Feb 25, 2013; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Boston Celtics point guard Avery Bradley (0) goes up for a dunk during the first quarter against the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

In a game that should have been a blowout, the Boston Celtics come away with the victory against the Philadelphia 76ers 109-101. This certainly wasn’t the prettiest game this year as the Celtics turned the ball over 22 times. Despite Boston’s sloppy play, they did a lot of good things on both ends of the court. The point distribution was great as five players finished in double-figures including Jordan Crawford who finished with 12 points. Defense was hard to come by, but the Celtics stepped up when they had to and forced the 76ers to turn the ball over 14 times. Tonight’s game could have been put away early if Boston didn’t play so carelessly, but let’s take a look at what they did right.

Avery Bradley was unstoppable on both ends of the floor. He finished with 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. What doesn’t show up on the stat sheet is his defensive play and relentlessly running the fast break to perfection. First, Bradley did a superb job on Jrue Holiday making life miserable for him at times, and forcing him to take contested shots. Holiday did finish with 18 points, but was 6 for 17 from the field and 0 for 3 from the three point line. Bradley also ruined Holiday’s night by continuously running the floor and trying to get out on the fast break as much as possible. Whether it was off a miss or made basket, Bradley looked to run, which allowed the Celtics to get easy shots and made it hard for the 76ers to set up their defense.

Boston’s defense was subpar, at least to their standards. Most of the possessions Philadelphia had in the first half weren’t contested and they got into paint at will. It wasn’t until the latter part of the third quarter that the Celtics’ defensive intensity turned it up a notch. Boston forced the 76ers to take bad shots and only allowed five 3 pointers out of 21 attempts. However, what kept Philadelphia in the game was the second chance opportunities. Boston failed to boxout resulting in fourteen offensive rebounds for the 76ers, and second chance point opportunities. But Philadelphia was unable to keep up with the Celtics offensive firepower, and despite having so many opportunities to score it wasn’t enough.

With the Celtics playing tomorrow against the Indiana Pacers, Doc Rivers did a great job managing the minutes for the veterans tonight. Both Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett played less than 30 minutes, and both scored 18 points in the time that they had played. Pierce nearly had a triple-double, scoring 18 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, and dishing out 7 assists, while going 6 for 10 from the field and shooting 100% beyond the ark knocking down all four of his attempts. Boston will need the same production from Garnett and Pierce if they want to steal a game in Indiana.

Just like last Friday against the Golden State Warriors, tonight was a team win, and they’ll have to tackle every opponent in the same way from here on out. There is a lot that the Celtics can improve on, especially the turnovers, but there are definitely positives they can build on and perfect over the next few weeks. Ball movement, defense, and taking the ball to the hoop propelled Boston to the win tonight, and if they want to beat the Pacers, they’ll have to do the same tomorrow.

Dec 8, 2012; Boston, MA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers point guard Jrue Holiday (11) drives the ball against Boston Celtics power forward Chris Wilcox (44) during the first quarter at the TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Tonight the Boston Celtics take on the struggling Philadelphia 76ers who have fallen off the map in the last few months. A team that was just one game away from the Eastern Conference Finals a year ago, now find themselves on the verge of a collapse as they are seven games behind the Milwaukee Bucks for eighth, and are 2-8 in their last 10 games. Andrew Bynum hasn’t played and probably won’t play this season which has completely dampened Philadelphia’s spirits this year. The loss of key players Andre Igoudala and Lou Williams certainly didn’t help, and instead of being a playoff contender this season, they’ve taken a few steps back in the team’s development. But aside from all that, there is a game tonight, and with the 76ers struggling, the Celtics can’t take this team lightly.

The Celtics have been known to play down to their competition over the last few years, and with the race for higher playoff seeds heating up, they can’t afford to let a winnable game slip away. The 76ers are still a dangerous team despite not having their All-Star center playing this season. Players like Jrue Holiday, Thaddeus Young, and Nick Young all can make life miserable for Boston if they don’t play good defense. Spencer Hawes has wreaked havoc in the past against the Celtics because his length and height allows him to grab rebounds over the smaller Celtics power forwards.

