What did we learn from exhibition season?

By Chris Forsberg | ESPNBoston.com

BOSTON -- The Boston Celtics closed out their eight-game exhibition slate Sunday night with an 88-79 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at TD Garden. Boston now has eight days to prepare for the 2012-13 season opener in Miami. But before we look ahead, let’s run down what we learned from Boston’s preseason tilts:

* GREEN MACHINE: Pundits spent the offseason squabbling about whether Jeff Green deserved the four-year, $36 million contract he inked after sitting out all of last season while recovering from surgery to repair an aortic aneurysm. Green didn’t just show he’s healthy enough to be a real contributor this season, he might have been Boston’s best player in the preseason. Don't take our word for it, ask his coach.

"Jeff stood out, probably more than everybody," Doc Rivers said. "I thought he established himself with everybody, which I thought was very important for him. We can tell them how good he is; he had to show them. And I thought he did that."

Green capped his postseason by chipping in a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds while operating as a starter Sunday night against the 76ers. His athleticism dominated Boston's preseason highlight reel, from strong drives to the bucket for poster dunks (sorry, Jason Kidd) and crazy chase-down blocks (sorry, Mychal Thompson), the 26-year-old Green brought something this Celtics team has desperately lacked in recent seasons.

His teammates downright gushed about his newfound aggressiveness.

"Jeff's a lot more aggressive than I can remember, man," Kevin Garnett said. "I can remember when he first got here [at the trade deadline in 2011], maybe he was just understanding his role or whatever, at times he was tentative. Now I think he has a different appreciation; he's playing like it. He's playing like he knows he's going to be here, he understands his role, he's aggressive, and we're going to need that from him. I told him he has an old-school game, like James Worthy, and to see him back, see him refreshed, doing the things he loves to do, it's good to see him back, so I'm happy for him."

Informed that Rivers' crowned him as the fictional preseason MVP, Green said, "I doubt that. He's lying to you all. I think he was being nice to say that. I'm very hard on myself. I felt I could have done a lot more. I thought I could have been better on defense, as far as team-wise. I think I had some lapses during the preseason, but this was a good start to my comeback, my whole journey back playing again. So I'm grateful for everything that's happened this preseason, but I'm never content with what I did. I still have some room for improvement."

* OPTION OFFENSE: Rivers spent the preseason mixing and matching his talent like a mad scientist. He utilized seven different starting lineups over eight games, including trotting out a starting five on Sunday that essentially featured three power forwards (Green, Garnett and Brandon Bass). Rivers wouldn't tip his hand on lineups, but admitted there likely will be multiple variations of his starting unit and he'll allow on-court production to dictate what lineups get used more than others.

"We know what we like," Rivers said. "I think it's pretty simple to figure out your starting lineup. I do think this is going to be an unusual team in that I don't think we'll have a staring lineup for most of the year. I think we may move that one guy around a lot."

Rivers will keep his Big Three -- Garnett, Rajon Rondo and Paul Pierce -- together, but can pick the other pieces with the goal of matching up (or exploiting) an opponent. That could mean Bass and Courtney Lee on one night, or Green and Jason Terry the next. A healthy Darko Milicic could draw occasional starts and move Garnett to power forward in order to limit wear and tear early in the season, or rookie Jared Sullinger proved he was ready for a potential starting role if the Celtics want to utilize Bass with the reserves.

* DEFENSE STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS: For all the excitement about the potential for increased offensive production with Boston's new weapons, the Celtics suffered through some head-scratching struggles on defense this preseason. Rivers chalked up some of those woes to new personnel, but admitted the team needs to make strides.

"I don’t want us to think we’re just going to outscore teams," Rivers said. "But if we can stop teams, with what we have on offense, I think we can be really good."

Later he added, "I think we still have to be a better defensive team, consistently, to be a great team."

* EYE ON THE INJURY BUG: The biggest obstacle to Boston’s success in recent seasons seemingly has been health. The Celtics spent their offseason adding depth at every position, but navigated the preseason without Chris Wilcox (back) and Avery Bradley (shoulders), while Milicic (wrist), Pierce (ankle) and Bass (knee) all got dinged up along the way.

On the positive side, Boston emerges from camp in good shape (Pierce and Bass played Sunday, while Rivers said Milicic was held out simply as a precaution). If the Celtics can avoid hurting each other this week in practice, they'll enter the regular season in quality shape (with Wilcox and Bradley expected to add a boost down the road).

Maybe that's why Garnett was quick to bring up health when asked if he was happy with how camp played out for Boston: "Obviously, we didn't have any serious injuries or anything like that." The Celtics would prefer to keep it that way.

* JOSEPH WINS THE CAMP BATTLE: With a strong showing over the final three games of the exhibition season, rookie second-round draft pick Kris Joseph appears to have nailed down his roster spot. Considering he was on a completely non-guaranteed deal entering camp, that's no small feat. Joseph outlasted guards Dionte Christmas and Jamar Smith, both of whom had partially guaranteed contracts (and were set free before the team inked Leandro Barbosa to add depth at the guard spot). Joseph isn't necessarily out of the woods -- his contract won't be guaranteed for the season until early January. But he showed potential late in the exhibition slate and will stick around for his efforts.

