Celtics Could Use A Strong Showing Out West

http://espn.go.com/boston/nba/story/_/id/8782044/boston-celtics-use-strong-showing-west


The Celtics' first foray into the Golden State this season features
games against the two best teams in the state -- neither one of them
named the Lakers.



That situation might not last much longer, but for now the white-hot Clippers and the much-better-than-expected Golden State Warriors
rank 1 and 2 in California. (That's what the standings say.) They also
happen to be the Celtics' next two opponents on this three-game swing
through the state, capped by a Sunday night game against Sacramento. The
Celtics are likely to be without Avery Bradley, who remained home to complete his rehabilitation from this past spring's double shoulder surgery. Chris Wilcox (thumb) also is hors de combat.








Brad Penner/USA TODAY SportsRajon


Rondo will have his hands full Thursday against Chris Paul, who is
second in assists this season behind the Celtics guard.

The Christmas Week road trip got off to a mah-vel-us start (as noted
Clippers fan Billy Crystal might say) with a 93-76 thrashing of the Nets
on Tuesday. The Celtics looked like the Celtics of Christmases Past,
playing stifling defense and getting balanced scoring in the victory.
They even -- stop the presses! -- outrebounded the same team that had
crushed them on the glass in their two previous meetings this season.

All of that made for an enjoyable flight out West, but reality is about
to come crashing down. The Clippers own the best record in the NBA. They
are riding a 14-game winning streak. The law of averages says they're
going to lose one of these days, and if the Celtics play like they did
against the Nets, the winning streak could end at the Staples Center,
where the L.A. is a cushy 13-3. But if they turn board-phobic at the
sight of Blake Griffin et al, it could get ugly.

The Warriors dropped a heartbreaker to the Lakers on
Sunday but still were 18-10 through Christmas, a quantum leap from years
past. They, too, like to attack the glass, with David Lee
leading the way. They also can score. The Kings round out the trip --
yes, this trip even makes geographical sense -- and they are, again,
pretty wretched. If the Celtics haven't forgotten last year's stink bomb
in Whatever They Call That Arena In Sacramento These Days, you can be
sure Doc Rivers will probably remember to mention it. The 120-95 defeat
was one of the more loathsome efforts of the season -- and marked the
first time Kevin Garnett had ever lost to the Kings since joining the Celtics.
A look at the rest of the trip:

Thursday at the L.A. Clippers

There was a time not too long ago when 22 wins constituted a season's
haul for the Clippers. They already have that many -- and it's not even
the new year. They haven't lost since Nov. 26, when they dropped a home
decision to the New Orleans Hornets.
That was the Clippers' fourth straight loss and they were a ho-hum 8-6
after that game. Now they are rolling. Blake Griffin is averaging 18.1
points and 8.8 rebounds a game, while Chris Paul trails only Rajon Rondo in assists, and Jamal Crawford is the Microwave off a deep and productive bench that also features ex-Lakers Lamar Odom and Matt Barnes.
The Clippers own the league's best differential, in part because they
are playing championship-caliber defense. They allow 91.9 points a game,
third fewest in the league, and hold opponents to 42.7 percent
shooting, second in the league. Those used to be Celtics-like numbers.
The Celtics have won their past two games against the Clippers in the
Staples Center, which should be hopping for this one. The over-under on
Kardashians is two.






Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty ImagesMark

Jackson's Warriors are off to their best start in more than two decades. They host the Celtics on Saturday.
Saturday at Golden State



The Warriors would qualify for the best story in California were it not
for the Clippers' play of late. They are off to their best start in more
than two decades -- or since the halcyon days of mad scientist Don
Nelson mixing sideline potions for Tim Hardaway and Chris Mullin. (Mitch Richmond
had been traded before the start of the 1991-92 season.) They put
points on the board, being one of nine teams averaging 100 or more per
game. But you can also score on them; they are one of eight teams that
allow 100 or more points per game. Second-year coach Mark Jackson is
getting by with two rookies in the starting lineup -- lottery pick Harrison Barnes and Festus Ezeli, the last pick in the first round, who has taken over for the injured Andrew Bogut.
Steph Curry leads the team in scoring, assists and steals, and Lee is a
renowned glass-eater, averaging 11.3 per game, fifth in the league. The
Celtics beat the Warriors in Oakland last season and have an overall
three-game winning streak against Golden State. But things have changed
in Baghdad by the Bay.


Sunday at Sacramento



The Kings are again a mess, so the initial impulse is to thank the
Schedule-Maker for this one. But the Kings were horrible last season,
too, and absolutely bludgeoned the Celtics as Boston was making a
five-games-in-seven-days trip through California and Colorado (which
then extended on to Atlanta, Milwaukee and Philadelphia). The Celtics
have pretty much owned Sacramento over the past several years; last
season's defeat ended an eight-game Boston winning streak against the
Kings. Were it not for the beleaguered Hornets, the Kings would be
holding down the bottom of the Western Conference. The big news
surrounding the Kings concerns man-child DeMarcus Cousins,
the team's leading scorer, rebounder and enfant terrible. He was
indefinitely suspended last Sunday after getting into a shouting match
with coach Keith Smart. Indefinite in this case meant one game. He was
back on the roster for the team's game against the Trail Blazers on
Wednesday night. Cousins is toxic on a young team like the Kings. You'd
love to see a team like the Celtics deal with this kid. He has great
talent and, after a week or two with Kevin Garnett and Doc Rivers, might
even get his head on straight. Just a thought. Sacramento is one of the
eight teams to allow opponents to average more than 100 points a game.
This is one the Celtics really should win, especially after last season.


bob
MY NOTE: I just watched the GSW demolish a middle-of-the-pack .500 team called the Utah Jazz last night. We're a middle-of-the-pack team at this moment too. They run and shoot well AND A LOT. In one of their lower scoring games this season so far, GSW had 84fga last night. David Lee, who always gave us fits in NY, is there. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson are as dangerous from 3 as Novak and Smith are with NYK. Carl Landry is a blue collar lunchpail player that I'd love to have in green. Rookie Harrison Barnes is struggling a bit but Festus Ezeli, whom every other GM passed over and was taken with the last pick of the 1st round, is a pleasant surprise (pleasant because he's not playing the Celtics). They run, a lot. our transition defense will have to be very good. Their defensive rotations were good last night. I never thought I'd say the words "good" and "defense" together regarding a team that Mark Jackson had anything to do with, but there you go. Don't pick up your dribble too soon. They fake the drop down and, if you pick up your dribble, will retreat to their man. If you are going to draw the double, you have to really make them bite. They've got a ton of big wings: Klay Thompson starts at 2 and he's 6'7", Barnes is 6'8", Richard Jefferson is 6'7", Draymond Green is 6'7", 230# and Kent Bazemore is 6'5". If there's a break for the league, starting 3 Brandon Rush is out for the year, or they'd be even deeper at wing. Get this, Richard Jefferson was out for 12 games with a calf injury and Green has taken his spot, with Jefferson dropping to 10th man. There's nothing wrong with Jefferson's game, Green has just come on. That's how freaking deep this team is. This is only the 2nd year since I moved to CA that they have been really worth watching. The other time was the year Baron Davis helped them win the 1st round playoff series against Dallas. And that team wasn't anywhere near as good as this one.

The Clips own a 14 game winning streak. Note the stats about their defense. This is not your average Clips team. Right now, I'd much rather play the Lakers than the Clips.

Sacto will be our only game where we will be able to win without doing everything right.