April 29, 2008

What's Up Doc?

Nothing gets people talking like something negative.

Welcome to the Celtic House of Verbosity.

An unexpected 2nd straight loss to the lowly Hawks has Celtic fans, Celtic doubters, and Celtic haters getting some chops in.

The funny thing almost anything you can say is, at least, partially right.

Overall, one thing leads to another. Still, the same could be said for the Hawks and they didn't give up when they were down 2-0 in the series or 16-3 in the last game. Momentum can change on a dime. I expect it will again.

If it doesn't, it will be a very long summer for three guys who thought they had what it takes to win a championship.

a) The refs were preferential to the Hawks. The Celtics did not get the same 'type' of calls the Hawks did. That stuff affects the aggressiveness of almost anyone - except champions. Champions usually rise above it. Still, what happened last night was very difficult to play around. Three Celtics, including Garnett and Pierce had 2 quick fouls and Pierce had three before the half.

Garnett was getting fouled many times without getting the calls. The Hawks had 33 foul shots to the Celtics 18. The Celtics didn't make the ones they had (10-18).

The refs have allowed the Hawks to taunt (Horford), but not the Celtics. The Celtics aren't getting charging calls they usually get.

Awww, forget the a-b-c stuff.

The Celtics did not respond to the pressure and obstacles placed before them very well. That was the stunner. They played hard, but they did not play smart like they usually do.

Help defense was not what it usually is. That's why Joe Johnson had his way in the 4th quarter. Why they have deserted one of their core principles at this time can only be attributed to play-off pressure and Hawk pressure.

I wonder if Paul Pierce is healthy. I'm beginning to doubt it. Though playing relatively well, he is not playing like we all know he can.

The Celtics did not expect to have this much trouble with the Hawks. They will have to play smarter to beat them. With some home town calls it should be an easy thing. The problem is little has been easy over the last two games.

Someone told Rajon that the play-offs haven't really begun until you win on the road. In the Celtics/Hawks series both teams have held serve on their own courts. Have the play-offs begun?

Just a few games ago, no one thought the series would be tied. It is and now the Celtics have the pressure to win. To me, it is relatively simple as to what they must do. While the Hawks are athletic and talented, they are very beatable. A smart game plan, well executed will expose the Hawks.

The problem is it will do the same to the Celtics.

To be sure, Doc Rivers has not missed defensive assignments, missed foul shots, missed lay-ups, jawed at the opponents, missed clutch shots, not gotten back on defense, let the refs calls effect his game and aggression, and any other thing the Celtics have uncharacteristically done on the floor. Rants to the contrary notwithstanding.

But Doc Rivers is on the hot seat as much as the players. Not using PJ Brown or Tony Allen is a head scratcher. Staying with Ray Allen on Joe Johnson for so long was, too. The Celtics inability to solve the Hawks interior defense is another event at least partially attributable to Doc.

Yet, ironically, maybe Doc should shorten the rotation even more this game. Tony Allen, PJ, and Posey with spot duty by Cassell should be the short list of subs. Make sure the Three Amigos are the floor as much as is necessary. Rotate their breathers so that 2 of the three are always out there. You want your best players out there, if you need them, for as long as possible. Plenty of time to rest in the summer. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.

I'll be at the game Wednesday night. It will be my very first play-off game in person. I'm looking forward to it - win or lose.

Posted by Tom on 10:09 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 28, 2008

Hawks Rock Celtics 97-92

The Atlanta Hawks just shocked the world by taking 2 straight games against the most dominant team in the NBA.

Like the Ali-Foreman fight that he made his team mates watch, rookie Al Horford's team now has it's own Rumble in the Jungle. They have beaten back the league bullies, the Green Machine, the bad boys, as Kendrick Perkins himself has said - and remained the last team standing.

The game resembled a good heavyweight fight with a Rocky versus Clubber Lang feel to it. There was that moment when, after taking everything that Clubber Lang could dish out and Rocky realized he could take it all of it and remained standing.....Rocky said with new found strength as he pushed Clubber Lang in that moment of truth, "You ain't so bad!"

The Rocky Balboa Hawks withstood an opening barrage of hay makers from the emotional and determined Celtics that drove the Boston ballers to what appeared to be a crushing 16-3 opening lead. The three Celtic stars combined for all 16 points. Pierce and Allen each hit 2 three pointers with defenders on them, while Garnett did the same with his 2 baskets.

But the die was cast as the Hawks weathered that opening flurry like a confident, old veteran team and had turned things around so completely as to be able to take a stunning 5 point lead by the end of the quarter. There would be no suffocating Celtic victory tonight. If the Celtics were to win, they would have to scratch for every single point from here on out.

The Hawks own "You Ain't So Bad" moment occurred when Zaza Pachulia took an elbow to the chest from Kevin Garnett on a rebound, and came right back into Garnett's face, head touching head, looking him in the eye, and saying 'expletive deleted'.

Team mates had to separate them and they still kept talking at each other. 4 technicals were assessed, as Joe Johnson and Sam Cassell were the other 2 players to receive Ts, as they got somewhat physically involved themselves.

The rest of the game was like that renowned Rocky III fight or like a Ali-Frazier heavyweight fight, where both fighters traded devastating blows that would put lesser teams down for the count. Neither team backed down and they traded punch for punch until the very end.

You expected that effort from the Celtics. But I didn't expect it from the Hawks.

These aren't the same Hawks that won 37 regular season games. These aren't the same Hawks that lost 5 in a row by huge double digits to the very same Celtics. They are a new team. They have come alive and come together right before our eyes. Who are these guys?

They are passing the ball like they never have. They are playing defense as we have never seen. They are making big shot after big shot. They are standing up to a very good defense, taking their hits, waiting their turn, finding their spots, and finding the weak spots in the Celtics previously impenetrable defense.

Truth be told, both teams showed moments of good and not so good basketball. It became a game of will, courage, and stamina. The Celtics did indeed look old at times and without an answer to the constant shot making of the Hawks.

On the Celtics side, Kevin Garnett was joined by James Posey as a big shot maker in the pivotal 4th quarter. The Celtics had taken their biggest lead since that opening barrage by the end of the 3rd quarter by holding the Hawks to 17 points. But the Hawks returned the favor in the 4th and were outscoring the Cs by 19-5 at one point in the 4th.

James Posey hit 3 big three pointers when no one but He and KG could mount an attack against a determined Atlanta basketball team.

A number of thoughts come to mind. Only Garnett, of the big three, came up big in the 4th. Like the last game, Ray Allen once again missed an open three pointer from the corner when they needed it most. Paul Pierce missed a foul shot and missed three shots including a bungled a drive where he had created the space for a lay-up with 28 seconds left. With 18 seconds left, Ray Allen drove the baseline for a meaningless dunk, instead of passing to a wide open James Posey at the opposite corner for an absolutely needed three pointer.

They did not play the defense, as the Hawks had 32 4th quarter points, and the Celtics did not hit the shots, as the Cs scored only 17 points themselves in the final period.

Joe Johnson scored 35 points, 20 in the 4th quarter and Josh Smith added 28, including 12 in the 4th. Ray Allen simply could not guard Johnson, and Joe hit some incredible shots over multiple defenders as well. Mike Bibby had a big first half with 18 points and zero the rest of the way.

This game was about Josh Smith as he seemed to block about 12 shots (he blocked 7), and he and Horford, and Childress kept the Celtics out of the paint for much of the night. Even in the very beginning, the Celtics early lead was built on jump shots, not points in the paint. There was a time when Josh Smith had 3 fouls and the Cs should have tried to add to that. They simply did not.

There was a point where they should have tried to get Pierce to attack the middle more. It didn't happen. Tony Allen might have been able to guard spectacular Joe Johnson. He was never seen. Doc did lift his decree on the proclaimed shortened rotation by getting Eddie House into the game.

The Celtics once again played very hard. They just didn't play very smart. It looked like they were afraid to attack the middle for long stretches. Have the athletic Josh Smith, Al Horford and co. intimidated the Celtics? They did a great job of defending the middle, as the Celtics shot only 37% (23-62) inside the arc. Intimidating or not, the Hawks were very effective defending the post.

Ray Allen led the team with 21 points but Kevin Garnett scored 20 points, 9 rebounds and had 6 steals, while Pierce added 18 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Rajon Rondo added 12 assists, 14 points, and 2 steals, but was blocked 3 times. Kendrick Perkins added 9 boards and one block.

