The Boston Celtics Haven’t Practiced Since April

See, Allen Iverson was right all along! The Boston Celtics, who are (incredibly) on the verge of returning to the NBA Finals, haven’t held a real team practice in months. Reports the NY Times: “Rajon Rondo joked last week that he thought the last time the team had a real practice was ‘probably like nine months ago.’ He is not that far off. The last time the Celtics practiced was before the start of the playoffs in April — and that was only because they were given an extra day between the end of the regular season and the start of their first-round series with the Atlanta Hawks. They have done nothing in the playoffs but watch film and go through game plans on day-of-game shootarounds. It is Allen Iverson’s ideal situation. ‘It’s been a while,’ Rondo said. ‘Obviously, we’re in the Eastern Conference finals, so it hasn’t hurt us.’ Part of the reason for the Celtics’ laid-back approach is that the condensed playoff schedule leaves little time for practice, especially after a season in which the Celtics played 66 times in 124 days. Where once the N.B.A. would schedule first-round series that could last longer than the Olympic Games, this year the Celtics have pretty much played every other day since the postseason began. They also were extended in their first two series, needing six games to eliminate Atlanta and the full seven to dispatch the Philadelphia 76ers. They had one day between the end of the Sixers’ series and the beginning of the Miami series — and that was a travel day. With such a hectic schedule, combined with the age of the team and assorted injuries to key personnel, the decision to forgo practices was a no-brainer for Celtics Coach Doc Rivers. ‘We’re just too old,’ he said after the team fell behind, two games to none, to the Heat in the conference finals. ‘We’re tired and old and banged up. Honestly, I just look at it if I have a choice between the legs and the brains, I’m going to take the legs every single time. We need those. I don’t know what I could accomplish honestly by bringing them in.'”