Hoopsworld has postes a preview of all 30 teams. Here is what they had to say about the Celtics. I think the key to improvement for the team will be defense. Will Doc institute a team defense or let them pick it up while they practice offense? If the team doesn't improve defensively, that may mean the end of Doc in Boston. I am still not ruling out a trade before training camp, but think Danny would be best served to wait until he sees how this team performs. I think the competition at just about every position will be a good thing for the team.

It may just be the koolaid...

but I was reading about Dave Cowens and I couldn't help think about Perk. Cowens was 6'9" and was undersized by most standards for a center but he made up for any lack of height by hustle and hard work. Perk is 6'10" and has a work ethic second to none. He works very hard to improve all the time. Cowens came into the league after 4 years in college. Perk came in right out of high school. This is his 4th season, but he got very little playing time his first two years and not much more last year. I believe that Perk is going to have a break out year this year. He finally got some playing time last season and was showing some great moves when he was injured. 2 sentences in the article on Cowens caught my eye: "It was Cowens' consistency, work ethic, unselfishness, versatility and energy that established him as one of the most solid and respected centers in recent NBA history." and "An unlikely hero in a sport dominated by men of greater size and natural ability, the red-haired lefthander relied on hustle and heart to achieve NBA greatness. His determination helped to resurrect a Celtics dynasty presumed dead after the departure of legend Bill Russell." Perk hasn't shown much consistency yet but he hasn't been given much of a chance either. But his work ethic, unselfishness, versatility, and energy are very evident. His work ethic is second to none and I believe this is going to pay dividends. Also, Perk is an unlikely hero. Many don't see him as becoming a dominant center. He has had to overcome a lot in his life to get here. His first year, he completely rebuilt his body from high school shape to NBA shape. He hasn't been given much playing time as yet in his career, having to take a back seat to Stone Hands Blount and Raef who prefers to play out on the 3 point line than under the basket. I believe he will, like Cowens, also rely on hustle and heart to achieve NBA greatness. Many point to Perk's propensity to foul and say that he won't get anywhere because of it. Here is another quote from the Cowens' article: "One of the things Cowens did too much in his rookie year with the Celtics was foul other players; he committed a league-high 350 infractions. (He would foul out of 90 games by the end of his career, a total that ranks among the top 20 of all time.)" Referees don't give young centers much respect and they don't get the fouls that veterans do. Last season, Perk didn't get called for fouls near as much as he did the season before. If Dave Cowens could dominate in the league and get called for a large amount of fouls, so can Perk. Fouling a lot also comes from their strong desire to win and going all out on the court to prevent the other team from scoring ... "No Layups." "At 6-9 and 230 pounds, Cowens certainly was neither the biggest nor the most overpowering center in the league, particularly when compared to the likes of Lanier, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Wilt Chamberlain. His versatility and energy were his greatest assets, along with a willingness to sacrifice his own scoring total -- and his body -- for the good of the team. Cowens ran baseline to baseline, set picks, made heady passes, participated in full-court presses, blocked seemingly unblockable shots, dived into the crowd after loose balls, muscled through the paint for tip-ins, and generally made himself a nuisance to Celtics opponents." I believe that after this season, the above could be used to describe Perk. Perk may not be the biggest or most overpowering center in the league, particularly compared to the likes of Shaq, and Yao Ming. His versatility and energy and hustle are his greatest assets, along with a willingness to sacrifice his own scoring total and his body for the good of the team. Perk runs the floor well and sets picks and is one of the team's best outlet passers. He blocks seemingly unblockable shots, dives for loose balls, muscles in for tip ins, and generally intimidates the other team. Cowens' determination helped to resurrect the franchise that was presumed dead after the retirement of Bill Russell and I believe that Perk's determination will help to resurrect the franchise that is presumed dead after 20 years of hard times. "No Layups!" Related Article: Dave Cowens Bio Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!

TSN Canada has a good preview of the Celtics. He makes a lot of good points. Well worth the read.

There are many questions that will need to be answered once training camp begins. Last year's team never really gelled because of Doc showcasing players for a trade, the mid year trade, and the assorted injuries that plagued the team all season. This leaves us with many questions about the team coming into training camp this season.

Let's start by looking at the injury question. We have a large number of players who are rehabbing from various surgeries this summer. Wally is recovering from a knee surgery. Tony Allen is recovering from a similar surgery. Pierce is recovering from surgery on his elbow. Perk had shoulder surgery. Al had surgery on his ankle when they finally found the problem that has been causing the pain there. Powe's knees will be a question mark until he proves they aren't. Ratliff hasn't had a healthy season in recent memory and is recovering from various ailments from last season. West had a groin injury toward the end of the season and may or may not have recurring problems with it. Hopefully all of these players will be healthy and ready to play when training camp starts, but we won't know until then if they will. We need only to think back to last season and the fact that it took half a year for Tony to recover from last summer's surgery. Al took a long time to recover from both sprained ankles last season. Even if the bone chips were causing the pain and are now removed, will he continue to have ankle problems? Can this team stay healthy for an entire year? Only time will tell.

