Intensity And Energy

[WedmanIsMyHero]

The Celtics best intensity happens when Powe is on the court.  He didn't play last night and so they lacked a spark to come back.  Hollinger ranks Powe as the 22nd player in the league according to Player Efficiency Ratings.  He is up there with all stars and whatnot.  I am not saying he is an all star, but why cut out the minutes of a guy every scrap of data suggests always makes the team better when he is on the court. . . . .

hmmm...Actually, I slept just fine last night after all (until my 5-year old had a a bad dream that is)

No worries here.  This game will be just what the Doc-tor ordered.

"I told the guys after the game that I thought each guy wanted to win the game by themselves, which you can't do," coach Doc Rivers said. "I like the fact that they wanted to win the game. The only way you're going to do that is as a team.

"Even in the end you saw Rajon [Rondo] try to back Mike Bibby down [and got a foul]. That's not what we do, but that's what they all did. Rajon tried to win the game for us. Ray wanted to win the game for us. Paul [Pierce] wanted to win the game for us. But we have to win it as a group and that's how it always has to be."

[Who]

there is NO such thing as an unimportant playoff game...

Sure there is

It doesn't matter if the Celtics win 4-0 or 4-1. They're still going to romp Atlanta. They still have the series won before the games even begin. This is a thoroughly unimportant loss because it has zero consequences.

[Who]

hmmm...Actually, I slept just fine last night after all (until my 5-year old had a a bad dream that is)

No worries here.  This game will be just what the Doc-tor ordered.

"I told the guys after the game that I thought each guy wanted to win the game by themselves, which you can't do," coach Doc Rivers said. "I like the fact that they wanted to win the game. The only way you're going to do that is as a team.

"Even in the end you saw Rajon [Rondo] try to back Mike Bibby down [and got a foul]. That's not what we do, but that's what they all did. Rajon tried to win the game for us. Ray wanted to win the game for us. Paul [Pierce] wanted to win the game for us. But we have to win it as a group and that's how it always has to be."

That's a good quote from Doc. The offensive execution was very poor last night. They continually shot themselves in the foot all night long. There were several times when the Hawks were ready to fold but the C's couldn't string together three baskets. Killed them. There was a shocking lack of easy baskets too, it's not like they're playing a good defensive team here. Especially when Josh Smith is on KG since it limits his help D.

Glad Doc's talking about it. Not just some effort driven defense driven babble, he's talking about offensive execution. Yippee!

[Andy Jick]

there is NO such thing as an unimportant playoff game...

Sure there is

It doesn't matter if the Celtics win 4-0 or 4-1. They're still going to romp Atlanta. They still have the series won before the games even begin. This is a thoroughly unimportant loss because it has zero consequences.

pure baloney...

[Bahku]

Really, I wish people wouldn't say things like "no problem" ... "it's in the bag" ... "we've got this won" ... that's what some folks were saying at halftime last night, and it's just that kind of fate-tempting statement that gets the results we ended up with in this game.

It's not really superstition, it's just ... why take the chance, ya know? It's the same reason that the Celtics themselves take everything one game at a time. There's just so much in this world that can surprise you, and if there's one thing I've learned, it's never assume anything!

It's great to be positive, and there's nothing wrong with anticipating the best, but that "no chance of it happening" mindset, is the same one that so very often produces the kind of apathy that leaves the door open, just enough, to let the ol' gremlins in.

Let's be happy for where we are: up 2 to 1, and be hopeful for the next game, and the chance to go up by 2. But let's also not be too optimistic, or get too far ahead of ourselves. Let's celebrate the series victory when, and if, it happens, and be thankful for the incredible season we've had to this point.

There's so much less that can go wrong that way!

[Who]

Really, I wish people wouldn't say things like "no problem" ... "it's in the bag" ... "we've got this won" ... that's what some folks were saying at halftime last night, and it's just that kind of fate-tempting statement that gets the results we ended up with in this game.

It's not really superstition, it's just ... why take the chance, ya know? It's the same reason that the Celtics themselves take everything one game at a time. There's just so much in this world that can surprise you, and if there's one thing I've learned, it's never assume anything!

It's great to be positive, and there's nothing wrong with anticipating the best, but that "no chance of it happening" mindset, is the same one that so very often produces the kind of apathy that leaves the door open, just enough, to let the ol' gremlins in.

