Shelden Williams turning heads with his solid play

When he signed, people scratched their heads. The Celtics had already penned Rasheed Wallace to a deal and would soon resign Glen "Big Baby" Davis. What did they need Shelden Williams for?

To most NBA fans, Williams had already been labeled a bust. He had been the fifth pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, but had never lived up to his college reputation during brief stints in Atlanta and Sacramento. He was still a very good rebounder, but Williams couldn't find enough time on the court to produce anywhere near the rate a fifth pick is supposed to. Even playing for bad teams, Williams toiled on the bench.

Once upon a time, he had been a star for one of college basketball's darling programs, on national television every night and producing every game. He was the "Landlord", aptly named for owning the paint, and had won two Defensive Player of the Year awards during his time with the Duke Blue Devils. Four years after Shelden began his college basketball career, he ended it with 1,859 points and 1,217 rebounds.

Then he was drafted into the NBA, and all of a sudden everything changed. The bright lights of national television were traded for dull regional coverage, and Shelden's personal stardom was traded for a whole bunch of time on the bench. And his nickname? They might as well have changed it to "The Benchlord".

While everybody else was scratching their heads over the Williams signing, I didn't know what to think. With 'Sheed in the fold and Big Baby soon to be, I didn't see how the Celtics needed him. I didn't know how Williams fit into the Celtics' plans, and I certainly didn't expect him to see much playing time. After all, he couldn't find the court in Atlanta or Sacramento -- why would things be any different in Boston?

At the same time, I remembered Shelden from college. You see, I'm a Duke fan. And not just your run-of-the-mill Duke fan who might watch the Blue Devils when they're on T.V. I'm the type of Duke fan who watches Syracuse football this year just to see Greg Paulus play quarterback. You could say I'm a little bit obsessed.

So I remembered Shelden at his best. I remembered his game-changing blocks and tough rebounds. I remembered the way he was never afraid to throw his body around and, above all, his consistency. Shelden was always a guy you could count on to deliver, somewhere around 15 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks every single game.

When Shelden was a senior, he played his last college game against Glen Davis and the L.S.U. Tigers. I was in prep school at the time, and the game coincided with our dreaded study hall. During study hall, which happened every night of the week, we were locked in our rooms for two hours. We weren't allowed to watch T.V., we weren't allowed to play video games, we weren't allowed to leave our rooms, and there were no exceptions. But my Duke Blue Devils were playing in the NCAA tournament, so I had to figure out a way to make sure "no exceptions" didn't apply to me.

I snuck out of my room and into my dorm head's apartment. He was gone for the night, so I knew I'd be safe in his room. I might have been breaking and entering, but what did I care? There was a chance it was Shelden and J.J.'s final collegiate game.

As it turned out, it was, but not because of Shelden. While J.J. was compiling only 11 points on putrid 3-18 shooting, Williams was busy getting the best of a talented frontcourt consisting of Big Baby and Tyrus Thomas. Duke lost 62-54, but I wouldn't soon forget Williams' gigantic effort. When his team needed him the most, Shelden outplayed two highly-touted players and was the most dominant player on the court. It wasn't enough for the win, but it was enough for me to understand Shelden's importance in everything Duke did... as if I hadn't already.

Still, I didn't expect much when Shelden signed with Boston. I didn't expect his career to suddenly turn around just because he was wearing a new jersey. He was a bust, and that was that. I still loved him from his college days, but I never expected Williams to be of much help to my Celtics.

Then, a day before the season, Glen Davis went down with an injury, and Williams was pressed into service. I was still skeptical. If Williams couldn't perform for the Kings and Hawks, I didn't think he would for the Celtics either. He played 13 minutes the first game, and his stats were underwhelming; 4 points and 3 rebounds are nothing to write home about. But sometimes stats don't tell the whole story. Williams threw his body around that day, and did all the dirty work. He wasn't spectacular, but he was solid. And that's all the Celtics needed from him.

The next night, it was more of the same. This time, Williams ended up with better stats, but the way he played was the same. He was just solid. Nothing flashy, nothing spectacular, but as solid as it gets.

Now, five games into the season, we know what to expect from Shelden Williams. There will be some nights when his stats are better than others, but he'll provide the same effort every night. Just like he did in college, Shelden is playing with consistency, passion, and confidence. He bangs down low, gets to the line, and pulls in plenty of rebounds. Shelden won't ever be a star, but he sure has been dependable, hasn't he?

Williams may never live up to his billing coming out of college, as the fifth overall draft pick, and he may never reach the expectations certain people had for him after his storied Duke career. He might even be right back on the bench once Davis comes back.

But don't make the same mistake I made.

Don't doubt that Shelden Williams can still play.

Rajon Rondo contract extension sets Celtics up nicely for the future

I woke up this morning to 13 text messages. Now, I'm not a very popular guy, so 13 text messages is more or less a career high. Upon receiving the messages, my first thought was, "I hope everyone in my family's alright." My second thought was, "Uh-oh, I hope my girlfriend's not mad at me." My third thought was, "Damn, 13 text messages? I'm really blowing up."

Well, my family's alright, my girlfriend isn't mad at me, and I STILL don't have many friends. So what happened? The Rajon Rondo contract extension finally got done. Five years, $55 million for Rondo, and 13 text messages about the deal for me.

