The Celtics have gotten rid of their morning walkthrough, but that doesn't mean we have to. Here are a few Celtics links, and maybe even an NBA link or two, to help wake you up and get you focused for the day.
Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston - "Celtics coach Doc Rivers wasn't happy that his team dropped its third game in four nights, wrapping up a four-game road trip 1-3 after a Christmas Day win in Orlando. But he admitted the odds were stacked against his shorthanded team Wednesday night at Phoenix as it battles mounting injuries, and he said he hoped his troops learned how important it is to capture winnable games. 'The lesson we should learn on this trip is that when you give away games with the Clippers when you're healthy, then do it again [against the Warriors], and then when you're injured, you need those games back -- but you can't get them back,' said Rivers. 'This game would have been very difficult to win. They're a very good team. When you take your two best scorers away against a scoring team ... you might not win that game. This game doesn't affect me at all.'"
A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE - "Despite being without about half of their usual playing rotation, Rivers came into the game with no thoughts of conceding defeat. 'I expected to win,' he said. 'I think we pay every guy. As long as you do, you have to come in the game with the expectations to win.' But it seemed in the game's early stages, the Celtics didn't have the kind of fight you normally see from them. It was as if they bought into the notion that because they were so short-handed - Marquis Daniels (left thumb) and Glen Davis (sprained right ankle) were also out - a loss to the Suns was something they had no control over. 'Somebody has to be the spark. We didn't have that tonight,' said Kendrick Perkins, who had 13 points and seven rebounds. 'We came out like Doc said, we kind of (played like) we knew we were going to lose the game or something like that. Doc tried to give us some energy, but it just wasn't there for us mentally and physically.'"
Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston - "'They were more aggressive than us today,' said Eddie House, who provided the only spark for Boston, hitting five of the seven 3-pointers he attempted off the bench for a team-high 19 points. 'We came out and we were kind of lollygagging after that point, you know, going through the motions. They came out playing hard and they got us. So tip your cap to them. We’ll try to regroup next game. We’ll get it together, it’s a long season.'"
Bright Side of the Sun - "Channing set his season high with 26 points on 9 of 15 shooting including 6 three's. Many of those three's came at key points when the Celtics were making a push to get back in the game. His shooting tonight wasn't just on fire, it was clutch. More impressive though was his 10 rebounds. He understands that his rebounding is as important if not more so to this team and he's certainly focused on that. He's also working hard on adding some dribble drive moves to his game. 'They're closing out so hard on him and that's something he's worked on in practice. He has to be able to put it down for one or two dribbles and shoot it or if there's an ally he's got to be able to take it to the basket. He's gotten pretty good at that,' said Gentry."
Paul Coro, Arizona Republic - "Two nights after routing the Lakers, the Suns lit up the Celtics' NBA-best scoring defense for a 116-98 victory Wednesday night. Boston was finishing a four-game road trip that began in Orlando and finished in the West, and Paul Pierce (knee), Kevin Garnett (knee), Glen Davis (ankle) and Marquis Daniels (thumb) sat out. But the Suns still became the only team besides the Lakers to sweep Celtics since 2007-08, re-establishing home-court success and its offense. 'I say to our guys all the time, 'When we play at home, we expect to win every game,'' said Suns coach Alvin Gentry, whose home record is 26-5 since taking over. 'It doesn't matter who we play.'"
Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald - "Kevin Garnett joined Paul Pierce on the shelf. And there was no Glen Davis or Marquis Daniels. Ergo no real prayer. Rajon Rondo did play in the 116-98 loss to the Suns, but with a tightly wrapped left hamstring, acquiring 13 points and eight assists. He said after his only problem was Phoenix, but he was clearly not his freewheeling self. 'I was proud of him because he’s at the level now where he can play on one leg and dominate the game, and I thought he did that at times,' said Celts coach Doc Rivers. 'He’s really assuming a role of leadership on this team, and I’m probably as proud of him as any player in a long time because he’s come a long way. I’m very happy for him.'"
Have a link I might want to look at? Send it my way by email (jayking@celticstown.com) or Twitter.
Showing posts with label Morning Walkthrough. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Morning Walkthrough. Show all posts
The Morning Walkthrough: Rajon Rondo is 'made of carbon'
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
The Celtics have gotten rid of their morning walkthrough, but that doesn't mean we have to. Here are a few Celtics links, and maybe even an NBA link or two, to help wake you up and get you focused for the day.
Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald - "'Things happen to us that you turn and you ask yourself, ‘Why me?’ ” Garnett said as the Celtics had yesterday off in preparation for tonight’s road trip finale against the Phoenix Suns. “I told him when he went to the line (Monday), I smacked him and I said, ‘Yeah, redemption. Payback.’ I just kept filling him with that. It either makes you or breaks you, man. You can’t break this kid. This kid is made of carbon, man. Everybody knows what carbon is. You know that it’s damn near invincible. It’s just more than a pleasure to be his teammate.' Rondo shrugged it all off, but he was seriously down in LA. 'I was bummed out up until gametime (Monday),” Rondo said. “But luckily it’s the NBA. We had a back-to-back, so I tried to redeem myself, but we still got another loss. For me, I get down on myself. I’m very hard on myself. But I’m still confident. I’m going to play the game and feel like I’m the best at it.'"
Gary Washburn, Boston Globe - "'I think it’s a combination of we’re getting some pretty good performances by other teams and we’re not playing as hard as we can play for 48 minutes,' he said. 'We think we can show up for a quarter or a half, and that’s not good enough in this league, and that’s been our pattern. We come out of the gates ready to play and have shown up to play in some cases. Other cases we haven’t; we’ve had to turn it on in the second half. That’s the fear I had at the beginning of the season - play it out and wait for the playoffs to roll around and not bringing it night in and night out. This is the second stretch where we really haven’t really shown up. The urgency of winning from the get-go hasn’t been important enough.' Mentally - and that’s 90 percent of how NBA games are won - the Celtics had the Warriors defeated. All that was required was basic execution for the final three quarters. But with tired bodies on the second game of a back-to-back stretch, Paul Pierce sitting in his Waltham home trying not to kick the television with his healing right leg, and the offense depending solely on Rajon Rondo, the Celtics faltered."
Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald - "On one hand, Doc Rivers has derided his team’s play even in victories. But he seemed to be debating himself when he let his guys off the hook. 'If you look around, all the good teams have tight games against the lower teams,' he said. 'These are NBA players, so they’re going to play well. And it’s tough to win an NBA game. I think if you ask the bad teams, they’ll tell you that.' The problem the Celtics encounter is a boredom of sorts. They generally lose the mental energy to simply run their stuff and make extra passes when they get around teams they see as beneath them. On the rare occasions when they stick with their plan, they systematically run the foe out of the building. But too often they take the ball and try to make individual plays. The issue is even more acute down the stretch. With the experience and alleged wisdom on the team, it just shouldn’t be happening this often."
A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE - "For a veteran team, we played with absolutely zero composure,' Rivers said. 'We just didn't play like a veteran basketball team tonight.' Little did Rivers know that would be a recurring theme just 24 hours later. Ill-timed turnovers. Poor shot selection. Mental breakdowns defensively. If there was a way to keep the Warriors in the game, the Celtics were more than willing to give it to them. Kevin Garnett understands what's going on. The Celtics aren't playing Celtics basketball."
Gary Washburn, Boston Globe - "Davis left Oracle in arena wearing a protective boot and walking with crutches. 'I haven't heard anything, which means nothing is serious,' Ainge said. 'I sent (trainer) Eddie (Lacerte) a text and I haven't heard anything and usually that means it's not much.' Meanwhile, Ainge said the team will evaluate Paul Pierce's right knee this weekend to determine when he will return. 'We don't have any definite dates or change on Paul,' he said."
Have a link I might want to look at? Send it my way by email (jayking@celticstown.com) or Twitter.
Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald - "'Things happen to us that you turn and you ask yourself, ‘Why me?’ ” Garnett said as the Celtics had yesterday off in preparation for tonight’s road trip finale against the Phoenix Suns. “I told him when he went to the line (Monday), I smacked him and I said, ‘Yeah, redemption. Payback.’ I just kept filling him with that. It either makes you or breaks you, man. You can’t break this kid. This kid is made of carbon, man. Everybody knows what carbon is. You know that it’s damn near invincible. It’s just more than a pleasure to be his teammate.' Rondo shrugged it all off, but he was seriously down in LA. 'I was bummed out up until gametime (Monday),” Rondo said. “But luckily it’s the NBA. We had a back-to-back, so I tried to redeem myself, but we still got another loss. For me, I get down on myself. I’m very hard on myself. But I’m still confident. I’m going to play the game and feel like I’m the best at it.'"
Gary Washburn, Boston Globe - "'I think it’s a combination of we’re getting some pretty good performances by other teams and we’re not playing as hard as we can play for 48 minutes,' he said. 'We think we can show up for a quarter or a half, and that’s not good enough in this league, and that’s been our pattern. We come out of the gates ready to play and have shown up to play in some cases. Other cases we haven’t; we’ve had to turn it on in the second half. That’s the fear I had at the beginning of the season - play it out and wait for the playoffs to roll around and not bringing it night in and night out. This is the second stretch where we really haven’t really shown up. The urgency of winning from the get-go hasn’t been important enough.' Mentally - and that’s 90 percent of how NBA games are won - the Celtics had the Warriors defeated. All that was required was basic execution for the final three quarters. But with tired bodies on the second game of a back-to-back stretch, Paul Pierce sitting in his Waltham home trying not to kick the television with his healing right leg, and the offense depending solely on Rajon Rondo, the Celtics faltered."
Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald - "On one hand, Doc Rivers has derided his team’s play even in victories. But he seemed to be debating himself when he let his guys off the hook. 'If you look around, all the good teams have tight games against the lower teams,' he said. 'These are NBA players, so they’re going to play well. And it’s tough to win an NBA game. I think if you ask the bad teams, they’ll tell you that.' The problem the Celtics encounter is a boredom of sorts. They generally lose the mental energy to simply run their stuff and make extra passes when they get around teams they see as beneath them. On the rare occasions when they stick with their plan, they systematically run the foe out of the building. But too often they take the ball and try to make individual plays. The issue is even more acute down the stretch. With the experience and alleged wisdom on the team, it just shouldn’t be happening this often."
A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE - "For a veteran team, we played with absolutely zero composure,' Rivers said. 'We just didn't play like a veteran basketball team tonight.' Little did Rivers know that would be a recurring theme just 24 hours later. Ill-timed turnovers. Poor shot selection. Mental breakdowns defensively. If there was a way to keep the Warriors in the game, the Celtics were more than willing to give it to them. Kevin Garnett understands what's going on. The Celtics aren't playing Celtics basketball."
Gary Washburn, Boston Globe - "Davis left Oracle in arena wearing a protective boot and walking with crutches. 'I haven't heard anything, which means nothing is serious,' Ainge said. 'I sent (trainer) Eddie (Lacerte) a text and I haven't heard anything and usually that means it's not much.' Meanwhile, Ainge said the team will evaluate Paul Pierce's right knee this weekend to determine when he will return. 'We don't have any definite dates or change on Paul,' he said."
Have a link I might want to look at? Send it my way by email (jayking@celticstown.com) or Twitter.
The Morning Walkthrough: Monta Ellis 'had his way with us tonight'
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
The Celtics have gotten rid of their morning walkthrough, but that doesn't mean we have to. Here are a few Celtics links, and maybe even an NBA link or two, to help wake you up and get you focused for the day.
Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston - "'[Ellis] played great for them," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "He basically saved the game for them at the end of the game with that play. One misstep and Tony [Allen] would have had a layup. [Ellis] made a great adjustment to get to the ball and maintain control.' Ellis connected on 15 of 26 attempts, and added four assists. Celtics guard Ray Allen admitted there was little the Green could do to slow him. 'We started out putting one-and-a-half guys on him to start the game, which turned into two guys guarding him and that didn’t work,' said Allen. 'By that time it was too late. He basically had his way with us tonight.' Said Ellis of his big night: '[Scoring is] really just coming to me. I’m trying to get everybody involved -- got myself going, and they keyed in on me, so I moved the ball and everybody got involved.'"
Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston - "Celtics coach Doc Rivers pointed to a season-high 25 turnovers as the key in allowing the Golden State Warriors to rally from an 18-point deficit for a 103-99 triumph at Oracle Arena. 'I told the guys [at halftime] that we had 58 points with 15 turnovers -- that's a miracle,' said Rivers. 'Typically, if you have 15 turnovers, you have maybe 35 points. The fact that we had 58 points with that many turnovers was amazing. But you can't have turnovers against them. They score too quick and too easy. Honestly, that was the difference in the game. 'We were up 18 in the first quarter -- that happens. Eighteen points doesn't mean much, they're an offensive team and we knew they'd get back in it. It was more the 25 turnovers that turned the game around.'"
Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald - "Instead of patiently pounding the ball into the paint against the undersized Warriors, the Celts were content to jack up 3-pointers. They went 5-for-19 from beyond the arc and got outscored in the lane, 44-36. The best sign for the Celts was Rondo, who was utterly undaunted by his two free throw failures against the Clippers. Rondo also tweaked a sore left hamstring in the first quarter. 'I thought he played terrific all night,' said Rivers. 'His hamstring is bothering him. We almost took him out at the end but he just wanted to keep playing, and he played great.'"
Tom Halzack, Celtics Central - "In a move never before seen in an NBA basketball game (by me), Doc Rivers stationed his two tallest players, Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins, in front of Watson, the player throwing the ball in. Garnett and Perkins went crazy jumping and waving their hands. When Watson was unable to get the ball in, the Warriors called time out and substituted the taller Vladimir Radmanovic as the player to throw the ball in. Perkins and KG again waved wildly, causing a huge distraction as Radmanovic was forced to throw a football pass leading Ellis to a spot in the back court. The scheme almost worked as Ellis started to fumble the ball a bit as he got to it. But he recovered and the Celtics were forced to foul him. Monte made both foul shots essentially ending the game."
Paul Flanner, WEEI - "We have been down this road many, many times before with Tony Allen. Throughout his star-crossed career, Allen has shown sporadic spasms of brilliance, mixed with head-scratching periods of inertia. So, it comes with no small parts of restraint to say that Allen’s return to the Celtics lineup has been nothing short of solid. Yes, Allen still mixes the sublime with the bizarre, but on the whole the good has far outweighed the bad. His latest comeback is even more intriguing because when the season started one would have been hard-pressed to imagine a scenario in which Allen would have even been given the chance to contribute, let alone excel."
Have a link I might want to look at? Send it my way by email (jayking@celticstown.com) or Twitter.
Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston - "'[Ellis] played great for them," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "He basically saved the game for them at the end of the game with that play. One misstep and Tony [Allen] would have had a layup. [Ellis] made a great adjustment to get to the ball and maintain control.' Ellis connected on 15 of 26 attempts, and added four assists. Celtics guard Ray Allen admitted there was little the Green could do to slow him. 'We started out putting one-and-a-half guys on him to start the game, which turned into two guys guarding him and that didn’t work,' said Allen. 'By that time it was too late. He basically had his way with us tonight.' Said Ellis of his big night: '[Scoring is] really just coming to me. I’m trying to get everybody involved -- got myself going, and they keyed in on me, so I moved the ball and everybody got involved.'"
Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston - "Celtics coach Doc Rivers pointed to a season-high 25 turnovers as the key in allowing the Golden State Warriors to rally from an 18-point deficit for a 103-99 triumph at Oracle Arena. 'I told the guys [at halftime] that we had 58 points with 15 turnovers -- that's a miracle,' said Rivers. 'Typically, if you have 15 turnovers, you have maybe 35 points. The fact that we had 58 points with that many turnovers was amazing. But you can't have turnovers against them. They score too quick and too easy. Honestly, that was the difference in the game. 'We were up 18 in the first quarter -- that happens. Eighteen points doesn't mean much, they're an offensive team and we knew they'd get back in it. It was more the 25 turnovers that turned the game around.'"
Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald - "Instead of patiently pounding the ball into the paint against the undersized Warriors, the Celts were content to jack up 3-pointers. They went 5-for-19 from beyond the arc and got outscored in the lane, 44-36. The best sign for the Celts was Rondo, who was utterly undaunted by his two free throw failures against the Clippers. Rondo also tweaked a sore left hamstring in the first quarter. 'I thought he played terrific all night,' said Rivers. 'His hamstring is bothering him. We almost took him out at the end but he just wanted to keep playing, and he played great.'"
