- It's just under a minute to go in the 3rd quarter and Tommy Heinsohn is railing on the refs "the third team out there!" "They are manufacturing fouls for Cleveland."
- Tommy also wants to wipe the smile off Jones' face because he's "a cocky kid." Tommy does have a point though.
- The C's trail by 4. However, Celtics fans everywhere have to be having basketball related fantasies about Gerald Green and Al Jefferson.
- Lebron James just recreated his old Powerade commercial.
- Jones just hit his third 3 of the night. Much like Tommy that kills me.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
I'm Back
Somehow I think it was more effective when Michael Jordan said "I'm back." Regardless I've settled back into my couch after a couple of weeks of roaming. A lot has gone on. In no particular order:
- Tony Allen 21.6 points and 7.0 rebounds over the last 3 games.
- Danny Ainge joined Mike Gorman and Greg Dickerson on the air during the recent Blazers game. Ainge strongly defended Doc Rivers while Dickerson disappeared like the Duke during Celticsstufflive's most recent podcast.
- Numerous fans and bloggers demanded that Doc be fired.
- Sebastian Telfair was demoted in favor of Delonte West. Doc said the move would last the season.
- Doc threw players under the bus.
- Bassy may have thrown a middle finger at some fans during the Nuggets game. Interestingly said fans sat behind the C's bench/coaches.
- Wally Szczerbiak averaged about 30 minutes a game despite shooting 14 of 51 from the field over the final 4 games of the west coast road trip.
It's good to be back and I'll be posting more regularly. I'm excited to see LeBron come to town if only because he'll probably duck the fans much like he did during Cleveland's preseason visit to Manchester, New Hampshire. Some guys just can't play in certain markets. All kidding aside I think this will be a good game as I've heard a good deal about the Cavs playing down to the level of their competition.
- Tony Allen 21.6 points and 7.0 rebounds over the last 3 games.
- Danny Ainge joined Mike Gorman and Greg Dickerson on the air during the recent Blazers game. Ainge strongly defended Doc Rivers while Dickerson disappeared like the Duke during Celticsstufflive's most recent podcast.
- Numerous fans and bloggers demanded that Doc be fired.
- Sebastian Telfair was demoted in favor of Delonte West. Doc said the move would last the season.
- Doc threw players under the bus.
- Bassy may have thrown a middle finger at some fans during the Nuggets game. Interestingly said fans sat behind the C's bench/coaches.
- Wally Szczerbiak averaged about 30 minutes a game despite shooting 14 of 51 from the field over the final 4 games of the west coast road trip.
It's good to be back and I'll be posting more regularly. I'm excited to see LeBron come to town if only because he'll probably duck the fans much like he did during Cleveland's preseason visit to Manchester, New Hampshire. Some guys just can't play in certain markets. All kidding aside I think this will be a good game as I've heard a good deal about the Cavs playing down to the level of their competition.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
Gerald on the block?
"Amid all the duplication and youth on Boston's roster, Danny Ainge is much more reluctant to part with Delonte West, Al Jefferson and Tony Allen than he is with Green, who had 18 points, eight rebounds, four blocks and two steals in a rare start Tuesday night at Denver."
ESPN's Chris Sheridan on the 8th most likely NBA player to be traded - Gerald Green.
ESPN's Chris Sheridan on the 8th most likely NBA player to be traded - Gerald Green.
Sunday, December 31, 2006
Positive Ending
Let's hope the C's find a way to salvage the end of this west coast road swing. I'd hate to see Danny Ainge worry about his mail.
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Fantasy Stats
Gerald Wallace put up the following stats Wednesday and Friday:
FG% (.556) FT% (.909) PTS (40) REB (14) ST (6) BLK (4) TO (2)
FG% (.550) FT% (.750) PTS (28) REB (8) AST (2) ST (2) BLK (1) TO (3)
In hindsight picking him and Josh Smith back to back in the third and fourth rounds of my fantasy draft was a terrible idea. Both of them put up stats like that occasionally but struggle to be consistent. Clearly I'm looking for ways to amuse myself in addition to the following:
Allen Turnover: Bad (0:31)
Pass (4 TO)
Green Jump Shot: (11:43)
Missed
FG% (.556) FT% (.909) PTS (40) REB (14) ST (6) BLK (4) TO (2)
FG% (.550) FT% (.750) PTS (28) REB (8) AST (2) ST (2) BLK (1) TO (3)
In hindsight picking him and Josh Smith back to back in the third and fourth rounds of my fantasy draft was a terrible idea. Both of them put up stats like that occasionally but struggle to be consistent. Clearly I'm looking for ways to amuse myself in addition to the following:
Allen Turnover: Bad (0:31)
Pass (4 TO)
Green Jump Shot: (11:43)
Missed
Friday - YouTube clip of the week
I've been somewhat inconsistent with my YouTube clip of the week. But in honor of the last Friday of the year I decided to bring back a favorite of mine. It doesn't get much better than 4 kids putting together some sort of convoluted Kevin McHale tribute. And I can't bring up YouTube without referencing Mark Cuban who is absolutely obsessed with it. Check out his latest thoughts which include the following comment:
"Thats what Youtube has become. Fake Porn and Commercials. Sure there is still some fun stuff on there and being uploaded, but how long before fake porn just takes over ? It was 9 of the top 20 for the week as I write this."