Out of everyone I know, I was probably the biggest advocate for the C's resigning Rondo. I'll just restate the facts, for those of you who haven't read any of my ramblings about Rondo before. Rondo is 23 years old. He's gotten immensely better each year, and has continued that trend into this season. He's as confident as players come, has already PG'ed a championship team, and seems to always rise to the occasion in big games. While there was some talk about Rondo being a pain in Doc Rivers' ass, there can be no denying that Rondo plays with unselfishness and poise rarely seen in the NBA... especially for a player so young.

As good as Rondo is now, he has the potential to be even better. Imagine him with a consistent jumper. If Rondo could consistently put it in the bucket from outside, nobody in the world would be able to guard him. He has the speed and handles to go by anybody, the vision to find open teammates, and the awareness to maintain a low turnover rate. With a jumper added to the mix? He could be scary, scary good. Already, his jumper looks way better. He finally has good form, and results might soon be on the way.

Another reason to wrap Rondo up: If they didn't, he would have been a restricted free agent. I know the market for restricted free agents this summer was mostly dry, but next summer, with teams prepping for the vaunted summer of '10, there will be a lot more money to go around. And if Lebron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh decide to stay with their own teams, that money will go to the next tier of free agents. In the NBA, teams with cap space rarely keep it for the following year. They spend it on the remaining free agents, whether they're worth the cap space or not. (See: Detroit Pistons and Ben Gordon, Charlie Villanueva.) If Rondo hadn't gotten his contract extension, then had had a good season this year (and he looks well on his way to his best season), he might have commanded a lot more on the free agent market than the Celtics got him for today. The Celtics would have been able to match any offer, but the offers might have been higher than they went today.

So rejoice, Celtics fans. The future doesn't look as bleak. Even after the Big Three are gone, a potential superstar will be in Green for the next five years, and the Celtics got him for the very reasonable price of $11 million a year.

And me? I'm not as popular as I thought I might have been when I received 13 text messages this morning. But I'd much rather have Rondo for five years than have a few more friends.

After all, friends don't help win championships.

Running Diary: Celtics don't bring 'A' game, still dispatch Hornets

This was supposed to be Rajon Rondo's measuring stick against Chris Paul. It was supposed to be the night he proved his worth among the NBA's top five point guards. People thought Rondo would be gunning to attack Paul's throne, looking to establish himself firmly among the elite NBA point guards.

Instead, Rondo was willing to do just what he's done the rest of the season. He facilitated the offense and found his teammates in spots where they could do damage. He didn't take many shots (only 7 FGA), but he accumulated 10 assists and played completely selfless basketball yet again.

On the night Rondo was supposed to be the story, the Big Three reminded everyone why they are still the Big Three. Paul Pierce was more or less unstoppable, scoring 27 points on 10-14 shooting and making sure the world knew Julian Wright and Peja Stojakovic will never, ever be able to stop him from scoring. Ray Allen had a great third quarter, keeping the Celtics in the lead while they struggled to bring any energy on a night where they came out lethargic and stayed that way for the rest of the night. And Kevin Garnett was Kevin Garnett; his stats (14 points and 7 rebounds) might not look great, but he did everything the Celtics needed him to do and was a big facilitator of the offense as the Celtics held off Charlotte's fourth-quarter charge.

The Celtics didn't play their best, but they'll come away with a win. To be honest, they should be happy there won't be videotape of this one in the standings. Boston was lethargic, lackadaisical, and -- searching for another L-word (just for the alliteration) -- lame. They allowed Peja Stojakovic to return to the form he displayed back when White Chocolate was his point guard and Chris Webber his post man. Chris Paul didn't do much in the first half, but ran a little wild in the second half and finished with 22 points and 8 assists, to go along with 9-13 shooting. The Hornets' bench, which had been outscored 91-43 combined in the first two games, outscored the C's bench 40-21.

All-in-all, it was a win. Rondo didn't beat Paul statistically, but he kept his basketball intelligence and never tried to get into a one-on-one battle with the Hornets' point guard.

Paul outscored Rondo, 22-6. But I think Rondo will take one stat in which Paul had nothing.

And that's the W.

For those of you who need more analysis and maybe a few laughs, here's a running diary of my thoughts during the game.

First Quarter

Flipped on the channel just in time to see the NBATV Keys to the game, which say that Boston must: "Control the head of the snake". I guess that one needs an explanation.

Steve Smith says Eddie House should be looked at as a legitimate Sixth Man of the Year candidate. I love House as much as anyone, but let's not get ahead of ourselves, Steve. That's like calling Leandro Barbosa a threat to win MVP.

Rondo blows right by CP3 for a bucket to make it 4-2, Celtics. I hope Rondo comes to play, I expect him to come to play, and I believe he'll come to play.

It's really early on, but the atmosphere seems incredibly dead at the Garden. The C's have not come out with the same intensity we've seen from them in the first three games, and the crowd seems to be mirroring the team's energy.

Six minutes in, five rebounds for Emeka Okafor. He's only on pace for 40 rebounds.

I love when Kevin Garnett blocks shots that come after the whistle. He just sprinted from the foul line to swat one. He does it for no other reason but to aggravate and intimidate the other team.

I also love when Garnett sprints the floor and catches a pretty assist from Rondo for an easy dunk. 11-10, bad guys.