Tom Halzack, Celtics Central - "In a move never before seen in an NBA basketball game (by me), Doc Rivers stationed his two tallest players, Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins, in front of Watson, the player throwing the ball in. Garnett and Perkins went crazy jumping and waving their hands. When Watson was unable to get the ball in, the Warriors called time out and substituted the taller Vladimir Radmanovic as the player to throw the ball in. Perkins and KG again waved wildly, causing a huge distraction as Radmanovic was forced to throw a football pass leading Ellis to a spot in the back court. The scheme almost worked as Ellis started to fumble the ball a bit as he got to it. But he recovered and the Celtics were forced to foul him. Monte made both foul shots essentially ending the game."
Paul Flanner, WEEI - "We have been down this road many, many times before with Tony Allen. Throughout his star-crossed career, Allen has shown sporadic spasms of brilliance, mixed with head-scratching periods of inertia. So, it comes with no small parts of restraint to say that Allen’s return to the Celtics lineup has been nothing short of solid. Yes, Allen still mixes the sublime with the bizarre, but on the whole the good has far outweighed the bad. His latest comeback is even more intriguing because when the season started one would have been hard-pressed to imagine a scenario in which Allen would have even been given the chance to contribute, let alone excel."
Have a link I might want to look at? Send it my way by email (jayking@celticstown.com) or Twitter.
The Morning Walkthrough: 'A whole potpourri of mistakes'
Monday, December 28, 2009
The Celtics have gotten rid of their morning walkthrough, but that doesn't mean we have to. Here are a few Celtics links, and maybe even an NBA link or two, to help wake you up and get you focused for the day.
Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald - "The 13-17 Clippers outscored the visitors 6-0 in the last two minutes, but C’s coach Doc Rivers reached back further than the free throw line for the reasons behind the defeat. 'The free throws didn’t bother me,' Rivers said after his team’s nine-game road winning streak was snapped. 'Obviously I’d have loved (Rondo) to make them, but that’s not why we lost this game. The free throws had nothing to do with that game. It was our composure and our execution and our focus. The (Eddie House) technical, leaving a guy behind the 3(-point line). I mean, we have a whole potpourri of mistakes that we made down the stretch, mental mistakes. Nothing that anyone did except for us. Like we talk about every night, the only opponent we have is ourselves, and tonight we beat ourselves. Even if we had won, we’d have felt bad about the game, honestly.'"
Gary Washburn, Boston Globe - "Ainge said he is pleased with the team’s 23-6 start, especially since it has yet to play with a fully healthy roster. 'I like our team,' he said. 'I like the attitude of our team and the work ethic of our team. I like the chemistry of our team and so I’m very pleased where we are. I think there’s a level our team hasn’t reached yet that we’re capable of reaching and I’ve seen signs of that along the way that are very encouraging and we haven’t had our team full strength. I still anticipate that we will be at full strength very shortly, meaning where everybody is playing their best, not just having people on the court - it’s having people back on the court playing their best basketball. I think that that is a real possibility for us. I see that possibility in the near future and I am hopeful for it.'"
Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald - A lot of teams missed the boat on Rajon Rondo in the 2006 draft, but the Clippers weren’t one of them. Unfortunately, they had traded their choice. The Suns took Rondo and dealt him to the Celtics that night. 'On draft day, we tried like heck to get a first-round pick to get up and get him,' said coach Mike Dunleavy, now also the general manager for Los Angeles. “We thought actually that Phoenix would take him because of the fit that he would make for their team. So we felt like we had to get up in front of 21. We tried like heck after 16 and down to try to get a pick to take him. Our guy really had him pegged right as far as how good he was. Obviously you knew he wasn’t a great outside shooter, but everything else he does is pretty terrific.'"
Lisa Dillman, LA Times - "'Coach, run this play for me. I'm gonna shoot and we're gonna win,' Davis said he told Coach Mike Dunleavy. And what a wildly improbable story and finish. The Clippers scored five points in the final 8.5 seconds to defeat the Celtics, 92-90, the winning shot being a fadeaway jumper by Davis at the buzzer. It stopped Boston's nine-game road winning streak, marking only the second Celtics loss on the road this season. This had echoes of the Clippers' upset of the Celtics last season at Staples Center, a two-point victory in February. 'You've got to prepare your mind for it when you're getting ready to take a shot,' Davis said. 'I didn't know what Coach was gonna draw. I made it known that I wanted to get the ball and if I got it with a second left, if I can get to my fadeway over [Rajon] Rondo, at least we'd be able to get a good look.'"
Associated Press - "Rondo scored 20 points in another impressive offensive game for the Celtics, but his free throw woes -- he's hovering near 53 percent for the season -- cost the Celtics dearly. After drawing a foul from Davis, his two misses were actually three, including another shot that was waved off in between the two that counted. 'I made it tough,' Rondo said. 'We just didn't execute down the stretch. I felt confidence shooting them. I wasn't antsy or nervous. I took my time and I kept my follow-through up. But the first one was just long, and the second one was long.' Davis then had a Jimmy Chitwood moment, although his "Hoosiers"-style declaration didn't surprise anybody in the Clippers' huddle. 'Baron said, 'Coach, draw it up and I will make this,'' coach Mike Dunleavy said. 'He told us to give him the ball, so we draw up a play and it paid off.'"
A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE - "But the Celtics made enough mistakes against the Clippers to where they should not have even had a chance to steal a victory, which is exactly what they would have done if Rondo would have made one or both of those free throws. 'We beat ourselves,' said Celtics forward Glen Davis. 'We gave the Clippers opportunities to make plays. We can look back at the game and pinpoint a lot of things we could have done. We look back at the game and look at the mistakes we did, it wasn't Celtics basketball. When we play Celtics basketball, it's hard to beat us. We didn't, and the Clippers closed the game.' Unlike some players who shy away from the media when they have a night like this, Rondo was the first Celtic to speak following the loss. 'We just didn't execute down the stretch,' he said."
Jessica Camerato, WEEI - "The reality is, these missed shots don't say too much about whether or not Rondo is a clutch player because he is not a great free throw shooter to begin with. Rondo had only made 37 free throws heading into the game and was shooting 53.6% on the season. That's just three more free throws made than Rasheed Wallace, who had taken 27 fewer attempts than Rondo. Even so, his inability to make free throws represents a vulnerability in his game that opponents will continue to attack until Rondo makes them pay for doing so. If Rondo can show the same ability to address his weakness from the stripe that he did with his jumper, then he will be able to give other teams pause before fouling him in pivotal moments. For now, however, as the rest of his game blossoms, Rondo's poor shooting from the foul line represents a potentially significant development that will be monitored by the Celtics and other teams."
Have a link I might want to look at? Send it my way by email (jayking@celticstown.com) or Twitter.
Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald - "The 13-17 Clippers outscored the visitors 6-0 in the last two minutes, but C’s coach Doc Rivers reached back further than the free throw line for the reasons behind the defeat. 'The free throws didn’t bother me,' Rivers said after his team’s nine-game road winning streak was snapped. 'Obviously I’d have loved (Rondo) to make them, but that’s not why we lost this game. The free throws had nothing to do with that game. It was our composure and our execution and our focus. The (Eddie House) technical, leaving a guy behind the 3(-point line). I mean, we have a whole potpourri of mistakes that we made down the stretch, mental mistakes. Nothing that anyone did except for us. Like we talk about every night, the only opponent we have is ourselves, and tonight we beat ourselves. Even if we had won, we’d have felt bad about the game, honestly.'"
Gary Washburn, Boston Globe - "Ainge said he is pleased with the team’s 23-6 start, especially since it has yet to play with a fully healthy roster. 'I like our team,' he said. 'I like the attitude of our team and the work ethic of our team. I like the chemistry of our team and so I’m very pleased where we are. I think there’s a level our team hasn’t reached yet that we’re capable of reaching and I’ve seen signs of that along the way that are very encouraging and we haven’t had our team full strength. I still anticipate that we will be at full strength very shortly, meaning where everybody is playing their best, not just having people on the court - it’s having people back on the court playing their best basketball. I think that that is a real possibility for us. I see that possibility in the near future and I am hopeful for it.'"
Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald - A lot of teams missed the boat on Rajon Rondo in the 2006 draft, but the Clippers weren’t one of them. Unfortunately, they had traded their choice. The Suns took Rondo and dealt him to the Celtics that night. 'On draft day, we tried like heck to get a first-round pick to get up and get him,' said coach Mike Dunleavy, now also the general manager for Los Angeles. “We thought actually that Phoenix would take him because of the fit that he would make for their team. So we felt like we had to get up in front of 21. We tried like heck after 16 and down to try to get a pick to take him. Our guy really had him pegged right as far as how good he was. Obviously you knew he wasn’t a great outside shooter, but everything else he does is pretty terrific.'"
Lisa Dillman, LA Times - "'Coach, run this play for me. I'm gonna shoot and we're gonna win,' Davis said he told Coach Mike Dunleavy. And what a wildly improbable story and finish. The Clippers scored five points in the final 8.5 seconds to defeat the Celtics, 92-90, the winning shot being a fadeaway jumper by Davis at the buzzer. It stopped Boston's nine-game road winning streak, marking only the second Celtics loss on the road this season. This had echoes of the Clippers' upset of the Celtics last season at Staples Center, a two-point victory in February. 'You've got to prepare your mind for it when you're getting ready to take a shot,' Davis said. 'I didn't know what Coach was gonna draw. I made it known that I wanted to get the ball and if I got it with a second left, if I can get to my fadeway over [Rajon] Rondo, at least we'd be able to get a good look.'"
Associated Press - "Rondo scored 20 points in another impressive offensive game for the Celtics, but his free throw woes -- he's hovering near 53 percent for the season -- cost the Celtics dearly. After drawing a foul from Davis, his two misses were actually three, including another shot that was waved off in between the two that counted. 'I made it tough,' Rondo said. 'We just didn't execute down the stretch. I felt confidence shooting them. I wasn't antsy or nervous. I took my time and I kept my follow-through up. But the first one was just long, and the second one was long.' Davis then had a Jimmy Chitwood moment, although his "Hoosiers"-style declaration didn't surprise anybody in the Clippers' huddle. 'Baron said, 'Coach, draw it up and I will make this,'' coach Mike Dunleavy said. 'He told us to give him the ball, so we draw up a play and it paid off.'"
A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE - "But the Celtics made enough mistakes against the Clippers to where they should not have even had a chance to steal a victory, which is exactly what they would have done if Rondo would have made one or both of those free throws. 'We beat ourselves,' said Celtics forward Glen Davis. 'We gave the Clippers opportunities to make plays. We can look back at the game and pinpoint a lot of things we could have done. We look back at the game and look at the mistakes we did, it wasn't Celtics basketball. When we play Celtics basketball, it's hard to beat us. We didn't, and the Clippers closed the game.' Unlike some players who shy away from the media when they have a night like this, Rondo was the first Celtic to speak following the loss. 'We just didn't execute down the stretch,' he said."
Jessica Camerato, WEEI - "The reality is, these missed shots don't say too much about whether or not Rondo is a clutch player because he is not a great free throw shooter to begin with. Rondo had only made 37 free throws heading into the game and was shooting 53.6% on the season. That's just three more free throws made than Rasheed Wallace, who had taken 27 fewer attempts than Rondo. Even so, his inability to make free throws represents a vulnerability in his game that opponents will continue to attack until Rondo makes them pay for doing so. If Rondo can show the same ability to address his weakness from the stripe that he did with his jumper, then he will be able to give other teams pause before fouling him in pivotal moments. For now, however, as the rest of his game blossoms, Rondo's poor shooting from the foul line represents a potentially significant development that will be monitored by the Celtics and other teams."
Have a link I might want to look at? Send it my way by email (jayking@celticstown.com) or Twitter.
The Morning Walkthrough: Losing Paul Pierce
Thursday, December 24, 2009
The Celtics have gotten rid of their morning walkthrough, but that doesn't mean we have to. Here are a few Celtics links, and maybe even an NBA link or two, to help wake you up and get you focused for the day.
Mark Murphy, Boston Herald - "To compensate for the loss, the Celtics recalled Bill Walker from the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Development League. When the second-year forward got the call, he was in the middle of a practice in Portland. He may now be part of the patching coach Doc Rivers will have to do to fill in the significant lineup gap left by Pierce. 'Positionally, this is going to fall on people like Billy, Tony (Allen), J.R. (Giddens) and Scal (Brian Scalabrine), but how else we make up for it I really don’t know,' Ainge said. 'We really like the progress (Walker’s) been making in Portland.'"
Joel Brigham, Hoops World - After watching 57 players get selected before him in June's draft, Hudson thought for a while that he might not get selected at all. 'I know I'm fortunate to be here because a lot of the other players were on big high school teams and AAU and had gotten that recognition,' Hudson explained. 'I didn't get that recognition until junior year in college. Before that, they didn't know nothing about me. I just played one year of high school, and then I went to junior college. The difference between me and them is that they've gotten the credit all their life. I haven't. That's why I'm just so very happy to be here.' Where many rookies expect to make the NBA their whole lives, Hudson has had to work for it, and his humble demeanor and grateful personality certainly shows the strength of his character. He's working as hard as anyone, and at 25 years old he's also got the maturity and life experience to know what this opportunity to means. 'He's one of the better rookies that I've had,' Ray Allen said, 'just from the standpoint of talent and the ability to want to get better.'"
Jeff Clark, CelticsBlog - "I'm sure Ainge will continue to monitor the trade market, but once again, he likely won't feel pressured into making any sort of deal that he wouldn't have made in the offseason. If a good deal presents itself, great. Otherwise, they'll go with what they've got. So what have they got left? Well, the most logical guy to step up into the starting lineup is Tony Allen. Pause for a moment and reflect on how insane that statement would have sounded 3 weeks ago. But give Tony credit. He's played solid defense, he's attacked the rim, and he's added needed hustle and athleticism to our bench. He's always played better when he was on the court for longer stretches, and he'll get that opportunity now. Perhaps being surrounded by the starters will limit the mistakes and miscues that he's become famous for."
Frank Dell'Apa. Boston Globe - "'That’s what you have to do - it’s a different preparation,' Wallace said. 'When you’re coming off the bench you’re looking more at the guys that they have coming off the bench. At first, I was more focused on [Tyler] Hansbrough and the guys they have, then I focused on [Roy] Hibbert and [Troy] Murphy and try and do what I can with them. That first half, I’m not going to lie, they were kicking our [butts]. They was beating us to loose balls, getting any shot they wanted, getting layups, fast-break points. They were able to pass it without no pressure, going to any spot on the floor. Doc [Rivers] came in here and chewed us out and we knew what we had to do - go out in the second half and apply pressure. We couldn’t give them easy passes and easy buckets.' Wallace’s technical foul count this season was reduced to nine after he successfully appealed one from a game at Miami Nov. 29. 'No, I’m not happy,' Wallace said of the favorable decision. 'Because there are still some more that, hopefully, they can look at. That was the only one we were talking about and that one got rescinded that fast because of the referee [Bennett Salvatore]. As for the outcome of the others, I know it won’t be no time soon because of the simple fact it’s on the backburner because of the [collective bargaining agreement] meetings and all that stuff. So I’m not worried about it, yet.'"
Brian Robb, CelticsHub - Brian Robb: 'Talk a little bit about Tony Allen. No one in Boston was expecting much out of the guy after an inconsistent past 2 seasons as he seemed to have lost his confidence. I had been a defender of TA up until last year when he forced me to jump off the wagon. This year however, he has been a nice sparkplug off the bench. What have you seen from Tony? Do you think he can keep this up on a consistent basis and still be an asset, even when Marquis Daniels returns from injury?' Mike Gorman: 'Doc has told me, and told Tony that if you defend, and don’t turn the ball over, you will get minutes. I think that’s where Tony is right now. He is the most aggressive defender on the floor when he is in the game. Even though he does find himself sometimes being the psuedo point guard here and there on the floor, he has played through those stretches well thus far, not turning the ball over and making good places. So to go back to your original question, I think it’s an embarrassment of riches for the C’s when Marquis comes back, but I think Marquis is going to take a little bit longer to come back than anyone is expecting. Tony is going to have a lot of time and Big Baby is going to have a lot of time to establish some minutes. Doc is just in a great situation since the team is so deep. There are going to be a lot of guys fighting for playing time.'
