After every game, we'll take stock of how each individual performance affects the player's overall value.
Starters
Rajon Rondo: Rondo gave a ton of effort for all but the last few minutes of the first half… and then none but the last few minutes of the second half. Maybe he was trying to expend as little energy as possible as the C's head into a very difficult stretch of their schedule. There's no doubt though, that he was only turning it on whenever he felt like he had to.
Paul Pierce: 21 points on 8-17 shooting and 8 rebounds in 34 minutes. That's pretty much what we want out of the guy, right?
Avery Bradley: What a game out of Avery last night. He's at his best without the ball and using his quickness to find weak spots in the defense. He smoked Washington with those and got enough confidence going to hit the jumper. He's definitely better off the ball.
Kevin Garnett: KG had another 6 assists last night… his second 6 assist game in his last 3 outings. He's averaging 5 assists a game over his last 5 games. He's just doing everything right now.
Brandon Bass: 7 rebound and 3 blocks to go with his 11 points. On a night where offense was coming from unusual sources, Bass did other things to contribute.
Bench
Keyon Dooling: He actually made a positive contribution for the second straight game. He hit 2 of 4 shots, grabbed a couple of boards, an assist a steal and no turnovers. Let's hope it continues.
Greg Stiemsma: He was huge to start the game. I don't know how he didn't register a block because I could swear I saw one. Regardless, his rebounding is getting better and he's shooting with confidence. He's definitely growing as a player.
Marquis Daniels: Hey, he played hard and made a mostly positive contribution. I'm hoping this is the beginning of more time and a stronger contribution for him… but I know it's not. Still, it's nice to see him out there.
Ryan Hollins: He's confused about a lot of things that are going on out there. One rebound in 13 minutes will not earn him much time, but you can tell he's really trying. The question is, will the effort translate into performance?
JaJuan Johnson, Sasha Pavlovic, E'Twaun Moore
Coaching
Doc Rivers: A lot of this was out of his hands. I still would have liked to see more E'Twaun Moore out there, but it's clear Doc doesn't think he's ready to get any real minutes.
Overall
Cruise control or not, the C's came out strong and built a big enough lead over a bad team that they could sort of take it easy. The upcoming schedule is going to suck, so I understand the switch-flipping more than I would at other times. Any win that ends with the starters on the bench for a good portion of the 4th is a great win in my eyes.
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