Our next question should be what kind of team do we want to have? Do we want a running team from start of the game to the end? Do we want a first team of half court players and a second team of fast break players to match up with different teams? If we want a running team and utilize the speed of our two new point guards, will the rest of the team run with them? How willing will Pierce be to run down the court on every play? How willing will he be to allow the PG to control the tempo and run the team? Along with the tempo issue, will we play mostly small ball? Will we put 2 PGs on the floor at once? Will we allow the bigs to play under the basket? Most importantly, will we play defense? We will never win a championship without being able to lock down the other team with tough defense. Will Doc finally take defense seriously and insist on it?

Another question that needs to be answered is what roles will each of the players fill? Who will start? Pierce is the only one certain of being a starter. We have competition at virtually every position. Will West keep his starting job? Will Telfair or Rondo impress enough to take it from him? Will Wally start or come off the bench to save his knees? Will Perk or Ratliff start? Will Jones be in the mix at center if Ratliff can't play? Will Gomes or Al start? Will Powe and Ray get playing time or be sent to the D League? Will we play a small line up and go with Al at center? Will Doc insist on playing Scal over and above more deserving players as he did last year? Along this same line of thinking, will Al play the 4 or the 5? Will West play the 1 or the 2? Will Gomes play the 3 or the 4? Will Pierce play the 2 or the 3? Where will Green fit in? Competition is a good thing and I believe we will have a very spirited training camp as all these answered are ironed out.

What are our strengths? We have some good offensive players in Pierce, Wally, West, Green, and Jefferson. We have some very good defensive players in Rondo, Allen, West, Gomes, Ratliff, and Perk. We need to field a lineup that combines our offensive strengths with our defensive strengths. Last year, our second team gave up leads and there was no one who could score points. Doc needs to be sure that we have offensive players on that second team along with defensive stoppers on both teams. Doc must learn the strengths of each player and use them so that both the first and second teams are balanced.

Will Doc be any better this season at in game strategy and substitutions? If there are no trades, we will have a lot of young players who will need playing time. Can Doc manage it? Will he over play the veterans and slight the kids? Will he be able to manage the substitutions so that he isn't playing some players into the ground? There are just as many questions surrounding Doc as there are surrounding the team.

Finally, there is a question of chemistry. We haven't changed the team all that much but we have added 4 new Rookies and lost Raef. This team had great chemistry last year after the trade. Will the new players fit right in with that chemistry? Will the chemistry mean good team play?

There are a lot of questions and only 32 more days until training camp to get some answers. I can't wait...

I really love this kid. I was doing some research last night and came across a quote about a legendary Celtic that said that he "embodied the work ethic that was Celtics' Pride." I look at the team we have today and see several players that this quote could be written about. But the 2 that come to mind immediately are Kendrick Perkins and Leon Powe. Both have had to work more than most just to overcome what life has thrown at them. Perhaps this is what makes both of them work so hard on the court. Both put in hour after hour both during the season and the off season to make themselves better. I can't help but feel that one day someone will be doing research on Celtic Legends and come across that quote referring to one or both of these kids. I know that Powe hasn't played a game for the Celtics yet, but you have to pull for a kid who works this hard and who has overcome so much and is such a genuine person. He truly "embodies the work ethic that is Celtics' Pride."

By now, most people have heard the story of former Cal basketball player Leon Powe. From the streets of Oakland to Haas Pavillion, Powe weathered a number of serious knee injuries throughout high school and college to garner national accolades as a second-team All-American in 2006. The hard work led to Powe's selection in the second round of this year's NBA draft by the Denver Nuggets, who traded him to the Boston Celtics, and a professional contract for a young man who's never had much but who has always made the most of what he's had. So as a successful young man getting set to begin his professional career, Powe had several options with that first paycheck he received from the Celtics. He could have spent it all on a car or a house, or maybe he could have saved it for the future. Whatever the option, it would have been easy for Powe to justify doing something for himself. Instead, Powe decided to host the inaugural Team Powe Basketball Camp last Saturday at Merritt College. The all-day camp was free to kids' ages 7 through 18 and attracted well over 100 participants. Both Powe and Ward were emphatic in saying that the new Celtic would not stop with just one camp. Ward mentioned the Reggie Lewis Youth Center in Boston as a possible avenue for Powe to continue his work with kids when he embarks on his pro career.[More] source:Contra Costa Times Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!

Good article that gives us 5 reasons for Boston Sports Fans to return to the fold of Celtics' fans. Some of us have been here all along waiting for the time when we can feel vindicated for staying with the Celtics through thick and thin. We have a great core of young players. I believe they all will take a step up this year and I also believe that one or more of these kids will become stars. There is no franchise like the Celtics and they are poised to once again reclaim their place at the top of the NBA. Jump on the bandwagon before you get left behind.

