Regardless of their record, ever since thrashing the Bulls 118-90 back in October, the Celtics have been playing poorly to say the least. Most nights they are so much better than the other team that it won't matter, but against teams like the Hawks and the Suns you have to show up like it's a playoff game.
Some people may think that the Celtics are playing bad because Rasheed Wallace doesn't fit, or because the big 3 is getting too old, or even because they're not as good as advertised. The real reason is that they're horribly bored and can't wait to get these next 73 games out of the way to get to the playoffs. Read their body language, some nights the entire team doesn't look in the least bit interested.
Kevin Garnett, the most intense basketball player I've ever seen isn't bringing anywhere near the hunger to win which he has brought in years past. He looks as if he's going through the motions and the rest of the team is following suit. When Garnett originally went to Boston he changed the entire culture of the Celtics with his intensity and defensive prowess. Look at Kendrick Perkins before and after the arrival of KG. Garnett has turned Perkins into an intense, and slightly meniacal defender just like him. But as Garnett has stopped bringing that desire every night and as a result so has the rest of the team.
This is going to be a recurring theme all year as the Celtics will continue to play like this until they find the motivation to play better. The Celtics think they can turn it on whenever they want but it's not like you can just flip a switch and all of a sudden play well. That is the only concerning aspect of this, that the Celtics will play like this for too long and put themselves in a bad position once the playoffs roll around. Still, I strongly feel that the Celtics are going to win the title this year, barring injuries. This team is built for the playoffs and more specifically a championship.
There's good news for the Celtics in all of this, April 14th is right around the corner.
