There was a small glimmer of positive in the misery of the injuries and Dallas spanking. Once again JaJuan Johnson showed that he deserves more playing time from head coach Doc Rivers. Granted the game was not exactly in the balance during his time on the floor, but Johnson’s numbers definitely jump out at you in comparison to the rest of the team. Johnson came in and played hard and the numbers showed. Johnson would record eight points on four of seven shooting. JaJuan also grabbed five rebounds including four defensive in only thirteen minutes of work. He was also an eye popping plus eleven on the floor. This is eye popping because only one other player was a plus anything in this loss let alone a double digit plus.

I am not saying the rookie is ready for starters minutes every night. However, this kid performs almost every time that he gets minutes. Johnson hustles on both ends of the floor. This is why he usually gets a few rebounds, blocks, and easy baskets. Johnson deserves a better fate then not seeing the floor a lot of times. The athletic Johnson has teased this team with his athletic potential and solid shooting from the perimeter. A few more minutes might unlock his game a little more.

The only plus of the injuries mounting up to the Celtics front court is Johnson will finally get some playing time. Doc has no other choice now. This is JaJuan’s time to prove that he can be the guy to help solve the rebounding and paint presence issues. If he can seize the moment, then maybe he can force Doc’s hand for more time. The team has had a ton of issues and maybe Johnson can be a bright spot like he was last night. Remember Go Green Or Go Home!!!!!!!!

The first reason is the system. The Celtics will never be a great offensive rebounding team under Doc Rivers. The Celtics pay too much attention to transition defense to ever really put the extra body in the paint to fight for the loose ball. I would like to say this is only because the team lacks the energy due to age and Rivers is just putting systems in place to make up for it, but I would be lying. The Celtics even before the “Big Three” era failed to offensive rebound.

However, the alarming issue is now all of a sudden the team cannot secure the ball on the defensive end. There are a couple of reasons for this issue. The first is personnel. This is where Ainge did not get the job done. The team just does not have the size to truly compete in that area. Brandon Bass and Chris Wilcox are under sized. Before there arrival the team employed Nenad Krstic and Glen Davis. Both are also undersized. Ainge also went out and switched Jermaine O’Neal for Kendrick Perkins. JO is not as wide, does not play as many minutes, and does not bang in the middle like Perkins did.

The other issue is energy. These guys just do not dig in the trenches and box out to fight for the rebound. They look like they are waiting for the ball to come to them rather than fighting for it. Detroit’s Greg Monroe ate them alive by being active. He went in with the mentality that the ball was his for the taking and he would kill his own mother in the paint for the loose ball. The Celtics just do not have that mentality.

The bottom line is I do not expect these problems to correct themselves this year. The players to fix the problem just are not on the roster. I do not know if it is just age with guys like JO or size and smarts issues for guys like Wilcox, but the team just lacks the ability to get the job done. Until Ainge fixes this problem it will be a long time waiting for Banner 18. Remember Go Green Or Go Home!!!!!!

The frustration boiled over as Rajon Rondo had a Rasheed Wallace like melt down. After failing to get a call from the official Rondo not only had a few words for the member of the corrupt army of Stern, but decided to throw the ball into the stomach of the unsuspecting official. This caused Rondo to earn the double technical foul and automatic ejection.

I got a lot of issues with Rondo blowing up like that. The first is it shows Rondo needs to mature more. This team needs Rondo to be not only a great player, but a leader. Leaders do not explode like this. They are the calming force that rally the troops and get the team going in the right direction. Instead of blowing up, maybe he should have continued playing hard. Maybe the team would rally around him.

The team was playing without Kevin Garnett (personal reasons) and they were already behind the eight ball in the rebounding department. This meant Rondo needed to be on the floor to help off set these issues by being a guy that can dictate play. They needed Rondo to not only set up guys for easy shots, but get his own offense. However, that is hard to do if you are sitting in the locker room. The worst part is the NBA is going to give the man a two game suspension. The team’s future leader at a time when the team is realign and needs him is now out for another two games.

I understand the frustration. Rajon Rondo is a square peg in a round hole. The man is born to run up and down like a thorough bred horse. The problem is Danny Ainge has surrounded him with an aging cast that does not have the energy level to match the young star’s energy level. If you are Rondo, how can you not be irritated that you are flying up the court with no one with you or setting the offense with guys that are just not moving without the ball. However, this does not mean he should lose his cool like that.

Rondo needs to instead realize what he needs to do to win and get everyone on the same page as best they can. Pierce may no longer be a guy that can drive at will, but he can still move when he feels like it. Jermaine O’Neal can move more than he is. It is up to Rondo and Doc Rivers to direct them.

The bottom line is Rondo needs to be the leader of this team. He is clearly the most talented current player. He also makes statements that he is the best point guard in the league. It is time that he started acting like a the best point guard by leading this team. However, he continues to have incidents like this one instead of really taking charge. This is perhaps why Ainge is reluctant to commit to him and constantly has his name floated in trade rumors. The Celtics can only go as far as Rondo can carry them. Right now that does not look far. Remember Go Green Or Go Home!!!!!!!!!