Admittedly, Celtic fans have not had much to cheer about the last 15 years. Larry Bird succumbed to his chronically ailing back, a string of bad coaches highlighted by the disaster that was Rick Pitino steered the team further and further into oblivion, the hallowed Boston Garden was torn down, and the false hope of a trip to the eastern conference finals in 2002 all made for a rough time to be a Celtics fan. To the rabid Boston Fan, the outlook appears bleak, the team unable to draw the interest of sexier, more desirable Red Sox and Patriots. This, many fans have decided, is reason enough to go against their otherwise reputation of loyal, dedicated, and well informed. If you are a fan of Boston Sports and you are not rooting for the 2006-2007 Boston Celtics, you are not well informed to say the very least. There is a healthy collection of reasons to root for the Green and White in what promises to be an exciting season. Here are the top five reasons why: 1. Paul Pierce. 2. Youth. 3. The ability to run. 4. Danny Ainge is calling the shots. 5. The Celtics play in the Eastern Conference. The recent scorn of the Celtics by both the Boston Media (when is the last time the Celtics made the front page or had a blog following like the Boston Dirt Dogs site?) and the Boston fans must be corrected to push the team over the top. It is up to the fans to recreate Celtics Fever, to make the TD Banknorth Garden the Garden again. The Celtics boast the pieces to resurrect the tradition of winning, of true Celtic Glory. It is up to the Boston Fans to shake off stereotypes and become sensible and well informed once again. Bleed Green, Celtic Pride. [More] source:The Tufts Observer Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!

JoJo is still a big part of the Celtics' family and I am happy to see him honored in this way.

When you talk about the recent history of basketball, JoJo White's name seems to keep popping up. On Saturday, August 19, White was among nine African American achievers inducted into the St. Louis Gateway Classic Sports Foundation Walk of Fame. The Walk of Fame recognizes African Americans achievers who have contributed to their community, and many of the inductees are among the first African Americans to serve in their field. White is the first African American from St. Louis to play in the NBA, and he's very proud of the honor recently bestowed on him at the Walk of Fame. A seven-time All-Star for the Celtics, White is no stranger to being honored, but he said that being recognized in his hometown was special to him, since his family could be there to see it. [More] source: Celtics.com Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!

This one is a few days old, but I thought it interesting to post in light of the previous Reggie Lewis post by FL. It gets me thinking what if Bird ever went down in his career! SHeesh! I shouldn't even give a thought!

On March 17, 1998, Indiana Pacers coach Larry Bird was in the midst of barking instructions to his players during a tight game against Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls when he suddenly felt his heart ``kick out." ``It was all out of rhythm," Bird recalled. ``My heart was jumping all over the place, and I was having trouble breathing." He knew what was coming next. He began to sweat profusely as his heart rate elevated. As play continued, he began to feel dizzy and lightheaded, and he nearly collapsed in front of the Pacers' bench. ``I kept hoping for a television timeout, because if I didn't get one, I was going to pass out," Bird said. When the referees finally whistled the scheduled TV break, Bird sank into his chair on the sideline, narrowly avoiding fainting in front of a nationally televised audience. After taking a moment to regain his composure, Bird coached the rest of game without incident. Neither his players nor assistant coaches noticed he was in distress and he didn't tell anyone except the team trainer, David Craig, and that was well after the game. [More] source: Boston Globe Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!

We have seen many instances of this over the years. Robert Parish was considered a troublemaker in Golden State became a Hall of Fame player in Boston. Dennis Johnson was a troublemaker in Seattle and became the glue that held the team together in Boston. Ricky Davis was seen as a troublemaker in Cleveland only to come to Boston to be the perfect teammate. Jermaine O'Neal was seen as a bust in Portland and became a dominant player in Indiana. Darko was a non-entity in Detroit only to become a player in Orlando. And on and on.

There are instances all over the league. A player seems washed up, a troublemaker, a mistake, etc. only to become an All Star on the team they are traded to. Chauncey Billips was a player seen by Rick Pitino as not developing quickly enough. But yet he went to Detroit and developed very quickly. The same can be said of Jermaine O'Neal after he went to Indiana.

In most cases, the difference is in the system or the coaching. Some come from a system that doesn't fit their playing style. Or the coach and the player don't get along and so the player is not given playing time or given a reputation as a malcontent. Sometimes it is just the player maturing and breaking out that coincides with the trade.

This brings me to Sebastian Telfair. He was not the starting PG, or even the second PG, but stuck on the bench as the third option in Portland. Will we see him reach his potential in Boston? Telfair has gotten great reviews from his coach in Portland, so it wasn't a case of a personality clash with the coach. But, the system in Portland didn't fit Bassy's style. Telfair is most effective in an open court when he can run and on the fast break. In Portland, the team played more of a slow down, half court style. In Boston, Doc hopes to run and if that is the case, Telfair should thrive.