The plus-minus stats reveal that the Celtic reserves were unable to keep up with the Hawks, and things went best for the Hawks when Josh Childress was on the floor.

But the fearsome Celtics don't seem so any longer. They just 'ain't so bad' any more.

Their season, their quest, their manhood, and their legacy and reputations are now on the line. Sometimes, teams are too young or too dumb to know what they cannot do. The Hawks are a young team that now knows it can play with the top team in the league, take their best punch and come back and win the game.

What the Hawks don't know, is if they can win a game in Boston. They will find that the answer to that on Wednesday night.

Posted by Tom on 10:56 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 27, 2008

Pierce Popping from Outside; Horford Popping Off

The Celtics are 2-1 to the Atlanta Hawks after Saturday night's loss.

They haven't really played all out dominating basketball yet in this series. For two games there wasn't a reason to. The 3rd game got away from them because the Hawks played at such a high level. Try as they might, they couldn't stay ahead of the Predatory Birds and had their very first difficult moments of the play-offs. They expressed frustration with each other, which is unusual.

Paul Pierce has been the consummate team player and even led the Cs with 8 assists in the last game. In the play-offs, he is hitting from the arc at a solid 53.3% and is 2nd in the East in made threes at 2.7 per game. He is 2nd on the Celtics in average with 15.7 points per game (behind Garnett's 22.3) and in only 32.5 minutes a game. He took a very hard foul when Josh Smith landed on his head and he just got up and played. Paul has been having a very good series.

There has been some discussion about Horford's finger pointing and trash talking at Pierce after he made the final basket in the game Saturday.

I understand the unwritten rules about rookies and stars. I understand why it's a big deal to some that Horford did that. But I also know Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and a few other Celtics are prone to running some quality trash talk themselves during most games. Rookies, they are
not.

So I understand the breach of etiquette. But the NBA in particular is the most talkative sport, by far, of the three major team sports. David Stern even made a pointed effort to get politicking to the refs after every foul call minimized. It has improved. But almost everybody talks in this league.

I even read that Paul may have said or done a few things before that, and Horford was just responding when the game was appropriately in the bag. So, I find it much ado about very little.

Pierce and the rest of the Cs should use it for motivation. I expect that they will. Yes, Al Horford should have gotten a technical for taunting or whatever they call it, if that is the rule.

But I'm not worried about it. Talk doesn't decide basketball games. Performance does. I wish they would all just keep quiet and play. But the fans do get into it, and everyone pays attention to it, due to the conflict it reflects, that is going on on the court. Even John McEnroe made talking a part of his tennis game and he was loved and hated for it.

I don't think Doc will watch game film of trash talking to make sure they get it right. The Celtics already do that almost as well as they play basketball. In fact, I'd like to see a players vote of the top trash talking teams in the league. I believe the Cs would be in the top 5, and maybe higher.

But going forward, they should retaliate by their performance. I expect that they will.

Posted by Tom on 10:22 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 26, 2008

The Night the Lights Went On in Georgia

In high flight, the Hawks left the terra firma, and the Celtics returned to it as the Hawks beat the Celtics 102-93.

In my last column, I asked, Who should the Celtics fear? Perhaps we don't have to look far.

A Hawks pre-game goal of shooting in the first 7 seconds of the shot clock was working to perfection for much of the first half, as they constantly blew by the Cs on the way to dunks, alley-oops and lay-ups. The Celtics seemed to wonder, uncharacteristically, what the heck that was going by? It was a Hawk or two or three. They rarely let the Celtics set up their vaunted half court defense - and it paid off with a Hawk victory.

You can call it The Home Show, The Speed Show or the Aviation Show as Atlanta was rocking and enjoying their latest NBA play-off team after a 9 year absence.

Josh Smith and company provided plenty of shock and awe for the home crowd. Josh had three emphatic dunks, two on alley oops in the first half. But Josh Smith making three 3 pointers on 6 attempts while scoring 27 points, will tell you what kind of night it was. As the game wore on, the ball seemed to bounce in the Hawks direction far too often. Atlanta scored inside and hit from outside, making 10 of 18 threes while garnering 38 points in the paint.

When Kendrick Perkins went out early in the first quarter with a bloody nose, it looked like it would be a difficult night for the Celtics. Perkins came back in, but didn't really play like himself the rest of the night. Nor did the rest of the Celtics.

It just might have been the wrong night to decide that Tony Allen and Eddie House won't be part of the rotation. Sam Cassell did not play well and Tony could have helped, especially with perimeter defense, where the Hawks were open - often. House's quick start offense might have helped as well. I completely understand Doc trying to pare down the rotation. But still....

An example of the Celtics erratic play occurred in the 4th quarter, when, with the Celtics down 89-76, Posey hits a three to bring the Celtics to within 10 points, then makes a great defensive play on a driving Joe Johnson. Celtics get the ball. Cassell throws a careless bounce pass to KG that results in a turnover and a Josh Smith fast break dunk. Posey appears to voice his frustration (read: anger) towards Cassell underneath the rim right after it happened. That is the kind of un-Celtic-like night the Cs had.

Kevin Garnett had a strong offensive performance with 32 points on 11-18, but was unable to stop the Hawks from penetrating at the other end. Mike Bibby had 8 assists and Joe Johnson, Al Horford, and Josh Childress joined Smith in attacking the Celtics while doing a solid job of stopping the Celtics from doing what they wanted to.

The league leading Celtics became the 4th play-off team leading 2 games to none in this year's play-offs to take a loss, as the Hawks ran and leaped their way to a crowd pleasing win.

This win might raise the most eyebrows as the Hawks were an 8th seed that didn't even play .500 ball to get in. They had loss three straight games to these same Celtics in the regular season by an average of 14 points, and two more in the play-offs by over 20 in Boston. More mature teams might have folded their tents and started to think about their summer plans. This team isn't mature enough to know they can't win. Tonight they proved that - by winning.

They out ran, out shot, out rebounded, out assisted and out blocked the Green Machine in Atlanta. Though the Celtics recorded 16 fast break points to Atlanta's 15, the players on the move most of the night were wearing red, not green.

The question now is, "Did this win give them confidence enough to think they can actually play with the top team in the league?" My guess would be yes. They are young enough to not understand they can't play a 7 game series and win in this situation.

The Celtics talent should win out, and the Hawks have been much too inconsistent to expect they will make a series of this, but stranger things have happened. This Hawks team showed this evening what their potential is. They will get scarier and better every year.

The Celtics biggest lead of the night was only 5 points, early in the first quarter, as the Hawks finally took to wing. A lightning quick, fast break team in the first quarter, the Hawks maintained that effort for much of the 2nd quarter, as they blurred by the slow responding, back pedaling Celtics.

The Celtics maintained their cool, regrouped, and slowly made their way back into the game with a 21-12 run to finish to the 2nd quarter tied at 56. Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett each had 9 points to power the run.

The 3rd quarter made the difference as the Hawks jumped back out to a 10 point lead they would not relinquish again.

In addition to Bibby's improved play, rookie Al Horford had an excellent game with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Joe Johnson had 23 points 7 rebounds and 6 assists. Josh Childress played solid defense. Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 8 assists, and was 2nd with 17 points. Both teams did a very good job of sharing the ball, but the Celtics offense did not run smoothly, thanks in large part to the Hawks defense.

After Horford hit the last shot of the game, he started talking junk to Pierce who was laying on the floor. When the game ended, Paul calmly started to head towards the Hawks bench when Brian Scalabrine intervened.

Game 4 is Monday night in Philips Arena in Atlanta.

Posted by Tom on 9:43 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Who Shall the Celtics Fear?

The Boston Celtics move their year long quest for an NBA title to Atlanta tonight. Game is at 8:00 pm.

Few thought, including Celtic fans, that the new look Celtics would actually make the NBA Championship series in their first year together. Eastern Finals were perhaps within reach in a great year, but few were willing to say that they were finals material. Fewer still predicted they could handle any team that made it from the ultra talented west. A finals appearance is still pre-mature, but that outlook looms more likely every day now.

