The True Class Of The East

They say defense is all about effort. With the intensity the Boston Celtics bring to every possession, you can see why they are by far and away the leaders in points allowed per game (86.5).

But it’s not just on the defensive end. Boston is ridiculously focused from the moment they walk out of the tunnel. Yesterday in Toronto, there was a 14 minute delay to start the 2nd half because of a leak in the roof. Kevin Garnett didn’t so much as smile during the break. He kept going through that layup line along with his ‘mates, time after time until the hardwood was ready.

All you have to do is watch Boston’s bench. If Rajon Rondo pushes the ball and misses a lay in, the bench is screaming out props because he did the right thing. When Tony Allen makes the smart pass, he hears about it. The bench is in playoff form and so is that ridiculously solid defensive 5.

They made a mockery of the Raptors’ fluid offense. Jose Calderon leads full-time point guards by a mile in assist to turnover ratio (5.6), but yesterday he committed 4 turnovers to go along with his 5 assists. The Celtics forced him to take a couple more dribbles and make him generally uncomfortable because they were constantly in front of him. After scoring 29 in Toronto’s previous game, Jason Kapono finished with 8. He got very few good looks and couldn’t out battle a Celtic for a rebound even if the back of his jersey read Rondo. Anthony Parker saw nothing but green and those flailing hands were getting Chris Bosh more rattled then I’ve seen in a very long time.

That tenacity shook most of the Raps. Even when they got open looks, Toronto just didn’t appear right in a 13 point loss where the score flattered the home team. It was a lot more C’s than TR’s. There will be no mid-January Tuesday blah game for this Celtics squad; playing lackadaisical just doesn’t seem in them at all. The methodical offense, the hard fouls; they are unshakable in every facet of the game.

The answer isn’t merely Kevin Garnett. It’s likely the effect of the leaders getting together far earlier than they were supposed to before the pre-season and their attitudes trickling down to the rest of the roster. Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are definitely practicing what KG is preaching and the rest of the team has no choice but to follow suit. I’m not sure Doc Rivers needs to be on the bench at all.

Is this team giving a little too much and maybe peaking a little too early? There is something to be said for that but the benefits of establishing well defined roles should pay off handsomely in the long run. Tony Allen, Kendrick Perkins, Rondo, Big Baby, James Posey… the list is endless. These guys are all doing fine, fine jobs and it is surprising how quickly they’ve come together. Now, bring on the West already.

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By Tas Melas at 1:54 pm on 12.17.2007 — Tags: Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Celtics

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