Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big story line. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
The Celtics were expected to be amongst the elite teams in the Eastern Conference, yet they have not proven, with or without Thomas, the ability to close games. So without the more prominent threat to get to the free throw line and score late buckets, the Celtics faltered again with a lead Sunday against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Chesapeake Arena.
Staked with an 8-point lead with 6:07 left, the Celtics proceeded to miss 10 of their final 14 shots in crunch time and watched as do-everything guard Russell Westbrook rocket-fueled a late rally for a 99-96 Oklahoma City win. Westbrook scored 8 of the Thunder’s final10 points in the final 2:49, catching and passing the Celtics, who led for a majority of the game.
The Celtics led the entire second half, but after the Thunder reclaimed the lead off an athletic Russell Westbrook finish with 30 seconds to play, they never looked back. This problematic trend of squandering late game situations and not being able to maintain fourth quarter leads has plagued the Celtics throughout the first quarter of the season.
As Washburn mentions in his piece, Westbrook torched the Celtics for eight points in the final three minutes. Boston was forced to play the three guard lineup of Smart, Bradley, and Rozier after Jae Crowder fouled out with 3:19 remaining. His absence undoubtedly opened up driving lanes and hurt the Celtics chances of containing OKC’s superstar guard.
The Celtics made only five free throws (on eight attempts), a season low. The team also drew a season-low nine fouls — Tommy may not have contained himself had he been on the broadcast. Isaiah’s presence as a penetrator and free throw generator was certainly missed.
Page 2: Late Game Troubles
The Celtics are 8-7 this season in what the NBA defines as “clutch” games — the score within five points in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter. That .533 winning percentage lands Boston in the middle of the NBA pack.
But a closer look reveals a more troubling trend, one that has been hammered home in the recent losses to the Thunder, Raptors and Houston Rockets. Boston’s eight clutch wins have come against Brooklyn, Chicago, Indiana, Dallas, Detroit, Minnesota, Sacramento and Philadelphia — opponents with a combined winning percentage of .344 (56-107). In addition to the three losses this week, Boston’s clutch defeats also included Chicago, along with New Orleans, San Antonio and Detroit — teams with a combined winning percentage of .595 (100-68).
That the Celtics have yet to produce a signature win is not news in these parts. It has been the dominant storyline in Boston this week — well, besides a quick detour when some foolishly wondered if the Celtics were better without Isaiah Thomas, after the team put together a rare 48-minute effort in a lopsided win over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.
ESPN:
The lack of late-game success against the Raptors and Thunder quieted any emerging takes on how the Celtics might be better without Isaiah Thomas. They may have won both games had Isaiah been around to provide his fourth quarter scoring, as his clutch scoring output ranks fourth in the league (per nbaminer.com).
With our without our all-star point guard, the team has struggled to defeat quality opponents in late-game situations. Two seasons ago, the Celtics had the league on notice after a strong late-season playoff push highlighted by a string of buzzer-beating wins. A frustrated Marcus Smart proclaimed, “Words can’t even explain it with this one.” While the Celtics expect to be mentioned with the NBA’s elite teams, the lack of fourth quarter execution against these teams will diminish their status.
It’s difficult to point to a “signature win” for the 2016-2017 Celtics. Some might say it was one of early season victories against the Hornets or Bulls. Others will claim the team looked most impressive during their 30 point domination of the Magic last week. But without victories against the eastern or western conference elite, the “signature win” box remains unchecked.
Page 3: The Bigger Picture
While it is still early in the season, it’s probably fair to say that the team has started off a bit more slowly that many have predicted. And as we look ahead to the future in Boston—both this season and beyond—it’s important to understand that the Celtics won’t truly become a conference contender unless Danny Ainge manages to acquire an All-NBA level talent.
Say what you want about the Celtics and their scrappiness and ability to compete, the NBA always is and always will be a superstar’s league. Over the past 10 years, of the 22 conference champions that have been crowned, only two—the 2007 Cleveland Cavaliers and 2009 Orlando Magic—bucked the familiar trend of requiring multiple Hall-of-Fame talents on the roster.
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In other words, Ainge has a treasure trove of assets at his disposal and, as usual, will be ready to pounce if and when a superstar becomes available. After having traded both Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce in the past, it would be foolish to think that he is married to any of the players on the current roster.
Truth be told, it would be equally foolish to think that the Celtics, as currently constructed, will have an opportunity to be anything more than a marginal Eastern Conference team.
It’s easy to forget the Celtics have exceeded expectations throughout their rebuild. This is now the fourth year of the post Pierce/Garnett era, and while the Celtics are one of the better teams in the eastern conference, the roster is far from where Danny Ainge ultimately wants it to be.
The team will not sacrifice cap flexibility for the opportunity to win short-term. The “cap consciousness” can be traced to moves such as the team not picking up James Young’s fourth year team option and the front office choosing Tyler Zeller over Jared Sullinger because of Zeller’s willingness to accept a non-guaranteed second year.
Danny will sit on the cap space and Brooklyn picks until they can sign or trade for a superstar player. Celtics fans are clamoring for a roster enhancement, or more specifically, a big-man who can help the team’s rebounding and interior defense. They might add that sort of player if the contract fits into Boston’s long-term planning, but the team will not jeopardize future flexibility to do so.
The Rest of the Links:
Mass Live:
Smart, Celtics fed up with late game struggles
Donovan shares love for Al Horford
Boston Herald:
Celtics let Thunder roar back for victory
Bomb scare leaves team reflective
CSNNE:
Crowder fouling out a big blow to Celtics
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