By Sean Kennedy
Somebody call Greenpeace because there’s two tankers on a collision course in Boston. Only instead of an oil spill endangering the aquatic wildlife, we’re at risk of sub-par basketball threatening the eyeballs of a hardy viewership. Like the Sixers, the Celtics have been selectively losing this season with an eye toward this summer’s draft and the 2014-15 season and beyond. Boston also owns two first-round draft picks in June, and would currently select at both 4th overall (their own pick) and 18th (the Brooklyn pick from the Pierce/Garnett deal).
With another first-year coach in Brad Stevens also presiding over a bunch of youngsters, the Celtics have lost 6 straight and 11 of their past 12 games. Of course, the Sixers have outdone them, losing 28 of their past 29 games. Boston continues to sit Rondo on back-to-backs, although we did get to hear Rondo in the announcing booth Monday as a result which was a real treat (I say that in all seriousness, he was very insightful). It’s unclear whether he’ll sit out tonight’s game or tomorrow’s against Detroit; Boston has made a habit of sitting him in the more winnable game but those are both awfully winnable. My only question is why the Celtics are still giving significant minutes to Kris Humphries, a veteran on an expiring contract who won’t be part of the team’s future. Sam Hinkie would have released him by now and signed some D-leaguer to play significant minutes in his stead. Maybe the $12 million(!) Humphries is making this season is too hard a pill for Danny Ainge to swallow in a potential release.
In on-the-court action, this is actually a game the Sixers could win. We covered the possibility that Rondo may sit out and Avery Bradley is likely still sidelined with an achilles injury. The Celtics only have two even-average outside shooters in Chris Johnson and Jeff Green; although any team is capable of going off the Sixers’ frantic perimeter defense, Boston is worse-equipped than most to take advantage. Milwaukee isn’t winning enough games at this point to catch Philadelphia so the Sixers are basically locked into the second worst record. So I say unabashedly root for the Sixers to secure the win tonight. After all, if you can’t root with all your might for Boston to lose, what good are sports anyway?
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