Feeling Green

It's extremely difficult to grasp how the 2006-07 Boston Celtics have lost a franchise record 18 consecutive games. Whether it be an accident, a fluke or luck, NBA teams rarely lose more than a handful of games. The bottom line is the team lacks the ability to simply win games.
When the Celtics welcomed the Golden State Warriors to town on December 20th, the season was still in tact. The Celtics entered the game on a 5 game winning streak, a feat that's currently hard to fathom today as the Celtics last won a game on January 5th. The Celtics lost that game by a single point, and coupled with an injury sustained by team captain Paul Pierce the Celtics season came to a crashing halt. After the loss to the Warriors that night, the team's record fell to an ominous 10-14. For those, me included, who found that stat ghastly unacceptable, the record has now deteriorated to..........12-38. Even worse, the Celts have given the faithful TD BankNorth Garden fans a repulsive 4-21 record.
With 50 games in the books, it's time to dig deep in the sand to find some positives to take into the next season. Gerald Green has shown flashes but has yet to make that jump, surely in a couple years he'll be an All-Star. Even with steady minutes, he has yet to make a realistic impact. For now, he joins Paul Pierce and Al Jefferson as keepers. Other players, such as Delonte West and Ryan Gomes, are part of the future, but what you see is what you get; they are simply complementary pieces. Neither can win games by themselves, thus the horrid 2-20 record without the likes of Pierce.
Tony Allen was quite impressive after Paul Pierce went down. His athleticism and determination on both ends of the floor put him in a position to join the starting five in the years to come. His future depends solely on his health and off the court issues. The center position is an area that will be mended during the draft or free agency, hopefully the former. Most fans like Kendrick Perkins aggressiveness, but saying he is a bust and disappointment is an understatement. If Leon Powe loosens up some and starts enjoying the NBA game, he could be an integral part of the team down the road.
Rajon Rondo could finally be the answer to the point guard problem. This position is crucial. Just look at what T.J. Ford had done for the Raptors and what Steve Nash, Tony Parker, Deron Williams and Chris Paul has done for their respective clubs. Sebastian Telfair, the team's only other true PG, is clearly not the answer. Wally Szczerbiak is a solid player, though injuries continue to hamper his career. Allan Ray could end up a diamond in the ruff if he can find his game at the Garden.
The Milwaukee Bucks come into town on the 14th. The Celtics should win, although I predicted on yesterday's post they would likely defeat the Wolves'. In that game, they blew a late lead and lost at the buzzer 109-107. But desperate times call for desperate measures, and the Celts should compete for a victory. In the event they don't, they may have to wait even longer for a win. A difficult road trip out West will include 5 brutal games, all within a one week span. But don't count out the young club. Yet, that will be difficult considering Celts fans have become proficient at counting.