The ticker on the bottom of the NBATV screen is now broken. It just told me that Al Harrington had 42 points in the Chicago-Miami game. Which, by the way, had a score of 21-18 at the time.

Paul Pierce has two and-ones and 10 points so far, with 3 minutes left in the quarter. With Julian Wright and Mo Peterson guarding him (and even Posey off the bench -- too slow), Pierce should be able to get more or less whatever he wants tonight. Look for him to have a big, big game.

Perk just looked like Kevin McHale in the post. And no, I'm not trying to say that he's white and gangly. He actually just had a terrific up-and-under post move that looked like McHale in his prime.

The "Sixth Man of the Year" candidate Eddie House just canned a two with his foot on the line. If Eddie House is voted Six Man of the Year I'll shave Rasheed's bald spot into the back of my head.

Eddie had a great hustle play, though. He and Posey both chased after a ball all the way into the backcourt, but Eddie beat him to it and positioned his body in a perfect spot to draw the Posey foul. It reminded me of the huge hustle play Eddie made in the Cleveland series during the title run. And yes, I am definitely living way too much in the past.

A sloppy and somewhat dull first quarter ends, 22-20 Celtics. The Celtics might pull away early in the second quarter; as long as the two benches are in, the C's have a distinct advantage.

Second Quarter

Bobby Brown just made a three, and I swear I just heard "Kwame Brown for three" coming from the loudspeakers. It obviously wasn't really what I heard, but for a second I was very, very confused.

The Celtics are trying to abuse Chris Paul in the post. He's guarding Ray right now, as the Hornets are playing with a mini-backcourt of Bobby Brown and Paul. Ray, not especially known for his post game, scored an easy one the first possession and missed an easy turnaround the next time down. Look for the C's to go right down low as soon as the Hornets come with the small lineup.

The Hornets moved Peja onto Ray and Brown to the bench. Tommy Heinsohn, about Peja guarding Ray Allen: "Well, Peja's just going to run into screens and stay there." And later, "He'd be late for breakfast, lunch and dinner." Whatever the second quote means is beyond me. I think it's supposed to mean he's slow, but it could mean anything at all. After all, this is Tommy Heinsohn we're listening to.

Does Marquis Daniels ever show emotion? Does he even know how to smile or frown? I don't think I've ever seen him without a game face on.

Things getting a little chippy between Rondo and Paul. Just like we thought it might before the game, Rondo and Paul have begun to get into a little bit of a personal battle. Neither of them have done too much in the game, but a little bit of a shoving match that drew a double technical foul might light a fire under them both. I love Rondo for not backing down. He never backs down from anybody, no matter how big or how talented they are. You get the feeling he really feels he's the absolute best player in the NBA. Let's just hope he doesn't want to be paid like it.

Pierce stays on the bench for a long time, then comes right back and drills a three. He has 13 so far, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if he ends up with 30. Pierce and Ray Allen have such big mismatches, every time down the floor. They must feel so great to be able to look at the man guarding them and see Wright or Peterson. As I'm typing this, Pierce hits another three, and now has 16. I feel great for saying Wright couldn't guard Pierce. But it's tough to take credit for that prediction; after all, my dog Montana knew Wright couldn't possibly stop Pierce from scoring.

Rondo throws an alley-oop pass to Kevin Garnett, who catches it, crams it through the hoop and then tells Rondo, "Nice f---ing pass." You could see it on the screen. Is anyone surprised Garnett swore? Not me. I'd be more surprised to hear that C.C Sabathia doesn't have a good diet than I am to hear Kevin Garnett swear.

I keep waiting for Chris Paul to do something. I thought he'd have a huge game after Rondo mouthed off a little bit. But he has yet to do anything. Please do not wake the sleeping 6'1" giant.

Pierce with the jab step to the left, drive to the right, and easy dunk after the baseline drive. Did I mention Julian Wright can't guard him?

A pullup Pierce jumper (on -- who else? -- Julian Wright) gives him 20 points and ends the first-half scoring and puts the Celtics ahead 47-38. The C's have yet to play their best basketball, or even close, but still have a nice little cushion. Look for them to open up the third quarter with a bit of a run to pull this game away. Also look for Chris Paul to improve upon a first half where you barely knew he was on the court. Rondo has a game-high 6 assists, Okafor has a game-high 7 assists, and Wright has a game-high for times leaked on by an opposing player.

Third Quarter

NBATV switched the key from "Control the head of the snake" to "Control Chris Paul." Apparently, Chris Paul is the head of the snake. Whatever he is, the C's controlled him, holding him to only 5 points and 3 assists. Still, there's always the possibility he may completely take over this game.

On cue, Paul starts the second half with a jumper. Uh-oh.

Forget what I said about the C's coming out fired up in the third quarter. They came out with the same lack of effort they showed in the first. Just completely lackadaisical. Still, Boston is winning. I'm not sure whether that says more about Boston's talent or New Orleans' shortcomings.

Did anyone else love Perk giving up the ball on the fast break to Rondo, just so Rondo could pass it back to him and get an assist? 'Cause I did. Some might call it stat-stacking. I call it terrific.

Uh-oh. Paul starting to kill the C's. But it's good the C's haven't let him do much distributing. Even now, when he's starting to appear a little lively, almost everything he's gotten has been for himself. To me, he's far more dangerous making things happening for all his teammates.

