Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big storyline. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
The 106-100 loss to the Sixers on Friday night was yet another game in which Green’s impact was for the most part, non-existent. In about 18 minutes, Green had four points on 1-for-5 shooting along with four rebounds and one blocked shot.
But the versatility that the Celtics (2-3) have been banking on him to provide, has not shined through just yet. There are occasional flashes of him being the player that the Celtics coveted, but those moments are too few and too far between.
A visibly disappointed Green has been through so many ups and downs the past year, it’s hard to imagine that a string of not-so-stellar games will dampen his spirits too much.
That said, it’s pretty obvious that his own personal struggles on the floor coupled with the Celtics underwhelming performances is starting to get to him.
“I’m not frustrated,” he said after the loss. “It’s only five games in. I’m not frustrated.”
I’m not sure what’s more depressing; watching this team play or watching Jeff Green in that interview.
Green can say he’s not frustrated and say it’s only five games into the season, but he clearly looks like a broken and beaten man.
It’s not all about Green. The Celtics, as a team, are a mess when Kevin Garnett leaves the court:
“Nothing’s happening right [without Garnett],” guard Rajon Rondo said. “Just chaos. Just got to do a better job when Kevin’s off the floor . . . When Kevin’s going out, things change, and the past couple games it’s carrying over. We’ve got to take the challenge as a team and find a way to stop those type of runs.”
We all know giving up 106 points to the 76ers is unacceptable. The big problem with the defense comes in transition:
“When I look at this game, if I had to point out one thing that’s a major concern for us and has been these last five games, it’s probably our transition defense,” saidPaul Pierce [stats]. “That’s the No. 1 thing right now. We look up and, you know, we’re playing well I think half court-wise. But when you give teams that many layups in transition, it’s really disturbing, so that’s one thing we’ve got to look at the film and address that. If we can do a better job of getting back on defense and limit those easy opportunities, then we give ourselves a better chance.”
I don’t know what the hell is going in with this team. It’s the perfect storm of new players, new rotations, lack of urgency, offensive and defensive execution. Everything that could go wrong, is going wrong.
The rest of the links:
ESPN Boston – What to do w/o KG | Celtics defense becomes a sieve | CSNNE – Rondo: More talk needed on defense | Herald – Not the best defense | Frustration keeps building for Green |
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