Detroit is once again under performing and being nonchalant about it. They were to be the likely dream stopper for these Celtics. What has happened to that thinking? The surprising 76ers have happened to the Pistons. They are up 2-1 and have made the league take notice with an impressive win against the Pistons, pummeling them by 20 points and looking very Pistons-like in their defensive effort.

During the season, the Pistons, to a man, downplayed every Celtic victory and each of their losses to the Celtics. Chauncy Billups, in particular, laughed when asked if the Celtic wins against them meant anything, or sent a message. Rasheed Wallace has been equally unimpressed.

From where I sit, one of the main problems with the Pistons is their own lack of a sense of urgency. They have played thus since their World Championship against a stronger Laker team in 2004. They played their hearts out in that series and conquered a bigger foe. They went back to the Finals the following season and lost a 7 game series to the Spurs. They actually re-conquered Shaq, now teamed with Dwayne Wade in Miami, in another 7 game series, along the way to the finals. Miami returned the favor the next year on their way to the NBA Title.

The Pistons' Ben Wallace-less loss to a lesser Cavalier team last season, should have sent a strong signal that all things were not right in the Motor City. With a gimpy Chris Webber instead, LeBron carved his way through the Detroit defense for a stunning amount of open looks at the hoop and another upset of a more talented Pistons team.

If the Pistons nonchalant their way to another upset loss to an inferior team, it leaves a much easier path for the Celtics to the finals.

The rest of the teams in the east can absolutely give the Celtics trouble, especially the Magic, in my opinion. Washington and Cleveland both have provided match up problems. The 76ers seem to keep getting better and better. They don't know they aren't supposed to be winning these games. But a focused, concerted effort by the Celtics should carry the day in a best of 7 series with any of them. The team with the best chance to derail their quest may be gone in the first round.

You won't hear the Celtic coach or players say any such thing. The standard answer is, "one game at a time." If you have heard that once from anyone in Celtic green you have heard it 100 times.

By staying true to the very grounded, purpose-driven Chinese philosophy that every journey begins with a single step and following that game.... by.... game, has helped the Cs arrive in the play-offs with the league's best record and the Celtics 3rd best in their long storied history. That is saying something, contrary to what Doc Rivers will tell you.

But Doc is also dead right in keeping their emotions down until they have actually won what they are after.

Tonight's match against Atlanta will provide a few sideshows with Mike Bibby and the Atlanta crowd. As far as I know the game is not sold out. Take that Mike Bibby. You actually have a bigger problem in the name of Rajon Rondo. Paul "Rocky" Pierce will play after getting knocked down hard, resulting in a lower back sprain. We will see if he is able to sustain a Paul Pierce type game.

The Hawks will try to take 'physical' to another level. The Celtics will try to get one win closer to their goal of three star players' first NBA title and cement their place in league legend and join a very exclusive club of players who can say that they were the very best in the world for 12 month period.

Paul, Kevin, Ray and the boys are performing in act three of this terrific drama this evening. Be sure to watch it.

Posted by Tom on 12:28 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 23, 2008

Celtics 'Steal' another Win; 96-77

You can knock this team down. But you can't knock them off their game

As with every top team, it is really hard to knock these Celtics off course. Not that the Hawks didn't try. Just ask Paul Pierce.

Less than 2 minutes into the game, Paul drove, and while going for a lay up, 2 Hawks flew right at him. Besides a hard foul, high flying Josh Smith fell, using Paul's head as a landing pillow, to add insult to injury. The insult was a headache. The injury turned out to be a lower back strain.

But it would be almost another minute before Doc called time out and got Pierce out of the game. In that time, a somewhat dazed Pierce hit one of two foul shots, got back on defense and waved off Garnett as he inquired about his well being as they set up at the other end. Pierce could walk so he could play, or so he thought.

Doc finally was able to call a 20 second time out to get Paul out of the game, where he immediately went to floor on the sidelines. Pierce was obviously hurting more than he wanted to let on. He was sent to locker room where it was determined it was a lower back strain and he would return. He came back to play in the 2nd quarter. The Celtic warrior played 26 more minutes and scored 11 more points on 5-10 shooting overall. That is the kind of determination the Hawks and any other team is up against when they play this mission driven team.

The Boston Celtics cleaned up their few weak spots from the first game and absorbed everything the young Hawks could throw at them. They held the offensive rebounds to 5 versus the 16 they gave up in the first game, and played better help defense for most of the game. They held the Hawks to a mere 60 shot attempts and .383 FG% on the night.

The Hawks had their last lead at 7-5 before the Cs answered with a 15-2 run to take over for good. Mike Woodson's team continued to compete to finish the quarter strong with a 11-4 run to close to within 4 at 24-20. The Cs drove the lead back up by 15, before the Hawks closed to within 10 at the half. And that was accomplished with Al Horford and Joe Johnson missing significant time due to early foul trouble.

Half Time - Celtics 8 'em up

Four Celtic players had 8 points at half time. 2 others had 6 (Posey, Rondo) in a majestic showing of team work and balance.

Sam Cassell blasted away with 8 in 6 minutes, but the points parade included Garnett, a hobbled Pierce and Sugar Ray. With Paul Pierce out James Posey did more than play defense, adding 9 points and 5 boards, prompting praise from Doc Rivers.

From Gary Dzen, at Boston.com.....

"I was concerned about Paul, but Pose was terrific," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said after the game. "That guy has a sense of what your team needs sometimes. He’s going to come in and give you the defensive effort all the time. He clearly could see that we needed scoring and cuts, and he got them. He got the two layups. He’s just so important to our team. I don’t think everybody has any idea how important he is to our basketball team on and off the floor, especially tonight.”

Point guard MIA

Celtic Security did call the police, though. Mike Bibby was taken hostage by Rondo again. He was barely seen in the first half, getting shut out on assists, keeping his series total at....one......total.

Mike 'The Veteran' Bibby shot 1-5, but did manage 6 first half points. There were witnesses, and they are negotiating with Rajon as I write this. Clues as to where Rajon was hiding him could be determined by the Celtic fans' boos every time he touched the ball. The maligned Celtic crowd did it all night to "One Assist Mike". That is the same amount Bibby was able to generate in game one. Just call Rondo "Mike Bibby's Nightmare".

Rajon thoroughly outplayed Bibby once again, finishing with 12 points, on 6 for 11, 8 assists, 6 rebounds, 4 steals and one TO. Bibby went 2-7 for 12 points, with 3 boards and his one assist. As Bibby sat in the 4th quarter the Cs fans chanted, 'Rondo's Better'. Mike Bibby had made the comments after the last game that Celtic fans this year were 'fair weather fans. The arena was only 3/4 filled last season.'

The Celtics aggressive defense forced 21 equal opportunity turnovers with rookie Acie Law committing 4, fledgling Josh Smith 5, and veteran Joe Johnson 5. The Beantown Burglars had an incredible 15 steals this evening.

The Celtics outdid the Hawks at their own game with 19 fastbreak points,while the often confused Hawks had only 10. The Hawks game plan was to go the paint and to the line often, which they did, yet the Celtics won the paint battle 36-30. The Hawks did go to the line 40 times to the Celtics 26.

Kevin Garnett led the team with 19 points and 10 rebounds though he did shoot 6-18. As usual, the newly named NBA Defensive Player of the Year anchored the Celtics suffocating defense. Intensity has picked up and things were chippy a few times in the middle tonight. The refs did a good job of keeping it under control.

Ray Allen shot 3-6 from downtown, finishing with 15 points while Glen Davis used all his fouls in just 14 minutes, in mostly garbage time, but contributed a block and 3 steals, though he turned it over 3 times himself.

The Hawks are clearly outmatched, but could put in a better performance in their own arena.

The Celtics would like to end things quickly and move on. They have bigger things in mind. After the game, Pierce said he thinks he will be okay to play Saturday.

The series moves to Atlanta Saturday at 8 pm.

Posted by Tom on 9:23 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 22, 2008

Celtics - wrong sized and cross trained

One reason I really like this Celtic team is that they display great balance, but without players that are 'position prototypes'. It is a bit iconoclastic. And they have an iconoclastic coach to lead them. And play them. He plays too many players according to conventional wisdom. You go, Doc.

That brings a smile to my face. I quietly love it. Break a few established rules as you find your way to success. Like Picasso, who was capable of exquisite realistic renderings, but choose not to paint that way, you have to know the rules to break them, or more truly, to bend them.