Michael Jordan said it best that championships are won from the inside to the outside. Jordan knew how to both get in the paint and he had a great post up game. When one looks at other title teams the inside scorers are firmly in place. The Lakers had Gasol, Bynum, and Kobe, the Spurs had Tim Duncan, and even the 08 Celtics had both Pierce getting into the paint and KG in the post. A championship offense has guys that they can dish to for easy offense to take the burden off the shooters on the team. Doc Rivers knows this and that is why Rajon Rondo is all of a sudden posting up.

The 2012 Celtics do not have that guy. Pierce has become more of a jump shooter at his age. KG is no longer a dominant post player night in and night out. Rajon Rondo is not consistent enough yet to be that scorer.

The Boston Celtics are a jump shooting team. The problem with being a jump shooting team is that any jump shooter in the NBA is going to be streaky. Sometimes the shots are falling and sometimes they are not. This was on full display last night in Chicago. At times during the Bulls game last night the Celtics could not miss. The team looked great as they had an early eight point lead. Other times the Celtics could not buy a basket. The result was the team fell behind by double digits more then a few times. However, the shots would start falling and the Celtics would crawl back every time to put a scare into the Bulls.

The problem was Chicago had inside scorers. Guys like Carlos Boozer, Taj Gibson, and Joakim Noah ate the Celtics alive inside. They got easy baskets in the paint and their offense did not have to work nearly as hard as Boston did to generate offense. This is why the Bulls were able to pull away.

The bottom line is the Celtics are just not going anywhere this year. They are a nice team and they match up well enough to upset a team and scare a good one. However, this offense just cannot get it done. They have to work too hard to get lower percentage jump shots off. They have no guy that can really create easy offense in the paint. This is Danny Ainge’s top offseason goal should be to get an inside scorer. If not, this team will be waiting a long time for Banner 18. Remember Go Green Or Go Home!!!!!!

Those people that have been crying about KG not being the same guy or KG should be traded need to realize one very important fact about KG even at this advanced stage of his career. The fact that I am referring to is KG is still the anchor of this Celtics defense.

The Celtics looked lost last night without KG on the defensive end. The opposition just cannot get to any spot that they want like the Piston did last night with KG on the floor. His positioning and active hands are amazing even at this stage of his career. KG is just so great at doubling at the right time and rotating to the basket to cover the weak side of the basket. I also just do not know a better pick and roll defender than KG. KG also can lock down his own man. The bottom line is that other than Dwight Howard, no other player impacts the defensive end like KG.

KG’s replacements just could not give the team anything close to what KG brings to the table every game. The Pistons just were able to get to the basket with ease off the drive because guys like JaJuan Johnson and Chris Wilcox just did not rotate to wall off the paint like KG does. The Pistons just kept getting into the soft under belly of the defense by the basket with either a weak drive from the perimeter that KG would have jumped out at and stopped or by getting to a quality spot to shoot off the pick and roll. The result was Rodney Stuckey finished with 25 points and Greg Monroe finished with 22 points as they feasted in the paint with easy shots.

The Celtics play the Bulls tonight in Chicago. If they are going to stand a chance, KG needs to play. He is just too important to the defense to sit. If D-Rose plays and KG sits, it might get ugly early. If Stuckey can light up the Celtics minus KG, imagine what a D-Rose can do. Remember folks next time you want to complain about KG’s offense that he impacts the game without scoring a point. His defense is what makes him valuable and a required piece of this Celtics puzzle. Remember Go Green Or Go Home!!!!!!!

However, that was the only good news last night as the Celtics fell to the lowly Pistons. The issue is Rajon Rondo had zero help on the offensive end from Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. These two guys are counted on to provide some offensive punch. The problem was they gave Boston close to nothing down the stretch of a tight game.

Granted the Pistons defense was solid as old friend Lawrence Frank doubled them both on the perimeter. However, this is Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. They have dealt with this kind of double teams their entire careers. I do not care how old these guys are, they are more than capable of providing more than twenty points on four of sixteen shooting. They both looked like spectators for the Rajon Rondo show as neither looked like they wanted to force the issue and get to the basket for points. The Celtics needed their offense and they failed.

The bottom line is the people that are saying the Celtics are too old were given some ammunition with last night’s game. Ray Allen and Paul Pierce grossly did not follow their young point guard’s lead. If they do not begin to show signs of life than perhaps Danny AInge will make some changes. Remember Go Green Or Go Home!!!!!

I trust that Doc would not let these guys play if there was a risk of more serious injury. This means I plan on them being ready to go come game time with their usual effort. If there was any chance of a more serious injury, JaJuan Johnson and even Keyon Dooling can more than step in and give the team quality minutes.

