Inability to Close Games: Celtics Blow Another Late Lead, Lose to Lakers
Quickly becoming a theme for this Boston Celtics’ team is their inability to close out games. Two years ago, in their championship season, give the Celtics a lead at halftime, and the team would build upon it in the third and close out the game in the fourth quarter. Even last season and in the playoffs against top teams, the Celtics were able to finish games.
Unfortunately, the Celtics are just 12th in the league in 3rd quarter score margin, and 21st in the league in their 4th quarter margin. On average, the Celtics gain a half a point on their opponents in the third quarter.
Essentially, the team wins the quarter by 0.5 points, on average.
In the fourth quarter, however, the C’s average point differential is -0.5, or they lose the fourth quarter by an average of 0.5 points.
The Celtics are not putting teams away in the third (a point differential of 0.5 points won’t cut it) and are losing ground in the fourth. This team is unable to play with a lead.
Over the past three games (Magic, Hawks and Lakers), the Celtics have lost the fourth quarter by an average of 6.7 points, or 3+ possessions.
Obviously, Kevin Garnett is not yet 100%, which is a major factor for their lack of dominance, but even in previous seasons with KG hurt, the Celtics have been solid at closing out games.
Again, an unfortunate Boston Sports theme is erupting. An inability to close out games when leading. Talk to the Patriots, 66-1 going into this past season with a lead at half, lost seemingly countless games despite leading at the mid point. They lost in a heart-breaker to Indy, and in a game that went into overtime against the Broncos.
And then there are the Red Sox. Of course, there are no half times in baseball, but there were blown leads and scares.
Jonathan Papelbon, despite putting up 38 saves, had a career high in walks and fewest number of strikeouts since his rookie season in 2006.
He seemed to lack his normal dominance, and in the playoffs surrendered his first post season runs and gave up a stunning game three loss against the Angels.
Call it coincidence, but the Sox, C’s and Pats have all had legitimate trouble closing out games. How do you know when you’ve lost a game that was failed to be put away?
You feel it in your heart. After the final play, your heart drops. For instance think about the feeling after the Pats lost to the Giants in the Super Bowl(sorry about that). That same feeling (on a lesser scale) is when you can tell that your team “blew it”.
The parallel between the Celtics and Patriots is undeniable. Both are seemingly in a better position to lose games when holding leads halfway through games.
Statistically this is not true, demonstrated by the teams’ respective win-loss percentages when leading at the half, but there is certainly question in a fan’s mind during a game about whether either team will be able to finish a game.
This is not normal. Not for the Patriots, and certainly not for these Celtics.
Now, back to the Celtics.
Intensity, Passion and Defense: Fixing the Boston Celtics
A common question I hear being tossed around local radio stations and television networks is “Are the Celtics out?” In other words, can the C’s retain the dominance which they had previously held over the NBA, just a few weeks ago?
In a word: yes.
People forget that the Celtics are missing their defensive leader, Kevin Garnett. Atop his absence is Paul Pierce’s injury. Pierce is playing, but his knee still is not 100%, affecting his ability to drive to the basket. Apparent in his play, Paul Pierce’s 1st half performances have been regularly better than his second half performances, as he seems far less explosive in quarters 3 and 4.
This most likely occurs because his knee pains begin to kick in towards the end of games.
Also, fans are forgetting that for a stretch, Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Rasheed Wallace were all out for a few games in early January, contributing to their recent lack of success.
When Kevin Garnett returns on Friday, however, do not expect all problems to magically “disappear” for Boston. KG needs to strengthen his knee before returning to full strength.
The Celtics are a defensive-minded team, and have occasionally reverted to their mindset of “outscore the opponent” rather than “out defend them”. With Garnett back in the lineup, this should certainly change.
Yesterday, against the Mavericks, this problem was brought to the forefront. Dirk Nowitzki scored 37 points, compared to the average of 27 points he had scored against Boston in the big three era.
The main difference? Kevin Garnett was not defending the superstar.
If Dirk had scored even 32 points, this game would have been vastly different.
The Celtics have been lacking energy and strength down late in the 3rd and into the 4th quarter. Why?
Because they have little depth down low without KG, as Rasheed Wallace just returned from his injury.
The Celts have lost 5 games when leading by double-digits over the past few weeks. Guess what? It’s been a few weeks since KG and Pierce played together in the same game. With Garnett’s return should come intensity and a return to the defensive mindset.
In all, the Celtics have missed the defense of KG, and the health of some of their key players, again including Pierce, Rondo, Sheed and Garnett. Despite their recent losses and troubles closing games (like the Pats), Boston is nowhere near a bad position.
The team is still in second place in the Eastern conference, just 2.5 games behind the Cavalier, and with key players returning, should be returning to their normal, dominant selves.
Hopefully, by the time this team plays the Los Angeles Lakers, Pierce will be back at full health along with Rasheed Wallace, and Kevin Garnett’s defensive presence will be felt.
By this time next week, the only significant player the Celtics will need should be Marquis Daniels. With his return could pose even more danger for opposition.
Still burning about the end of the Pats’ season? Check out how they can contend for the Super Bowl next year here: How the Patriots can Contend for the SB Next Year.
New England Patriots: How They Can Contend for the Super Bowl Next Season?
After an extremely disappointing loss to the Baltimore Ravens, it is easy to react to the game with a feeling of nothingness and thinking New England needs a complete overhaul.
