I know I'm often one of the most out-spoken "realists" (a.k.a. 'pessimists') around here, so I wanted to do a write-up, both for myself and for everybody else, to acknowledge and honor all of the good things we can take away from this season.
I'm aware this is long -- there's a TL;DR at the end if you want to skip. But please read if you have time!
1. I like watching Jeff Green.
From his smooth corner threes to his long, loping strides to the basket, Jeff Green has been a pleasure to watch this season, particularly in the latter half. Like many Celtics fans, I had a complicated relationship with Jeff Green. He came to town in a trade that involved one of my favorite Celtics (no, not Nate Robinson). He has been maddeningly inconsistent and seemingly lost or just passive and lacking in intensity for much of his time in Boston. But in the second half of this season, particularly after Rondo went down, Jeff stepped up and played quite well on a pretty regular basis.
Despite working his way back from heart surgery for most of the season, Jeff had in many respects his best statistical season yet, and he helped the team stay close in a lot of games in which they had no business being competitive. He even had a pretty awesome game-winner in Cleveland. He showed up in the playoffs, too – he didn’t shrink from the big stage. I feel confident having Jeff Green in Celtics green moving forward. Turns out that contract is actually kind of a bargain.
2. Pierce gave the team everything they could ask of him.
The team lacked a go-to scorer, so Pierce, at age 35, continued to assert himself as the go-to scorer. He had basically no help since Jason Terry was a bust until Game 4 of the playoffs, and Kevin Garnett is notoriously uninterested in being a go-to option late in close games. Pierce soldiered on.
The team had a horrible lack of rebounding outside of rookie Jared Sullinger, who was very foul prone especially to begin the season, so Pierce, a 6’7’’ small forward who was drafted in 1998, had one of the best rebounding seasons of his career in 2013.
Rondo went down, and for a while the team managed to keep scoring by sharing the ball and using a committee approach to the point guard position. Then other teams got wise and started pressuring the Celtics’ “ball-handlers.” Pierce stepped up and became a point forward for perhaps the first time in his career, recording multiple triple-doubles over the second half of the season.
Avery Bradley, Courtney Lee, and Jeff Green – tagged as young, athletic defenders with decent size for their respective positions – struggled for long stretches in the regular season on defense, whether because of injuries, lack of confidence, fouls, or both. Pierce stepped up and took on the task of defending the other team’s best wing player, and succeeded at it. Pierce had an amazing season. He wasn’t selected to the All-Star team for the first time in a very long time, though he probably deserved it more than his teammate Kevin Garnett. If this is indeed the last season that Pierce plays in a Celtics uniform, he sealed his legacy more than admirably.
3. Jared Sullinger looked promising
It’s really not Jared’s fault, but maybe the highlight of his season came on Christmas day against Brooklyn. Jared was one of the key reasons that the Celtics won that game, despite the fact that up to that point in the season the Celtics had looked like a very disjointed and uninspired bunch. You couldn’t even call them a team. In the midst of that, Sullinger just hustled, fought for rebounds, made the most of his opportunities, and set a good example for the other young guys -- even though he was the youngest guy on the team.
Sullinger showed throughout his time playing this season that he is a very hard worker, a “hard hat” kind of guy who likes to do work down low. He’s also a willing passer, a decent shooter (he’ll get more opportunities to show off that part of his game as his career advances, to be sure), and above all, a very nice rebounder. He was probably the best rebounder on the team when he was healthy and on the floor.
The main issue he ran into was foul trouble, but that was mostly just refs not giving him the benefit of the doubt on 50-50 calls since he was a rookie. He’ll outgrow that problem. The hope here is that the back issue that ended his season (and caused him to fall to the Celtics in the draft in the first place) doesn’t cause more issues in the future. Jared may never be an All-Star, but he looks like he could be sort of a combination of the best qualities of Glen Davis and Leon Powe – that’s high praise. Sullinger projects to be the starting power forward of the future for the Celtics, and that should make every Celtics fan happy.
4. Bradley had an obvious impact on the team's defense
The Celtics didn’t play with their trademark defensive prowess and intensity through much of the first third or so of the season. They struggled through their early season schedule and were utterly unremarkable, falling far short of the lofty expectations set by the off-season roster moves and talk of another 3 year run of contending for titles. In January, there was news that Avery Bradley was finally coming back from double-shoulder surgery that he had over the summer. Some people suggested that Avery’s return might jump start the Celtics’ defense, that he was the missing peace that would “save” the Celtics season.
Many, including myself, were extremely skeptical of that and derided the very notion that Avery, a very capable role player but a role player nonetheless, could completely alter the trajectory of the Celtics’ season. Well, as it turns out, he couldn’t. But it was apparent as soon as Bradley returned that the team was just completely different. This was especially true with Avery on the floor, but even teammates like Courtney Lee and Jason Terry, who had seemed fairly lackadaisical defensively before, attacked opposing ball-handlers with new found vigor once Avery was suited up to play. Nobody on this Celtics team had that kind of intangible, aura-like effect on the team defense other than Kevin Garnett.