Let's be happy for where we are: up 2 to 1, and be hopeful for the next game, and the chance to go up by 2. But let's also not be too optimistic, or get too far ahead of ourselves. Let's celebrate the series victory when, and if, it happens, and be thankful for the incredible season we've had to this point.

There's so much less that can go wrong that way!

Relax Bakhu, they only way Atlanta can win this series if Boston play like absolute garbage which was fairly reflective of last night. Atlanta cannot beat this team if Boston give even a mediocre performance, they're simply not good enough. It's not tempting fate, it's just a fact.

It'll be different when they play a quality basketball team. Atlanta are not that. This series was over before it ever begun.

[Bahku]

Really, I wish people wouldn't say things like "no problem" ... "it's in the bag" ... "we've got this won" ... that's what some folks were saying at halftime last night, and it's just that kind of fate-tempting statement that gets the results we ended up with in this game.

It's not really superstition, it's just ... why take the chance, ya know? It's the same reason that the Celtics themselves take everything one game at a time. There's just so much in this world that can surprise you, and if there's one thing I've learned, it's never assume anything!

It's great to be positive, and there's nothing wrong with anticipating the best, but that "no chance of it happening" mindset, is the same one that so very often produces the kind of apathy that leaves the door open, just enough, to let the ol' gremlins in.

Let's be happy for where we are: up 2 to 1, and be hopeful for the next game, and the chance to go up by 2. But let's also not be too optimistic, or get too far ahead of ourselves. Let's celebrate the series victory when, and if, it happens, and be thankful for the incredible season we've had to this point.

There's so much less that can go wrong that way!

Relax Bakhu, they only way Atlanta can win this series if Boston play like absolute garbage which was fairly reflective of last night. Atlanta cannot beat this team if Boston give even a mediocre performance, they're simply not good enough. It's not tempting fate, it's just a fact.

It'll be different when they play a quality basketball team. Atlanta are not that. This series was over before it ever begun.

I'm very relaxed, thanks ... and I'll still take it a game at a time. I understand your point, and I am as confident as anyone about the ability of the Celtics to beat Atlanta. I just feel better about approaching it from the side of caution, (like the team does), and I see no problem in that.

[drza44]

Re: Celtics regular season intensity

I often think in math terms, so I hope my point comes across.  While I agree that the Celtics generally played at a higher intensity level than there opponents during the season, I don't think they maxed out more than a handful of times throughout the year.  I look at it like this: against poor teams the Celts seemed to be at about 75%, against solid teams about 85%, and in the prove-themselves games (i.e. Pistons, Texas triangle, late Hornets/Suns games) up around 95% or higher.  The thing is, most teams play at lower levels than that most nights, so the Celts generally had an advantage there most nights except for the big games.  Most of the Cs' losses this year were the counterexamples, when the team that they were facing seemed more "up" than they were for the night (i.e. Bobcats, Wizards losses, Jazz loss, Hornets loss to name a few).

The Hawks game Saturday night was a clear example to me of the Celts playing at about 80% and the Hawks maxing out at 100%.  The thing that bothers me most in the big scheme of things is that, by showing the young Hawks that they can win if they play at that level, the Celts have pretty much ensured that they get another one of those 100% efforts from the Hawks tonight.  Whereas if they'd taken care of business Saturday they could have taken Atlanta's wind away and ended it easily tonight. 

The other thing that bothers me is that there isn't a lot of upside for the Celtics in this series.  If they win, they were supposed to.  Even if it is lopsided, it was expected.  On the other hand, any positive that Atlanta brings is considered a big negative for the Cs.  It makes this whole series less fun for me as a fan, and I wonder if the Celtics players feel the same way.  I hope that they just come out professional and focused and take care of business to go ahead and get this series out of the way in the next 2 games.

[Who]

drza44,

It's not that I think they maxed out or wasted energy in the regular season. It's just that I didn't really think about how highly the opposition were going to raise theirs in the playoffs.

During the regular season the Celtics played at a higher level of intensity (or whatever word one wants like that) than everyone else and on a nightly basis it gave them a big advantage. Well the opposition in the playoffs are going to negate a lot/sometimes all/sometimes beat the C's with their own intensity during the playoffs ... taking away a huge part of what was an advantage they relied heavily on during the season.

Just didn't think about. Just got used to watching them outwork and outwant teams. Suprised me. Just didn't think on it before.

It's going to have a big effect on what we saw during the season.

[drza44]

drza44,

It's not that I think they maxed out or wasted energy in the regular season. It's just that I didn't really think about how highly the opposition were going to raise theirs in the playoffs.

