Rondoless

photo credits: Dustin Carbonera

The will to win, desire, perseverance, passion, toughness, a celtic. Not many people can point to themselves and say “I am all of those things.” Although there is one group of guys that can, the Boston Celtics. The Celtics are a team that live for the playoffs. Unfortunately, this year that did not work in their favor. There are many things you could blame for why the celtics lost. I personally think that the reason the celtics had such a hard time in the playoffs and lost to the New York Knicks is because their leader, their coach on the floor, their point guard, Rajon Rondo went down with a season ending injury mid year. Rajon Rondo is the heart of the Boston Celtics team. The 6 foot floor general is the leader of the team, just like a military general. Rondo’s job is to make sure everyone is doing their role. If the are not doing their job it looks bad on him. He quarterbacks the team distributing the ball and is the main decision maker on the team. Yes, Doc Rivers ultimately has the overall power, but the ball is in Rajon’s hands. What he does with the ball is his decision. Rondo leads the team in battle and is looked to in time of despair. You can only imagine how that can affect the Celtics’ organization on a whole. When your point guard who calls the shots and has the ball in his hands 75% of the time is out for the season chaos erupts. Its like a football team with no quarterback, or a country with no government, life changes. Life most certainly did change for the Celtics. Although, the statistics do not show it. Before Rondo got hurt the Celtics record was 23-20. The Celtics scored an average of 95 points per game and 23 assists per game. They were averaging 14 turnovers a game as well. Now, those numbers are not terrific. Which is surprising, especially the 14 turnover statistic considering Rajon’s assist to turnover ratio is 3.3. After Rondo was declared out for the season, the Celtics’ record was 21-17. Boston averaged 98.2 points per game (3.2 points higher than with Rondo) and 22.4 assists per game. The number of turnovers dropped by a slight 0.2 turnovers a game also. Overall, looking at these numbers it seems like the celtics did better without Rondo right? Wrong. Statistics are just numbers, you can’t define a point guard by their stats otherwise you would not know if you are getting a point guard with true leader qualities. In Rondo’s argument, the Celtics’ as a team have had more success with him in their lineup as starting point guard. Rajon Rondo is a true celtic, without him the Boston Celtics’ are missing a part of their family, their point guard.

KG Must Stay

This season for the Boston Celtics is in the teams’ hands, but more precise would be to say in Kevin Garnett’s hands. Ever since Rajon Rondo has been out with an injury KG has stepped his game up. Rumor has it that KG will be traded to get a new power forward or center to keep the team alive. I will tell you right away, that it is not true.

If they trade the 15 time all star 25,000 point scorer and a world championship and olympic gold medal winner. Kevin Garnett over the years has also collected 10,000 rebounds, 5,000 assists, 1,500 blocks, and 1,500 steals. That is really good if you ask anyone that knows the sport of basketball. Garnett knows his team and players better than almost everyone else. When KG is not in the game the Celtics cannot hold the lead or the position they are in. So Kevin has to go out onto the court and give the team more confidence.

Rajon Rondo had a season ending injury of a ACL tear. Then a few days later rookie Jared Sullinger the best rookie on the Celtics got back ailment and Rondo and Sullinger are both out for the season with surgery. Kevin Garnett has made an effort to advance the team to the playoffs with a eight game winning streak. Other players contributed, but KG defending himself from the mean rumors has made it clear he makes a difference in the team. Ever since two main contributors to the team are out KG has had a great Field Goal percentage of 52.4% in the last ten games he had/has an average score of 17.7 points a game on offence. For defense he is contributing with a huge 10.2 rebounds per game.

Overall the Celtics are in 7th place in the Eastern division and slowly climbing higher. It would be a foolish decision for Doc Rivers(Head Coach) to trade KG to another team even though he is doing great.

Weekly Dish: How Are The Celtics Winning?

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When Rajon Rondo went down with a torn knee ligament, many people (including me) thought that the Boston Celtics’ season was over. To make matters worse, Jared Sullinger had a season ending back surgery. They were 20-23 and on the downswing. This team needed a change, and in spite of the injuries, the Celtics are now displaying heart. Doc Rivers was flustered by his team’s effort on the defensive and offensive ends. Most people blamed the players for their lack of effort and there was a lack of leadership in the locker room. The players had become used to being called “too old” and “too injured” to compete for an NBA title. Now, without their all-star point guard and playmaker, the Celtics are on a seven game winning streak. They are showing that they care, and they play strong every moment they are on the court.

