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//  Saturday, July 31, 2010

What's Wrong in Boston?

Monday, November 16, 2009
Posted by Matt Swiss

After jumping out to an 8-1, somewhat dominant start, the Boston Celtics have now dropped two in a row, essentially removing themselves from the league’s elite and throwing themselves right back into the mix of mediocrity. 

The Celtics haven’t just lost, however.  They’ve now dropped two straight, to two teams that they are expected to beat.  They’ve lost second half leads and, dare I say it, even look a bit lost down the stretch when they need some veteran leadership.

With guys like Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce, leadership late in games should be the last thing a coach has to worry about.  After falling to the Hawks at home and to the Pacers on the road, however, the Celtics ability to finish a close game is beginning to fall under question.

While it’s certainly too early to panic, Boston’s struggles late in games this season ought to be dissected at least a little before throwing the C’s in the top two or three teams in the league, as it stands in mid-November.  Consider the following:

Boston’s three losses have come at the hands of the Hawks, the Pacers and the Suns.  The three aforementioned teams have compiled a combined record of 21-7.  Two of the three aforementioned teams currently rank atop their respective conference, which makes the Celtics 8-3 record look that much stronger.

Boston’s eight victories, however, have come against teams with a combined record of 27-53.  Of those eight teams that have fallen victim to Boston, only two, Utah and Cleveland, could be considered potential threats come playoff time.  So how dangerous is Boston, really?  Well, there’s more to consider.

Of the Celtics 11 games thus far, seven have been relatively close in the fourth quarter.  The Celtics are 4-3 in those games, beating a potentially dangerous Cleveland team, a depleted Hornets team, a near-winless Timberwolves team, and a very much so winless Nets team.  Cavs? Impressive.  The rest?  Not so much.

The three games the Celts dropped when they had a chance to escape with a W?  Well, we’ve already been over those three victors.  An impressive Suns team, a talented Hawks team, and a “how the heck do you have four wins” Pacers team.

So what do we take from a team that some whispered had a chance to win 70 games this year, and has already lost three games too many if it wishes to get to that level?  Unfortunately for the slumping C’s, there still remains a handful of tough matchups in the near future.

Boston will host Orlando this Friday, Toronto next Friday, and in the following week will have to travel to Miami and San Antonio to take on a rolling Heat team and a dangerous, veteran-filled Spurs team.

Luckily for Doc Rivers and company, Boston has teams like the Warriors, the Knicks and the Bobcats sprinkled in between the aforementioned heavy hitters.  Forgetting about Indiana, Boston has rightfully so fared well to say the least against those lower-tiered teams, as shown by their 8-0 mark against teams with an overall record of 27-53.

Three short weeks into the season is no time to panic, or make false accusations.  Everybody in their right mind knows that Boston will be there at the end.  For now, however, the Celtics late game struggles and somewhat unimpressive resume may be the one thing basketball fans in bean town have to complain about for quite some time.

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