Ten Things to Remember from the Celtics/Clippers: Don’t Call It a Statement…
Following the game, Joe Mazzulla stated, “I do not consider it a statement win.” “I view it as a victory. I see it as a chance to identify our strong points and areas for improvement in our play. In terms of our execution and the goals we set out to achieve, we left a lot on the table. Thus, in my opinion, it is not a statement victory.
I apologize, Joe, but I have to disagree. The Boston Celtics entered the Los Angeles Clippers’ arena and took care of business. The Clippers are not a team that is rebuilding or trying to figure things out. This is a team that aspires to contend for titles. Russell Westbrook, Paul George, and James Harden were all regular members of that team.
One could argue that Kawhi Leonard was absent from the Clippers. It’s also a valid argument. But would he have changed the course of events? Could he have had enough of an effect on the game to prevent the Celtics from dominating their way to yet another victory? What if Kristaps Porzingis had good health as well?
The solutions to those questions are unknown to us. The truth is that you can only triumph against the adversary in front of you. You have power over what occurs within the four lines, but you have no influence over what occurs outside of them. What the Celtics did was just that. In my opinion, this was a statement victory. particularly when driving.
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