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[bfrombleacher]

Yay

Here we come!

[bfrombleacher]

So many positives from tonight's game.

We were playing our worst defense against their best basketball.

Doc has to get it together for this thing to work and I have faith in that.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

Miami is draining jumpers all day. Rotations are slow.

But I'm glad that others can step up, people we least expect. Glad that there's bad blood against the Heay, it'll only help them get motivated for the next games to come. Rondo had a bad yet productive game, it can be and will be better. Paul looked better. Bass is high energy.

 Give it time to gel, the whole team, and we'll be a force.

[ACF]

We'll be We're back.

The O is already there and the D will be soon.

I truly believe we can beat Miami in a seven-game series. We're back.

[Roy H.]

There's a lot to be optimistic about.  The offense played really well.  Pierce looks fully healthy.  Rondo was very good.  The addition of Courtney Lee could be huge. 

KG and Green will be better than they were tonight, and we'll integrate our big men into the game plan more. 

It should be a different game next time these two teams play.

[Jon]

I agree with this sentiment.  The defense didn't show up, plain and simple.  But that will come with time. 

To compound matters, we had trouble working in some of the new pieces like Terry and Sullinger. 

But I was very encouraged by the depth and offensive fire power of this team.  Last year this team needed to get big leads when the starters were in the game to withstand the damage they'd take when the bench players came on.  This year, it's going to be totally different.  We can actually build leads with this bench. 

Give it time.  For all the talk of Miami having new pieces, they really only have Ray and Rashard.  We essentially have Rondo, Piece, KG, Bass, and 6 new guys.  It's going to take us longer than them. 

But I do think if we click on all cylinders, we can beat them. 

[thirstyboots18]

I try not to think...too painful.  I tend to "ruminate."

There has been a lot of consternation about the Celtics start...6 games in we have only 3 wins.  So I started ruminating.

Two of the Celtics key players (Chris Wilcox and Jeff Green) had heart surgery Last Year and missed the whole year of basketball.  They are now trying to regain conditioning, self confidence, and timing to say nothing of ridding themselves of subconscious fears regarding the same.  They will be OK.  I thought they both showed good progress in the last game.

Avery Bradley has not played yet, and won't until at least December...maybe later.

Dooling retired, leaving the Celtics without a back up point guard.

Courtney Lee and Jason Terry are new Celtics...Jason Terry is finding his way into the system.  Lee will follow...his shots will start falling.

Doc is having to start this season switching up his lineups to find combinatins who work to each others strengths.

An yet....we are playing .500 ball.  Not only that, but two of those wins have been the second of back to back games...the games we routinely lost last year, even to lesser teams... when we only missed the finals by one game!  Oh, yeah,  Paul Pierce has found his shot in the last game against Milwaukee, and  Kevin Garnett barked orders, played smart and filled in scoring after the PP/M.Ellis show played out.

You could see signs that the team was coming together during those back-to-backs, when the team had to fight and grind to get the wins.  They were willing to put in the work.  Doc has said that his defensive sets have changed.  The Celtics, as a team, have not had their usual success on the defensive end, but I have little doubt that that is where the most work is being done in practice, and they will master the new schemes...and when Bradley comes back, watch out!

As they come together we know our terrific first team, and a second team that is as strong as when we won the championship.  Then, KG and RA had to fit in with the Celtics.  This time JET, CL, Darko, Barbosa and rookies Sullinger, K. Joseph, and Fab Melo  all have to learn and find their fit, to say nothing about Chris Wilcox and Jeff Green finding their way back.  Fitting AB in later will cause another set of problems...but these are good problems and will only make the team stronger.  I like the idea that we will be getting stronger as the season goes on, have young legs who can help with back to backs, have three potential HoF players on the team, and have a coach that the players respect.

Bring it on!

 

[Evantime34]

Positives from tonight's loss:
1. Bench shows they can create points
2. Barbosa looks like a top flight back up point guard.
3. Although Green did not score much he rebounded better than he normally does and made two very big plays in crunch time.
4. The defense is already starting to progress. At the start of the season they were getting beat off the dribble and help wasn't quick enough to prevent an attempt at the rim. Now help is getting there fast enough to stop penetration not only that but other defenders are rotating quick enough to contest shots after several ball movements. However these ball movements are causing players to be slightly out of position and it's hurting them on the glass. Later in the season when the defensive rotations are even more crisp the rebounding will improve.

[bfrombleacher]

It sucks.

But it's not the end of the world.

6-5

Not amazing.

But it looks like we are figuring and will figure things out.

The bench, for example, has done that a little.

Barbosa is looking to be a legit backup PG.

Doc is managing KG's and Pierce's minutes like Pop is with Duncan's. I don't like smallball but what he's been doing so far is decent. Hell, maybe after tonight's loss there'll be no more 6'9 and under basketball. But don't get me wrong, I have faith in Doc.

And AB's coming back soon.

[Yoki_IsTheName]

I believe that the small ball experiment is over after this game where we are completely got out rebounded. Sign of good things to come for the defense.

[CelticsFan9]

Our defense in the fourth and OT was much improved from the last couple games.  Also, when KG went out, we were still able to stifle the Sixers.

Glad that the guys are picking it up defensively.

[drax]

Our defense in the fourth and OT was much improved from the last couple games.  Also, when KG went out, we were still able to stifle the Sixers.

Glad that the guys are picking it up defensively.

Thats what i thought too, i liked the help defense from our guys. They looked like they trusted each other at all time and that is very important for Celtics defense.

[CelticsFan9]

Pierce is looking great these past two games.  Hope he can put up a similar performance Christmas Day!

[bfrombleacher]

AB coming back after new years!

[azzenfrost]

Lo and behold! Plus effort.