A Complete Win: C’s 109, Pistons 86

Posted by Brian Robb on Nov 2, 2010 1037414 commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F2010%2F11%2F02%2Fa-complete-win-cs-109-pistons-86%2FA+Complete+Win%3A+C%27s+109%2C+Pistons+862010-11-03+02%3A28%3A29Brian+Robbhttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F%3Fp%3D10374

ESPN Recap • Piston Powered • Detroit Bad Boys

Offensive Efficency: 122.5

Defensive Efficency: 96.6

Pace: 89

Let’s face it folks. Before tonight, the C’s hadn’t really played a solid game start to finish in this young season. The defense was there opening night all the way through, same for the offense Friday night against the Knicks.

Despite those two wins, the C’s had yet to put a complete game together. Tonight, they found themselves against a shorthanded Pistons team, winning all four quarters on their way to a 23 point blowout victory.

There is literally nothing you can complain about in this one C’s fans, minus a minor bench meltdown at the start of the fourth quarter that forced the starters to come back in prematurely to close it out. That’s really just being picky more than anything else. So where do we begin with this one?

We’ll have to start with Rajon Rondo who had another ho-hum 17 assist night, giving him 67 assists on the year, the highest total ever in the NBA through four games of play. He got those 17 without the help of a helpful home score keeper as well in this one, and made it look easy against a Detroit team unable and unwilling to stop the C’s general on the offensive end who added 9 points as well.

KG and Paul Pierce carried the balanced offensive scoring load with 22 and 21 collectively that had everyone on the active roster scoring a bucket, including the first for Luke Harangody and Semih Erden in their NBA debuts. Jermaine finally found his groove in the second half and Big Baby had another terrific effort off the bench, returning to the Forum of one of his biggest breakout performances two years back.

A plethora of assorted other observations from this one:

* The tone of this game was set at the forefront by Rajon Rondo. The guy was looking to run on almost every play, whether it be a steal, a miss, or a made basket. The guy was relentless and also picked his offensive spots early, attacking the basket periodically to keep Detroit honest in the 1st half (9 points) before just setting up everyone else for the 2nd half of his 17 assist masterpiece.

Against bad defensive teams, Rondo will be able to get away with this lack of aggressiveness in the second half, since Detroit couldn’t stop the ballboy tonight, much less the rest of the C’s roster. Still Rondo for all his success will be punished by other teams in his refusal to catch and shoot open jumpers from 14 feet this year. Still I’m not going to complain much about a night where the guy gives you a 17-0 assist-turnover ratio. That’s just flat out sick, as were his four steals that came nearly all in transition.

* The best thing about Glen Davis (10 points, 2 more charges taken) is that he is making his presence felt on both sides of the floor almost immediately in every game he returns. Last night at the end of the 1st, I hadn’t even realized Davis was in the game yet before and he had already taken a charge. He also may be the best post presence on this roster right now.

* Paul Pierce…… well I’m ready to say he looks like he turned back the clock five years ago. Do you guys see the spring in his step? How he is getting defenders to commit to his jumper before he blows by them to the hoop with ease? Once again, we can’t forgot the opponent here but between that explosiveness and his commitment to rebounding this year, The Truth (21 points) is on his way to putting together a banner year.

* Fun stat of the night. A tie between 33 assists for C’s on 42 baskets and the C’s shooting 79 percent (19/24) at the rim (Hoopdata.com).

*Enjoyable play of the night: Paul Pierce staying out for a full 3 count in the corner in front of Pistons head coach John Kuester as neither Detroit defender took a run at him after being picked off. Pierce took the full 3 seconds, and had enough time to build a fort before drilling the trey in front of the Detroit bench.

* Minutes were down tonight, no one played more than 35 minutes. That should help in tonight’s back-to-back against Milwaukee who is coming off a home loss to Portland.