With a cupcake schedule through the first quarter of the NBA calendar, the Celtics got their first real challenge last night against the Pistons. A lot was revealed throughout the course of this game. Specifically, and most importantly, the fact that Boston is not the best team in the East.
Detroit showed last night that when they want to be, they are the savviest and most well rounded team east of the Mississippi. Chauncy Billups displayed that innate sense of the game when he threw one of the nicest head fakes I've ever seen on Tony Allen on the last play of the game. Knowing that Allen was fresh of the bench, Billups took advantage and ended up with two shots from the line with .1 seconds on the clock to give the Pistons the game.
We all knew that the guys on Boston were getting a lot of run, but the question was whether or not it was too much. It seems as though thus far, the latter is true. The three top Celts (KG, Allen, and Pierce) all looked lethargic during points of the game. Detroit simply outworked Boston last night and proved their dominance. Hopefully now, all that talk about the comparisons between this team and Jordan's Bulls will stop.
We have yet to see the best of the big 3. Doc Rivers has not been playing them for big minutes, knowing that he will need them down the stretch. When the schedule for the Celts gets harder look to see more minutes from the big three and Garnets scoring average go up.
Posted by: zack | Friday, December 21, 2007 at 10:46 AM
How do you figure Zack, when Pierce and Allen are currently playing 39 and 38 minutes per night respectively, and Garnett is logging 36 of his own?
Posted by: The Overlord | Friday, December 21, 2007 at 12:24 PM