Celtics come up short once again in Atlanta

                                                     (Photo courtesy of usatoday.com)

Here's something that we have heard before; The Celtics came up short last night in Atlanta. The Hawks put together a huge third quarter, and cruised through the rest of the game on their way to a 110-83 win in game five of the first round. The loss extended the Celtics losing streak in Atlanta to seven games

So, why can't the Celtics win in Atlanta? Celtics fans should not be all that worried about this streak, considering it dates back to last season, so half of it is irrelevant. The last three games should definitely concern them, though. Other than game one, the Celtics have looked completely outmatched when they have played in Atlanta during this series. However, the Celtics had the upper hand when the two teams played in Boston for game three and game four.

I don't think this is as much about the Atlanta crowd being too much to handle as it is Boston just struggling on the road. Atlanta's fan base doesn't exactly have a reputation of being one of the more rowdy crowds. The real problem is that the Celtics are just not built as a team that can win games on the road in the playoffs. They have a lot of streaky shooters like Marcus Smart, Jonas Jerebko, and Jae Crowder. Those type of players typically perform better at home than away. Isaiah Thomas was amongst the league leaders in free throws attempted during the regular season. He is not going to get as many calls to go his way in another teams building during the playoffs.

If the Celtics want to win the series, they will have to win at least one in Atlanta. The Celtics have a must win in Boston on Thursday night, and would return to Atlanta for game seven if necessary.

Celtics head to Atlanta in 2-2 series tie

                                                    (Photo courtesy of gettyimages.com)

Things did not look good for the Boston Celtics when they left Atlanta down 2-0 after two poor offensive performance against the Hawks. Many had counted the Celtics out, considering that this is basically the same roster that got swept out of the first round of last years playoffs.

Things changed significantly in the past week though, as the Celtics notched wins in two close games at home and now will head back to Atlanta with the series tied at 2-2. It appears as if this series is just getting started. Like the old saying goes, a series doesn't really get started until one team steals a win on the other teams home court. The Celtics will look to do that in game five, after gaining momentum over the past two games.

Despite that momentum, it is hard to ignore how dismal the Celtics offense looked during the first two games of the series in Atlanta. The Celtics will have to get over that slump and win at least one on the road in order to win the series. After game five in Atlanta, the teams will fly back to Boston for game six. If necessary, the seventh and final game of the series will be played in Atlanta.

How can the Celtics get back in the series?

                                                   (Photo courtesy of hoops habit.com)

The Boston Celtics have looked completely outmatched in the first two games of their first round series against the Atlanta Hawks. The Celtics came out slow in game one, but were able to come back and make the game close before falling in a 102-101 loss. The Celtics once again came out to a slow start in game two, but were not able to bounce back like they did in game one and eventually lost 72-89 in a lopsided game.

Surely, the absence of Avery Bradley has effected this team. Still, Bradley is not a superstar scorer, so the Celtics offensive lull is still viewed as unacceptable by many. The burden will now fall on the rotation of Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier, and R.J. Hunter to produce in Bradley's absence. The trio did not perform well in game two.

Smart brings great defensive intensity to the Celtics, but defense is not what the team is lacking at this point in the season. Smart shot the lowest shooting percentage amongst all qualifying players this year. He is aggressive on offense, but is a streaky scorer that can not always be depended on.

Rozier is similar to Smart. His jump shot is a little better than Smart's at times, but he is not as skilled at getting to the rim aggressively. He is a decent defensive player, but is not on the level of Smart. Still, Rozier had an impressive, scrappy performance in game two and should expect to see more minutes in game three.

Hunter will most likely be the odd man out. He has a better three point stroke than Smart and Rozier, but can be a liability on the defensive end of the court. Look for him to play a limited role, but still hit some important shots in game three

Also keep an eye on Jae Crowder. He has had a career year thus far, but has struggled greatly since coming back from his high ankle sprain. Some offensive production from Crowder could help the Celtics compete.

Celtics return to Boston in 0-2 hole

                                       (Photo courtesy of dirtywatersports.sportsblog.com)

The Boston Celtics dug themselves a very deep hole when they dropped game two of the first round to the Atlanta Hawks. The Celtics are now down 0-2 in the series, but should get a boost from playing in front of their home fans. Still, things do not look good at all for the Celtics going forward in the series.

One major reoccurring theme for the Celtics in recent games has been their slow starts. The Celtics have scored 65 points combined in the first half of their first two playoff games. The Celtics were only able to produce 9 points in the first quarter. The team often looked like they had no idea what they were doing on offense.