Rondo is also coming out of a system that didn't play to his strengths. I can't help but feel that he also will thrive in Boston. He has been impressing people wherever he plays because he has the skills and the talent to become a very good PG in the NBA, in spite of not thriving in the Kentucky system.

For all those who are pointing to Telfair's first 2 years in the league or to Rondo's last year in Kentucky to say that they can't run a team should remember Robert Parish, who many in Golden State felt would never be a very good Center. Or they should think back to those in Seattle saying that Dennis Johnson couldn't run a team. In the right system, and with the right coach, players can reach their potential, even if they have been thought to be busts previously. I think Telfair is coming to a system that will allow him to play to his strengths and will put him back on track to reach the potential that made him the center of tremendous attention coming into the league. And Rondo may be seen as the steal of the draft. Hopefully Doc can be the coach to take advantage of their abilities and play to their strengths.

With actual Celtics' news very hard to come by these days, thank goodness for the blogging community. It is 34 days until training camp... just over a month. Players should be coming into Boston and getting into shape. The walking wounded in Boston should be recovering from their surgeries sufficiently to start working out. Danny mentioned a couple a weeks ago that he expected Perk to be cleared for full workouts that week. Tony Allen should get his new court date today. We should start to hear some news soon and it is a good thing because sooner or later, even the blogs are going to run out of things to write about.

Taking a look at what is going on around the blogs today, Jeff over at Celtics Blog asks the question "Why Not Marion?" I have been saying all along that Marion would make a great target for Danny. I like Jeff's idea of getting New York involved. It makes a lot of sense.

Today's Cheap Seats entry is hoping that the Celtics can go on a run. Honestly, with the number of very young players, we could be a powerhouse for years to come if they all reach the potential that has been projected for them. Even if Danny trades some for a veteran, we should have enough young players left to form a core for years to come. I am all for a run myself.

Justin over on Celtics 17 announced a new writer for the site and tenaciousT's first article is great. I love the fruit analogy. I am expecting several of our young players to "ripen" this season and come into their own. I have a feeling that if Danny stands pat with what we have now, he may decide that the players we have may be better than what he was trying to trade for.

CelticsStuff Live is discussing JB's sadness over Nellie's hiring in Golden State. I'm with JB. Since reading of Nellie's desire to return to coaching, I was hoping that he would be available for the Celtics when Doc wears out his welcome. It would have been a great match. A Celtics' legend coming back home again.

Justin also just posted a great interview with Mike Gorman. He discusses his early career, Johnny Most, and more. Interesting that he doesn't want to discuss Telfair because he doesn't feel Danny is done with trades. He feels that although Danny loves the players he has now, he wouldn't hesitate to pull the trigger on a trade to make the team better.

Over at Red's Army Red is asking for help for a fellow Celtics' fan to win a home court makeover. A couple of other blogs have requested votes for them too. You can cast your vote for a fellow blogger here. Red also posts links for Bird's thoughs on Big Papi's condition, Yao's reception in China, and Nellie's coaching again.

I Heart Celtics takes a look at Kenny Anderson's bid for a return to the NBA. I don't believe that he would fit with the running style that Boston is trying to institute. We didn't just need a veteran, we needed one who could run.

It seems that many of the reporters and those close to the team feel that Danny is going to pull off another trade. Then, we would certainly have something to talk about.

Nellie is going to be going back to coach the Warriors. I have always kind of hoped that he would come here to coach. It has always amazed me that after a solid career in Boston, playing 11 years and having his number retired there, he has never coached in Boston.

He has coached Milwaukee, Golden State, Dallas and even the Knicks, but not Boston. He has been named coach of the year 4 times, but never in Boston. He even coached the real Ricky Pierce. I have been holding out hope that Nellie would be available when Doc wears out his welcome in Boston. I think he would be great for this team. I think it would be fitting for him to finish his coaching career in Boston. But I guess it isn't to be.

Don Nelson will be named as the new coach of the Golden State Warriors this week after the Warriors agreed to terms on a buyout with Mike Montgomery, ESPN.com has learned.< inline1> Sources close to the situation told ESPN.com that things are "all lined up" for Nelson, 66, to rejoin the Warriors, who haven't been to the playoffs since 1994 ... when Nelson was still coaching them. The Warriors announced Tuesday morning that they have bought out the final two seasons left on Montgomery's contract, worth an estimated $5 million. The club declined to discuss their interest in Nelson, but have scheduled a news conference for Wednesday night to formally announce his appointment. ESPN.com reported in February that Nelson was privately dropping hints to friends about a willingness to coach again in 2006-07 after taking the 2005-06 season off. With Avery Johnson ready to succeed him faster than anticipated, Nelson relinquished his coaching duties with the Dallas Mavericks in March 2005 after a series of health issues and his relationship with Mavs owner Mark Cuban deteriorating. [More] source: ESPN Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!

