Celtics upcoming west coast trip will be telling

Last night, the Celtics did what we have been expecting them to do against bad teams; they were able to maintain a double digit lead going into the fourth quarter.  It was a thing of beauty(mostly); The Jet looked like a naval aircraft taking off the flight deck and Jeff Green somehow seemed like he finally found his moxie and Leandro Barbosa finally got the minutes he deserved. Avery Bradley and Courtney Lee put their trademark pressure on the ball and the lads in green looked happy.

Was this because Rondo wasn't their to orchestrate their every move, or is it because they finally get that they have to run in order to get the ball.  All in all it definitely gives Rondo's critics food for fodder; and the role-players on the Celtics at least for one night, earned their pay check.



Boston's next 10 games will see them face the Lakers and the Denver Nuggets twice, with the Los Angeles Clippers and the Chicago Bulls in between.  Those games will provide a true measure of who this team is. They round it out with the  Orlando Magic and Toronto Raptors.  Those two teams should provide the same level of competition as the aforementioned Sacramento King which, should  allow for plenty of rest for Pierce and Garnett.

But these are our 2013 Boston Celtics loaded with players who had trouble working with one of the best point guards of this generation. It leaves Celtics management in a quandary; but one game does not vindicate these players.  One game against sub-par competition who had no business on the floor with them; the same team who dominated them on the road.

So before we go overboard and drunk with giddiness, let us see how they perform against contending teams.
Because this impending Western Conference road trip is fought with trips, and traps that this incarnation of Celtics have never navigated without Rondo.