This team no longer looks "Old and Slow"

[clover]

I think its more on Rondo than Ray. Rondo has been playing great the past 10 games or so. If ray comes back and Rondo plays like this we will be extremely dangerous. If he comes back and just watches Ray run around and around I just think that's on Rondo.

Having AB run with or ahead of him is helping Rondo play better on offense, and his defense is helping him too.

[CelticG1]

I think its more on Rondo than Ray. Rondo has been playing great the past 10 games or so. If ray comes back and Rondo plays like this we will be extremely dangerous. If he comes back and just watches Ray run around and around I just think that's on Rondo.

  When Ray's running around other players are setting picks for him to get free. It's hard to run one play when 3 players on the court are busy running another.

Well its on Doc and Rondo. I know Ray isn't calling these plays and I think Rondo and Doc are at the very least split on calling plays.

Not to mention people make it sound like this is literally all that happens when Ray is in the game when in reality its probably 2-3 times where we will be stagnant because of it.

[CelticsFanNC]

  I was a big doubter of this team earlier in the season.  I still don't know if they can get out of the 2nd round but I have liked what I am seeing lately.

  Earlier in the year when we were starting JO, KG, RA, PP and Rondo we looked old and slow.  They were getting the bulk of the minutes.  Many of the doubters here like myself were hoping for a better mix of veteran experience and youthful energy.  Due to injuries we got it.  

  Now we don't look so old.  KG looks revitalized play the 5 against starting 5's and playing the 4 mostly against reserve 4's.  Pierce got his legs back and and is back to being Paul Pierce.

  The biggest change though is that we are now quicker to loose balls, we are getting easy baskets, not turning it over as much and our defense looks like it is back to championship form.  Rondo has some young legs to run with and we're not stuck playing in quicksand most of the game.  Easy baskets on a team that plays this kind of defense are huge IMO.  We were't getting many earlier in the season but we are now.

  I still have my doubts about them truly being a title contender but I am a lot more optimistic now.   The injection of youth to our championship pedigree seems to be working.  This week is going to tell us a lot.

[cman88]

The key is having 3 guys n their 20s in the starting lineup instead of 4 30 year olds.

I hope doc makes ray a "super 6th man" when he comes baxk. Starting out with bradley will get us starting with stops.

A lot of times too woth the first unit ray doesn't get the touches he deserves because of the rest of the offensive talent...he would be the star of the bench..there's nothing wrong with having the better player come off the bench...see harden, terry, ginobli

[OsirusCeltics]

The only reason I don't hate Jermaine O'neal so much is that his birthday is the same as Pierce and Doc.. i still won't rule out that he can help the Celitcs deep in the playoffs in a reduced roll

I think the 3 main reasons Celtics are doing good
1. KG starting at Center
2. Avery Bradley starting in the backcourt with Rondo
3. Rondo trusting his teammates instead of being an oppurtunist

[Marcus13]

Yeah, it's been a nice little stretch.  Buut it's eerily similar to when Pierce got hurt when Rondo was out early in the season.  It's going to fade fast

[Fafnir]

Yeah, it's been a nice little stretch.  Buut it's eerily similar to when Pierce got hurt when Rondo was out early in the season.  It's going to fade fast

15-5 isn't a little stretch, that's nearly 1/3 the season.

It could very well fade away as the schedule gets tough the next three weeks, but that doesn't mean it hasn't been an impressive.

[apc]

whatever it is, it’s working, so I hope Doc doesn’t change anything.
unfortunately, I will be very surprised if Doc doesn’t start Ray as soon as he is healthy.

[Marcus13]

Yeah, it's been a nice little stretch.  Buut it's eerily similar to when Pierce got hot when Rondo was out early in the season.  It's going to fade fast

15-5 isn't a little stretch, that's nearly 1/3 the season.

It could very well fade away as the schedule gets tough the next three weeks, but that doesn't mean it hasn't been an impressive.