The Hornets went small again, and immediately Ray went straight to the post and got another easy bucket. Ray's had a big third quarter. Unfortunately, the Celtics haven't. Another prediction for me that just didn't turn out well.

The Celtics lack of effort is finally catching up to them. The Hornets aren't playing well, either, but Chris Paul is quickly catching fire. He has risen from his slumber. And that is far from good for the Celtics. 72-69 Celtics at the end of the third.

Fourth Quarter

Interesting matchup between James Posey and Marquis Daniels, Posey's replacement. Daniels is a more talented player, but Posey is such a great glue guy.

Peja's getting hot. Reminding me of the Kings days when he was as good a shooter and scorer as just about anybody in the league. Hopefully they'll leave him in for crunch time. Peja on the Kings never failed to miss clutch shots.

Bobby Brown is a gunner. I kept thinking he would stop shooting, but he just never has. It seems he fires up a jumper every time he catches the rock. And, thankfully, he is now 3-12 from the field.

Eddie House with a great pass to Shelden Williams to extend the C's lead to 80-74. Last season's bench was lucky to keep games close, or even to lose by a little. With this year's bench, you are surprised when they don't extend a lead.

Can the Celtics put a motherf---ing hand up on Peja? He can't put the ball on the floor. Not even a little. Somehow, he's been open every single play, and is straight up murdering the C's. Put a hand up and get in his mug. For the love of Red Auerbach.

Three minutes left. 88-83, Celtics. If Peja is scoring a lot, that means Peja must be defending somebody, right? Can we just go straight to the person who's defending him, call a clear out, and get an easy bucket every time?

Pierce scores a bucket on Peja with the stepback in the lane. Thanks, Doc. You only went to that about a quarter too late. I guess it's better late than never.

A great play by Garnett, driving the middle and dumping off a little pass to a cutting Rondo, who finished with a 5-foot floater.

Pierce puts in a three from the top of the key to go ahead by 9. Peja may have scored a lot, but he was no match for Pierce defensively. Then again, neither was anyone else. Pierce ended up with 27 points on 10-14 shooting. Celtics win, 97-87, but never brought their 'A' game tonight. 'A' game or not, they're 4-0. The world is good.

After the game, it looked like Rondo and Paul shared words. I have no idea what was said, and no idea what happened between the two, but it's something to think about.

Pierce and Rondo lead way as Celtics thrash Bulls to improve to 3-0

I guess having Kevin Garnett is better than not having Kevin Garnett.

During last year’s postseason, the Chicago Bulls kept it close with the Boston Celtics for seven full games. This time around, with Garnett healthy, they kept it close for, oh, about a quarter. By the time Shelden Williams hit an early second-quarter layup, the Celtics were ahead 29-19 and well on their way to a 118-90 massacre.

There wasn’t much else the Celtics could have done. They moved the ball beautifully, they hit shots and, as has been the early-season trend, were extremely difficult to score on.

For the Celtics, Paul Pierce did the scoring and Rajon Rondo the distributing. It’s almost impossible to control an NBA game while scoring only two points, but Rondo did it. He pushed the tempo when he needed to, facilitated the offense, and found the open shooter. There was one sequence in particular that demonstrated how far Rondo has come in his development. He pushed the ball upcourt in a 1-on-1 scenario with Brad Miller in front of him. Rondo could have and, in the past, likely would have, forced the action and attempted to make a tightly-contested layup.

Instead, he circled the ball out, waited for his teammates to join him, and hit a streaking Kevin Garnett with the lob. The play didn’t result in one of Rondo’s 16 assists -- Garnett was fouled on the attempt -- but it displayed a level of patience and intelligence that Rondo only showed at times last season.

While Rondo was racking up the assists, Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and company were scorching the nets. Pierce shot 8-12 from the field, Allen 7-9, Garnett 7-13, and the Celtics shot 58% from the floor and hit 12 of 24 three-point attempts. The shooting display was impressive, especially in the third quarter, when Pierce hit all seven of his field goal attempts and all five of his three-pointers.

It’s a sign of how well the Celtics have been playing that I was actually disappointed by their defensive effort. I know, I know, they only gave up 90 points and held the Bulls to 41.3% shooting and only 13.3% from the arc. But the Bulls had a lot of easy buckets, especially in the third quarter, when Chicago shot 12-22 (even though Pierce’s long-range barrage made sure that A) the defensive lapses didn’t matter and B) most people didn’t notice the wide open dunks and layups the Bulls kept getting.)

Either way, I’ve seen this team enough to realize that they are a hungry, hungry bunch. Last season, the Celtics won a lot of games but there was always the feeling that they lacked a killer instinct to kick teams while they were down and put them away.

Even as the Celtics got off to a 27-2 start that was the best in NBA history, they worried me and seemed not to be completely clicking. This year, the C’s are firing on all cylinders right out of the gate, leaving no doubt in any of their three games which team was better. Scratch that -- way better.

About Pierce’s third quarter outburst, Garnett said, “That was beautiful to watch.”

I’ll take you one more, Kevin. So was the whole game.

Game Notes

Eddie House did as Eddie House does, shooting 9-13 and piling on the damage in another blowout victory.