And for those of you who are not big fans of Cuban's YouTube rants, all is not lost. I found a pretty interesting article on sports fines on Blog Maverick. Turns out a lot of it is for show. I hope Rodney Harrison is keeping his cash. I love that guy.
"Thats what Youtube has become. Fake Porn and Commercials. Sure there is still some fun stuff on there and being uploaded, but how long before fake porn just takes over ? It was 9 of the top 20 for the week as I write this."
And for those of you who are not big fans of Cuban's YouTube rants, all is not lost. I found a pretty interesting article on sports fines on Blog Maverick. Turns out a lot of it is for show. I hope Rodney Harrison is keeping his cash. I love that guy.
Friday, December 29, 2006
C's/Warriors - 12/30/06
Up in Canada I'm having trouble getting FSN and whoever broadcasts Golden State's games. I've often thought that tracking the game live on NBA.com would be painful. Lo and behold I was right. So as the C's closed the deficit to 5 in the closing minutes of the first half I was happy but found it difficult to get into:
Allen Driving (0:42)
Layup: Made (BOS 46-53)
(11 PTS)
West Driving Finger (0:26)
Roll: Made (10 PTS) (BOS 48-53)
At least the beer is good. Go C's...
Allen Driving (0:42)
Layup: Made (BOS 46-53)
(11 PTS)
West Driving Finger (0:26)
Roll: Made (10 PTS) (BOS 48-53)
At least the beer is good. Go C's...
Fast Times and blogging
The other day I was watching Fast Times at Ridgemont High, which of course includes Damone, the ticket scalper, and his Five Point Plan for dealing with women as told to The Rat, Mark Ratner:
#1 - First of all, Rat... never let on how much you like a girl.
#2 - Two. Always call the shots.
#3 - Three. Act like wherever you are, that's the place to be. Isn't this great?
#4 - Four. When ordering food, find out what she wants and then order for both of you... it's a classy move. And the lady will have...
#5 - Five. And this is most important. When you get down to making out, whenever possible, put on the first side of Led Zeppelin IV.
- There was a point in my life, circa age 16, where all of this sounded like a good idea. That’s embarrassing. However, fast forward to the present where Damone has inspired me to look at a Five Point Plan to writing an NBA blog. This would have been helpful to me 4 months ago.
#1 – First of all, write some quality posts and get on lowpost.net. It’s a good way to get out there and simultaneously see what else is out there.
#2 – Two. Read the beat writers covering your team. In addition to injury reports and actual basketball information they have great anecdotes that show players’ personalities.
#3 – Three. Read Hoops Hype and True Hoop. While it’s important to know your team, you want to keep up with what’s going on with the Association and basketball in general.
#4 – Four. Watch the Wire. Though not necessarily a direct link all sorts of folks who love the NBA push it strongly. Although personally I’m still stuck on Arrested Development.
#5 – Five. And this is most important. Watch your team. This should go without saying but it is important. If possible see them live as well. You have to live it. So I should probably stay out of
Honorable mention:
- Try to pick a team that is not already heavily blogged about. Whoops.
- Play seasons of NBA Live 95. Why? Why not? Touche.
- Possibly incite influential bloggers to harass you. Although I have no idea who actually wrote this.
#1 - First of all, Rat... never let on how much you like a girl.
#2 - Two. Always call the shots.
#3 - Three. Act like wherever you are, that's the place to be. Isn't this great?
#4 - Four. When ordering food, find out what she wants and then order for both of you... it's a classy move. And the lady will have...
#5 - Five. And this is most important. When you get down to making out, whenever possible, put on the first side of Led Zeppelin IV.
