Grading the Celtics at midway point

Paul Pierce

Grades

The bad news: Pierce has really struggled with his shot, particularly during Boston's current four-game losing streak. The good news: He's still finding ways to produce at an All-Star-caliber level, leading the team in scoring (18.9 points per game) and being the sort of all-around player who still carries this squad on a night-to-night basis. Pierce's rebounds are up, his turnovers are down, and he's been solid at the league's toughest position to defend. At age 35, Pierce has to be more creative in generating open looks, but he'll be fine once those shots start falling. It's amazing that Pierce still tops the team in minutes, and he is clearly fighting to turn this thing around. Grade: B

Kevin Garnett

Grades

Even at age 36, Garnett is so incredibly consistent, his numbers just don't waver. The Celtics have trimmed a minute from Garnett's playing time, but his per-36 numbers are remarkably in line with recent seasons. The only red flag: Garnett's total rebound percentage is down to 14 percent (from 15.6 last year and 17.5 the year before). Some of that might simply be having to share boards with rookie Jared Sullinger (as well as an uptick in rebounding for Pierce and Rajon Rondo). Garnett started slow defensively, his numbers hurt by trying to help every time a teammate got beat. But his marks -- like those of the Celtics -- have rebounded a bit, and Garnett is allowing a mere 0.753 points per play, ranking in the 87th percentile overall, according to Synergy Sports data. Grade: B-minus

Rajon Rondo

Grades

Maybe our expectations for Rondo are simply too high. He leads the NBA at 11.1 assists per game, and he's flirting with a career high at 13.4 points per game on 48.4 percent shooting while showing improved consistency in his midrange game. And yet he still doesn't get to the free throw line enough (2.5 FTA per game), and his defense has regressed considerably (his individual numbers are solid, but as was hammered home in Tuesday's loss to the Cavaliers, Rondo is getting beat off the dribble too often, forcing the back line to help and creating cracks in the defense). As Pierce struggles, we'd like to see Rondo put this team on his back even more. But it really starts on defense, where he needs to gamble less and prevent so much dribble penetration. Grade: C-plus

Jason Terry

Grades

Let's face it, no one has underperformed more than Terry. The Celtics used their only real offseason chip to lure the 35-year-old bench spark on a three-year, $15.7 million deal. He's down nearly five shots per game (despite playing just three fewer minutes) and he's clearly struggling to generate quality looks (worse yet, he's shooting only 42.7 percent overall and 35.8 percent beyond the 3-point arc). His veteran leadership is great for a youthful second unit, but his offensive struggles have only been compounded by an abysmal defensive season. Terry is allowing 0.942 points per play, ranking in the 21st percentile among all league defenders, according to Synergy. Put another way: Of the 148 players with at least 300 defensive plays this season, Terry ranks 137th. It's not fair to harp on his defense -- that's not his calling card -- but the offense most certainly has to come along. He'd likely be the first to admit that. Grade: D

Jeff Green

Grades

There are those that will think this grade should be even harsher, but your expectations were likely grander than they should have been. Look at Green's career per-36-minute numbers. This is who he is. We see glimpses that suggest there's more than what he has displayed over his five-year career, and yet the numbers simply don't waver. Green has played a career-low 23.2 minutes per game, but hasn't exactly justified more. He's shooting a career-low 42.2 percent from the floor, and his rebound rate remains atrocious while his turnover percentage is up. Green has been a solid individual defender but needs to improve in help situations. The on/off numbers continue to be condemning, as Boston has played better when he's on the bench. Grade: C-minus

Avery Bradley

Grades

It's hard to grade Bradley on 10 games, particularly when he's been battling a rib injury the past couple. But it's impossible to ignore how much Boston's team defensive numbers improved upon his return. Individually, Bradley is allowing a mere 0.675 points per play, ranking in the 97th percentile among all players, according to Synergy. It's a small sample, but there's little reason to believe Bradley will relent. Opponents are shooting a mere 28.1 percent against him (16-for-57), and he turns them over 15.6 percent of the time. He quickly found his 3-point stroke and is emerging as a solid corner option. All he needs is his midrange shot to start falling again. Grade: B-plus

Brandon Bass

Grades

What happened here? Bass opted out of the final year of his contract, but he took a bit of a discount to return to Boston on a three-year, $19.4 million contract. Despite spending the majority of the first half in his familiar starting role, Bass' numbers have dived, and that's led to his playing time dropping down 5½ minutes per game (with the Celtics leaning on rookie Sullinger more off the bench). Bass' defensive rebounding rate is down, his turnovers are up and his defense has regressed considerably. One of Boston's best individual defenders last season, he's looked lost at times in help situations. The Celtics need Bass, who typically doesn't lack for confidence, to start playing with that familiar fearlessness again. Grade: D

