CELTICS GREEN BLOG by and for boston celtics fans: Lessons from the Past Going Forward

There is some concern in Celtics nation right now about the team and their current injuries and struggles. For those who are ready to jump ship, don't go just yet. We need only to look at a couple of great Celtics teams in the past to see that this team will be just fine.

First, they have lost 3 in a row and are struggling with some injuries. If we look back at the 1985-86 Celtics team that is one of the greatest teams ever and a team that won the title in impressive fashion. If we look back on this team, they struggled in the early going too. They started the season with an impressive 17-2 record. But then, they lost 5 of their next 9 games. Between 12/18 and 12/25, they lost 3 games in a row and Celtics fans started to panic.

On Christmas Day 1985, the Celtics allowed an inferior Knicks team to come back from a 25 point deficit to hand the Celtics a humiliating defeat. A couple of days before that defeat, with the Celtics having lost a couple of games in a row already, Dan Shaughnessy called out KC Jones for not using his bench and over playing the starters (Thanks Lex).

Early in the season, Jones played a lot of his subs (he calls the second unit "The Green Team"), and they helped rest the vets while the Celtics trucked to a 17-2 mark. Jones has abandoned the bench during this slump. It's not unusual for four Celtics starters to be on the floor for 40 minutes a night. Bird played a season-high 47 minutes against the Sixers, McHale matched his top minute mark (44), and Ainge did not leave the floor after DJ was ejected in the second quarter.

The 85-86 Celtics had a record of 23-7 on January 1 going into the new year. This team isn't far off of that pace. They also have lost 3 in a row as that team did in December, and Doc is over using his starters just as KC Jones did with that team. But, after the Christmas Day debacle, KC started using his bench more and the team rallied to finish the season strong, going on to win 67 games. Unlike that team, this edition won their Christmas day game and then lost the 3 following it. And unlike that team, this team is struggling with injuries. But, there is one element that both teams have that can't be overlooked. Pride. Celtics' Pride. Things didn't work out so badly for the 85-86 team and I believe that things are going to turn out fine for this team as well. So, if you are ready to jump ship because of the recent losses, take heart from the past. This team will be just fine.

[Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!]

Post a Comment