Why Am I Already Thinking Ahead to Next Year?

The Celtics are in the middle of a playoff run but I can’t help but think of next year

The Boston Celtics’ absence of creativity on the offensive side of the ball is glaring. The roster mostly consists of guys who watch the play making happen or allow the play be made for them. Evan Turner and Isaiah Thomas are the only two able to create a play. Every other position is filled with ball movers and floor spacers.

The inability to manifest on the fly after the usual designed sets fail, forces certain players to make something happen, which they may not be too well accustomed too. With all that said, if the likes of Jae Crowder, Jared Sullinger, Jonas Jerebko and Kelly Olynyk are knocking down shots at a frequent rate, that solves the majority of their problems. It seems odd that professional ball players have a hard time doing the one thing that got them to this level in the first place. The ratio to shot makers and shot creators allows one to wonder; how on earth did this team even get a playoff berth, let alone the fifth seed?

Defensively, as most of us know, is what these Boston Celtics hold their hat on. Significant ball pressure at the perimeter is a staple for the sake of fighting that ball away from the paint, where Boston lacks athleticism and size. To suggest during the regular season this approach worked well is not naive but true. It feels though, so far the Atlanta Hawks have not had any trouble whatsoever, dealing with said pressure and discovering different outlets for baskets. All this does for me is wonder how I got duped into thinking there was another level the Celtics could hit.

If purely putting the ball through the hoop is this teams only problem then this team has a big problem. The offense is run almost too technical, too robotic. It makes plays predictable and puts a burden on the shot taker. I feel, from afar, most of the shots taken are out of fear of what may happen next, as opposed to, because they were actually open.

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The play was run for Crowder to shoot the ball, but if Crowder is not open enough to take a comfortable shot, then what must Crowder do? He could hoist up a contested shot or work the ball over to someone who can help him out, while he buries himself by the corner three-point line. Now the pressure is off of Crowder and perhaps now on Thomas to forge for himself. The Hawks are not dumb. They understand how much of the load Isaiah Thomas carries and how small he is.

Chalk it up to inexperience or injuries and you’re delusional. This team as standing is not built even a little for postseason play. Every one of their positive traits can be shut down whether it be generating turnovers or, simply put, Isaiah Thomas. The desire and will to grind on back to backs is another positive this team has but, unfortunately there aren’t any come April. This team should not be swept off by Atlanta because if they do, I’ll blame it on untimely injuries.

Next: Atlanta Has Turned Boston Into a Jump Shooting Team

Regardless of how disappointing the rest of the postseason is, it would not have been for nothing. Maybe for some men on the team it will be, but for others it would have been a learning experience. If these Celtics get bounced in the first round again after having basically the same squad as last year it provides concrete evidence for Ainge on what this Boston team needs or, more importantly, who is expendable? It is obvious now that even on the off-chance the Celtics claw to round two, there is no hope for them going up against Cleveland. It’s too bad we’re only three games into the playoffs and I’m already thinking of next year.

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