Celtics Hit All Time Low in Loss to the Lakers

Feb 22, 2015; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Wayne Ellington (2) defends Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) in the second half of the game at Staples Center. Lakers won 118-111 in OT. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Just when things were looking as good as they have all season with the great acquisition of Isaiah Thomas, the Boston Celtics hit a new low after losing to the Los Angeles Lakers. The loss itself is sickening but the despair comes from the combination of the loss and news of Jared Sullinger being shut down for the season. Avery Bradley gave the fans all kinds of false hope with his three pointer capping off a 9 point comeback with a minute twenty left to go. Unfortunately, that only adds to the dismay of the fans now that it was all for nothing.

In the large scheme of things a loss may not be the worst thing for the Celtics. The loss of Jared Sullinger makes playoff hopes almost non-existent and this can be considered a win in the tanking standings.

The awful combination of the loss in the game and the loss of Sullinger also highlighted what we already knew was one of the biggest problems for the Celtics and that is a presence in the paint. The Celtics had very little resistance in the paint and no significant force off the boards. Bass and Zeller are solid contributors on offense but have done nothing to suggest they are going to be able to anchor a legitimate defense.

Even with Sullinger in the lineup the Celtics still lack enough to have a defense that can compete for championships. The Celtics need to go after a top free agent centre if they wish to have the kind of defense that will allow them to contend in the east. The Celtics have a lot of young guys that still need to develop. Unfortunately, until they are given enough time to progress they will struggle to defend the paint. The draft will also be a difficult place for the Celtics to find immediate help.The Celtics’ woes in the middle will only continue to be emphasized as there is none available to them that will make a significant difference.

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The one and only good thing that can be taken from the train wreck of a game against the Lakers is the recently acquired Isaiah Thomas. Thomas was the Celtics’ most threatening player all night long and he immediately fit into the offensive system. Thomas was the leading scorer for a large portion of the game and may have been able to salvage a win had he not been ejected for what appeared to be saying “c’mon man”.

Dwelling over how warranted the ejection was will do no good now and that does not take away from Thomas’ great debut. In fact, it will only add to his popularity. Seeing that kind of passion shows the kind of drive in Thomas that the Celtics will need for the rest of the season. As the playoffs go further and further away it will be more and more difficult to keep the players motivated. If Thomas can continue his offensive production and play with the kind of fire that will inspire his teammates he will prove to be a better addition than initially thought.

Here’s a video recap just in case you missed the game! What an exciting end to regulation, to bad we couldn’t pull it out in OT and a loss to the Lakers hurts –

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