Celtics Midseason Report

Heading into the season, the Celtics were the clear cut favorites to win the East. There was even talk about them challenging the record for the best season ever. Those days are long behind us.

While we're admittedly spoiled and thankful that we don't have to root for a team like the Knicks, it's been a frustrating season to be a Celtics fan. After a 23-5 start, the Celtics were coasting, looking like the team many had them made out to be--the cream of the crop.

Recently, the Celtics have been absolutely miserable to watch. Since the Christmas day win against Orlando, the team has gone 9-12 over a 21 game span including the most recent embarrassing loss, a 93-85 defeat at the hands of the New Orleans Hornets who are playing without perennial all-star Chris Paul. Forget best team in the league, right now, the Celtics aren't even the best team in the East. Here's why:

1. The Celtics can't beat the Eastern Conference elite. Against the Cavaliers, Magic, and Hawks, the C's are a dismal 2-7. Pathetic. These are the three teams ahead of the Celtics in the standings, and if the team hopes to make it out of the second round of the playoffs, they're going to have to beat a quality team like one of these.
   


2. The Celtics can't finish games. The Celtics have lost eight games that they've held a double digit lead. This is absolutely astonishing. How can a team that is crafted around savvy vets continue to falter down the stretch? The C's have often gotten outplayed and more importantly outhustled in the second half of games on a consistent basis. If the team continues to have an inability to finish, they'll find themselves going home early again.
   


3. The Injury Bug. Kevin Garnett has missed 11 games to date. He's not as stable as he once was and perhaps the mileage on his legs are catching up. Since returning from a 10 game absence, KG is averaging only 12.4 points per game, hardly earning his "Big Ticket" nickname. KG needs to play like his old self if the team is going to be successful. Paul Pierce has missed seven games this season with knee and foot ailments but hopefully he'll be able to play through his nagging injuries the rest of the way. Marquis Daniels, who was signed to be a cog in the rotation off of the bench, had missed 29 games with a thumb injury before finally just returning.
   


4. Execute, Execute, Execute. The C's are averaging 98.7 points per game this season, 18th in the league. That's not going to cut it for a team who seeks another championship. Another reason the team should be concerned? The C's are second to last in the league in rebounds per game, in front of only the lowly Golden State Warriors who are notorious for not playing defense.
   

So what's next for the reeling Celtics after this All-Star Break?

They open up on a west coast road trip with games at the Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers, and finally end the trip against the Denver Nuggets. An immediate challenge for the team, hopefully they will respond with positive play.

Another thing to keep an eye on is the NBA's trading deadline which is 3 PM on Thursday, February 18th. Danny Ainge is in a precarious situation here as to whether he should do something drastic (trade Ray Allen), or make a minor change (perhaps a point guard or big man off of the bench). With an uncertain economy and an even more uncertain future, many teams are hesitant to pull the trigger on a potential blockbuster. The Celtics must determine whether this core group of players is capable of winning another championship.

With 31 games left in the regular season, the Celtics will try and climb the ladder in the Eastern Conference out of the #4 seed. There's a lot of work to be done in the second half of the year, and hopefully the Celtics can rise to the challenge like we all expected them to do before the season began.