Injuries have not helped the Celtics cause either. Kelly Olynyk missed game two with a shoulder injury, and Avery Bradley is expected to miss the rest of the series with a hamstring injury that took him out of game one.

Playing in front of the Celtics faithful at TD Garden should help energize the Celtics in the next two games, but even that may not be enough to push the Celtics past the Hawks in this first round series.

Playoff preview

                                              (Photo courtesy of thesportsfanjournal.com)

With the regular season in the books, the fun is just beginning. The Celtics have put themselves in position to be a part of that fun again this year, clinching the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs. They are hoping to have a little bit more fun than last year, when they were swept in the first round by the eventual Eastern Conference champions, the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Celtics first round matchup will be against the fourth seeded Atlanta Hawks. Despite the higher seeding, the Hawks ended the season with the same 48-34 record as the Celtics. Atlanta has taken a step back this year after landing the first seed in last years playoffs and advancing to the Eastern Conference finals before also losing to Cleveland. I expect this to be a very tightly contested series, with Celtics coming out on top due to elite coaching and scrappy play.

If the Celtics are able to squeak past the Hawks and advance to the second round, the Cavaliers will likely be their waiting for them. Cleveland takes on the Detroit Pistons in the first round, and should not have a hard time with them. It's safe to say that the Celtics do not stand a legitimate chance against Cleveland, but I have been wrong before. In this case, I'd rather be wrong than right. The Celtics were able to pull out a win in one of their three games against the Cavaliers this year. However, LeBron James is a different beast come playoff time. My prediction for this series would be Cavaliers in 5, maybe 6 games if the Celtics are lucky.

If the Celtics somehow find a way past the Cavaliers (they won't), they would most likely take on the Toronto Raptors or Miami Heat. It would most likely be the Raptors, and I can't see the Celtics beating them either. The Celtics would be the favorites if they faced the Heat, however. Boston won all three games against Miami this year.

If a miracle occurs and the Celtics make it to the NBA finals, they would likely take on the Golden State Warriors or San Antonio Spurs. No chance. Not even going to talk about it.

Celtics make epic comeback in win over the Heat

                                                       (Photo courtesy of espn.go.com)

The Boston Celtics battled back from a 26 point deficit on Thursday night to defeat the Miami Heat 98-88 in the final game of the regular season for both teams. The comeback was the largest comeback in any game during this NBA season.

The Celtics trailed by 24 when they entered the locker room at halftime. The Celtics were honoring members of the 1966, 1976, and 1986 championship teams during halftime, so Head Coach Brad Stevens said that he used that as motivation for his players.

"Who do we want to be?" said Stevens, "There are guys sitting around this building that hung banners. Like, how do you want to play? How do we want to feel about ourselves? And we just looked different after that."

The key to the comeback was the Celtics stifling second half defense. Miami seemingly hit every shot in the first half, but couldn't buy a bucket in the third quarter as they could only come up with 5 points in the quarter. The Celtics built on this momentum and were able to take the lead midway through the fourth.

Although this game was overshadowed by the late games that saw Kobe Bryant score 60 point in his final game and the Warriors win their NBA record 73rd game of the season, it was still a classic comeback. Despite the win, the Celtics will still be the 5th seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Ingram over Simmons?

                                                    (Photo courtesy of cbssports.com)

With the end of the NBA and college seasons coming to an end, NBA draft talks have been heating up. With the Celtics in contention for the top pick, green-teamers should be keeping an eye on some of the top prospects.

Early in the year, it seemed to be a one man race for the number one overall pick in the draft. Ben Simmons had already secured that spot in many peoples eyes before he ever stepped on the court at LSU. Since then, things have gotten a little more interesting. Simmons' character has come into question after academic problems caused him to miss a game and he withdrew from classes just days after LSU's season ended without a NCAA tournament bid.

One player who's name is gaining some momentum is Brandon Ingram from Duke. Unlike Simmons, Ingram proved to be a reliable leader on his teams NCAA tournament run. His tall but lanky frame and scoring ability have drawn comparisons to Kevin Durant. I can't stand Duke basketball, but even I like this kid. That's how you know he is the real deal.

As a Celtics fan, I kind of hope that the Celtics end up with the second pick so that they don't have to choose between Simmons and Ingram. Simmons still looks like he is going to be a big time talent in the league. However, Greg Oden seemed like a better choice than Durant going into the 2007 draft. You never know.

Crowder expected return tonight for Celtics

                                                 (Photo courtesy of bostonherald.com)

Small Forward Jae Crowder is expected to return to action tonight for the Boston Celtics when they take on the Trail Blazers in Portland. Crowder has been absent from the Celtics lineup since March 11 with a high ankle sprain. Since that time, the Celtics have recorded a 4-4 record. The Celtics stood alone as the third place team in the Eastern Conference at that time, but are now in a three way tie with the Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets for fourth place.

