I'll be the first to apologize

[thirstyboots18]

I didn't remember Danny removing Ray Allen.  I thought Ray Allen left under his own steam, for less money, to be in Miami.

[BballTim]

I will say I'm not 100% with Rondo on some things. I think any 'good' pg would at least have us at 1 win but that's something I look at management for. When's the last time we had a back up PG for reals? Dooling would be kind of useful now, don't you think?

You did not see the game, but this team is not missing Rondo, but is mising players who are able to score. Even if Rondo plays, does not change everything is PP, Terry, KG, AB and other gys will shot 20% form the field.

  No, all those guys will get better shots with Rondo running the offense, just like they normally do.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

What I think is a little overlooked here is Rondo would have made the Knicks PG's play harder on defense, tiring them up a bit.

With Avery, Lee, Terry handling the ball, there is no threat therefore they are laying low.

My opinion.

[rocknrollforyoursoul]

I have no doubt this team would be better with Rondo, especially in the postseason.

Nonetheless, what I've seen in this series and throughout most of the regular season is players simply missing lots and lots of open shots—threes, midrange, and even layups. Terry's been off all season, Lee and Bradley for good chunks of the season, Pierce has often struggled.

Doesn't matter much who your point guard is if you can't do something so basic as make open shots.

[CelticConcourse]

I apologize... for being right about Rondo and his bigest phan

I apologize... 

[Vermont Green]

I will say I'm not 100% with Rondo on some things. I think any 'good' pg would at least have us at 1 win but that's something I look at management for. When's the last time we had a back up PG for reals? Dooling would be kind of useful now, don't you think?

You did not see the game, but this team is not missing Rondo, but is mising players who are able to score. Even if Rondo plays, does not change everything is PP, Terry, KG, AB and other gys will shot 20% form the field.

  No, all those guys will get better shots with Rondo running the offense, just like they normally do.

Actually, the Celtics team averaged more assists per game without Rondo than with him, both last year when he was out and this year, up to the point where KG got injured.  Then the wheels fell off.

I don't think there is any way to be certain that Jason Terry (for example) would hit more of his open shots because the pass came from Rondo.  There certainly isn't a statistical basis for the claim.

See this is the kind of thing that takes Rondo from a good player with flaws to some sort of Urban Legend (Bill is certainly not alone in how he feels about Rondo).

[kgainez]

Also, at some point, this team needs to feature Jeff more. As I said I didn't see last night's game, so I'm not sure what happened. But we're going to need more Jeff.

Let's start from a different point; What COULDN'T use more Jeff? What has the right amount of Jeff? (I understand nothing can have 'too much' Jeff, I'm not an idiot.)

i guess, blatantly, my point was that we need to start playing like Jeff is our best player. Not our third or fourth when Rondo returns. When Rondo gets back, Jeff needs to be #2 (of course if we keep him).

I'm also concerned Doc/Danny will attempt to blame this season on injuries, etc and try to get the band together for one more (paintful) run. Think it's time to let the sentiment go.

[RJ87]

Also, at some point, this team needs to feature Jeff more. As I said I didn't see last night's game, so I'm not sure what happened. But we're going to need more Jeff.

Let's start from a different point; What COULDN'T use more Jeff? What has the right amount of Jeff? (I understand nothing can have 'too much' Jeff, I'm not an idiot.)

i guess, blatantly, my point was that we need to start playing like Jeff is our best player. Not our third or fourth when Rondo returns. When Rondo gets back, Jeff needs to be #2 (of course if we keep him).

I'm also concerned Doc/Danny will attempt to blame this season on injuries, etc and try to get the band together for one more (paintful) run. Think it's time to let the sentiment go.

This offseason Jeff needa to work on his offensive game if that's gonna be successful. If he could go to his left, I'd he happy camper. A pull up jumper and I'd be over the moon.

[LarBrd33]

In 2008 we had a top 5 player (KG) and two guys in the top 30 (Pierce and Ray)...  These days Ray is gone, Pierce and KG are washed up (not even in the top 50) and Rondo is at most a top 40 player (top 10 point guard).

Those desperately seeking scapegoats are just going to bum themselves out further next year in the Post-KG era when Rondo returns and this team is still Lotto-bound.  Do yourself a favor and prepare for the long Winter.  Andrew Wiggins or Bust. 

[bobbyv]

In 2008 we had a top 5 player (KG) and two guys in the top 30 (Pierce and Ray)...  These days Ray is gone, Pierce and KG are washed up (not even in the top 50) and Rondo is at most a top 40 player (top 10 point guard).