Bradley had his struggles this season, and was especially cringe-worthy on offense in the playoffs, but as the near-comeback in Game 6, fueled in large part by Avery’s tenacity on the ball, shows, he is a very valuable player who can change the entire dynamic of a game with his energy and presence. Hopefully he can turn into a decent and consistent offensive player in the future, but even if he doesn’t, the Celtics have a valuable piece in Bradley moving forward.
5. Brandon Bass never gave up even when he struggled
Brandon Bass did not have a very good season. Truth be told, he was downright lousy at times. His shot wasn’t really falling for the first half of the season or so, at least not with any consistency, and that nightmare only got worse once Bass’s favorite assist-king, Rondo, went down for the rest of the season with a knee injury.
Nevertheless, Bass never gave up and just kept working hard, until later in the season his shot was falling again. Toward the end of the season and into the playoffs, Bass was at times the Celtics’ best player. He inexplicably kept the Celtics in games by himself at times with his shooting and under-the-basket dunks, and he played flat-out phenomenal defense on Carmelo Anthony in the first round, which is a big reason why the Celtics ever had a shot at forcing Game 7.
Whether Bass just helped rehab his value for a trade this summer (he’s still overpaid for what he is, considering where this team is at heading into a rebuild), or if he proved he’s worth keeping around as a useful role player and veteran leader to set an example for the young guys, it was really good to see Bass keep on being his hard-working, soft-spoken self all season long.
6. Shavlik Randolph gave us a new "white-towel-waver" to cheer for
When Greg Stiemsma was snatched up by the Minnesota White-wolves this off-season because he was offered a contract the Celtics literally could not match, it was sad to see him go. At the start of the 2012 season, the Celtics plucked Stiemsma out of the D-league and he was an unexpected hit, earning significant playing time at the start of the season and eventually becoming a key bench player in the end of season run and into the playoffs. He was even once compared to Bill Russell by Tommy (okay, just his timing on blocks, but still).
Perhaps saddest of all, the Celtics had lost yet another fan-favorite white-towel-waver. Darko Milicic seemed like he might be that guy this season, but he never got into the rotation and pouted and then left to take care of his mother (oh, SO Darko). Late in the season, the Celtics picked up Shavlik Randolph from China and he quickly endeared himself to a beleaguered and disillusioned fanbase by simply working his butt off every time he got onto the floor – which wasn’t nearly as often as people wanted, considering he was one of the only guys on the bench over 6’7’’.
In the tradition of Brian Scalabrine, Celtics fans like having a guy who looks a bit more like most of them than the other guys on the team who they can half-sarcastically cheer for and plead with to enter the game and take some ill-advised three pointers, or jump into the fray in the paint for some offensive rebounds (something nobody else on the team ever really does). Shav Randolph gave us that. Here’s hoping he’s back on the bench next season waving the white towel. Like Scalabrine, we know we’ll be in trouble if he’s actually playing in games, unless the other team has waved the white towel.
7. Courtnee Lee, despite his struggles, still looked like a valuable guy to have in the years ahead
Lee had a perplexing season. He came to the Celtics in a trade that only Danny Ainge and Daryl Morey could have come up with using some cap space trickery. There was an expectation that he would be a useful role player, a guy who could be a solid starter until Avery Bradley came back and then function as a super-sub, a three-and-D guy when the team needed that instead of the instant offense Jason Terry was supposed to provide. Some theorized that the idea may have been to get Lee to fill in for Bradley and then trade him at the deadline, assuming he’d still be a valuable piece on a more than reasonable 5 million per year deal at that point. Well, Lee struggled from the word go on the Celtics. For whatever reason, he couldn’t seem to function well on the floor with Rondo or Jason Terry next to him in the backcourt. His previously deadly three point shot was nowhere to be found. His defense was inconsistent. The trade deadline came around and Lee had very little trade value.
Over the course of the season – particularly once Avery Bradley came back – he found his mojo again, and even got his outside shot back enough to finish the season only slightly under his career average of 38% from deep. Still, by the time the playoffs rolled around, Lee found himself without a guaranteed grip on a spot in the rotation. He lost playing time to Jordan Crawford and Terrence Williams. That’s got to be embarrassing for a guy who once was the starting shooting guard for a team that made the Finals, and who nearly completed an amazing alley-oop game-winning lay-up on the biggest stage possible.
We enter the summer not knowing if Courtney Lee is part of this team’s future plans. The truth is they may not be able to afford him. Even at his best he’s a role player making Full MLE money and that’s a bit expensive for a team entering rebuilding with two, maybe three younger, cheaper shooting guards already on the roster, not to mention Jason Terry. If the Celtics do choose to keep him, Lee showed enough to prove that he is still a valuable young player who should be a solid contributor in this league for a number of years. It’s hard to find ball-handling, athleticism, transition-finishing, outside shooting, and defense all in one player for 5 million or less.
