Tough Night for the C’s

The quick view of the Celtics disappointing 87-85 loss to the Pistons last night was that it was a learning experience. OK, lesson learned. When Chauncey Billups has the ball at the top of the key with 1.7 seconds left, play him straight up.

But there was more to it than that. At the beginning of the game the C’s looked like world beaters and Rajon Rondo looked like the second coming of Earl Monroe. However, on the ESPN broadcast, Hubie Brown kept getting the sense that all was not quite right for the Green, and as you may know, we never argue with Hubie about hoops.

Hubie didn’t like the team’s ball movement, for one, and he kept referring back to the Pistons’ experience. The tired talk of an old coach? Not quite. This is what you get with Detroit: great defense, smart offense, and no panic.

So when the Pistons had a chance to win it, they sure as hell did. As for the C’s, well, there were a lot of missed opportunities.

Here’s where things get interesting. Detroit was merely the first of a seven-game stretch against the best of the East (we’re including the recovering Chicago Bulls in there) and the first West Coast swing of the season. Already the whispers are out there that the Celtics haven’t played anyone and their 20-3 mark is a mirage.

It’s been smooth sailing on the S.S. Celtic, but now we’ll see how they do with a little adversity. Who steps forward? Who rallies the troops? Who tries to do too much? We are about to find out an awful lot about this team.