Consistent, Just Consistently Bad

[D Parker <danp@town.ipswich.ma.us>]

Just saw the New York game.

A solid first quarter by the C's was wasted as they hit the skids for the
remaining three.  The Knicks defense was a large part, particularly in the
second quarter when the Knick's bench turned down the screws.

Now I'm no basketball genius, but when the Knicks clamped down on the C's
in the 2nd quarter, it seemed to me the best thing they could have done
was push the ball up hard, even after made baskets, and try and get
some easy shots before the defense could set.  They didn't even try, and
they displayed behavior that suggested that without hypno-therapy they
will never be a good fast-breaking basketball team:  guards walking the
ball up the floor, players not filling the wings, and the dreadfully slow
inbounding of the ball.  I mean, guys would collect the ball after a made
basket, lazily step behind the baseline, and flip it to a guard.  By the
time the guard took a dribble the defense was set at the other end of the
court.

Unfortunately the C's saw no reason to get back on defense in a similar
manner and the Knicks, a non-running team by most accounts, got several
breakaway layups.  Ugh.

This is not a team, it's a bunch of individuals wearing the same uniform.
The whole is far less than the sum of the parts.  It's particuarly painful
to watch a Celtics team like this, since in the past Boston hasn't always
had the most talented team, but they would win with teamwork and
unselfishness.

I'm trying to sit tight and be patient, but this team is going to cause me
to blow a blood vessel soon.

Dan