Crowder's return should give the team an immediate boost, if he is completely healthy. The Celtics are just one game back from the Atlanta Hawks for third place. With eight games left, it will be nice for Brad Stevens to have his full rotation in his repertoire. The biggest game remaining on the schedule is in Atlanta against the Hawks on April 9.

Celtics head west for tough road trip

                                                (photo courtesy of bostonbigfour.com)

After the Celtics win on Wednesday night, the Celtics ended their brief home stand. The team will now embark on an eleven day, five game west coast road trip. The team will travel roughly 7,000 miles before they return to Boston once again.

The Celtics will start off the trip against the Phoenix Suns on Saturday in a game that Boston should probably win. The Suns season has been dismal at times, and Isaiah Thomas should be motivated by being back in Phoenix to play the team that traded him to Boston just over one year ago. It would be big for the Celtics to get a win in the first game of the road trip.

The Celtics will travel to Los Angeles to take on the Clippers. The Celtics won in a tight overtime game when the teams played in February, led by one of Isaiah Thomas' best performances of the season. I expect the Clippers to seek for revenge, specifically Chris Paul, who was outperformed by Thomas.

The Celtics will then head North to take on the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday. The Celtics ran Portland out of the gym earlier this month when the Trail Blazers came to Boston. Still, Portland is still fighting for good playoff seeding, so this game will mean just as much to them as it will to Boston. Look for Damian Lillard to have a big night.

The Celtics will face probably the toughest test of the season when they enter the Oracle Arena to face the Golden State Warriors. First of all, Golden State has not lost a home game all season. Second of all, they are extremely motivated by their opportunity to finish the season with the best regular season record in NBA history. It's safe to say that this is as close to a no win situation as there could be for the Celtics.

The Celtics will finish the road trip with a much less intimidating opponent, the Los Angeles Lakers. However, Los Angeles did steal a win from the Celtics in Boston in December. Be on the lookout for the Kobe show. I can picture him putting up 40 shots in his final game against Boston.

Realistically, it would expect to see the Celtics win three of these games. The Suns and Lakers are teams that the Celtics should be able to beat at this point in the season. I also think that the Celtics could steal a game against the Trail Blazers or the Clippers. A win against the Warriors, however, might be wishful thinking.

Celtics get important win over Raptors

                                                       (Photo courtesy of nba.com)

The Boston Celtics defeated the red hot Toronto Raptors 91-79 on Wednesday night. The Celtics caught a break right before game time, as the Raptors announced that their All-Star Point Guard Kyle Lowry would not play due to his sore elbow. Isaiah Thomas was the high scorer in the game, scoring 23 points for the Celtics on a night where scoring was at a premium. Evan Turner scored 13 of his 17 points in the third quarter. Toronto was able to pull within one point in the fourth quarter when the score read 69-68. The Celtics pulled away from that point, and secured their third win in a row.

The win was a big one for Boston, considering Toronto is in second place in the Eastern Conference, and Toronto won when the teams played in Toronto last week. Wednesday's win moved the Celtics over the Heat for the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference. The third through sixth spots in the Eastern Conference are separated by only half a game. This means that one loss at the wrong time could drop the Celtics all the way down to sixth place in the Eastern Conference.

The Celtics will be back in action on Saturday night when they play the Suns in Phoenix. The Raptors will be in Houston to take on the Rockets Friday night.

Thunder roll over Celtics

                                                       (Photo courtesy of nesn.com)

The Celtics continued their fall in the Eastern conference standings on Wednesday night when the Oklahoma City Thunder came into town and dominated the Celtics in a 130-109 win. Isaiah Thomas was the high scorer in the game with 29 points, but the rest of the Celtics did not give him enough help to combat the 52 combined points from Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

With the loss, the Celtics have dropped three games in a row and are now tied for fourth place in the East with the Atlanta Hawks. Jae Crowder's absence due to his high ankle sprain has a lot to do with the teams struggles. The Celtics especially missed Crowder in the past two games when they went up against two of the best Small Forward's in the league, Paul George and Kevin Durant.

Many Celtics fans were excited to see the Thunder roll into town. Kevin Durant is the big name in the is upcoming off-season's free agency pool, and some of his recent comments made to ESPN reporters created some buzz about his potential interest in Boston. 

"They're some of the best fans in the world and definitely support their team," added Durant. "I like the city a lot. It's cold, but they love sports here. This is a family atmosphere [that] I feel when I walk around the city. So yeah, I like it a lot."

