Perkins believes it’s in their heads

Four games over seven days remain in the regular season for the Celtics to shore up their weaknesses and mental lapses, and center Kendrick Perkins said there is one certain way to determine whether they are going to be factors in the postseason.

“You can tell by the start of the first quarter,’’ he said. “However we come out in the first quarter, that’s how the game is going to be.

“If you get a lot of defense, a lot of energy going from the older guys more than the younger guys, then we are going to have a pretty good game.

“I don’t think it’s talent. I don’t think it’s physical. It’s all mental.’’

In last night’s 115-104 win over Toronto, the Celtics shot 57 percent in the first quarter and outrebounded the Raptors, 11-5. While Toronto was able to rally in the second period, the Celtics played with more energy and passion than they did Tuesday in New York.

Perkins said the solution to such lapses may be just to get to the playoffs and see which players respond to the challenge. Two of the remaining games are against the Bucks, who may very well be the Celtics’ first-round opponents.

“I can’t speak for everybody else, but I am kind of ready for the playoffs,’’ said Perkins, who finished with 7 points and 9 rebounds in 24 minutes last night. “Let’s get it on, and whatever it’s going to be, we’ve got to go all in and let the chips fall where they may.

“When the playoffs start, everybody knows how it is. It’s a different atmosphere, make sure we come in with the right mental [approach] and the guys work how they need to work and go from there.’’

The Celtics have a short time to solve what coach Doc Rivers said is their biggest defensive problem: failure to stop dribble penetration. He said allowing players to drive into the paint forces the Celtics to help on defense and creates more cracks in the interior.

“I think it leads to a lot of other things when we don’t control the ball,’’ Rivers said. “At all the positions, we end up with help half the game and scrambling. That’s where the offensive rebounds and the 3-point line opens up. I don’t think that’s changed.

“Listen, we know when we play well who we can be, and we were not that [Tuesday] night. You have to have the move-forward mentality. I don’t think any of our guys care about [Tuesday] night.’’

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2010/04/08/perkins_believes_its_in_their_heads/

It's not in their heads. It's in Perk's feet. They move too often.

Sam

4 more games to play. I guess what we see is what we are going to get. I was very proud of the team last year despite the game 7 loss on the home floor. I thought they conducted themselves like champions and put forth max effort. Laden with bobheck's ganas. If they put forth max effort every night this year and lose I am ok with that. If they dont try on certain nights I think they will have to be considered one of the most dissapointing teams ever with the level of talent they possess. I have never been so baffled by a Celtics team.

Jamison just hurt his ankle

That's the answer, Sam. I have never seen a kid go backwards the way this kid has this year. And now, let's blame the "old guys". Where does he think he would be without them?????? These youngsters kill me! I, too, have been
baffled beyond comparison this year, but, give me a break, four games to the end of the season and now they start pointing fingers??

Just remember Perk, no one is here by accident. When your time wears thin, Danny will trade you just as quick as anyone else. The days of being with one team for your whole career are just about over.

This statement by Perk bothered me more than ever. Here is a guy who was playing terrific at the beginning of the year, only to move backwards the second half. Now he choses to blame Garnett, Pierce and Allen for his shortcomings. Whatever they have become, they have become it TOGETHER! No one is innocent here.

Grow up Big Fella!!!

It's easy to draw inferences from what the players say. Also dangerous. But Piecing together little clues is tempting.

Perk mentions energy among the older players. Ray is obviously one of the most energetic members of the team. KG has had a lot of first quarter scoring outbursts lately. Let's see, who does that leave among older players who play most of the first quarter? Hmmm.

After the last game, Ray said he liked the lineup that was on the floor during the pivotal period of the fourth quarter. Let's see, which of the older players was not on the floor at that time? Hmmm.

Rondo and Paul Pierce obviously have conflicting styles. To the extent that Rondo seems to have been the source of some unrest since before the season started, which of the older players with whom Rondo plays most often would likely be the sticky wicket? Hmmm.

It's possible to read too much into little snippets like these, and any conclusions should be tempered by extenuating circumstances such as lingering effects of injuries. But much of the recent play of Pierce—right down to his body language on and off the floor—could be described as almost as symptomatic of a sullen attitude. If the team has exhibited an uneven energy flow, which player has most closely mirrored that pattern? Hmmm. When Doc says he never knows which team is going to show up, might not that quandary apply to Paul Pierce as well? Even Sheed's energy output has been fairly consistent (for better or worse), although his contributions haven't necessarily followed suit.

Perhaps it's no coincidence that the team has had a couple of meetings recently and the Three Amigos apparently went out to dinner together to "hash some things out"...and Pierce submitted a pretty good game against Toronto. But his absence in the fourth quarter seems curious, especially since Doc believes in riding the hot hand.

I'm not suggesting that Paul will opt out this summer, although the post-season could have some bearing on that decision. He'd never make as much money as a free agent, so it would almost certainly take more than a few speed bumps to alienate him to that degree.

Perhaps the safest conclusion to draw from all of this is that there's a lot more going on than just games and practices as the regular season winds down. My guess is that Doc and his lieutenants are burning a lot of midnight oil in thinking about personnel. And maybe we can take heart in the fact that the combo that pulled them through against the Raptors was a pretty good example of oil well spent.