Joakim Noah flashed an improved post game, hitting some very tough left-handed hooks and a long perimeter jumper. I’m not quite ready to say he’s a legitimate offensive option, but he’s a lot closer than he was last year.

Shelden Williams posted a double-double, with 10 points and 10 rebounds. I might have sold the Duke product short when I wrote I didn’t think he’d contribute much; Williams is playing great basketball so far, and has admirably filled the void left by Glen Davis’ unfortunate (and stupid) injury.

Ray Allen only played 24 minutes. For all those C’s fans clamoring for Doc to limit Ray’s playing time, you can hold your complaints… until the next time Ray plays 40 minutes in a 30-point blowout.

Rajon Rondo not letting contract situation dictate his play

He was the Celtics’ postseason MVP and then, before you could say “work on your jumper, Rajon”, Rajon Rondo was an immature, egotistical player on the trading block.

After a tumultuous offseason filled with rumors of trades, immaturity and an oversized ego, Rajon Rondo had every reason to sour on the Boston Celtics. They (and specifically, Danny Ainge) publicly humiliated Rondo, calling him out for his childish behavior, boorish personality and lack of punctuality. The C’s tried to trade him all summer, even after Rondo averaged a near triple-double throughout the entire playoffs. They desperately tried to get rid of their rising young star, their team’s future, and tore him to shreds in the process.

If Rondo’s ego was a problem before, it became an enormous asset. Someone who didn’t think as highly of his own abilities, who wasn’t completely assured of his own worth, surely would have folded under the immense scrutiny Rondo underwent this summer. When people are bashing you from all angles, natural human tendency is to react defensively, to lash out at your detractors. But Rondo stood tall and, instead of responding with angry words, he strived to make himself better.

People said he was too skinny, so he put on 11 pounds of muscle and came back stronger than he’d ever been. People said he couldn’t shoot, so he hired Mark Price to be his personal shooting coach and returned with a far-improved shooting form. People said he was a malcontent, so Rajon Rondo spoke with Doc Rivers and Danny Ainge about what he needed to do to improve.

Rondo still isn’t under contract for next season. If the Celtics don’t sign him by Saturday, he will become an unrestricted free agent. The contract talks have apparently hit a snafu; Rondo and his agent think he’s worth more money than the Celtics do. But if you expected Rondo to gun for his own stats, to be out to get his, think again.

If anything, Rondo has become even more selfless on the court. Through the first two games, he’s been perfectly content to take whatever the defense gives him, to use the great scorers he has around him, and to distribute the basketball with great frequency and delicacy. At no point has he looked like a player worrying about a contract; at no point has he looked like a man trying to prove his doubters wrong.

Admittedly, I don’t know much about what goes on behind the scenes. I don’t know what time Rondo arrives at games, I don’t know how often he argues with Doc Rivers, and I can’t observe his relationships with his teammates. All I know is what I hear in the news and what I see on the court.

And from what my eyes tell me, Rajon Rondo is a team player. He may get into arguments; everybody does. He may occasionally show up late; don’t we all? But once the ball is tipped, once the game is underway, there are few players who play with more unselfishness. His play over the first two games hasn’t been spectacular, but it has been nearly flawless.

He’s only averaging 9 points so far, but he’s shooting 64.3% from the field. He’s only taken 14 shots, but he’s made 9 of them. He has 21 assists to go against only 3 turnovers. Not to mention 6 steals in two games.

Rondo could be playing for a contract. He could be out there calling his own number and saying, “Screw the offense.” After all, there’s really no other point guard Doc Rivers can turn to. But he’s not. Instead, Rondo has played two of the most efficient games you could ask for. He has put the team ahead of himself and run the offense just about as well as a point guard could.

I still don’t know much about Rondo’s relationship with the coaching staff, or how well he’s getting along with his teammates. But I don’t really care. As long as he maintains his selflessness and passion every time he steps on that 94’ x 50’ slab of parquet floor, I could care less if he isn’t best friends with Doc or Ray Allen.

Rondo is playing some of the best basketball of his career, and he’s doing it by not trying to compile his own stats.

He’s doing it for the sake of the team.

Boston Celtics clamp down Bobcats, 92-59: Running Diary

Another night, another low-scoring win.

I think that might become a pattern with this Celtics team. While the Bobcats clearly didn't come to play, a lot of credit has to be given to Boston's defense for the ugliness of Charlotte's offensive attack. And by attack, I mean an attack of misses, bricks and turnovers.

I wondered in my game preview where the Charlotte scoring would come from, and the answer was D) None of the above. They just don't have anyone capable of creating easy shots, and they had a bad matchup with a Boston team that thrives on making even good teams take low-percentage shots.

It's hard to take too much from an early-season game. Or even a couple early-season games. But if you can tell one thing about the Celtics, it's this: Their defense is going to be very, very good. It's not often one NBA team holds another to only 59 measly points and 31% shooting.

Two years ago, the Celts had the best defense in the league and one of the best the NBA has seen in many years.

This year, they have the potential to be even better. All the additions they made this offseason (Rasheed Wallace, Marquis Daniels, even Shelden Williams and Lester Hudson) are defensive-minded players with the ability to affect a game by stopping the other team from scoring. They don't have James Posey anymore, but Wallace and Daniels combined should provide more defense than Posey could by himself.

