Chris Bosh Returns: The Man or the Myth

On Tuesday night, Chris Bosh returned from the abdominal injury that had sidelined him from the Miami Heat’s last nine playoff games.  Bosh came off the bench, and logged 9 points and 7 rebounds in just 14 minutes of limited playing time.  However, for the third game in a row, the Heat came up short against the resilient veteran Boston Celtics, dropping Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals 94-90.

While the general consensus from ESPN’s analysts seems to be that coach Erik Spoelstra did not play Bosh enough in his first game back, keeping him out of the game for the entire fourth quarter may have actually been one of the better coaching moves he has made over the past three games.  The truth is that Bosh’s impact on the game was a negative one for Miami, and while he still may be playing injured, his lack of defensive presence last night only added insult to injury.

As the head coach, Spoelstra’s job is to put a winning lineup on the floor.  He is not concerned with players’ individual stats, nor most analysts’ naïve obsession with those stats.  Nevertheless, there was one statistic which Spoelstra could not neglect when it came to choosing his lineup down the stretch, and that was the team-low plus/minus rating of -12 for Chris Bosh last night.

Bosh scored all 9 of his points, while pulling down 6 out of his 7 rebounds during the 10 minutes he played in the first half.  He later returned to the lineup with just under 4 minutes to go in the third, playing until the end of the quarter while grabbing just one rebound, and then was sidelined for the rest of the night.  Bosh says he felt healthy enough to keep contributing, but there is good reason for why Spoelstra apparently did not feel that those contributions were very beneficial.

Bosh exerted little to no effort on defense last night, and only appeared to have any energy at all while on offense.  Rondo was not able to effectively penetrate until Bosh’s early minutes, and while the Celtics could not really capitalize on Bosh’s pitiable defensive presence in the first half, Bosh’s return to the lineup in the third sparked an 11-0 run for Boston to finish out the quarter, while jumping out to a 5 point lead.  Kevin Garnett absolutely dominated Bosh in the paint during that time, and even rookie big man Greg Stiemsma was able to contribute down low while Bosh was playing.

Both of these teams pride themselves on tough lockdown defense, so it is no wonder that Spoelstra felt more comfortable finishing out the game without the big man whose defensive presence was virtually nonexistent.  As aforementioned, Bosh only exerted energy on the offensive end, which also explains why 6 out of his 7 rebounds came as offensive boards.  Every time the Celtics missed a shot, Bosh was nowhere to be found, and the Heat were forced to rely on non-big men to pull down the defensive rebounds.

 For Bosh to be effective in this series, he needs to contribute much more than just an ability to score.  The dynamic duo of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade have shown that they can carry the team’s scoring load, and the more shots that Bosh takes, the less shots that they take.  On the offensive end, James dominated in the first half, while Wade was their go-to scorer down the stretch.  Coach Doc Rivers felt that the Celtics merely had to weather the storm until their defensive consistency paid off, and Bosh’s lack of a positive impact helped them to do so, while they simultaneously increased their scoring output in each quarter due to big defensive stops.  While many seem to agree that the Heat could have won if Bosh had played more than 14 minutes, it seems to me that the head coaches are the only ones who were really watching the game.

Diesel Fuels a Boston Comeback

The reason I stressed the importance of putting the Pistons down early is because they feed off of momentum, especially when they're motivated to beat a superior team like the Celtics. Since the C's played casually and without energy for the first three quarters of the game, Detroit kept the game close and actually had an 8 point lead in the fourth quarter. Luckily the Celtics are resilient, and finally showed signs of life in the fourth, sparked by Shaq's hustle on his way to Boston's only double-double in the game. Paul Pierce had a relatively quiet 22 points, but he and Rondo kept the Celtics in it while a 15-27 Pistons' team played hard and appeared to be the better team on the floor for much of the game. However, Shaq's offensive rebounding and dives for loose balls turned the game around in the fourth, as the Celtics had their best quarter with 28 points and Ray Allen made a very clutch long jump shot after a timeout to put the game away after shooting just 1-7 from the field prior to the shot. Had the Celtics just played harder from the start, they would not have had to rely on a fourth quarter comeback and 38 year old Shaq diving to the floor and putting his health on the line in order to beat this mediocre Pistons' team. Perhaps the only guy playing with any energy last night aside from Shaq was his backup, rookie Semih Erden.