First, let’s put this game into perspective. The Pats are the best team this decade, and are the first dynasty of this new millennium. They played a bad game, and this one loss does not characterize the Patriots’ dynasties.
I’m not going to spend time discussing the game, because in all honesty, there really isn’t much to discuss.
Tom Brady played a terrible game, the wide receivers played a bad game, the defense was laid out to dry, constantly trying to stop the Ravens from their own 30 yard line, and the special teams were sporadically good (some good returns but awful coverage).
That pretty much sums it up.
Brady couldn’t make a pass, and you have to wonder how much of his performance was injury related, as he was throwing ducks throughout the game, unable to zip the ball with a tight spiral consistently. If he did have a broken index finger, that would certainly play a role in his throws.
Randy Moss didn’t have a great game, but he did have a few catches for first downs, and he too was apparently banged up (knees and back).
I am not going to sit here and make excuses for New England. They came out flat and trying to look for a single play which sums up the game would be difficult, because there were so many (key word here) BAD plays by the Pats.
So, after a truly pathetic game, what are some keys which the Patriots need to fix going into next season to go back and contend for the Super Bowl.
In my opinion, these are the key areas the Pats need to focus on:
- Finding a pass rusher/OLB
- Brady coming back healthy
- Receivers playing well potentially without Welker
- The right side of the Patriot line (consistent ground game)
- Defensive cohesiveness/experience
- Coordinators
I know it seems like a lot to handle, but some of these things are expected to happen (Brady’s health early on and the receivers playing well). I think Edelman will continue to develop, and the right side of the line can be bolstered if Sebastian Vollmer plays at the level which we’ve seen him play at (against Dwight Freeney). The defensive cohesiveness just takes time and working together.
One of the most pressing issue that New England faces is finding a player who can rush a quarterback with consistency. Tully Banta-Cain is not a great player, but he is the Patriot’s best pass rusher. He should be a role player on this team, playing in obvious passing situations.
Next year, with their first round mid-twenty pick, they need to draft a pass rusher. Obviously, if they find a guy who they think fits their system, they may look in the second round for that type player.
Preferably, they will draft a linebacker early, because other than Jerod Mayo and maybe Gary Guyton, the Patriot ‘backers are lacking. Adalius Thomas probably won’t be back next year, and Tully Banta-Cain is a good 5th or 6th linebacker.
I do think Derrick Burgess can make an impact if he stays, but he is more of a pass rushing specialist, as he is not the same stud he was earlier in his career.
So, the Patriots should try to find an outside linebacker, because at this point Mayo is great and Gary Guyton is a solid player. Guyton developed with Mayo’s absence, and he has the physical qualities (speed and strength) to have reasonable success.
Secondly, they need to find a way to develop consistency on the ground. I still have faith in Laurence Maroney to average 3.9-4.1 yards per carry and I am willing to give him one more year to be the player we thought we were getting when he was drafted.
Welker is most likely going to be out in the beginning of the season with his knee injury (depending on recovery time his return could even be late in the year). With Welker out, the Pats cannot use those 4-12 yard passes as a running game. I think this might come from a new player on the right side of the O-line.
Nick Kaczur is an okay player, and Stephen Neal, although a great player, is well out of his prime and at this point thinking about retirement. The Pats should be able to find their RG or RT with success, as they have had success drafting linemen in the past.
Next season, Sebastian Vollmer might see more snaps instead of Kaczur, depending on their performances in training camps and pre-season.
Boston Red Sox Infield: All Decade Team
First Base: Kevin Youkilis. Youk has been an integral part of this team since the 2004 season, and has consistently been considered as an MVP candidate. He is one of the best defensive first baseman in Major League history, works pitchers and gets on base. Youk also succeeds in driving in runs, and he plays with immense passion. Kevin Millar was certainly a great clubhouse presence and a solid player, but Youk simply is one of the best first baseman in the league.
Second Base: Dustin Pedroia. Yes, PD has only had 3 years in the league, but compared to the other Sox’ second baseman, he is by far the best. Todd Walker was a solid player early in the decade, but was not nearly the offensive or defensive player Pedroia is. Mark Bellhorn, the 2B for the ‘04 World Series was also a strike out king (not good) and an okay defensive player. He came up with the occassional big hit, but struck out too often to be a great hitter. Mark Loretta was good, but he was only here for a short period of time, and Pedroia’s numbers are far better than his. Nevertheless, PD is a solid choice for the Sox’, and has a bright future ahead of him, already winning rookie of the year and an MVP award.
Short Stop: Nomar Garciaparra. He is the only one who spent more than two seasons as a short stop with the team while producing numbers. Orlando Cabrera would certainly be a healthy pick, but he was not with the team long enough, Alex Gonzalez never was the offensive player Nomar was, and Jed Lowrie has really not proven himself at all. Gonzo is certainly a potential pick, but Garciaparra was with the team longer and simply was a better player (despite shaky defense at times).
Third Base: Mike Lowell. To me, it was between Bill Mueller and Lowell. Mueller did win a batting title, but Mike Lowell Has been a maniac since joining the Sox, including a World Series MVP. Also, Lowell is a better defensive player than Billy, and regularly drove in more runs.
Catcher: Jason Varitek. Scott Hatteberg and Victor Martinez weren’t with the team long enough, and Jason Varitek is a master at calling games. He has pretty much been the Sox’ catcher throughout the decade, and before age took his bat from him, consistently hit around .270.