Paul Flannery, WEEI - "'[Rajon Rondo] just kills your whole gameplan because you don’t know where he’s going to be,' Murphy said. 'He’s all over the place. He’s taking chances. He just creates havoc out there. He’s tough.' Rondo leads the league in steals, which is part of taking chances and creating havoc, yet he’s doing it while playing 'more solid' as Doc Rivers has pointed out several times. There are no metrics for staying under control both offensively and defensively, but that’s what Rondo is doing this year, while still maintaining his creativity offensively and his gameplan destroying nature defensively. In other words, he’s putting it all together. People will start to notice soon off. Even the other players."
Have a link I might want to look at? Send it my way by email (jayking@celticstown.com) or Twitter.
Mark Murphy, Boston Herald - "To compensate for the loss, the Celtics recalled Bill Walker from the Maine Red Claws of the NBA Development League. When the second-year forward got the call, he was in the middle of a practice in Portland. He may now be part of the patching coach Doc Rivers will have to do to fill in the significant lineup gap left by Pierce. 'Positionally, this is going to fall on people like Billy, Tony (Allen), J.R. (Giddens) and Scal (Brian Scalabrine), but how else we make up for it I really don’t know,' Ainge said. 'We really like the progress (Walker’s) been making in Portland.'"
Joel Brigham, Hoops World - After watching 57 players get selected before him in June's draft, Hudson thought for a while that he might not get selected at all. 'I know I'm fortunate to be here because a lot of the other players were on big high school teams and AAU and had gotten that recognition,' Hudson explained. 'I didn't get that recognition until junior year in college. Before that, they didn't know nothing about me. I just played one year of high school, and then I went to junior college. The difference between me and them is that they've gotten the credit all their life. I haven't. That's why I'm just so very happy to be here.' Where many rookies expect to make the NBA their whole lives, Hudson has had to work for it, and his humble demeanor and grateful personality certainly shows the strength of his character. He's working as hard as anyone, and at 25 years old he's also got the maturity and life experience to know what this opportunity to means. 'He's one of the better rookies that I've had,' Ray Allen said, 'just from the standpoint of talent and the ability to want to get better.'"
Jeff Clark, CelticsBlog - "I'm sure Ainge will continue to monitor the trade market, but once again, he likely won't feel pressured into making any sort of deal that he wouldn't have made in the offseason. If a good deal presents itself, great. Otherwise, they'll go with what they've got. So what have they got left? Well, the most logical guy to step up into the starting lineup is Tony Allen. Pause for a moment and reflect on how insane that statement would have sounded 3 weeks ago. But give Tony credit. He's played solid defense, he's attacked the rim, and he's added needed hustle and athleticism to our bench. He's always played better when he was on the court for longer stretches, and he'll get that opportunity now. Perhaps being surrounded by the starters will limit the mistakes and miscues that he's become famous for."
Frank Dell'Apa. Boston Globe - "'That’s what you have to do - it’s a different preparation,' Wallace said. 'When you’re coming off the bench you’re looking more at the guys that they have coming off the bench. At first, I was more focused on [Tyler] Hansbrough and the guys they have, then I focused on [Roy] Hibbert and [Troy] Murphy and try and do what I can with them. That first half, I’m not going to lie, they were kicking our [butts]. They was beating us to loose balls, getting any shot they wanted, getting layups, fast-break points. They were able to pass it without no pressure, going to any spot on the floor. Doc [Rivers] came in here and chewed us out and we knew what we had to do - go out in the second half and apply pressure. We couldn’t give them easy passes and easy buckets.' Wallace’s technical foul count this season was reduced to nine after he successfully appealed one from a game at Miami Nov. 29. 'No, I’m not happy,' Wallace said of the favorable decision. 'Because there are still some more that, hopefully, they can look at. That was the only one we were talking about and that one got rescinded that fast because of the referee [Bennett Salvatore]. As for the outcome of the others, I know it won’t be no time soon because of the simple fact it’s on the backburner because of the [collective bargaining agreement] meetings and all that stuff. So I’m not worried about it, yet.'"
Brian Robb, CelticsHub - Brian Robb: 'Talk a little bit about Tony Allen. No one in Boston was expecting much out of the guy after an inconsistent past 2 seasons as he seemed to have lost his confidence. I had been a defender of TA up until last year when he forced me to jump off the wagon. This year however, he has been a nice sparkplug off the bench. What have you seen from Tony? Do you think he can keep this up on a consistent basis and still be an asset, even when Marquis Daniels returns from injury?' Mike Gorman: 'Doc has told me, and told Tony that if you defend, and don’t turn the ball over, you will get minutes. I think that’s where Tony is right now. He is the most aggressive defender on the floor when he is in the game. Even though he does find himself sometimes being the psuedo point guard here and there on the floor, he has played through those stretches well thus far, not turning the ball over and making good places. So to go back to your original question, I think it’s an embarrassment of riches for the C’s when Marquis comes back, but I think Marquis is going to take a little bit longer to come back than anyone is expecting. Tony is going to have a lot of time and Big Baby is going to have a lot of time to establish some minutes. Doc is just in a great situation since the team is so deep. There are going to be a lot of guys fighting for playing time.'
Paul Flannery, WEEI - "'[Rajon Rondo] just kills your whole gameplan because you don’t know where he’s going to be,' Murphy said. 'He’s all over the place. He’s taking chances. He just creates havoc out there. He’s tough.' Rondo leads the league in steals, which is part of taking chances and creating havoc, yet he’s doing it while playing 'more solid' as Doc Rivers has pointed out several times. There are no metrics for staying under control both offensively and defensively, but that’s what Rondo is doing this year, while still maintaining his creativity offensively and his gameplan destroying nature defensively. In other words, he’s putting it all together. People will start to notice soon off. Even the other players."
Have a link I might want to look at? Send it my way by email (jayking@celticstown.com) or Twitter.
The Morning (-ish) Walkthrough: I've been hit by a train
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Sorry the links are late today; I went to a Christmas party with an open bar and now I feel like I've been hit by Kermit Washington. Anyways, enjoy... I'm badly in need of a little more "strategic rest."
Bob Ryan, Boston Globe - "It was a shocking 57-42 mess at the half, and you couldn’t blame it all on KG’s absence. 'No, no, no, no, no,' Rivers insisted. 'We did that all to ourselves. All I told them at the half was that the defense was awful, the effort was awful. There was no defensive energy. It was just like last year [when Garnett was out]. We had the ability to score. We just couldn’t stop them.' The Pacers were knocking down shots with regularity, many of them open jumpers created in what the NBA likes to refer to as 'early offense' opportunities. The Celtics were lazy. They weren’t getting back on defense, even when they scored. It was that simple. 'It was a walk-it-up game for us, and they were running it down our throats,' Rivers pointed out."
Mark Murphy, Boston Herald - 'It’s just like last year,' Rivers said. 'It’s no different in some ways. When Kevin went out last year, we had the ability to score. We just couldn’t stop people from scoring. And I actually turned to (assistant coach Tom Thibodeau) in the first half and said, ‘Here we go,’ when they started scoring. He’s just such a verbal leader, and honestly, him and (Kendrick Perkins) have such a connection defensively where they cover up for each other and everyone else. And when you take him off the floor you disrupt that.' To be fair, the Celtics would have a difficult time, too, overcoming the loss of Pierce, Allen, Perkins or Rajon Rondo . But they looked particularly sloppy last night, shooting just 38 percent from the floor against a team missing its best player, Danny Granger. 'A lot changes,' Pierce said of a world without Garnett. 'You’re talking about a guy who we play our offense through and our leader on defense. I thought it took a second for us to adjust. What we said at halftime, we said we weren’t talking on defense and usually Kevin leads us in that category as far as talking and being in the spots, having everybody in their spots.'"
Jeff Clark, CelticsBlog - "Now all indications are that Garnett was just pulled from last night's game for "strategic rest." All indications are that the issue is a thigh bruise and not directly related to his knee. Everything sounds on the up and up. I'm 99.9% sure that is all there is to the story. However, there's that thin cloud of doubt that creeps in and will always creep in from now on. And the Celtics know it. There's a reason why Danny Ainge addressed the CSN crew last night instead of just Doc. They know they need to be very careful in how they handle situations like this from now on because they know we didn't appreciate them going "Belichickian" on us last year."
Zach Lowe, Celtics Hub - "Kevin: Not OK! Not OK!! Listen, I get the pro athlete’s code. You come to work, you do your best, you don’t complain about injuries unless they are so bad that you’re actively hurting the team by playing. There’s a machismo to it. We saw this in the tunnel in Utah last season after KG first suffered his injury. He wanted to play, and he was ready to do so despite the pain. But it was just too much. The time for machismo is over. KG is proven his toughness to everyone, dozens of times over. If you’re hurting, tell the freaking team."
Red's Army - "Doc called this one in the pregame. He knew the team was going to come out like it did. And as a coach, you can only do so much. What are you going to do... dig into your bag and find your best Knute Rockne speech for a late December game against the Pacers?"
Bob Ryan, Boston Globe - "It was a shocking 57-42 mess at the half, and you couldn’t blame it all on KG’s absence. 'No, no, no, no, no,' Rivers insisted. 'We did that all to ourselves. All I told them at the half was that the defense was awful, the effort was awful. There was no defensive energy. It was just like last year [when Garnett was out]. We had the ability to score. We just couldn’t stop them.' The Pacers were knocking down shots with regularity, many of them open jumpers created in what the NBA likes to refer to as 'early offense' opportunities. The Celtics were lazy. They weren’t getting back on defense, even when they scored. It was that simple. 'It was a walk-it-up game for us, and they were running it down our throats,' Rivers pointed out."
Mark Murphy, Boston Herald - 'It’s just like last year,' Rivers said. 'It’s no different in some ways. When Kevin went out last year, we had the ability to score. We just couldn’t stop people from scoring. And I actually turned to (assistant coach Tom Thibodeau) in the first half and said, ‘Here we go,’ when they started scoring. He’s just such a verbal leader, and honestly, him and (Kendrick Perkins) have such a connection defensively where they cover up for each other and everyone else. And when you take him off the floor you disrupt that.' To be fair, the Celtics would have a difficult time, too, overcoming the loss of Pierce, Allen, Perkins or Rajon Rondo . But they looked particularly sloppy last night, shooting just 38 percent from the floor against a team missing its best player, Danny Granger. 'A lot changes,' Pierce said of a world without Garnett. 'You’re talking about a guy who we play our offense through and our leader on defense. I thought it took a second for us to adjust. What we said at halftime, we said we weren’t talking on defense and usually Kevin leads us in that category as far as talking and being in the spots, having everybody in their spots.'"
Jeff Clark, CelticsBlog - "Now all indications are that Garnett was just pulled from last night's game for "strategic rest." All indications are that the issue is a thigh bruise and not directly related to his knee. Everything sounds on the up and up. I'm 99.9% sure that is all there is to the story. However, there's that thin cloud of doubt that creeps in and will always creep in from now on. And the Celtics know it. There's a reason why Danny Ainge addressed the CSN crew last night instead of just Doc. They know they need to be very careful in how they handle situations like this from now on because they know we didn't appreciate them going "Belichickian" on us last year."
Zach Lowe, Celtics Hub - "Kevin: Not OK! Not OK!! Listen, I get the pro athlete’s code. You come to work, you do your best, you don’t complain about injuries unless they are so bad that you’re actively hurting the team by playing. There’s a machismo to it. We saw this in the tunnel in Utah last season after KG first suffered his injury. He wanted to play, and he was ready to do so despite the pain. But it was just too much. The time for machismo is over. KG is proven his toughness to everyone, dozens of times over. If you’re hurting, tell the freaking team."
Red's Army - "Doc called this one in the pregame. He knew the team was going to come out like it did. And as a coach, you can only do so much. What are you going to do... dig into your bag and find your best Knute Rockne speech for a late December game against the Pacers?"
The Morning Walkthrough: Paul Pierce, more efficient basketball player and more efficient person
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
The Celtics have gotten rid of their morning walkthrough, but that doesn't mean we have to. Here are a few Celtics links, and maybe even an NBA link or two, to help wake you up and get you focused for the day.
Mark Murphy, Boston Herald - "'I agree with a lot of what [Doc Rivers] said {about playing with instincts],” Pierce said. “Just go out there and continue to play with my instincts. When I do that I’m a better player.' That’s the new Pierce. Rivers can’t recall the player he first met. 'Oh no, I don’t even know who that is,' Rivers said. 'The one here is amazing, an amazing player. He’s older, he’s more mature, he’s solid - just a solid player. His percentages, everything is better. He’s just a more efficient basketball player. And he’s a more efficient person. I just think you grow up. Early on, I think, he was trying to establish himself, and now he’s just trying to establish his legacy. That’s different. I thought he actually bought in going into the second year. In the middle of that second year it clicked. The problem was that he didn’t have a lot of help around him, and that made it a difficult sell. I remember him even saying, ‘This is good.’ But we needed to take the next step because his frustration level was very high,' Rivers continued. 'So when Kevin and Ray (Allen) came in, it made how he had changed really stand forward.'"
Mark Murphy, Boston Herald - "But six games into [Tony] Allen’s return from ankle surgery, Rivers rarely has felt better about the oft-injured guard’s focus. 'It’s really been every game minus the Chicago game,' Rivers said. 'He’s been terrific. He’s getting into the flow of the offense and taking what they give him, making simple plays, and I think this is his best stretch of simple defense - not the gamble defense - since I’ve had him. (He has) better focus now, accepts his role. He realizes he’s not going to be a 30-point-a-night scorer like every other young guy believes. He just has to stay in that spot. It happened to (Kendrick Perkins) when he was younger. You have a 25-point game and you think, You know what? I am an offensive player, even if those 25 points came off a great pick and roll or another pass.'"
Frank Dell'Apa, Boston Globe - "Tony Allen’s 24 1/2-minute stint against Minnesota was his longest since last season. He had 15 points and no turnovers in his most impressive performance since suffering a thumb injury Feb. 11. Allen missed 22 games because of the thumb injury, then underwent offseason ankle surgery. Allen said he is planning to play against Indiana tonight. 'I didn’t think it was going to take this long,' Allen said of his recovery. 'But I’ll fight through it, I ain’t looking back. [My confidence] was definitely affected last year. I would say, if you look before that injury, I was getting money, I was doing the things that I was supposed to be doing. I think I had 11 [points] against San Antonio, we lost that game, but I did some good things. The next day, in practice, I hurt my thumb and I was out 6-8 weeks. Just look at my track sheet, when I’m out there playing big minutes, I produce. When I’m injured it’s kind of hard for Doc to say I’m going to put this guy out there and he just missed 20-some games, his conditioning is not there, the injury is still lingering. I just have to show Doc I’m healthy and I’m a force out there.'"
A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE - "For a guy who has had a number of run-ins with the NBA and its rules, Rasheed Wallace is sure getting a lot of love from the league lately. After the NBA decided to impose no additional fines or suspension following his outburst ( and ejection) from Friday's loss to Philadelphia, CSNNE.com has learned that one of Wallace's technical fouls has been rescinded. The one in question came on Nov. 29 at Miami."
Zach Lowe, Celtics Hub - "Nate Robinson made a tremendous hustle play, sprinting the length of the court and pinning Rondo’s lay-in attempt on the glass. Nate turned toward the crowd, celebrating. A nice moment for Nate, only the ball was still in play right behind him. With Nate distracted, Marquis Daniels picked the ball up and laid it in. And that, to me, summed up Nate Robinson’s NBA career: Tons of talent, little understanding of what it means to be a successful NBA player on a successful NBA team. And so I reacted with a combination of anger and nausea when ESPN’s Chris Sheridan reported earlier today that Robinson, who has requested a trade and has veto power over any deal, would accept a trade to Boston. Of course, this doesn’t mean Boston would accept Nate Robinson. But they have the sort of cheap, expiring contracts (such as Tony Allen’s $2.5M expiring deal or the combination of J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker) that could work on the other side of a deal for Robinson. Were that anger and out-of-hand rejection really warranted? I decided to check the numbers and see. What I found surprised me a bit."
Jessica Camerato, WEEI - "Pierce grew up in California as a Lakers fan. No one, however, in purple and gold could top what he learned at home. '[It was] definitely mom. She was always there when I needed something. Not as an athlete but period. I get it from her… I definitely [carry part of her on the court]. Of course she [knows it]. I just got my never-quit attitude from her. My mom didn’t grow up in the best situations, raising three boys by herself, maintaining three jobs just to put food on the table. She didn’t look at adversity as something that would bring her down. She always tried to find a way.'"
