complacency

[hurdler]

This team has lost 8 of the last 12 and still act as if they are the nba champs. Danny needs to make a trade, any trade, and shake things up. Our defense and teamwork provided our success, and now everybody just goes through the motions.

Doc: Continues to play his worst rotation players together making it awful difficult to score because they are all complementary players. Continues to take any game situation to overplay the starters, then say the right things about limiting their minutes when he is in front of the press.

Rondo: More concerned about what to wear at his first all-star game and individual matchups than winning right now. I thought it was good to get the contract stuff out of the way early, but maybe not. He is coasting like lamar odom even before his contract has started.

Ray: I've always liked him his entire career and was glad when we got him, but he is simply a shell of his former self. I've been advocating his trade for about a year now, but this summer was ideal. He was coming off a 50-pt playoff game and not everybody knew how much he dropped off. Now everybody knows it except a few homers who talk about his great career. Hopefully some team will panic to get out of the luxury tax and long term deals and we can get something for him. And if I hear another person hope to re-sign him at a bargain price of 3yrs at $8-10 million I will light myself on fire. (I am mailing the royalty check to Bill Simmons for use of his phrase.)

Paul: He's my favorite. He carried the team on his back for the championship including going toe to against lebron obama. Unfortunately he is the only player with true value on the team.

KG: At this time last year, I was hoping that he would return and take the baton from Paul and carry the team on his shoulders to #18. My mind went back to the old houston teams where Hakeem drug the whole team one year, and then Drexler did it again. Unfortunately we have the egotistic, selfish Pippen/Barkley version of former champions. Shortly before he went down he went over 20 pts 4 out of 5 games. That shiny thing on the back of KG's jersey is the handle of a fork.

Perk: I love him, but his upside is bruce bowen. He can be a great on the ball defender with just enough offense to be useful. Other teams will hate him, but want someone like him. He ruins it with the techs and cheap fouls. Scowl all you want, just ignore the refs.

Baby: just realize that injuries to kg, powe, and scal gave you your opportunity to shine last year. Enjoy it and put it in your scrapbook. Reality is you are a decent, undersized PF who needs to hustle to survive in the league. You are not a singer, MMA fighter, or an NBA starter.

Sheed: Don't become a babbling old man, it's bad for the team. I can't really fault you for being the same player that you've been for the last 3 years or more. You're better than the string of undersized, rookie PFs that have sat at the end of doc's bench the last few years starting with brandon hunter.

Marquis: Get well soon...

[texascelticsfan]

I was thinking about this quite a bit and as much as I want to discredit the team for things, high turnovers/poor defense, the issue really comes down to health still.

Paul is not 100% and it shows, he is definitely not in the shape he was in when the season started.

Sheed planned on playing himself into shape, got hurt (shocker) and is now in WORSE shape.

Marquis was doing so much that we forgot how bad it was without him (Can't wait for him to get back)

KG hopefully returns friday and will make Big Baby cry again, but will need some time to get back into shape.

Rondo looks complacent.

Perk looks overwhelmed and is trying to do too much.

Ray is regressing, but I think part of the problem is teams are allowed to focus on him with Paul hurt and KG out. Guards can play off Rondo and Centers cheat off Perk and cut Ray's lanes. When he's seeing open 3's in the corner, he'll be key. Same with Eddie House, who's numbers have dropped lately.

What happened to Shelden Williams? He deserves Powe minutes not no minutes.

[OB- wan]

(Part of my post from the game thread. This seemed like a better place for it.)

None of the main 3 are far enough removed from their championship run to say that "rock solid" play out of them is impossible or not realistic. Ray put up 50 in the playoffs last year and PP's game has been the best of his career in my opinion over the past couple of years. They "x" factor at this point is KG's health. If KG is 90% it's all good, IMO.

Here is what needs to happen to win it this year, IMO:
1. KG gets healthy enough to make an impact on both ends of the floor.
2. Sheed plays well enough to pick up any slack KG has compared to 2 years ago and replaces what we got out of Posey
3. PP plays smart and stays healthy
4. Ray plays smart and stays healthy
*5. Rondo doesn't derail the top 4 with his play

Those things happen and I think we are golden.

I can't get on board with bashing or blaming Ray but I understand where people are coming from when they do it. He does make more and more bad plays as time goes by but I think:

His chemistry with this team is valuable and not something that should be tampered with lightly.

Ray and most of our veteran players are not showing the type of play during the regular season that you get out of them in the post season. It's almost like these guys should play 30-40% of the regular season games focusing on the last couple months of the season to get geared up for the playoffs and save some wear and tear during the less meaningful regular season.

The team is not looking as good as it did for the first season and a half after the KG trade but they are not very far removed from that type of output if they are all healthy. Daniels and Wallace should be enough of a bench to get it done, provided the rest of the role players live up to their potential, i.e. House, Sheldon, Scal and they don't need to bring much, which is also a good thing because we can tell they can't deliver if you are counting on substantial production out of them but they can be good in spots.