Durant appeared to be very interested in the history of the Celtics organization.

"You can feel the tradition walking in here. You see all the [Celtics legends] plastered on the walls as you walk into the locker room," said Durant. "The tradition of being a Boston Celtic is second to none. So it's amazing playing here. The fans, they're very energetic and they cheer for their team. It's amazing to see as a player, to have fans that care about the game so much. It's an amazing sports town and they have a great team to cheer for."

Despite what Durant has said, I would not get too excited as a Celtics fan. The team did not exactly put together an appealing product against Durant and the Thunder on Wednesday night.

Celtics enter tough stretch of schedule

                                               (Photo courtesy of boston.cbslocal.com)

With 20 games left in their regular season schedule, the Boston Celtics are entering a tough stretch. It starts on Saturday, when the Celtics will travel to Cleveland for the second game of a back to back to face the Eastern Conference leading Cavaliers. The Cavaliers have not been playing all that well as of late, but history has demonstrated that LeBron James typically steps his game up when the haters come out. Cleveland will also be looking for revenge after Boston squeaked by last time they were in Cleveland with an Avery Bradley buzzer beater being the difference.

The Celtics will play the Toronto Raptors twice in five days near the end of March. Toronto is 4.5 games ahead of the Celtics for the lead in the Atlantic Division, and is in second place in the Eastern Conference. These will surely be good games as both teams will be looking to see how they matchup against one another before the playoffs start. Toronto is also not totally out of reach for Boston, so two wins against the Raptors would be a big boost for the Celtics.

The Celtics will also see their fair share of Western Conference contenders in this stretch. The Oklahoma City Thunder will be coming to Boston in March, and the Celtics will also travel to play the Los Angeles Clippers and league best Golden State Warriors before the season is over.

With all of these top tier opponents left on the schedule, Boston Celtics fans will probably have a good idea of just how legit of a contender their team is before the playoffs roll around.

Celtics extend home winning streak to 12

                                                     (Photo courtesy of redsarmy.com)

The Boston Celtics extended their home winning streak to 12 games with their 116-93 blowout win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night. The win was one of the most impressive of the streak, considering Portland has also been overachieving lately and Damian Lillard has been one one of the hottest offensive players since the All-Star break. The Celtics were able to hold Lillard to 20 points in the game. Boston has a good chance of extending the streak to 13 when they play host to the ice cold New York Knicks on Friday night.

The streak began with a win against the Indiana Pacers on January 13th. At that time, most Boston sports fans were still more excited about the Patriots, who were hosting the Kansas City Chiefs in the Divisional round of the playoffs that week. Now that I think about it, I was still on Winter break at that time. I start Spring break tomorrow and the Celtics did not lose a home game in that time in-between.  That's pretty impressive.

There have been a few close calls on the way, like the comeback overtime win against the Los Angeles Clippers on the last game before the All-Star break, or the games against the Utah Jazz and the Milwaukee Bucks which the Celtics both won by five. Celtics fans will be more than okay with these close games, though, as long as their team keeps winning them.

2 reasons why the Nets buying out Joe Johnson is good for the Celtics

                                                       Photo courtesy of usatoday.com

The Brooklyn Nets bought out the rest of Joe Johnson's contract on Thursday, meaning that he will immediately be a free agent, and is now able to sign with any team that is interested in him.

The list of teams interested in Johnson's services is reportedly pretty long, including roughly seven teams. The Celtics are one of the teams that seem to be interested, but it is not likely that Johnson will want to come to Boston.

Johnson is 34 years old, and will likely sign a short one year contract. The seven time All-Star will probably look to sign on with a team like the Cavaliers or the Thunder, or other teams who have legitimate chances of winning a championship this year. Johnson has made more than his fair share of money since entering the league, and has not had much playoff success since he left Phoenix in 2005. Chances are, he will want to go somewhere and win right away.

Johnson started his career with a brief stint in Boston in 2001. The Celtics drafted Johnson, then traded him in February of 2002, his rookie year.

Regardless of where Johnson ends up, his departure from Brooklyn is still a good thing for the Celtics. The Nets currently have the fourth worst record in the NBA, and losing Johnson for nothing in exchange certainly won't make them any better. Of course, this is good for Boston because they own the rights to Brooklyn's first round pick in the 2016 draft. Johnson is only averaging around 10 points per game, but he has a knack for hitting the big shot, and Brooklyn should struggle even more without him.

Celtics look shaky after All-Star break

                                                          Photo courtesy of nba.com

The Boston Celtics have played four games since the week long All-Star break, and haven't exactly looked like world beaters. The Celtics have gone 2-2, which is not awful, but there have been some obvious flaws in the Celtics game.