True.  It looked like most were referring to since Ray went down, though

[BballTim]

Yeah, it's been a nice little stretch.  Buut it's eerily similar to when Pierce got hurt when Rondo was out early in the season.  It's going to fade fast

15-5 isn't a little stretch, that's nearly 1/3 the season.

It could very well fade away as the schedule gets tough the next three weeks, but that doesn't mean it hasn't been an impressive.

  I'd guess that, since our 4-8 start, our 26-14 is probably no worse than 5th best in the league. That's half a regular season.

[j804]

whatever it is, it’s working, so I hope Doc doesn’t change anything.
unfortunately, I will be very surprised if Doc doesn’t start Ray as soon as he is healthy.

Ray is playing SA tomorrow says Doc look for him to throw him back in the starting lineup 

[SHAQATTACK]

whatever it is, it’s working, so I hope Doc doesn’t change anything.
unfortunately, I will be very surprised if Doc doesn’t start Ray as soon as he is healthy.

Ray is playing SA tomorrow says Doc look for him to throw him back in the starting lineup 

I sure hope not...AB deserves the node and can guard Tony ,  Ray is too old , slow and sore to be starting against this team.

[rayallen1934]

There still slow

there just not DUMB and STUPID like they were

[j804]

health

kg is beating centers with speed
avery is the first guy to keep up with rondo on breaks (while he is dribbling)
pp seems to be in full swing, love his extra rebounding lately, its a huge thing for team
bass is healthy
rondo has been playing at high level and cut turnovers

if this team danny assembled stayed healthy who knows how many titles

agree on ray in corner waiting for ball and/or running around picks - doc either needs to implement some different plays for ray or maybe have ray off the bench
in no way is bradley anywhere near the player ray is but our team has a new look, the defense rondo & bradley can put on opposing backcourts is great and oh yeah our first wing guy off the bench is one of the greatest 3 pt shooters ever

ray & mp healthy for playoffs  

I agree somewhat we need to remember its not just Ray out and the starting lineup switch everybody is playing better all around. I will even throw in Steimsma who has been HUGE for us despite numbers or him fouling out whatever he gets it now and has impacted games. Dooling is healthy and playing solid now a few weeks back a non-factor.

So let's see how we look with Ray back and everybody playing well now and if the starting lineup isnt working you then ask Ray to move to the bench, that way AB and Rondo can get on the break and open up the paint to start games. I'm sure he'd understand then you got to give him his shot, we need a focused motivated Ray if we are going to make any noise.  

[Celtics18]

Jermaine O'Neal out for the year and Ray Allen sidelined with an ankle sprain has rejuvinated the way we play, KG is faster then most centers, and Bradley and Bass are both young athletic guys who speed up the way this team plays.

Bass and Bradley arent afraid to shoot, if they are open, they take it. Bradley is always trying to make himself a part of the offense and shoots whenever hes open, making wild cuts to the basket, and running the floor.

No longer are we watching team spend the full shot clock waiting for Ray to run around and come off 5-6 different screens, still not have a clear shot, and have to pass it to someone else or turn the ball over.

We no longer have to stomach watching Jermaine O'Neals rusty corpse hopping down the floor with rusty non-oiled mechanical legs, worried about which screw just came loose whenever he takes a charge, and watching his engine struggle to start on offense.

I love this new team! We havent looked old and slow since these two guys went down and Bradley and Bass stepped in to fill their shoes! It could be a blessing in disguse, and judging from the reactions of our players after each win, the team likes its newfound style of play.

Maybe we didnt need a trade, maybe we didnt need to blow it up, maybe all we had to do was mix it up. Infuse youth into our starting line up and see where it got us. So far, I like what I see, and the team looks rejuvinated and far from old and slow.

The primary reason for the recent success of this team is based on the play of our three best players, Rondo, Pierce, and Garnett.  The fact that they are all playing at all-star levels and back in a good rhythm together is why we have been playing well.

I love the way Bass, Bradley, and I'll add Stiemsma, have been playing since the all-star break, but they aren't the keys to our success.  They are our role players. 

Of course, we need our role plays to play well, but it's our top guys who need to continue to get it done if we want to have any playoff success.