"Just to avoid any misperceptions, it must be stated first that the Celtics are not winning now because Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen and Jermaine O'Neal have been out of the lineup.

But they are winning because Avery Bradley, E'Twaun Moore, Chris Wilcox and even Sasha Pavlovic are playing.

Huh?

The problem with the Celtics is that they were hitting the snooze button on the 2011-12 season as they rolled off the lockout mattress with a 5-9 record. Their best players simply expected to play well instead of going out and performing the small but necessary tasks required to succeed.

No question, the Celts were slowed by Paul Pierce's heel injury and the fact he couldn't get in proper condition while rehabbing the problem. But this team's history of slow starts stretches back to last season, when the four All-Stars couldn't seem to get in early gear."