Erden may have dropped a pass or two that would have led to easy buckets, but he did manage to pull in four big rebounds and score 6 points on 3-4 shooting in just 17 minutes played. Also, his one miss was a bounding hook shot in which two Pistons were hanging off of him, but the refs refused to call a foul on the play. There is no denying that even though there may be better athletes in the NBA, very few of them have the energy, basketball IQ, and ability to control the paint that Erden does. He loves to contest every shot he can get his hands near, which results in a lot of opposing misses, and Erden boxes out his man, gets rebounds, and throws quick outlet passes to his guards which lead to fast breaks against defenses that are caught off guard. In his 17 minutes, Erden not only managed to score some points and pull down some boards, but also got a block, an assist, and a team high plus/minus rating of +9. The Turkish rookie does all the little things right, and I still love seeing him get opportunities to get on the court.

Give some credit to the Pistons. Even though the Celtics were lacking the energy that typically gets them wins, Rodney Stuckey and Greg Monroe were making some big shots for them, and were truly the difference makers for their team. Tracy McGrady also had a consistent presence on the court with 7 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 steals, but shot just 2-9 from the field. His missed jumpers opened the door for the Celtics' comeback, and had he shot better like he did when they faced off in Detroit three weeks ago, the Pistons probably would have won this game. Detroit played some tight defense in order to hold Boston's high powered offense to just 86 points, and were doing a lot of switching on defense in order to keep Ray Allen from having any open jump shots. Luckily for the Celtics, the Pistons continued to keep their leader and sharp shooter Rip Hamilton benched for this game, even though the Carmelo Anthony trade has allegedly fallen through, which means that Hamilton has missed five consecutive games for no genuine reason. Pistons' coach John Kuester could sure use a lesson from Doc Rivers about the importance of team chemistry.

The Roles of Rookies Semih and Luke

We are almost halfway through the Celtics’ regular season, and despite their 30-9 record which tops the Eastern Conference, it seems like a lot of Celtics fans out there are not happy with the current roster, which currently features a significant amount of minutes played from rookie big men Semih Erden and Luke Harangody. Boston’s first round pick Avery Bradley also still holds a spot on the 15 man active roster, despite being sent down to the D-League this week to play for the Maine Red Claws, not because he’s another hopeless case of first round pick gone bad, but because Doc Rivers wants the kid to get some reps and solid minutes doing what he does best… playing basketball. The Celtics have plenty of veteran guards right now, as well as a sharp-shooting Delonte West returning from his wrist injury in a couple of weeks, so Doc thinks Bradley will benefit more from solid minutes on the Red Claws than riding the bench all season for Boston. Also, Bradley and Harangody, the two “true” rookies, both seemed timid and uncomfortable on the court at first when playing against and alongside NBA stars. However, while Harangody has embraced his amplified role and now looks much more comfortable on the court than he did at the season’s start, Bradley still looked uncomfortable and intimidated on the court for the rare minutes he was given. Don’t completely forget about Avery during his D-League stint. He will be back, as the kid is an incredible athlete, can knock down threes, and throw down dunks like you wouldn’t believe. He may be the quickest guy on the C’s other than Rajon Rondo, and I am still looking forward to seeing the two explosive guards run all over opposing defenses together in the Celtics’ future.

As for Semih Erden, he has looked relatively comfortable from the start, and this can be attributed to his professional play in Turkey and the Euroleague before coming over to play for Boston. After these first 39 games of the season, I have to say that I am not only incredibly happy with the solid play and excellent record of the Celtics, but with their overall roster and development of their rookie players. If this team has managed to stay atop the Eastern Conference even without starting big men Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins, how good are they going to be once all the starters are healthy? Right now it appears that this team is already very good with Shaq starting and the two energetic rooks logging big minutes off the bench for the C’s, and when healthy, this team is only going to get better.