And on offense? Rajon Rondo continued to play great, unselfish basketball. If anyone thought he might be gunning for his own in an attempt to get a bigger contract, think again. Rondo has played absolutely selfless basketball in the first game, taking whatever the defense gives him and running the team almost flawlessly.

KG looked good, Pierce looked good and Ray looked good. Two games into the season, the world is smiling upon the Boston Celtics. 2-0. Only 71 wins to go, 'Sheed.

Here's a running diary from the game...

First Quarter

Here's what Paul Pierce had to say in his pregame speech: "You see up there? [pointing towards the rafters] There's only 17 of them. I think we need another one." Are you excited yet for the home opener? Is your blood boiling?

Brian Scalabrine will be out again. With Big Baby down, the Celtics will really miss him. Shelden Williams played yesterday and Doc said something to the effect of, "He's a lottery pick for a reason. We just have to get it out of him." Doc, he's also a huge bust for a reason.

The Celtics are up 8-0 before I even settled into my couch. They're running, they're gunning, and Garnett looks great. Perkins had a sequence where he blocked a Felton layup then went outside, guarded Felton on the perimeter and blocked him again. No, no, no, no, no! Charlotte usually plays Boston really tight, but don't expect this one to be. The Celtics are locked in.

Garnett now has two blocks, Perkins has two blocks. Did I mention there's still 8 minutes left... in the FIRST QUARTER! The Celtics interior defense could be pretty damn lethal.

Boris Diaw finally hits a jumper to get the Bobcats on the board with 7 minutes left. But Rondo answers with a jumper from the top of the key. Have I ever mentioned that his form looks way better?

Ew. I just noticed Gerald Wallace's hair. It's worse than Marquis Daniels'. It looks like he has sticks of black licorice coming off the back of his head. Don't think that's what he was going for.

The Celtics are starting to play sloppy basketball. They're playing down to their competition, which is, admittedly, poor.

KG's looking good. Then again, I would probably score on Diaw in the post.

Nazr Mohammed with a tip-in that gets waved off for offensive goaltending. Isn't it about the time the rest of his NBA career gets waved off too?

Tommy Heinsohn after Rondo blew by Augustin for an easy lay-in: "One thing we know about Augustin: He didn't make all-defense in college."

Rasheed is out here drilling threes. By hitting two in the first quarter, he probably already hit more than the Bobcats will all season. 22-12, Celtics.

The Bobcats just have no scoring. Even their top scorer, Gerald Wallace, is only a garbage guy who lives off second-chance points and fast breaks. I'd say DJ Augustin is their best pure scorer, and he happens to be their backup point guard.

My roommate: "Mohammed is Not-zee best basketball player." Truer words have never been spoken.

22-13 to end the first quarter. Celtics will probably roll with this one. Charlotte just doesn't have the firepower to keep up.

Second Quarter

Celtics up 25-15, but it could be a lot worse. The C's aren't making the easy ones. I'm betting they'll start, and when they do, this will be a blowout.

Tommy Heinsohn: "Guess who's in the game!?!? J.R.!! When an announcer gets that excited to see you, you know you aren't a very valuable player.

Bobcats slowly crawling back into the game. The second unit hasn't looked nearly as good as yesterday. They simply cannot put the ball in the bucket right now. 29-23, Bobcats. This game reminds me of a summer league game. Nobody can hit a jumper, and turnovers galore. Actually, that might be an insult to summer league.

During the commercial, I switched to the Knicks game just in time to see Darko Milicic hit a jump hook. Sadly, I then saw him do his own version of Deshawn Stevenson's "I can't feel my face" routine. Really. I'm not kidding. I felt like I would if Earl Boykins started posting up for an entire game. He's just not supposed to do that.

The Celtics have looked very lethargic since that first spurt. Maybe its the back-to-back games, maybe it's age, or maybe it's just that they realized they're playing the Bobcats.

The Celtics are just a lot more physically imposing than the Bobcats. At any given time, the 'Cats have Boris Diaw or Vlad Radmanovic guarding Perkins, Wallace or Garnett. Mismatch city. The Celtics will be too physical and too big for a lot of teams this season.

Another commercial, another switch to the Knicks game. Walt Frazier says, "If Daequan Cook improved his off-the-dribble game, he'd be an All-Star." Really, Walt? Or maybe he'd be good enough to start for the Kings.

Just realized I haven't had a score update in awhile. Thankfully, there hasn't been a lot of scoring. 39-31 Celtics.

Ray's missed a lot of jumpers tonight, but he's such a weapon to have. Rondo just pushed it ahead to an open Ray on the fast break, and all of a sudden an 8-point lead becomes an 11-point lead.

42-31 Celtics at halftime. Ray Allen with 13 points is the only player in double figures. Somehow, I felt he was missing the whole half, but he ended up 4-7 from the floor. Huh? Celtics are really locking down, but their offense has been poor, poor, poor. I'm feeling an Eddie House outburst at some point in the second half. Why? I couldn't tell you.

Third Quarter

Tommy Heinsohn with another gem: "Go to the hoop! This isn't the world's greatest defense their playing."

Quick 8-0 run by the C's to open up the second half. They're getting easy buckets, and not giving up any. That's usually a recipe for success, at any level of basketball.

Make it 10-0. Garnett jumper. The Celtics are now making the easy jumpers. Is 8 minutes left in the third too early for Red Auerbach to spark up his cigar?