The Celtics first game break from the game may have been their most disappointing in the four game stretch. The Celtics lost to the Jazz in Utah, 111-93. The Jazz are not a great team, and considering the fact that the Celtics are in third place in the Eastern Conference, they should beat teams like Utah. It was apparent during this game that some of the Celtics were still on vacation.

They were able to bounce back on Sunday when the team traveled to Denver to take on the Nuggets. The Celtics handled the Nuggets, and came away with the 121-101 win. The Nuggets are considered in the leagues lower tier of teams, so the Celtics should be expected to win these kind of games.

The Celtics had a quick turnaround before their next game, as they played the second game of a back-to-back on Monday in Minnesota. This one was a heart breaker, as the Celtics fell to the Timberwolves 124-122. Marcus Smart tried to steal the win with a three at the buzzer, but fell short. Isaiah Thomas was noticeably open on the play, and may have been the better option in that situation. Regardless, how can you give up 124 points to a team who is 18-40 on the season? I understand that it was their second game in a row, but playoff teams shouldn't have those types of games.

Boston had a few days off before heading home and hosting the Bucks tonight. The Celtics looked good for most of the night, although they let Milwaukee creep back into the game in the fourth quarter. The Celtics were able to hold on though, as Isaiah Thomas put on a show and secured the 112-107 win.

If the Celtics are going to compete in the Eastern Conference, they will need to pick it up here in the home stretch. They will need to lock down on defense, and play better on the road if they want to succeed.

Looking ahead; draft prospects that Celtics should be watching

The NBA draft is still a long way away, but it's never too early to start speculating. College basketball season is heating up, and NBA scouts have already been hard at work evaluating every potential player that could be playing on the big stage this time next year.

One team that is paying close attention is the Boston Celtics, who have three first round picks this year, one of which could realistically be anywhere from 1st and 7th overall. This not a particularly deep draft, but there is definitely some NBA ready talent available. Here are some players that I think would fit in well with the Celtics current team.

Ben Simmons- Power Forward, LSU (photo courtesy of washingtonpost.com)

In the perfect world, the Celtics would land the #1 pick and draft Simmons. This remains a possibility, as the Nets, who traded the Celtics their pick, enter the second half of the season with the third worst record in the NBA. Throw in a little magic from the NBA's flawed draft lottery, and the Celtics end up picking first. Simmons will surely end up with whoever gets that pick, as the Freshman has been nothing short of spectacular this season. Simmons is averaging over 19 points and 12 rebounds per game. Simmons was already projected to be the first overall pick in next years draft before he even played his first college game, and quickly proved his dominance in early December when he put up 43 points, 14 rebounds and 7 assists in a win against North Florida. Simmons is advanced in his passing skills for a big man, but will need a lot of work on his jump shot. Other than that, Simmons is all upside. 

Brandon Ingram- Small Forward, Duke (photo courtesy of sbnation.com)

Ingram is another sensational Freshman who scouts have been excited about for quite some time. Ingram is the top candidate to land at the #2 pick, and would probably be considered the top prospect if it weren't for Ben Simmons. Ingram is a 6'9 Forward whose scoring style has drawn comparisons to Kevin Durant. Ingram will need to hit the weights if he wants to succeed in the NBA, though. Despite his height, he only weighs in at 190 pounds. Ingram is averaging 17.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game in his first college season. I think it will take a year or two before Ingram starts dominating in the NBA, but he definitely will be able to provide help on offense for any team.

Dragan Bender- Power Forward/Center, Croatia (photo courtesy of sneaker news.com)

It seems like every year there is a European big man that catches the eye of NBA scouts. Bender is viewed as this years Kristaps Porzingas. European players don't always pan out in the NBA, and it is hard to evaluate these players given the level of talent they are playing against. With that being said, Bender has had success in international games while competing for the Croatian team. He has great shooting range for a player of his height, and he can put the ball on the floor pretty well. Like Brandon Ingram, Bender will have to bulk up if he wants to reach his potential as an NBA player, especially as a big man. He has the height of a Center, but plays more like a Power Forward because of his shooting skills and his slender frame.  Overall, I think that Bender could still be the steal of the draft.

Celtics remain inactive as the trade deadline passes

                                                   (photo courtesy of bostonglobe.com)

After months of constant trade rumors and speculation, the trade deadline has come and gone and the Celtics remains the same. This comes as a surprise to many, as Boston is in a position to make a playoff run and has the pieces in place to make a blockbuster trade.

