Robinson leads Celtics to preseason win
The Boston Celtics are under ten games into the season and injuries have ravaged the middle and causing a rash of bad trends. These bad trends can hurt this team’s chances at the top playoff seed. Thus far Shaquille O’Neal has missed five games. Jermaine O’Neal has missed two games. Both O’Neals have also have had their minutes limited. The fact the older O’Neals still have 70 plus games to go, tells me that this trend might continue during the year. To fill the void created by the injuries, Doc Rivers has had to use a lot of Glen Davis at the center position. This means Kevin Garnett’s minutes are up over last season. Doc Rovers knows this cannot continue. This means Semih Erden will be seeing some serious action very shortly.
Davis is going to have to play more power forward as the season drags on. The Celtics need a fresh KG to defend their Eastern Conference crown come playoff time. The O’Neals are going to need a lot of rest as well even when healthy. I would rather have a fresh Shaq and Jermaine for the playoffs than a burnt out group of aging centers. Semih can provide the answer to how to make this happen.
Erden has shown he can provide 15 to 20 minutes of solid play at center. The best part is Erden is earning minutes with his strong play. Erden thus far has been solid. He does not make many mistakes on either end. His positioning is great; he sets the right picks, and refuses to shoot stupid shots. On the defensive end, he plays with energy and challenges the shot. The refs are not too rough with him despite being an NBA rookie. The bottom line is if Erden can provide solid help in the middle, the Celtics can compete for the top seed in the East. My money is Semih continues to impress. Remember Go Green Or Go Home!!!!!!!!!!!
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