- There was a point in my life, circa age 16, where all of this sounded like a good idea. That’s embarrassing. However, fast forward to the present where Damone has inspired me to look at a Five Point Plan to writing an NBA blog. This would have been helpful to me 4 months ago.
#1 – First of all, write some quality posts and get on lowpost.net. It’s a good way to get out there and simultaneously see what else is out there.
#2 – Two. Read the beat writers covering your team. In addition to injury reports and actual basketball information they have great anecdotes that show players’ personalities.
#3 – Three. Read Hoops Hype and True Hoop. While it’s important to know your team, you want to keep up with what’s going on with the Association and basketball in general.
#4 – Four. Watch the Wire. Though not necessarily a direct link all sorts of folks who love the NBA push it strongly. Although personally I’m still stuck on Arrested Development.
#5 – Five. And this is most important. Watch your team. This should go without saying but it is important. If possible see them live as well. You have to live it. So I should probably stay out of
Honorable mention:
- Try to pick a team that is not already heavily blogged about. Whoops.
- Play seasons of NBA Live 95. Why? Why not? Touche.
- Possibly incite influential bloggers to harass you. Although I have no idea who actually wrote this.
Best NBA Celebrations
Honorable mention
- Pointing first to a flexed bicep and then to one’s wrist. Big. Time. I’m not sure an NBA player has ever done this.
#5 The Jordan look into the camera/fist clench. It would be higher except no one else can do it. Kobe Bryant tried it in game 4 of the opening round of last year’s playoffs. His Lakers promptly lost the next 3 games and were eliminated. And while we’re at it, players should probably shy away from Jordan’s shrug taunt too.
#4 Pounding the chest. According to Jack MacCallum Eddie House, of all people, pulled this off to perfection against his former team (Charlotte Bobcats) last season. This prompted Bernie Bickerstaff to remark that House had a strong chest.
#3 Grabbing the front of one’s jersey to bring attention to your own number. This is best when done after game winning shots. See Paul Pierce.
#2 Rolling dice. Michael Jordan and a healthy Larry Bird used to pull this one out. It is both subtle and classic.
#1 Jumping on the scorer’s table. Really gets the hometown crowd into the game. Not to be confused with lying on the scorer’s table, which can ignite chaos.
- Pointing first to a flexed bicep and then to one’s wrist. Big. Time. I’m not sure an NBA player has ever done this.
#5 The Jordan look into the camera/fist clench. It would be higher except no one else can do it. Kobe Bryant tried it in game 4 of the opening round of last year’s playoffs. His Lakers promptly lost the next 3 games and were eliminated. And while we’re at it, players should probably shy away from Jordan’s shrug taunt too.
#4 Pounding the chest. According to Jack MacCallum Eddie House, of all people, pulled this off to perfection against his former team (Charlotte Bobcats) last season. This prompted Bernie Bickerstaff to remark that House had a strong chest.
#3 Grabbing the front of one’s jersey to bring attention to your own number. This is best when done after game winning shots. See Paul Pierce.
#2 Rolling dice. Michael Jordan and a healthy Larry Bird used to pull this one out. It is both subtle and classic.
#1 Jumping on the scorer’s table. Really gets the hometown crowd into the game. Not to be confused with lying on the scorer’s table, which can ignite chaos.
C's out West
It's been a strange trip over the last few days as I've watched segments of the C's last 2 games in bars across New England. Strangely not everyone in New England likes watching them right now. How did it get to the point that some people want to watch the ending of the Motor City Bowl (Central Michigan vs. Middle Tennessee!) instead of C’s/Nuggets? My arguments:
1. The C’s are young and exciting, especially Big Al, Gerald Green and out of nowhere Tony Allen.
2. Iverson is playing for a new team against guys that Danny Ainge refused to move for him.
3. Central Michigan vs. Middle Tennessee?!
So this argument went on at two separate bars and I kind of won. But then the C’s came out and didn’t really play a whole lot of defense. And at times it looked like Doc had preseason type lineups out there. Some other aspects that stood out:
- At one point Brian Scalabrine was guarding Iverson. I’ve gained a better understanding of what Scal can bring to this team. However, this should never ever happen.
- Tony Allen drove to the hoop in the 4th and shoved Iverson in the chest. Tony scored, Iverson yelled and there was no foul. Iverson of course was pissed and finished the C’s off down the stretch. But it got me thinking. If Gerald Green had done that I would have been worried that Iverson or his posse might intimidate the youngster. But not Tony Allen. Just ask MarkTwain Johnson.
- Check Bassy’s locker for a Delonte West voodoo doll.