In the end, what it came down to was Ainge's decision to not trade the Celtics highly coveted first round draft pick courtesy of the Brooklyn Nets. The pick is expected to be one of the best in next years draft, and Ainge did not feel comfortable sending away a potential future superstar in exchange for a veteran player who could come in and contribute to the team now, but not for long.

Many rumors linked the Celtics to the Atlanta Hawks Center Al Horford. However, the Hawks would have wanted either the Nets pick or another young talent like Marcus Smart and other players in exchange for Horford. This would have been too big of a risk for Ainge, as Horford will be a free agent next year and is expected to demand a max salary. It would not be worth trading future talent in order to rent Horford for maybe just half a season.

The Celtics were also reportedly very active in trade talks with the Houston Rockets. Rockets Center Dwight Howard was one of the top players on the Celtics radar, but Howard's career has been in a downward spiral since leaving the Orlando Magic. Howard's was too big of a mystery to teams around the league, so he will stay put in Houston for at least the remainder of this season.

After the Celtics were one of the most active teams leading up to last years trade deadline, some fans will be disappointed by the Celtics inactivity this year. Realistically it is a good thing, because there was not a superstar available who was worth the Celtics draft picks and other assets. The Celtics are now set up to make a splash either in the draft, in free agency, or both. Your move, Danny Ainge.

Celtics midseason awards

The first half of the NBA season concludes tonight, marking the beginning of the All-Star break. While all the brightest stars in the league will be making the trip to Toronto for the weekends All-Star festivities, the rest of the league will have a week to reflect on where there team stands and how they can improve before returning back to action on Thursday February 18th.

The first half of the season has been a pleasant surprise for the Boston Celtics, who have soared to a 32-23 record which is good enough for 3rd place in the Eastern Conference just a year after a very similar roster only carried them to a 7th place finish.

Being a blogger who only writes about the Celtics, I figured now would be an appropriate time to do some reflecting of my own, and hand out some meaningless midseason team awards.

Most Improved: Jae Crowder (photo courtesy of unionleader.com)

Crowder has shown constant improvement in his offensive game since coming to Boston in the Rajon Rondo trade last year. Before the trade Crowder only averaged 3.6 points per game with Dallas. In 57 games with Boston after the trade, he averaged 9.5. In his 55 appearances this year, Crowder has upped his scoring average to a career high 14.1 points per game, while also averaging career highs in rebounding, assists, steals, field goal percentage, and 3 point field goal percentage. Need I say more?                                                    

Defensive Player of the Year: Marcus Smart  (photo courtesy of celticslife.com) 

Although Smart continues to improve on the offensive end, his defense has proved to be his most valuable asset to the Celtics. Despite playing 5 minutes less per game than Crowder, Smart's 1.7 steals per game are just .1 behind Jae Crowder for the team lead. his pesky hustle has provided a spark on numerous occasions this season, most recently in the Celtics 1 point win over the Cavaliers. Coming off the bench, Smart provides an alternative to Isaiah Thomas when facing bigger guards, and can also relieve the other Celtics defensive minded guard, Avery Bradley.        

Sixth Man of the Year: Evan Turner (photo courtesy of csnphilly.com)                  

I'm sure when Evan Turner was drafted 2nd overall in the 2010 draft, he didn't envision himself as a bench player. his career didn't play out the way he expected to with Philadelphia or Indiana, but he seems to have found the perfect fit in Boston. Turner's 9.9 points per game won't jump out at you in the box-score, but it's when he scores them that matters. Time and time again, Turner has found himself not only on the floor but producing down the stretch in close games. Take last night for example, when Turner put up 7 points            

in a minute of overtime to push the Celtics past the

Clippers. He works almost like a pitch hitter, coming

in when he needs to and getting the job done.

MVP: (drumroll..) Isaiah Thomas  (photo courtesy of redsarmy.com)      

As the Celtics only All-Star selection, Thomas is the easy choice for team MVP. His averages of 21.5 points per game, 6.6 assists per game, and 3 rebounds per game are all career highs for the Celtics point guard. Thomas is also the teams emotional leader. I can imagine it's hard not to be inspired when your 5'9 teammate ferociously takes it to 7 footers seemingly every possession. Thomas' never quit attitude has been infectious to this Celtics team, and is one of the main reasons why you can never count them out. Averaging 6 more points and 3 more assists per game than he was at this time last year, Thomas could also have been considered for the most improved player of the team.

                                                                                                   

                                                                                                          

No move is the right move for the Celtics

(Photo courtesy of bostonglobe.com)

With the NBA trade deadline luring around the corner, trade rumors are starting to heat up. Teams who have underachieved thus far will look to unload expensive talent in exchange for cap space and draft picks, while teams who are still in contention will look to add key players who could contribute to a championship run. By 3 p.m. next Thursday, we will know who which teams are going all in and which teams are looking to rebuild. Some people say the real season doesn't actually begin until after the drama of the trade deadline unfolds.