With the losses of Rajon Rondo and emerging rookie Jared Sullinger for the season, this team got their act together. There are four reasons why the Celtics are all of a sudden on a seven game win streak.

• The first reason is that they care. The players on the bench are like cheerleaders whenever something goes well for the Celtics. The players fight for everything on the court and never take anything for granted. They are always there for a teammate who needs their help.

• D-FENSE. The Celtics are finally playing it. Rajon Rondo was known for his steals, but this season opposing point guards were consistently beating him off the dribble. The comeback of Avery Bradley has given this defense a sense of life. Everyone is now diving on the floor for loose balls and trusting the other men on the team for help. Big men have used their fouls wisely, making sure there are no free layups or dunks for the opposing team.

• The bench has finally shown up to games. I find this rather peculiar, because Courtney Lee, a bench player, is forced to start, taking away a valuable bench player. Jeff Green is finally becoming the player that the Celtics had hoped for when they traded away fan favorite Kendrick Perkins and the energetic Nate Robinson. Jeff is attacking the rim and throwing down some monstrous dunks. He is playing with confidence both on the offensive and defensive ends. Another valuable player off the bench is Jason Terry. The ex-Maverick has a deadly outside shot and it is finally going in. Jet is taking full advantage of the extra minutes, averaging 11.3 points a game and 1.6 three pointers during this seven game win streak.

• Lastly, the old fellows are showing that they still have some gas left in the tank. In a recent triple overtime win against the Nuggets, Paul Pierce played 54 minutes and Kevin Garnett played 47. Paul Pierce is showcasing his talents in the point forward department, and Kevin is fighting hard in the trenches. Since Rondo’s injury, Garnett is averaging 21 points and 10 rebounds per game. He is giving no opposing player any breathing room down low. Paul Pierce is averaging a league leading 11.1 assists per game after the injuries. With two triple-doubles in this streak (against the Nuggets and Heat), he is displaying his all around ability. The “Truth” may be 34 years old, but he is playing like he’s 25.

Celtics Vs Heat

For the serious sports fan, what can be more exhilarating than a game that goes until double over time? A game where the tickets for the worst seats in the stadium were more than eighty dollars? Well, I was there. I experienced it all. I was there for the Celtics versus Heat game on the twenty-seventh, also my birthday. The Celtics barely beat the heat in an intense match that lasted about forty-five minutes to an hour after it was supposed to end. The Heat are the number one team in the country. The Celtics have lost more games than they have won. The Miami Heat obviously were the favorite team in this game, however the Celtics managed to pull off a victory by a narrow two points.

The Heat are ranked the number one team in the country. They have some of the best players in the NBA like Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and  from the celtics a year earlier, Ray Allen, who is the best three point shooter in the league. They dominated the first half of the game, keeping a two to eight point lead over the celtics for most of the half. They are not an easy team to beat.

The Celtics, however, are having a very bad season. They lost Ray Allen, the best three point shooter in the league to the Miami heat after the basketball season ended last spring. Also, the Celtics had to cope with the knee injury of point guard Rajon Rondo. To add on to this list of setbacks, the best players on the Celtics are getting old, and they can not play for as much time as used to. This is not good, because if want to keep Lebron from scoring, you need someone with skill covering him.

The Celtics were trailing for almost all of the first half, however, they managed to finish the half with a tie score of forty-five points each. Another setback is that the Celtics have horrible rebounding. They let the Heat get easy rebounds that literally went right into their hands. They would have had a reasonable lead over the heat. They also kept leaving Ray Allen wide open to take three point shots, however, the Celtics had good qualities too. The Celtics made many three point shots too, and when Kevin Garnett was near the Basket, he made easy dunks.

It was anyone’s game until the Celtics made a two point shot. at the end of the second over time leaving the Heat with about five seconds to make a three point shot. At the end of the game, they missed the shot, and the Celtics pulled off with an amazing two point victory over the number one team in the league.