The Celtics do not need to add Rasheed Wallace or alter their roster in any significant way because other than Kevin Garnett, nobody brings more energy to the floor than Erden and Harangody. The two of them are always hustling, and Erden controls the paint, makes smart cuts, and contests every shot, while Harangody sets good picks, plays tight defense, boxes out, and can make his open jumpers. While both guys have a lot of room to improve, they show a lot of heart, hustle, and do all the little things that a coach really wants to see from his rookie players. An important thing to realize about these guys is that they are only getting all these minutes right now because of injuries to Boston’s starters, and they’re going to keep getting better and better with all this experience. And while I realize there are better ways to make a playoff run than with a team stocked with rookies (even though Bill Belichick could convince you otherwise) it is important not to forget that Erden and Harangody are only third-string big men for the C’s. Perkins and KG will return soon enough to the starting lineup, which will send Shaq and Big Baby Davis to the second unit, and then the Celtics will have not only a nearly unstoppable starting lineup, but a bench that can contend with opposing starters all around the league. As long as those guys recover successfully from injury and do not get reinjured, Erden and Harangody’s critics can relax because the rookies’ minutes will practically disappear down the stretch. The worst case scenario is foul trouble or injuries resulting in Erden or Harangody getting back on the court, and if given this opportunity, both of them would absolutely play hard and bring valuable energy to the floor that other guys on the team feed off of, such as Nate Robinson and Glen Davis. Right now this team may be scrappy, but with KG possibly coming back Monday night against Orlando, and Perkins still on the mend, the Eastern Conference leading Celtics will only keep getting better. These rookies play harder than just about everybody, and with each of them having the potential for a double-double every night, and the starting big men soon returning, I still am not feeling the need for Sheed, or any significant change to Boston’s solid roster.

Can They Quiet the Critics?

After consecutive losses to the Bulls and Rockets, the Celtics are taking a lot of heat about not being the championship caliber team everyone thought they'd be at the beginning of the season. Doc Rivers tore into the starters for their uninspired play and apathetic defense after Monday's loss to Houston, and hopefully this inspires them to come out tonight with more energy, and put a beating on the lowly Sacramento Kings in the process. KG is doubtful for the game, but if he does make his comeback tonight, then Doc's harsh words will not be the only thing inspiring the Celtics to show more energy than they have been showing in recent games. Whether or not he returns, Boston needs to play some tight defense, and run their usual offense which revolves around much more than just Big Baby's jump shot. Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, and Shaquille O'Neal should have a field day against Sacramento's inept defenders, as should Boston's second unit against Sacramento's inconsistent bench players. With the Kings losing a 136-133 shootout last night against the Washington Wizards in a game where neither team showed any interest in playing defense, Rondo and the Celtics should be able to pick the Kings apart.

Tyreke Evans is also doubtful for this game, though if he does return from his ankle injury tonight, this will be a big boost for Sacramento's offense as players like Francisco Garcia, Beno Udrih, and DeMarcus Cousins have had to step it up in the absence of Evans, their leading scorer. If Evans doesn't play, Rondo should be able to exploit his explosive tendencies of dribbling, driving, and dishing out assists to tear into the Sacramento's lazy defense. Both Ray Allen and Paul Pierce should have no problem getting good looks both from downtown and inside the paint against defenders who simply cannot guard Boston's all-star wing men. Wizards' shooting guard Nick Young scored 43 points and dropped seven three pointers on Sacramento last night, and unless they try something new on defense, Ray Allen should be able to have a similar night tonight. Also, the young players such as Jason Thompson and DeMarcus Cousins that the Kings use as their starting big men will get outplayed and outmuscled by larger and stronger veterans like Shaq, Jermaine O'Neal, and even Big Baby Davis as long as he uses his size instead of his jump shot as his primary means of scoring. The Celtics will have a mismatch at just about every position, and whether or not Kevin Garnett or Tyreke Evans are on the court tonight, the Celtics have a great opportunity against an inferior team to show Boston's critics that they are still playoff bound, and do not need any dramatic changes to their roster.

What the Celtics need to watch out for is their own attitude on the court, because if they continue to play lethargically on defense and fail to run plays and set picks on offense, Sacramento could surprise them with a scoring surge like the 43 point one they had in the 4th quarter against Washington last night, which sent the game into overtime. They have some young and very athletic play makers, and if the Celtics don't show up on defense, guys like Garcia, Udrih, Eugene Jeter, and Carl Landry could make them pay. Assuming Garnett sits out again tonight, Harangody will need to box out and contain Landry, Sacramento's backup power forward, who scored 23 points last night and should probably be starting for this 8-27 team. Other than Luke's matchup, the Celtics have the edge just about everywhere else, and the only way that they lose tonight is if they beat themselves like they did on Monday against the Rockets. Look for Rondo and Daniels to be the play makers and difference makers in this one, with big contributions from Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. The C's need a big win tonight to show they are still a playoff contender, as well as to silence the critics who think Boston needs some sort of a trade or to reacquire Rasheed Wallace if the Celtics want a legitimate shot at the playoffs.

