History Shows Losing Streak Not the End of the World
By Shirley Coshatt
After the Celtics lost to the Bobcats, there were initial rumblings of concern over the team’s lack of intensity and the fact that they’d lost to an inferior team. Then, they lost to the Wizards and those rumblings grew a little louder. Then they lost a second time to the Wizards, on home court no less, and those rumblings officially elevated into grumblings. At that point, the team had lost three of their last four and for the first time had lost two in a row. This new trend of losing suddenly spawned a series of doom and gloom articles that popped up everywhere in sight. The Celtics are vulnerable. The Big Three look tired. They are wearing down. Their championship dreams are slipping away. Seemingly everyone had revolutionary theories on how to fix the ailing Celtics.
A look at history, however, shows that there is no need to panic. There is no need to make big moves to fix the Celtics because they are not broken. Rather, they are simply following a normal course of an 82 game season. When a team starts out as quickly as the Celtics did, it puts a bulls-eye on their backs and teams begin aiming for them They are actively scouted and teams make adjustments with the sole goal of beating the Celtics.
As for their championship hopes slipping away, a look at past champions shows that there is nothing to worry about. For example, check out last year’s Spurs, who after 42 games had a 29-13 record. They had their first back-to-back losses in November of that season and then suffered three and two game losing streaks in January. As for losing to teams they should have beaten, the Spurs notably lost to the Celtics in San Antonio last season for the first time since they drafted Tim Duncan. Enough said.
The prior champion, the 2005-06 Miami Heat, had a 25-17 record after 42 games. Unlike the Celtics’ fast start, they lost 3 of their first 5 games. They then lost 3 out of 4 games in late November, then another four in a row in early December. They lost two other back-to-backs in January and finished with a pedestrian 52-30 record for the season.
A look at the 2004-05 Spurs shows that they fared better than most with a 33-9 record after 42 games. However, even they had 2 two-game losing streaks in late November and early December and lost 2 out of 4 in January. For the season, they finished with 23 losses.
The 2003-04 Pistons were 29-13 after 42 games. They had their first 3 game losing streak in November and had a four game losing steak in December, then lost 3 of 4 later that month. They then went on a 13 game winning streak and followed that with a 3 game losing streak in late January. What sticks out the most, however, is the startling (in retrospect) stretch in February where they lost 6 in a row and 8 out of 9. I guess even a 6 game losing streak in February isn’t the end of the world, although judging by the recent reaction around here to the 2 game losing streak, six consecutive losses would have some clamoring for their closest bridges.
Finally, let’s go all the way back to the Celtics’ last championship team from 1985-86, who finished 67-15. They were 34-8 after 42 games, which is pretty close to this year’s edition. But even that team, which is considered by many to be one of the greatest in NBA history, lost 4 of 6 in their January stretch. This included the infamous Christmas day massacre in which the Celtics blew a 25 point lead and lost to the Knicks in overtime.
The Celtics are now back to their winning ways, but chances are, they are going to suffer a few more losing streaks over the course of their long season. During those rough patches, it’s important to remember that even the best teams suffer their fair share of ups and downs. Bearing all of the above in mind, the next time the Celtics hit a few bumps in the road, don’t get too wrapped up in the negative hype. Instead, take comfort in the history of past winners, stay off those ledges and enjoy the season, losses and all.