The team with arguably the most tradable assets is the Boston Celtics. Boston has been in the hunt to land a big name player since they traded away Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. The team may now have the pieces in place to make a deal, with 9 first round draft picks in the next four years at their disposal. 

The problem is, there doesn't seem to be a big impact player on the market. There has been speculation that Blake Griffin could become available because of how well the Clippers have played in his absence, and because he broke his fist while attacking a member of the teams staff. That is all speculation though, as the Clippers have not expressed any interest in a deal and are still competing well enough in the Western Conference to not shake things up. 

CSNNE's Chris Mannix reported Friday night that the Celtics had inquired about the Hawks Jeff Teague and Al Horford. I scratched my head in confusion when I first read this, because although Teague was an All-Star last year, Celtics point guard Isaiah Thomas is on a tear right now. Point guard is the position where the Celtics need the least amount of help. A trade for Horford would make a little more sense, given that the Celtics need more of a true center and he is also a former All-Star. However, Horford is in the last year of his contract and is expected to request around $20 million wherever he signs in the offseason. That is a high asking price and a high risk for a guy who might be past his prime.

Although many Celtics fans are dying to see GM Danny Ainge pull the trigger and land a superstar, realistically it won't happen. The Celtics best move might be riding out the storm with the players they have. After all, the most valuable asset to this team is their Head Coach Brad Stevens. He has found a way to win with what the Celtics have now, so the front office shouldn't go switching it up on him like they did time after time last season. The Celtics sit at 3rd place in the Eastern Conference going into the All-Star break, and have won 11 of their last 13 games. The best move would be to ride the season out, then make the big move in the offseason.

Why a Celtics trade for Dwight Howard is an awful idea

                                       Photo courtesy of www.thecommittedgeneration.com

With the NBA trade deadline 2 weeks away, trade rumors are heating up. The New York Daily News reported on Wednesday that the Celtics had contacted the Houston Rockets regarding the trade availability of their not-so super-star center Dwight Howard. Celtics GM Danny Ainge didn't make much of the rumor when he made his weekly appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub's Toucher and Rich.

"Right now there's nothing on the table and nothing is imminent. We're just having a lot of discussions in hopes that, come the deadline, we're prepared to make the right decisions."

The Rockets have repeatedly tried to convince the world that Howard is not on the market, but anybody who has paid any attention to the team during the season sees right through those remarks. The team is underachieving greatly, going 26-25 thus far after reaching the Western Conference Finals last year. And let's be honest here, Dwight Howard isn't happy anywhere he goes.

Celtics fans should be crossing their fingers and hoping that Ainge was being truthful when he said that these talks weren't serious. Howard has played for three teams in the NBA, and has been labeled as a "team killer" on every one of them. His first stint came as a member of the Orlando Magic, where his team appeared the NBA Finals, but crumbled soon after after Howard got Head Coach Stan Van Gundy fired, then demanded a trade. The Los Angeles Lakers took the bait agains their better judgement, and were not impressed with the results. Howard instantly clashed with Kobe Bryant, couldn't stay healthy or make his free throws, and left via free agency after the Lakers were swept in the first round of the playoffs. The Houston Rockets took a chance and signed him, so here we are again with Dwight Howard on an underachieving team and being blamed for his teams lack of desire.

One thing that scouts constantly seem to overlook in the NBA, or in any sport, is a players attitude toward life and the sport. The Celtics are filled with hungry, underrated players who feel they have been disrespected. Isaiah Thomas was the last pick (60th overall) in the 2011 draft. He is an all-star now. Kawhi Leonard was drafted 15th overall in that same draft, and now he is an MVP candidate for the San Antonio Spurs. The Celtics need to get acquire more work horses like Thomas or Jae Crowder, instead of guys like Howard who seemingly have no desire to get better and are just out there to collect a pay-check.

Isaiah Thomas named All-Star reserve

                                                  Courtesy of www.bostonherald.com

Phew! Boston Celtics fans like myself can finally take a sigh of relief. Isaiah Thomas has been voted onto the Eastern Conference All-Star team as a reserve.

If it were up to the fans around the world, Thomas would not have made the list. Thomas was ranked ninth in fan votes amongst Eastern Conference guards when voting ended. Luckily for Thomas and Celtics, fans only vote for the starting lineups, and coaches vote for the reserves on the team.

