Celtics Title Town

Barbosa wanted playing time, and he's got it now for unfortunate reasons. Barbosa has the offensive game, and he's already put the Celtics on his back a few times in this season when they needed something. He spear headed the Celtics comeback in Toronto. He ended the game with 14 points, and he scored most of those point in the 4th. Before last nights goose egg against the Lakers. Barbosa was averaging around 13 points a game in his last three games. For the season he averages 5 a game. One issue with Barbosa's game has been his defense, and Doc had this to say about it.  

Doc on Barbosa: “I’ll tell you what, he’s been better defensively. That’s 1 of the things that we kept hearing..,

-- that he’s not been a defensive player.

“I kept thinking, he’s beating everybody offensively, so he has to have some speed. He’s still learning, but he’s picking up schemes and he’s gotten so much better with his on the ball defense. His weakside defense still gets lost a little bit, but I think that’s been the biggest surprise.”

“What you know is, he’s going to be aggressive. I want him to be aggressive and it’s my job, when I think he’s over that line, to take him out and reign him back in. I don’t tell him much. I really don’t do that with players a lot. I like to let them play and they’ll figure it out if they aren’t in that they need to fix something.”

Barbosa has been visibly better on defense. He's got the speed like Doc said. Since Bradly's return the Celtics have been the best defensive team in the league again. That's the past 18 games, and the Celtics have a 12-6 record in the process.During the past 18 games the Celtics have the best field goal, and three point percentages against opposing teams. The defense has caught on in Boston like we hoped.