that cool, but !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That means your going to get FOULED ALOT and not being able to hit fould shots is TOTALLY out of orderfor a guard in the NBA.

Its normal the big guys can be poor shooters, but a 6' tall guard HAS to ba able to be a 85% + shooter of freethrows in the NBA ......

The three point play is NONE exisistant with Rondo, he can't make the bonus freakin shot. 

He can make spectacular plays , whichs helps during the middle or early part of the game when its not on the line.

The MUST make easy jumpers and foul shots KILL Rondo and the team.

This is why DA wanted to trade him for CP3

[GreenFaith1819]

Riddle me this, Batman:



Do the Spurs Fanbase call Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili "Old"....?

The Spurs' two most important players are not called old as often as we (and ESPN) call ours old.

We are struggling just as much as the Lakers, MEM, PHI, Indy are - except that LA has been rather healthy so far.

Wait for the pandemonium if Kobe or Gasol gets hurt, God forbid.

MEM is hovering right around 500, due to Zach being out.

Indy is struggling, and will continue to do so for a bit, since Granger hurt his ankle.

PHI can't seem to keep Hawes healthy.

ATL lost Horford for the year.

CHI? DRose struggling with back issues, and haven't had Rip healthy in a while.

Clips just lost perhaps their most important player - yes - Chauncey Billups. Lobs make Sportscenter, but let's see who steps up and replaces Chauncey's vet leadership.

Spurs? Yes - they are tearing up the regular season...but does anyone here think that they will get by MEM in the playoffs this time? I don't. I see Zach and Marc eating the Spur's bigs lunches again, and Tony Allen getting into Manu's head again.

All things considered, we've been rather fortunate. As long as we get everyone back clicking by March, I'm happy.

We aren't as bad off as some think we are, and I'm really loving our bench.

[CelticG1]

They're old and the schedule is condensed, so their energy level is understandably inconsistent.

The lineups have been very inconsistent due to injuries.

The team generally relies on jumpshots, meaning they're vulnerable to hot streaks and cold streaks . . . especially in the 4th quarter, when the old legs get tired.

Being a poor rebounding team means it's easier for opponents to make comebacks, and there are fewer second chance points to make up for mistakes and misses.


Certainly doesn't help that the production from the center spot is generally very weak.  JO is almost entirely a one-way player now.

All of this stuff except for your last point is pretty much the explanation of the big 3 era. Weve always been old, bad rebounding, trouble offensively in the 4th, injuries etc.

Duo people really not remember  this? To take it one step further had this not been pretty identical to  those Celtics teams especially if you look at the team from Christmas on? Do people forget about that 2 month stretch where ray was in trade rumors and he played like one of the worst players in the NBA?

Its the same Celtics every year thats why I'm not jumping off a bridge because of this team. People say that the big 3 are older (everyones reasoning for us not having a chance) but our players are playing like they always have, or coach is coaching like he always has, and our defense is what its always been

[Marcus13]

The Big Three get theres from plays off Rondo and last night Rondo wasn't playing Point Guard.  Pretty simple.

[Celtics4ever]

Not even.  We allowed them to score 98 points.   We don't win many when the other team scores 100 or so points.

PP was 3-11.  RA was 1-5.   Shots were there they were just not hitting them.   This was not on Rondo.  He was 15-27 last night with 2 TOs and six assists.

[Q_FBE]

They got screwed by the NBA deciding to come back and play a compressed schedule when our aging core was fully expecting to miss the season and then force Danny's hand at rebuilding. Results like last night make this decision on where to go pretty clear. The only way a trade does not happen is if Danny cannot find one he can live with. This is simply not a happy place to be right now. Lose the next five on the road by double digits and you can expect a lot of changes in March. They will not be good changes, either.

[Marcus13]

Not even.  We allowed them to score 98 points.   We don't win many when the other team scores 100 or so points.

PP was 3-11.  RA was 1-5.   Shots were there they were just not hitting them.   This was not on Rondo.  He was 15-27 last night with 2 TOs and six assists.

And that's the issue.  Rondo let our two best scorers on the team to get off a total of 16 shots.  Completely unacceptable

[BballTim]

Not even.  We allowed them to score 98 points.   We don't win many when the other team scores 100 or so points.

PP was 3-11.  RA was 1-5.   Shots were there they were just not hitting them.   This was not on Rondo.  He was 15-27 last night with 2 TOs and six assists.

And that's the issue.  Rondo let our two best scorers on the team to get off a total of 16 shots.  Completely unacceptable

  Rondo didn't stop those guys from getting shots. Who had the ball on the perimeter all the times that Rondo was posting up? Mainly Paul and Ray.

[Chris]

The C's held their own against the Lakers (who played well in that game, and were a tough matchup up front), beat the Bulls, and fell for two classic trap games. 

Honestly, that is pretty par for the course for a team like the C's.  It might end up biting them in the butt, but they are focussed on cruising into the playoffs, and they will always take off games here and there...particulately the veterans like Pierce and Ray.

It is not a good thing, and in the compressed season with a killer late season run, it could end up fatal to their playoff chances.  But I think that is all that is going on here. 

Last night was not a sign that this team has lost anything, all it showed is that they have not changed the attitude they have had for the last 3 or so years, and that many of the other veteran teams in the league have as well. 

[vinnie]

The C's held their own against the Lakers (who played well in that game, and were a tough matchup up front), beat the Bulls, and fell for two classic trap games. 

Honestly, that is pretty par for the course for a team like the C's.  It might end up biting them in the butt, but they are focussed on cruising into the playoffs, and they will always take off games here and there...particulately the veterans like Pierce and Ray.

It is not a good thing, and in the compressed season with a killer late season run, it could end up fatal to their playoff chances.  But I think that is all that is going on here. 

Last night was not a sign that this team has lost anything, all it showed is that they have not changed the attitude they have had for the last 3 or so years, and that many of the other veteran teams in the league have as well. 

But, those other veteran teams you cite seem to be able to win more games than the Celtics if they are, as you say, mainly cruising to the playoffs. Look at San Antonio. Look at the Lakers, who might have the worst bench in the NBA. Look at Miami, also a veteran team. This explanation does not fly anymore. This team is done and is not a real contender for the championship. If Danny can find some good deals, he should do them this year. If not, let it play out, and let the demolition begin this offseason.