Ehhh, What's up, Doc?

The Celtics have dropped 11 of their last 17 games, dating back to their West Coast trip in late December where they were defeated by such title contenders as the LA Clip, the Warriors, and Suck Valley Suns.  Of those 6 victories, two of them were earned in OT.  And in 8 of those 11 losses, the Celtics actually had the lead in the 2nd half.  In 6 of those 8 games, they had the lead the in 4th quarter.  Oh, and two of those 4th quarter leads were by double-digits.

Yikes.

So what the fuck is up, Doc?  Analysts would have us believe that the defense is the problem.  And I guess that could be true. After all, if you had a lead, and then you don't have a lead, it means that the opponent had to score a few points.  But what else had to occur?  Well, you could have either been blown out in the 4th quarter, allowing 30+ points in the final set of each game.  Or, your defense could be fine, and your offense could be the problem.  And well, the offense appears to be the problem more than the defense.  Check it out:

In those 11 losses, the Celtics are averaging 20 points scored in the 4th quarter (it should be noted that their high of 25 came against the Suns in a game whose outcome had already been determined and whose existence is currently skewing this calculation).  And even in their victories, scoring has been low in the 4th.  In fact, in these last 16 games, the Celtics have only outscored their opponents in the 4th quarter twice... TWICE!  The Celtics are currently closing games like Byung-Hyun Kim at old Yankee Stadium.

One of the most noticeable differences in how the Celtics play during the 4th quarter when compared to the rest of the game is their offensive set.  It's a philosophy characterized by sluggishness and a diametric opposition to the previous three quarters.  And it is ultimately a two-step process:

Step 1.  Drain as much time off the clock as possible.

This practice primarily consists of Paul Pierce or Rajon Rondo dribbling/holding onto the ball for an extended period of time until there are somewhere around 5-7 seconds left on the shot clock.  Then a shot is forced which either involves Pierce taking the ball to the hole, obviously looking to draw a foul, or when time is running out and Rondo is forced to toss up an obviously low-percentage jump shot from 12 feet or beyond.

Step 2. Someone else besides Rondo bring up the ball.

Well, the philosophy here is that free throws can cost us the game (see Clippers loss from December), and therefore, the ball should be in the hands of a better shooter.

You see, there are just well, several problems with this process.  First off, if you are having trouble scoring during the 4th quarter, then why would you waste time not trying to score?  It is pretty clear that this wait-and-brick approach is costing the Celtics points down the stretch, by reducing scoring opportunities and more importantly, distrupting the flow of the game.

Secondly, Rajon Rondo is your point guard.  Therefore, he should have the ball in his hands everytime the ball is brought down the floor.  Moreso, Rajon Rondo is hands down your best player at the moment.  He's an all-star, who currently leads the league in steals, is first among point guards in FG%, and third in the league in assists.  Does he turn the ball over?  Sure, but not as much as Steve Nash or Deron Williams, and do you see their coach limiting their touches?  No?  But Rondo can't make his free throws?  Obviously a problem.  But is hiding him from the ball going to make him improve his free throw shooting?

Lastly, if your team has been successful, then why break the continuity?  It is clear from recent results, then your team is not comfortable with this approach.  Quite likely, it is costing them games.  Lots of them.  Why not just play the game the way they know how?  This philosophy begins and ends with Rondo doing his thing.  By isolating and willfully slowing down Rondo, you are disabling the central operating system of your offense.  The implications of this decision have been obvious.

If I had it my way, the ball would only go into the hands of Paul Pierce or Ray Allen if it was absolutely necessary (eg. trap).  Instead, Rondo would be driving to the hoop on every possession, feeding the ball to KG, Perk, and or a slashing Tony Allen.  Or even shooting on a short floater or lay up.  And down the stretch, I would have him taking the final shots.

This is crazy talk?  Well, if we're talking short term, then yes, it is.  But we're not.  Rondo is the future of the Celtics, and what he does now will dictate his continued progress as a superstar.  If he gets his teeth cut taking free throws or taking big shots down the stretch, then this will only aid his long-term development and assist with the Celtics future success.  After all, this BIG 3 phenomenon is on its way out the door, no?   He gets assists, he scores points, he grabs offensive rebounds, he steals the ball and gets transition points, he misses free throws, he misses open shots.  Why not address the two issues with his game right now?

If losing games is your answer, well then, that already seems to be happening.

So, any other arguments?