Celtics show, again, the importance of experience

ON BASKETBALL

So the Boston Celtics are down, once again, 1-0 in a best-of-7 series.

So they lost the first game on their home floor.

So what?

The Celtics might be down, but they aren't panicking. And something tells me they'll find a way to fight back and oust the Orlando Magic from the playoffs with or without Kevin Garnett.

That "something" is experience.

Each postseason, every NBA analyst gesticulating on your TV screen mentions it, says how "important experience is this time of year." And most of the time an "intangible" gets so much attention, it's overrated -- just something for all the talking heads to blabber about.

But in the NBA playoffs, as the Celtics have proved in the past two postseasons, experience really can make a difference. It can separate a great team like the Celtics from a young, talented team like the Bulls. Or an untested playoff team such as the Magic.

Just take Game 7 of their epic series against the Bulls, a series that has to go down as one of the greatest of all time even if Boston is quickly dismissed from the postseason.

In that game, the Bulls' most talented player was rookie Derrick Rose. And while he was good at times -- especially in the third quarter -- he committed a trio of key turnovers and didn't control the game the way a veteran point guard would.

Boston's Rajon Rondo wasn't any better, but that wasn't too surprising considering he's the Celtic's youngest main-rotation player.

The guys who knew what they were doing, who knew how to handle a Game 7, were the veterans.

Paul Pierce and Ray Allen found ways to get to the free-throw line in crunch time and then calmly sank the freebies. They made 16 of 17 free throws and the Celtics converted 30 of 39.

And then there was Eddie House, the sharp-shooter off the bench. He'd been a no-show for much of the series, but in the deciding game he continued to do what the team asked of him -- shoot 3-pointers.

And they went in ...all four of them. Take away House's 16 points, and we're talking about a Bulls-Magic series right now. House has been in the league for eight years and has played in his share of playoff series. He knew exactly what his role was.

Ben Gordon tried in vain to be the strong veteran presence for the Bulls, playing poorly on a bad hamstring in the second half after a quick start. Without an A-plus game from him, Chicago was left to rely on a group of very capable but inexperienced players.

Another Bulls veteran, Kirk Hinrich, came off the bench and played brilliantly. It might have seemed a surprise to the casual viewer, but he understood how to play in such a situation.

Still, the Celtics' veterans -- let's not forget the eight points and three rebounds Brian Scalabrine contributed -- were too much to overcome even minus K.G.

Now, after a loss to the Magic, the masses are out saying that Boston desperately needs Garnett to combat the NBA Defensive Player of the Year Dwight Howard. He'd certainly help (obvious statement of the column). But Boston may also win this series without him.

Orlando is on the cusp of greatness. It has a reliable corps in Howard, Rashard Lewis and Hedo Turkoglu plus the injured Jameer Nelson. But they're still inexperienced compared to the Celtics, and I expect that to shine through at some crucial point in the series.

Let's not forget -- Boston had to survive two Game 7s and win a Game 6 in Detroit to get to the Finals a season ago. Nothing ever comes easy for the Celtics, and it certainly won't happen that way in these playoffs.

They may be exposed as thin inside sans Garnett. Their bench may have off games, as was the case, really, until Game 7 of the first round.

But these Celtics won't get beat mentally, won't let a dire situation negatively affect them.

And that can be attributed, in large part, to that word all the former-players-turned-analysts make sure to mention during each 30-second sound bite.

Experience.

Stephon Marbury's great opportunity awaits in Boston

ON BASKETBALL

It's not official yet, but anyone who closely follows the NBA knows it will happen.

One of the most league's most despised, selfish, wasted talents on the roster of the league's defending champion — on a team made up of his opposites: "team guys" who would never put themselves before their teammates.

And yet, I have a very good feeling about this. I think it will work (yes, I'm assuming it will happen) — both for the Celtics and Stephon Marbury.

That doesn't mean they'll win the NBA title together or even get past the conference finals, but losses on the court are as bad as things will get.

Marbury, to me, is not a bad person or even a naturally bad teammate. He's not irrevocably damaged. Rather, he is in need of direction. He needs to be a follower before he can become a respected leader.

At each of his NBA stops, he's been asked to run the team, be the starting point guard. Of course, as talented as he is, it made perfect sense. There was no way Mr. Big Time was coming off the bench or following the example of another player.

He was paid too much. His ego was too big.

And he played in a "players league." So as hard as the Don Caseys of the world might have tried to fine-tune Marbury into a winning point guard, he never had to listen, he never had to ride in the backseat.

That will all change in Boston. And that is the reason why this experiment has a great chance of not only landing the Celtics Banner 18, but rejuvenating Marbury's losses-infested career.

As a Celtic, he will ride the bench. It won't matter how well he plays — he's not getting budding starRajon Rondo's spot.

