Mar 22, 2013; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks shooting guard Vince Carter (25) drives to the basket past Boston Celtics small forward Paul Pierce (34) during the first half at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Celtics are now 0-2 on their southwest trip after a disheartening loss to the Dallas Mavericks 104-94. Boston came into the game with no energy or urgency and Dallas took advantage of that. There was no boxing out on missed shot attempts, the defense was out of sync, and their was no intensity on either end of the floor. After a disappointing outing in New Orleans on Wednesday night, it was expected that the Celtics would redeem themselves against the Mavericks, but tonight’s lack of effort was much worse than in the previous game. There are many things that Boston didn’t do tonight, so let’s take a look at how they lost to Dallas.

The Celtics failed to boxout on missed shots by the Mavericks. Dallas had 13 offensive boards, but it felt like they had more as Dirk Nowitzki and Brandon Wright crashed the offensive glass with a vengeance which gave the Mavericks multiple second chance opportunities. Even on the offensive end for Boston, there were times when they didn’t position themselves for the rebound. The lack of height is a major problem for the Celtics moving forward. After witnessing the last two games, I am concerned about this team, especially when they face someone in the playoffs who has depth in the front court like the Indiana Pacers.

Boston didn’t push the tempo at all tonight. The Celtics played a half court offense instead for three and a half quarters which hindered their ability to get easy shots in the paint. Without Rajon Rondo, Boston cannot afford to walk the ball up the court, and set up the offense at the top of the key, which is exactly what they did tonight. By not running, Dallas was able to utilize its size down in the paint which resulted in highly contested layups and missed second chance opportunities. As a fan, it’s extremely frustrating to watch this team not execute throughout games, and not pushing the tempo was one of the reasons why Boston’s didn’t come away with a win.

If you thought tonight was bad, the Celtics take on the Memphis Grizzlies tomorrow. If Boston plays like they did tonight, I can assure you that they’ll get blown out by Memphis. Tonight was a golden opportunity for the Celtics to gain some ground on the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks who both lost their previous games. Boston needs to show up and not just for a quarter or a half, but for an entire game. Tonight’s loss was embarrassing. The lack of rebounding, the careless attitude, and no energy was extremely disheartening. We can only hope that the Celtics get out of this fog that they are in and play harder tomorrow than they have in the last two games.

Mar 05, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jason Terry (4) during the second quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Celtics defeated the Sixers 109-101. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Celtics come into tonight’s game after a tough loss in New Orleans against the Hornets. Boston takes on the 32-36 Dallas Mavericks who are three and half games behind the Los Angeles Lakers for eighth in the Western Conference Standings. Dallas will be hungry for a win tonight to stay alive for the last playoff spot, so Boston cannot take this team lightly. The Celtics had no energy in the second half against the Hornets, and to not show up for any stretch tonight could prove fatal in Boston’s chances of securing their first victory on this three game road trip.

What Boston didn’t do right Wednesday can be improved on, but it’s frustrating as a fan to watch them continue to make careless mistakes. For a game like tonight, it’s not how the Celtics can prevent the Mavericks from coming out strong and dominant, it’s what can they do to make sure they don’t defeat themselves. In most of the losses this season for Boston, they have no one to blame but themselves for not executing down the stretch in games. So here are the keys and must do’s for a Celtics victory tonight.

• Boston must box out on rebounds against the Mavericks tonight. On Wednesday the Hornets had eleven offensive rebounds while Boston only managed four offensive rebounds which is unacceptable, especially against a team as bad as New Orleans. In fact, it was the lack of boxing out and securing the rebound which resulted in a game winning tip in by Anthony Davis. To make sure that doesn’t happen again, the Celtics have to keep Chris Kaman and Dirk Nowitzki off the boards and limit their second chance opportunities. If Boston can restrict Dallas from getting into the paint after a missed shot, that’s half the battle.
• The Celtics need to continue pushing the tempo. Too many times in the fourth quarter, Boston went back to the half court offense which hasn’t been successful since Rajon Rondo’s season ended with a torn ACL. When they slow down, so does the offensive efficiency and production. The Mavericks aren’t a young team, so to get out on the fast break as much as possible could give the Celtics an advantage, especially after missed shots by Dallas. With the Celtics, I always think of the saying, “If it isn’t broke, don’t fix it” and that’s why Boston can’t change up their offense halfway through the game.
• The bench has to step up tonight. Against the Hornets, the Celtics bench only scored 17 points, 13 from Jeff Green. Boston must get Jason Terry, Jordan Crawford, and Chris Wilcox involved early and get them in a good rhythm. To rely on the starters to come through and produce most of the Celtics points tonight would play right into Dallas’ hands. The Mavericks are not a deep team so Boston’s bench needs to capitalize on that and continue to attack relentlessly on them.
• Jeff Green is the x-factor. If he stays involved throughout the game, he’ll set the tone for the rest of the bench. In New Orleans he scored 11 points in the first quarter, but only 2 the rest of the game. Tonight, Boston will have to look to him more and make sure he stays relevant, not just in one quarter, but the entire game. The best way to do this is to run plays for him and let him attack the basket. On Wednesday he was in the corner on a majority of the Celtics offensive possessions, and because of that he disappeared for the rest of the game. Green is capable of going off on offense, and if they use him effectively, he could singlehandedly get Boston the win.

The Chicago Bulls lost last night, so Boston is tied for sixth in the Eastern Conference standings. A win tonight would propel them to a half game lead over Chicago, so taking care of business and getting the victory is important. Jason Terry returns to Dallas for the first time since playing for them last season, and I expect him to have a big game tonight. On paper, Boston should get the victory, but there have been many times that they have disappointed. Hopefully tonight is different and the Celtics can get ready for the Memphis Grizzlies tomorrow.

Mar 6, 2013; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce (34) brings the ball up court against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

According to Adrian Wojnarowski, Paul Pierce was nearly sent to the Dallas Mavericks in a three team deal for Josh Smith. The Atlanta Hawks would’ve acquired Brandan Wright, Jae Crowder, and Dahntay Jones in the deal along with a first round pick from the Mavericks and the Boston Celtics.

Here’s what Woj said:

The Boston Celtics were as close to trading Paul Pierce had they ever been last February with a three-team trade that would have seen him dealt to the Dallas Mavericks, according to sources.

The Celtics would have acquired Josh Smith.

The Mavericks would have sent Brandan Wright, Jae Crowder and Dahntay Jones to the Hawks, while also swapping first roudners in the 2013 NBA Draft.

The Hawks also sought a first round pick from the Celtics.

This isn’t the ideal way that Josh Smith was going to be a Celtic, but apparently it was close to happening. This would’ve triggered a bunch of chain reactions along with it. Kevin Garnett would’ve been moved to the Clippers, Jason Terry probably would’ve been moved as well, and the Celtics may not have been in the playoff race still.

A lot of changes were seemingly on the horizon for this team. Were they better for the team’s future? Probably. But as for right now, the Celtics are playing pretty well and I’m sure they have no regrets from not dealing Pierce.