Shawn McGrath, North Station Sports - "Ultimately, what matters here is that there’s a line between calling a guy for foul-worthy behavior and going looking for an excuse. [Referee Bill] Kennedy basically as much as said to ‘Sheed, 'go ahead, make my day,' and Wallace did. The prophecy is fulfilled, amor fati, and Rasheed’s Kenobi has now completed NBA Vader’s circle (or vice versa). In an ideal world, Kennedy would have looked the other way on Sheed’s second technical, as his actions (trash talking in the huddle) didn’t have an impact on the game. But in the same ideal world, Sheed wouldn’t have said anything worth Kennedy’s attention to begin with. As fans, we need to accept that Rasheed Wallace and the NBA officials are inextricably linked in an antagonistic relationship with no benefit to either party, and that’s not changing. We can only hope that the next time it costs the Celtics, it’s not enough to sway the momentum of a game, as it was Friday night."
Me, Celtics Town - "But Tony [Allen] is playing well. He's inspiring confidence and, for the first time in a long time, I don't mind it when he's in the game. Am I completely sold on him, yet? No, not at all. He's like the girlfriend who always cheats on you, then goes on her best behavior for a couple weeks. You really like the new her, but you can't trust that she's going to stay faithful to you... you just can't. Really, no matter how long she stays loyal, you'll never completely trust her. You'll always fear a relapse. So that's where I am with Tony Allen right now. I love his recent play and I can't believe the quality of his recent minutes, but I will always, always fear a relapse. My brain is telling me that Tony Allen is still Tony Allen, still likely to make a mistake at the worst possible time. But my heart? It's saying Tony might have finally turned the corner."
Have a link I might want to look at? Send it my way by email (jayking@celticstown.com) or Twitter.
Mark Murphy, Boston Herald - "'I agree with a lot of what [Doc Rivers] said {about playing with instincts],” Pierce said. “Just go out there and continue to play with my instincts. When I do that I’m a better player.' That’s the new Pierce. Rivers can’t recall the player he first met. 'Oh no, I don’t even know who that is,' Rivers said. 'The one here is amazing, an amazing player. He’s older, he’s more mature, he’s solid - just a solid player. His percentages, everything is better. He’s just a more efficient basketball player. And he’s a more efficient person. I just think you grow up. Early on, I think, he was trying to establish himself, and now he’s just trying to establish his legacy. That’s different. I thought he actually bought in going into the second year. In the middle of that second year it clicked. The problem was that he didn’t have a lot of help around him, and that made it a difficult sell. I remember him even saying, ‘This is good.’ But we needed to take the next step because his frustration level was very high,' Rivers continued. 'So when Kevin and Ray (Allen) came in, it made how he had changed really stand forward.'"
Mark Murphy, Boston Herald - "But six games into [Tony] Allen’s return from ankle surgery, Rivers rarely has felt better about the oft-injured guard’s focus. 'It’s really been every game minus the Chicago game,' Rivers said. 'He’s been terrific. He’s getting into the flow of the offense and taking what they give him, making simple plays, and I think this is his best stretch of simple defense - not the gamble defense - since I’ve had him. (He has) better focus now, accepts his role. He realizes he’s not going to be a 30-point-a-night scorer like every other young guy believes. He just has to stay in that spot. It happened to (Kendrick Perkins) when he was younger. You have a 25-point game and you think, You know what? I am an offensive player, even if those 25 points came off a great pick and roll or another pass.'"
Frank Dell'Apa, Boston Globe - "Tony Allen’s 24 1/2-minute stint against Minnesota was his longest since last season. He had 15 points and no turnovers in his most impressive performance since suffering a thumb injury Feb. 11. Allen missed 22 games because of the thumb injury, then underwent offseason ankle surgery. Allen said he is planning to play against Indiana tonight. 'I didn’t think it was going to take this long,' Allen said of his recovery. 'But I’ll fight through it, I ain’t looking back. [My confidence] was definitely affected last year. I would say, if you look before that injury, I was getting money, I was doing the things that I was supposed to be doing. I think I had 11 [points] against San Antonio, we lost that game, but I did some good things. The next day, in practice, I hurt my thumb and I was out 6-8 weeks. Just look at my track sheet, when I’m out there playing big minutes, I produce. When I’m injured it’s kind of hard for Doc to say I’m going to put this guy out there and he just missed 20-some games, his conditioning is not there, the injury is still lingering. I just have to show Doc I’m healthy and I’m a force out there.'"
A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE - "For a guy who has had a number of run-ins with the NBA and its rules, Rasheed Wallace is sure getting a lot of love from the league lately. After the NBA decided to impose no additional fines or suspension following his outburst ( and ejection) from Friday's loss to Philadelphia, CSNNE.com has learned that one of Wallace's technical fouls has been rescinded. The one in question came on Nov. 29 at Miami."
Zach Lowe, Celtics Hub - "Nate Robinson made a tremendous hustle play, sprinting the length of the court and pinning Rondo’s lay-in attempt on the glass. Nate turned toward the crowd, celebrating. A nice moment for Nate, only the ball was still in play right behind him. With Nate distracted, Marquis Daniels picked the ball up and laid it in. And that, to me, summed up Nate Robinson’s NBA career: Tons of talent, little understanding of what it means to be a successful NBA player on a successful NBA team. And so I reacted with a combination of anger and nausea when ESPN’s Chris Sheridan reported earlier today that Robinson, who has requested a trade and has veto power over any deal, would accept a trade to Boston. Of course, this doesn’t mean Boston would accept Nate Robinson. But they have the sort of cheap, expiring contracts (such as Tony Allen’s $2.5M expiring deal or the combination of J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker) that could work on the other side of a deal for Robinson. Were that anger and out-of-hand rejection really warranted? I decided to check the numbers and see. What I found surprised me a bit."
Jessica Camerato, WEEI - "Pierce grew up in California as a Lakers fan. No one, however, in purple and gold could top what he learned at home. '[It was] definitely mom. She was always there when I needed something. Not as an athlete but period. I get it from her… I definitely [carry part of her on the court]. Of course she [knows it]. I just got my never-quit attitude from her. My mom didn’t grow up in the best situations, raising three boys by herself, maintaining three jobs just to put food on the table. She didn’t look at adversity as something that would bring her down. She always tried to find a way.'"
Shawn McGrath, North Station Sports - "Ultimately, what matters here is that there’s a line between calling a guy for foul-worthy behavior and going looking for an excuse. [Referee Bill] Kennedy basically as much as said to ‘Sheed, 'go ahead, make my day,' and Wallace did. The prophecy is fulfilled, amor fati, and Rasheed’s Kenobi has now completed NBA Vader’s circle (or vice versa). In an ideal world, Kennedy would have looked the other way on Sheed’s second technical, as his actions (trash talking in the huddle) didn’t have an impact on the game. But in the same ideal world, Sheed wouldn’t have said anything worth Kennedy’s attention to begin with. As fans, we need to accept that Rasheed Wallace and the NBA officials are inextricably linked in an antagonistic relationship with no benefit to either party, and that’s not changing. We can only hope that the next time it costs the Celtics, it’s not enough to sway the momentum of a game, as it was Friday night."
Me, Celtics Town - "But Tony [Allen] is playing well. He's inspiring confidence and, for the first time in a long time, I don't mind it when he's in the game. Am I completely sold on him, yet? No, not at all. He's like the girlfriend who always cheats on you, then goes on her best behavior for a couple weeks. You really like the new her, but you can't trust that she's going to stay faithful to you... you just can't. Really, no matter how long she stays loyal, you'll never completely trust her. You'll always fear a relapse. So that's where I am with Tony Allen right now. I love his recent play and I can't believe the quality of his recent minutes, but I will always, always fear a relapse. My brain is telling me that Tony Allen is still Tony Allen, still likely to make a mistake at the worst possible time. But my heart? It's saying Tony might have finally turned the corner."
Have a link I might want to look at? Send it my way by email (jayking@celticstown.com) or Twitter.
The Morning Walkthrough: Kendrick Perkins is a thief... in a good way
Monday, December 21, 2009
The Celtics have gotten rid of their morning walkthrough, but that doesn't mean we have to. Here are a few Celtics links, and maybe even an NBA link or two, to help wake you up and get you focused for the day.
Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald - "Watching Perkins roll out an arsenal of moves far more lethal than what he had when Jefferson was around these parts, Jefferson might have been moved to ask, 'Who are you and what have you done with the Perk I knew?' But Al has been paying attention. 'We were just talking about that last night, how well he’s been playing and how his confidence has gone up on the offensive end,' Jefferson said. 'The way he keeps playing, I think he has a chance to make the All-Star Game. I actually do see him a lot because (the Celtics) always play on a day we don’t play and I watch them every chance I get. To me, he had a quiet night, compared to the games I have seen him play.' And some of the Celtic’s moves may seem a bit familiar. 'I stole a lot of stuff from him,' said Perkins, who made 7-of-10 shots while Jefferson was hitting 9-of-18. 'The pump fake I do? That’s from him.'"
Dan Duggan, Boston Herald - "'Actually I kind of surprised myself. I wanted to lay it up, but I saw him running so hard, so I just had to finish,' Allen said. 'I was pretty happy after that. It actually motivated me throughout the game.' It’s the type of play the Celtics have come to expect from Allen, who missed the first 20 games of the season while recovering from offseason surgery on his right ankle. 'Tony was phenomenal,' coach Doc Rivers said. 'He’s been terrific. He’s just doing the things we need him to do. This is the best stretch that we’ve had him, as far as with this group of guys, where he’s playing his role.'"
Frank Dell'Apa, Boston Globe - "Rajon Rondo had 13 points and 15 assists in the Celtics’ 122-104 victory over Minnesota last night. But Rondo was regretting one of those assists after being informed that Paul Pierce had a chance to break a team record for 3-pointers without a miss. 'I had no idea, I didn’t know he shot 6 for 6 until I saw him do an interview,' Rondo said. 'You know, I looked him off on one, too. The skip pass to Ray [Allen], Paul said he was open, too. He made sure he told me that right after.' Pierce became the first Celtic to convert six 3-pointers without a miss in a home game. He tied a team record for threes without a miss in any game established by Danny Ainge at Utah Jan. 4, 1988, and Walter McCarty at Toronto Nov. 2, 1999."
Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston - "'Well, first of all I didn’t think [House] was athletic enough to get to the ball," said Rivers. "So the fact that he got to the ball, I was shocked. And then he made a play once he got to the ball -- it was pretty spectacular. It was great. I was happy because it was a great defensive play.' Allen, who registered season-highs with 15 points (5-of-8 shooting) and 24 minutes, couldn't believe how the play unfolded, either. 'That was random -- a transition play, Eddie got a tip on the ball, defensively, chased it down to me and I was just running the lane for the fast break and we got the bucket,' explained Allen, who said he initially didn't intend to go for the jam. 'Actually, I kind of surprised myself. I wanted to lay it up and I saw [Brewer] running so hard, so I just finished, had to finish.'"
Frank Dell'Apa, Boston Globe - "'I told him he needs to get back to just playing on his instincts,’ coach Doc Rivers said of Pierce. 'I thought he was trying to get everybody involved, which you want him to do, too. But I think our three really instinctive players are Kevin [Garnett], [Rajon] Rondo, and Paul. You always have to remind them, just be an instinctive player, you have great instincts. Those three guys, you just want them to play. And their instincts do everything for them.’"
Jimmy Toscano, CelticsBlog - "'He's been huge man,' Pierce said of Allen, 'just his energy and what he's been able to bring especially with Marquis [Daniels] out because he's a guy who can come in and slash, score, and also what he's best known for is his defense. He comes in right away and he gets a steal and a fast break layup to start the game off when he gets in the game. Kendrick Perkins was matched up with his old friend Al Jefferson tonight. Perkins finished the night with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Jefferson recorded 20 points and 11 rebounds. 'Perk [Kendrick Perkins] is getting better and better every game,' said the Timberwolves' Al Jefferson. 'If he keeps playing the way he's playing, he's going to get a big contract. He's a great defensive player, always has been... Plus his offensive game is getting better.'"
Have a link I might want to look at? Send it my way by email (jayking@celticstown.com) or Twitter.
Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald - "Watching Perkins roll out an arsenal of moves far more lethal than what he had when Jefferson was around these parts, Jefferson might have been moved to ask, 'Who are you and what have you done with the Perk I knew?' But Al has been paying attention. 'We were just talking about that last night, how well he’s been playing and how his confidence has gone up on the offensive end,' Jefferson said. 'The way he keeps playing, I think he has a chance to make the All-Star Game. I actually do see him a lot because (the Celtics) always play on a day we don’t play and I watch them every chance I get. To me, he had a quiet night, compared to the games I have seen him play.' And some of the Celtic’s moves may seem a bit familiar. 'I stole a lot of stuff from him,' said Perkins, who made 7-of-10 shots while Jefferson was hitting 9-of-18. 'The pump fake I do? That’s from him.'"
Dan Duggan, Boston Herald - "'Actually I kind of surprised myself. I wanted to lay it up, but I saw him running so hard, so I just had to finish,' Allen said. 'I was pretty happy after that. It actually motivated me throughout the game.' It’s the type of play the Celtics have come to expect from Allen, who missed the first 20 games of the season while recovering from offseason surgery on his right ankle. 'Tony was phenomenal,' coach Doc Rivers said. 'He’s been terrific. He’s just doing the things we need him to do. This is the best stretch that we’ve had him, as far as with this group of guys, where he’s playing his role.'"
Frank Dell'Apa, Boston Globe - "Rajon Rondo had 13 points and 15 assists in the Celtics’ 122-104 victory over Minnesota last night. But Rondo was regretting one of those assists after being informed that Paul Pierce had a chance to break a team record for 3-pointers without a miss. 'I had no idea, I didn’t know he shot 6 for 6 until I saw him do an interview,' Rondo said. 'You know, I looked him off on one, too. The skip pass to Ray [Allen], Paul said he was open, too. He made sure he told me that right after.' Pierce became the first Celtic to convert six 3-pointers without a miss in a home game. He tied a team record for threes without a miss in any game established by Danny Ainge at Utah Jan. 4, 1988, and Walter McCarty at Toronto Nov. 2, 1999."
Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston - "'Well, first of all I didn’t think [House] was athletic enough to get to the ball," said Rivers. "So the fact that he got to the ball, I was shocked. And then he made a play once he got to the ball -- it was pretty spectacular. It was great. I was happy because it was a great defensive play.' Allen, who registered season-highs with 15 points (5-of-8 shooting) and 24 minutes, couldn't believe how the play unfolded, either. 'That was random -- a transition play, Eddie got a tip on the ball, defensively, chased it down to me and I was just running the lane for the fast break and we got the bucket,' explained Allen, who said he initially didn't intend to go for the jam. 'Actually, I kind of surprised myself. I wanted to lay it up and I saw [Brewer] running so hard, so I just finished, had to finish.'"
Frank Dell'Apa, Boston Globe - "'I told him he needs to get back to just playing on his instincts,’ coach Doc Rivers said of Pierce. 'I thought he was trying to get everybody involved, which you want him to do, too. But I think our three really instinctive players are Kevin [Garnett], [Rajon] Rondo, and Paul. You always have to remind them, just be an instinctive player, you have great instincts. Those three guys, you just want them to play. And their instincts do everything for them.’"
Jimmy Toscano, CelticsBlog - "'He's been huge man,' Pierce said of Allen, 'just his energy and what he's been able to bring especially with Marquis [Daniels] out because he's a guy who can come in and slash, score, and also what he's best known for is his defense. He comes in right away and he gets a steal and a fast break layup to start the game off when he gets in the game. Kendrick Perkins was matched up with his old friend Al Jefferson tonight. Perkins finished the night with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Jefferson recorded 20 points and 11 rebounds. 'Perk [Kendrick Perkins] is getting better and better every game,' said the Timberwolves' Al Jefferson. 'If he keeps playing the way he's playing, he's going to get a big contract. He's a great defensive player, always has been... Plus his offensive game is getting better.'"
Have a link I might want to look at? Send it my way by email (jayking@celticstown.com) or Twitter.
The Morning Walkthrough: Doc Rivers, Zen master?
Sunday, December 20, 2009
The Celtics have gotten rid of their morning walkthrough, but that doesn't mean we have to. Here are a few Celtics links, and maybe even an NBA link or two, to help wake you up and get you focused for the day.
Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald - "The Celts weren’t pleased all around in the wake of the loss to Philadelphia, but the bickering with the refs made it look even worse. 'He who angers you owns you,' proclaimed coach Doc Rivers after yesterday’s practice. 'I’m trying that. If you don’t get angry, you can keep functioning. He who angers you owns you. I actually texted that to a couple of guys last night. I’m just hoping that becomes our team’s mantra right now. Let’s breathe. Zen II. I was joking by saying it, and I got a funny reaction from it. But there is some truth to it, as well.' Addressing questionable calls, Rivers said, 'It’s not done on purpose, and we’ve just got to be able to play through it, and at times we don’t. We spent way too much time looking for the officials to bail us out instead of doing our jobs.'"
Frank Dell'Apa, Boston Globe - Wallace has a league-leading 10 technicals, six short of an automatic suspension. 'I think he’s has what - nine, 10?' Pierce said. 'And 16 you get suspended. So we’ll tell him to slow it down a little bit until the end of the season.' Pierce has been able to keep conflicts with officials in perspective. 'At this point in my career, you’ve got to understand it’s part of the game,' Pierce said. 'Referees aren’t perfect. They’re going to have good days, bad days, just like us as players. The thing is to just play mentally through it and not let it frustrate us. I think it is easier said than done. It takes a strong mind. I’ve been one that’s . . . never really got the benefit of a lot of calls, so I’m used to it. I’m numb to it.' After the game, coach Doc Rivers revived a team catchphrase, sending a text message to 'a couple guys,' though he would not confirm Wallace was one of them."
Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald - "In fact, Allen is hoping Woods’ transgressions will be the basis of some important conversations. 'It’s a great opportunity for parents or teachers or whoever to teach young people that, you know, even though Tiger’s made a lot of money and he’s arguably been the best golfer in history, he’s still human,' Allen said. 'He still makes mistakes. Striving for perfection is one thing, but along the way you’re going to stumble. Along the way you’re going to hit roadblocks, and when you do you just have to pick yourself up and go at it again.' As for Woods taking leave of his marriage vows, Allen said, 'People want to say that’s just athletes, but it’s men and women all over. There are men and women who are unfaithful. I mind my own business.'"
Greg Payne, CelticsBlog - "When Pierce or Antoine Walker got hot early on, their point totals were automatically embedded in our minds. The same can also be said for Kendrick Perkins, Al Jefferson and even (gulp) Mark Blount when they put together a colossal rebounding night (or in Blount's case, that ONE colossal rebounding night). I think in a way, with the majority of this decade's teams not achieving a whole bunch, stats were an outlet for us. If the Celtics lost but Pierce scored 40 or Perk grabbed 20 boards, we could at least brag about that. But now, ever since Rajon Rondo helped guide the Celtics to the championship two seasons ago, we've been able to add assists to the list of personal statistics that captivate us night in and night out."
Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston - "The Celtics watched film of their 98-97 loss to the Phialdelphia 76ers and coach Doc Rivers opined that the team, 'had so much slippage, offensively and defensively, it's amazing we were actually in the game.' The coaching staff pointed out all of those errors in a lengthy film session, then ran the players through a fairly strenuous 65-minute session that included a hefty amount of 5-on-5 work. 'You'd rather not get in the habit of practicing after a loss,' said Rivers. 'I don't think our guys like having these type of practices and film sessions.'"
Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald - "The Celts weren’t pleased all around in the wake of the loss to Philadelphia, but the bickering with the refs made it look even worse. 'He who angers you owns you,' proclaimed coach Doc Rivers after yesterday’s practice. 'I’m trying that. If you don’t get angry, you can keep functioning. He who angers you owns you. I actually texted that to a couple of guys last night. I’m just hoping that becomes our team’s mantra right now. Let’s breathe. Zen II. I was joking by saying it, and I got a funny reaction from it. But there is some truth to it, as well.' Addressing questionable calls, Rivers said, 'It’s not done on purpose, and we’ve just got to be able to play through it, and at times we don’t. We spent way too much time looking for the officials to bail us out instead of doing our jobs.'"
Frank Dell'Apa, Boston Globe - Wallace has a league-leading 10 technicals, six short of an automatic suspension. 'I think he’s has what - nine, 10?' Pierce said. 'And 16 you get suspended. So we’ll tell him to slow it down a little bit until the end of the season.' Pierce has been able to keep conflicts with officials in perspective. 'At this point in my career, you’ve got to understand it’s part of the game,' Pierce said. 'Referees aren’t perfect. They’re going to have good days, bad days, just like us as players. The thing is to just play mentally through it and not let it frustrate us. I think it is easier said than done. It takes a strong mind. I’ve been one that’s . . . never really got the benefit of a lot of calls, so I’m used to it. I’m numb to it.' After the game, coach Doc Rivers revived a team catchphrase, sending a text message to 'a couple guys,' though he would not confirm Wallace was one of them."
Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald - "In fact, Allen is hoping Woods’ transgressions will be the basis of some important conversations. 'It’s a great opportunity for parents or teachers or whoever to teach young people that, you know, even though Tiger’s made a lot of money and he’s arguably been the best golfer in history, he’s still human,' Allen said. 'He still makes mistakes. Striving for perfection is one thing, but along the way you’re going to stumble. Along the way you’re going to hit roadblocks, and when you do you just have to pick yourself up and go at it again.' As for Woods taking leave of his marriage vows, Allen said, 'People want to say that’s just athletes, but it’s men and women all over. There are men and women who are unfaithful. I mind my own business.'"
Greg Payne, CelticsBlog - "When Pierce or Antoine Walker got hot early on, their point totals were automatically embedded in our minds. The same can also be said for Kendrick Perkins, Al Jefferson and even (gulp) Mark Blount when they put together a colossal rebounding night (or in Blount's case, that ONE colossal rebounding night). I think in a way, with the majority of this decade's teams not achieving a whole bunch, stats were an outlet for us. If the Celtics lost but Pierce scored 40 or Perk grabbed 20 boards, we could at least brag about that. But now, ever since Rajon Rondo helped guide the Celtics to the championship two seasons ago, we've been able to add assists to the list of personal statistics that captivate us night in and night out."
Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston - "The Celtics watched film of their 98-97 loss to the Phialdelphia 76ers and coach Doc Rivers opined that the team, 'had so much slippage, offensively and defensively, it's amazing we were actually in the game.' The coaching staff pointed out all of those errors in a lengthy film session, then ran the players through a fairly strenuous 65-minute session that included a hefty amount of 5-on-5 work. 'You'd rather not get in the habit of practicing after a loss,' said Rivers. 'I don't think our guys like having these type of practices and film sessions.'"
The Morning Walkthrough: Swagger isn't always a good thing
Saturday, December 19, 2009
The Celtics have gotten rid of their morning walkthrough, but that doesn't mean we have to. Here are a few Celtics links, and maybe even an NBA link or two, to help wake you up and get you focused for the day.
Julian Benbow, Boston Globe - "The Celtics went up as many as 15 in the first half. Kendrick Perkins nearly had a double-double in the first quarter. Tony Allen seemed like he was everywhere at once. But once the lead got comfortable, so did the Celtics. 'You almost hate to go up [big],' said Ray Allen, “because your human nature has you settling and getting comfortable.' There’s a swagger that comes with a winning streak. And having done so and then come out and run up a large lead, Celtics coach Doc Rivers, said his team had a false sense of it. 'We played with this swagger - the losing swagger,' Rivers said. 'It’s one thing to have the winning swagger and you go out and you feel great about your team, and you go out and play. And then there’s another thing when you just show up and you think the other team’s going to lay over and fall because you’re the Celtics.'"
Ron Borges, Boston Herald - "To lose to the Sixers took maximum disinterest by the Celtics and a bit of a hostile whistle by the referees, although the latter were far from co-conspirators in the Celtics demise. When you blow a 15-point lead to a team that is 6-19, well, you’re doing it to yourself. Last night, the Celtics got what they deserved, which was coal in their Nikes a week before Christmas. 'We’re our own worst enemy,' growled a disgusted Paul Pierce before returning to the locker room and pasting up a 'No Media Loitering Here' sign around his locker. Too bad he didn’t have a 'No Sixers Loitering In the Paint' sign up when Elton Brand put back a miss by Marreese Speights a foot from the basket with 7.7 seconds to play for the game-winner, because no one in green and white did anything to prevent it."
Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston - "Elton Brand's putback with 7.7 seconds remaining lifted the 76ers to a stunning 98-97 triumph over the Celtics, ending Boston's 11-game winning streak Friday at the TD Garden. 'We were like, 'Aww, here we go again,'' said Brand, who came off the bench to score a game-high 23 points. 'We’ve been here in the Cleveland game, the Detroit game... Charlotte with two minutes left. You know we’re much better than our record indicates. We should have closed out some of these games. We closed out a game with a team winning 11 in a row, the best in the league, it bodes well for our confidence.' Echoed 76ers coach Eddie Jordan: 'We made some great plays down the end, big plays. And for a long time, we’ve lost these types of games. We just kept saying we couldn’t get a break and we came to the conclusion that we have to make our breaks. We said that before and we made some breaks tonight.'"
Mark Murphy, Boston Herald - "The Celtics might as well be spending their Friday night home games in their actual homes - out in the suburbs, next to a warm, drowsy fire. It’s a nice prescription for sleep, if not winning basketball. The Celtics, caught in this increasingly bizarre spell all season, fell to 2-4 in Friday home games with last night’s 98-97 loss to Philadelphia."
Frank Dell'Apa, Boston Globe - "Asked if he was disappointed in the ejection, Rivers replied: 'Yeah, I am. I’m disappointed when anybody gets thrown out of a game. You know, whether he’s right or wrong doesn’t matter - you’ve got to control yourself to stay in the game. But he didn’t. And I didn’t - I wasn’t going to try to stand there and talk him out of it. He’s a grown man. And, you know, at some point, it’s him - he understands his value to this team, and his teammates understand his value to the team, and I think, at some point, that’ll get to him. Listen, I can [talk to Wallace]. And I will a little bit. But, I’m not going to have a summit, I can tell you that. It’s too early. He’s been doing it a long time. He’s an expert at it. But we knew that when we got him, and I still love him. I think he’s great, he’s been great for our team, but he’s going to have some of these days.'"
Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston - "'I sliced it at the top, got the hand off and I was just trying to get some space to get a shot,' said Pierce. 'I thought I got a good look at the rim, it felt good coming off my hands, but sometimes the ball bounces off that way, you know? Tough one to swallow.' The Celtics, who led by 15 in the third quarter, know it shouldn't have come down to a final possession. 'I think our energy sucked all night,' said Celtics forward Kevin Garnett. 'I think we could have done a better job of having energy out there. Philly's a team that's going to scrap for 48 minutes and we didn't put them away when we were supposed to.'"
Julian Benbow, Boston Globe - "The Celtics went up as many as 15 in the first half. Kendrick Perkins nearly had a double-double in the first quarter. Tony Allen seemed like he was everywhere at once. But once the lead got comfortable, so did the Celtics. 'You almost hate to go up [big],' said Ray Allen, “because your human nature has you settling and getting comfortable.' There’s a swagger that comes with a winning streak. And having done so and then come out and run up a large lead, Celtics coach Doc Rivers, said his team had a false sense of it. 'We played with this swagger - the losing swagger,' Rivers said. 'It’s one thing to have the winning swagger and you go out and you feel great about your team, and you go out and play. And then there’s another thing when you just show up and you think the other team’s going to lay over and fall because you’re the Celtics.'"
Ron Borges, Boston Herald - "To lose to the Sixers took maximum disinterest by the Celtics and a bit of a hostile whistle by the referees, although the latter were far from co-conspirators in the Celtics demise. When you blow a 15-point lead to a team that is 6-19, well, you’re doing it to yourself. Last night, the Celtics got what they deserved, which was coal in their Nikes a week before Christmas. 'We’re our own worst enemy,' growled a disgusted Paul Pierce before returning to the locker room and pasting up a 'No Media Loitering Here' sign around his locker. Too bad he didn’t have a 'No Sixers Loitering In the Paint' sign up when Elton Brand put back a miss by Marreese Speights a foot from the basket with 7.7 seconds to play for the game-winner, because no one in green and white did anything to prevent it."
Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston - "Elton Brand's putback with 7.7 seconds remaining lifted the 76ers to a stunning 98-97 triumph over the Celtics, ending Boston's 11-game winning streak Friday at the TD Garden. 'We were like, 'Aww, here we go again,'' said Brand, who came off the bench to score a game-high 23 points. 'We’ve been here in the Cleveland game, the Detroit game... Charlotte with two minutes left. You know we’re much better than our record indicates. We should have closed out some of these games. We closed out a game with a team winning 11 in a row, the best in the league, it bodes well for our confidence.' Echoed 76ers coach Eddie Jordan: 'We made some great plays down the end, big plays. And for a long time, we’ve lost these types of games. We just kept saying we couldn’t get a break and we came to the conclusion that we have to make our breaks. We said that before and we made some breaks tonight.'"
Mark Murphy, Boston Herald - "The Celtics might as well be spending their Friday night home games in their actual homes - out in the suburbs, next to a warm, drowsy fire. It’s a nice prescription for sleep, if not winning basketball. The Celtics, caught in this increasingly bizarre spell all season, fell to 2-4 in Friday home games with last night’s 98-97 loss to Philadelphia."
Frank Dell'Apa, Boston Globe - "Asked if he was disappointed in the ejection, Rivers replied: 'Yeah, I am. I’m disappointed when anybody gets thrown out of a game. You know, whether he’s right or wrong doesn’t matter - you’ve got to control yourself to stay in the game. But he didn’t. And I didn’t - I wasn’t going to try to stand there and talk him out of it. He’s a grown man. And, you know, at some point, it’s him - he understands his value to this team, and his teammates understand his value to the team, and I think, at some point, that’ll get to him. Listen, I can [talk to Wallace]. And I will a little bit. But, I’m not going to have a summit, I can tell you that. It’s too early. He’s been doing it a long time. He’s an expert at it. But we knew that when we got him, and I still love him. I think he’s great, he’s been great for our team, but he’s going to have some of these days.'"
Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston - "'I sliced it at the top, got the hand off and I was just trying to get some space to get a shot,' said Pierce. 'I thought I got a good look at the rim, it felt good coming off my hands, but sometimes the ball bounces off that way, you know? Tough one to swallow.' The Celtics, who led by 15 in the third quarter, know it shouldn't have come down to a final possession. 'I think our energy sucked all night,' said Celtics forward Kevin Garnett. 'I think we could have done a better job of having energy out there. Philly's a team that's going to scrap for 48 minutes and we didn't put them away when we were supposed to.'"
The Morning Walkthrough: Steve Bulpett revisits 72 wins
Thursday, December 17, 2009
The Celtics have gotten rid of their morning walkthrough, but that doesn't mean we have to. Here are a few Celtics links, and maybe even an NBA link or two, to help wake you up and get you focused for the day.
Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald - Good fortune and good health seemingly are required for a run at 72. 'Pretty much everything has to go right,' Kerr said. 'You can’t have injuries. You have to fight through the doldrums, the dog days. You have to get lucky in a few games. You have to have somebody take over games. We probably had seven or eight games that year where Michael just said, ‘We’re not going to lose.’ 'If the Celtics are going to do it, it’s got to be Pierce or Allen or whoever, but somebody just has to lift them up on their shoulders now and then.'"
Frank Dell'Apa, Boston Globe - "This season has marked the emergence of the two youngest Celtics starters, Kendrick Perkins and Rajon Rondo, according to president of basketball operations Danny Ainge. 'The young guys are kind of catching up to the stars on our team,’ Ainge said yesterday. 'They are contributing on a lot more equal basis.' Heading into last night’s games, Perkins (.649) was leading the league and Rondo (.535) was 16th in field goal percentage as the Celtics (20-4) became the first team to reach 20 wins."
Zach Lowe, Celtics Hub - "For a while I was beginning to get worried. Last season, the Celtics offense played remarkably well in the 22 games KG missed due to his knee injury. The C’s scored more than 114 points per 100 possessions in those games, up from about 110 points/100 possessions with KG in the line-up. That is the difference between a once-in-a-decade offense and a top-three or top-five offense in any given season. It’s a big difference. I theorized last June that the trend had to be a weird statistical blip; there’s no way the C’s offense could perform better without Kevin freaking Garnett, right? The C’s scored morein those 22 games primarily because they hit 43.2 percent of their threes without KG, an unsustainable number and significantly better than the (already awesome) 39 percent they hit the rest of the season."