8. Terrence Williams and Jordan Crawford looked like inconsistent young players who could develop into useful role players
Both of these guys came to the team mid-season. They were never supposed to be part of the equation this year, but injuries happened and there were openings. Terrence Williams was once a lottery talent, now on his fourth team. Jordan Crawford once dunked on LeBron James, and then was benched in favor of whoever the Wizards play at shooting guard (who cares?). The fact is, these guys went from intriguing talents to nobodies back to being somebody’s because they joined the Celtics and worked hard and played meaningful minutes in the playoffs. Terrence Williams was one of seven players Doc trusted to help the Celtics in a must-win situation in Game 5 of the first round.
There’s hope that either or both of these guys could be useful assets going forward, perhaps securing themselves roles on the team long term. Or they could both be somewhere else next season. But it was good to see them grow and contribute to the team despite their short time here so far.
9. Led by Garnett, the team played fantastic defense once again (ranked 31 in opp efg% out of all teams since 99-00)
The Celtics were, once again, an ugly offensive team. They rely far too much on deep mid-range jumpers, they didn’t seem to make best use of the considerable offensive talent they had on the roster to start the season, they have no inside game, and their top scorers are not just on the wrong side of 30, they’re on the wrong side of 35. This only became much, much worse when their only ball-handler and league assist-leader Rondo went down for the season. No real point guard = no real NBA offense. That became especially apparent in the playoffs when they had not one, not two, but three halves scoring less than 30 points. Seriously, the offense was so bad at times it was enough to make you want to gouge your eyes out.
Despite that, the Celtics were again one of the best defensive teams in the league. That’s partly thanks to Avery Bradley, as covered above, but it’s mostly because of Kevin Garnett. Playing at age 36 with God only knows how many bumps, bruises, bone spurs and sore tendons, Garnett still managed to bark out orders, blow up pick and rolls, defend in the post and on the perimeter, and get in opposing scorers’ heads (Honey Nut Cheerios, anyone?). If this was Garnett’s last season, he went out in style, especially after he grabbed 17 or more rebounds three games in a row in Games 3, 4, and 5 of the series against the Knicks. The Celtics may not have played a very pretty style of basketball on offense this season, just as they haven’t in previous years. But they were once again a treat to watch defensively.
10. Doc Rivers had a great season.
This roster never quite came together like we hoped. The season began with high expectations and excitement. Jason Terry was supposed to give a new look to the team in replacing Ray Allen. He and Jeff Green were supposed to be some of the best scoring reserves in the league. Rondo was supposed to have an MVP-caliber season after playing like a superstar in the playoffs last summer and nearly beating the Heat single-handedly in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Pierce and KG were supposed to have a bit of a career renaissance playing efficient ball in limited minutes with the newfound depth and offensive firepower on the team easing their burden.
Well, pretty much none of that happened. The team was below .500 at the All-Star break, and not long after that they had lost three key players to season-ending injuries. Doc Rivers certainly is owed some criticism for not getting the team to mesh sooner. The Celtics were one of the biggest underachievers in the league this season. There’s no sugar coating that, and the injuries don’t completely make up for it.
Nevertheless, Doc deserves credit for once again getting his team to step up and do themselves and their fans proud when it mattered. He deserves credit for getting this team to the playoffs (above .500) despite losing his best player and only true point guard, not to mention the only above average rebounding big on the team (Sullinger). He deserves credit for coaching perhaps the best game he’s ever coached (as Bill Simmons pointed out) in Game 5. He deserved credit for getting his team to fight back hard from a 0-3 deficit in the first round series against the Knicks, and even make a mad dash at the end of Game 6 towards forcing a Game 7.
The Celtics had more than one excuse to write this season off, when their best player went down, and later when they were down 0-3 and everybody thought they were about to get swept at home. The veterans on the team had multiple reasons to resent how things went to start the year, and the fact that they were shopped heavily at the trade deadline, some of them for the third or fourth year in a row. Yet this team never really gave up, and as far as us fans could tell, they never turned on each other. The almost-comeback in Game 6 was positively unreal, and it proved that the Celtics kept their pride.
All the players on the team deserve some credit for that, but most of all, Doc Rivers deserves recognition. As his comments in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombings demonstrated once again, Doc Rivers is the perfect coach for this team and for this city. Whenever Doc moves on, he will be missed. For now, we are very lucky to have him.
TL;DR:
1. Jeff Green is fun to watch and he proved he's worth the $
2. Pierce had a great year, being whatever the team need him to be
3. Jared Sullinger showed he can be a solid player for a long time
4. Bradley had an almost KG-like effect on the defense, even when he struggled on offense
5. Brandon Bass struggled but he never gave up
6. Shav Randolph was a fan favorite, for good reason
7. Courtney Lee had an up-and-down (mostly down) season, but he still looked useful
8. T-Will and Jordan Crawford could find roles on the team moving forward
9. KG led the team defense to historic heights (and low opponent point totals) once again
10. Doc Rivers had a great season, regardless of everything that went wrong
Topic: 10 Positive Takeaways from the 2012-2013 Season (Read 3254 times)