Yesterday we paid tribute to Johnny Most, a man who bled green and loved the Celtics with everything in him. Today, we want to pay tribute to the man who picked up the mantle from Johnny. Tommy Heinsohn is a man who loves the Celtics and has given most of his life to them in one facet or another: player, coach and analyst. I can only say "I LOVE TOMMY!" (Can I get a Tommy Point?)

Since 1981, Tommy Heinsohn has been the color analyst on the Celtics' television broadcasts. Like Johnny Most, Heinsohn bleeds green and sees everything through green colored glasses. He is part of a team with Mike Gorman that has been broadcasting Celtics games for 25 years and they make up TV's longest running telecast duo. Tom Heinsohn is a true representative of Boston Celtics' pride. Known for his hard-nosed style of play, yet possessing a superb shooting touch and good body control, Tom Heinsohn was a vital cog in the Boston Celtics' dynasty of the 1950s and 1960s. Chosen as NBA Rookie of the Year in 1957, he helped the Celtics win eight NBA titles during his nine-year tenure, was named to the All-NBA Second Team for four years, and was an All-Star for six. His number 15 was retired by the Celtics in 1966. But that isn't the end of Tommy's time with the Celtics. In 1969, three years after Red Auerbach retired, Tom Heinsohn was offered the post of head coach of the Boston Celtics. In what he called "guerrilla warfare," his teams kept the pressure on opponents at all times, controlling the tempo of the game and playing with great intensity. . During Heinsohn's eight full seasons as coach, Boston won five Eastern Division titles in a row, took two NBA Championships and compiled a 416-240 record. Heinsohn stepped down as head coach at the start of the 1977-78 season. But Tommy still wasn't done with the Celtics. In 1981, the now-retired Heinsohn joined Mike Gorman as color commentator in the Celtics' TV broadcasts; they have since become one of the longest-tenured tandems in sports broadcasting history. Tommy was enshrined in the Hall of Fame on May 6, 1986. Before Walter McCarty was traded, at least once or twice a game, you would hear Tommy shout out "I love Waltah!!!" And since McCarty's departure, he has been heard shouting "I love Perk!" or "I love Delonte!" And you truly believe that he does love every player on this team. Every game, you will hear Tommy mention the Redhead in Needham. This is Tommy's wife that he always acknowledges in every broadcast. He is a very loyal man, and not just to the Celtics! When the referees make a call against the Celtics, you will hear Tommy yell, "Go home to your mother!!" And if they do make a questionable call against the Celtics, Tommy will always feel that his beloved Green have been robbed. Even if the replay shows differently. The most common quote heard during games is "Give him a Tommy Point!" Tommy Points have even earned an entry in theUrban Dictionary: An award given to an NBA player, usually a member of the Celtics, by Celtics color commentator Tommy Heinsohn (NBA Rookie of the Year 1956-57 for the Boston Celtics, NBA Hall of Fame Inductee 1986) for a great play that goes up and beyond the call of duty expected of the player. E.g. A steal, a blocked shot or great defensive play, etc. Paul Pierce cuts through a few tough defenders to score 2 "That's a Tommy Point!" Ricky Davis goes baseline to make a shot "Tommy Point for Ricky!" Delonte West makes a hustle play that ends up saving the game "GIVE 'IM TEN THOUSAND TOMMY POINTS!!!" Although I have never heard Tommy give out ten thousand Tommy Points, he does give out several during each game. There is even a site, Tommy Points.com that tracks the Tommy Points and the Tommy Awards given out in each game. The Tommy Award is given to the player who went above and beyond in hustle and effort in the games. Tommy loves the Celtics. You can hear it in every broadcast and every word he speaks about the team. I am sure the man lives on green koolaid. Like Most before him, he sees little wrong in this team and is enthusiastic about all that he sees from them on the floor. If you check out the other teams' message boards, there is usually at least one thread about how Tommy is one of the biggest homers going. I know when I get the other teams' feeds on League Pass, I miss Tommy. I miss his enthusiasm and his view of the game through green colored glasses. Since I see the team through green colored glasses as well, Tommy's broadcasts are just what I love to hear. Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!

When he was in Cleveland, Ricky Davis had his own cheering section called Ricky's Renegades. Each of the fans in this section auditioned and received season tickets from Ricky. When Ricky came to the Celtics, he again held auditions and gave 15 fans season tickets and the Get Buckets Brigade was formed. These fans could be seen cheering wildly at every home game. When Ricky was traded, Wyc took over paying for their tickets for the rest of the season and they chose another worthy player to support and they became the Perkolators. I am not sure if Perk will keep the section going or not, since he sort of inherited them. At many of the games, there was also a Gomes cheering section as a group of students from Providence bought a block of tickets and would cheer specifically for Ryan.