Make it 12-0. Pretty play, Garnett pass to a cutting Rondo, Rondo wraparound pass to Perk, Perkins reverse dunk.

Make it 15-0. The Bobcats seem to have given up. Every Celtics jumper is uncontested, every layup easy. Larry Brown must be supremely pissed off.

The 21-0 run (including a brief 6-0 run to end the first half) is finally over. It only took the Bobcats six minutes to score their first second-half bucket. But a Pierce three and a fast-break Pierce dunk increase the run to 26-2, and the Celtics are up 29 points. Rondo has 10 assists, and the Celtics are making things look very, very easy.

Update: Red Auerbach is now DEFINITELY smoking a stogie. No doubt anymore... No matter how much time is left.

Gerald Henderson, Jr. scores two free throws for the Bobcats third and fourth points of the third quarter. Did I mention there are only three minutes left in the quarter?

Rondo is playing such great basketball these first two games. After yet another pretty feed to Perk, he now has 11 assists with 2 minutes to go in the third quarter. He hasn't forced any plays, he hasn't turned the ball over, and he is taking whatever the defense gives to him. You can't run a team much better than Rondo has these first two games. You just can't.

The third quarter is now over. The Bobcats ended the quarter with a running Raymond Felton jumper, to give them a whopping total of 10 points scored for the quarter. 67-41 Celtics. Don't expect to see a lot of the Big Three in the final stanza.

Fourth Quarter

Charlotte shooting 28% so far. Scorching the nets.

Eddie misses his first three of the fourth quarter. I predicted him to have a big outburst in this second half, and I stand by my prediction. Eddie kills in garbage time.

Shelden Williams pulls down a rebound in traffic. He's got a strong set of hands, and positions his body well.

Lester Hudson gets his first minutes as a Celtic. Almost immediately, he gets a steal and a nice assist to a wide-open Marquis Daniels. I LOVVVEEE LESSTTAAAHHHHH!

The Bobcats are starting to get a few easy buckets as the C's have their 12th-man lineup in the game. Unfortunately for them, they're down 28 points. Which amounts to approximately three more quarters of scoring they'd have to do to come back.

House finally hits a jumper with 6 minutes left. There's still time for a barrage of threes to validate my prediction. Please, Eddie.

Giddens reminds me of Tony Allen as he picks up a foul flying into a jump-shooter. And being compared to Tony Allen is never, ever a good thing.

Eddie with a three! I'm in the process of being validated. I can feel it. The House is starting to burn up.

Eddie with another three, his third jumper in a row. Don't ever bet against House catching fire in a blowout. Ever.

I officially am really liking Shelden Williams' game. He does the little things well, gets rebounds and plays within himself. If he could just stop himself from shooting jumpers once in a while, the Celtics might have found themselves a real steal.

I didn't watch the last few minutes. Not that it mattered. My roommate wanted to watch the Yankees, and it was tough to convince him that watching a 30-point blowout was more important than watching the World Series. I tried to tell him he doesn't really want to watch the Yankees lose game one, but he didn't agree. Either way, the Celtics are 2-0 and the Yankees are down 2-0. It's a good night.

Note: Videos thanks to Red's Army.

Boston Celtics vs. Cleveland Cavaliers: Big games mean something in the NBA

Damn it, Rajon Rondo and Danny Ainge, why couldn't you have come to an agreement for a contract? Damn it, Glen Davis, why did you have to go around getting into "altercations" with your old college buddy? Damn it, Shelden Williams, why do you have to be in the f---ing rotation now?

Okay, that's it for my venting about the tough day the Celtics went through yesterday on the eve of a new season. Today, I'll have my basketball playlist on: "You're the Best Around" from Karate Kid, "One Shining Moment" immortalized by the NCAA tournament, and the entire Hoosiers soundtrack. Maybe even a little bit of Busta Rhymes' "We Made It." Or Nelly's "Heart of a Champion." Or Eminem's "Till I Collapse."

Hell, I already watched Hoosiers last night. Then slept in my Paul Pierce jersey for good luck. You might call me obsessed, or maybe just strange, but these are the things you do when basketball is your religion, a couch your church pew and Tommy Heinsohn your preacher.

If you haven't guessed, there's a game to play tonight. And it counts. Just in case that weren't enough incentive, it's against Lebron, Shaq and the Cavs. The team many predict to be the best in the Eastern Conference, and the East's number one seed last year.

Most coaches could talk until they're blue in the face about how one regular season game means very little. After all, an NBA season is 82 games long and one game means little to a team's final record. One regular season game in and of itself means nothing. Does anyone remember that the Celtics beat the Cavs on opening night last year? Chances are you didn't. But you sure as hell remember game seven against Orlando. Coaches would probably remind you not to read too much into a regular season game.

But I'm not a coach, and no matter how much you can say a regular season game means nothing, tonight's game is important. It will set the tone for the season and will determine the early frontrunner for Eastern Conference champion. Two seasons ago, the Celtics came out of the gates like lions preying on unsuspecting food; they smacked the Wizards on opening night by some ridiculous margin, in the process setting the tone for a championship season. Last season, the C's opened with a sluggish 90-85 victory over the Cavs. While the Celtics' 62-win season was nothing to laugh at, they never regained the dominant form they displayed in 2007-08. They were still very good, still one of the best teams in the league, but never dominant.

