Only a couple of days after beating up on the Nets (who would fire Avery Johnson as head coach shortly after), the Boston Celtics were brutally destroyed at the Staples Center against the Clippers. While rebounding has improved, it hasn’t made a difference as Boston’s defense was horrific all game. But even worse than the defense was the offensive flow and tempo. Rondo looked off, and none of the Celtics were moving around at all. As I’ve stated before, Boston must trade for a big man. And now that disgruntled Sacremento King center DeMarcus Cousins seems to be available, will they go for him?
Reports have stated that there are many teams interested in Cousins, with Boston and Detroit being the only 2 directly linked. But the Maloofs are reportedly reluctant to deal Cousins even with the team struggling. If they were smart, they wouldn’t. Or not yet, at least. The kid has an incredible amount of potential, and when he starts growing up, he’ll be able to prove it. Maybe a little bit of coaching by KG could get his act together?
With all of that said, the Celtics will have to get their act together if they want to make a run this year. They will still need some pieces. The most important one? Avery Bradley. Scheduled to make a January 2nd return in Boston, Bradley’s presence will boost their defense incredibly. He provides depth to a roster lacking in exactly that. His return should move Terry back to the bench to be 6th man, and Courtney Lee further down in the rotation (with the way he’s been playing this year, he certainly needs to be further down).
Here’s an outlook on Boston’s next 5 games:
December 29th: @Golden State Warriors
December 30th: @Sacramento Kings
January 2nd: vs. Memphis Grizzlies
January 4th: vs. Indiana Pacers
January 5th: @ Atlanta Hawks
Only 1 of those games looks like a probable win, against Sacramento. If the Celtics play to the talent on their team, they have the ability to take all 5. I believe the Golden State game will be the hardest for them to win, with the fast-paced young offense in Oakland. But with a fairly tough schedule ahead, Boston will have to improve if they want to be above .500, and it won’t be easy.