The Celtics have:
1) A 7 foot fancy passing, inside/outside power forward who can move to center (Kevin Garnett)
2) Two young undersized power forwards with oversized hearts.
a) One has long arms and can leap. (Leon Powe)
b) The other has a big......heart and the energy of a 6 year old. The infinite tape measuring and leap-o-meter won't tell you much good about Glen Davis. A heart x-ray will say more.
Both have learned to navigate the lower regions of the post among the world's best tall people. Their size has not been a disadvantage after all.
3) A defensive minded small forward who plays a lot of power forward, but also guards shooting guards from time to time. (James Posey)
4) A diminutive point guard with long arms who can rebound like a forward when he wants to. (Rajon Rondo)
5) A shooting guard who can handle and pass (Ray Allen)
6) A small forward who can play shooting guard, pass like a point guard, and rebound like he was taller(Paul Pierce)
7) A shooting guard who can defend small forwards as well. (Tony Allen)
8) A shooting guard who plays point guard. (Eddie House)
9) A power forward who can play some center. (Brian Scalabrine)

The corporate world call that 'cross training'. Any coach would love to have that versatility and multi answer roster.

They are a half court team who can fast break for stretches when needed. They are only recently playing a more traditional line-up with the emergence of Leon Powe. It allows James Posey to play his natural position - small forward.

While much of what this team does is close to a purist's idea of fundamental team basketball, they have done it with a nice mix of unconventional players and personalities.

Molds are made to be broken. More than a few have been broken, bent, or stretched in Beantown this season.The results have been pretty good.

Posted by Tom on 9:35 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 21, 2008

Celtics Shoot Down Hawks 104-81

And so it begins.

The Celtic train has begun it's journey to banner #17 and has begun rolling in impressive fashion. They beat a feisty Hawk team by 23 points.

Winning going away, Pierce, Garnett, Allen, and Rondo all had game impacting, decisive offensive displays in a 'true to form' Celtic basketball game. They held Atlanta to 38% shooting and shot 48% overall and a crisp 56% from the arc themselves.

Ray Allen led the team with 18 points. Pierce and Garnett each added 16 points, and Rajon Rondo had 15 points and 9 assists in his very first play-off appearance. Garnett added 10 rebounds and 4 assists while leading the team at both ends of the floor.

Displaying scoring balance, 6 Celtics were in double figures, but none reached 20 points. But it was the team's trademark defense in the 2nd and 3rd quarters that put the game away. They held Atlanta to 34 points combined in the middle quarters while Ray Allen ran off 10 straight points (12 overall in the third quarter) to run a catchable 13 point lead up to 19 points. Ray displayed his quick but deadly release, including a three pointer that barely touched his hands.

After the Hawks closed again to 12 points at 55-67, Rondo made the Hawks pay for dropping off him with two straight jumpers and added a fall away jumper in the paint to extend the lead to 18 as the quarter ended.

The Celtics were already ahead 8-2 when TNT began telecasting the game because the Detroit/Philly game had run over.

The Celtics went up 11-2 and 17-6 and 24-10 as Paul Pierce hit his first 3 shots from beyond the arc. Rajon started the game aggressively, adding 9 points and 5 assists in the first period as the Celtics held on for a 29-21 lead as the Hawks closed the period strong.

The Hawks opened the 2nd quarter with 6 straight points, capping a 17-5 run of their own to get within 2 at 27-29 on a Marvin Williams jump shot. Shades of Philadelphia danced in their heads as Detroit was upset by the Sixers just before this game.

Garnett answered with a turnaround jump shot and the Celtics slowly pulled away, eventually regaining a double digit lead they would not relinquish the rest of the way. After faltering early, the Celtics bench played well. Posey, Cassell, and Tony Allen were particularly effective as the team extended the lead while they were on the floor. Pierce led the Cs at half time with 13 points.

While playing hard for the whole game, the Hawks were over matched as the Celtics made sure to keep their foot on the Hawks neck the rest of the way. The lead ballooned into the 20's as the 4th quarter ran down. Leon scored all 10 of his points in the last period, all in traffic underneath, including two monster dunks. Leon added 4 rebounds and 2 blocks and looked good in his first taste of playoff competition.

Sam Cassell scored 10 points, on 3 of 6 shooting with 7 of his in a row to extend a 4 point lead up to 11 at 42-31. Pierce added 3 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal, as he displayed what this year's Celtics are all about, scoring his points on only 10 shots while playing great defense along the way.

Unsung Kendrick Perkins played goalie and had 2 blocks and 6 rebounds to go with his middle clogging defense in his 20 minutes of time. He was a huge part of the Celtics success while scoring just 3 points.

This game went about as expected. I believe we will see even more competitiveness from the Hawks before the series is through. But it will be for naught. They simply do not have the talent, depth, or will to compete with the league's best team on its driven mission.

Kevin Garnett mentioned that he and Ray had a strong disagreement about how to do things in tonight's game, but that it was patched up and everything is fine now.

The next game is Wednesday night.

Posted by Tom on 12:01 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 20, 2008

My NBA Play-off Predictions

I made these before the games started, before you ask. I just decided to put them here now.

I might wish I stuck with San Antonio, as the 'they have never won it back to back' thinking means nothing. They still one of the most solid and well coached teams in the league. Still they haven't been as dominant this season and Phoenix has beaten 3-1 this year, including twice with Shaq.

Cleveland might deserve more respect, but they haven't meshed the new players from their trade very well. Their offense does not match their defense. If an outside player or two steps up, they could get past Washington.

Other than that, here they are....

1st Round - East
Celtics over Hawks 4-0 Hawks must work to avoid sweep
Pistons over 76ers 4-1 A surprising 76er team meets their match
Magic over Raptors 4-2 Magic are better than they are given credit for
Wizards over Cavaliers 4-3 This could go either way. Cavs have disappointed in maximizing
new players from trade.

2nd Round - East
Celtics over Wizards 4-1 Celtic train keeps rolling. Wizards might win two.
Pistons over Magic 4-2 This will be much tougher than people think. Detroit is not invincible.

Eastern Finals
Celtics over Pistons 4-2 Celtics will be hard pressed, but prevail without it going seven. Detroit
has weaknesses.

1st round -West
Lakers over Nuggets 4-2 Nuggets have an outside chance at upsetting, but won't.
Hornets over Mavericks 4-3 This one's a toss up. I'm going with the young PG assuming the
reins from the old one.
Suns over Spurs 4-3 I looked long and hard before making this pick. Suns won season series
3-1.
Jazz over Rockets. 4-2 Two excellent coaches, edge to Sloan. If Yao was there, all bets are
off. Jazz are very very good...except on the road.

2nd Round - West
Lakers over Jazz 4-3 Derek Fisher will make a difference. Battle of the Euro centers.
Suns over Hornets 4-1 Hornets are good with CP3, but not good enough.

Western Finals
Suns over Lakers 4-2 - wow. this should be very close by my estimation

Title Series
Celtics over Suns 4-2 This could be Spurs/Celtics instead. But I'm going with the Suns. Either
way, the Celtics have a good chance of achieving their mission in their
very first season together. Aftet watching them all season, I know for a
fact they haven't played all out for a while. They will now.

Upset potentials
Denver over Lakers
Magic over Pistons

I don't see it happening, but both teams are better than people give them credit for, IMHO.

Posted by Tom on 2:54 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 19, 2008

Atlanta Hawks - In Harm's Way

Attention Geologists: There will be an earthquake tonight at 8:30.

Meteorologists will coincidentally record a perfect storm at the same time and same place.

The epicenter of both will be discovered to be on a basketball court at TDBanknorth Garden, Causeway Street in Boston, Massachusetts. No, this is not an episode of Twilight Zone, a Stephen King Novel, or a disaster movie being filmed.

Tell your children to come out from under their beds. Pick up the fallen dishes. Let go of the shaking picture frames. Your house and family are safe. Police, Fire and EMS units can go back to base. Take it easy guys. It will only be a basketball team called the Boston Celtics as they start to pick up steam and begin rumbling towards its destination - the NBA Finals.

They are prepared, they are focused, and they are fierce.

The unfortunate, unknowing, naively spirited Hawks are in harm's way. This is Bambi versus Godzilla folks. There is no other way to put it. The Celtics won the season series 3-0 and by an average of 14 points. Nothing will change.