Said Rivers: "I thought Kris Joseph really helped himself. I thought he played terrific. And we put him in terrible positions. We put him on the floor where him and [6-foot-7 camp invite] Micah [Downs] were the point guards. I mean, that's not fair to anybody. But he did other things. He's a terrific offensive rebounder at his position. So you like that in him."

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Personnaly, I didn't see a lot of action from the pre season, but what I saw combined with the up close look at Celtic Training Camp by NBA TV: Vince Celini & Steve Smith I liked what I saw. Sully is earger to absorb knowledge & technique from KG. Terry is commited to the Celtic Way of doing things. Jeff Green is a man on a mission. He really feels indebted to the club for sticking with him through the heart surgery & rehab. I just would like a better read on the return of Wilcox. What he is able to give us regarding rebounding and a Big that can run the floor is priceless. I think we learned that if the team stays reasonably healthy, the Celts will have stamina as a team to withstand almost anything the 82 game regular season and the playoffs could offer.

MD!

The one area of need for improvement that seemed most obvious to me (and I know I'm far from alone) was the defense. Specifically, I saw very little of the lunge-and-recover technique that has characterized the Celtics I believe that's one reason why other teams could get such good timing on their pick-and-rolls—no one was messing up their timing.

Instead, the Celts played mainly man-to-man defense, which made them more susceptible to the pick-and-roll because, when they switched, they wound up with a different opponent who was often a mismatch. Lunge-and-recover, if done right, has the effect of clogging up pick-and-roles (and often penetration) while ending up with the "lunger" still guarding his original defensive assignment.

Sam

I have been a huge Green Fan since we kinda drafted him. I have said in time trading Perk,Kristic for Green and a draft pick ( Sullinger,I think) was a steal that was right out of Reds playbook. Having said that, I think Doc did a lot of expirementing this preseason. We have a roster spot and are awaiting Avery Bradleys return to consider at least for the first month or so.
Overall I feel very strongly about that this the deepest and talent laden and level team we had since the days of the late 60s and Cowens,White and Hondo. I mean that in the way that team seemed to have the same performance level regardless of the unit on the floor.
I am actually more excited now than I was before the preseason/summer league. Sullinger is much much better than I anticipated, (I wanted Perry Jones III and/or Moultrie),and so is Lee and Joseph. I also like Downs and Kerz as hangers on. We have such a versatile and deep team we can really play balls to the wall 48 minutes a game on both ends of the floor.
There are only two negatives I can see so far; Cris Wilcox not being ready,his play before he had to sit the seasons end would have him being a huge role player for us. Fab Melo,he seems like a nice young kid and all and he has some physical tools but, I still just don't see it,especially with the afformentioned prospects still on the board, I hope I'm wrong as long as he is part of the organization but, I relly don't see it. When your drafted #22 overall Kurz should never be logging more time than you, even in preseason. He looks totally lost most time out there.
All in all I like our chances of seeing #18 hanging next June. We have the depth and weapons to withstand the inevetable up and downs of a 100+ games season and the versatility to match up with anyone.

Regardless of the outcome this season, I think we are going to have a much more exciting team with a faster pace of play, which should prove to be fun to watch!

What I learned

1) Bob C has gotten shorter, but then I realized he was standing on a step below me!!!

2) 19 teams will be bitchin to themselves about not taking Sully

3) Joseph was a steal about as late as a pick you can have!

4) Doc has about as versatile a team as he has ever had, now what will he do to bring out the strengths of all??

5) That Bob C did not work in any of the buildings in Albany...just on the river.

As Bob stated the potential to be very good is there... great ??? talk to me in a couple months!

beat

They have a perfect blend of youth and experience: aging warriors Paul, JT and KG who are still hungry and can still get it done; midcareer guys Rondo, Bass, Lee, Green, Wilcox, Darko - guys that have abundant skills and appear ready - chomping at the bit - to step it up; and youngins Sullinger, Joseph and Bradley, who have a great deal to add and might actually play significant minutes in Doc's wild and crazy system.

They have amazing attitudes, as individuals and as a team. The team attitude toward the rest of the league is comparable to throwing down the gauntlet. They believe they can beat anybody and probably will. They could be carrying around a chip on their shoulder except there's no bitterness or vengefulness in them. The refs (read Stern's NBA) may have, okay, did indeed screw them last year but this year's team is way beyond that. They have a predatory attitude. They're collectively looking forward to the upcoming games, especially the opener against the Heat, like wolves looking forward to a season of raw meat.

They have speed to burn, skills no one's even seen yet, including each other, smarts, lotsa smarts, and the deepest bench in the league. Although they have no particular style of play, they have such a cornucopia of size, skill and speed, that they can play any style.

Plus, they have arguably the best ownership, management and coaching.

Let the games begin. Come to think of it. why aren't the practices televised? Red used to charge admission to practice, back in the Mass Maritime days. It's kind of a Celtic tradition.

rickidavisakaspike:

I had to use freeze zone to remove a cornucopia from my big toe one time. (lol)

MD!