The Celtics have had their fair share of injuries. Granted they were playing a bad Detroit team, but they can always use the services of both KG and Pietrus. Both guys bring a lot to the table. KG is a the heart of the interior defense for Boston and every time he sits, Boston’s defense is weakened. KG also helps on the offensive end with his solid fifteen foot jump shot. Pietrus brings not only tough defense and energy play, but solid outside shooting.

KG and Pietrus will not have to carry the load all night. The good news is guys like JaJuan Johnson, Chris WIlcox, and Keyon Dooling can give minutes so they can at least limit their time on the court. The beauty of a having a solid bench. Remember Go Green Or Go Home!!!!!!!

The first reason Johnson should start is entirely to do with Kevin Garnett. KG has played every game this year and he should get some rest. It makes zero sense to trot him out there against the lowly Pistons if there is a chance that he could get more seriously injured. The Celtics will need KG more down the stretch with tougher battles like Friday against the Bulls in Chicago.

The second reason is that he has earned it. Johnson has proven to be a solid player at both ends of the floor when Doc gives him at least double digits in minutes. Granted he has played only a handful of games, but he has made a serious impression. He shook off struggles against the Bulls early to score 12 points, grab 4 rebounds, get 2 steals, and a block against a solid opponent in one Carlos Boozer. He also looked solid against Memphis during garbage time a week ago with a ten point outing in only 12 minutes.

The next is rotation purposes. Chris WIlcox should come off the bench for Jermaine O’Neal and Johnson. He can play both positions and JO is going to need some rest. Wilcox high energy play is better suited for 26 minutes versus 35 minutes. He would be much more effective off the bench. As much as I love Greg Steimsma at center, he is going to get fouls often and early due to his rookie center status.

The logical choice is for JaJuan Johnson to start. If he calmly knocks down his jump shot like he did against the Bulls on Sunday, then Boston will be alright against the Pistons tonight. The great news is even if he misses a few, he will keep shooting and mixing it up in the paint. I just hope DOc does the right thing. Remember Go Green Or Go Home!!!!!!!

The half court offense is just miserable to watch at times. Rondo just does not attack the basket as much. The team settles for tough jump shot after tough jump shot. They work hard to move around and get to a spot and half the time against solid defenses, they end up taking too much time, and settle for a terrible isolation that results in a miserable shot. Even the Ray Allen threes are taking a lot of energy out of Ray because he has to work so hard to get his shot off. This is why the offense struggles to score at times.

Doc Rivers seems to have noticed it as well because he went out of his way to let the world know that he wants the Celtics to pick up the tempo in their game. Doc knows easy baskets can be the difference between winning and losing. If a team can score in transition and then defend in transition, they are probably going to win a lot more than they lose (see the Miami Heat).

The problem is the Celtics really do not have the pieces to run with Rondo. Rondo really has no running mate. Yes, guys like Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen can run the floor, but these guys are not able to do it for 40 plus minutes. They can do it for stretches, but that just is not going to get the job done if Doc is serious about picking up the tempo.

This means Danny Ainge needs to get Rondo some running mates.The Celtics need to surround Rondo with some guys that can run the floor and finish. I drool over the idea of having Rondo run the floor with guys so we can finally see his true potential. Rondo just is not a true half court point guard. He is at his best in transition.

However, these guys have to be willing to come back and play some defense too. I am not talking a Josh Smith that just gets a block from time to time. I mean a guy that is willing to play KG type defense. Transition offense is no good without transition defense.(see New York Knicks or any Mike D’Antoni team ever).

The team should commit to Rondo and build around him. This should be the blue print. Ainge needs to really make every move from here on out with how to maximize Rondo. I know he thought he had one in Jeff Green, but he needs to get more than just one guy. The Celtics have the flexibility to begin this process. We will know by the trade deadline if that is what he is looking to do. Remember Go Green Or Go Home!!!!!

The Scalabrine connection to all this is simple. During the title run in 08 and up until Kevin Garnett’s devastating injury that cut short Boston’s window of title dominance, this was the victory chant. When the game was clearly won, Scal would hit the floor for mop up time. Unfortunately for one Brian Scalabrine, he was truly the human victory cigar. The Celtics were so dominant during that stretch that the Scal cigar was lit very often.

Now I realize that Scal earned his keep and he was no punch line. If Scal played in your reck league, he would probably lead it in scoring due to the fact the man can shoot with range and has some size. Scal worked his butt off in practice and pushed the guys like few people can with his limited athleticism. KG made it clear that Scal had earned his respect and that is not an easy thing to do. He also showed a knack for grasping offensive and defensive concepts that even prompted head coach Doc Rivers to make it clear that this guy will be coaching someday.

The fact is that good, bad, or other wise Scal evokes these kinds of memories. The good news is that it has earned him cult hero status in Boston. The even better news is he brings a lot of smiles to the people of Boston for those memories and for that I thank him. Remember Go Green Or Go Home!!!!!!!