When things are done, the Hawks might end up on the Endangered Species list. They are a fine young, athletic team who managed to end up in the play-offs with a losing record 37-45. They are a dismal 12-29 on the road. They lost their last three games of the season. They ended the season by losing to the worst team in the league, the Miami Heat. They lost 5 of their final 7 games. Hardly a strong finishing kick. In their defense, three of those losses were to play-off teams and they beat 2 play-off teams in their final 8 games. Avoiding a sweep will be their goal.

Leading the Hawks revival, is veteran point guard Mike Bibby. Their 'resurgence' record since Bibby arrived? 15-17. He has helped in many ways, no doubt. But they will not be a match for a team bent on a mission to redeem, if not redeem, then to crown the converged careers of 3 of basketball's finest, but visibly unfulfilled careers.

One of the most exceptional iterations of a pro basketball team in years has been born in Boston. They have multiple offensive options. They play suffocating defense. They play as a team. They have three star players, 3 go-to guys in crunch time who have been there many times before. They have a surprisingly developed bench.

Like a cornered animal, the Celtics are dangerous beyond any normative methods of evaluating danger.

No one has more to lose and more on the line than Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett. What they have very visibly failed to do in their careers will be within their grasp. The long 82 game road has led to this. The NBA's Greatest Losers list is one they would like to chip their names from for all eternity.

The Karmic Incantations, Lucky Coincidences, Cosmic Destinies, Unpredictable Turns of Events, or Solomonic (new word) Wisdom of the wizard behind the curtain, that poor hitting shortstop, Danny Ainge have brought this confluence of events and players to its surprising origins. The end is yet to be determined, but the road they are on has all signs pointing to the destination they covet - the NBA Championship.

Make no mistake. This assembly will have no imitators. Attention GMs around the league. You cannot duplicate what Danny Ainge did. Don't even think that you can. The sheer number of things that had to go right for this assembly to occur was myriad beyond duplication.

From growing three years of youth, to waiting to obtain 2 players of the caliber of KG and Sugar Ray Allen, to having a player like Paul Pierce already on your roster, to getting and trading a top five lottery pick, to having the contracts on the team to make the trades, to maintaining a top point guard in the making, and an unsung young center grow before your very eyes, to seeing your bench come together with important low cost signings, and the growth of 2 second round picks.....you can't use this as a model for your own team's rebuilding. Look elsewhere, my friends.

The eyes of the NBA are upon them. None have more to lose than these three. As good as their career have gone, they are titleless. That is the driving force behind all that you see on the court. It is something to reckon with. Only a few teams in the league will have enough to derail this team. The Hawks are not one of them.

My respect and heart goes out to Hawks coach Mike Woodson. He is in a similar position to Doc's. He was there for the training years of many talented but very young players. Marvin Williams, Al Horford, Josh Smith, Joe Johnson, and Josh Childress are all players who can really play. This team will keep getting better and their day may come. I hope that Mike Woodson may be given one more year to see the fruits of his efforts. He has earned that in my opinion. They simply won't have enough to deal with this Boston team of destiny.

The Hawks will bite and claw. They will fight. But they will fall to a superior team with superior talent and something called experience. They will fall to a mission that looks far beyond them, to personal legacies on the line.

It is the most intriguing story in the NBA. It begins Sunday night at 8:30 on ESPN.

Posted by Tom on 10:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 18, 2008

A Rivers Runs Through It

I have to get this out there before the play-offs start.

I don't want it to look like I'm jumping on the bandwagon.

As a Celtic fan, I've thought about Doc Rivers quite a bit over the last few years. My thoughts have varied as to whether he is a good coach or not. There are still some unanswered questions. But not many.

I've basically decided that Glenn Rivers, the person, is someone anyone would benefit to be around. A while ago, I also decided that Doc Rivers does far more right as a coach than he does that could be questioned. Not that things couldn't be questioned. But questioning the decisions of a coach whose team leads the league in wins from gate to gate is for the brave, curmudgeons, and those who simply won't let the facts get in their way. It is even more difficult when his team is playing team ball, leading the league in the most important defensive categories, and sharing the ball in a way that purists simply delight in to watch. As the saying goes, (only) fools go where wise men fear to tread. Besides, what is there to complain about?

Ironically, the Celtic message board threads are shorter. There are few things to debate, almost nothing to complain about, and a whole lot to just quietly admire this season. How many times and how many ways can you say, "These guys are unbelievable."

It was Doc's idea to play the stars heavy minutes early, his idea when to start to cut them back, and who to start incorporating more into the offense. It was his idea to bring Rondo along with kid gloves early in the season. Remember those early games when Rondo would simply cross mid court, pass the the ball to Pierce or Ray Allan and run to his spot on offense? Remember when Glen Davis and Leon Powe were DNP-CDs? James Posey became a 2 position player from the get-go and since has played more minutes as a power forward, than a small forward. That is a Doc decision.

Doc has masterfully managed the three stars minutes this season. They broke from the gate fast. Doc pulled back the reigns when it was time, has hardly has to use a whip, and eased up going into the home stretch. He used the bench quite heavily at the end. They still won by multiple lengths. This Celtic steed is as prepared and rested as any team heading into the play-offs.

Now he has that rare opportunity to demonstrate he has the ability to captain a ship that brings home the ultimate NBA prize, the NBA Championship Title.

The play-offs will answer whatever questions remain.

In my mind, I'm rooting for Doc. Doc stands for a lot of things I believe in. He is not a screamer or micro manager of the game. Sometimes last year, I wished he were. He is a players' coach. He is a people person. He gives players time off for the birth of their children, and family emergencies. He's not a 'two-a-day' coach. He won't burn out the players with practices. He considers the talent he has, the risk and the importance of such things to his veterans. As James Posey said recently, he won't beat you over the head all the time. He communicates in an effective but more respectful way. But I think it would be a mistake to think he is soft.

Every Celtic has mentioned personal accountability this season. Everyone. They got that from Doc Rivers. It sounds more like a father talking to his children, not a coach of multi-millionaire, highly egotistical basketball players. But they buy what Doc's selling. Maybe it's because Doc's not selling, he's just telling. Telling it like it is. Doc's authentic and he is smart. He can be an original thinker.

Doc's effective fatherly approach, I'm sure, came from having a strong father in his own life. We received a special insight into Glenn Rivers very early in the season when his own father, Grady Alexander Rivers, passed away on November 4.

From Marc Spears Globe article...

"While many of Rivers's friends' fathers were incarcerated or dead, his parents were always near.

"We were there because so many parents weren't," Grady Rivers told the Globe in an Oct. 1, 2006 story."

From the great gift of Doc's committed parents, Doc learned the value of commitment. When you talk with Celtic players about Doc, you get a sense of respect and deep appreciation and understanding of Doc's commitment to them.

Through what must be Doc's biggest personal tragedy, the death of his beloved father, we got to see Doc in a special light. Doc returned on the very night of the funeral to coach the team. His mother told him to go. Grady would have wanted it that way. It was a deeply meaningful moment. The team won their 5th straight that night to start the season undefeated. It is really sad to know that Doc won't be able to share this incredible season with him. I'm sure that Grady is looking down and smiling.

In a league where every stat is looked at and judged under a thousand microscopes, Doc recently said about the 66 win season, the biggest turnaround in NBA history and 3rd best regular season ever on the winningest franchise in NBA history...

"What difference does it make? That is not what we were playing for."

After their incredible run of wins was broken, and everyone was somberly asking what the team's reaction was, Doc shrugged and said, "We're okay. Nobody died."

That is vintage Doc.

He is already a very good coach. He has proven that. He is better at some things than others. But I think he knows that.

I haven't seen who in the Celtics was the initiator of trying to bring in Larry Brown or getting Tom Thibodeau. But Doc was willing to accept having micro manager Larry Brown as an assistant. (He played for Larry briefly in 1991-92 while on the Clippers. Larry was hired to coach the inept Clippers. He came in for the last 35 games and turned them around with a 23-12 record.)

Doc accepted Tom Thibodeau to bring his defensive knowledge to bear on his team. Every indication is that he welcomed him with open arms. But you must know that Doc never thought it was a weak point of his. Before Tom T. was hired, Doc said that he would handle the defense himself this season. As Doc has asked his players to subdue their egos for the good of the team, he has modeled the behavior for them.