- I caught Mike Gorman on WEEI and he swears that Big Al and Gerald are legit. He also says that Al’s stats have been meaningful, which is not always the case in the NBA. As Gorman pointed out teams don’t get shut out and someone has to get stats. It’s nice to separate Al’s 16 points and 15 boards from Allen Ray’s 12 points.
- The C’s lost by 11 but I never felt like they were threatening to pull out a W.
- Overall there are reasons to be hopeful but this team has a long way to go.
The Clippers Game:
This time I was a little further north and the C’s were a later start. But the Emerald Bowl (FSU and UCLA) was a bigger draw. Especially with the Seminoles lighting it up at the end. Eventually I settled on watching the C’s alone in a friend’s den. The fact that Boston is a bad team without Paul Pierce was strongly reinforced. Next stop: Golden State. Unfortunately I'm in Canada where they have SportsCentre and a lot of hockey. Things will be back to normal on Monday.
1. The C’s are young and exciting, especially Big Al, Gerald Green and out of nowhere Tony Allen.
2. Iverson is playing for a new team against guys that Danny Ainge refused to move for him.
3. Central Michigan vs. Middle Tennessee?!
So this argument went on at two separate bars and I kind of won. But then the C’s came out and didn’t really play a whole lot of defense. And at times it looked like Doc had preseason type lineups out there. Some other aspects that stood out:
- At one point Brian Scalabrine was guarding Iverson. I’ve gained a better understanding of what Scal can bring to this team. However, this should never ever happen.
- Tony Allen drove to the hoop in the 4th and shoved Iverson in the chest. Tony scored, Iverson yelled and there was no foul. Iverson of course was pissed and finished the C’s off down the stretch. But it got me thinking. If Gerald Green had done that I would have been worried that Iverson or his posse might intimidate the youngster. But not Tony Allen. Just ask MarkTwain Johnson.
- Check Bassy’s locker for a Delonte West voodoo doll.
- I caught Mike Gorman on WEEI and he swears that Big Al and Gerald are legit. He also says that Al’s stats have been meaningful, which is not always the case in the NBA. As Gorman pointed out teams don’t get shut out and someone has to get stats. It’s nice to separate Al’s 16 points and 15 boards from Allen Ray’s 12 points.
- The C’s lost by 11 but I never felt like they were threatening to pull out a W.
- Overall there are reasons to be hopeful but this team has a long way to go.
The Clippers Game:
This time I was a little further north and the C’s were a later start. But the Emerald Bowl (FSU and UCLA) was a bigger draw. Especially with the Seminoles lighting it up at the end. Eventually I settled on watching the C’s alone in a friend’s den. The fact that Boston is a bad team without Paul Pierce was strongly reinforced. Next stop: Golden State. Unfortunately I'm in Canada where they have SportsCentre and a lot of hockey. Things will be back to normal on Monday.
Monday, December 25, 2006
Iverson Fallout
Marc Stein checks in on the C's after holding off on A.I. and offers suggestions for what Boston might do as the season progresses.
After a nice break I'm excited for C's/Nuggets. I just want to see the Nuggets newest addition. Bonus points if his conditioning is back. Although based on the layoff for everyone involved, it could be a bit sloppy.
After a nice break I'm excited for C's/Nuggets. I just want to see the Nuggets newest addition. Bonus points if his conditioning is back. Although based on the layoff for everyone involved, it could be a bit sloppy.
Sunday, December 24, 2006
Hard to Guard
I still haven't gotten over The Truth's injury. And Friday's loss to the Sixers did not help matters. But here's Trenton Hassell's take on the toughest players to guard in the NBA. On Paul Pierce:
"He's got, I think, the best footwork on the block for a [small forward] in the league. There are so many things he can do." - Hassell
Thanks to True Hoop for the link.
"He's got, I think, the best footwork on the block for a [small forward] in the league. There are so many things he can do." - Hassell
Thanks to True Hoop for the link.
A New Reason to Hate Kobe
According to Gilbert Arenas Kobe is responsible for the death of "hibachi" and the birth of "quality shots". Needless to say I'm upset.
Friday, December 22, 2006
C's/Sixers - 12/22/06
- The young C's just did not have enough consistent scoring tonight. Everytime I thought they were about to claw back into it the Sixers went on a run.
- It's reached the point where I want to know if Tommy Heinsohn spent some time in Texas a little under 22 years ago. The next step will be DNA tests on Tommy and Gerald Green. I know Green is a promising young player but so is Al Jefferson. There has to be something else going on there.
