The Celtics have not had a smashing month. They’ve bullied, beaten, out-ran and bludgeoned. They’ve seemed lifeless, shiftless, bored, and anything but a title contender. They lost to the Nets, for crying out loud. Wednesday, the Memphis Grizzlies, who haven’t been playing great lately, absolutely blasted the Celtics like they were a D-League squad.
So even after Friday night’s laugher over the hapless Pacers, coach Doc Rivers felt the need to employ some motivational tactics. The Boston Herald tells of how Rivers brought in some bulletin board material, picked out an especially damning story, and read it to the players. The story told of a team that found itself falling from contention, looking up at the Cavaliers, and who had been embarrassed on their own floor. The gag?
The story was from the L.A. Times, and was about the Lakers.
Wah-wah.
It’s interesting that Rivers is still trying motivational tactics for the regular season, as later in the story he says he’s going to rest Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce in games down the stretch. but the Celtics have been struggling so much, their mindset has to start shifting from coasting to contention. At least this story might give them some peace of mind that everybody has some misery in the regular season.
But the Celtics have to hope their misery is done for the season, and that’s something their own effort controls.