Our biggest weakness: Turnovers!

[billfromBoston]

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personally, i don't mind losing a game here and there, but it's the WAY WE LOSE that really bothers me. championship teams don't freeze when the other team makes a run. we do. our offense sputters and no one can make a shot for long stretches in the fourth. we can get away with it during the regular season and when we're playing teams without superstars like detroit, but it will be a different story if we have to go through the lebrons and even caron butlers in the playoffs. for a team with the best record in the league, we look awfully helpless under heavy pressure.

...you are only seeing the losses in these situations and equating that to the team's reaction in all similar situations...the fact is that the team thwarts opponents runs and takes control for the lead far more often than they do not...you are simply blinded during victories and much more acutely aware of things during losses...this is a common Celtics fan theme...try paying more strict attention to how they win close games, it may make you feel better...

[BillessuR6]

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...that may be the worst analysis i've ever seen from you birdman. Shame on you...

...I agree that the Celtics are the most INCONSISTENT amongst the contenders when it comes to TO's, which is a byproduct of their short time together in all likelihood...

..However, the team's FREQUENCY of high TO games has reduced substantially over the course of the season...I'd also like to point out that this is a stat that must be looked at on a 100 possession basis and viewed month by month to see where the team truly lies in this regard...more importantly TO DIFFERENTIAL is a key, much as rebounding differential is more indicitive of a potential problem than the pure number...

Celtics take care of the ball well-enough to defeat any team...the notion that the playoffs are a magical landscape that will suddenly expose this team is a fallacy...i'm sure the team will have some games where the number is high, but i'd imagine that will hold true for the oposition as well, and i'd wager to guess that Boston will come out on top of that battle most nights...

So, you don`t feel TO`s are our weakness? There are only two teams that turn the ball over more than us with winning records UTA and DEN. That at least to me is a concern.

I don`t agree that TO differential is the key here. Unlike in rebounding where rebounding differential is the key stat. Just because we play good defense and force the teams to turn the ball over doesn`t mean that we can`t cut down on mistakes on offensive side.

But since you brought up the TO differential here are the numbers by month. Not really supporting your claims...

In November it was +1.9, in December +2.2, in January +1, in February +0.4 and in March -0.9...

If these stats are correct then our TO differential is getting worse. So, is this analysis better than my last one?

[Celtics_85]

It's the unforced turnovers that irk me about this team. Pierce and Tony allen are the two that really come to mind here. Pierce forces too much at times, and being a veteran should know better. tony just gets out of control at times, and his handles are off sometimes. Overall, this is a veteran team that wouldn't be at the bottom of the league with the unforced turnovers they commit. They need to correct this come playoff time or it could be detrimental to the overall success this team should have.

[Fencer reregistered]

Good analysis in this thread, guys, after a rocky start.

1. Agree -- extra pass --> turnovers.

2. Agree -- lack-of-turnovers is about the last thing to come when players are unfamiliar with each other. Or botched defensive rotations, but that doesn't seem to be a problem with this crew.

3. Agree -- TO differential doesn't mean much. But then, neither exactly does rebounding differential. What matters in rebounding is the comparison between one teams ORs and the other's DRs. If the DR% is a lot away from 75% one way or the others, somebody is kicking somebody else's butt on the boards at at least one end of the court, whether that's due to better play or to a lot of funny bounces.

Also -- Pierce hasn't elevated his game in the area of TOs the way he has on defense. Perk isn't the ball-handling talent some of us thought he'd be because he looks good on outlet passes. Rondo's shot selection keeps changing, mainly for good reasons -- but that surely helps screw up his TO numbers a bit too. Ray Allen's ball handling is about the only mildly disappointing aspect of the vet-stars' play. And Tony Allen's ball handling is about the only mildly disappointing aspect of youngsters' development.

[Datruth345]

http://youtube.com/watch?v=NN2UrXhxmjg

perks ballhandling for the winnnnnnnnnn!!!!