- It seems like Celtics fans are starting to come around on Brian Scalabrine.
- Perhaps the Sixers are more accustomed to playing without a superstar. Regardless it would be nice for the C's to win this one. Should be an interesting west coast trip.
- Best wishes to Tommy as he recovers from back surgery.
- When Baron Davis has a big night it is unfortunate but understandable. But Kevin Ollie? When it's all said and done the C's point guard defense might be their biggest achilles heel.
- Andre Iguodala fantasy owners are estatic right now.
- It's reached the point where I want to know if Tommy Heinsohn spent some time in Texas a little under 22 years ago. The next step will be DNA tests on Tommy and Gerald Green. I know Green is a promising young player but so is Al Jefferson. There has to be something else going on there.
- It seems like Celtics fans are starting to come around on Brian Scalabrine.
- Perhaps the Sixers are more accustomed to playing without a superstar. Regardless it would be nice for the C's to win this one. Should be an interesting west coast trip.
- Best wishes to Tommy as he recovers from back surgery.
- When Baron Davis has a big night it is unfortunate but understandable. But Kevin Ollie? When it's all said and done the C's point guard defense might be their biggest achilles heel.
- Andre Iguodala fantasy owners are estatic right now.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Few points on the Iverson/Miller trade
- Ultimately I believe the Allen Iverson/Carmelo Anthony tandem will wreak havoc on the league. However, it’s a bit odd that Iverson will start his Nuggets career with Anthony out of the picture. When Carmelo does return to the locker room it could be like the scene in the movie Rudy where Rudy returned from Notre Dame to find his ex-girl friend dating his brother. You know, because...never mind.
- Does Iverson become the third ranked guard in Western Conference All Star voting?
- I remember Andre Miller carrying an atrocious 2001/2002 Cleveland Cavaliers team to a 29-53 record. That’s even more of an accomplishment if you consider that the Cavs sunk to 17-65 the following season when they traded Miller to the Los Angeles Clippers. But now Miller has tasted the playoffs and will be 30 in the spring. He’s on a team that’s banking on hitting it big with 3 first round picks in the 2007 draft. Does he really want to be a part of something like that? What if the Sixers pull a Boston Celtics, circa 2001?* Eventually the Iverson talk will die down and people will investigate Miller's side of the story.
One other point. I’m watching Pistons/Cavs on TNT and Marv Albert and Doug Collins just had an extremely casual exchange that went something like this:
“Rahseed Wallace connects on a jumper and hears boos.” – Albert
“Rasheed is often not a popular man. Especially since the incident last year when he clubbed Ilgauskas with a forearm to the head and drew blood.” – Collins
* That's the draft the Celtics got Joe Johnson, Kedrick Brown and Joe Forte, which isn't worse case scenario until you factor in the Johnson trade.
- Does Iverson become the third ranked guard in Western Conference All Star voting?
- I remember Andre Miller carrying an atrocious 2001/2002 Cleveland Cavaliers team to a 29-53 record. That’s even more of an accomplishment if you consider that the Cavs sunk to 17-65 the following season when they traded Miller to the Los Angeles Clippers. But now Miller has tasted the playoffs and will be 30 in the spring. He’s on a team that’s banking on hitting it big with 3 first round picks in the 2007 draft. Does he really want to be a part of something like that? What if the Sixers pull a Boston Celtics, circa 2001?* Eventually the Iverson talk will die down and people will investigate Miller's side of the story.
One other point. I’m watching Pistons/Cavs on TNT and Marv Albert and Doug Collins just had an extremely casual exchange that went something like this:
“Rahseed Wallace connects on a jumper and hears boos.” – Albert
“Rasheed is often not a popular man. Especially since the incident last year when he clubbed Ilgauskas with a forearm to the head and drew blood.” – Collins
* That's the draft the Celtics got Joe Johnson, Kedrick Brown and Joe Forte, which isn't worse case scenario until you factor in the Johnson trade.
Cheer up
This whole Paul Pierce injury situation has me down. So I've decided to try and find five stories, quotes or events to cheer me up.
1. "You would have to be a moron not to vote Tom Brady into the Pro Bowl." - Ron Jaworski. Yeah what he said.
2. Old friend Gilbert Arenas had a big night against the Los Angeles Lakers recently. However, Agent 0 was less than thrilled with Kobe’s response which included the following:
“Asked how the Wizards’ guard scored so many, Bryant said, ‘First of all, he shot 27 free throws. We as a team shot 30. Think about that.’”