You can question his understanding and non-use of some of his own players. Ryan Gomes and Leon Powe have seemed to be overlooked NBA talents sitting on his bench. But his understanding of most of his roster has been quite good. Occasional substitutions (or lack of them) may be curious. But by and large, Doc has got it right in this very different season.

He has done something quite difficult. He has molded a highly disciplined team without being a disciplinarian. He molded a highly committed team by being highly committed.

Fans of drill sargeant coaches may not like him for that reason. It is one of the reasons I do like him. I used to think that player motivation was not his strong suit. In a certain way it is not. The team will not come out to start a game on fire because Doc Rivers preached up a storm in the locker room. If they do, it will be for other reasons.

I have come to understand that Doc tries to motivate your mind, not your emotions. You can only play on emotion for so long. But if he can get you to change the way you think when you play, it will last longer.

Yet, there is no question he is in charge. He lets you know who is boss. Just ask Sam Cassell. He of the 'huge ones'. Sam came in expecting to play minutes right away. Doc will let you know when he thinks you should get minutes. In a surprise to some, Sam has waited his turn and patiently deferred to Doc. Message sent. Message received. Sam's adjusted.

Now Doc's adjusting for Sam. Sam says he loves playing for Doc. Sam's not alone.

Kevin Garnett said earlier in the year, in (perhaps overly) dramatic fashion, that he would die for Doc. A more telling statement could not be said.

Make no mistake, Doc is not a K.C Jones or a Jimmy Rogers, who were also handed talent laden rosters that would win with most any coach. Doc has shown successful coaching ability before. He is more like Joe Torre, but a with better record than Joe had before he came to the Yankees. Like Joe, Doc seems to understand people. Joe was not perfect and neither is Doc. But both understood the rhythms of a game and of a season and how to keep things focused - on and off the court.

Paul Pierce said in the last post game how much hard work it is to manage all those egos, and how well Doc has done. There is no doubt about that.

Doc Rivers takes credit for nothing and will deflect compliments in a self-deprecating way. In an Auerbachian way, it's all about the players.

The Celtics embark on the first step of the final leg of the journey on Sunday night. Everything rides on it.

Whatever success the Celtics achieve this season, just remember...a Rivers runs through it.

Posted by Tom on 11:37 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

April 17, 2008

The Celtic House Rules

You have heard about the Cider House Rules. There are also Celtic House Rules.

They instituted them in the pre-season (I'm guessing) and are considered cardinal rules of a sort for the team to live by and to hang their collective hats on when things get cock-eyed a bit, out on the floor. What I didn't know is that they are a state secret. Silly me.

In the course of asking Tony Allen a few questions before the last game of the regular season last night, one of the questions was how he feels about Atlanta.

It's just about watching those films, knowing the coverages, knowing what the players like to do at the perimeter and just basically sticking to all our defensive principles. Rules that you know, we went over all year.

I mentioned that Doc would sometimes have to remind them at half time of some games of their defensive principles or 'rules'.

Things might not be quite going right in the first half of a game, and players would be coming into the locker room saying that 'we need to do this', 'we need to do that' and Doc would say, "We're not changing anything. We just need to keep doing what we're supposed to be doing and everything will straighten itself out" (paraphrase)

Tony agrees....

Right. When that comes, that's when we make adjustments.

Or maybe...not make adjustments? Just do the core things they've been taught...better? What are those rules?

I can't really explain that in the papers right now. But we know what they (are) and that's pretty much it.

It seems to be kind of like...secret principles. They could tell you but...you know.

Yet, I wanted to take a stab at it and see if I was right. (I thought I heard the team talk a few times this season about 'not switching' on defense if at all possible. You are supposed to fight through the picks, be aware to not get picked if at all possible, or recover very quickly if you are picked.)

Part of it is 'not switching, right? Sticking with your man?

Tony...

Watch the game man. You'll find out!

With a gleam in his eye, Tony smiles mischievously as I understand that our time together is ending.

If I'm guessing, my guess is that the principles are:

1) get back on D.
2) Pick up your man quickly
3) Stay with him through picks
4) Stay between him and the basket
5) rotate and help when the first four rules breakdown
6) no lay-ups
7) no open shooters

Two big FBI agents drag me off to another room with a single chair and a spotlight shining on me as they interrogate me to find out what I knew. It soon became clear. I knew very little.

"Quick, what's the capital of Wisconsin?"

"Ummm. Cheddar Cheese! " I blurted out. (insanity, don't fail me now)

They breathed a sigh of relief and I was released back among the herd of wild reporters once again. Perhaps they were hoping I would soon be isolated from the herd and suffer starvation just like it happens in those National Geographic specials. Not a chance. I knew the way to the cafeteria blind folded.

Whatever the defensive principles are, they have done an impressive job with them. They will be even more important from here on out. Let the play-offs begin

Posted by Tom on 10:07 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Celts Send Nets to Powe House

The Nets got the Powe-House combo. The Celtics got richer..by one win.

The Celtics finish the regular season at 66-16, their 3rd best season ever. They lead the NBA from gate to gate, setting an uncatchable pace from game one.

Leon Powe had a career high 27 points and 11 rebounds. Eddie House sparked the 3rd quarter burst for an eleven point swing to take back the lead.

And don't leave out Tony Allen either. He added 18 points on 5 of 9 from the floor and 8-8 from the foul line. All while playing his usual effective defense.

It was a solid game by one of Boston's solid unsung players. Tony is viewed by many as the wild card, or X factor for the Celtics in the play-offs. It has been established that Tony plays more effectively with sizable minutes. He got those this evening (32 plus minutes). He brings a defensive element and a fearless attack mentality the team can really use at times. It hasn't been an easy year for Tony. How far back from that injury is Tony?

I just look at it as progress. I can't really give a percent. I feel good some days. Some days it's rough on me. I just look at it like... hey, I got through a full year, knock on wood, I got through a full year healthy. And that lets you know my strength and conditioning people are A-1. Best in the league, I could say because it's tough injury, and I bounced back from it.

Tony had 10 fourth quarter points on 3-3 shooting, 4-4 from the line, 3 rebounds and an assist.

A play-off ready Celtic team ended the regular season with a solid win against a Nets team that is in transition, 105-94.

In what was a final tune up for the play-offs, Doc gave Sam Cassell some minutes with the starters and the bench players were given big minutes again to build their confidence, though that's not what we will see going forward.

Doc regarding the value of the bench finishing together...

Oh it's valuable. I doubt that you'll see all five of them in together in the play -offs, but it gives each one individually a lot of confidence. Of that stretch,...that was probably the most important part of this last two weeks, is keeping our starters fresh, with rhythm, and giving our bench confidence.

The starters, minus Rajon Rondo (DNP - CD), did an acceptable job, but played less than 20 minutes each. The second unit played the majority of the minutes and won the game for the Cs. Led by the Medium Three (Powe, House, And Allen).

Glen Davis played one of his better games in a while, hit a few jumpers and was part of the run to retake the lead. He finished with 8 points and 5 boards.

Leon Powe...

We just had to try and get momentum back on our side. Baby hit a jumper in the corner, and that's what started it.. That's what got the momentum back on our side and from there on we kept the pressure up. The defense, and force some turnovers...got some loose balls and scored the ball a little bit.

Leon Powe's improvement has been significant in the second half of the season. He unveiled his offensive repertoire this evening. He hit a few jumpers including a high arcing fade away I've never seen him shoot before. He was his usual tenacious self around the hoop on lay-ups and he threw down a monster dunk in traffic that would have broken fingers if someone had tried to stop it. Powe had twelve 4th quarter points.

Most telling about Doc's mindset and what he's preached to the team time and again this season, is to key your eye on the final goal. Did they meet expectations Doc?

Didn't have any. I honestly didn't. I told the guys before the game....if we had won 70, if we had won 50, if we had won 40, if we had won 60.....does that matter at all to anybody in this room?....And the answer is no, it doesn't matter. It's not what we're playing for. So, why have an expectation of a number? Because that's not what we are playing for.

The Nets they played tonight no longer have their three stars. They traded Jason Kidd and are now run by former Dallas Maverick, Devin Harris. What is the difference between a Jason Kidd Nets and a post Jason Kidd Nets? Josh Boone said this about the Nets with Devin Harris vs. Jason Kidd...

