BOSTON- There are many critics that point out a variety of issues that cost the Boston Celtics any shot at an NBA title. These “experts” point out the rebounding issues, the injuries, and my personal favorite age as to why the Boston Celtics just could not get the job done.
These issues hurt Boston, but the reality is they were not what kept Boston from Banner 18. The fact is all can be dismissed to a degree if one looks at the 2010 season. The Celtics had injuries (Kevin Garnett was still recovering from his knee surgery), could not rebound to save their lives, and were considered old back then. However, this team still was five minutes away form an NBA title.
The real issue is scoring for this Celtics team. When one gets down to the true essences of winning basketball, the game comes down to stopping the other team from scoring and scoring at a healthy enough clip to win games. The other factors are nice and they contribute to both factors, but in reality this is the essense.
The Boston Celtics are still one of the premier defensive teams in the NBA and thus defense is not the problem. However, the offense has lacked seriously in recent years. The offense every year since 08 has gotten worse. The Celtics continually go on stretches where they just cannot get any points. If a team cannot score effectively, the team will not win. The Celtics defense has kept them a contender by bailing out the offense, but until they can minimize the scoring droughts that plague them, the Celtics will not call themselves champions.
The reasons for the Celtics offensive decline are easy to see. The team’s principle offensive parts form the 08 title run are older. KG is no longer the offensive force that he once was as his explosiveness is just not there. Paul Pierce is still a great scorer, but not the same Paul Pierce that dominated every game night in and night out. Once Eddie House became to old to be an effective shooter off the bench, the team has struggled on the offensive end due to a lack of shooters off the bench.
The great news is Boston went a long way to solving those offensive struggles with one off season signing. When the team signed guard Jason Terry, they got the needed injection of offense into their roster. Jason Terry is the perfect fit for the Boston Celtics.
Terry is a scorer. He is capable of putting up a lot of points in a hurry. He moves well without the ball and thus should quickly become a favorite target for point guard Rajon Rondo. Terry is also a shooter. Terry has a mid range jump shot and can light it up form long range. To top off the offensive ensemble, Terry can create his own shot and score off the drive.
The Boston Celtics have not had an effective scorer of the bench like Jason Terry in a long time. The Celtics should also get a scoring boost from guys like Jeff Green, Courtney Lee, Chris Wilcox, and rookie Jared Sullinger. These additions mean the Boston Celtics offense should be a lot better this season. The better offense means a real shot at dethroning the Miami Heat and winning an NBA title. Remember Go Green Or Go Home!!!!!!