The Mamba went on to say, “Some of the shots he took tonight, you miss those, they’re just terrible shots, just awful. You make them and they’re unbelievable."
Thankfully Arenas responded on his blog, “Out of that whole game I probably took two bad shots. And, for me not to have a conscience? You’re right. When you’re an assassin, you don’t have a conscience.”
“When you’re an assassin, you don’t have a conscience.” – Gilbert Arenas. Now that’s a quote for your high school yearbook.
3. Speaking of Kobe. The following clip shows an act that was short sighted, poorly timed, and awesome.
4. The success of this website has led me to seriously consider an ill-fated Brian Scalabrine push. Can you picture it? Las Vegas. February 18th. Shaq, Wade, LeBron, Arenas, Scalabrine!!!!
5. This attempt to forget about Pierce is not working. NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
1. "You would have to be a moron not to vote Tom Brady into the Pro Bowl." - Ron Jaworski. Yeah what he said.
2. Old friend Gilbert Arenas had a big night against the Los Angeles Lakers recently. However, Agent 0 was less than thrilled with Kobe’s response which included the following:
“Asked how the Wizards’ guard scored so many, Bryant said, ‘First of all, he shot 27 free throws. We as a team shot 30. Think about that.’”
The Mamba went on to say, “Some of the shots he took tonight, you miss those, they’re just terrible shots, just awful. You make them and they’re unbelievable."
Thankfully Arenas responded on his blog, “Out of that whole game I probably took two bad shots. And, for me not to have a conscience? You’re right. When you’re an assassin, you don’t have a conscience.”
“When you’re an assassin, you don’t have a conscience.” – Gilbert Arenas. Now that’s a quote for your high school yearbook.
3. Speaking of Kobe. The following clip shows an act that was short sighted, poorly timed, and awesome.
4. The success of this website has led me to seriously consider an ill-fated Brian Scalabrine push. Can you picture it? Las Vegas. February 18th. Shaq, Wade, LeBron, Arenas, Scalabrine!!!!
5. This attempt to forget about Pierce is not working. NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!
What?! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here I am lying on my couch, dividing my time between blogging about inane subjects and SportsCenter when Michael Wilbon casually mentions that the C's will be without Paul Pierce for up to three weeks because of a foot injury. I feel like I just got kicked in the junk. I saw The Truth last night live. And he was awesome, minus the final possession, which apparently may have something to do with the foot. NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!! I was completely taken off guard, although apparently Gerald Green was too.I was so blindsided that I thought Karl Ravech just used the term "sloppy seconds" in reference to a MLB team's pursuit of free agent pitcher Jeff Suppan. Wait he did.
But seriously what are the implications of this?
- All of the sudden Friday's Sixers game is much better on paper.
- The C's are practicing with 8 guys right now.
- It's a star league. And mediocre eastern conference teams don't generally excel on west coast road trips without a star.
- Not to take anything away from the Nuggets, Clippers, Warriors, Sonics and Blazers but at least it's not the Mavericks, Spurs, Suns, Lakers, and Jazz. That said the C's are going to struggle.
- The young guys get to show what they've got. In a related note Tommy Heinsohn may have a heart attack.
- The C's may temporarily get back in the Greg Oden race.
C's/Warriors - 12/20/06
I made my first trip of the season to the TD Banknorth Garden last night. Unfortunately the four people I went with did not care about the game and the Celtics lost. On the plus side I enjoyed the atmosphere and did not have to get up for food thanks to the aforementioned non-basketball fans.
Celtics Notes:
- Last night was the type of game where the Celtics missed Wally Szczerbiak. They needed someone outside of Paul Pierce who could consistently hit outside shots.
- Speaking of Pierce. He was awesome in the first quarter. Good things happen when Pierce does not force things and does not have to kill himself to get his shots. If he didn’t botch the final play so badly and managed to hit a game winner it would have been a fantastic night all around for #34. Alas.
- I still like Leon Powe and Gerald Green but have a few concerns. I’m not calling into question their futures, rather their current games. Powe has a limited offensive arsenal. He did draw a couple of fouls but is not a huge threat to finish down low and was caught pushing off as well. Meanwhile Green seems to drift at times. I’m not sure he knows how to make things happen quite yet.
- I caught a newscast in the bar before the game along the lines of “Finally Al Jefferson delivers on his promise.” The guy is 21 years old in his third NBA season. He going to be a source of excitement and at times disappointment throughout the season. But Jefferson is headed in the right direction and should be the least of the C’s concerns. Although those missed free throws down the stretch were killer. For the record 13 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots are now disappointing. He’s come a long way.
