| The Celtics Give Boston Something To Talk About Authored by Dennis L. Silva - October 25, 2006 - 10:06 am
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Specifically, it’s been since 2004, when the Boston Red Sox ended 80 years of heartache to claim the World Series title.
But as much as Boston is a baseball town, it also holds a special place in its heart for the Boston Celtics, those once-lovable guys in green who won 11 championships in 13 years. The one team whose legend bears the distinguished names of a plethora of gods, something the Red Sox nor Patriots can boast.
So while Bostonians may be awaiting December to see where the Pats might end up, it would behoove them to pay attention to this year’s collection of Celtics. If all things go accordingly, they just may be witnessing the foundation for another dynasty.
The Celtics have a roster brimming with potential. Their young talent is on par with that of any team’s in the NBA. They have quick youth (Sebastian Telfair, Allan Ray, Rajon Rondo), solid wings (Luke Jackson, Gerald Green) and an abundance of strong post players (Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Kendrick Perkins, Leon Powe). They also have able veteran complements to help mold and mentor that inexperience, starting with All-Celtic Paul Pierce, forward Wally Szczerbiak, Brian Scalabrine, and the newly-acquired Theo Ratliff.
Speed? The Celtics have it, empowered by a 2006 draft class that brought more quickness to the table with Rondo and Powe, alongside the nimble Telfair. Shooting? Delonte West, Pierce and Szczerbiak are all capable of shooting the long ball, and at an adequate percentage. Rebounding? Jefferson, Ratliff and Gomes all have a nose for the ball.
What many don’t realize is the defensive potential this team has. The offense will take care of itself. If there’s one aspect of the game to not question coach Doc Rivers, it’s his creativity and knowledge for offensive basketball. The Celtics were in the top half of the NBA in overall offense, and averaged a healthy 1.20 points per shot, good for 11th in the league.
However, Rivers has never been one to preach defense and have his players focus on that end of the floor. It’s a shame because if he did, he’d see that this club has the potential to compete for homecourt advantage in the playoffs.
Rivers has compiled a 78-86 record during his two years as Celtics coach. He’s been unable to develop any kind of consistent rotation, throwing players in and out of the lineup in a desperate attempt to find any that may be productive. What that does is stunt a player’s growth and messes with his psyche, never knowing when he’ll play, and for how long.
Aside from Pierce, no one on the Celtics understands his role on the team. That’s a mark of poor coaching, and while Rivers did a remarkable job in his freshman year as coach of the Orlando Magic – winning the NBA’s Coach of the Year in the process – he has done nothing to show progression as a coach.
He gets along well with his players, but that does not make up for his shortcomings. While Boston will compete offensively, defensively it will struggle, and that should not be the case. Not when you have speed guards who can pressure the ball and cause havoc, and not when you have height and athleticism in the frontcourt, as well as interior shot-blocking with the likes of Ratliff and Michael Olowokandi.
The Celtics had strong defensive talents last season in West, Allen and Pierce – as well as length and agility inside with Perkins, Jefferson and Scalabrine – but still only held opponents under 100 points 39 times. They ranked amongst the bottom four in rebounds at 39 per game, and were out-rebounded by four per contest.
With the necessary discipline, the Celtics could easily be one of the top defensive clubs in the NBA. They have the physical attributes to do so. Instead, it appears they’ll be content trying to outscore the opposition every night.
Until Rivers realizes that there’s another end of the floor that must be played, or until someone supplants Rivers, the Celtics will never reach their full potential. They’ll get their share of SportsCenter highlights due to all the youth and acrobatic athleticism, but they can be so much more.
And in Boston, more will be happily had in sacrifice for all the highlight reels. |
