Celtics Have a lot of Work to do Before the Playoffs

The playoffs are right around the corner, yet Boston doesn’t look anywhere near ready

This isn’t what most Celtics’ fans want to be reading leading up to the playoffs. Especially not after their big win over the Golden State Warriors last week, or the fact that three of their last three games are against the three teams they’re fighting for playoff seeding with. However, right now, the Boston Celtics are battling for home-court advantage but look nowhere near ready for the playoffs to start.

After being the first team to beat the Warriors in Oracle Arena in over a year, it seems crazy to think that this team is anything but playoff ready. While defeating Golden State in an impressive fashion is more than impressive, it doesn’t negate the way they played over the past two games.

Two should have been cake walk games against the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans turned into games where the Celtics had to fight until the closing minutes. Lack of focus throughout most of the game highlighted these past two wins. And while wins are wins at this point, it’s impossible not to watch last night’s game without any kind of frustration.

The Celtics were able to escape for their second straight seven-point victory, however, it was quite the letdown considering they entered the game as 15-point favorites. Blaming the close wins on absences to Avery Bradley and Evan Turner seems pointless considering the amount of injuries the Pelicans are facing and the mere lack of talent on Los Angeles. One guy out doesn’t seem like that much of an excuse when facing a team who relied on scoring from Toney Douglas and Tim Frazier to keep them in the game.

Boston played one of their sloppiest games of the season last night and didn’t look focused at all. Whenever they tried to pull away, the injury-plagued Pelicans found a way to claw their way back into things. Without Isaiah Thomas‘s 32-point, eight assist performance, Boston would have suffered an unimaginable loss this late in the season.

The Celtics from the start looked uninterested in the game at hand. I’ll admit, facing a team led by Toney Douglas is far from the most exciting game imaginable for Boston at this point of the season, however, you still have to get up for those type of games. Shooting 36.3 percent from the field in the first quarter (8-22) is atrocious for one of the highest scoring teams in the NBA against a team who allows 105.7 points per game (seventh worst in the NBA).

Apr 6, 2016; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Celtics center Jared Sullinger (7) battles New Orleans Pelicans forward Luke Babbitt (8) for the ball during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

Boston held leads of 8-2 and 15-6 in the first quarter, however, were never able to break away. This was a game in which the Celtics should have been able to rest their starters in preparation for the playoffs and final four games of the season. Boston was also unable to realize that Omer Asik never left the paint and consistently left Jared Sullinger open on pick-and-rolls, yet Sullinger finished with only eight points.

Boston got out-shot from the field, behind the arc, and at the free-throw line. They also were out-rebounded 57-46, however, somehow escaped with a victory. The key was the sloppiness of play of the Pelicans was worse than Boston’s. New Orleans committed 22 turnovers which led to 26 points for the Celtics. The teams combined to commit a miserable 46 turnovers on Wednesday night, which surely doesn’t sit well with either coach.

Shooting woes have been a problem all year for Boston, but sloppiness and the disinterest is new. It’s not easy to follow-up the biggest win of the season with two games against bottom-tier teams, and a third coming up, however, these are the games that the Celtics need to put teams away early. It doesn’t only give your key players more rest but also gives younger guys a chance to play meaningful minutes instead of just garbage time.

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R.J. Hunter was able to get on the court for eight minutes last night, due to Turner being out, and didn’t look as lost as usual. His game flowed well with the offense and he even made a nice cut to the basket for a score. Fellow rookie, Terry Rozier, struggled as he sported the worst plus/minus on the team (-12). Shooting 1-6 against a team that doesn’t have much of a defensive presence was disappointing to see as well.

Boston is able to get up against good teams, which is good considering that’s who they’ll face in the playoffs. Brad Stevens should also have his team more focused come playoff time, however, being able to put away bad teams early is what makes good teams great.

Next: Evan Turner Likely to Return Friday

A lack of focus one game in the playoffs could be the difference in the series. Boston needs a big statement win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night leading up to the final three-game stretch. As easy as it may be, the Celtics can’t just go through the motions when facing weaker opponents.