COMMENTARY | How is it possible that the aging Boston Celtics are in first place in the Atlantic Division and climbing in the Eastern Conference?
The Celtics, 32-24, have risen to the No. 4 spot in the conference and are within a stone's throw of the Indiana Pacers in the No. 3 spot. If the season ended now, the Celtics would find themselves in a first-round matchup with the Atlanta Hawks and Boston would have homecourt advantage.
The Celtics have been one of the hottest teams in the NBA. Since dropping a 98-91 decision to the Denver Nuggets March 17, the Celtics have reeled off a 9-3 record. Their latest victory was a 103-79 triumph April 8 over the slumping Philadelphia 76ers, a team that had beaten the Celtics easily in their two previous meetings.
That's a far cry from the team that stood 15-17 in late February and was in the midst of a 5-game losing streak.
The team's ancient warriors have been resurgent. The names at the top of the scoring list are familiar ones to Celtic fans. Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen are once again leading the way.
Pierce, 34, is averaging 19.1 points per game and serving as the No. 1 option when the Celtics need a big shot. Pierce still has the capability of taking his man off the dribble or stepping back and hitting the shot when he has no room to maneuver. Garnett, 35, is also playing with that old fervor that helped make him a star during the early part of his career with the Minnesota Timberwolves and helped the Celtics win a championship in 2008. He is averaging 15.6 ppg and shooting 50.9 percent from the field. Allen, 36, is the team's 3-point assassin. He is averaging 14.4 ppg and connecting on 45.2 percent from beyond the arc.
But head coach Doc Rivers is getting a lot more than contributions from his Big 3. Point guard Rajon Rondo is averaging 12.1 ppg and is one of the top ball handlers in the league. He is averaging 11.2 assists per game and the ball is almost always in his hands when the Celtics are setting up a key play. Rondo's speed and decision-making with the ball in his hands is one of the Celtics' best attributes. Unsung small forward Brandon Bass is averaging 12.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game and guard Avery Bradley is averaging 5.9 ppg and shooting 48.2 percent from the field
However, there's a lot more to the Celtics than balanced scoring. This team is climbing in the standings because of its defense. The Celtics are allowing 89.3 ppg, the third-best mark in the league. Additionally, opponents are hitting 41.8 percent of their shots from the field. That's the best field goal defense in the league.
The Celtics would still likely be in over their heads if they are forced to confront the Chicago Bulls or the Miami Heat in the postseason. But the Celtics appeared to be an old team on their way down in the first half of the season. Now these old lions are showing they still know how to roar.
Steve Silverman is a longtime sportswriter who has covered the NBA for CBSChicago.com and WSCR-AM.
References:
CBS Sports - Boston Celtics Schedule
http://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/schedule/BOS/boston-celtics
Basketball Reference - Player history
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/bassbr01.html
NBA.com - Sortable Team Stats
http://www.nba.com/statistics/sortable_team_statistics/sortable1.html?cnf=1&prd=1#top
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