Run 'em Ragged

The Western Conference leading San Antonio Spurs take on the Eastern Conference leading Celtics tonight in Boston in a matchup that heavily favors the Spurs. The Spurs have an incredible 29-5 record going into tonight, and have been playing quality basketball behind the leadership of Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, and clutch scoring ability of Manu Ginobili. Duncan and DeJuan Blair will be looking to dominate the boards the way the Raptors and Timberwolves did in the Celtics' last couple of games with all-star forward Kevin Garnett out due to a calf injury. Glen Davis needs to play his game and try to be dominant inside the paint the way he did for his entire career, and not hang around the perimeter the way he has so far this season. His jump shot is much improved, but should not be his greatest asset to Boston's offense. His size should be.

When healthy, the Celtics and Spurs play a very similar style of basketball, with a great deal of emphasis on tough physical defense, as well as a commitment to smart conservative play on both sides of the ball. Both teams typically like to slow down the pace of the game, and rely heavily on their stars to win games for them. San Antonio may have a better record, and the edge in this game as Big Baby will absolutely have his hands full dealing with Tim Duncan as Garnett sits out another game... but the Celtics have this guy named Rajon Rondo.

The Celtics like to play a clean and slow paced game, but so do the Spurs, so Rondo needs to quarterback Boston to a faster-than-usual pace to run San Antonio's older star players ragged. San Antonio lost their fifth game of the year last night in a back and forth scoring barrage against the fast-paced New York Knicks, who the Celtics defeated earlier this year. Both the Spurs and Celtics got caught up in the heat of the game and wound up playing New York Knicks style of basketball which features a lot of scoring, and not a lot of defense, however the Celtics were able to keep up and emerged victorious while San Antonio's players became worn out and could not get important baskets down the stretch. If the Celtics can use this to their advantage, meaning that Rondo runs a hurry up offense with quick outlet passes, and drives and dishes to stretch out and exhaust San Antonio's defense, the Spurs' veteran fatigue will absolutely catch up to them. While many of Boston's players are also older veterans, they have truly been energized over the last few games by their younger role players such as Marquis Daniels, Von Wafer, and even Luke Harangody in his ability to help keep Kevin Love's rebounding total below 30 on Monday night. The Celtics are at a disadvantage, but can pull out a win tonight if they can keep the game at a fast pace without turning the ball over excessively, and get some rebounds for a change. Until Garnett returns, or the Celtics can find a way to not get killed on the boards every night, I continue to hope that Doc Rivers lets Semih Erden back on the court for some much needed energy under the hoop.

Making It Look Anything But Easy

The Celtics barely pulled out a win last night against the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves, and were outhustled and outrebounded once again as Boston's big men continued to struggle in the absence of their leader, Kevin Garnett. For the second consecutive game, Boston nearly lost to an inferior team solely because they could not get things done in the paint, allowing Kevin Love to haul in 24 rebounds which is the highest rebound total for any single player in the history of the TD Garden. Glen Davis once again asserted himself as more of a spot-up shooter than as a power forward, as he hung around the perimeter for majority of the game, putting up jump shot after jump shot, and failing to box out Love as he was outrebounded 24-1 in this game. Minnesota seemed to be giving Davis tons of open jumpers, and rightfully so because if Boston is putting up points, I'm sure that opposing teams would much rather have it come in the form of 20-foot jumpers from Big Baby Davis than from the Celtics' style of intricate ball movement, Rondo's dribble penetration, and scoring threats both in the paint and from beyond the three point arc. If the Celtics want any shot tomorrow night when they take on the Western Conference leading San Antonio Spurs, their big men need to get it together.

And when I say that their big men need to get it together, I mean that Von Wafer should not be leading the team in rebounding with 6 in his 16 minutes played, like he did last night. Wafer also led the team with a +16 plus/minus rating, and kept the Celtics in it despite the Wolves leading for majority of the game. However, starting big men Shaquille O'Neal and Big Baby Davis combined for just 3 rebounds last night, and looked extremely sluggish compared to energized Minnesota players such as Love and Darko Milicic. Boston's backup big men outplayed the starters, as Harangody was the only Celtic last night demonstrating an ability to box out his man, and Jermaine O'Neal played some solid defense with 4 very big blocks. It is clear that without KG, energy in the paint has diminished for Boston, and they will not be able to beat quality teams like the Spurs without playing tougher down low. Doc Rivers obviously realizes that this vital energy is currently lacking without Garnett, but he needs to realize that there are other options.