Boston has not won a regular season in Philadelphia since the 2010-2011 season. So what must the Celtics do to end that streak of losses?

They have to push the offensive tempo like they’ve done since Rajon Rondo’s season ended. Boston has at times taken their foot off the gas pedal in games, and without a true point guard on the floor who can set up plays in the backcourt, it would be a huge mistake on their part if they did that tonight. The Celtics can outrun and beat any opponent with the fast-break offense, even younger teams like the 76ers have a hard time keeping up with Boston when they run.

The Celtics also have to play tight defense on Philadelphia’s guards. Jrue Holiday and Nick Young can single-handedly win the game tonight, so Avery Bradley and Courtney Lee will have to keep up with those two, which they most likely will. The 76ers are not a good three point shooting team only hitting 35% of their perimeter shots, so Boston must be prepared for Philadelphia to take the ball to the hoop and draw fouls.

Lastly, tonight is one of those games that Boston must dominate early. Being the first game of a back-to-back, having the starters and key players resting as much as possible tonight would be a plus as the Celtics travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers tomorrow night. Tonight’s game is another opportunity for Jeff Green to take over since Philadelphia doesn’t have a forward who can match Green’s length and athleticism.

The Celtics are a game and a half behind the Atlanta Hawks for 6th in the standings, and two games behind both the Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets. Even though tonight isn’t against an elite team, it’s no less important than if they played a championship contender. Tonight is definitely a winnable game, and it would be a shame if Boston doesn’t capitalize against a subpar team.

Pre-game Update:

Nick Young will not play tonight for the #sixers. #celtics

— gary washburn (@GwashNBAGlobe) March 5, 2013

If the 2009 NBA draft were held over again today, how would it go? I asked a handful of NBA GMs and while they

weren’t unanimous in their orders, certain points became clear: Blake Griffin still would be No. 1, though one GM would’ve taken James Harden in a do-over; Taj Gibson and Jrue Holiday made the biggest leaps; Hasheem Thabeet, Jonny Flynn and Jordan Hill all would’ve fallen out of the top 10. This is slightly different from the one I did for CSN during the Warriors-Celtics telecast, in that I only asked that set of GMs to order the top 10 with Jrue included. I neglected to account for several other lower picks slipping into the top 10. Here is the new and improved order as it would go today, with where they went in ’09 in parentheses: 
1. Blake Griffin (1) 
2. James Harden (3) 
3. Jrue Holiday (17) 
4. Steph Curry (7) 
5. Ricky Rubio (5) 
6. Ty Lawson (18) 
7. Taj Gibson (26) 
8. DeMar DeRozan (9) 
9. Tyreke Evans (4) 
10. Brandon Jennings (10)

-Ric Bucher via Sulia

That is according to NBA GMs.

Jan 11, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Houston Rockets shooting guard James Harden (13) shoots a free throw against the Boston Celtics during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Mark L. Baer-USA TODAY Sports

Here is my top-25, if the draft were re-done:

1) James Harden. Original Selection: 3rd

I think it is James Harden who has the most game-changing talent in the 2009 NBA Draft class. Harden is a multi-threat scorer and is the fourth leading scorer in the NBA this season. His ball handling skills allow Jeremy Lin to acclimate to life in the NBA at a more reactive pace than had he been the No. 1 option, or No. 2, as he would have been prior to the Harden deal.

He’s a far better defensive player than most take notice of, and averages over two steals per game. Harden’s steals ignite a dangerous Rockets team in transition that features the aforementioned Lin, a dynamic scoring forward in Chandler Parsons, an ever-improving big man Omer Asik, and role players like Patrick Patterson and Marcus Morris, the Rockets could make some noise.

I think at that point people will recognize he is a better player than Blake Griffin. And that’s saying a lot; Griffin made the All-Star team his rookie season in the NBA.

