CelticsBlog | The Scariest Part of Three Losses to the Hawks...


Come the playoffs and the Celtics have no higher level to step their play up to. Their regular season qulaity of play was the highest you are going to see, whereas other teams are turning it up a notch. The reason is because this is a flawed team in terms of being championship caliber. Whether or not they take out the Hawks tomorrow doesn't matter, I still believe as I have all year that:

a) It's very difficult to go deep into the playoffs with a second-year point guard getting the bulk of the minutes at his position. Rondo, for all his skills and improvement, is not Chris Paul or Deron Williams, two probable future HOF points. His decision-making is becoming more suspect as this series goes on.

b) Ray Allen has lost a step and has not been his formerly reliable self all season. It is even more apparent now - on both ends of the court. If not Tony Allen, the Celtics need to find a more athletic starting two-guard and bring Ray off the bench next year.

c) Kendrick Perkins should be a back-up center. He'll have three or four very good games in the season but is a non-factor more often than not.

d) The team's mojo has been disrupted by the additions of Sam Cassell and PJ Brown. You saw it in Dallas with Kidd and Phoenix with Shaq (it was probably more the deletion of Marion). Things were going along nicely with Eddie House as back-up to Rondo. You can make a case that it is not the same with Sam running the offense, despite his occasional scoring bursts.

e) The Doc factor is a non-issue in my mind. You can always question strategy, especially if things don't work out, but unless the coach is completely out to lunch he does not have a huge effect on the outcome of the games. The biggest question for a coach is whether or not his players will give 100% for him. I see no signs of anyone tuning out Doc.

Do you agree? My two cents


a) does it make it easier to us take stuckey's problems? Even Rajo rondo...

b) I do not think that pro athletes lose their step overnight. He maybe plays under huge psychological burden

c) please do not tell me that Scott Pollard is starting material...

d) I remember, knowledgeable guys here predicted how "Sam I am" impacts this team and they were right.

e) It is interesting that most of this forum treat coaches role like players can't breathe without coaches approval so it is remarkable how other fans look at their coaches role...