Go Celtics, and Go Paul.

Sam

Sam,

I got the same feeling about PP. The Rondo conflict is almost obvious when during the end of ball games he gives it up to PP and moves to the side. With Finley in there was ball movement which Doc has been preaching and open shots for whoever is open. I think you are right on about the midnight oil thing.

Rosalie,

My theory on Perkins is that he was getting a lot of media attention during the allstar break when there was buzz about the Celtics. Maybe that went to his head. I agree there is some amout of regression in his play. He's been good for blowing 2-3 bunnies a game. In one recent game Rondo was really frustrated when he blew it. He is still solid on D and productive for what they need with the exception of free throw %.

Hoop

Hoop and others,

Think about the road that Perk has taken. The only way he's been able to stick around, to say nothing of starting for a championship team, has been to work his butt off. He and Clifford Ray have been so close that they might as well set up housekeeping. On the floor, his primary role is to do the lunch pail stuff. Guard the behemoths. Set picks (albeit moving ones all too often). Be the only Celtic fighting on the offensive boards. A large proportion of his game is based on effort rather than talent.

His comments involved the importance of getting off to fast starts in games. And no one on the team more consistently scores the bulk of his points early in games than Perk. I've often wondered why he'll have eight points at halftime and will wind up with 10 or 12. I've concluded that (1) as the game progresses, others assume more of the scoring and ballhanding burden and (2) foul trouble often limits his second half minutes.

I can see where, from his perspective, Perk might be disgruntled if he feels anyone on the team isn't putting out equivalent effort, especially in the early parts of games. Whether or not the level or his performances has earned him the right to imply some displeasure, I can understand that perceived inequities in effort could well be the source of his frustrations.

Sam

It is likely that a chemistry issue, or lack of chemistry, no more UMBUTU, is underlying the team's underachievement this year. Sam brought up the point of Pierce opting out of his contract this Summer. Much will depend on how deep seeded his discontent is with probably Rondo and the team's plight in general. Realistically, this team doesn't figure to get too far in the playoffs this year so Pierce's decision will be predicated on weighing his desire for another ring vs. grabbing financial security for himself and his family for the post basketball life. When the title was won in '07-'08, I don't think any of us envisioned the wheels coming off the cart in this manner. In a Perfect World (no Kevin Costner movie) Garnett, Pierce, & Allen would have had enough to get the C's at least one more banner. No one knew such imprudent and unwise personnel moves would be made by management, nor did we realize Garnett's injury the year following the last title would signal his apparent demise. At the end of the day, it's a business and Garnett and Pierce just don't have it in them to offer even a reasonable measure of their previous output. At this point, unless bought out and they retire neither will retire a Celtic. The C's need to build around Rondo. He is young fast and quick deserving of running mates that can get up and down the court in an up tempo style, constantly defending (similar to Nolan Richardson's 40 minutes of Hell in his '94 NCAA Arkansas championship squad.) Ray Allen is the only true vet that should be given an option to remain due to his health and conditioning, but with the realization that his minutes would be reduced."Sheed assuredly would be history. I don't care if the C's play with no-name players just as long as those are young players with the energy, physical capacity, and desire to spill everything they have on the court for 48 minutes a game. Then, the home fans can get their money's worth. That surely has not been the case at numerous home games this season-MD.

MD,

You're entitled to your opinion. I just don't want my comments to be construed as agreeing with much of what you say. By no means have I even remotely begun to waver in my support of the 2010 championship hopes of this team for this season—not a prediction, simply a belief that they have the ingredients to compete for it under the right conditions. By no means am I party to predicting what will happen long-term with KG, Pierce, Ray or Sheed. I raised the Pierce option thing only to underscore that I was specifically not predicting that he would or would not opt out.

I do believe that the Celtics will eventually become more of an uptempo team, in line with capitalizing fully on Rondo's talents, but I do not profess to know the timing.

Finally, just to emphasize this point, I was not predicting anything in my comments—just making observations; and, in particular, I am emphatically not even remotely hinting at failure for this edition of the Boston Celtics.

Sam

Just to clarify what Sam stated about PP opting our this summer. No one is going to pay him $21 Million at his age and in this economic climate. Second it has been stated on either RealGM or ESPNBoston.com that the strategy for Celtic Management will be for PP to declare Free Agency and then rework a long term contract that allows PP to finish with Boston. This will clear Cap Space this year so the Celtics can become more aggressive in the free agent market and in the trade market.

112288

I just re-read many of those quotes and I just dont see it as Perk doing anything other than saying - they are ready for the playoffs and have all the horses they need to win if their heads are in it from the beginning.

Perk has had a solid year. He has regressed in some senses, but who wouldn't when the guy you are playing next to is either out, or back but playing at a fraction of where he used to play. KG used to force people to drive back towards Perk - where Perk would get the block. Now they just go by KG, forcing Perk to have to slide over - and causing him to be out of position more often.

Perk was a low draft pick and has done pretty well for himself and this team. He is a solid top 15 center in the NBA - and is still very young. I see no reason to bash Perk in any way....he costs very little, plays hard and does the best he can with limited athleticism.