Those desperately seeking scapegoats are just going to bum themselves out further next year in the Post-KG era when Rondo returns and this team is still Lotto-bound.  Do yourself a favor and prepare for the long Winter.  Andrew Wiggins or Bust.

I guess bust, because the chance of getting Wiggins is slim to none.

[BballTim]

I will say I'm not 100% with Rondo on some things. I think any 'good' pg would at least have us at 1 win but that's something I look at management for. When's the last time we had a back up PG for reals? Dooling would be kind of useful now, don't you think?

You did not see the game, but this team is not missing Rondo, but is mising players who are able to score. Even if Rondo plays, does not change everything is PP, Terry, KG, AB and other gys will shot 20% form the field.

  No, all those guys will get better shots with Rondo running the offense, just like they normally do.

Actually, the Celtics team averaged more assists per game without Rondo than with him, both last year when he was out and this year, up to the point where KG got injured.  Then the wheels fell off.

I don't think there is any way to be certain that Jason Terry (for example) would hit more of his open shots because the pass came from Rondo.  There certainly isn't a statistical basis for the claim.

See this is the kind of thing that takes Rondo from a good player with flaws to some sort of Urban Legend (Bill is certainly not alone in how he feels about Rondo).

  Honestly, you should go back and re-watch last year's playoffs when we were going up against top defenses every night and compare the easy shots we were getting off of Rondo's passes to the more difficult shots we're getting against a mediocre defensive team now. The difference is significant.

  I realize that people were too caught up in the team's resurgence during the regular season to heed the warnings that it wouldn't hold up in the playoffs coming from the Celts and (ahem) some of the posters. The team went with more of a transition game when Rondo went out in order to avoid having to try and execute a half court offense. It was clearly a band-aid approach that wasn't going to work well in the playoffs when the pace of the game slows down and teams actually hustle back on defense.

[BballTim]

In 2008 we had a top 5 player (KG) and two guys in the top 30 (Pierce and Ray)...  These days Ray is gone, Pierce and KG are washed up (not even in the top 50) and Rondo is at most a top 40 player (top 10 point guard).

  It's fascinating how KG and PP go from looking pretty good getting to the finals 2010 to looking like they need to be put out to pasture against the Heat in 2011 (*when Rondo was injured*) to looking good getting to the ecf last year to looking washed up against the Knicks this year (*when Rondo was injured*). There's a pattern there that you're having trouble putting your finger on, keep looking and you'll figure it out eventually.

[Moranis]

I have no doubt this team would be better with Rondo, especially in the postseason.

Nonetheless, what I've seen in this series and throughout most of the regular season is players simply missing lots and lots of open shots—threes, midrange, and even layups. Terry's been off all season, Lee and Bradley for good chunks of the season, Pierce has often struggled.

Doesn't matter much who your point guard is if you can't do something so basic as make open shots.

Jason Terry was basically the exact same player this year that he was last year.  In fact, he has basically been the same player the last 4 years or so, he just had less shots, but was hitting almost an identical percentage of them. 

Courtney Lee, basically the same player as well.  So was Bass.  Pierce was also pretty much what he was last year this year.  Green actually had his most efficient or second most efficient season in his career.  Garnett faded a bit this year, but that just matches his trend of the last 4 years.

In other words, Boston's players performed exactly like they should have.  they just aren't very good, especially without Rondo.  I've said it before and I really think this is true, last year was a fluke that blinded the fan base into thinking Boston was better than it was.  I think if Horford was healthy last year, the Hawks might have beaten Boston in the first round, and certainly if Rose was healthy, Boston would have lost to Chicago in the second.  The Celtics just aren't that good.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Doc has gone completely away from what was working when Rondo went down. And it starts with defense. He's not putting our best defensive players on the floor, we're not moving the ball instead of relying on playing through KG who's missing a crapload of shots, and passing it to Pierce who's ball stopping.

His rotations are out of whack, he never settled on one for the full season.

Doc ill prepared us for the playoffs, and it's a complete shame. What a waste.

[ItStaysYang]

Doc has gone completely away from what was working when Rondo went down. And it starts with defense. He's not putting our best defensive players on the floor, we're not moving the ball instead of relying on playing through KG who's missing a crapload of shots, and passing it to Pierce who's ball stopping.

His rotations are out of whack, he never settled on one for the full season.

Doc ill prepared us for the playoffs, and it's a complete shame. What a waste.

That, or he is coaching a bunch of walking injuries and/or scrubs... Get with it please