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“We had WWE around here,” said Sullinger, who, due to a sprained ankle, actually sat out the session. “Everybody was playing physical. I seen a lot of body slamming, a lot of clotheslining. Guys were playing physical. That’s what we like.”
After Saturday’s loss to Washington, Sullinger said opponents consider the Celtics “sweet” and “soft. And, well, yeah. Opponents probably do consider the Celtics sweet and soft. They have surrendered more points in the paint than any team but Minnesota. They draw free throws less frequently than every team but four (the Blazers, Magic and Knicks). They certainly don’t abide by the “no layups” rule. Their toughest player might be a rookie point guard, Marcus Smart. If Monday’s practice looked like a WWE event, Monday’s practice was unlike any game this season.
If Monday’s practice looked like a WWE event, though, the mentality might help Wednesday when DeMarcus Cousins comes to town. Stevens and Sullinger both offered the expected praise for Sacramento’s stud big man, who has become arguably the world’s greatest low-post threat.
I’m an old school guy. I’m of the belief that if someone is killing and constantly getting to the hoop, then someone on that team needs to step up and let it be known that future trips to the hoop will carry a certain toll. I’m not talking about elbows or injury… I’m just talking about a good, hard, body to body attempt at blocking the shot… as in you don’t exactly go straight up.
Ya dig?
The hard foul is a lost art in today’s NBA as guys don’t seem to take losses quite as personally. And maybe those who do are deemed hot heads. But a few physical warning shots and the reputation of a willingness to put an opponent on his ass is definitely a deterrent. As much as most guys want to beat their chests about being tough, a lot of them would really rather stay on their feet.
Sometimes you just gotta play mad, and stay mad. It’s that “asshole” mentality that KG has to the millionth degree (the one he wanted Jeff Green to have)… which is also the one the Celtics need to display a lot more often.
Part of why I like Sullinger is he shares a bit of that old school mentality. I haven’t really seen him lay anyone out, though. And for a guy who likes to get a little physical, he does like to hang around the 3-point line a lot… so he’s still a new-school player. But I like that he likes to mix it up a bit too.
Young teams like the Celtics need to rely on intangibles to be competitive. They need to excel at things besides proper execution of plays. They need to win the hustle plays. They need to run hard on every break. They need to create an identity that everyone buys into.
If the Celtics are going to be physical, they need to do it every day, all day. They need to hit the weight room and prepare for it, and they need to go out there and do it every night. They can’t turn it on or off. At this stage of their development, they need to take advantage of their depth, and just run guys in and out of there and do all the little things to make up for their biggest weakness… a general lack of overall skill.
So it’s nice that practice went WWE one day. With Boogie Cousins a few hours away from taking the court (and Sully himself a question mark for the matinée), they’re going to need all the steel chairs, blind refs, and chair shots they can muster. I’m even willing to give Mike Gorman the night off let Jim Ross call the game.
“MA GODDD MA GODDD… THAT’S PAUL PIERCE’S MUSIC… WHAT’S HE DOING HERE??”
I’d love for the Celtics to be the more physical team on a nightly basis. This is a nice start, but it’s just a start. If this is who they want to be, they need to buy in and become it.
The rest of the links
Herald: Cousins poses big test | CSNNE: Celtics have hand full with Cousins | Bold predictions for the 2015 Boston Celtics | Thornton expected to be available | ESPN Boston: Sullinger (ankle) uncertain, Thornton (calf) hopeful vs. Kings | WEEI: Just how badly to Rondo want out?
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