As a Celtic, he will be asked to follow one of the most voluble, intimidating leaders in the league, Kevin Garnett. This will not be like their ill-fated time spent together in Minnesota.

Then, they were both young and unproven. Neither player's career had taken off to the point of making him that much better, that much more proven and trustworthy than the other guy.

So Marbury, immature and full of himself, left Minneapolis as part of a bitter divorce. No one expected he'd ever reunite with K.G.

But now Garnett has all the power over his former teammate. He's the certain Hall-of-Famer. He's the man with the NBA title. He's got the ears of all his teammates.

He'll gain another set of ears as soon as Marbury's plane touches down. Screw up in Garnett's mind, and he'll be done before he can walk the Freedom Trail.

Experiments like this aren't new to New England sports. Not too long ago, the New England Patriots brought in controversial wide receiver Randy Moss. And even before that, they signed much-maligned running back Corey Dillon.

Under the killer eye of Bill Belichick, who doesn't blink when cutting players, Dillon never caused a problem and won a Super Bowl at the end of the 2004 season. Moss, meanwhile, has been nothing short of brilliant — and on his best behavior.

Doc Rivers might not be Belichick, but the makeup of an NBA team is more about the players than the coach. Even Belichick, with his iron fist, couldn't have handled the Knicks of a couple years ago.

The Celtics get it. Everyone, from Garnett to Ray Allen to Finals MVP Paul Pierce to youngsters Rondo and Kendrick Perkins, understands what the team is about and what its ultimate mission is.

There's no way a battered, bruised Stephon Marbury could mess that up even if he tried.

And he won't. Because even if a championship isn't important to him — and I doubt that — he knows that the only way to land a decent contract after the season is by being on his best behavior and doing what the Celtics ask of him.

So whether he plays 30 or 10 minutes a game (and I'm leaning toward the latter), don't expect to see the typical Marbury Pout while he sits on the bench once he moves one big city up the East Coast.

In fact, by learning from some of the game's best — both talent-wise and leadership-wise — he might change. He might become capable of running a winning basketball team next season, of being a winning starter for the first time.

To do something right, you have to see it and observe it first, right?

Marbury just turned 32. Maybe he'll be a late learner. ... Or maybe not.

But the marriage in Boston, even if brief, should be a peaceful one.

Hawks lay an egg in do-or-die Game 7

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Mike Woodson should be upset with his players.

Not because they got obliterated by Boston in Game 7 of their first-round series.

Not because their season is over.

Not because they won't be able to play another game in front of their boisterous, rejuvenated fans.

No, the Atlanta coach should be furious because his team quit. Simple as that. As the Celtics' lead increased in front of their home crowd, the Hawks played with none of the attributes that created an unlikely Game 7.

No hustle.

No aggression.

No on-court communication.

No swagger.

Nope. The Hawks played their part Sunday, helping the Celtics recreate the Memorial Day Massacre.

The Celtics have played in hundreds of playoff games. But they have never given up as few as 24 first-half points. That's what they did.

The fact that I'm writing this before the start of the fourth quarter — and the Celtics lead by 36 points — speaks to how lopsided the game has been.

From the opening tip, there was no doubt who wanted to win this game more.

The Hawks' young players acted like they were lost. Josh Smith, 22, played as if he didn't sleep last night, fumbling the ball as often as a middle-school running back. Al Horford, the runner-up in rookie of the year voting, looked slow on both ends of the floor.

Atlanta is the more athletic of the two teams, but Boston snagged every loose ball, grabbed every 50-50 rebound. Even Boston's aging guards, such as Ray Allen, beat out Smith and Horford for rebounds.

Woodson and company should be embarrassed. Sure, nobody expected them to get this far, but at least play hard, at least compete.

It's sad when your strongest play of the game comes on a flagrant foul. That's what happened when Marvin Williams took down Rajon Rondo during Boston's huge third quarter, resulting in Williams getting thrown out of the game. The contest was so out of control by that point, the Celtics didn't even bother getting in Williams' face.

He exited the court ... and the massacre continued — with the back-on-his-feet Rondo leading the way.

Even if the Hawks had come out ready to play, they wouldn't have won. Boston was too good, too on top of its game. But things might have been a little more interesting. Maybe I could have held off on writing this until the game was actually over.

(By the way, another Boston missed shot just slipped through an Atlanta player's hands into those of a Celtic.)

It's amazing to me how bad the Hawks were on the road in this series. I know they're a young, inexperienced team. But a game is a game. The court remains 94 feet long, the ball is the same, the refs are pretty fair.

The series exposed just how immature the Hawks are. They were great at feeding off the energy of their home crowd, using its exuberance to come back several times and win all three of their home games. But when no one was rooting for them, they forgot how to play basketball.

And, sadly, on Sunday they forgot how to compete. This was exemplified several times when they didn't even attempt to chase down Boston fastbreaks.

