Whys everyone so worried?

[Tricky Ricky]

Am I the only one not worried about this team? I figured coming into the season that we would have a worse record which it looks like we will but I still see us finishing first, I see us as a better playoff team and I see us winning the finals again. Sure the losses hurt but in the end I just dont think they will matter.

[greenbeans]

Cause they're a bunch of Sallies, Trick. Sallies fah cry eye!
whaa Ray isn't going 10 for 10 with 8 assists every game
whaa Rajon's only getting 7,7 and 4. he sucks!
How dare Perk get a pile of technicals, doesn't he know I don't like that?!
etc etc etc

[Willie Beamen]

Here is what worries me at the Celtics so far.

First the play of the PGs. Going into the season I had high hopes for Rondo. I thought he was take that next step and become and all star type PG. But Rondo has played some bad basketball and he has some bad habits like passing up lay-ups and shooting outside of his range. Why hasn't Doc given Gabe Pruitt 10 to 15 minutes a game at the point?

The second thing that worries me is depth at the small forward position. I would like to see Bill Walker getting a few minutes at small forward and see what he can do. I think Paul Pierce is playing too many to start the season. One reason why I thought Paul had a lot of success in the play-offs was due to the fact that he didn't log a lot of minutes during the season.

The other thing that concerns me is the play from our bench. Tony Allen has been up and down. Eddie House has been hot and then cold. Leon Powe has been Leon Powe which is great. Glen Davis has his moments but I would much rather have a guy like a PJ Brown.

The point is this team is not better then last season team at this point in the season. I still think Danny has a move or two up his sleeves. Maybe it's making Sam Cassell a full-time coach and using his spot on the team for a guy liek Marbury who can be a scorer on the bench and a person who can run the offense. Maybe Danny will go after a true back-up small forward who can give us what we lost in James Posey. Who know but it's clear to me that this team is missing something.

[GuyClinch]

^^^ I don't think people are "worried". The C's are still obviously very good with our big 3 intact.

But people are concerned this team isn't playing championship caliber ball. They are playing ugly almost unwatcable basketball at times. I think the major factor is that teams have learned how to defend the C's. They slack off Rondo big time and will take advantage of Perkins some as well. This makes our starting unit ugly.

Our bench featuring the slumping TA, House, Powe and the not so great BBD hasn't been a thing of beauty either..

Last year at this team the C's were playing BEAUTIFUL basketball and just ripping teams apart. The difference is huge. It's like the C's are playing Cleveland in the playoffs - every single night.. We haven't even seen one game like the Laker's destruction in game 6.

The statistics put the C's in the top 10 - not as the #1 bball team.. Last year by nearly every statistical number they were far and away the best team in hoops.

Pete

[Celts17Pride]

Whys everyone so worried?

Simply because they need something to complain about.

[SonicYouth34]

I'm not worried, but I would like to see us make a trade to get a back up SF so Pierce and Jesus don't have to play so many minuets.

[aboubata]

I am not worried, but I am sick of watching ugly games. I wouldlike some energy for 48 minutes for at least 4 or 5 games.
I just think that if we wait till the playoffs to turn it on then we will be as late history
best case scenario = pistons, make it through couple rounds but won't win it all
worst case scenario = heat, get kicked out of the first round by atlanta or NY.

I loved seeing the team win ugly games last year, but I think we are seeing way too many of these so far.

good to ugly game ratio sucks so far.

[Red2]

last year no one thought we had a good enough bench to win a championship but we did. we had a number of unknowns once you got past the big 3. as it turned out our bench was a strength and we won the whole enchildada. Let's not forget though that PJ Brown and Posey were our 2 best bench players. Now they're gone and in their place we have POB, Tony Allen and Bill Walker. This year all of the fears that we had LAST year about bench strength appear to be well founded. Gone is Posey and his ability to defend 3 positions and hit the timely three. Gone is PJ and his ability to block shots, defend, rebound and yes hit the big shot. through 11 games we have struggled almost every night- the one notable exception being the detroit game where we played great for 3 quarters. But against Toronto, Atlanta, Denver, Indiana and Milwaukee ( and even OKC) we've struggled to win those games. we consistently get off to slow starts and our bench production other than House is non existent. so you ask why people are worried- there's your answer. Maybe all of the optimists are right and there's no need to panic and everything will be ok. I hope so but the signs are there early on that this season is going to be much more of a struggle than last season and that there are a number of holes and issues to address. will rondo play better? will the bench start producing on a consistent basis? do we have enough size? do we have enough outside shooting? I remember the first preseason game last year in Italy where we came out and moved the ball and Perk got wide open looks. How many times have you seen that this year? Our ball movement is no where as good and our stars are playing big minutes just o keep us in games. tonight we play a knicks team that is putting up a lot of points. we do so without garnett. this is going to be another tough game and a potential loss if we don't defend our asses off. so yeah in my book there is reason for concern

[Triple M]

It is a long year what ever weak points we have there is enough time to work them out in my view.

[GuyClinch]

I don't buy the Posey argument this isn't all about the bench - his loss hurts us now no doubt. But I think our starting lineup is playing worse as well. Rondo is playing poorly and as PG that screws up the entire starting group.

[Celtsfan1980]

I don't buy the Posey argument this isn't all about the bench - his loss hurts us now no doubt. But I think our starting lineup is playing worse as well. Rondo is playing poorly and as PG that screws up the entire starting group.

Is there a rule you have to post this in every thread now? If the wide open 3's had been going in, they likely would have buried Cleveland. Before Rondo's big slump in the last 4 games, the starting lineup wasn't playing well and both Pierce and Ray Allen were not shooting well. They've had at least 3 or 4 games where they should have blown teams out and Rondo didn't play too poorly, so it's a lot more than just Rondo that is to blame.

[Slartibartfast]

I think the worry comes from uncertainty. I don't know how much of our ugly play is a result of championship hangover and manic increases in opponent energy or of structural problems. Meanwhile the Cavs are as dangerous as ever and the Lakers are looking like the juggernaut we were last year. Pile on that were probably looking at the last peak year for Ray Allen and perhaps KG.

[MyInsatiableOne]

I don't buy the Posey argument this isn't all about the bench - his loss hurts us now no doubt. But I think our starting lineup is playing worse as well. Rondo is playing poorly and as PG that screws up the entire starting group.

Not only that but we are absolutely handcuffed on offense with our starting five...we play 3-on-5 due to the offensive ineptness of Rondo and Perk...have you noticed how the offense opens WAY UP once any of the Big 3 are playing with Powe, Eddie, or Big Baby??

[bruno sundov]

They are still the bet team in the L. They just have to play with intensity for a whole 48 minutes. That is what they did better than anyone else last year.

[MyInsatiableOne]

They are still the bet team in the L. They just have to play with intensity for a whole 48 minutes. That is what they did better than anyone else last year.

^^This is true. The Lakers record is inflated with a rather weak schedule against soft teams...witness Detroit pushing them around to hand them their first (of more) losses to physical teams...

[Bad-Thoma]

I can't speak for anyone else, but if we are 9-2 after playing some truly ugly ball at times I just can't be worried. I feel a lot of the offensive struggles are probably due to the bulk of minutes going to the bench in preseason. I'm pretty confident that the offense will smooth out when the schedule gets a little less ridiculous and the team can fit in some practices to iron out the bugs.

[s1ickd]

The only part that worries me are the turnovers, that's it.

And i think that's attributed to the fact that Rondo is still learning how to mentally run a team in certain situations on a consistent basis. They'll learn.