Ziller is one of the best basketball bloggers out there, and that goes a long way in my book. However, I have to take issue with this post. I think he's giving in to the anti-celtic mentality (which is very prevalent), and I think he's better than that.
The success of the Celtics has been predicated on defensive intensity. They do not allow easy buckets, ever. Every night when they take the floor, their goal is to outwork the opposition on the defensive end. That leads to win. That is their philosophy. When people talk about the change in ideology that Kevin Garnett brought to this team, that is the change to which they are referring. The change has been most apparent in the play of Paul Pierce, but the entire team has embraced the philosophy of relentless effort on the defensive end.
Last night's win required this team to take their intensity to another level. After giving up 100 points in two consecutive games, I had serious doubts about whether the Cs would be able to overcome the defensive voids left by KG and Tony Allen against the league's most explosive scorer. There's only one way to beat the Cavs, and that is to keep them out of the paint. Make LeBron a jump shooter, because he'll eat you alive if you let him get to the rim........
I mean, usually he will.....
Anyways, like I said, you need to make him a jump shooter. It's certainly easier said than done, and it was clear from the very start last night: the Celtics were going to contest anything and everything in the paint. Their intensity was at a playoff level, and anything less would have most likely resulted in a loss.
To be honest with you, I really don't have a problem with Big Baby's foul. I do understand that it was a flagrant 2 and he deserved to be ejected. However, it's hard for me to see this as a "dirty play" because it was part of the motion of basketball. He wasn't trying to injure Anderson Varejao. He was trying to contest his drive. Now, he was certainly out of position, which led to a very reckless attempt. But, the theme of the night was to contest everything, and the Varejao was cold as ice from the line. I really don't think he collared him on purpose. He just wasn't in control of his body. Big Z had a very similar motion against Leon Powe at the start of the fourth quarter. He very easily could have caught Powe's kneck. But, he didn't. Being caught out of position, and trying to make up for it are part of the game.
This, to me is the dirtiest play of the NBA season:
This is a non-basketball play that results from frustration. I feel the same way about a clothesline. Big Baby was just trying to deny Varejao from scoring. The Celtics are physical, but I really don't think it is dirty. Will other teams try to match the Celt's physicality? They might. But, this is a big, strong group of guys, and I don't really think there are many teams out there that can bang with them. It is one of their strengths, which is why they play that way. It's not like other teams have the same muscle as the C's but are choosing to hold it back.
Quickly: On Pierce running over Mo Williams, I don't feel bad that it wasn't called. That officiating was extremely one-sided. The Cavs should have been to the line more, but not that much more. I specifically remember Pierce driving hard left and scoring on a baby hook and being slapped on the head in the process. The Celtics were attacking the basket all night, and they were not getting any calls.
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