What they need is a leader, a Kevin Garnett-type player who will get in Smith's face when he plays in a coma, who will tell Horford to stop being lazy and go after every missed shot. Veteran point guard Mike Bibby would seem like the man for the job, but he didn't show an ounce of leadership Sunday. Neither did leading scorer Joe Johnson.

That needs to be addressed before next season. A team can't go an entire 89 games with 12 road wins and expect to advance in the playoffs.

No one can question Atlanta's blend of natural talent and athleticism. It has the players to improve next year and make some noise in the playoffs.

But before any X's or O's are addressed, Woodson — if retained as coach — needs to sit down with his players and address a very simply matter:

That of showing up ready to compete in every game.

(And in case you're interested, Boston leads 91-55 with 5 minutes, 24 seconds remaining.)

Pistons remain the beasts of the East

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In the early stages of Wednesday's Eastern Conference showdown between 20-2 Boston and 17-7 Detroit, the young point guard was playing better.

He was getting to the basket at will. He was spotting up for mid-range jumpers. He was playing turnover-free basketball, while the veteran — with his new five-year contract — carelessly lost the ball on the other end.

Yes, Boston's Rajon Rondo was the star of the first quarter, helping the Celtics establish a lead they would hold for most of the night.

But the Pistons rarely get blown out, especially in highly-hyped, national-televised games. And such was the case Wednesday.

First, there was 37-year-old point guard Lindsey Hunter harassing Eddie House all the way down the court, creating two turnovers and knocking down a guarded 3 to help Detroit take the lead.

And, finally, there was that veteran PG, the man called "Mr. Big Shot" — a moniker that fit very nicely on this night. After Boston tied the game with two 3-pointers in the final minute, there was Billups, with just a second to get off his shot, giving a most convincing head fake...

And poor Tony Allen. He had no chance. Caught in the air, he fouled Billups at the worst time: with 0.1 left on the clock. Billups is a 91 percent free-throw shooter.

I don't usually pencil in games — especially ones that are tied. But when Billups stepped to the line, I said to my dad — who was on the phone watching from Michigan — "That's the ballgame."

And two free throws later, the Pistons (18-7) remained the Beasts of the East.

Not that any game in December really matters. We all know nothing is proved until May and June. That's why Phoenix could sweep San Antonio during the regular season and I'd still bet my two sofas on the Spurs come the playoffs.

But with both teams playing close to full strength — the Pistons were without rookie guard Rodney Stuckey, who has missed the entire season so far — a lot can be gleaned from the Pistons' 87-85 win.

— These teams, easily the East's best two squads, will be very competitive the rest of the year and into the playoffs. There are too many big-time players on both teams.

— The Pistons should have posted Billups on Rondo more early and often. Likely because of this advantage, Boston coach Doc Rivers pulled Rondo in the final two minutes for House, who also has 3-point range, unlike Rondo, and hit a big one as part of Boston's comeback.

— Detroit was saved by the 3-point shot, making 9-of-20 from downtown. Boston was the more physical team, outrebounding Detroit 37-34 and getting to the basket more often. The Pistons won't always shoot that well from 3-point range.

— The Pistons were able to slow down Kevin Garnett when they put the physical, bulky Jason Maxiell on him. Although Garnett scored a team-high 26 points, he had just five in the fourth, all of which he had to earn from the free-throw line.

— Another reason Detroit was able to hold the Celtics to just 33 second-half points was Tayshaun Prince's defense of Paul Pierce. While Prince was awful offensively (1-of-10, 2 points), he held Boston's leading scorer to 11 points on 5-for-16 shooting. With Prince on Pierce, Maxiell coming in to bang with Garnett, and Richard Hamilton draped over Ray Allen, Detroit can at least contain the Big Three — although Allen was near unstoppable, hitting 9-of-13 contested shots for 24 points.

— Rondo (14 points, 7 assists, 2 turnovers) was very efficient, but as seen by Rivers' late substitution, the coach still doesn't have complete confidence in the second-year player's ability to make the right decisions at the end of a game. But overall, Rondo was impressive.

So there you have it. Before the game, the Celtics admitted that Detroit is still the team to beat in the East, and Wednesday's result doesn't change that.

When the Pistons are on their game and aren't letting their yapping at the referees — they complain about every stinkin' call — get in the way of their execution, they are hard to beat. They're a great road team that isn't flustered by noisy crowds and fourth-quarter deficits.

And, most importantly, they have Mr. Big Shot. Boston doesn't.

In the course of a game, the Big Three might be more effective than Billups. But if he and his teammates can stay in a game until the end, it is worth betting on Billups hitting the winning shot or drawing the crucial foul in the final seconds.

Wednesday's game was unpredictable for the first 47:59. What occurred in the final second, however, wasn't surprising at all. Mr. Big Shot to the rescue.