Time to Panic?

Pretty much everyone and their mother is writing off the Celtics right now. Sportscenter, comcast sportsnet, blogs everywhere, all they can talk about is how the reeling Celtics should be so lucky to land the #3 seed at this point. Chris Forsberg just tweeted some ESPN odds machine thingy that says our likelihood of getting the top seed is now at 6 percent, down from 30 something just last week. I'm not buying into any of this for several reasons.

First of all we all know we went through something similar last year. After Christmas the Celtics played .500 basketball the rest of the way. Everyone said that was the end of the line for them. That age had finally caught up to them and they had a first or second round exit from the playoffs to look forward to. We all know what happened. They were able to flip that switch and turn it on when it mattered most.

Ok, now I know it is an absolute stretch to compare this years team to last years. Theres just so many new bodies. But that's exactly why you're seeing these struggles right now. We all knew about their struggles with the second of back to backs (which didn't just start since the Perk trade by the way) but this team has played 12 games in 19 days. For a group with so many new, moving parts right now, that can be a brutal stretch. And you know what it has been. But some of the stuff people have been coming out with is just ludicrous. Saying that Doc has "lost" the team, that there are massive chemistry issues in the locker room, that the starters hearts were torn out by the trade. Give me a break. Its the NBA, not a Disney movie.

These guys are professional athletes. This is their job. They aren't some middle school team, susceptible to slumps because their best friend just moved away. The fact of the matter is teams improve when they have time to practice and this team has just not had that. This stretch of back to backs and games with only one day off in between, does not give them the time that they need to get everyone on the same page. They're doing the best they can right now but the reality is they've hit a tough part of their schedule at an unfortunate time. Miami went through this several times, including a five game losing streak, and the media (including myself) jumped all over them. Now they've hit the softer part of their schedule (the remaining teams they have to play have a combined winning percentage of .300 something) and people want to write them up as title favorites again.

Am I saying this Celtics team doesn't have issues? Of course I'm not. But do I hate everything I've been seeing from them? Not at all. Last night for example. Rondo came out in the first quarter and was as aggressive and explosive as he has been all season. Made his first 6 field goals, was getting to the line and knocking those down too for good measure. In the second half, the fourth quarter in particular, Rondo did disappear a little bit. After dropping 18 points in the first half he only managed 4 in the second frame. But again this is nothing new. Rondo's lack of offensive aggression late in games has been a nuisance for quite some time, including Game Seven.

Our execution late in games has certainly been sub-par. Both physical and mental aspects have been to blame for that. Last night, the second of a back to back, it was more physical. Even so, we were still getting good looks. When you're behind in the fourth quarter it is pivotal to attack the basket and get yourself to the line. Scoring points with the clock stopped is a good idea right? Well we were getting ourselves there but we just weren't knocking them down. In total we missed 8 free throws last night. We ended up losing by 7. That might seem arbitrary but there is definitely some flukyness there, so I will go ahead and call it a fluke.

But there are plenty of things I'd like to see this team start doing a better job of or start doing at all. So I thought I'd make a list.

1. Rondo needs to be more assertive in the fourth quarter. Take it to the rack.
2. Ray Ray needs to get his touches. Paul is great at getting his naturally within the flow of the game. Ray Ray needs to be run off screens, and it feels like that hasn't been happening. Ray obviously isn't happy as he didn't address the media last night.
3. Just care more about the little things. Loose balls, rebounds. Those 50 50 balls have been killing us. Playing us is the super bowl for these sub-par teams. At least match their intensity.
4. Jeff Green. I'd like to speak with him. He needs to understand that he was the best player in that trade. He needs to act like it. I love everything about his post up game but I'd still like to see him more aggressive offensively. Sometimes he does get a little bit lost in the shuffle out there. He's an athlete. Run the floor. Go to the basket. Try whatever you did with the Thunder, I don't know.
5. I'd also like to address Danny Ainge and the Celtics training staff. Is Shaq coming back or not? This feels so much like the KG situation two years ago I can't stand it. If he's not then tell me right now. Don't tell me two days before the playoffs that he needs surgery.
6. I'd love to see Doc Rivers experiment with D-West finishing out games with the starters. He's shown the ability to play well with those guys and opponents would have to respect his jumper (instead of laying off and doubling others, like they can with Rondo).
7. Big Baby did a great job of this last night but he needs to continue to lay off those jumpers. A handful of them a game is ok, but he is a very nimble guy. He can use a head fake to get himself to the hoop.
8. Nenad. I don't know what it is but he's going through a stretch of disgustingly horrific play. My only suggestion there is we allow him to get back to what he's comfortable with. Stretching the floor with that 15 foot jumper. We need his size on D, not so much offensively.
9. This ones obvious but we need to limit the turnovers. Just take better care of the basketball. Sure that's easy for me to say. Might as well just tell them to score more points. But its been a bit lackadaisical, like that play last night where KG barely secured a rebound before whirling around a firing a long outlet pass to Ray Ray, who had to save it from going out of bounds, and threw it right to Danny Granger. Frustrating.
10. Just keep fighting and stay positive. I read somewhere today that winning builds chemistry. Well, I believe losing does too. Going through these tough times together, and understanding you need each other to get out of it.

We'll be fine.