- I was listening to Michael Holley on the radio this morning and he was questioning Doc’s decision to cover Baron Davis (31 points, 8 assists) with Sebastian Telfair all evening. Apparently this drove Tommy Heinsohn nuts too. It was too easy for Davis. Holley contends that A) Doc should have thrown Tony Allen or even Gerald Green at him in the hopes of making Baron work for his shot and B) when people get upset with Doc incidents like these give them a legitimate case. As Holley points out the C’s have struggled with point guard defense all year. Chris Paul, Jameer Nelson and Chauncey Billups are three guys that come to mind when I think of point guards who have had their way against Boston.
- It is never good to lose to the NBA’s worst road team at home.
- I was shocked to see the C’s earn, by my count, 4 defensive three seconds calls. I was under the impression that this was called once or twice early and then everyone forgets about it. Regardless those possessions at the very least took a lot out of the crowd and perhaps the team.
- I thought Delonte West did a great job pushing the ball and putting some pressure on the Warriors. Unfortunately he was 4-12 from the field. On a side note someone definitely took the airbrush to the Delonte on my ticket.
- I was a little concerned that the crowd was loudest when Lucky and the Celtics’ dancers gave away free t-shirts. Thankfully the place was rocking over the final 4 minutes.
- There was one Celtics dancer who was noticeably taller than the other girls. Just throwing it out there. I also enjoyed the smattering of boos the squad got before their first routine, which set the tone for the whole evening; lots of cleavage and to put it nicely, suggestive.
- I stuck with my balcony seat all evening even though there were a fair number of open seats down below. There also seemed to be a lot of people down there who didn’t care that much about basketball but had more than $20 to give to sketchy guys on the street.
Warriors Notes:
- Of all the Warriors, outside of Davis, Matt Barnes was the most impressive. He made plays and forced the action on numerous occasions. I got the feeling that Golden State will get a lot more out of Barnes and Andris Biedrins someday.
- That was the first Warriors game I have caught all year and overall Mike Dunleavy did not impress me. His numbers were okay (10 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals) but he missed some shots down the stretch. He also bitched out teammates on a few occasions and seemed to whine througho
ut the game.
- Not a lot of Monta Ellis (just under 6 minutes) last night.
- I thought Tony Allen did more Jason Richardson type things, one put back dunk in particular comes to mind, than Jason Richardson.
- Finally I imagine Baron Davis fans must find his game a little bittersweet. Clearly he can still get it done, as he did last night. And I did not see him forcing it too much or ignoring his teammates. Also he is currently the guy who can make a big shot when the Warriors need it. But all the injuries, particularly to the knees, have robbed him of a great deal of his explosiveness. The guy used to get up…big time.
Miscellaneous Notes:
- There are a lot of distractions at Celtics games – t shirts shot into the crowd, dancers, shooting competitions and of course all of the jumbotron stuff. And most of it is useless. However, the clip from Hoosiers and Paul Pierce calling for a “Let’s go Celtics,” chant in memory of Red Auerbach (from opening night) were awesome.
- At halftime a team of boys played a team of girls. It was a tie game but the girl’s squad seemed a bit older. Still the guys blew it.
- My favorite jerseys worn by other fans last night:
#5 – Michael Jordan’s Bulls jersey with the “Chicago” in cursive.
#4 – Paul Pierce’s Kansas jersey – Only because no one had his Inglewood jersey.
#3 – Bill Russell’s Celtics jersey – Classic.
#2 – Larry Bird’s Celtics jersey – There should always be someone wearing it.
#1 – Russell’s University of San Francisco jersey. – Very cool.
Final Analysis
- These are the type of games that keep the C’s from making the leap from a mediocre team to a good one. That said I enjoyed the game and remained hooked on this team.
Celtics Notes:
- Last night was the type of game where the Celtics missed Wally Szczerbiak. They needed someone outside of Paul Pierce who could consistently hit outside shots.
- Speaking of Pierce. He was awesome in the first quarter. Good things happen when Pierce does not force things and does not have to kill himself to get his shots. If he didn’t botch the final play so badly and managed to hit a game winner it would have been a fantastic night all around for #34. Alas.
- I still like Leon Powe and Gerald Green but have a few concerns. I’m not calling into question their futures, rather their current games. Powe has a limited offensive arsenal. He did draw a couple of fouls but is not a huge threat to finish down low and was caught pushing off as well. Meanwhile Green seems to drift at times. I’m not sure he knows how to make things happen quite yet.
