Boston’s defense is a mess right now, but at least they admit it

If the first step to fixing a problem is to admit you have one, well, the Boston Celtics have taken the first step with their defense.

On the season, the Celtics are giving up 102.1 points per 100 possessions, which is a middle of the road 14th in the NBA. But in the last 10 games Boston has allowed 105.8 points per 100 and in the past five games that is up to 107.4 (stats by NBA.com).

Boston’s loss to Memphis last night was its 12th double-digit loss in 31 games. It’s not good. At all.

But the Celtics are owning up to it at least.

Here is what Rajon Rondo told Jessica Camerato of CSNNE.com.

“We’re not playing it (defense),” the point guard said following the Celtics loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday. “I don’t know (why). We’ve just got to try to take it one step at a time. It starts with me so I’ve just got to hold myself more accountable….

“Just our trust, our trust isn’t there,” he said. “When we do make a mistake, we don’t make up for one another. In the past, a guy may be off the dribble or a guy might have an open shot, a guy might run from no matter where and cover up and contest the shot. Right now, we’re just standing watching our guys take open looks.”

Avery Bradley was back Wednesday night and when he was on Mike Conley he did a good job holding the Grizzlies point guard in check. But that didn’t solve the Celtics rotation issues, it didn’t solve the problems when he went to the bench.

Former Celtic and defensive stalwart Tony Allen noticed it from the other bench. He thinks it’s the way the roster has been built, he told WEEI’s Green Street.

“I don’t think they’ve really got a defensive-minded guy yet,” added Allen. “I mean, they’ve got one [Avery Bradley], but I can’t say he’s 100 percent just yet. I don’t think they’ve got the center like Perk [Kendrick Perkins]. It’s kind of hard finding a guy like — a guy who clogs up the paint, talks trash to you and can actually back it up. They’re just missing a lot. I don’t know. I don’t see the same team from 2008.”

Boston’s offense has struggled of late as well and while they should improve on that end of the floor as well the offense is not going to carry the defense in Boston. In years past the rock-solid defense carried the team through the dry spells at the other end of the floor. Now the two ends seem more tied — miss a few shots and the Celtics stop rotating on defense. Then the two ends spiral down together.

Tony Allen may be right, but the one guy that can change it, the guy that must change it is Kevin Garnett. He is the key to the Celtics turning this around. And he told CSNNE.com that process is just starting.

“Obviously losing (Bradley) was a huge, huge loss to us. Him coming up starts the rebuilding or the starting process of what we have broke here, and that’s get back defensively sound and being the team we know we can be. As you see, it doesn’t just happen. You have to work at it. When you’re playing against good teams, it makes it that more difficult. But we’re not hanging our heads, we’re not making excuses. We’re going to try to come in here and try to grind this thing out and turn this thing around.”

And the Celtics have taken the first step — admitting they have a problem.