If anyone believes the Celtics won't bring it game 3, think again.

[thestackshow]

Celtics play better on the road.

[Potapenko Boxout]

I think we will win both games in Philly.

I atee with you. Tody was a case of circus shots falling for Philly. I bet it wouldn't happen again.

late night drinking post?

[hpantazo]

I think we will win both games in Philly.

I atee with you. Tody was a case of circus shots falling for Philly. I bet it wouldn't happen again.

late night drinking post?

I also think we will win both games in Phili. That's just how this celtics team operates.

[ianboyextreme]

I don't need to say much, but the Celtics realize that they really let this one get away from them today. I say they go into Philly and take both. Remember I said this.

Unfortunately that is not the point.  We are playing our starting SF almost 38 minutes a game and this is what we are getting from him:

PER: 17.10  Rank: 47th

Our starting PF is getting 30 minutes and is giving us this:

PER: 10.75  Rank: 107th  Value Added: -2.7

Here is what we are getting at the SG:

Bradley -  25 Minutes, PER: 8.16  Rank: 128th  Value Added: -7.0

Ray - 30 Minutes, PER: 16.12  Rank: 51st 

Remember that the average NBA player has a PER of 15.  By my rough calculations, that is a (weighted) average of PER = 13.3 for those 4 players.

Getting those numbers from our starting SGs, SF and PF, who are combined taking up 53% of the entire team's minutes, just isn't going to cut it. 

Our backup for Pierce (Pietrus) ranks almost last in PER these playoffs, and we don't really have a backup PF. Hollins and Stiesma are both in the bottom ranks of PER.  The only bench player we have at the PER average is Dooling.

So it really isn't a matter of bringing it.  Our team, as a whole, is not performing well right now, including the Atlanta series.  Everyone besides KG and Rondo are playing like average to below average NBA players. 

So either our two superstars (KG and Rondo) carry us in Games 3 and 4, or someone in the above group changes course and does something for us.  I think it has to be a combination of players slightly upping their game.  The only ones who can really turn it around for us are Bass and Bradley, who are playing 3-4 points below their regular season PERs.  Pierces is 2 points lower, but I don't think he can raise his game with the knee problem.

We need to play to our capabilities or we will lose this series. 

sounding like someone who just discovered PER and is now looking at every players PER to see who has the highest. PER is not a god stat. Especially for pass first players.

[Jon]

Plain and simple, the problem is missed shots.  The thing that kills me is that the Celtics, for the most part, are getting the looks they want.  They just aren't hitting the shots. 

Now a Sixers fan might argue the same about the Sixers; however, the Sixers don't shoot as well as the Celtics and I feel that they've had fewer open jumpers. 

If the C's had hit shots like they usually do, they could've won both of these games by double figures.

So the good news is that it's not anything that Philly is doing to us.  The bad news is that with PP's knee and Ray's ankles, they might not actually start hitting those shots. 

[Celtics4ever]

I hope it snaps us out of it.

[Redz]

C's shoulda lost by 15+ tonight.  That was one of the ugliest offensive performances i've ever been forced to witness.

The 6ers won by 1.

This series is still over in 5, maybe 6.  I'm going to go ahead and jump in with Kane.  Celtics take 2 in Phili.

funny I was thinking we should have won by 15

[CeltsAcumen]

I totally believe the Celtics bring it in game 3. 

IMPO, I believe the Celtics want the Miami Heat one more time to stick to them and prove once and for all who is the real "BIG 3."

Age and injury might hold them back, but desire, passion and determination will be great assets.

[apc]

C's shoulda lost by 15+ tonight.  That was one of the ugliest offensive performances i've ever been forced to witness.

The 6ers won by 1.

This series is still over in 5, maybe 6.  I'm going to go ahead and jump in with Kane.  Celtics take 2 in Phili.

funny I was thinking we should have won by 15

Both teams missed tons of wide open shots.
Could have gone either way.

[hpantazo]

C's shoulda lost by 15+ tonight.  That was one of the ugliest offensive performances i've ever been forced to witness.

The 6ers won by 1.

This series is still over in 5, maybe 6.  I'm going to go ahead and jump in with Kane.  Celtics take 2 in Phili.

funny I was thinking we should have won by 15

Both teams missed tons of wide open shots.
Could have gone either way.

as Sheed would say, "both teams played hard"

[Senninsage]

Those stats are meaningless right now. We know what this Celtics team can do. We've seen them do it for most of the second half of this season. That's all that matters. People tend to overreact from a loss, but stop expecting this team to be perfect. They aren't perfect and will never be perfect.

[thestackshow]

As long as Brandon Bass isnt bricking wide open jumpshots and Ray Allen isnt brick threes off of the side of the backboard I like our chances.

[Neurotic Guy]

Here is a nonsense post as this will never happen:

I think if the C's win Game 3 Doc should rest Pierce for Game 4 giving him 5 days rest.  And, if the C's win Game 4 Doc should consider continuing to rest him.   C's have no chance after this series without a healthy Pierce.

[Surferdad]

Here is a nonsense post as this will never happen:

I think if the C's win Game 3 Doc should rest Pierce for Game 4 giving him 5 days rest.  And, if the C's win Game 4 Doc should consider continuing to rest him.   C's have no chance after this series without a healthy Pierce.

Actually C"'s have no chance in THIS series without Pierce.

[mctyson]

I don't need to say much, but the Celtics realize that they really let this one get away from them today. I say they go into Philly and take both. Remember I said this.

Unfortunately that is not the point.  We are playing our starting SF almost 38 minutes a game and this is what we are getting from him:

PER: 17.10  Rank: 47th

Our starting PF is getting 30 minutes and is giving us this:

PER: 10.75  Rank: 107th  Value Added: -2.7

Here is what we are getting at the SG:

Bradley -  25 Minutes, PER: 8.16  Rank: 128th  Value Added: -7.0

Ray - 30 Minutes, PER: 16.12  Rank: 51st 

Remember that the average NBA player has a PER of 15.  By my rough calculations, that is a (weighted) average of PER = 13.3 for those 4 players.

Getting those numbers from our starting SGs, SF and PF, who are combined taking up 53% of the entire team's minutes, just isn't going to cut it. 

Our backup for Pierce (Pietrus) ranks almost last in PER these playoffs, and we don't really have a backup PF. Hollins and Stiesma are both in the bottom ranks of PER.  The only bench player we have at the PER average is Dooling.

So it really isn't a matter of bringing it.  Our team, as a whole, is not performing well right now, including the Atlanta series.  Everyone besides KG and Rondo are playing like average to below average NBA players. 

So either our two superstars (KG and Rondo) carry us in Games 3 and 4, or someone in the above group changes course and does something for us.  I think it has to be a combination of players slightly upping their game.  The only ones who can really turn it around for us are Bass and Bradley, who are playing 3-4 points below their regular season PERs.  Pierces is 2 points lower, but I don't think he can raise his game with the knee problem.

We need to play to our capabilities or we will lose this series. 

sounding like someone who just discovered PER and is now looking at every players PER to see who has the highest. PER is not a god stat. Especially for pass first players.

sounding like someone without an actual argument for why we shouldn't trust the only quantitative measure we have to compare the play of individuals to the field

there are plenty of problems with PER, or any stat, but there are plenty of good things about it too.  the fact is that it is applied the same to everyone.

and the facts are that three of our starters are playing well below their regular season levels.  that is not going to cut it.