Celtics, Even In Transition, United In Pursuit Of Playoffs

http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/celtics_nba/boston_celtics/2015/03/celtics_even_in_transition_united_in_pursuit_of_playoffs




Celtics, even in transition, united in pursuit of playoffs






Photo by: Stuart Cahill
Boston Celtics guard Avery Bradley (0) looks to the rafters after sinking a three as the Celtics take on the Magic at the Garden. The Celts won the game 95-88.


Saturday, March 14, 2015
By:  Steve Bulpett


To be a playoff team or not to be a playoff team.

Tough call, eh?

Hamlet may have had it relatively easy when contemplating a tortured life or suicide. The Celtics must choose whether ‘tis nobler to get a postseason berth and suffer the slings and arrows of almost certain first-round demise — or, you know, hang back a bit and buy a ticket for the NBA draft lottery.

Of course, the decision may not ultimately be their decision at all. The fact is the Celtics players and coaches are pushing hard to win themselves into the Eastern Conference tournament, but that may not be enough to get them into the event.

Even with last night’s 95-88 comeback victory over Orlando, there’s the matter of 18 more games to play and the very real possibility they won’t win enough of them to move from the 10th position to one of the top eight.

And road games in Indiana tonight, Oklahoma City Wednesday and San Antonio Friday (wrapped around Monday’s visit by the 76ers) do not figure to benefit the effort.

President of basketball operations Danny Ainge has said he doesn’t see a great deal of value in making the playoffs if there is no real chance of winning a series. But it’s his job to step back from the trees and take stock of the forest as he tries to maneuver the franchise to an honest opportunity to compete for a championship.

And as the Celtics stand now, surgery is still required.

But Brad Stevens insists he and Ainge are on the same page with regard to the desire to play well enough each night to make a run at a playoff mooring. There has been no suggestion from above that the coach let up on the reins and give developmental minutes to younger people when others have earned them — which is why Gigi Datome has taken James Young’s place in the rotation.

There is no separation of church and state where the two have disparate goals for the present.

“We’re very much focused on winning the next game, and he’s right with it,” Stevens said of his boss.

“To me, there doesn’t need to be any separation. This is the focus we have.

“Obviously he’s got to look at everything from a roster standpoint and the development standpoint and everything else, but I think our progress as a team and the way we’re progressing, all that stuff goes hand in hand.”

Stevens is obviously interested in winning the last game the NBA plays in a given season, and, for that to happen, he is aware the Celtics have to improve “from a roster standpoint.”

But his job is to deal with the here and now and improve the skills and understanding of those on what has been an ever-changing lineup sheet. And if he does that job well and the Celts continue to become a whole that’s greater than the sum of their parts, the playoffs will continue to be a viable topic around the club.

“We’re just focused on playing as well as we can, getting this team to play the best it can,” Stevens said. “And everybody around us is talking about it (a playoff chance), which is great.

“And every time Danny and I have talked, our sights have been on this team playing as well as it can play.”

The players, having seen so many moves this season, are well aware that this is a team in transition — and that rebuilding usually comes with a desire for higher draft picks.

But the people who wear sneakers for a living aren’t paying any attention to such issues.

“To be honest with you, we don’t even think about that,” said Jae Crowder, who arrived from Dallas when the Celts traded away their best player. “We’re just trying to win.”

Referring to Ainge and any thought about it being better for the Celts in the long run to take a shot on the lottery balls bouncing their way, Crowder added, “He hasn’t said nothing to us about it, so we just play. This is all about the playoffs for us.

“Yeah, we talk about it amongst ourselves. I know me and IT (Isaiah Thomas) do a lot. We really want to make the playoffs. He hasn’t been there, and I was lucky to go there last year and get to feel that environment. I just want to get it back. The playoffs is the best basketball in the world.”

Before taking on the Magic last night, Stevens was asked about the playoff push.

“Well, they play for the Boston Celtics, so I hope it’s something that they expect to do,” he said. “I hope it’s something that they continue to take pride in, just playing well. I don’t get too focused on (it).

“I know where we are generally, but I don’t know like how many games we’re out, who plays who on a given night or those type of things. But I know we’re in the mix — but trailing. I think our guys are kind of the same way. I don’t hear a lot of talk about, well, so-and-so is playing this team tonight and if they lose and we win . . . I don’t hear that. Maybe they talk about it, but I don’t hear it. I think they’re finding more excitement in playing well. Hopefully we continue to do that.”

As Crowder put it, “It’s fun to go down to the wire like this with 18 or so games left and every one of them meaning something.”

Done properly, it is the type of drama Shakespeare might have enjoyed.



bob
MY NOTE: My favorite line of the whole piece “Well, they play for the Boston Celtics, so I hope it’s something that they expect to do,” he said. “I hope it’s something that they continue to take pride in, just playing well". My second favorite is this one, by Crowder, “It’s fun to go down to the wire like this with 18 or so games left and every one of them meaning something.” The reason why they mean something, Jae, is because you have been winning...



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