Post by jb on Apr 30, 2008 7:03:20 GMT -5
There has been lots of talk of choking, uncharacteristic defensive breakdowns, questionable coaching decisions and of course immaturity in the face of a revitalized Atlanta Hawks team that has found it’s identity in this series.
My own thoughts contemplating this character defining game is that the Celtics have yet to find their true leader.
Who will step up and put the team on his back, a la Cedrick Maxwell? Who will emulate Larry Bird and make play after play down the stretch?
There are a lot of candidates, but so far, no one has grabbed the sword; not the coach, not the three all-stars, not the young point guard, or anyone else. Lot’s of talk of “playing our game” won’t do it.
The Celtics had no answers for Joe Johnson’s heroic performance. No one could stop him and on the other side of the court, there was no “go to” guy that the Hawks had to deal with.
Sure it can be a team effort and it has to be in some respects, but IMHO, one of the Celtics players has to take some dramatic steps, has to lift his game, has to give the Hawks a problem they can’t solve, while leading the way, to inspire the others to impose their will on a team that has no right to have put them in this precarious situation.
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