I guess Wyc thought that Ricky had a good idea and this year, following Ricky's lead, the Celtics are having specific fan sections for Green, Wally, Perk, Delonte, Big Al, Gomes and Pierce. Of course, you have to pay for the tickets, but you get them at a discount and also get a picture with the player whose section you are sitting in along with a game jersey with their number. Not sure how that idea is going over. I imagine that many of the sections will be full and madly cheering their favorite players. I noticed that they didn't have a Scalabrine section. Must be an oversight.

Now, we see in the news this morning that Jeff VanGundy has purchased 50 season tickets to award to the rowdiest Rocket fans. They will have a Red Rowdie section to try to liven up the crowd. Who would have thought that Ricky's idea would have led to so many others. I sure do miss Ricky... I wonder what his cheering section in Minny will be called.

HOUSTON -- Seeking to liven up the atmosphere at the Toyota Center, Houston Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy has purchased 50 season tickets, the majority of which will be given to fans judged to be the rowdiest at tryouts this weekend. The Rockets went 34-48 last season and won only 15 home games. Van Gundy has said he wants the arena to become a more intimidating place for opponents. On Saturday, the Rockets will hold open tryouts at the Toyota Center in search of "the loudest and rowdiest Rockets fans in Houston," the team said. Candidates will have 30 seconds to audition in front of a judging panel -- which will not include Van Gundy. The top 30 fans selected by the judges will receive season tickets near the court. The other 20 tickets will be distributed at each home game -- 10 at random outside the arena before the game and 10 during the game allowing fans to move from their seats into the "Red Rowdies" section.[More] source:ESPN Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!

No one could ever mistake Johnny Most as an impartial analyst. He loved the Celtics and with every call, you could hear it. To Johnny, being called a "homer" was a good thing and we all loved him for it.

From 1953 through the present, the Celtics have had a couple of the biggest homers in the business as their broadcasters. From 1953 through 1990, Johnny Most was the radio voice of the Celtics. Most never pretended to be objective: his Celtics were near-saints who could do no wrong (even when they did), and anyone not wearing the green were the scum of the Earth. He was a legend to Boston Celtics fans during the Celtics' 30 year reign from the 1950s through the 1980s as basketball's most dominant team. Most was as much honored in Boston as Bill Russell, Bob Cousy and Larry Bird; Boston Celtics fans learned at an early age when watching the team play on television to turn the sound down on their television and pick up Most's radio broadcast of the game instead. Born to Jewish parents, Most began his career in the 1940s mentored by Marty Glickman. He called road games for baseball's New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers, and football's New York Giants and Army. In 1953, Boston Celtics owner Walter Brown and Red Auerbach tapped him to replace Curt Gowdy as the team's radio play-by-play man on WBZ 1030. He always referred to his perch at Boston Garden as being "high above courtside." Most was never shy about criticizing the other team's players. One time Most described the Los Angeles Lakers' Kurt Rambis as "something that had crawled out of a sewer." He also nicknamed Washington Bullets players Rick Mahorn and Jeff Ruland as "McFilthy" and "McNasty." Kareem Abdul Jabbar was "Kareem Puff" and Isaiah Thomas was referred to as "Little Lord Fauntleroy." Most's pro-Celtic descriptions could turn shoving matches into "bloodbaths" and minor fouls into "vicious muggings" and once during a game in Detroit, he loudly proclaimed, "Oh the yellow, gutless way they do things here." Of course, Most's most famous call came the closing seconds of Game 7 of the 1965 Eastern Conference Finals between the defending champion Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers. The Celtics' lead had shriveled to 110-109, and Philadelphia regained possession with five seconds left after an inbounds pass attempt by Boston's Bill Russell hit one of the wires that ran down from the ceiling of Boston Garden and helped support the baskets in those days. Hall of Fame guard Hal Greer prepared to toss the ball inbounds under his own basket. The logical target seemed to be massive Wilt Chamberlain in the low post, but Russell fronted Chamberlain and took away that option. K.C. Jones, guarding Greer, leaped along the baseline and frantically waved his arms to distract him as the five seconds ticked away. To get a better view of the court, Greer jumped up and spotted high-scoring forward Chet Walker, seemingly open beyond the key. But Boston's John Havlicek had taken a position several feet off the direct line between Greer and Walker, making it look like Walker was open when he really wasn't. After counting off a couple of seconds in his head, Havlicek sneaked a peek over his shoulder at Greer just as he prepared to release the ball. He moved into the passing lane . but let Most tell it: "Greer is putting the ball into play. He gets it out deep," Most intones, before his voices rises into a frenzy. "Havlicek steals it. Over to Sam Jones. Havlicek stole the ball! It's all over! Johnny Havlicek stole the ball!" Havlicek tipped the inbounds pass away from Walker and toward teammate Jones, who dribbled out the clock as fans poured onto the court. The Celtics had the win, and would go on to capture their seventh consecutive championship. As Havlicek tipped the ball, Johnny Most could be heard yelling into the microphone in his raspy voice, "Havlicek stole the ball! Havlicek stole the ball! It's all over! It's all over!" His second most famous call (and my personal favorite) came in Game 5 of the 1987 playoff series against the Detroit Pistons, the series tied at 2-2. Detroit had a one-point lead late in the game and needed to inbound the ball to secure the victory and take a 3-2 Series lead with Game 6 on their court. Isiah Thomas was inbounding the ball to Bill Laimbeer, who was in the backcourt. But in the words of the immortal Johnny Most: "Now there's a steal by Bird! Underneath to DJ! He lays it up and in!! ... What a play by Bird! Bird stole the inbounding pass, layed it up to DJ, and DJ layed it up and in, and Boston has a one-point lead with one second left! OH, MY, THIS PLACE IS GOING CRAZY!!!" On October 10, 1990, Johnny Most, who was a lifelong smoker announced his retirement due to health concerns. On December 3 of that year, Most was honored with the permanent installation at Boston Garden of his microphone, silver-plated and encased in a Celtic-green frame. The microphone was attached to the façade of the vantage point that Most always described as "high above courtside." On January 3, 1993, Most died at the age of 69 of a heart attack in Hyannis, Massachusetts. Shortly after his death, Johnny Most was awarded the prestigious Curt Gowdy Media Award by the Trustees of the Basketball Hall of Fame for his contribution to basketball. It was very ironic, considering that Most replaced Gowdy as the Celtics' play-by-play announcer. On October 4, 2002 (almost ten years after his death), Most was inducted into the media category of the New England Basketball Hall of Fame at the University of Rhode Island. Johnny Most is fondly remembered by any Celtics' fans fortunate enough to have listened to his broadcasts. When I watch the Celtics, I love hearing announcers who unabashedly love their team and who defend them no matter what. There was never a doubt that Johnny Most loved the Celtics. Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!