Thomas is not the most popular player in the league, and that probably has a lot to do with his 5 foot 9 inch frame. He does not have the size and athleticism to fly above the rim like we expect All-Star players to do. However, his contributions to a winning team were hard to overlook for the coaches who voted for him. Thomas is averaging 21.5 points per game and 6.6 assists per game for a Celtics team who is in third place in the tightly contested Eastern Conference. These are both career highs for Thomas.

Fans around the league instantly criticized the decision to include Thomas on the team. Critics claimed that he is a liability on defense because of his size, and that his numbers are so good because of the lack of help around him.

These critics clearly have not watched many Celtics games this season. Yes, Thomas has sometimes been exposed on defense in the past, but he has been rejuvenated since coming to Boston. Celtics Head Coach Brad Stevens recently praised Thomas for his all around play.

"He's not only a dynamic scorer, but the way that he's able to run the offense, the way that he's been able to defend for us, just his all-around game, I think, obviously, he's helped our team," said Stevens.

The argument that he is scoring so much because he has to is also bogus. His team is in third place in the Eastern Conference, so to say that the Celtics have no other options is a stretch.

Just give the man the credit he deserves. Or don't, it's nothing new to Isaiah Thomas.

Celtics Continue to Overachieve

The Boston Celtics continued their winning streak to 4 on Wednesday night with a 111-103  victory over the Denver Nuggets. The Celtics are now in 5th place in the Eastern Conference. Their record stands at 26-21during a season in which many counted the Celtics out of.

Boston just barely snuck into the playoffs last year as a 7th seed with a losing record of 40-42. The Celtics followed the 2014-2015 season up with a very underwhelming offseason. Celtics General Manager Danny Ainge made phone calls to other GM's hoping to move up in the draft, but nobody was interested. Boston hoped to land an all-star player in free agency, but struck out and had to settle for acquisitions like Amir Johnson and David Lee. The Celtics acquired some key role players, but they did not make the splash that green teamers hoped for. As a result fans and critics started to doubt the Celtics chances of returning to the playoffs this year, considering the wide spread improvement of the Eastern Conference.

Fast forward halfway through the 2015-2016 season, and the Celtics are right in the thick of the playoff race. Boston is in 5th place, and is only game behind Atlanta for 3rd place. Not bad for a team who many thought would take a step back. 

The doubters most likely overlooked the values of keeping a core group of players together. The Celtics made 9 different trades last year and were still able to make the playoffs. Players like Isaiah Thomas and Jae Crowder seem to have finally settled in with the Celtics and exceeded expectations in the process. 

You also can not overlook the man in charge, Head Coach Brad Stevens. Although he is one of the youngest Head Coaches in the league at 39, Stevens has already gained the respect of many within the NBA. Even LeBron James had nothing but compliments for Stevens after sweeping the Celtics in the first round of last years playoffs. It seems as if everybody on the Celtics team has bought into the system in their roles. Stevens does not need star players to succeed, he just needs scrappy defenders like Jae Crowder or Avery Bradley who are also willing to move the ball on offense. 

The future looks bright for Boston. Although the team has proven that it does not need a star player in order to compete, they have all the pieces in place to acquire one. Boston will have an abundance of salary cap space this offseason. They also could potentially have 9 first round draft picks in the next four years. If the Celtics can turn one of those picks into a star, they could be competing for their 18th NBA championship very soon.

Isaiah Thomas on the outside looking in

The NBA All-Star starters were announced on Tuesday. Boston Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas was left off of the list, which is not all that surprising. The real shocker is that he is not even expected to make the team at all. When fan voting closed, Thomas had only received the ninth most votes amongst Eastern Conference guards.

Nobody is arguing that Thomas should be a starter in the game, but he certainly deserves some recognition. The undersized Celtics guard is averaging a career high 21.7 points per game. Thomas is also sharing the ball better than ever before, posting another career high in assists per game with 6.7. Despite having a career year, Thomas is not surprised by the lack of attention he is getting.

"I've been gypped all my life," said Thomas, "Put my numbers up against anybody in the NBA and they're right there. It's only questionable because I'm 5-9."

Thomas has always been overlooked, often because of his size. He was drafted with the last pick (60th overall) in the 2011 NBA draft by the Sacramento Kings. He signed with the Phoenix Suns in the 2014 offseason, and became frustrated when he was not given a starting position. The Celtics traded for him a the trade deadline last season and seems to have finally found a team that really appreciates his skills.

I'm not saying that Thomas is the best point guard in the league. I will say, however, that if Kyrie Irving earns a spot on the All-Star team after only playing 15 games in the first half of this season, then Isaiah Thomas also deserves a spot.