Why the Boston Celtics Will Win Game 2 Without Rajon Rondo:Fan’s Take - Yahoo! Sports http://sports.yahoo.com/news/why-boston-celtics-win-game-two-without-rajon-154300202--nba.html#NBA #NBAPlayoffs #Celtics
12:51 PM - 1 May 12 via Tweet Button · Details
The Boston Celtics suffered a frustrating defeat on Sunday at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks, 83-74; a game highlighted by the final seconds ejection of Rajon Rondo for bumping into referee Marc Davis. The ejection could not come at a worse time; as the Celtics had made significant strides to cut a once 19-point deficit down to four with 41 seconds remaining. The referee bump was a result of Rondo vehemently objecting to a questionable foul call at a pivotal moment of the game. A player can be frustrated during a game, but must possess some measure of control; or else compromise his team and a potential victory.
I will be the first to say, as a former player and coach; that it is understandable that a player can lose his composure during such an intense point of the game. But Rondo needs to now better and the league has little to no tolerance for such antics. The NBA was clarly justified in suspending Rondo for the chest bump; especially since this is not the first time the Celtics' point guard had issues with an official. Earlier in the season, Rondo was suspended two games by the league for throwing a ball at a referree during a game in Detroit. The move Sunday cost the Celtics any chance of further closing the gap in the game; as the Hawks were reeling from the Boston comeback.
Now that the damage has been done, there is a lot of chatter on sports radio stations, in the newspapers and on television that the loss of Rondo will hamper the Boston Celtics' ability to even the series and gain home court advantage in the first round of the NBA playoffs. While the team will miss the star point guard, who was the team's best shooter and leading scorer with 20 points to go along with 11 assists and four steals; I am here to state that the loss of Rondo, while painful should not hinder the Celtics from winning Game 2. Below are my reasons why Boston will head home with the first round series tied at one.
Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce will not struggle Game 2 as they did in Game 1:
Clearly, one key reason why Atlanta got out to such an early start in Game 1 was the inability of Pierce and Garnett to hit perimeter shots or consistently get to the basket against a depleted Hawks' frontline. The duo opened the game shooting 2 for 11 in the first quarter and 5 for 19 in the first half; permitting Atlanta to get out to a 14-point halftime lead.
Garnett did turn things around in the second half, shooting 7 for 10; but Pierce continued to struggle. With Rondo taking a large portion of shots and taking advantage of the lesser backcourt opponents, the Celtics were able to get back into the game without Pierce's contributions. As two prideful players who always look for additional motivation; the loss of Rondo and the lessened expectations for the Celtics in Game 2 will serve as a fire to propel both players to get of the gate strong and play with more fire and intensity.
In the past where Rondo has missed time due to injury, it was Pierce who elevated his game; taking over the key ball handling and play-making responsibilities. There could not be a better time for Pierce to again assume the floor generalship role and lead the Celtics to victory. What has fueled the Celtics in the past is an "us against the world" attitude; losing Game 1, along with their point guard in Game 2 will certainly fuel the Celtics's fire for a Game 2 outburst.
Defense has been and will continue to be the Celtics' key to victory:
Despite having three future Hall-of-Famers on the roster; all who have scored in excess of twenty-thousand points, the Celtics are still a defensive-minded team. Leading the league in opponent field goal and three-point field goal percentage, the Celtics allowed the Hawks to get out early in Game 1; connecting on 8 of their first 11 shots. Of particular interest was the shooting of Kirk Hinrich; who connected on his first four shots, all three-pointers. Look for Avery Bradley to do his customary job of smothering on-ball defense on Hinrich; while the insertion of defensive-minded Mickael Pietrus to help on perimeter will assist in defending Joe Johnson for more of the game, allowing Pierce to not hold that sole responsibility.
Perimeter shooting will improve in Game 2:
Not only will Paul Pierce's shooting improve with the offense in his hands; look for the additional minutes of Pietrus to improve the perimeter options for Boston. Not only is Pietrus a solid defender, he is also a good perimeter shooter with three-point range. The ability to spread the floor will only benefit Boston; as the Hawks will not be able to drop off Rondo on the perimeter and focus more on Pierce and Garnett taking the shots. Ray Allen again is expected to be out of action for Game 2 so spreading the floor with Pietrus will certainly benefit Boston's ball movement and perimeter offense.
Atlanta Hawks are not playoff tested like the Celtics are:
Game 1 did demonstrate that the Hawks have difficulty closing out opponents. After surrendering a 19-point lead twice to the under-performing Celtics, Boston should have confidence that their playoff experience; and proven championship mettle should be enough to overcome Atlanta in Game 2.
While possessing young and athletic talent, the Hawks do not possess a lack of positive playoff experience and have struggled in past seasons advancing beyond the first round. Against the Celtics; who vanquished them in 2008 the Hawks will likely have some doubt as to whether they have what it takes to defeat Boston, especially if Boston gets out to a strong early start.
Summary:
Look for Boston to get out to a strong start in Game 2 and compensate for the defensive deficiencies that led to their 19-point deficit on Sunday. With a stronger start, Boston will have to expend far less effort and energy in coming back and focus more on dictating the pace of Game 2 to their liking.
With the above mentioned items, the Celtics will be best positioned to come out of Game 2 with a victory. While having Rajon Rondo in the lineup would certainly enhance the team's chances; his absence will not hurt the Celtics as much as some believe. If the Celtics improve on the aforementioned aspects; and take better care of the basketball, there is no reason for Celtics fans to look at Tuesday night's contest with any less optimism than before.
Scott Duhaime is a passionate fan of the Boston Celtics and avid follower of the NBA for over 30 years; witnessing five of Boston's 17 championships. His professional career includes a solid foundation of analytics that contributes to a better appreciation of player and team contributions.
Sources:
Yahoo! Sports Boston Celtics Home Page