Today is the day we Celtics fans have been waiting for since Draft day... Today is the day that Ratliff and/or Telfair can be traded if Danny is so inclined to do so. Last night on CelticsStuff Live Justin mentioned that the Knicks said that they were looking to bring in Theo Ratliff. Is there anyone on the Knicks that we would want? Would Isaiah trade one of his young bigs for Theo? We certainly don't need Starbury or Francis. About the only player that we might want would be Channing Frye and I don't see Isaiah giving him up for Ratliff. But also, Frye wouldn't qualify as Danny's veteran star that he says he wants to bring in. Hopefully it isn't Eddy Curry.
That brings us to the Iverson conspiracy theory. Has the deal been in place just waiting for today to pull the trigger? Does Philly want Ratliff and/or Telfair? Do they really want one of our young players and Telfair is filler? We know they didn't want Wally, but did they want to bring Ratliff back to Philly to finish his career? All are questions waiting to be answered.
If there is a trade for one of the two, who would go with them? Some say Gomes since Powe was brought in and could fill the role that Gomes fills now. Some say West because of the Allan Ray signing. Some say Green because he supposedly isn't a Danny guy. Danny says he loves our kids and West, Gomes, and Green were in the group that Danny projects to be starters. But it wouldn't be the first time that Danny speaks with forked tongue. Remember him trading Antoine the day after he said he had no intentions of trading him? Or the interview with Ordway saying that there was nothing in the works just hours before the trade for Wally? So, what Ainge says really doesn't carry much weight. He is very good at PR speak.
Today there will be Celtics' fans all over the world watching the news and the internet today to see if Danny is going to move one or both of his two Draft night acquistions. I know I will be. Stay tuned to Loy's Place because we will post any news when and if anything goes down!!

A reminder to tune in to CelticsStuff Live tonight 9-11 Eastern Time. Elrod Enchilada aka Robert McChesney, the Celtics writer for Real GM and the author of the recent series at nbadraft.net on The Art of Building an NBA Championship Team, will be the special guest this week. JB is out of town for the weekend and The Duke will be hosting the show with Jughead in his absence, but don’t be surprised to hear from JB in his undisclosed location. You can call your questions into their voicemail for use on the show at either of these phone numbers: Phone: 617.848.1242 | Toll Free: 1.866.751.9649. If you live in the Boston area or have free long distance, using the local number will save them some money. Or, you can email your questions to celticsstuff@gmail.com. Join the group in the Chat Room on the Site for some lively Celtics' talk during the live show. We always have a great time! See you there!!

Speculation has been rampant since the draft day trade that brought Ratliff and Telfair to Boston that one or both of them would be trade bait. August 28 is the date that has been reported as the day that they are eligible to be traded.