During the regular season the Celtics played at a higher level of intensity (or whatever word one wants like that) than everyone else and on a nightly basis it gave them a big advantage. Well the opposition in the playoffs are going to negate a lot/sometimes all/sometimes beat the C's with their own intensity during the playoffs ... taking away a huge part of what was an advantage they relied heavily on during the season.

Just didn't think about. Just got used to watching them outwork and outwant teams. Suprised me. Just didn't think on it before.

It's going to have a big effect on what we saw during the season.

I was with you on your point, I just disagree slightly on the relative difference.  And maybe I didn't do a good job focusing my point in my last post.  I do think the Celtics played at a consistently (relatively) high intensity level during the season, and that this was an advantage in mopping up the lesser teams in the league.  The fact that they only lost two games to teams under .500 in the year spoke to them consistently staying focused and intense enough to take care of business, whereas many of the other top teams lost concentration and/or effort vs. the bottom feeders.

But against the better teams, I didn't notice a major effort disparity.  From my viewpoint, when they played the good teams in the league both sides played at higher levels than they normally played it.  For instance, I saw more intensity from both sides of the Celtics/Pistons regular season matchups than either side has displayed in their current playoff matchups.  That was why there were so many articles/analyses during the year pointing out that the Celts were the marked team in the league, the one for whom their opponents routinely got up to play.  If anything, it sometimes seemed like a DIS-advantage to the Celts when their good opponents really got up for a game that the Celts didn't (i.e. the first Hornets game, the 2nd Jazz game, the Wizards games, etc.).

That's why I say that while, yes, I do expect the opponents to generally play at a higher level than they did during the season, I think that the Celtics also had just as much room to ramp it up as their opponents.  Against the Hawks on Saturday Atlanta revved it up while the Celts stayed in the 75% speed that was good enough to handle much of the regular season.  But I think that against the better teams both sides will ramp up at a similar rate, and I'm really hoping that the Celts start preparing for that by getting up for tonight and getting the Hawks out of the way.

[Who]

drza44,

It's not that I think they maxed out or wasted energy in the regular season. It's just that I didn't really think about how highly the opposition were going to raise theirs in the playoffs.

During the regular season the Celtics played at a higher level of intensity (or whatever word one wants like that) than everyone else and on a nightly basis it gave them a big advantage. Well the opposition in the playoffs are going to negate a lot/sometimes all/sometimes beat the C's with their own intensity during the playoffs ... taking away a huge part of what was an advantage they relied heavily on during the season.

Just didn't think about. Just got used to watching them outwork and outwant teams. Suprised me. Just didn't think on it before.

It's going to have a big effect on what we saw during the season.

I was with you on your point, I just disagree slightly on the relative difference.  And maybe I didn't do a good job focusing my point in my last post.  I do think the Celtics played at a consistently (relatively) high intensity level during the season, and that this was an advantage in mopping up the lesser teams in the league.  The fact that they only lost two games to teams under .500 in the year spoke to them consistently staying focused and intense enough to take care of business, whereas many of the other top teams lost concentration and/or effort vs. the bottom feeders.

But against the better teams, I didn't notice a major effort disparity.  From my viewpoint, when they played the good teams in the league both sides played at higher levels than they normally played it.  For instance, I saw more intensity from both sides of the Celtics/Pistons regular season matchups than either side has displayed in their current playoff matchups.  That was why there were so many articles/analyses during the year pointing out that the Celts were the marked team in the league, the one for whom their opponents routinely got up to play.  If anything, it sometimes seemed like a DIS-advantage to the Celts when their good opponents really got up for a game that the Celts didn't (i.e. the first Hornets game, the 2nd Jazz game, the Wizards games, etc.).

That's why I say that while, yes, I do expect the opponents to generally play at a higher level than they did during the season, I think that the Celtics also had just as much room to ramp it up as their opponents.  Against the Hawks on Saturday Atlanta revved it up while the Celts stayed in the 75% speed that was good enough to handle much of the regular season.  But I think that against the better teams both sides will ramp up at a similar rate, and I'm really hoping that the Celts start preparing for that by getting up for tonight and getting the Hawks out of the way.

Ah I misunderstood you, that's a very good point. The better teams did play at a very high effort level against the C's. They seemed to enjoy the challenge and rose to fairly high levels of intensity when playing against the Celtics.

Not so sure about the C's room to vamp up though. I think they were just about as high as they could go. Their execution while playing at those heights has large room for improvement though.