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When asked if it was time for him to take more of a commanding role, Perkins said, “I think maybe a different guy gotta try to step up and be a leader. I think sometimes you try to feed off your All-Stars, but maybe somebody else gotta step up. I’m talking about leading by example. One spark or positive energy on the court and guys tend to feed off that. Maybe it’s gotta be me, Rondo, ’Sheed, somebody.’’
If you have your list of potential leaders written down, let’s cross out Rasheed Wallace. A leader needs to produce, and the Rasheed we have seen throughout this season — effective about every four games — is what we’re going to get the next three years.
Rondo’s tongue is bleeding because he has been biting it so much trying to hide his disdain over the team’s inconsistency. He said yesterday that the Cavaliers are “on the same page. They didn’t shoot the ball well either and found a way to get the job done.’’
Well, I'm not exactly thrilled that we're talking about looking for new leaders with 17 games left in the regular season. But clearly, something needs to happen. The Celtics are now the 4th seed and slipping fast as Milwaukee's hard charge has put them just 5 games behind the C's.
You know who would have been a great leader on this team. Leon Powe.
“We brought it every game,’’ said Leon Powe, a key reserve on that 2008 team who signed with Cleveland in the offseason. “We stressed the bench as key. We stressed the starters starting us off on the right foot. If the offense wasn’t on, you’ve still got to go out there and dig deep on defense. That’s what we relied on the year we won it.
“I can’t put [their being bored] in perspective, but it’s probably because we won the championship that year. Maybe some people are satisfied [on the 2009-10 Celtics], maybe some people are not. It can go either way. But you don’t expect it from a veteran team. That’s what you don’t expect it from.’’
Here's the problem with them still being "bored"... these are the games where they should be excited. You want to send a message in these late March games. You want to say to these teams you'll probably meet in the playoffs "hey... here's a black eye. When you look in the mirror, remember who gave that to ya. See ya in a few weeks and maybe I'll make it a matching set."
Nope. Instead its the Celtics looking in the mirror... trying to figure out how to explain to their friends how Anderson freakin' Varejao gave them a black eye, bloody nose and fat lip.
So I don't care if it's Brian Doo that steps up and becomes team leader... someone just do it... soon.
Coming up, Page 2... where Perk's gauntlet-dropping continues
Herald: Celtics no match for Lebron-led Cavaliers“I think we’re close,” Rivers said. “I think we’re really close. But we can say that all we want. You’ve got to prove it at some point. Listen, we had a chance to win this game, but we didn’t. It was frustrating for me, because you can see in a lot of ways how close we are to breaking out and to being really good.”
Some Celts still tried to play the effort card, and that may be the best way for them to handle this. Kendrick Perkins hedged on the issue of proximity.
“It’s hard to say,” he replied. “The game we played them in Boston, I feel like no way we should have lost that game. We gave in. That game was winnable. Tonight I thought we should have won. We didn’t shoot the ball well. But, like I said, it’s all about effort. So I don’t really know where we’re at because we haven’t played them with our best game. It’s hard for me to say where we’re at against them. I don’t think we went as hard as we should have.”
It's just beyond frustrating to hear a player say that.
So... will the Celtics ever go as hard as they should this season? '
Any time now would be great, thanks.
The rest of the links:
Herald: Celtics no match for East's best | Cavs' Leon Powe back in a big way | Varejao's a problem | Scouting report: Pistons at Celtics | Globe: Trying times | Is boredom an excuse? | ESPN Boston: Scrappy Varejao gets to Celtics | Postgame notes: Baby hears the boos | First impressions | CSNNE: Cavs have a great leader, what about the Celts? | Varejao was Cavs big man | WEEI: Camerato: How close is that corner?