There have been a few threads that the Iverson deal has been on the back burner and in place, just waiting for this date and that either Telfair or Ratliff will be headed to Philly in a deal for Iverson. Other threads see them used as trade fillers in other deals. Other threads point to the fact that we haven't heard of Ratliff getting a physical or anything other than the fact that he was traded and in the Bahamas to make the case that he is just biding time to be traded again.

Today's Globe tells us that Danny is still proposing deals to teams but no takers on his offers as yet. Is it possible that there has been a taker but the deal couldn't happen until these two were cleared to be traded? Is it possible that there has been a trade already made but just waiting for this day to be announced?

I honestly don't know. It wouldn't be unlike Danny to do something like this. But I do believe him when he says that he likes the team we have and won't make a trade just for the sake of making a trade. I believe him when he says that any trade he makes will bring back a very good veteran who can help us. But also believe him when he says that he is still working hard to make something happen.

The day is finally at hand and tomorrow we may or may not hear a trade announced. Now, these two can be traded and we shall soon know if all the speculation was on the mark or way off. And now we need to find something else to speculate about to fill in the slow days until training camp.

Once again, Scott Souza comes up with a great article. In watching the 3 summer league games there were televised, I was most impressed by Rondo. He is fast, but runs the team under control. His defense is what sets him apart, though. I also believe that he has already been working on his offense because he shot the ball without hesitation in the Denver game and was hitting even from 3 point range. Also, the fact that he has a knack for rebounding is a great plus. He may not win the starting job from the beginning of the season, but I fully believe that sooner or later, Rondo will be our starting PG and will lead this team to our next championship.

Of all the players selected in the first round of June’s NBA draft, few drew more differing opinions than Rajon Rondo. Depending on where you had most often seen him play, he was either an athletic freak with an ability to distribute offensively and dominate defensively, or he was a one-dimensional stopper who would never be able to shoot or play in a halfcourt set well enough to impact at the next level. When Celtics executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge made a surprise move back into the first round -- after trading the seventh overall pick to Portland in the Sebastian Telfair deal -- to snag Rondo at No.21, he was clearly putting more stock into the former description than the latter. Rondo’s pair of eye-popping pre-draft workouts in Waltham and early returns from the Toshiba Vegas Summer League -- where some deemed him the steal of the first round -- seemed to back up Ainge’s analysis. While it remains to be seen whether Celtics coach Doc Rivers and his staff can build on Rondo’s strengths and minimize his weaknesses, the two coaches who had him on their benches through good times and not-so-good times over the past two years claim to both be Rondo supporters. [More] source: MetroWest Daily Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!

Today's Globe once again tells us that Danny has been working the phones to try to make a deal. He is putting trades to other teams but not finding takers. That tells me that he is unwilling to give up more than he gets back, and that is a very good thing. I personally like our team right now. I agree with Danny that many of our kids will develop into NBA starters or starting quality players. We have 4 players drafted right out of high school, all of which have tremendous potential, but it takes time to develop that to the NBA level. If we have patience with this team, I believe we will be rewarded. The Celtics may even make the record books eventually fielding a starting 5 drafted directly from high school. (I guess we will have to trade for the 5th one - Garnett anyone?) I like that Danny is being patient and I love his attitude toward the kids. I wouldn't be surprised to see a 2 or 3 for 1 trade go down, but then again I wouldn't be surprised to see us go into the season with the team we have now, either.

Training camp officially starts Oct. 3, giving Danny Ainge about six weeks to make a significant move if the team is to develop enough chemistry to make the most of its favorable early-season schedule. But he will not rush into a deal because some real or perceived deadline looms. ``I've been active and trying to get things done," said Ainge. ``I'm not going to do a deal just to do a deal. I'm only going to do good deals. I've offered deals I would do, but I haven't found any takers yet. That's not that surprising because what we're trying to do is not that easy." Ainge acknowledges the Celtics ``don't have the perfect mix yet," though he likes each player on the roster. Executives around the league don't necessarily share Ainge's confidence about the quality of the Boston roster. A very unscientific poll indicates that other executives believe guys like Al Jefferson, Delonte West, Tony Allen, Kendrick Perkins, and Gerald Green would be good rotation players, but not starters. Ainge unapologetically admits he places a higher value than most on the Celtics' younger players. ``Most of our young players, I probably value them more than others do because I know more about them, because I see them every day," he said. ``I see them in the summer. I know their personalities. Sebastian Telfair, Rajon Rondo, Delonte West, Tony Allen, Gerald Green, Ryan Gomes, Al Jefferson, Kendrick Perkins -- that's eight guys under the age of 24. I project every one of those guys as an NBA starter. In the right setting, all of those guys are NBA starters talentwise."[More] source: Boston Globe Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!