Believe it or not, I'm now extremely hopeful

[Senninsage]

I was originally ready to type up the most negative, most angry "I'm p---ed off with this team" rant ever, but I like what I see at the end of this game, even with our mistakes.

You know, I really do believe that Avery Bradley, as crazy as that sounds, should be this team's starting point guard. He's no scorer (but then neither really is rondo, but his speed and explosiveness and threat of an obviously superior mid-range shot compared to rondo's, I think gives this team just the unexpected edge that we need. It's those stupid turnovers that killed us this game. It's the fouling the guy while he's taking a 3 pointer in the 1st quarter, when we were clearly up by quite a bit. It's the lazy pass, when we clearly see that the pass isn't going to be safe stuff that killed us tonight.

I'm actually hopeful about the rest of the season after this. Very hopeful. Celtics, I can see, learned some tough lessons in this game. What is one of those tough lessons? Don't be afraid to take and miss shots that are within your ability to make. Don't be afraid to take the offensive gamble, or take it inside on the shot blocker, knowing full well your shot may get sent right back. I like what I see, and I think this unbelievably blind faith will be vindicated with what the Celtics do in the rest of the season.

[Chief]

Fools gold.

[Senninsage]

I hate you. I was trying to see the glass as half full, but now the glass is broken. It's broken, you happy!? 

[ReadyFor17]

It looked to me like OKC stopped trying after getting the huge lead, then easily pulling away after they started caring again. The Celtics basically have to play perfect basketball to beat any good team.

Bradley was good though...visibly better than Dooling on both ends. I'd actually like to seem him be more aggressive on offense, but I don't know if his handle is really ready for that yet. Great move for the dunk tonight.

[Chief]

I hate you. I was trying to see the glass as half full, but now the glass is broken. It's broken, you happy!? 

How about this, I'll give you a TP for your optimism.

[Senninsage]

That did the trick, alright.  

Everything is all good now. But, you know, I see strong signs that this team can compete. We just need to play within our capability. We can't try and play like some of these other teams. It doesn't work for us. I see the Celtics trying a lot of things out on the court, knowing full well that our guys just aren't spry or athletic enough to get away with it.

When a bad pass is made, or a nonchalant pass is made, our guys just do not have the legs or the kind of speed or flexibility to make sure we hold onto it. Celtics, if they don't mentally beat themselves in the first quarter, actually win this game. I fully believe that.

[SHAQATTACK]

Celtics have to play perfect basketball to win against a good team or play them even., becasue the big three just aren't good enought to take over a game and force their will on other players like they could 5 years ago.  They simply can't play extended periods at the next level that seperates a average NBA player from a superstar .

The Lakers fans are all in knot over on their blog....Kobe can still "Turn it on " and take over a game. But, they know the clock is ticking on that ,and they are in a panic to get DH and D Will BEFORE Kobe has that giant backslide that is creeping up on him too. 

[greenlion]

don't get me wrong, i am very hopeful too myself, but still i am keeping it real...and reality is we are struggling so badly..hopefully we can regroup just in time for the playoffs..

[gpap]

I am also hopeful. I am actually extremely hopeful...that tomorrow I will save 50% on my car insurance by switching to Geico.

[letsgoblue86]

So you are implying that you would like to trade Rondo?

[PosImpos]

I think if Rondo is traded, either this season or over the summer, Avery could be a capable starting point guard, at least. 

I think if he were handed the keys to the offense of a rebuilding team lacking scoring options, he might even be able to average 12-15 points a night.  His ideal role is probably always going to be as a utility combo-guard off the bench, though.

[steve]

I think if Rondo is traded, either this season or over the summer, Avery could be a capable starting point guard, at least. 

I think if he were handed the keys to the offense of a rebuilding team lacking scoring options, he might even be able to average 12-15 points a night.  His ideal role is probably always going to be as a utility combo-guard off the bench, though.

other than the fact that he can't dribble and pass I totally agree that he could be a starting point guard.

[ozman]

there's definitely some hope but c'mon man rondo is our best player still a top 5 pg(despite the lack of support on this blog) it's not like u have to trade/bench rondo just because Avery's playing well. after watching the okc game I have more confidence in Bradley as our back up guard.

Notice I say guard because I feel he should be getting minutes at the 2. I keep reading that his not tall enough to guard bigger shooting guards but he is ELITE at staying in front of his man and contests every shot. even when guarding 6'10 Durant I thought he did a good job contesting. Hes no worse at defending the post as ray Allen. he could definitely be tony Allen.

what we lack is rebounding but I don't think there's a way to address that without creating another hole, or sacrificing our cap space.

[LeoMoreno]

In 2010 when everyone was saying we're done for, I kept being optimistic and saying we're still the team to beat. Eventually, refs beat us in that game 7, but whatever, we were the best team out there, even though we kept losing to Clipperrs with Baron Davis scoring from half court for the win, losing 11 games with 20+ points advantage, etc. This year seems a bit different.

Pierce looks uninterested just like back then, KG looks like he's struggling, not with his play, but himself, he looks like he's battling his age and trying to remind everyone who he WAS. In 2010, KG was one of the reasons we lost, as he spent the year trying to get into rhythm for the playoffs (I feared to say this 2 years ago) and never found it. I don't know if this is better or worse.
Ray... Man, every time i think Ray is one hell of a smart player, he does everything to prove me wrong, which usually consists of disappearing for 20 games. Not Jeff Green disappearing, more like Bill Russell disappearing. He'll show up on the court once a month and just as you think of trying to sit closer to him the next time, he just doesn't show up for 2 months. I haven't a clue if Ray is good or not. No one does, right now. The big three is automatically dead (or the idea of their existence).

We got good bench. It looks like Doc said to himself: Okay, we're not a top 3 team, but we don't need to be, I'll just mess around with the team to see what we've got. And he's doing good, he's finding errors and mistakes, getting to know  the new players. The only problem is, it's not going on as he wanted it to go. First time in 4 years we have more than 1 Center, we got 5 of them (KG was moved to 5 this year, with Bass taking over the four, and even BB played 5 at some occasions) and we have to start Stiemsma. Really? But ok, 2010 again, injuries, nothing else.

There's a reason why Bradley will never be a starter on this team as long as we have Rondo: RR and PP are the only players who go to the basket, and Pierce looks uninterested (frankly, he has been uninterested in playing regular seasons for 4 years now). Okay, we're a shooting team. We do the extra extra, bonus extra pass. Bradley's not a great shooter, better than Rondo (is he? Really?) for sure. But we need Rondo to create either room for himself or for others. Bradley gives the ball to Pierce who'd stare at the clock for 20 seconds and try shooting from 25 feet over Dwight carrying Yao Ming and Shaq on his shoulders rather than moving it.


Yeah, this team can do a lot, if all the pieces are fit together for 16 games in the post-season. I'm just not sure they want to. They aren't that hungry, no matter how much the big three say the second championship would mean it wasn't a coincidence. We can only hope...

[FallGuy]

I think if Rondo is traded, either this season or over the summer, Avery could be a capable starting point guard, at least. 

I think if he were handed the keys to the offense of a rebuilding team lacking scoring options, he might even be able to average 12-15 points a night.  His ideal role is probably always going to be as a utility combo-guard off the bench, though.

other than the fact that he can't dribble and pass I totally agree that he could be a starting point guard.

Agreed. He's a year away at absolute minimum.