The Celtics are going to burn out
Last night the C’s were beaten by the Indiana Pacers. The final score doesn’t indicate how the game went. The Celtics basically were 7 - 10 points down most of the night. One of those nights where they couldn’t get over the hump. By the 4th quarter everything Indiana threw at the hoop was going in and quite literally the ball was rolling out of the rim for the Celtics. Sometimes at 3 attempts a clip. Either way you could tell they were gassed. From rim city. So where was the bench?
Daniel Theis got his first run in 2 or 3 games with Horford’s old balls taking the night off. Payton Pritchard gained som confidence from Udoka against Detroit after being forced into action with Smart in foul trouble and White having a bad night. Grant Williams as solidified himself as part of the rotation. That’s it.
I get every win counts right now with seeding. I get the team’s biggest need was and still is chemistry. I am on board for a short rotation especially considering your best players are 24 and 25. They can play 40 minutes a night. But, on night like last night Udoka has to get better at recognizing when his team needs a jolt. He just saw how fresh legs and new energy can impact a game in jeopardy the night before with Pritchard. How does Aaron Nesmith not even sniff the floor in the 3rd quarter last night? The Pacers were up and down the court. They had a small line up of aggressive wings and guards that were getting to their spots at will. All the signs were there that the team was dragging.
I’m not calling for a Brad Stevens approach to the bench where everyone gets their minutes and juice boxes at the end of the game, but Udoka’s rookie status shows by not being able to find a spot for someone like Peachbaskets. You could even see the rust in Theis’ game after not playing at all for 2 straight. The Celtics have a predictable playoff wall they will hit if Ime can’t shift his rotation just a tad as the home stretch gets going here.
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