Have there been teams that have won the NBA championship after losing their opening-night game? Of course. But I refuse to believe a single regular season game doesn't matter, and especially one on opening night, played against a rival. On any given night in the NBA, even the best teams can lose to a team like the Kings. The gap between the top teams and the bottom teams just isn't large enough where even the top contenders can get away with a lackadaisical effort. But when the lights are on and two contending rivals are playing, especially in an opening-night game where the emotions are running high, the game simply means something.

Tonight, both teams are going to give a full effort. That's a given. It's the season's first game and there will be excitement, passion and intensity in every player on the floor. Last year, I was underwhelmed by the Celtics in situations like this. The last time we saw the C's play a big regular season game, they were getting steamrolled by these very Cavs, 107-76. The Celtics also lost both games against the Lakers last year, including a Christmas day game that served as the first rematch of the 2008 Finals.

When rivalry games, or even just two games between top teams, are played, both teams are playing hard. And when both teams are playing hard, it's the team that executes more effectively that wins. So maybe you can't tell a lot about a team based on a normal regular season game, but when the ball is tipped between two of the best teams in the league and both teams leave their hearts on the floor, a good deal is learned about both teams.

Last year, the Celtics just plain old may not have been good enough to win the championship. I've written a few times that the Celtics very well could have won a championship had Kevin Garnett stayed healthy. But, to be honest, the signs were there that they just weren't as good as the Lakers... even before the KG injury derailed any hopes they had for a repeat. In the big games, the Celtics were outclassed by their opponents – a big warning flag.

Here's what I wrote last year during the Lakers' run to the finals:

This year's Lakers have something to prove, and came out of the blocks showing the chip on their collective shoulder. Bursting to a 23-5 record, the Lakers were set to play the Celtics in a Christmas Day showdown. In a manhandling very reminiscent of the way I saw my Celtics play last season, the Lakers completely shackled the Celtics, forcing them into an ugly, rhythm-less game.

That game, a huge game by all accounts, even so early in the season, set the tone for the rest of the Lakers' regular season. When they played the power-house teams, the Lakers came to play. They beat the Celtics both times they played them. The Cavaliers? Beat them twice too, smacked them actually (including their first home loss, right when the Cavaliers were starting to think about the NBA's first undefeated home record).

I've always been a firm believer that the team that wins big games is most likely a better team. On an off day, any team in the NBA can lose to another one. But in the big games, when the lights are on and the whole country's watching on TV as two NBA powerhouses do battle, both teams usually bring their best effort. And when both teams bring their best effort, it's usually the better team that wins. Last year, it was the Celtics who won all the big games.

They were 2-0 vs. the Lakers, 2-1 against the then-Eastern Conference defending champion Pistons and 2-0 vs. the ever-contending San Antonio Spurs (who were also the defending champs). They were the first team to sweep the Rodeo Road Trip (at San Antonio, at Houston, and at Dallas) in twenty years. Whenever there was a big game, the Celtics left no doubt who was the better team.

Then the playoffs came around, and the Celtics let Atlanta take them to seven games in the first round. The Cavs came next, and they pushed the Celtics to the brink of elimination, too, before succumbing in Game 7. Everyone was clamoring about the Celtics allowing lesser teams to take them to seven games, but what everyone failed to notice was that every time the Celtics needed a win, they delivered. In Game 7 against the Hawks, the Celtics ratcheted up the intensity and the game was over within minutes. In the Cavs' Game 7, the Celtics held off an amazing performance by Lebron James, gritting out a tough win.

Somewhere along the way, the Celtics learned how to consistently win, and how to finish out playoff series'. As they advanced through the postseason, Boston got stronger and stronger, beating a seasoned Detroit team in six games in the ECF and smacking the Lakers in Game 6 to take home the franchise's 17th banner.

I see the Lakers making those same strides. During the Jazz series, everyone wondered what was wrong with the Lakers when they lost a game, and when they kept blowing big leads. In the Rockets' series, everyone wondered how a Tracy McGrady-less, Yao Ming-less Houston team could bring the Lakers to a Game 7.

But what I saw was that the Lakers picked it up a notch in that Game 7. They raised their play to a level no other team in the NBA can attain. They played flawless offensive basketball, with terrific ball movement, great shooting and slashing penetration. They played inspired defense, hedging out on the dangerous Aaron Brooks pick-and-roll and forcing the Rockets into bad shot after bad shot.

The Lakers, now, seem to have learned how to bring that effort on a daily basis rather than merely when they need it the most. They ended the Nuggets' season just six games after a lot of people picked a Denver upset, and took their great play into Game 1 of the Finals, defeating the Magic in an overwhelming blowout. When the Lakers play up to their capabilities, there is no other team in the NBA that can measure up.

When you watch the game tonight, don't think the whole season is riding on this one bout. Don't think the Eastern Conference champion should be crowned tonight. But keep in mind that in the big games, the better team wins most of the time. Not every time, but most of the time. The Celtics won the big games two years ago, and the Lakers won them last season. When those two teams were operating at their best, there was no other team in the NBA that could match up.

The Celtics may win tonight, they may lose. Either way, we're going to learn a lot about the guys in Green. Whether we like what we learn or not. It's only one game, but it's a big game.

And big games tend to reveal a lot.