Steve Aschburner, NBA.com - "While the team's Big Three of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen have gotten, and will continue to get, most of the attention, Rondo has asserted himself into opponents' game-planning more than ever. If the Celtics aren't thought of yet as the Big Four, they at least know that Rondo is right there, next in line. He's way more Ringo Starr than Billy Preston. 'Me? That's really kind of irrelevant right now," Rondo said. "It is what it is. I'm happy with my situation. They can get all the accolades and awards. I just want a ring. Bottom line. That's going to make my summer go a lot easier.'"
Brian Robb, Celtics Hub - "You hear all the time about Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins getting all kinds of defensive accolades. Deservedly so, I might add. However, by one statistical measurement (Defensive Rating) the best defender on the Celtics is none other than……Rasheed Wallace? Sheed actually ranks 2nd in the NBA with 95.9 defensive rating just behind Gerald Wallace of the Bobcats who is rebounding at an astronomical rate. Now, it’s clear that this best defender label does not pass the eye test with Wallace, but it does bring to the forefront how Wallace’s defensive contributions have been going under the radar."
Loscy - "At the very least, anyone could have made the argument that Perk is a co-anchor of our defense: Perk holds down the paint so that KG can make those quicker switches. But the surprise to many of us this season is that Perk has all of the sudden turned into an offensive threat with the addition of so many of his post moves and ability to front defenders with the ball. Now, Perk is not only our defensive stalwart, but turning into a light (dieted version of an) offensive weapon as well. It only makes sense for Perk to be on the floor when it matters. We hired Sheed to be a bench guy that could fill in the front court in case of an injury; we did not bring Sheed on to close out our games. This is Perk’s job… to perform with Rondo, Ray Ray, Pierce, and KG."
Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald - Good fortune and good health seemingly are required for a run at 72. 'Pretty much everything has to go right,' Kerr said. 'You can’t have injuries. You have to fight through the doldrums, the dog days. You have to get lucky in a few games. You have to have somebody take over games. We probably had seven or eight games that year where Michael just said, ‘We’re not going to lose.’ 'If the Celtics are going to do it, it’s got to be Pierce or Allen or whoever, but somebody just has to lift them up on their shoulders now and then.'"
Frank Dell'Apa, Boston Globe - "This season has marked the emergence of the two youngest Celtics starters, Kendrick Perkins and Rajon Rondo, according to president of basketball operations Danny Ainge. 'The young guys are kind of catching up to the stars on our team,’ Ainge said yesterday. 'They are contributing on a lot more equal basis.' Heading into last night’s games, Perkins (.649) was leading the league and Rondo (.535) was 16th in field goal percentage as the Celtics (20-4) became the first team to reach 20 wins."
Zach Lowe, Celtics Hub - "For a while I was beginning to get worried. Last season, the Celtics offense played remarkably well in the 22 games KG missed due to his knee injury. The C’s scored more than 114 points per 100 possessions in those games, up from about 110 points/100 possessions with KG in the line-up. That is the difference between a once-in-a-decade offense and a top-three or top-five offense in any given season. It’s a big difference. I theorized last June that the trend had to be a weird statistical blip; there’s no way the C’s offense could perform better without Kevin freaking Garnett, right? The C’s scored morein those 22 games primarily because they hit 43.2 percent of their threes without KG, an unsustainable number and significantly better than the (already awesome) 39 percent they hit the rest of the season."
Steve Aschburner, NBA.com - "While the team's Big Three of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen have gotten, and will continue to get, most of the attention, Rondo has asserted himself into opponents' game-planning more than ever. If the Celtics aren't thought of yet as the Big Four, they at least know that Rondo is right there, next in line. He's way more Ringo Starr than Billy Preston. 'Me? That's really kind of irrelevant right now," Rondo said. "It is what it is. I'm happy with my situation. They can get all the accolades and awards. I just want a ring. Bottom line. That's going to make my summer go a lot easier.'"
Brian Robb, Celtics Hub - "You hear all the time about Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins getting all kinds of defensive accolades. Deservedly so, I might add. However, by one statistical measurement (Defensive Rating) the best defender on the Celtics is none other than……Rasheed Wallace? Sheed actually ranks 2nd in the NBA with 95.9 defensive rating just behind Gerald Wallace of the Bobcats who is rebounding at an astronomical rate. Now, it’s clear that this best defender label does not pass the eye test with Wallace, but it does bring to the forefront how Wallace’s defensive contributions have been going under the radar."
Loscy - "At the very least, anyone could have made the argument that Perk is a co-anchor of our defense: Perk holds down the paint so that KG can make those quicker switches. But the surprise to many of us this season is that Perk has all of the sudden turned into an offensive threat with the addition of so many of his post moves and ability to front defenders with the ball. Now, Perk is not only our defensive stalwart, but turning into a light (dieted version of an) offensive weapon as well. It only makes sense for Perk to be on the floor when it matters. We hired Sheed to be a bench guy that could fill in the front court in case of an injury; we did not bring Sheed on to close out our games. This is Perk’s job… to perform with Rondo, Ray Ray, Pierce, and KG."
The Morning Walkthrough: What if the Celtics missed 220 straight shots?
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
The Celtics have gotten rid of their morning walkthrough, but that doesn't mean we have to. Here are a few Celtics links, and maybe even an NBA link or two, to help wake you up and get you focused for the day.
Jack Jemsek, Celtics Stuff Live - "It is true - the Celtics are shooting so damn well that the Field Goal % differential is a whopping 5.3% and leading the NBA no less. Consider this – the Celtics could shoot 220 shots and miss them all, while maintaining their defensive rating, and still be leading the league in field goal % differential."
Frank Dell'Apa, Boston Globe -"'When we try to outjump teams, if they’re pushing us under the basket, they’ve got a great chance of getting the ball,' said Ray Allen, whose late 3-pointer clinched the victory. 'We just started carving our space. And the guards, we’ve got to do a better job of getting rebounds.'
Jeff Clark, CelticsBlog - "And all this coming after the offseason that Rondo had is all the more impressive. Between trade rumors, questions about his character, and uncertainty about his contract, he must have been pretty distracted. Yet he remained focused. Maybe all that even sharpened his focus. He seems to have a "I'll show you" mentality that fuels him better than Red Bull ever will. So by all means, let the critics keep the criticisms coming. Harp on his outside shot. Question his attitude. Do your best to tear him down. As for me, I'll sit back and watch him tear you apart. Little by little. Game by game. Assist by assist. Steal by steal. Win by win. Rondo will be an All Star this year and a star for years to come because he's learned how to be consistent."
Greg Payne, CelticsBlog - "Throughout this revitalizing 11-game win streak, the C's have secured some steep performances from a variety of players not belonging to the very exclusive "Big Three" club. Sure, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen have been tremendous over this stretch, but so has Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins, and now, joining that list over the past two games, is Rasheed Wallace, whose play in the paint has opened my eyes and introduced a whole new weapon for this Celtics team to utilize."
Zach Lowe, Celtics Hub - "For now, TA is going to play double-figure minutes for this team while Marquis Daniels is hurt. His success would help the second unit, reduce the burden on Ray Allen and Paul Pierce and give the C’s a player who could diversify their offensive arsenal by getting to the foul line. It would also be a nice coda to a career until now defined by bizarre injuries, shady off the court connections, sloppy dribbling and maddening brain cramps. It was in this spirit that I introduced the Official Tony Allen Dos and Donts List after Monday night’s game. Right now, it only has six items."
Me, Celtics Town - "While most players bring their 'A' game on certain nights and are sure to bring a full effort for big games, Garnett has been bringing maniacal effort every game, every practice for 15 years. Some players treat the playoffs like college finals, but Garnett acts like he's got a final every time he laces up his shoes. He's like that one overachieving girl (I don't know why, but it's always a girl) who is really smart, but still gets straight A's mostly because of her work ethic. She puts more work in during her homework than a normal person ever would even for a test, writes pages and pages of notes during lectures, and pisses everyone off because she's so over-the-top about her desire to be the best student. Sound familiar? Maybe like a 6'11" power forward who headbutts the basket support before every single game, even exhibition games? Who, at one of his very first practices with the Celtics, screamed at captain and long-time Celtics leader Paul Pierce for dogging it during suicides?"
Jack Jemsek, Celtics Stuff Live - "It is true - the Celtics are shooting so damn well that the Field Goal % differential is a whopping 5.3% and leading the NBA no less. Consider this – the Celtics could shoot 220 shots and miss them all, while maintaining their defensive rating, and still be leading the league in field goal % differential."
Frank Dell'Apa, Boston Globe -"'When we try to outjump teams, if they’re pushing us under the basket, they’ve got a great chance of getting the ball,' said Ray Allen, whose late 3-pointer clinched the victory. 'We just started carving our space. And the guards, we’ve got to do a better job of getting rebounds.'
The Celtics lead the league in field goal percentage, their offense based on tactical efficiency. But the second unit is expected to reenergize things, and that is what it did against the Grizzlies."
Jeff Clark, CelticsBlog - "And all this coming after the offseason that Rondo had is all the more impressive. Between trade rumors, questions about his character, and uncertainty about his contract, he must have been pretty distracted. Yet he remained focused. Maybe all that even sharpened his focus. He seems to have a "I'll show you" mentality that fuels him better than Red Bull ever will. So by all means, let the critics keep the criticisms coming. Harp on his outside shot. Question his attitude. Do your best to tear him down. As for me, I'll sit back and watch him tear you apart. Little by little. Game by game. Assist by assist. Steal by steal. Win by win. Rondo will be an All Star this year and a star for years to come because he's learned how to be consistent."
Greg Payne, CelticsBlog - "Throughout this revitalizing 11-game win streak, the C's have secured some steep performances from a variety of players not belonging to the very exclusive "Big Three" club. Sure, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen have been tremendous over this stretch, but so has Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins, and now, joining that list over the past two games, is Rasheed Wallace, whose play in the paint has opened my eyes and introduced a whole new weapon for this Celtics team to utilize."
Zach Lowe, Celtics Hub - "For now, TA is going to play double-figure minutes for this team while Marquis Daniels is hurt. His success would help the second unit, reduce the burden on Ray Allen and Paul Pierce and give the C’s a player who could diversify their offensive arsenal by getting to the foul line. It would also be a nice coda to a career until now defined by bizarre injuries, shady off the court connections, sloppy dribbling and maddening brain cramps. It was in this spirit that I introduced the Official Tony Allen Dos and Donts List after Monday night’s game. Right now, it only has six items."
Me, Celtics Town - "While most players bring their 'A' game on certain nights and are sure to bring a full effort for big games, Garnett has been bringing maniacal effort every game, every practice for 15 years. Some players treat the playoffs like college finals, but Garnett acts like he's got a final every time he laces up his shoes. He's like that one overachieving girl (I don't know why, but it's always a girl) who is really smart, but still gets straight A's mostly because of her work ethic. She puts more work in during her homework than a normal person ever would even for a test, writes pages and pages of notes during lectures, and pisses everyone off because she's so over-the-top about her desire to be the best student. Sound familiar? Maybe like a 6'11" power forward who headbutts the basket support before every single game, even exhibition games? Who, at one of his very first practices with the Celtics, screamed at captain and long-time Celtics leader Paul Pierce for dogging it during suicides?"
The Morning Walkthrough: Ray's a devil to Grizzlies
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
The Celtics have gotten rid of their morning walkthrough, but that doesn't mean we have to. Here are a few Celtics links, and maybe even an NBA link or two, to help wake you up and get you focused for the day.
Frank Dell'Apa, Boston Globe - "Then, Pierce drove again as Garnett screened Gay. As the Grizzlies committed to Pierce, he attempted to pass back to Garnett. Instead, the ball ended up with Allen. 'We improvised a little bit,' Allen said. 'Kevin was wide open. Paul was trying to probe and see how much they wanted to help. Rudy’s long and tall, and he got his hands on the ball. I was just trying to keep my feet active. I ended up just following the ball and the ball fell in my hands. I looked down at the other end and I saw it was like four seconds and I looked up and it was like ‘3.’ And I said this has got to go up.'"
Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston - "Rondo's jumper with 2:47 remaining put Boston out front 103-95, but Memphis quickly made it a one-possession game, striking for three buckets in little more than a minute.
That's when the Big Three took over. Pierce and Garnett ran a familiar pick-and-pop, leading to a 21-foot jumper by Garnett with 1:20 to play. Marc Gasol answered with a pair of free throws when Perkins fouled out, but Pierce made a driving layup on the Celtics' next possession to push the lead back to four. O.J. Mayo hit a long jumper to make it 107-105 with 42 ticks left, setting up Allen's heroics. Pierce and Garnett tried to run the same play at the top of the key, but Rudy Gay deflected the pass. Allen scrambled to get the loose ball, then pulled up from well beyond the 3-point arc and drilled a straightaway bomb for the final spread."
Ronald Tillery, Memphis Commercial Appeal - "Allen’s basket — one of 10 for the Celtics from beyond the arc — came as the shot clock expired and accounted for the final score. The basket also fell good after it appeared the Griz would earn a much-needed stop. Griz leading scorer Rudy Gay disrupted the Celtics’ pick-and-roll when he tapped away Paul Pierce’s pass intended for Kevin Garnett. Instead of the Griz coming away with a stop, the basketball fell to Allen for the dagger. 'We played outstanding basketball, and they just beat us,' Hollins said. 'Sometimes that happens. When you play well, you can live with getting beat.'"
Me, Celtics Town - "Early in the second quarter, Tommy Heinsohn said, 'They... their defense is porous, man.' He was talking about the Grizzlies of course, but he could have been talking about either team on this night. The C's couldn't get stops, and it wasn't that Memphis was playing good team basketball. They were simply making one-on-one forays to the hoop. I can't really describe how Memphis played, besides saying it was 'selfishly unselfish.' It wasn't like any member of the Grizzlies took a ton of shots. Their four top scorers (Rudy Gay, Mayo, Mike Conley, and Marc Gasol) all took between 12 and 17 shots. If you were to look at the boxscore, you'd probably think they played great team basketball, and shared it nicely. But it wasn't that; It was more like the Grizzlies took turns being selfish. One play, they'd clear it out and let Mayo go to work. The next, it was Gay's turn. Then Randolph's, and on and on. There wasn't a lot of ball movement, and the Grizz only had 5 assists in the final three quarters, but their offense was nonetheless effective."
Zach Lowe, Celtics Hub - "But Rudy Gay got a hand on the ball, knocking it into no-man’s land behind the three-point line. And there was Ray, fresh off sitting nearly 7:00 on the bench in the 4th, in the right position to retrieve the ball, take two dribbles and launch a three from the top of the key—while falling to his left as the shot clock expired. Swish. Game over. Big plays. All night. On both ends, whenever the Grizzlies threatened. That was the theme of the night. (That and the continued development of Rajon Rondo, which makes me giddier than anything has as a sports fan since maybe sometime in the fall of 2004). The Grizzlies were good and the C’s were a step behind their usual brilliance on D, but they still found a way to win—without overplaying the starters."
Matthew Noe, 3 Shades of Blue - "In the grand scheme of things, one shouldn't be all that surprised by the outcome of this game-the Celtics are, after all, infinitely more experienced with games going down to the wire than are the young Grizzlies. But as the esteemed Eric Hasseltine said immediately after the game on the radio broadcast, if you're a Grizzlies fan and you're not proud of the way the team played tonight, you need to check your pulse and look in the mirror. Well said, Eric, well said. I can dig that. There were a zillion reasons why everyone in the FedEx Forum got their money's worth tonight....but I would have gotten just a bit more value out of the deal if the Griz could have pulled this one out..."
Straight Outta Vancouver - "And while they might not be rising quite as fast as a couple weeks ago, the Memphis Grizzlies are showing a hell of a lot more resilience than anyone expected from this team. This recent run has seen the Grizzlies playing the Mavericks, Cavaliers, Thunder, Heat, and Celtics. That's quite the spread right there. I don't want to take anything away from the Celtics, because that's not my point. It takes an enormous change in team culture for the Memphis Grizzlies that most people remember as the Memphis Grizzlies to come out on the second night of a traveling back-to-back and play a full-strength, reloaded championship squad down to the wire."
Frank Dell'Apa, Boston Globe - "Then, Pierce drove again as Garnett screened Gay. As the Grizzlies committed to Pierce, he attempted to pass back to Garnett. Instead, the ball ended up with Allen. 'We improvised a little bit,' Allen said. 'Kevin was wide open. Paul was trying to probe and see how much they wanted to help. Rudy’s long and tall, and he got his hands on the ball. I was just trying to keep my feet active. I ended up just following the ball and the ball fell in my hands. I looked down at the other end and I saw it was like four seconds and I looked up and it was like ‘3.’ And I said this has got to go up.'"
Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston - "Rondo's jumper with 2:47 remaining put Boston out front 103-95, but Memphis quickly made it a one-possession game, striking for three buckets in little more than a minute.
That's when the Big Three took over. Pierce and Garnett ran a familiar pick-and-pop, leading to a 21-foot jumper by Garnett with 1:20 to play. Marc Gasol answered with a pair of free throws when Perkins fouled out, but Pierce made a driving layup on the Celtics' next possession to push the lead back to four. O.J. Mayo hit a long jumper to make it 107-105 with 42 ticks left, setting up Allen's heroics. Pierce and Garnett tried to run the same play at the top of the key, but Rudy Gay deflected the pass. Allen scrambled to get the loose ball, then pulled up from well beyond the 3-point arc and drilled a straightaway bomb for the final spread."
Ronald Tillery, Memphis Commercial Appeal - "Allen’s basket — one of 10 for the Celtics from beyond the arc — came as the shot clock expired and accounted for the final score. The basket also fell good after it appeared the Griz would earn a much-needed stop. Griz leading scorer Rudy Gay disrupted the Celtics’ pick-and-roll when he tapped away Paul Pierce’s pass intended for Kevin Garnett. Instead of the Griz coming away with a stop, the basketball fell to Allen for the dagger. 'We played outstanding basketball, and they just beat us,' Hollins said. 'Sometimes that happens. When you play well, you can live with getting beat.'"
Me, Celtics Town - "Early in the second quarter, Tommy Heinsohn said, 'They... their defense is porous, man.' He was talking about the Grizzlies of course, but he could have been talking about either team on this night. The C's couldn't get stops, and it wasn't that Memphis was playing good team basketball. They were simply making one-on-one forays to the hoop. I can't really describe how Memphis played, besides saying it was 'selfishly unselfish.' It wasn't like any member of the Grizzlies took a ton of shots. Their four top scorers (Rudy Gay, Mayo, Mike Conley, and Marc Gasol) all took between 12 and 17 shots. If you were to look at the boxscore, you'd probably think they played great team basketball, and shared it nicely. But it wasn't that; It was more like the Grizzlies took turns being selfish. One play, they'd clear it out and let Mayo go to work. The next, it was Gay's turn. Then Randolph's, and on and on. There wasn't a lot of ball movement, and the Grizz only had 5 assists in the final three quarters, but their offense was nonetheless effective."
Zach Lowe, Celtics Hub - "But Rudy Gay got a hand on the ball, knocking it into no-man’s land behind the three-point line. And there was Ray, fresh off sitting nearly 7:00 on the bench in the 4th, in the right position to retrieve the ball, take two dribbles and launch a three from the top of the key—while falling to his left as the shot clock expired. Swish. Game over. Big plays. All night. On both ends, whenever the Grizzlies threatened. That was the theme of the night. (That and the continued development of Rajon Rondo, which makes me giddier than anything has as a sports fan since maybe sometime in the fall of 2004). The Grizzlies were good and the C’s were a step behind their usual brilliance on D, but they still found a way to win—without overplaying the starters."
Matthew Noe, 3 Shades of Blue - "In the grand scheme of things, one shouldn't be all that surprised by the outcome of this game-the Celtics are, after all, infinitely more experienced with games going down to the wire than are the young Grizzlies. But as the esteemed Eric Hasseltine said immediately after the game on the radio broadcast, if you're a Grizzlies fan and you're not proud of the way the team played tonight, you need to check your pulse and look in the mirror. Well said, Eric, well said. I can dig that. There were a zillion reasons why everyone in the FedEx Forum got their money's worth tonight....but I would have gotten just a bit more value out of the deal if the Griz could have pulled this one out..."
Straight Outta Vancouver - "And while they might not be rising quite as fast as a couple weeks ago, the Memphis Grizzlies are showing a hell of a lot more resilience than anyone expected from this team. This recent run has seen the Grizzlies playing the Mavericks, Cavaliers, Thunder, Heat, and Celtics. That's quite the spread right there. I don't want to take anything away from the Celtics, because that's not my point. It takes an enormous change in team culture for the Memphis Grizzlies that most people remember as the Memphis Grizzlies to come out on the second night of a traveling back-to-back and play a full-strength, reloaded championship squad down to the wire."
The Morning Walkthrough: Celtics starters play together
Monday, December 14, 2009
The Celtics have gotten rid of their morning walkthrough, but that doesn't mean we have to. Here are a few Celtics links, and maybe even an NBA link or two, to help wake you up and get you focused for the day.
Zach Lowe, CelticsHub - "I’ll be honest, though: I was a little surprised to see the C’s starters leading the league again this season. My impression has been that Doc is experimenting with different line-ups more often now than in either ‘08 or ‘09. I’ve written before that Doc has never—almost literally never—played KG without both Ray and Pierce on the floor alongside him. That has changed a bit this season; half of the five-man units KG has spent the most time with include just one of the other Big Three members, according to 82games. But about 500 of KG’s 700 minutes played have come as part of the starting line-up, so the more diverse usage of KG is really just picking at the margins. We’ve also seen Doc play Eddie House more with the starters as the first man off the bench, a move that has allowed Rondo to take a new leadership role with line-ups that usually include three back-ups and one other starter. I suspect we would have seen even more of this sort of experimentation if not for the Marquis Daniels injury. And yet still: The C’s starters spend a ton of time playing together."
A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE - "There's no universal currency when it comes to measuring the value of stellar point guard play. But make no mistake about it. The play of Rajon Rondo during Boston's 10-game winning streak has been priceless. Rondo's numbers - 13.2 points, 10.4 assists and 4.5 rebounds - during the streak tell the story of his versatility. But it's what he has done for the rest of the team that has coach Doc Rivers excited about his budding point guard prodigy. 'It's great where he's at mentally with our team,' Rivers said. 'If we come down and take three or four shots without running our offense, he'll slow it down and get us in a set. That's a sign of a great point guard.'"
Gary Washburn, Boston Globe - "Weeks ago there was hesitation. Rondo would pause before taking a jumper and then either force the shot or attempt an acrobatic drive. That is no longer the case. 'I’m taking [the jumper] more. I am getting it with the shot clock running, trying not to settle for the jump shot, [but] I don’t mind taking it at all,' he said. 'I just try to be efficient as much as possible. Teams are giving me the shot and I am taking it this year and I think that’s the only difference. I have more freedom. I don’t know what it is, I am just shooting it.' Coach Doc Rivers has been pushing his point guard to shoot more. First, the more Rondo shoots, the more confidence he gets. Second, the more he draws defenders, the more he can drive past them for a dish to a teammate or layup. 'It’s great where he is at mentally, he understands our team,' Rivers said. 'If we come down and take three or four shots without running the offense, he’ll slow us down and get us in a set. That’s the sign of a great point guard. He’s become a leader on our team and I think that’s the step he’s taken this year. Our guys now want to follow him and that’s huge when your point guard is your leader.'"
Jeff Clark, CelticsBlog - "Call me greedy, but I want a little more. I'm looking forward to one game in particular 12 days from now. Last year this team had some similar themes that were concerning. The team ran over lesser teams but hit a brick wall against the Lakers and staggered through a rough stretch. They got their mojo somewhat back down the stretch but we don't know how good the team could have been with a healthy KG in place. The Magic beat us in November, which appears to have motivated the team to step it up a notch. They haven't lost since and they get their chance at revenge on Christmas day. I want that win. I want it badly."
Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald - "Lester Hudson, the pride of Central High, was very much looking forward to coming home. In fact, he will find it hard not to be a little sentimental tonight when he takes the FedEx Forum floor in his Celtics uniform. After working his way through community college and Tennessee-Martin, the 25-year-old rookie guard has reached this level against strong odds. 'I think about it all the time because it was my dream,' Hudson said. 'It was the dream of everyone in here to be an NBA player. It was rough for me growing up, and there were times I didn’t know it was going to happen. I doubted myself. But I kept working hard, and I had good people in my corner - family and friends and my coaches.'"
Zach Lowe, CelticsHub - "I’ll be honest, though: I was a little surprised to see the C’s starters leading the league again this season. My impression has been that Doc is experimenting with different line-ups more often now than in either ‘08 or ‘09. I’ve written before that Doc has never—almost literally never—played KG without both Ray and Pierce on the floor alongside him. That has changed a bit this season; half of the five-man units KG has spent the most time with include just one of the other Big Three members, according to 82games. But about 500 of KG’s 700 minutes played have come as part of the starting line-up, so the more diverse usage of KG is really just picking at the margins. We’ve also seen Doc play Eddie House more with the starters as the first man off the bench, a move that has allowed Rondo to take a new leadership role with line-ups that usually include three back-ups and one other starter. I suspect we would have seen even more of this sort of experimentation if not for the Marquis Daniels injury. And yet still: The C’s starters spend a ton of time playing together."
A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE - "There's no universal currency when it comes to measuring the value of stellar point guard play. But make no mistake about it. The play of Rajon Rondo during Boston's 10-game winning streak has been priceless. Rondo's numbers - 13.2 points, 10.4 assists and 4.5 rebounds - during the streak tell the story of his versatility. But it's what he has done for the rest of the team that has coach Doc Rivers excited about his budding point guard prodigy. 'It's great where he's at mentally with our team,' Rivers said. 'If we come down and take three or four shots without running our offense, he'll slow it down and get us in a set. That's a sign of a great point guard.'"
Gary Washburn, Boston Globe - "Weeks ago there was hesitation. Rondo would pause before taking a jumper and then either force the shot or attempt an acrobatic drive. That is no longer the case. 'I’m taking [the jumper] more. I am getting it with the shot clock running, trying not to settle for the jump shot, [but] I don’t mind taking it at all,' he said. 'I just try to be efficient as much as possible. Teams are giving me the shot and I am taking it this year and I think that’s the only difference. I have more freedom. I don’t know what it is, I am just shooting it.' Coach Doc Rivers has been pushing his point guard to shoot more. First, the more Rondo shoots, the more confidence he gets. Second, the more he draws defenders, the more he can drive past them for a dish to a teammate or layup. 'It’s great where he is at mentally, he understands our team,' Rivers said. 'If we come down and take three or four shots without running the offense, he’ll slow us down and get us in a set. That’s the sign of a great point guard. He’s become a leader on our team and I think that’s the step he’s taken this year. Our guys now want to follow him and that’s huge when your point guard is your leader.'"
Jeff Clark, CelticsBlog - "Call me greedy, but I want a little more. I'm looking forward to one game in particular 12 days from now. Last year this team had some similar themes that were concerning. The team ran over lesser teams but hit a brick wall against the Lakers and staggered through a rough stretch. They got their mojo somewhat back down the stretch but we don't know how good the team could have been with a healthy KG in place. The Magic beat us in November, which appears to have motivated the team to step it up a notch. They haven't lost since and they get their chance at revenge on Christmas day. I want that win. I want it badly."
Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald - "Lester Hudson, the pride of Central High, was very much looking forward to coming home. In fact, he will find it hard not to be a little sentimental tonight when he takes the FedEx Forum floor in his Celtics uniform. After working his way through community college and Tennessee-Martin, the 25-year-old rookie guard has reached this level against strong odds. 'I think about it all the time because it was my dream,' Hudson said. 'It was the dream of everyone in here to be an NBA player. It was rough for me growing up, and there were times I didn’t know it was going to happen. I doubted myself. But I kept working hard, and I had good people in my corner - family and friends and my coaches.'"
The Morning Walkthrough: Ray Allen closing in on exclusive 20,000 point club
Thursday, December 10, 2009
The Celtics have gotten rid of their morning walkthrough, but that doesn't mean we have to. Here are a few Celtics links, and maybe even an NBA link or two, to help wake you up and get you focused for the day.
Gary Washburn, Boston Globe - There were doubts outside the organization as to whether Allen would be the same player following the surgeries. One NBA title and 3,032 points later, Allen is on the verge of an exclusive club. Of the 36 players who have reached 20,000 points in the NBA/ABA, 26 are in the Hall of Fame, and seven of the other 10 are not yet eligible for induction. Allen, who is in his 14th NBA season, attended September’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Springfield, soaking in the atmosphere and thinking of the possibility of his inclusion someday. “It’s one of those moments where you just always feel vindication for everything you’ve ever done,’’ he said. “All the people that said no you can’t or put something negative in your life and you turned around and made it positive. It’s always something that’s been reiterated to me that I have always been on the right path.
Red's Army - The assist came on a play where Tony has, in the past, made a bad decision. Instead of forcing a shot or putting his head down and either dribbling it off his foot or bowling someone over, he made the extra pass. Am I reaching a bit to praise Tony Allen? Probably. Am I trying to convince myself that he might be able to hold the fort for the next two months until Marquis Daniels comes back? Maybe. Am I being lazy by resorting to the "ask your self a question and then answer it" cliche so you can get to your main point. Definitely.
Jeff Clark, CelticsBlog - You don't replace Marquis with one player because this year's edition of the Celtics is build a lot like a Rubik's Cube. To move one piece, you have to move two others with it. Then you might have to move several more pieces around before you finally get the desired result (and you are still far from being done). Headed into the offseason, the Celtics had 3 priorities. Get help in the frontcourt, get a backup wing, and bring in someone to help with bringing the ball up court. Sheed took care of the first priority and Daniels was supposed to take care of the next two. Now we've got some pieces to shift around.
Mark Murphy, Boston Herald - Coach Doc Rivers will now be hard-pressed to duplicate the contributions of one of the most uniquely talented players in his lineup. The second unit had come to thrive on Daniels’ playmaking, which often found him directing the offense in Rondo’s absence. As his play deteriorated from the injury, the second unit clearly suffered, according to the Celtics coach. “I think it’s affected Eddie (House), because earlier in the year, and especially in preseason, Eddie was getting great shots off of Marquis passes,” Rivers said Tuesday night. “Now (Daniels) doesn’t have the ability to pass and I think that affects Eddie.”
Tom Halzack, Celtics Central - With 13 symphonic assists, the Bucks game is as good an example as you will find to see how far Rondo has come. And he added his scoring at the most important time, with a few made jump shots, and made foul shots, both of which have been absent for most of the season. That it happened against a rookie point guard and a team that isn’t known for strong inside players, I’ll grant you. But without a special defensive strategy devised to just to stop Rondo, he will get into the interior defenses of any team. Yes, he will have some trouble against talented interior length. The good thing is that Rajon isn’t the only willing passer on the team. The team relies more and more on Rajon Rondo’s ability to conduct the offense. But Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett are all good facilitators in the offense, too. It’s an ubuntu world.
Gary Washburn, Boston Globe - There were doubts outside the organization as to whether Allen would be the same player following the surgeries. One NBA title and 3,032 points later, Allen is on the verge of an exclusive club. Of the 36 players who have reached 20,000 points in the NBA/ABA, 26 are in the Hall of Fame, and seven of the other 10 are not yet eligible for induction. Allen, who is in his 14th NBA season, attended September’s Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Springfield, soaking in the atmosphere and thinking of the possibility of his inclusion someday. “It’s one of those moments where you just always feel vindication for everything you’ve ever done,’’ he said. “All the people that said no you can’t or put something negative in your life and you turned around and made it positive. It’s always something that’s been reiterated to me that I have always been on the right path.
Red's Army - The assist came on a play where Tony has, in the past, made a bad decision. Instead of forcing a shot or putting his head down and either dribbling it off his foot or bowling someone over, he made the extra pass. Am I reaching a bit to praise Tony Allen? Probably. Am I trying to convince myself that he might be able to hold the fort for the next two months until Marquis Daniels comes back? Maybe. Am I being lazy by resorting to the "ask your self a question and then answer it" cliche so you can get to your main point. Definitely.
Jeff Clark, CelticsBlog - You don't replace Marquis with one player because this year's edition of the Celtics is build a lot like a Rubik's Cube. To move one piece, you have to move two others with it. Then you might have to move several more pieces around before you finally get the desired result (and you are still far from being done). Headed into the offseason, the Celtics had 3 priorities. Get help in the frontcourt, get a backup wing, and bring in someone to help with bringing the ball up court. Sheed took care of the first priority and Daniels was supposed to take care of the next two. Now we've got some pieces to shift around.