- I caught a newscast in the bar before the game along the lines of “Finally Al Jefferson delivers on his promise.” The guy is 21 years old in his third NBA season. He going to be a source of excitement and at times disappointment throughout the season. But Jefferson is headed in the right direction and should be the least of the C’s concerns. Although those missed free throws down the stretch were killer. For the record 13 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots are now disappointing. He’s come a long way.
- I was listening to Michael Holley on the radio this morning and he was questioning Doc’s decision to cover Baron Davis (31 points, 8 assists) with Sebastian Telfair all evening. Apparently this drove Tommy Heinsohn nuts too. It was too easy for Davis. Holley contends that A) Doc should have thrown Tony Allen or even Gerald Green at him in the hopes of making Baron work for his shot and B) when people get upset with Doc incidents like these give them a legitimate case. As Holley points out the C’s have struggled with point guard defense all year. Chris Paul, Jameer Nelson and Chauncey Billups are three guys that come to mind when I think of point guards who have had their way against Boston.
- It is never good to lose to the NBA’s worst road team at home.
- I was shocked to see the C’s earn, by my count, 4 defensive three seconds calls. I was under the impression that this was called once or twice early and then everyone forgets about it. Regardless those possessions at the very least took a lot out of the crowd and perhaps the team.
- I thought Delonte West did a great job pushing the ball and putting some pressure on the Warriors. Unfortunately he was 4-12 from the field. On a side note someone definitely took the airbrush to the Delonte on my ticket.
- I was a little concerned that the crowd was loudest when Lucky and the Celtics’ dancers gave away free t-shirts. Thankfully the place was rocking over the final 4 minutes.
- There was one Celtics dancer who was noticeably taller than the other girls. Just throwing it out there. I also enjoyed the smattering of boos the squad got before their first routine, which set the tone for the whole evening; lots of cleavage and to put it nicely, suggestive.
- I stuck with my balcony seat all evening even though there were a fair number of open seats down below. There also seemed to be a lot of people down there who didn’t care that much about basketball but had more than $20 to give to sketchy guys on the street.
Warriors Notes:
- Of all the Warriors, outside of Davis, Matt Barnes was the most impressive. He made plays and forced the action on numerous occasions. I got the feeling that Golden State will get a lot more out of Barnes and Andris Biedrins someday.
- That was the first Warriors game I have caught all year and overall Mike Dunleavy did not impress me. His numbers were okay (10 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals) but he missed some shots down the stretch. He also bitched out teammates on a few occasions and seemed to whine througho
ut the game.- Not a lot of Monta Ellis (just under 6 minutes) last night.
- I thought Tony Allen did more Jason Richardson type things, one put back dunk in particular comes to mind, than Jason Richardson.
- Finally I imagine Baron Davis fans must find his game a little bittersweet. Clearly he can still get it done, as he did last night. And I did not see him forcing it too much or ignoring his teammates. Also he is currently the guy who can make a big shot when the Warriors need it. But all the injuries, particularly to the knees, have robbed him of a great deal of his explosiveness. The guy used to get up…big time.
Miscellaneous Notes:
- There are a lot of distractions at Celtics games – t shirts shot into the crowd, dancers, shooting competitions and of course all of the jumbotron stuff. And most of it is useless. However, the clip from Hoosiers and Paul Pierce calling for a “Let’s go Celtics,” chant in memory of Red Auerbach (from opening night) were awesome.
- At halftime a team of boys played a team of girls. It was a tie game but the girl’s squad seemed a bit older. Still the guys blew it.
- My favorite jerseys worn by other fans last night:
#5 – Michael Jordan’s Bulls jersey with the “Chicago” in cursive.
#4 – Paul Pierce’s Kansas jersey – Only because no one had his Inglewood jersey.
#3 – Bill Russell’s Celtics jersey – Classic.
#2 – Larry Bird’s Celtics jersey – There should always be someone wearing it.
#1 – Russell’s University of San Francisco jersey. – Very cool.
Final Analysis
- These are the type of games that keep the C’s from making the leap from a mediocre team to a good one. That said I enjoyed the game and remained hooked on this team.
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
Wallly = Out
From Yahoo! fantasy basketball: "Boston coach Doc Rivers told the Boston Globe that Szczerbiak will likely miss the team's West coast road trip the week after Christmas because of an ankle sprain. Szczerbiak missed five games between Dec. 4 and Dec. 11 with a sprained ankle. Boston's next game is on Wednesday against the Jazz."
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