Celtics Winning Streak Hits Five in a Row
Seemingly out of nowhere, your Boston Celtics have suddenly won five games in a row. With a pair of home games this week, they have the opportunity to head out on next week’s west coast road trip on an extended winning streak. How has Doc Rivers’ crew been able to turn things around so quickly? Can they keep it up? Those are the questions we’ll try to answer today.
The biggest factor in the improvement of the Celtics has been the improved play of Al Jefferson and Tony Allen, each of whom has really stepped up their games in the last two weeks. What triggered this?
Ironically it may have been adversity that has brought out the best in these two young Celtics. The team has been beset by a number of injuries, forcing them to have to play long minutes. However, the fact that they’re being relied on might be a boost to their confidence. They can go out and play, knowing that they do not have to keep looking over their shoulder, wondering if they’re going to be yanked after making a mistake.
With injuries to all three centers on the Celtics roster, Al Jefferson has been forced to become the main man at that position. He has responded splendidly, holding his own against bigger and beefier foes on the glass, picking up double-digit rebounds in a number of games. He has also been able to be aggressive on offense, taking the ball to the opposing center without fear. He has been able to use his assortment of low post moves effectively, putting together a few 20-10 games in this stretch. His teammates have been able to get him the ball in the post, and Jefferson has even been able to respond well to double-teams, handling the pressure just fine. Jefferson still has a ways to go on defense, but he still picks up his share of blocked shots, seeming to get at least a couple in each game since he became a starter.
Tony Allen has also taken advantage of an opportunity resulting from injuries, specifically the ones that have sidelined Wally Szczerbiak in recent weeks. With Szczerbiak out, Allen has picked up the minutes and has responded, showing the slashing, athletic style that he displayed flashes of during his rookie season. The game against Denver last Friday night was the Apex of Allen’s three year career, as Allen went the full 48 minutes and scored 30 points while guarding the league’s top scorer, Carmelo Anthony. Allen made several key plays in that game, coming up with a key steal down the stretch, and energizing the crowd with a few spectacular dunks.
To a lesser extent, Gerald Green has also taken a step forward in recent weeks, as Rivers has said several times that the second year player has earned the opportunity to play more minutes. We haven’t seen quite as a dramatic upswing from Green as we have from the above two, but he has still become a bigger contributor and has been on the floor and scored during key stretches of games. His development still has a way to go, but it is encouraging to see him on the floor more.
In addition to the injuries, there may have been another trigger for the improved play: the possibility of a trade. The Celtics were a well known suitor for Allen Iverson in the off season, and when the 76ers star recently expressed a wish to be traded, the Celtics were naturally brought up as a possible destination. Jefferson, Allen and Green are three names that were immediately brought up as possible pieces in a deal. Jefferson admitted that the possibility of a trade really shook him and motivated him.
This week’s schedule has a pair of games on tap at the Garden. On Wednesday night the Celtics will host the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors have been hovering around the .500 mark thus far, but have struggled mightily on the road, as of this writing, they were just 1-8 on the season. They are a deep team, with seven players averaging double figures, led by Baron Davis, who is scoring 20.4 points per game on the season. Second year guard Monta Ellis has been a surprise for the club, the 6-3 Ellis is averaging 17.8 points per game.
Friday night, the Philadelphia 76ers will be in town - with or without Allen Iverson. You would think that the team would’ve shipped off the disgruntled star prior to then, but Sixers GM Bill King appears to be taking his time with any deal. The Celtics handled the Sixers fairly easily in their last meeting as part of the current winning streak, the Philadelphia might be in for a bit of revenge, but their team could be totally different by the time that they take the floor on Friday night.
Based on what we’ve seen the last five games, I’m hoping the Celtics are looking the same as they are now.