Courtney Lee

Grades

Lee has struggled with his 3-point shot, had an alarming amount of turnovers and his individual defense has been up-and-down -- and yet, he's really been the least of Boston's problems. Lee is quietly shooting a career-best 47 percent, this despite the fact that he is shooting a mere 34.7 percent beyond the 3-point arc (after shooting 40+ percent in three of his first four NBA seasons). The long-distance shooting will come, but the Celtics simply need him to be the more consistent individual defender that he's been in the past. Particularly having to share the floor with Terry on the second unit, Lee needs to take the defense baton from Bradley and lock down the best opposing perimeter player. Grade: B-minus

Jared Sullinger

Grades

Sullinger is third in the NBA in personal fouls (143), only seven behind Indiana's Roy Hibbert for the top spot in the league. And even as he battles rookie whistles, he's been nothing short of spectacular. Sullinger's overall numbers won't floor you (6.2 points, 6.1 rebounds over 20.1 minutes per game), but hone in on January and those numbers jump to 8.3 points and 8.6 rebounds over 25.6 minutes per game. Sullinger is a beast on the glass, and his total rebound rate (18.2) is on par with Denver glass-chewer Kenneth Faried (18.4). What's more, Sullinger has been a terrific individual defender, allowing a mere 0.724 points per play and ranking in the 91st percentile, according to Synergy. Of players with at least 275 total defensive plays, Sullinger ranks sixth in the league in points per play (with the likes of Dwight Howard and Joakim Noah right behind him). Grade: A

Leandro Barbosa

Grades

Barbosa is the perfect 12th man. He provides emergency depth at a stocked guard spot, while offering instant offense when called upon (which actually may not be enough for a woeful Boston offense). Barbosa is averaging 0.962 points per play -- the same number as Garnett (albeit in far fewer chances). Sure, he feasts on trash-time opportunities, but as a minimum-contract player, he has immense value to this team, particularly when injuries arise. And he's a serviceable defender when called upon, thanks to his speed and ability to fight over screens. Grade: B

Chris Wilcox

Grades

It's really hard to grade Wilcox, particularly because he's been limited to 23 games due to injury. You have to like his 71.4 field goal percentage (he actually ranks in the 99th percentile among all NBA players while averaging 1.225 points per play in his limited touches, according to Synergy). He's one of the few bigs who can run with Rondo and finish near the hoop. When he's back on the floor, he simply needs to be more aggressive on the glass (his total rebound percentage plummeted to 10.3 percent, including a mere 12.7 percent on the defensive glass). He's a solid backup big-man option if he can stay healthy. Grade: C

Jason Collins

Grades

Just as advertised, Collins provides stout defense in sporadic minutes and should be avoided at all costs on the offensive end. Individually on defense, Collins allowed a mere 0.678 points per play and ranked in the 96th percentile, according to Synergy data. He had a nice little run as a starter, taking some of the wear-and-tear off Garnett at center. But his offensive limitations quickly forced Boston away from that lineup and made him a situational player. The Celtics clearly need to add another big man soon to help defray the frontcourt load. Grade: C

Fab Melo

Grades

The Celtics have stuck to their decision to keep rookie Melo with the Maine Red Claws of the D-League. The 7-footer is getting valuable experience while learning the Boston system away from the glare of the NBA spotlight. There have been encouraging moments, like his late-December outburst that featured a monster triple-double where he tied the D-League record for single-game blocks. And then there's been the Doc Rivers-dubbed "Fab Being Fab" moments, like concussing himself on a low-hanging doorway at the team hotel, an accident that set back his development momentarily. Rivers has noted that no one seems to think Melo is NBA ready at the moment, but he will help this team in the future. Grade: Incomplete

Doc Rivers

Grades

Inconsistent play and injuries have forced Rivers to scramble a bit with his rotations, particularly early in the season. Ultimately, the performance of a team -- particularly one as talented as Boston -- falls back on the coach, and Rivers hasn't been able to get the full potential out of his squad. It's not for a lack of trying. Rivers earlier this week dipped into the coaching toolbox and surprisingly threatened changes to his team if it doesn't start playing with more consistency. As the Celtics head to the back nine of the 2012-13 season, this is an incredibly important stretch to see if players respond to his outburst and avoid the lulls that have plagued the team over the first 41 games. Grade: C-minus

Danny Ainge

Grades

No GM can really be judged until season's end. We like that both Rivers and Ainge have remained patient in this process. Ainge and his staff (assistant GMs Mike Zarren and Ryan McDonough, and director of player personnel Austin Ainge) cobbled together a deep and talented roster this offseason with limited chips, but it simply hasn't translated on the floor. Ainge didn't overreact with an early panic move and is letting his team's play dictate how active he'll be as the trade deadline approaches. Darko Milicic's decision to leave the team hurt the frontcourt depth, and Ainge's biggest midseason task is finding a player who can help shore up that front line. With two open roster spots (this after waiving Jarvis Varnado and Kris Joseph before contracts went guaranteed), it also wouldn't hurt if Ainge could find another ball handler or consistent scoring threat to fill out the bench. Grade: Incomplete