Surprises and Disappointments
It’s hard to believe, but we’re almost a third of the way through the season already. The Celtics, after some early ups and downs, have been decidedly down on this West coast road trip as they play without Captain Paul Pierce. We thought we’d take a look at the roster and see who has been a pleasant surprise and who has been a disappointment thus far.
Surprises:
Al Jefferson - The third year big man came back from his appendectomy with a vengeance and really hasn’t let up since. After the Celtics lost all three of their centers to injury, big Al moved into the position and in 13 games as a starter, he is averaging 16.3 points per game and 11 rebounds. Impressive. With Pierce out, he is also getting double-teamed almost every time he touches the ball and has been getting better and handling it.
This is the Al Jefferson we’ve been waiting for.
Tony Allen - Since moving back to the starting lineup, Allen has flourished as the high-energy guy. He also has started 13 games and has averaged 14.6 points in those contests. He has been the team’s best defender, taking on the opposition’s top scorer, and has gone back to his slashing, athletic style that made him so effective as a rookie. Allen has improved his jump shot, and played smarter this season.
Gerald Green - We weren’t sure how much Green was going to play this season, but even before the recent rash of injuries, Doc Rivers had told us that Green had earned the right to play meaningful minutes. Since Paul Pierce went down, Green has moved into the starting lineup, and in his first four games, averages 15.4 points a game. He also among the league leaders in three point shooting percentage, having connected on 33 of 69 attempts for 47.8%. Again, that is an impressive stat for a second year guy out of high school, who is known more for his athletic gifts rather than his shooting abilities.
Leon Powe - We haven’t seen as much of this rookie as we would like, but in the time that he is on the floor, he is a presence. He rebounds with authority, asserts himself in the paint against much bigger players, and displays a nice variety of inside moves. He adds an element of toughness that this team needs more of.
Disappointments
Delonte West - He has been slightly better lately, but has been wildly inconsistent all season long. His normally deadly accurate jumper has deserted him at time, and though he has had games of 27 and 28 points, he has also had a few nights of 2 and 4 points. He continues to piling up nagging injuries which decrease his effectiveness on the court. He needs to not hesitate when going into his shot when he is open. Too often he seems to be looking to pass it off rather than take that shot himself.
Wally Sczcerbiak - Can this guy stay on the court? This season has been one of frustration for a guy who was supposed to be the steady compliment to Paul Pierce. He seems to be rolling ankles every other night and in practice, and his normally accurate shooting has been shaky as well. When he is able to play, even though hampered, Rivers still seems to put him on the court for 40 minutes, taking away time that Gerald Green could be seeing.
Doc Rivers - We’re in year three of the Rivers era, and I still haven’t figured this guy out. Good motivator, poor in-game coach? Good game manager, poor strategist? Will be play the young guys, or keep them on a short leash? A couple of things about Rivers that I wish were different…he was a former point guard, and seems to be hardest on his own point guards, he’s always on them, harping, yelling, telling them what to do. The guards he has are young and do need the direction, but they’ve also played with one eye on Doc at all times. That can’t happen. I’d also like to see Doc get better at being more consistent with the young players. A guy like Gerald Green needs the time in order to get better, and Doc seems to tinker with his minutes on a nightly basis.
Sebastian Telfair - Some of his struggles can be attributed to the above points about Rivers, but Telfair hasn’t yet broken out like some hoped that he would. His shooting has actually been better than expected, but he hasn’t run and controlled the team the way that you’d like to see a good point guard do.