When the trade was made it completely changed the structure of our team. We became a much faster team, in that Devin is a little bit quicker than J. We fast break about the same. It's just a little bit different because Devin does it with the dribble where as Jason always used to pass it ahead.

But...at least at home, we've been scoring more points. We just haven't been stopping people. So that's been the issue for us... Ever since the trade was made, our defense has been just going downhill. I don't think it's a matter of personnel. We've just been concentrating on scoring, not so much on stopping the ball.

So the Nets will pack their bags and head home. The Celtics will pack the practice court and watch film of the Atlanta Hawks, their first round opponent this week-end.

How ready are the Celtics for the play-offs?

Ray Allen..."We couldn't be anymore ready. We've gone through a lot and we couldn't be anymore excited than we are now."

Posted by Tom on 2:07 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 16, 2008

Celtics Season Finale against Nets at Home

Boston brings their remarkable regular season to a close tonight against a team many thought would be play-off bound themselves.

The New Jersey Nets season never developed into anything resembling a play-off season and Jason Kidd was traded away for Devin Harris, Desagna Diop, and Maurice Ager.

Rod Thorn believes they are reshaping, not rebuilding, and will be in the play-off hunt next season.

Doc Rivers says that Rajon Rondo may not play this evening to give him a rest, and to give Sam Cassell more minutes. Pierce, Garnett, and Ray Allen will play, though limited minutes again.

It has been an incredible run so far and the second season is just about to begin.

The Atlanta Hawks are Boston's first round opponents, Boston swept the 3 games, but the Hawks showed signs of life in each game.

New Jersey has some young players who may become solid NBA players with time. Marcus Williams, Josh Boone, and Sean Williams could make a solid supporting cast around Devin Harris, Richard Jefferson and Vince Carter. Nenad Krystic is continuing to get back into form after recovering from a lengthy rehab.

Lawrence Frank has been given a vote of confidence from ownership and should be back next season.

Doc Rivers makes his final tweaks before the Celtics take on the Hawks in Round One of the Eastern Conference Play-offs.

I'll be there as the one curtain closes before another one opens.

Posted by Tom on 1:24 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 14, 2008

Celt Subs Sink Knicks' Ship

Boston won another game without the big three playing as Doc gave Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett the night off.

The Celtic subs plus Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins brought home the team's 65th win by the score of 99-93 over the New York Titanics.

The point guard tandem of Rondo and Cassell did the biggest damage scoring with 23 and 22 points. Well, Cassell wasn't really a point guard, as I had as many assists as he did this evening in almost 31 minutes.

Rondo led the team with 10 rebounds and 5 assists as well. Many of Rondo's shots were high on the difficulty charts. He had his outside shot going and dropped in some crazy off balance stuff to boot. He was 11-15 as he shot over Nate Robinson time after time. Cassell did have 5 rebounds.

James Posey got the nod at small forward, contributing 15 points on 5 for 11 from three point land. He also had 3 boards, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Glen Davis added 13 points and 9 boards in 29 minutes. Leon Powe started at power forward and added 10 points and 5 boards in 19 minutes.

With Eddie Curry and Stephon Marbury out, the Knicks actually played a close game for much of the contest. They led a few times in the second half, even after withstanding an 18-2 run by the Celtics to take the lead.

With the unusual line up, the Celtics struggled a bit at times and only managed 13 assists on their 37 made baskets. They shot a solid .481 from the floor, and did try to run a purposeful offense, though not exactly one like we are used to...obviously.

After the Knicks took a lead of 75-73 entering the 4th quarter, the Celtics 'point' guards lived up to their name, putting up lots of points up to finish the Knicks. Rondo's 9 and Cassell's 12 fourth quarter points combined for 21 of the Celtics 26.

Thanks to hitting some icebergs named Selfishness, Stupidity, and Arrogance, the Knicks' ship has been taking on water like the Titanic since early in the season. It's about to sink for good. Boston swept the beleaguered Knickerbockers 4-0 this season.

New Knick President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh was in attendance to oversee what was probably Isaiah Thomas' last home game as the Knicks' coach. Whether Thomas remains with the organization, remains to be seen. He is being paid a lot of money to just jettison him in an overhaul.

The rest tonight for the Boston Three Star (BTS) Express means they will play in the final home on Wednesday night against the Nets according to Doc.

Not much more to say. Everyone is just waiting for the play-offs to begin.

BTW... The Hawks clinched tonight, so they will be Boston's 1st round opponent. Celtic Nation is just waiting for the second season to start. Boston is loaded, rested, and as prepared as they can possibly be. Doc Rivers has done a great job getting the team to this point.

Soon the real wars begin.

Posted by Tom on 10:15 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 13, 2008

A Conversation with James Posey and More

James Posey has turned out to be the key off season acquisition, post Garnett for this Celtic team.

At that time, he looked like he would be big...and he has been. He has been everything the team, fans, Doc Rivers and, I would guess, ownership would have hoped he would be. As it turns out, he was much more.

5th Best Defensive Rating in the NBA

Who would have thought James Mikley Mantell Posey would have has the 5th best defensive rating in the entire NBA, according to Basketball-Reference.com? Link

Let me note that he is one of 5 Celtics in the top 11 in the league, which is no surprise because this year's Celtics have the best defensive numbers in the league in all of the key areas. It makes perfect sense.

But he is the only reserve to crack that group. The other 4 Celtics are all starters.

Just as in war, team sports is a battle. It is a between you, your team mates, and the enemy - the other team.

In the ultra macho world of male sports, the fraternity of males bonding in the form of hugs is nothing unusual. But it usually occurs after a game or in a group embrace before the contest, whatever sport it may be. James Posey's now widely known pre-game ritual sends each Celtic starter into battle with a hug and a whispered message.

I was unaware of it before this year, but James Posey's pre-tip-off hugs of his team's starters was something he been doing for years now.

"It actually started, I say, when I got traded to Houston and that was just a couple of team mates. Then from Houston I went to Memphis, it was pretty much...(just) some team mates at the beginning, but then at the end, it was all my team mates, then from there I went to Miami, it was the same thing."

Another reporter asked, "Do your past team mates miss it?

"Nah, they ain't gonna say that! (laughter all around)

It's just my way of letting guys know, before they go out there, 'Y'all, we're in this together' (still) and all these years, I say something different every game for the most part."

To have a personality on the team like that is special. I mean...really unique. Chemistry can be an elusive thing. Yet, it is critical for winning in team sports. Doc has said that James is like an extension of the coach, and that is one of the unknown bonuses that James Posey brings. The fact that supposedly jaded stars like Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen have accepted it, is a credit to who Posey is as a human being. It is also a credit the the three stars and the rest of the team. They are in it for each other and team comes first.

Speaking of this team....What was the biggest surprise for him about this team, now that we are near the end of the season?

"....How we gelled so early and had that chemistry going. I mean, that's rare [for most teams]. With the type of talent we had and the guys we had, coming in early. We got know each other, on and off the court. I think that was key for us. Then we had the trip overseas. That really brought us closer together. And then..these guys in here...they're very competitive. That's fun. We like hanging around with each other on and off the court."

When asked if he was ever around a group of guys like that before...

"Not at all. Even in Miami, we didn't start gelling until March, for the most part. Then we started hitting our stride."

This team did gel early and kept getting better and more balanced in scoring on the court as the year went on.

"We enjoy being around each other. Going out to eat, going to each other's houses, you know, just hanging out. I just wish every team you (were) a part of understood this, and had, you know what I'm saying, the same feeling each guy brings into this locker room. At the end of the day it's about winning and enjoying the process and being happy for your team. And sticking with each other through the course of the season."

You have had a number of head coaches. What is different about Doc that makes this work?

James was silent for a number of seconds as he thought a little deeper for a moment...

"His communication skills with the players. Everyone communicating back and forth. He's not always talking at you and beating you over the head with everything, because he played, he understands a little bit. You can have a conversation with him and tell him how you feel and he tells you what he sees, and then you like..okay... I understand that. That you can get things off your chest, instead of keeping things bottled up. You gotta have that communication with the coach. That's been key with us."

Then James thought of a specific example of Doc's unique style....

Even in tight situations, he still has that sense of humor or is able to relate and communicate with us so we can get the job done.

