Celtics a bit untidy
When Celtics coach Doc Rivers learned less than an hour before tipoff Saturday night that Wally Szczerbiak would not play, his thoughts turned to practical matters. Rivers leaned over to team spokesman Jeff Twiss and said, "Go make sure Allan Ray has his uniform." The sight of Ray on the bench dressed in his green road uniform seemed like a small victory for the Celtics, who lost Szczerbiak (strained right gluteus) and Theo Ratliff (bulging disk) before taking the floor against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The brief exchange between coach and spokesman provided a symbolic moment, as the Celtics' season has been stripped to the bare essentials. Forget the playoffs. Forget the running game. Forget small ball. The Celtics have a much more basic concern: Can they be competitive? And that doesn't mean coming close or playing well for three quarters. It certainly doesn't mean collapsing in the fourth quarter after building a 25-point third-quarter lead, as Boston did against Cleveland.
Following the Celtics' 94-93 loss at Quicken Loans Arena, Rivers said, "It was an awesome effort by our guys," and, "I feel bad for them, they played their butts off." It is strange to hear a coach compliment his players moments after they suffered one of the worst collapses in franchise history. Holding down last place in the Eastern Conference at 1-5, the Celtics look like they are unsure of themselves, especially late in games. The way Boston is faltering in the fourth quarter is eerily reminiscent of last season, except it's worse, because teams are supposed to make progress year to year.
Boston is also quickly becoming a star-crossed squad beset by injuries and unfortunate events that have its season spinning out of control almost as soon as it started. Last year, that was the case with Portland, Atlanta, and New York, who finished at the bottom of their conferences, making headlines for all the wrong reasons.
Sometimes the pain is self-inflicted (as it was Saturday), other times the setbacks are unexpected and unavoidable (Al Jefferson's appendectomy).
Maybe Rivers has no choice but to emphasize the positive, since very little has gone well this season and it makes no sense to publicly relive the many low points. For better or worse, the Celtics are in need of what Rivers is said to do best -- motivate players. More than X's or O's, the Celtics need someone to give them some confidence. Their needs are that basic.
The Orlando Magic come to the Garden tonight, bringing a mix of memories for Rivers. As the Celtics struggle with an easy schedule, it is hard to forget the Magic fired Rivers when he started the 2003-04 season 1-10. While executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge has said repeatedly that a season of underachievement will not prompt him to fire Rivers, the coach's seat seems hotter than ever. If the Celtics are playing as hard as Rivers says, then the problems must lie elsewhere.
