CELTICS GREEN BLOG by and for boston celtics fans: Sunday's Odds and Ends

November 19, 2006

Steve Bulpett points out that after a woeful 1-6 start, the Celtics are suddenly red hot and right back in the mix in the Atlantic division. This was a game where the refs called frequent fouls and kept any momentum from going too far and we finally closed out a close game. Things are looking up for the Green!

In the Celtics Notebook, Bulpett reports that Danny is not going to make any moves to alleviate our center woes. Al should be back next week and Perk has been very good to stay out of foul trouble. And Powe has been doing a good job of backing up Perk. Pierce is once again showing his playful side as he tells how he misses the Brown/Knicks soap opera in New York. This is a great quote.

“The soap opera’s dying down around here. The year before that we had the Lakers with Kobe and Shaq, and then we had New York. What are we going to do without those two soap operas?

“Maybe I should start something,” he added with a mischievous look. “Maybe I should slap Perk (Kendrick Perkins). No, I ain’t touching that man. He’ll choke me out. But we’ve got to start something on this team.”

Mark Murphy has a piece on Clifford Ray and the effect he had on Dwight Howard and the effect he is having on our big men here. I already see a difference in Perks aggressiveness on the glass and his improved offensive game. It's too bad that both Al and Perk didn't have the whole summer to work with Ray, but I think as the year goes on we will see more and more improvement in both of them.

Shira's Notebook mentions how good it is to finally win three in a row for the first time since April 2005. They finish the article by saying that the team came through with some maturity that we haven't seen before and this may be a sign that the winning may just continue.

Another Globe article focuses on Ratliff's trip to NY to visit a doctor for treatments on his bulging disc. No time table has been set for his return but he says it is responding to treatment. When Ratliff does return, he should come off the bench. Perk has been doing a very good job and deserves to keep his starting spot. Coming off the bench could extend Ratliff's career a bit also.

Bill Doyle has a rather negative piece that suggests that Pierce may never make it to the finals with the Celtics. I very much disagree with this. I think the young Celtics are maturing in front of our eyes and I like what I see. This team is going to just continue getting better and will challenge for the championship within the next couple of years, even without a trade. Jefferson, Perk, and Gomes are going to break out this season. We will have solid players in West, Green, Rondo, and Telfair and I do believe that they are going to be very, very good.

Scott Souza longs for the old Ryan Gomes. I don't think the new one is all that bad. He has gotten a triple double this season, along with several double doubles and always seems to be in the right place for a rebound or a put back. He does so many good things and makes very few mistakes.

Mike Fine reminds us that the Celtics now have a winning streak. It is a modest 3 games, but something that they couldn't do all last season. It shows some consistency is building and that the team is progressing. Celtics fans have come back from the depths of dispair from the 1 and 6 start to the mountain of elation after our first 3 game win streak in well over a year. Of course I could say I told you so. I knew that this team was much better than the record.

In an article from the other side, The New York Times report gives the refs more credit for loss than they do the Celtics. There were a host of blown calls on both sides last night. It didn't just go one way. The key is that the Celtics kept their cool and the Knicks didn't.

Check out the Podcap of the game on CelticsStuff Live. And don't forget tonight's show with special guest Mike Fine of the Patriot Ledger. They are rolling out a new Broadcast Room to give The Pit some class. There is always much fun to be had in the chat room as well as listening to the show. Be sure to call in with your questions and comments. See you there!!!

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