It may lead to some frustrating fouls and and-1 opportunities, but the tough play and energy of Semih Erden is unmatched by any other player on the Celtics. When Jermaine O'Neal was injured, Erden logged some quality minutes and proved that when he is on the court, he likes to dominate the paint. He contests every shot, boxes out his man, and always hustles. Boston has looked incredibly weak down low ever since Garnett went down with his calf injury, and Doc needs to start playing Erden more unless he wants the Celtics to get outrebounded every game until Garnett returns. Doc seems to have a commitment to keeping players at their "position," which is why Erden could fill in for the O'Neals but not for KG. However, big men are big men and the ones that will play tough defense and help win the rebounding battle are the ones that belong on the court. Harangody plays tough, but just does not have the presence on the court that Erden does, and plays much more like a timid rookie than the energetic and confident Erden. Also, Jermaine O'Neal used to be a power forward! He made all-star appearances as a power forward! So what makes Doc think that he can't put Jermaine and Erden on the court together at the same time? The last few games have made me miss Semih, his tough defense, the double picks they ran with him and Glen Davis, and with Boston getting beat up in the paint night in and night out without Kevin Garnett, I think Semih deserves a chance to get back on the court.

Defense Wins Championships

A big game for the Celtics tonight, but an even bigger one for the Knicks when they face off at Madison Square Garden at 7 pm. The two hottest teams in not just the Atlantic division, but in the Eastern Conference are a combined 19-1 in their last twenty games and the Celtics will be looking to push their win streak to 11 games. Amare Stoudemire has scored 30+ points in eight consecutive games, however the key to this game will be Stoudemire's defense, as well as the pace of the game.

The Knicks and Celtics have opposite mindsets on the court, and sport opposite strategies as the Knicks love to points up as many points as fast as possible in an attempt to outrun and outscore their opponent, while the Celtics are mainly dedicated to defense and a smooth, organized, steady paced offense. The Knicks are young, extremely athletic, and stacked with offensively talented players who can all take on the scoring load when given the opportunity. The Celtics are stacked with all-star veterans who are all playing great right now due to their tough consistent defense, and explosive playmaking ability of Rajon Rondo. All eyes will be on the surging Knicks to see if they can keep their winning streak alive against Boston's Eastern Conference Champs, and prove that they could still be near the top of the conference come playoff time. Carmelo's eyes certainly will be.

The Celtics need to set the pace for this game, and make sure that their focus is to score more points than the Knicks rather than scoring as many points as possible. The Knicks outran and outplayed many mediocre teams with their ability to put up points in bunches, with huge performances from players like Stoudemire, Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler, and rookie Landry Fields. Their most recent victory against Carmelo Anthony and the Nuggets proved that they can even beat playoff teams when they get into big scoring battles, and made Carmelo express interest in joining the Knicks after the high scoring game, which featured 254 points. However, unlike the Nuggets, Boston's veterans as well as Rajon Rondo will slow down the pace of this game in order to run their offense effectively, as well as to prevent New York from scoring over 100 points.

The Knicks will be gunning to score, and Amare will be looking to put up 30 for the ninth consecutive game. However, even if he does, the Celtics should come out on top for this one because they will be able attack the dismal defense that is the New York Knicks' from so many different angles. This game is largely a display of great offense vs. great defense, and anyone playing for Doc Rivers will be the first to tell you that defense wins championships. The Celtics really just need to go out and execute the way they do every night, slow down New York's offense, and attack the paint on offense. The Knicks often let their opponents score practically at will in the hopes that they can make it up on the offensive end, and Boston should be able to take advantage behind the playmaking of Rondo, and scoring ability of the Big Three. The Garnett-Stoudemire matchup should be interesting, and I expect both to put up a lot of points as Stoudemire is too explosive for Garnett to single-handedly contain, and Stoudemire does not play enough defense for Garnett to not take advantage of. Keep an eye on Semih Erden in the middle, who will probably be helping out a lot on Stoudemire. Erden plays extremely tough, contests every shot, and is great at making his presence known in the paint. With Erden starting at center last game, the Bobcats only put up 62 points against the Celtics, and Erden played 40 solid minutes with 4 blocks and a game-high plus/minus of +34. If Amare's point streak ends tonight, it will be largely because of Erden's tough play and ability to contest nearly every shot in the paint. In this battle of offense and defense, the Celtics' tough veteran defense should prevail, while their offense will have no problem putting up points against the Knicks.