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Just when you thought the Celtics’ season couldn’t get much worse, it did. With just a couple weeks before the All Star break, the Celtics are riding a 10-game losing streak and boasting an embarrassing 12-30 record. They’ve managed to win only four games at home, winning double that on the road. Despite the poor stats, numbers don’t tell the whole story. Injuries and player development have been the headliners of the season. The question now is: When are the Celtics going to man up and grow up?
Let’s face it: Danny Ainge has been playing the young-players card for one hand too long. It is true that the Cs should foster and mold thier young players, but how long will this development continue to inhibit winning? With injuries to All-Star guard Paul Pierce, veteran Wally Szczerbiak, and third-year player Tony Allen, the young guns have been given plenty of opportunities to display their talents and progress. Al Jefferson has been tearing it up, averaging a double-double for the season, but hasn’t been able to stay completely healthy. Delonte West – my future husband – has averaged a solid 10 points and has been able to grow at the point guard position despite early competition from Sebastian Telfair. Former Providence standout Ryan Gomes is continuing to go beyond expectations in only his second year in the NBA. Gerald Green has proven to be an explosive offensive performer but, honestly, he can’t play a lick of defense.
The Celtics did manage a five-game winning streak during mid-December, but since then have gone 2-17. They’ve fallen eight games back in the laughable Atlantic Division and chants of ‘Fire Doc Rivers’ have been ringing at the Garden. But who or what is ultimately responsible for this season’s failures: The coach, the injuries, the youth, or the owner? How about all of the above? It’s unfair to pin all the blame on Doc, which is what most ignorant fans are doing. The losing comes not from a lack of effort by the players, but from inexperience and a need for lineup consistency. A great team is just that: a great team. If the Celtics aren’t playing a consistent starting lineup, there is little chance of them creating the team chemistry that the best teams in the NBA have.
During their current ten-game losing streak, they’ve only been outscored by more than 10 points on one occasion. The C’s have fought hard and played tough during this winning drought, but have come up short in every game. Playing at their highest level against top competition, they led the Spurs throughout their recent game but lost by four. Another high-scoring, highly entertaining Wizards game ended in a five-point loss for the Celtics. And let’s be reminded, the Celtics have been without Paul Pierce for several weeks and will continue to be without him until after the All-Star break, and Tony Allen went down early in the season with a torn ACL in his knee. The Celtics are doing well despite their ongoing woes.
As an avid fan, I will admit that I’ve been very disappointed with the overall results of the first half of the season. The Celtics still have a lot of growing up to do, but I guess that will come with time. Hanging on every game, every shot, every foul, my heart has been broken over and over. The state of Celtics Nation is in disarray at the moment, but hey, let’s look at the bright side: They’re in the Atlantic Division. Things can only get better, right?
Bangor Daily News