Celtics must prove title worthy

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Needing to remember rules of the road
During the regular season the Celtics were the top defensive team in the league and Garnett won the Defensive Player of the Year award. Going into the teeth of Boston’s defense can bring out the ugly in even the game’s best offensive machines (see LeBron James, 2-for-18 in Game 1 at Boston).

But flashback to the Celtics unexpected seven-game tangle against the Hawks. What was supposed to be a sprint for Boston became a marathon and there was no ignoring the fact that in three losses in Atlanta the Celtics didn’t possess the great attitude and defensive effort on the road and in a hostile environment that was such a staple for them when playing away from home in the regular season (Boston was a league-best 31-10 on enemy courts).

Was it that after being on cruise control coming down the stretch of the 82-game schedule Boston couldn’t jump start its usually lethal defensive intensity when not sparked by the raucous support of a home crowd? I don’t buy that but I’m sure the Celtics now understand that playing on the road in the postseason is different than playing on road during the regular season. They need to bring it defensively every time on the court because there is no guarantee they can win every home game in the postseason.

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The mental makeup of champions
Boston’s current Big Three does not have the playoff and championship pedigree of the franchise’s legendary Big Three -- Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. Garnett, Allen and Pierce have all won the same number of titles: none. Each has yet to find with other teams the key to the championship room. Each is hoping that changes in Boston.

Yes, the Celtics won a league-high 66 games during the regular season. Head turning to say the least after 24 wins the previous season. But racking up the most wins prior to the playoffs means nothing come the postseason. Just go ask the Dallas Mavericks of last season or the Detroit Pistons of two years ago. The tests that need passing in May and June are much more difficult than those aced with flying colors in previous months.

Garnett, Allen and Pierce are marvelous talents and much to their credit each has proven willing to sacrifice for the good of the team. That speaks volumes for how much they each want a title. But to get one they will have to show all they have the mental toughness needed to take home a championship. The kind of mental toughness that produces wins on the road after unexpected losses at home and the kind of mental toughness that enables plays to be made at the most crucial of times. The same kind of mental toughness that’s been missing in Boston since 1986 when Bird, McHale and Parish won their last title together.

Steve Jones writes regularly for NBCSports.com. He played professionally in both the National Basketball Association and the American Basketball Association.

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