Celtics Rout Pacers

On January 4, 2013 the Boston Celtics defeated the Indiana Pacers. The Boston Celtics coming into this game on a 14-17 record and a 4 game losing streak, but Boston is one of the toughest places to play because the Celtics home crowd is what many would say the best fans in the league. The Indiana Pacers coming into this game with a 19-13 record and a 2 game win streak, so as you can see the Pacers are on a roll, but the game is in Boston so its 50-50 who will win.

The first quarter was a low scoring one and ended with the score being 16-15 Pacers winning. Although both teams had a poor first quarter the Celtics were the only ones to bounce back scoring 32 points and holding Indiana under 20 points again in the second quarter. At halftime the Pacers coach Frank Vogel really trying to get the team’s spirits up, they would need it being down 47-35 a 12 point deficit going into the third quarter. The Celtics come out strong in the third quarter outscoring the Pacers 22-16. Celtics feeling comfortable moving on to the fourth quarter with the score 69-51. The good feeling would not stay despite having a large lead in the fourth, because future Hall of Famer Kevin Garnett was ejected for a flagrant foul.

The Celtics were able to pull it off without KG in the fourth, winning in style 94-75 showing the younger teams in the NBA that the older veterans of the Boston Celtics can still get the job done.

To Be or Not to Be

The NBA team of the Boston Celtics has yet again made the playoffs and, as always, are a favorite to win. Although all their games have been close, mostly won by a single point, I believe that they indeed deserve to win The Championship. With Kevin Garnett a proven leader of the team as one who both can shoot and play defense effectively, the team has kept up the fight even when it seems all has been lost. Rajon Rondo, undoubtedly the team’s best regular season player, has also proven his worth lately making many game winning shots against the Atlanta Hawks in last week’s matchups. Together these individuals are great at this game, but when playing together as a team, everything seems to just click and the court becomes theirs.This team has completed difficult task and accomplished the near impossible, but people are still split on the idea of whether or not they should win the playoffs this year.

Celtics Still Have Gas Left in the Tank

After defeating the Atlanta Hawks in the first round, the Boston Celtics are up 2-1 against the Philadelphia 76ers in the second round of the NBA playoffs. They won Game 1 by one point,  but lost Game 2 in a tough one point game. Then they went to Philadelphia and blew out the 76ers 107-91. Game 4 is tomorrow night in Philadelphia. If the Celtics make it to the next round, they will play either the Indiana Pacers or the Miami Heat. The Heat are the better team, but they are losing the series 2-1.  To beat either team would be a tough but possible task. Even though the Heat are the better team, the Celtics had more trouble with the Pacers. They were able to handle the Heat, going 2-1 against them in the regular season. To win the championship, a team needs 16 playoff victories. The Celtics have six. How many will they get before they finish their season?

Celtics Look To Take Series Lead

Credit: S. Yodo

After going 1-1 in Atlanta, the Boston Celtics return home tomorrow, May 4, to play Game 3 of their first round series against Atlanta. The series has been very entertaining so far, and the next few games should be very close and well played. The two games have been decided by an average of 8 points, which is close compared to most of the other series. The games were both defensive battles, with scores in the seventies and eighties. Those two reasons, along with the countless stars on both teams, should make for a very interesting series.

In Game 1, the Celtics only lost by nine points, 83-74. However, it seemed like they were getting blown out most of the game, as their shooting was inconsistent and their defense gave up too many open shots. They started making a comeback, but that ended with about 40 seconds left when their point guard, Rajon Rondo, was ejected for bumping an official. Suspended for bumping the official, Rondo could only watch Game 2 from the bench. Luckily, Paul Pierce, the longtime captain, stepped up with 36 points and 14 rebounds in an 87-80 win. Ray Allen, the Celtics’ shooting guard, is likely out for the series with an ankle injury, which will require offseason surgery. The Celtics have been playing even harder just for him. Prepared to battle, they will take the floor tomorrow with Rondo back from his suspension. Anyone who is a true basketball fan will surely be watching.

Tied with Atlanta, the Celtics are 1-1. They hope to take hold of the series with a win tomorrow. That should be much easier than Game 2 because they will have their point guard, Rajon Rondo, back to lead the team to victory.