It's that time of the year. We're officially halfway through the season, and it's time to grade the Celtics.
Things haven't gone as smoothly as hope. There have been ups and downs, highs and lows, moments of greatness and moments of absolute misery.
The Celtics have made things interesting to say the least.
41 down. 41 to go.
Here are my grades for each of the Celtics for the first half of the 2012-2013 season.
PLAYERS:
Paul Pierce - (B-): Pierce's numbers look fine, but a prolonged shooting slump over his last seven games has not helped his team or his grade. The one alarming stat that is not in line with past seasons is his shooting percentage. Pierce is converting on a mere 42.3% of his shots, the third-lowest rate in a season for his career. On the defensive end, it's been hit or miss with Pierce. We've seen him shut down Paul George, but then we've also seen Jameer Nelson and Joe Johnson break his ankles. Pierce has shown his age this season at times, but Pierce is still the team's rock.
Rajon Rondo - (B+): Rondo leads the league in assists at 11.1 and he's shooting 48.4% from the floor, and that number includes an ample amount of jumpers -- his improvement on jumpers this season is something you can't ignore. But Rondo has reverted back to his immature ways at times. For a player with so much hype surrounding him coming into the season, Rondo has for the most part lived up to par. He's dazzled opponents at times, and at other times he makes silly mistakes that make you scratch your head. We all thought Rondo would take on more of a leadership role, and he has failed to live up to that.
Brandon Bass - (D): I never mention Bass that much, and there's a reason for it: he has made little impact on the court this season. Of all the disappointments on this team thus far, I'd have to say Bass' performance this season has been the most disappointing. Coming off arguably the best season of his career, Bass was supposed to be a knock-down shooter off pick-and-pops, and he told everyone coming into this season that he would become more of a force on the glass. Well, his numbers have not backed that up. Now, we all knew that Bass would come back to Earth a little bit after a breakout season, but we didn't expect him to get lost in the galaxy on his way back.
Jason Terry - (D): I stand corrected: Jason Terry has been the most disappointing player on the Celtics. To his credit, Terry never really had a defined role until the return of Avery Bradley. Terry, who has made a successful career out of being a dynamite scorer as a Sixth Man of the Year winner, bounced from the starting five and the bench. But Terry is a professional, he's in his 14th season, and he should be able to adapt. His shooting percentage is low, his impact has been minimal, and his trademark swagger and confidence has not been there.
Courtney Lee - (C): After a horrendous start to the season, Lee has turned things around nicely. His shooting percentage has gone up and his scoring has increased. Lee has also done a nice job of rebounding, as he has 6 games of more than 5 rebounds. His defensive intensity has also increased as the season has progressed. His defense has improved tremendously with Avery Bradley's return. However, he was expected to do more. He's committed silly turnovers, has been involved in many miscommunications on both ends, and sometimes looks frustrated and forces the issue. He's making the silly mistakes you wouldn't expect him to make.
Kevin Garnett - (B): For some reason, Garnett was talked into signing a three-year deal this offseason. He was confused then, and he's definitely confused as ever now. Garnett didn't come back for this. He didn't come back to be the team's best player. He came back to be another piece of the puzzle. His grade is a bit skewed because of the role he has had to take on. On the bright side, Garnett made the All-Star team for the 15th time, quite the achievement for a 36-year-old who failed to make the squad last season. At the same time, Garnett is in his 18th season, and he has shown his age of late. He is not the defender he used to be, but he's still very good. He's still shooting 50% from the floor, but his free-throw shooting has not been as good. Basically, Garnett's unexpectedly high workload has cost him in his grade.
Avery Bradley - (B+): We all know the stats of the Celtics' performance with and without the chosen one. Bradley helped lead the Celtics on a six-game winning streak upon his return. The concerning aspect? He has done little in this four-game losing streak, partly due a recent rib injury. I still think he needs a few more games to a.) regain his game legs after missing a good chunk of the season recovering from double shoulder surgeries, and to b.) get fully healthy after this rib injury for us to determine what he can do.
Jeff Green - (C): I'm Jeff Green's harshest critic, but I believe this grade is fair. Overall, he has been an average player. He has embodied what the Celtics are this season: inconsistent with flashes of greatness. To his credit, Green has turned up his aggressiveness since the Celtics west-coast trip. However, he is still not producing the way everyone expected him to. I think him being the central figure off the bench is not good for him. In my opinion, Green should be starting. Green's ability to defend and run the floor are valuable assets for what is right now a slow basketball team. Plus, he will fly under the radar and not receive all the attention, as opponents will be focused on Rondo, Garnett, and Pierce. Playing alongside them will also most certainly help Green. I would love to see it happen.
Jared Sullinger - (A-): Sullinger has been the biggest, most pleasant surprise this season. People will look back on the 2012 NBA Draft and shake their heads at how Sullinger slipped all the way down to the Celtics at the 21st spot. Without Sullinger, the Celtics would not be where they are today. He's leading the Celtics in plus/minus at plus -55, a spot that has been owned by Kevin Garnett in recent years. He is second on the team in rebounding to Garnett -- Sullinger is at 6.1 to Garnett's 7.0 -- and is doing so in 9.7 minutes less per game. I think it might be time for Doc Rivers to try Sullinger out in the starting lineup. At this point, you have to try something to shake things up.
Leandro Barbosa - (B+): Barbosa has done a nice job in limited minutes. I believe he should get more minutes and Terry and Lee's minutes should be cut. Barbosa has proven to be a spark plug off the bench, evident by his days in Phoenix. Barbosa is sneaky quick, and has shown the ability to get to the basket at will. Barbosa's quickness helps him defensively as well. I think Doc needs to give him a chance.
Jason Collins - (B-): When the Celtics signed Collins in the offseason, he was signed for one reason: to be a defender on the low block who could grab rebounds. So far, so good for Collins. He started 7 games and did a nice job for the Celtics. However, he would run into foul trouble easily, limiting what he could do in most games. That must improve.
Fab Melo - (Incomplete): Melo has not seen any action with the big club, so he doesn't get a grade. He has been impressive though in the D-League.
Chris Wilcox - (C+): Wilcox has only played 23 games due to injuries, but when he has been on the floor, he has done a nice job of running the floor and grabbing rebounds. His athleticism and quickness for a big man is something that has helped make him and Rajon Rondo dynamic on fastbreaks. Wilcox needs to be healthy, and that will allow him to maximize his potential. I'm not sure why Rivers has not played him lately because he brings energy on both ends of the floor, something the Celtics have been lacking of late.
COACHING:
(B-): Nobody's perfect, and that includes Doc Rivers. I'm a big fan of Rivers, and all emotions and bias aside, Rivers has done a somewhat decent job. He's tried 11 different starting lineups and has yet to find consistency with this roster. He has had to manage the minutes of the Big Three, and had to find ways to put the new guys in positions to be successful. He told reporters during his postgame rant on Sunday night that he needs to do a better job of finding the right combination and getting the most out of his guys. Rivers should reduce some players' playing time and give some more to the likes of Leandro Barbosa and Chris Wilcox.That being said, the onus is on the players to do their part in getting the most out of themselves. Rivers has not found a consistent winning formula yet, and the turnaround starts with him.
MANAGEMENT:
(A-): Listen, Danny Ainge and company put together a championship-caliber team. Of course, we all know that championships are not won on paper, but if they were, the Celtics would definitely compete for the 18th banner. It's crazy to think that the Celtics had such a successful offseason while still losing arguably the greatest shooter of all time. The best-case scenario ensued for Boston, and Ainge gave Rivers all the pieces to compete at a high level.
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