My main point is: Trading key players from this team as it stands at this point in time does not get them a better shot at a title. There might be combinations of young players and picks that a fortuneteller could play out right now that would show us a dynasty but no one can draw up a trade that we know will help win this team more titles, especially when they are sitting on a contender as we speak.

DA geared up with an excellent team that is capable of winning and now they just have to stay healthy. This team could win 70 games and a title if they were guaranteed good health. I understand that might not be realistic with their current age but how do you bust up a team with that kind of talent especially when none of these guys have a bad track record with injuries? And what outcome is better via trade?

I don’t think teams like Detroit and Sacramento are sitting around waiting for the C’s to give them Ray Allen so they can head into next season with cap room. It might sound good in some peoples head but the reality is that these teams don’t want to do a Pau Gasol trade for the Celtics no matter how many of you think that trade is waiting out there. Maybe as the deadline gets closer that will change but I doubt it. And if it does happen who is to say a Kevin Martin type of player would even fit in with this team as well as the ’09-’10 Ray Allen. A Ben Gordon, Charlie V and Rondo team doesn’t sound like a dynasty either.

[nighthob]

With Garnett out, and Pierce limping, I think we've seen a vision of the Rondo/Perkins Celtics and it's not pretty.

[OB- wan]

With Garnett out, and Pierce limping, I think we've seen a vision of the Rondo/Perkins Celtics and it's not pretty.

I agree.

I think this team should still be a 2009-2010 focused team though. 100% of the effort should be directed at getting #18 with this team during this season. I don't think blowing up the core this year makes any sense.

Dream scenario in my mind would be:

Win the title this year.

Ray walks, the worm turns, it's obvious the team will be breaking up and moves need to be made.

Rondo gets moved at an all time extremely inflated high price for solid future pieces (or Chris Paul, whichever is more realistic).

PP and KG are handled accordingly. Probably not a realistic scenario where the team gets future studs out of trades for them but take trades if available unless Rondo nets a CP3 type or similar player that can be worked into a lineup with PP and KG for another title run. Most likely scenario is they play out their contracts and decide if/where they want to play following their current deals. Bring them back if it makes sense but not a high priority and not if it ties up a lot of cap space. Victory lap/ LLE type money if not, save the cap space for an elite FA.

Basically win now and get max value out of title team parts following the offseason. Put the team in the best possible position to acquire elite younger talent. They don't need to go chasing lotto balls but they can't screw around with guys like Ben Gordon and Charlie V. like the Pistons did and fool themselves. They need something like LeBron, Wade, guys like that or they should somehow maneuver themselves to acquire elite talent like DA spent his time doing before KG and Ray arrived.

Nightmare scenario:

C's win the east, lose to the Lakers. If they lose in the ECF I think that will be enough to justify moves but a trip to the finals might give enough hope and enough of a return at the box-office to take one more roll of the dice.

Ray is resigned and the C's spend the following 3 years slowly collapsing while Rondo bricks his way into all-star games. Rondo can be the new Reggie Lewis without the jump shot.

[texascelticsfan]

I don't see Ray walking as I think he realizes there arent many better opportunities for him, particularly with his UConn Connections, for endorsement money. Maybe he plays 3rd-4th fiddle to Kobe/Lebron, but I dont see Ray liking that role.

The Perk/Rondo Celtics are scary when they are surrounded by guys who can't create their own shot. Its unfortunate we dont see any of Giddens/Walker, as they can at least score. Tony can score, but not within the offense and its hurts the overall flow.

Too many guys are going for their own shot and not playing team ball.

Shelden Williams will bang and get rebounds, not go 15 minutes without one and get in an argument with a fan.

[Falcon63]

Still regular season, and as always, we're in great playoff position. I wouldn't write off yet because, in the end, true champions find ways to win.

[bballee]

Is complacency the same thing as they have lost the hunger?

[OB- wan]

Maybe the hunger is on hold until the meal is on the table.

[hurdler]

The best way to the top is having one of the top players. I don't think anyone disagrees with that. I agree with most of what OB has been saying today. Above average players usually don't bring championships, but my point is above average players (Gordon) are better than average players (2010 Ray). Unfortunately it is more likely that Ray will be back. Doc will be lobbying for him and Ainge hasn't been Trader Rick in making quick changes.

I have to disagree that the big 3 are close to 2007-08 levels. KG has dropped 4pts and 2 rebs and a bunch of games. The gamble is that plenty of rest will get him on track for the playoffs. Ray is completely exposed. The only question is which SG he will make look like a star with is awful playoff defense. Pierce was actually at least top 5 in May/June. He is holding up and has dropped off the least, but there isn't enough around him.

I don't think the trading deadline will be a wild free for all like some have predicted, but it only takes one western conf team looking for an expiring contract and/or playoff help. Yes nobody in the east will make a major trade with us. And nobody is going to risk being accused of helping the hated celtics unless it helps the owners bottom line. As it is, they just think things will be like old times when everybody is back and the playoffs start--they think they can flip the switch and waltz to #18.

In reality I don't expect a trade. So I am stuck with everybody else hoping that KG becomes healthy, and Daniels even when he was playing wasn't his normal self. I also hope that Doc makes some adjustments to his rotation to save the old legs and use the bench a little.