Mark Murphy, Boston Herald - Coach Doc Rivers will now be hard-pressed to duplicate the contributions of one of the most uniquely talented players in his lineup. The second unit had come to thrive on Daniels’ playmaking, which often found him directing the offense in Rondo’s absence. As his play deteriorated from the injury, the second unit clearly suffered, according to the Celtics coach. “I think it’s affected Eddie (House), because earlier in the year, and especially in preseason, Eddie was getting great shots off of Marquis passes,” Rivers said Tuesday night. “Now (Daniels) doesn’t have the ability to pass and I think that affects Eddie.”
Tom Halzack, Celtics Central - With 13 symphonic assists, the Bucks game is as good an example as you will find to see how far Rondo has come. And he added his scoring at the most important time, with a few made jump shots, and made foul shots, both of which have been absent for most of the season. That it happened against a rookie point guard and a team that isn’t known for strong inside players, I’ll grant you. But without a special defensive strategy devised to just to stop Rondo, he will get into the interior defenses of any team. Yes, he will have some trouble against talented interior length. The good thing is that Rajon isn’t the only willing passer on the team. The team relies more and more on Rajon Rondo’s ability to conduct the offense. But Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett are all good facilitators in the offense, too. It’s an ubuntu world.
The Morning Walkthrough: Celtics not as good as two years ago?
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
The Celtics have gotten rid of their morning walkthrough, but that doesn't mean we have to. Here are a few Celtics links, and maybe even an NBA link or two, to help wake you up and get you focused for the day.
Bob Ryan, Boston Globe - The Celtics cannot possibly be as good as they were two years ago. How could they be? The key players weren’t exactly athletically young then, and they’re all two years older now. Factoring Wallace into the mix, four of their first six players are 32 or older, and the seventh guy, Eddie House, is 31. Fortunately, they have a powerful young (and ever-improving) big man in Kendrick Perkins and a dynamic young point guard in Rajon Rondo, but they ultimately depend on older players to be as good as players their age can be, and that places a tremendous responsibility on the coach to manage team affairs as efficiently and intelligently as possible.
Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston - "I like taking shots, it's just when you play with guys that are great at what they do, it's my job to distribute the ball," said Rondo. "I'm a pass-first guard. Probably pass second and shoot third. That's how I play. I'd rather get an assist than score with the ball. I shoot when I have to or I feel the need to. Other than that, I'm fine with getting Ray [Allen] the ball, Paul Pierce, or Eddie House. I've got great shooters." But as Rondo has shown at numerous times this season, he's capable of taking a game over offensively, and not just by distributing the ball. Take Tuesday, for example. Not only did Rondo score all of his points in the pivotal fourth quarter (the game was tied at 71 after three), but he also registered three assists, which means he was directly involved in 19 of the Celtics' 27 points in that period. While much of the pregame chatter was about Milwaukee rookie Brandon Jennings (17 points on 7-of-19 shooting) and his prolific offensive numbers, Rondo stole the show.
A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE - After being scoreless through three quarters, Rondo seemed to channel his inner Paul Pierce in the fourth, looking to not just penetrate the lane but also finish around the basket. There appeared to be little Jennings could do, even though the rookie has already proven to have the speed to hold his own with most NBA playmakers. But there's speed, and then there's Rondo's jet-booster-pack-in-the-sole-of-his-sneakers speed. He was blowing past Jennings off the dribble and into the lane all night, but frequently passed on potential lay-ups to instead kick it out to a teammate for an easy jumper or possible lay-up. That all changed in the fourth quarter. That's when Rondo became a scorer, not only from the field but also from the free throw line.
Zach Lowe, Celtics Hub - Within two minutes of entering the game for the first time, TA bullied Carlos Delfino under the rim, received the ball, fooled Delfino with a shot fake and drew a shooting foul. And in that moment, I was thinking: “Yes! This is exactly what the C’s need from TA. The team doesn’t draw a lot of fouls, and that’s one thing he’s good at and oh my freaking god he’s about to convert this into an And-1!” And then he missed a relatively clean lay-up. Didn’t even graze the rim. Then he missed both free throws. Throw in a classic TA charging foul on an out-of-control fast break drive, and I officially ran through a season’s worth of the Seven Stages of TA in six minutes of playing time.
Frank Madden, BrewHoop - Unfortunately, in crunch time the Celtics simply played like the Celtics. And the Bucks, well, they played like you'd expect the Bucks to play on the road against the league's best defense. After Delfino found Ilyasova surprisingly open for a layup to tie it at 86, Rondo (40% ft shooting coming in) hit a pair of freebies and stuck a mid-range jumper shortly thereafter. It was the capper on a big quarter for Rondo, who scored all 11 of his points in the decisive period, including 5/7 from the stripe. Bogut then turned it over on consecutive possessions, and Garnett dumped a righty hook over Ilyasova to extend the Boston to lead to 93-86. Ballgame.
Jeremy, Bucksketball - Yes, playing hard is great and coming close against the Celtics is fun, but ultimately losing sucks. While this game wasn’t nearly as frustrating as the Cleveland Blowout last Sunday, it wasn’t very satisfying to see the Bucks put it together when they needed it most. If they got a stop, they couldn’t get a bucket. If they got a bucket, they couldn’t get a stop. Ultimately they blew it over a two and a half minute stretch in the fourth. The most difficult thing to swallow about this stretch is the Bucks inability to even get a shot up. Two turnovers by Andrew Bogut and one from Brandon Jennings. That’s the just the strength of the Celtic defense.
Chris Forsberg (again), ESPNBoston - Celtics forward Kevin Garnett put together another brilliant game Tuesday night, scoring a team-high 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting with nine rebounds as Boston topped the Bucks, 98-89, at TD Garden. And while Garnett, who shot 90.9 percent while connecting on 10 of 11 shots in a win over Oklahoma City on Friday, admitted he's shooting the ball particularly well right now, he's hardly conscious of it. “Really I’m not even paying attention to my shot," said Garnett. "I just know it feels good. I feel great, I feel a lot more explosive. Everything I’m doing in the course of the offense is nothing sparkly, it's nothing shiny, it's nothing glossy. I’m just going out there trying to get chances to score, opportunities to be effective. I’m trying to take advantage of them. Other than that, my mindset is more defensive than offensive right now. I'm not even thinking about the offensive end, to be honest with you.
Tom Halzack, CelticsBlog - The 4th Quarter was the Difference. After losing Jennings on a screen on the left side, Rajon drove and scored his first basket of the game with a little jump shot on a beautiful spin move in the paint. That made the score 75-73. The next time down the floor, the Celtics moved the ball around with Scalabrine passing up a three and driving and kicking out to Sheed for a three that energized the house. Score 78-73. Jennings drives to make it 78-75, but Pierce kicks it out to Rasheed for another three to make it 81-75. The Bucks come back to tie it at 86 all on an Ilyasova lay-up, before Charlie Bell fouls Rondo on what Doc Rivers called Hack-a-Rondo.
Bob Ryan, Boston Globe - The Celtics cannot possibly be as good as they were two years ago. How could they be? The key players weren’t exactly athletically young then, and they’re all two years older now. Factoring Wallace into the mix, four of their first six players are 32 or older, and the seventh guy, Eddie House, is 31. Fortunately, they have a powerful young (and ever-improving) big man in Kendrick Perkins and a dynamic young point guard in Rajon Rondo, but they ultimately depend on older players to be as good as players their age can be, and that places a tremendous responsibility on the coach to manage team affairs as efficiently and intelligently as possible.
Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston - "I like taking shots, it's just when you play with guys that are great at what they do, it's my job to distribute the ball," said Rondo. "I'm a pass-first guard. Probably pass second and shoot third. That's how I play. I'd rather get an assist than score with the ball. I shoot when I have to or I feel the need to. Other than that, I'm fine with getting Ray [Allen] the ball, Paul Pierce, or Eddie House. I've got great shooters." But as Rondo has shown at numerous times this season, he's capable of taking a game over offensively, and not just by distributing the ball. Take Tuesday, for example. Not only did Rondo score all of his points in the pivotal fourth quarter (the game was tied at 71 after three), but he also registered three assists, which means he was directly involved in 19 of the Celtics' 27 points in that period. While much of the pregame chatter was about Milwaukee rookie Brandon Jennings (17 points on 7-of-19 shooting) and his prolific offensive numbers, Rondo stole the show.
A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE - After being scoreless through three quarters, Rondo seemed to channel his inner Paul Pierce in the fourth, looking to not just penetrate the lane but also finish around the basket. There appeared to be little Jennings could do, even though the rookie has already proven to have the speed to hold his own with most NBA playmakers. But there's speed, and then there's Rondo's jet-booster-pack-in-the-sole-of-his-sneakers speed. He was blowing past Jennings off the dribble and into the lane all night, but frequently passed on potential lay-ups to instead kick it out to a teammate for an easy jumper or possible lay-up. That all changed in the fourth quarter. That's when Rondo became a scorer, not only from the field but also from the free throw line.
Zach Lowe, Celtics Hub - Within two minutes of entering the game for the first time, TA bullied Carlos Delfino under the rim, received the ball, fooled Delfino with a shot fake and drew a shooting foul. And in that moment, I was thinking: “Yes! This is exactly what the C’s need from TA. The team doesn’t draw a lot of fouls, and that’s one thing he’s good at and oh my freaking god he’s about to convert this into an And-1!” And then he missed a relatively clean lay-up. Didn’t even graze the rim. Then he missed both free throws. Throw in a classic TA charging foul on an out-of-control fast break drive, and I officially ran through a season’s worth of the Seven Stages of TA in six minutes of playing time.
Frank Madden, BrewHoop - Unfortunately, in crunch time the Celtics simply played like the Celtics. And the Bucks, well, they played like you'd expect the Bucks to play on the road against the league's best defense. After Delfino found Ilyasova surprisingly open for a layup to tie it at 86, Rondo (40% ft shooting coming in) hit a pair of freebies and stuck a mid-range jumper shortly thereafter. It was the capper on a big quarter for Rondo, who scored all 11 of his points in the decisive period, including 5/7 from the stripe. Bogut then turned it over on consecutive possessions, and Garnett dumped a righty hook over Ilyasova to extend the Boston to lead to 93-86. Ballgame.
Jeremy, Bucksketball - Yes, playing hard is great and coming close against the Celtics is fun, but ultimately losing sucks. While this game wasn’t nearly as frustrating as the Cleveland Blowout last Sunday, it wasn’t very satisfying to see the Bucks put it together when they needed it most. If they got a stop, they couldn’t get a bucket. If they got a bucket, they couldn’t get a stop. Ultimately they blew it over a two and a half minute stretch in the fourth. The most difficult thing to swallow about this stretch is the Bucks inability to even get a shot up. Two turnovers by Andrew Bogut and one from Brandon Jennings. That’s the just the strength of the Celtic defense.
Chris Forsberg (again), ESPNBoston - Celtics forward Kevin Garnett put together another brilliant game Tuesday night, scoring a team-high 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting with nine rebounds as Boston topped the Bucks, 98-89, at TD Garden. And while Garnett, who shot 90.9 percent while connecting on 10 of 11 shots in a win over Oklahoma City on Friday, admitted he's shooting the ball particularly well right now, he's hardly conscious of it. “Really I’m not even paying attention to my shot," said Garnett. "I just know it feels good. I feel great, I feel a lot more explosive. Everything I’m doing in the course of the offense is nothing sparkly, it's nothing shiny, it's nothing glossy. I’m just going out there trying to get chances to score, opportunities to be effective. I’m trying to take advantage of them. Other than that, my mindset is more defensive than offensive right now. I'm not even thinking about the offensive end, to be honest with you.
Tom Halzack, CelticsBlog - The 4th Quarter was the Difference. After losing Jennings on a screen on the left side, Rajon drove and scored his first basket of the game with a little jump shot on a beautiful spin move in the paint. That made the score 75-73. The next time down the floor, the Celtics moved the ball around with Scalabrine passing up a three and driving and kicking out to Sheed for a three that energized the house. Score 78-73. Jennings drives to make it 78-75, but Pierce kicks it out to Rasheed for another three to make it 81-75. The Bucks come back to tie it at 86 all on an Ilyasova lay-up, before Charlie Bell fouls Rondo on what Doc Rivers called Hack-a-Rondo.
The Morning Walkthrough: Rebounding is the 'tear in C's fabric'
Monday, December 7, 2009
The Celtics have gotten rid of their morning walkthrough, but that doesn't mean we have to. Here are a few Celtics links, and maybe even an NBA link or two, to help wake you up and get you focused for the day.
Jeff Clark, CelticsBlog - Lets just say that [rebounding] is a tear in the fabric. We can sew it up, patch it up, or ignore the problem. Ignoring it isn't an option because the tear will just keep getting bigger and leave a big hole in our attack. Patching it with an outside person might help, but might end up causing more problems than it is worth. I think we have players that can rebound but they need to make if more of a priority. Perk, Sheed, and KG should be able to board with anyone. Sheed and KG spend a lot of time on the perimeter on offense, but if they emphasized it, they could pull down more boards. I think.
Frank Dell'Apa, Boston Globe - Daniels’s role likely will be filled by Tony Allen, who is expected to return for the first time this season after ankle surgery, and Brian Scalabrine. Allen practiced at full speed yesterday and will be evaluated today. “I’m just taking it one step at a time and building my energy and strength, getting the rhythm of these plays and defensive schemes and just get back in gear,’’ he said. “This was a good day, but I want to see how my ankle responds. “If it doesn’t swell and ache, I know I’m building.
Red's Army - It's hard not to feel bad for Greg Oden. Just when he was playing up to some of the hype that preceded him a few years ago, he went down with a fractured kneecap that will probably end his season. Add it to the list. Oden's getting hurt like a guy who got drafted by the Clippers. I was a believer. I thought this was the year he stepped into his own and helped the Trailblazers move into the next level out West. I still think he's got the tools to be a good player in the NBA. He might never be the franchise player people thought he would be, but he can still be good.
Sherman Alexie, via Truehoop -In this poem, I also liken it to the every day death of the Sonics. I feel their loss constantly. And then, seeing that Oden is down for the season (and likely done as an everyday player for good), I first thought, "Well, I'm glad I don't have to feel the kind of pain that Blazers fans are feeling today. I don't have to feel the pain of every Sonics loss or injury anymore." But then, I thought, no, I miss the losses as much as the victories. I miss the pain as much as the joy. I miss the losing streaks as much as I miss the wins. Hell, I miss Luke Ridnour. And so, I think, my grief for my father -- my ever-present grief -- is so important because he never goes away. I don't forget him. I keep him alive that way.
Jeff Clark, CelticsBlog - Lets just say that [rebounding] is a tear in the fabric. We can sew it up, patch it up, or ignore the problem. Ignoring it isn't an option because the tear will just keep getting bigger and leave a big hole in our attack. Patching it with an outside person might help, but might end up causing more problems than it is worth. I think we have players that can rebound but they need to make if more of a priority. Perk, Sheed, and KG should be able to board with anyone. Sheed and KG spend a lot of time on the perimeter on offense, but if they emphasized it, they could pull down more boards. I think.
Frank Dell'Apa, Boston Globe - Daniels’s role likely will be filled by Tony Allen, who is expected to return for the first time this season after ankle surgery, and Brian Scalabrine. Allen practiced at full speed yesterday and will be evaluated today. “I’m just taking it one step at a time and building my energy and strength, getting the rhythm of these plays and defensive schemes and just get back in gear,’’ he said. “This was a good day, but I want to see how my ankle responds. “If it doesn’t swell and ache, I know I’m building.
Red's Army - It's hard not to feel bad for Greg Oden. Just when he was playing up to some of the hype that preceded him a few years ago, he went down with a fractured kneecap that will probably end his season. Add it to the list. Oden's getting hurt like a guy who got drafted by the Clippers. I was a believer. I thought this was the year he stepped into his own and helped the Trailblazers move into the next level out West. I still think he's got the tools to be a good player in the NBA. He might never be the franchise player people thought he would be, but he can still be good.
Sherman Alexie, via Truehoop -In this poem, I also liken it to the every day death of the Sonics. I feel their loss constantly. And then, seeing that Oden is down for the season (and likely done as an everyday player for good), I first thought, "Well, I'm glad I don't have to feel the kind of pain that Blazers fans are feeling today. I don't have to feel the pain of every Sonics loss or injury anymore." But then, I thought, no, I miss the losses as much as the victories. I miss the pain as much as the joy. I miss the losing streaks as much as I miss the wins. Hell, I miss Luke Ridnour. And so, I think, my grief for my father -- my ever-present grief -- is so important because he never goes away. I don't forget him. I keep him alive that way.
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