2) Blake Griffin. Original Selection: 1st

Blake Griffin missed his entire rookie season due to the fractured patella in his knee. He came back a total monster to win rookie of the year with the next year’s draft class, and he’s the best athlete at the 4-spot in the NBA in a very long time.

His play harkens flashbacks of Shawn Kemp, and his athleticism makes him a crowd-drawing sale.

3) Stephen Curry. Original Selection: 7th

Stephen Curry has become everything the Warriors thought he would be when they sacrificed Monta Ellis to obtain the now-injured Andrew Bogut.

Curry has carried the Warriors down the stretch in very LeBron-like fashion, often accounting for having scored or assisted most Warriors’ baskets in crunch time. With the Warriors thriving, he should make his first All-Star team this season.

Jan 08, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jrue Holiday (11) shoots a jump shot over the defense of Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Johnson (7) during the first quarter at the Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports

4) Jrue Holiday. Original Selection: 17

Jrue Holiday has kept the 76ers relevant without their best player, the newly acquired Andrew Bynum. That’s no small feat. The 76ers traded their only All-Star talent in Andre Iguodala to obtain Bynum, and also lost their sixth man and leading scorer Louis Williams.

Holiday is having a career year, and is the biggest leaper in the draft class, as he went outside of the lottery but is likely a perennial All-Star talent. I see Holiday making at least four All-Star appearances in his career.

5) Brandon Jennings. Original Selection: 10

Brandon Jennings came into the league as a player who would just shoot for the sake of it. But his shot-selection has been refined and he’s flourished with Monta Ellis at his side. Jennings and Ellis are a high scoring backcourt, though undersized. Jennings continues to learn the finer aspects of being an NBA point, and should eventually be the type to post well over 20 points per game.

Last season, Jennings averaged 19.5 per game, and he’s shooting a little less this year, so his scoring average has decreased slightly.

Still, Jennings is hitting 36.9 percent from three and getting up a lot of shots (15.8 per night). He’s likely going to be more featured as time goes on, since Jennings is just a mere 23 years old.

6) Ty Lawson. Original Selection: 18

Ty Lawson has the talent to be a perennial All-Star. He got paid like one this summer, signing a four-year $48 million deal. Lawson has struggled some this season, but is still a great scoring point guard whose potential makes him a cornerstone in the Nuggets franchise.

7) Tyreke Evans, 4th

Tyreke Evans had a great rookie year but has regressed every season since then. He won the 2009-10 Rookie of the Year award after posting 20/5/5, but has been mediocre since becoming only the fourth NBA rookie in history to post such numbers his first NBA season.

8) Taj Gibson, 26th

Taj Gibson didn’t go until the end of the first round, but his defensive talents and hard play make him a lottery selection if these teams had a do-over.

Jan 11, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Ricky Rubio (9) reacts against the New Orleans Hornets during the first quarter of a game at the New Orleans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

9) Ricky Rubio, 5th

Ricky Rubio based on talent alone deserved to go No. 5 overall, but he’s battled injuries. Rubio and the T-Wolves have a bright future, and he could potentially be a “Spanish Steve Nash.”

10) Marcus Thornton, 43rd

Marcus Thornton’s shooting touch and ability to fill it up make him a natural sixth man. He’s started for the Sacramento Kings, but could fill a nice role coming off the bench for a scoring punch on a contending team.

The remainder of the relevant:

11) Jeff Teague, 19th

12) DeMar DeRozan, 9th

13) Darren Collison, 21st

14) Byron Mullens, 24th

15) Eric Maynor, 20th

16) Gerald Henderson, 12th

17) Jodie Meeks, 41st

18) Chase Budinger, 44th

19) Rodrique Beaubois, 25th

20) Jonas Jerebko, 39th

21) Jordan Hill, 8th

22) Tyler Hansbrough, 13th

23) James Johnson, 16th

24) DeJuan Blair, 37th

25) Toney Douglas, 29th