It was crazy... (pause)...we (were) in Orlando and we were down big and we were shorthanded a little bit, and he came in the huddle, I think Rondo went down, and he said, "(expletive) you guys bring it in. Just go out there and play hard. We got tomorrow off! (laughter)

See, we were already down, getting smacked and everything, and at that point in time that's how he talked to us and we fought ourselves, got back in the ball game. We lost on a last second shot. Things like that. Not just pounding us over the head. He made us just relax and we got back in the game. That (moment) sticks out as the main thing as far as Doc being (good) communication-wise."

James went on to say that Doc also cares about the players beyond basketball. He knows that players have other things going on. Does that make a more committed team?

James says yes. His final testament to Doc's way being effective...

"He knows you have families. But we got guys, on off days, you still see most of our team in there. Guys doing cardio, lifting weights, get their shots up, getting treatment, and whatever. I've been on teams where...when you say 'day off'...they gonna take that day off, you ain't see nobody around there. They (are) gone!" (chuckles)

That is a direct credit to Doc?

"Yeah. He's respecting us as being veterans and getting our work done without him beating us across the head. Guys still come around here like that.

He's leading us. But on top of that, we take responsibility for when we mess up. From Ticket to the last man on the bench. You have to respect that. You don't always have a coach who does things like that."

James is sold on Doc, the team is sold on James, and this is what James Posey gives you as a player, statistically and otherwise:

His Defense

Doc Rivers has surprised many by playing Posey at the 4 for much of the season. Posey has responded with great defensive efforts most of the time, while giving the team a floor spreader at the other end. He can't be left alone at the 3 point arc.

Besides solid fundamental positioning, staying in front of his player, etc., his defense includes multiple deflections most every game, and seems to come up with steals at critical moments. He draws charges, and will put a hard foul on you when it is required. He will get into opponents heads. He will frustrate his opponent. He is consistently solid. As expected, James is one of the key cogs in this vaunted Celtic defense.

Offense

He has hit a number of big three point shots over the course of the season and has made some clutch free throws to help win some games. Many of his threes seem to be a part of runs to keep Celtic rallies going. It's kind of like that player in a baseball line-up who keeps a scoring rally going by getting another key hit to move the runners along or bring another run in to destroy the opponents morale. Posey pours oil on the fire. Picking his spots, and using his picks, James can drive and finish or dish it for a better shot.

Initially, I thought Posey might be used more offensively than he has been. Something along the lines of his most offensively productive year (12-14 points per game) at Memphis was possible, in my mind.

That year (03/04) this may surprise you (it surprised me) but, according to Basketball-reference.com James Posey was:

1) 3rd in the league in true shooting pct at .614%
2) 6th in offensive rating
3) 10th in win shares (30)
4) 14th in offensive win shares - ahead of guys like McGrady, Billups and Reggie Miller

Of course your team has to be winning to get win shares, but Posey was a big reason offensively that Memphis won 50 games that season under Hubie Brown.

James Posey on Hubie Brown...

"He kept it simple for us. He made it fun. (like here) guys liked playing with each other."

James can start against the other team's best forward, as well as anchoring the second unit's defensive efforts. Though James comes off the bench here, Posey has been a starter on other teams, even the championship Miami Heat team. In fact, James started much of the year that season, only to be moved to the bench for the play-offs, to let Antoine Walker start. The moved worked well for both players and the team.

James was one of two players suspended for a few games by Pat Riley for not meeting team body fat standards. Antoine Walker was the other. Astoundingly, Shaq was not. If you are wondering just how out of shape Posey was, don't fret too hard. The team's standard was no more than 8% body fat. Posey was at 9%. I find it hard to believe that Shaq was carrying less than 10%, yet no suspension there, was there?

As a Celtic, Posey doesn't look out if shape, or have conditioning problems, though he certainly doesn't look like a weight room freak either.

In terms of off season pick-ups to revolve around the anointed threesome, James has been the most important pick up for the Celtics.

The Boston Celtics had already signed Eddie House and Scot Pollard within 9 days of making the trade for Garnett on July 31. They added Posey on August 27. This signing was the most significant of the post-Garnett signings. It legitimized Boston's chances to go places in the eyes of many previous skeptics.

After making $6.4 million the previous season, he was signed for a 2 year deal worth $3.2 mil this year with a player option for $3.5 next season. It's been reported that Eddie House had called James and helped convince him to come to Boston to help try and win a championship.

From this point forward, Boston had, at least, a solid 8 man rotation. With House, Tony Allen and Posey coming off the bench, Boston's starters had a modicum of real bench support.

With Davis, Powe and now PJ Brown all performing well, maybe James will get to play a little more at the 3, his natural position. But wherever Doc plays him, James will give you what you see in the stat column and a whole lot more.

A little over a year ago (2/14/2007), The Sun Sentinel of Florida reported how important Posey was to the Heat. It was assumed Posey was on the way out as trade rumors surfaced...

" That thinking should stop. Now.

If nothing else, recent games have proven the value of Posey, particularly fourth-quarter value, when his relentless approach has helped put away victories against San Antonio and Portland.

The acquisition of (Eddie) Jones seems to have inspired Posey. His play alongside Jones has provided the Heat with a defensive lineup that continually has flustered the opposition."

That is what James does. He has been doing it all season. Now he does it for a coach he respects and team mates that really like each other. What could be better? Answer: Adding another NBA championship to his resume with that coach and those team mates.

Posted by Tom on 4:38 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Cassell Saves Win: Celts beat Hawks

If this was baseball, Sam Cassell would have gotten a save.

After the Hawks had tied the game in the third quarter, they came out and took the lead back in the 4th with 2 three pointers by Mike Bibby to go up 84-78.

At that point, the Celtics point guard 'reliever' Sam Cassell took over and pitched his way to another Celtic win. He scored 15 fourth quarter points, on 6 of 9 shooting, including two three pointers, as the Cs went out to outscore the Hawks 21-5 to win 99-89.

Sam did it while running Boston's 2nd unit. He provided the knockout punch while the rest of the unit provided the defense. It was a nice combo to KO the Hawks. Oops. Now I'm doing a boxing metaphor. Whatever.

The Celtics starters did well, but the bench provided the spark to put the game away. Cassell, Davis, Brown, Posey, and Tony Allen comprised the 4th quarter line-up and brought the team's 64th victory home against their most likely 1st round opponent. But the Celtics biggest lead of the game was only 11 points. It doesn't sound significant, but that's a little unusual for a Celtic win. I'm sure that Atlanta was trying to show that they can play with the big boys.

Mike Bibby has been a difference maker for this Hawk team. The Hawks played the Men In Green just about even when he was in there. Since his arrival 31 games ago, the Hawks have gone 17-13 and have won 7 of the last 10 to be close to elevating into the play-offs for the first time in 9 years. Mike has averaged 14.1 points and 6.7 assists as a Hawk.

This is from my interview with Coach Woodson from the last time the Hawks played in Boston. They had just gotten Bibby...

"He brings us more leadership. He brings us a point guard that's capable of running a basketball team...something that I really hadn't had since I've been here. Plus he can score the ball. He's very crafty in terms of making plays for guys around him. Our guys are really starting to grow with him, considering that it's only been 7 games with him."

At that time, rumors were swirling that Woodson's job was on the line. While he wouldn't address those rumors, his answer spoke directly to how he viewed some of the difficulties of trying to playing winning basketball without a PG who can run a team. Since then they are over .500, proving Mr. Woodson correct and perhaps not such a bad coach afterall. Has his job been reprieved? I have no idea. But it would be fair to think he has bought himself some time.

Should the Hawks clinch, which the Celtic win last night delayed, it will be their first play off appearance since 1999, a nine year drought. They are 2 games ahead of the Pacers with 2 games left.

The Celtics were led by Garnett's 24 points in 29 minutes, followed by Cassell's 20, then Pierce, and Ray Allen with 14 each. Sam added 5 assists to tie Rondo for team honors. Glen Davis played one of his stronger games in a while, contributing 8 points and 10 rebounds while playing solid defense. James Posey officially had no shot attempts in 23 minutes, though he did go to the line twice for 3-4 while adding 3 steals.

Doc Rivers once again was able to give the starters solid rest and the bench pulled out a win.

The Celtics are 23-4 since that 3 game losing streak out west.

The Celtics play next in New York on Monday night.

Posted by Tom on 11:56 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack