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RETRIEVING CONTENT...PLEASE WAIT
The Ones that Got Away
Friday, September 22, 2006
by FLCeltsFan 10:39 AM
September 23, 2006



| While we are getting excited about the new season for the Celtics, there are articles and talk about a couple of players that the Celtics won't have. First, Marcus Banks was Danny's first attempt at pure point guard to run the fast break offense. Marcus was fast, there is no denying that. But in his time here in Boston, reports were that Marcus wasn't teachable. On the court, he would push the ball, but he wasn't a pass first PG and apparently couldn't be turned into one. And his attitude in his last year in Boston was very bad. He seemed to be doing well in Minny after the trade, but still looked for his own shot more than making his teamates better. Now he is in Phoenix and the reports are good: He was here to play on the first day of informal workouts Sept. 11. He often stays after scrimmages to work on his shooting with Suns assistant Phil Weber, the resident shot doctor who helped Joe Johnson and Boris Diaw. Banks' powerful upper body and quick dribble speed enable him to finish drives to the basket. And best of all, Banks is here to study the best at his position. I'm learning by the visual and watching the things that Steve (Nash) does in certain situations," said Banks, who is expected to ease Nash's burden at the point. "He's one of the reasons I came early. He's a guy you love to be around. He tells you like it is. I'm here to learn - whatever he can do to help me. Is this the same Marcus Banks that could be seen sulking on the Celtics Bench? The same Marcus Banks that could be seen paying absolutely no attention to the coach in the huddle during time outs? He may be finally realizing that he is going to have to listen and learn or else he isn't going to be playing in this league long. Hopefully for the Suns' sake, he won't go out and do it his way anyway as he has previously.
Many people have said that Danny could have taken Foye with the 7th pick, but I disagree. Foye was McHale's player and he was going to take him with the 6th pick. Of course, Danny could have made Kevin an offer he couldn't refuse in order to take Foye, but Foye isn't a pure point. It would be the same thing as last year trying to convert a 2 guard to play the 1. Early reports out of Minnesota say that McHale is very happy with Foye and expects him to make a contribution right away.
The thing I've been unbelievably impressed with Randy, and especially in our offseason workouts, is his ability to finish. I knew he could finish in college, but most rookies finish in college and come in with NBA level players and length, and all of a sudden they can't finish anything. It takes them a couple of years to figure out. But Randy has been finishing over everybody. It is inevitable that we will see articles about how we could have had this kid, but I don't think it was going to happen.
The player that we actually could have had with the 7th pick is Brandon Roy. Depending on how Telfair plays and how Roy does out in Portland, we will see comparisons and I am sure see articles about how we could have had Roy. I am sure Danny made the trade for a point guard rather than picking Roy was because of need. We didn't need another wing player. We are stacked there already. We needed a point guard. But that won't stop the comparisons and could haves that we will see all season. Here are some quotes from OregonLive:
All indications point to the 6-7, 210-lb guard making a contribution right away as a pro, which would be a pleasant turn of events for Portland fans used to their lottery picks being wide-eyed teenagers just months removed from their senior prom. The Blazers got it right with Roy. His discipline, hustle and smarts will make him an instant favorite of Head Coach Nate McMillan, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if he were starting before the All-Star break. Roy will compete with Webster and veteran Juan Dixon for hardwood time, but his athleticism and defensive prowess leaves both players in the dust. The rook may also see some limited minutes at point guard after the departure of Sebastian Telfair and Steve Blake via trades thinned out the Blazers' most crowded position. Roy ran the point almost exclusively during summer league, and impressed coaches and fans alike with his versatility. His showing in Vegas must have put McMillan at ease, knowing that he can call on Roy for quality minutes at either backcourt position if the need arises. Early reports out of Portland on Roy are very good. He showed in summer league that he could play the point quite well. Maybe Danny made a mistake and maybe he didn't. We will soon find out as the season unfolds. Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!
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Bits and Pieces for a Friday
by FLCeltsFan 8:53 AM
September 22, 2006 A few things of note in today's news. First, The Herald has a piece on Delonte West. When asked earlier about Danny's search for a point guard, Delonte said it upset him. If it didn't, I would be worried about his competitive nature. Today's article shows us that he is willing to do whatever it will take to win.
“I see the guys that we brought in are great additions that can change things up and play different styles of basketball. Overall, that makes us a greater threat out on the basketball court. So whatever way it goes, I’m rollin’ with it. “Whatever my role is this year, that’s my role, and I’m going to try to do it to the best of my abilities.” I can see Delonte's role being that of a 6th man and backing up both the Point and the 2 guard. I honestly believe that he will be more effective as a shooting guard than he was as a point guard. He should bring a burst of energy off the bench and bring some much needed offense that the second team lacked last year. However, don't expect Delonte to get wrapped up in stats or awards. When told that he might be in the running for 6th man of the year he had this to say: “I could be the eighth man of the year,” he said. “That’s fine, too.” You have to love kids like this.
Mr. Roto has a great preview of the Celtics on NBA.com. He is previewing the Celtics for the Fantasy League, but it is one of the better previews I have seen. Unlike most of the writers, he doesn't just dismiss the Celtics as a young team who won't win again this season. He has this to sum up his preview: Boston has the talent to take a step and become a playoff team this season. It will take a number of key young players improving their games and becoming far more consistent: Sebastian Telfair, Gerald Green, and Al Jefferson come to mind. The Celtics' defense in particular will need to tighten up and with Kendrick Perkins and Theo Ratliff blocking shots in the middle and with Rajon Rondo grabbing steals, they might actually pull it off.
Celtics17 has a piece that proposes that Doc has to become a motivator this year. What this team needs this year is….a motivator. There needs to be a wholesale conversion to play better defense, more intently, more consistently and with more confidence as a team. I have to agree with this statement wholeheartedly. Defense was one of our biggest weaknesses last season and it began and ended with Doc's disregard for it. He didn't work on defensive sets as a team and always said that it was the players' job to work on their defense individually. But a team also needs to develop a defensive identity as a team and that has to come from the coach. Let's hope that Doc "gets it" this season!
The Celtics are featuring Lucky in their marketing this season. I guess they learned their lesson last season when they featured Ricky in many of their ads, which became obsolete when he was traded mid-season. My guess is that with Danny's itchy trigger finger as far as pulling off a trade, any players they may feature may not be here by the trade deadline so they are playing it safe with Lucky.
Boston Sports Review features Rich Gotham in this month's issue. With Gotham's promotion to COO, he's in charge of bringing in revenue through sales, marketing, consumer services, investments in technology, signage contracts, etc. The bottom line produced by Gotham impacts, in no small way, the product Ainge can put on the court. "Like maintaining Paul Pierce, instead of letting him go as a free agent," says Gotham. "We want to be able to keep the guys Danny likes." If younger players like Ryan Gomes, Tony Allen and Al Jefferson prove their NBA mettle, the Celtics don't want to go broke re-signing them. So I guess that we can thank Gotham for the cheerleaders, the Lucky campaign, the luxury boxes, etc. But if they are going to earn revenue so that we don't go broke signing our young players... well I guess they are a necessary evil. I still think the best marketing tool is a quality team on the floor.
Finally, stay tuned for a big announcement from CelticsStuff Live about their first annual Predict the Celtics' Record Contest. So put your thinking cap on, work the numbers and get ready to make your best guess as to the Celtics record for this season! Keep watching for the official announcement coming soon!
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Reasons for Optimism
Thursday, September 21, 2006
by FLCeltsFan 9:18 AM
September 21, 2006 With training camp just 12 days away, I have been thinking about reasons for optimism. Here are just a few of the reasons that I am optimistic about this upcoming season. Big Al. After a disappointing season last year, Al has a renewed sense of urgency. He is determined to prove all of his critics wrong. After the doctors finally found the bone chips in his ankle, he is finally without pain. He has been in Boston all summer working on his strength and conditioning. He is 30 lbs lighter and has his fat % down to under 10%. He is working with Clifford Ray this summer and should have a break out year. Perk. Perk is due for a break out year also. His shoulder is healed and he is working hard on his game again this summer. Working with Clifford Ray and Ratliff should make a difference in his game this season. Perk signed an extension for quite a bit less than he could have gotten if he tried to hold out, but he feels loyalty to the Celtics and he feels he needs to earn his next contract. I believe he will and then some. Ratliff. Ratliff may be a sleeper addition to this team. If healthy, which he seems to be, he will add inside toughness, rebounding and shotblocking, all of which we lacked for the most part last year. He won't be a scorer, but we have plenty of scorers on the team. He will be a defensive threat and shot blocker and will rebound and will add a veteran presence up front. Clifford Ray. Every team that Clifford Ray has coached on has turned their rebounding around from one of the worst teams to one of the better teams. Rebounding was one of our big weaknesses last season and so I am looking forward to becoming one of the better rebounding teams this year. It is entirely possible that both Al and Perk can pull down double figures in rebounds every night. Turnovers. Last season we were one of the worst teams in committing turnovers. Our biggest offender in that category is gone and will be adding to Minny's turnovers this season. We also are bringing in 2 pure points who will handle the ball more this season and who will keep Pierce from dribbling into double and triple teams all the time and turning the ball over. Plus, I believe that Wally will take better care of the ball than Ricky did. Leon Powe. Danny has a knack for finding gems in the second round. Last year it was Gomes. This year, it will be Powe. He averaged a double double last season in college. He has an NBA body already and won't need the season to work on strength and conditioning as he is already there. He should make a contribution this season as he adds toughness in the middle and is an excellent rebounder and can score around the basket very well. He should do a lot to toughen up Al in practice as well. Telfair to Green. We got a small taste of what these two can do during summer league with the between the legs pass from Telfair to a cutting Green for a slam. I believe that we will see many more exciting plays between these two this season. Rondo and Telfair. It has been a long time since we have had 2 pure point guards on this team capable of running the fast break and leading the offense the way these two hopefully will. Rondo's defense will be a welcome addition to the team as well. The quality of PG play won't diminish when the second team is on the floor which will be a very good thing. Both are capable of playing fast break basketball at a high level and regardless of which player starts and which comes off the bench, we will have a quality PG on the floor at all times. Chemistry. This team has incredible chemistry. They like to hang out together off the court as well as on the court. They get along great and all of them want to be here and are extremely hard workers. The kids have all been around Boston much of the summer working together. Pierce has really taken his role as mentor to heart and loves to have the youngsters over to his place to hang out much of the time. this chemistry is going to translate into better play on the court as they get used to playing with each other. No Blount. One of Danny's best moves was to get rid of Blount. His attitude was like a cancer. He was averaging as many turnovers as rebounds and while he was in, Perk wasn't - all good reasons to be very happy that he isn't here. Pierce and Wally. Paul Pierce proved last year that he can work within the system and he took his game to a new level. I believe that with 2 pure point guards who can run the fast break and who can find the open man, he is going to be even better this year. With his extension out of the way, and his elbow healed, there shouldn't be any distractions to slow him down. Wally was also slowed by injury after the trade. Without the pain in his knee to slow him down, he should be back to his deadly accurate shooting. I believe that he will be the perfect complement to the running game that we are going to be playing. Both Pierce and Wally are good rebounders at their position and very good at getting to the line. Wally is automatic once he gets there and hopefully without the elbow problems Pierce will improve over his last year's performance at the line. As you can see, there are many reasons to be optimistic this season and I can't wait for the season to start.
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Wally Excited About Season
by FLCeltsFan 8:55 AM
September 21, 2006Today's Herald article shared with us Wally's thoughts on the upcoming season. Wally seems very excited to be in Boston and is looking forward to training camp. His knees are feeling good and so his shooting should be back to his normal 50% or better.
“There’s no question,” he said. “I’m moving so much better. I feel good. We took care of everything we needed to take care of. It was a pretty minor procedure. I’ve been working hard all summer, just doing a lot of rehab and strength work. Now we’re starting to amp up the running and the full-court work.” He also seems very excited about playing with Telfair.
“Oh, he’s great,” Szczerbiak said of the third-year point guard. “He’s so fast. Just keeping up with him going up and down the floor is going to be a challenge, but I love playing that way. You get easy shots, easy buckets. You put the pressure on the opposing team. You don’t always have to be running halfcourt sets, and I think with the personnel we have that’s going to be really good.” Filling lanes with Paul Pierce and others, Szczerbiak is excited about Telfair’s ability to create shots for others. “Sebastian’s not going to take a lot of time to get used to playing with his teammates,” he said. “He knows the game. He plays the game at a frenzied pace. I think when you saddle him with plays, it’s to his disadvantage. If you let him go, it’s to his advantage. Hopefully Doc will have the sense to let both PG's create instead of trying to micro-manage. It is a shame that we have to worry about Doc not seeing the obvious and doing something dumb, but we do.
Playing at a frenzied pace is good if you can control the game at that pace and not turn the ball over by trying to go too fast. That is where I think Rondo may have the advantage. In summer league he ran at the same pace as Telfair, but seemed to be much more under control while doing so. With either PG, Wally better get used to running as we are going to do a lot of it this season!
| [More] source: Boston Herald
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Happy 89th Birthday Red!!!!
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
by FLCeltsFan 9:00 AM
September 20, 2006
| Today is Red Auerbach's 89th Birthday and everyone in the Celtics Nation wishes him a very Happy Birthday and many more to come. Red once said "The Boston Celtics are not a basketball team, they are a way of life." Red has been a member of the National Basketball Association since its formation in 1946 and has been with the Celtics since 1950. He, like the Celtics, is a way of life.
The 2006-2007 season marks Red's 57th as a member of the Boston Celtics family.
Auerbach spent the first three seasons of his pro career with the Washington Capitols before moving on to the Tri-Cities Hawks for one campaign. At this point, Walter Brown, who owned the struggling Boston Celtics, appointed Auerbach as the man to lead the squad into what would ultimately become the greatest franchise in pro basketball annals.
Auerbach carefully crafted a competitive team, and his moves culminated with an April 29, 1956 transaction that sent Ed Macauley and Cliff Hagan to St. Louis for the Hawks' first-round pick; with that selection, the Celtics chose Bill Russell. This blockbuster trade would spur the Celtics into the most dominant franchise in pro basketball history and helped spawn the legend that is Auerbach and the Celtics. From 1950-1966, Auerbach coached the Celtics to nine world titles, including eight in succession from 1959-1966. His incredible record was 938-479 (.662) in regular-season play and an equally impressive 99-69 (.589) in post-season encounters. Prior to the 1966-67 season, the "coach" removed himself from the bench in order to concentrate on his duties as General Manager, and appointed Bill Russell as player-coach.
With Red's guidance and knowledge, the Celtics continued to win. In 1968 and 1969, the Celtics added two more titles. After a down period in the early 1970s, Auerbach restructured the team, adding key personnel through trades and the draft, and ultimately raised banners in 1974 and 1976. It was the subsequent years that would provide Auerbach with his biggest challenge, as the late '70s proved to be a dismal period for the Celtics. Yet Auerbach once again saved the franchise with the shrewd selection of Larry Bird in the 1978 draft. Although he would have to wait a year before Bird could play in the NBA, Auerbach sensed that the Indiana native was the man to rejuvenate the proud organization. Five other teams had a shot at Bird, but all passed.
In 1981, Boston became the NBA champions again as Auerbach orchestrated another amazing trade, this time dealing the first and 13th picks in the 1981 draft to Golden State for Robert Parish and the third overall pick (Kevin McHale). Boston added two more titles in 1984 and 1986 thanks to the master's keen additions of Danny Ainge, Dennis Johnson, Bill Walton, and others.
Auerbach has been the recipient of numerous distinguished awards and honors throughout his career. In 1968, he was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA for all his successes. When the NBA chose its Silver Anniversary Team honoring the best of the league's first 25 years, Red was chosen as coach of that distinguished team. In 1982, he was elected to the Washington Hall of Stars, a Hall of Fame which involves people from all sports. Red was also honored as NBA Coach of the Year in 1965, winning the trophy that now bears his name, and NBA Executive of the Year in 1980. Also in that year, he was selected to the NBA's 35th Anniversary Team as "Greatest Coach in the History of the NBA," by the PBWAA.
In 1985, the Red Auerbach Fund, established in the great coach's name, was created to promote athletic, recreational, and other youth development activities in Boston and throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. January 4, 1985 will always be a special day in Red's heart and in Boston sports history, as it was on this day that the Celtics family saluted its patriarch by having the number "2" retired in his honor (emblematic as the second most influential person in the organization's annals; similarly, the number "1" is dedicated to the team's founder, Walter Brown). On Red's 68th birthday, September 20, 1985, a life-size sculpture of Auerbach was unveiled and placed in Boston's historic Faneuil Hall Marketplace so the public would have a lasting tribute to this basketball genius and legend.
He has received seven honorary degrees from various institutions. Red values such honors so much that he kept a previous commitment to American International College by delivering its commencement speech on May 22, 1988, even though it prevented him from being at Boston Garden for the deciding game of the Celtics-Hawks' best-of-seven thriller. On that day, AIC presented Auerbach with a Doctor of Humanities Honorary Degree. A week earlier he had received a Doctor of Arts Honorary Degree from Stonehill College. He has also received Honorary Doctorate Degrees in Humane Letters from Franklin Pierce College, on May 24, 1981, the University of Massachusetts (Boston), in 1982, and from Boston University, on May 13, 1984. In 1986, Central New England College honored him with an Honorary Doctorate Degree in Business Administration. On February 14, 1993, his alma mater, George Washington, bestowed an honorary Doctorate of Public Service Degree, and on June 9, 1998, the university celebrated Red's 80th birthday by unveiling a plaque and a bust of the legendary coach. This tribute is permanently attached to the exterior of the Smith Center, GW's athletic facility.
Red is the author of seven books. His first, Basketball for the Player, the Fan and Coach, has been translated into seven languages and is the largest-selling basketball book in print. His second book, co-authored with Paul Sann, was Winning the Hard Way, and he also penned a pair of publications written in conjunction with Joe Fitzgerald: Red Auerbach: An Autobiography and Red Auerbach On and Off the Court. In October, 1991, Auerbach’s released, M.B.A.: Management by Auerbach, was co-authored with Ken Dooley.In 1994, Red co-authored “Seeing Red”, written in conjunction with Dan Shaughnessy. In October 2004, his latest publication, “Let Me Tell You A Story”, is co-written by legendary sports journalist John Feinstein. In 1987, an excellent instructional video entitled Winning Basketball became available to the public featuring the insight, thoughts, and philosophy of Red and three-time NBA Most Valuable Player and Celtics’ captain Larry Bird.
Born in Brooklyn, New York, Red attended Eastern District High School in that city, attended Seth Low Junior College in New York, and George Washington University in the District of Columbia. He played three years of college basketball at GW, and was the team's leading scorer and a defensive specialist. He received a Bachelor of Science in Education in 1940 and a Master of Arts in Education from GW the following year.
Red (09/20/17) lives in Washington, D.C. He and his late wife, Dorothy, were married in 1941 and have two daughters: Nancy, who is married to former CNN anchorman Reid Collins, and Randy, who is Vice-President of Creative Affairs for Blue Tulip Productions in Hollywood. Red has one granddaughter, Julie, a housewife and student at GW, who is married to Eric Fleiger. He also has a great-grandson, Peter Auerbach Fleiger, and two great-granddaughters, Hope and Noelle Fleiger.
source: Celtics.com
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Telfair Shines When the Lights Are On
by FLCeltsFan 8:26 AM
September 20, 2006With Rondo being featured in the Herald today, I thought it would be a good time to post this piece from Derrenmatts over on Celtics Green. Telfair has truly shone when the pressure and the lights were on him. He is definitely under the microscope here in Boston and so hopefully he will shine brighter than ever. If he does, expect great things from Boston and some exciting basketball being played. And if not, Rondo will be waiting in the wings to take over. We definitely seem to be in a good place with our PG situation.
| Bassy may not have the big time height advantage for an NBA PG like Magic used to have, nor does he have the dead on shooting ability like Kevin Johnson did for Phoenix a decade ago. But one thing Telfair does appear to have, like many of the good ones before him had, is the ability to shine when the lights are on and when the intensity rises.
If you've ever watched his documentary, "Through the Fire", in which cameras followed him throughout his senior year playing for Lincoln High, you see him stepping up his leadership and his play on the court when the lights went on. His eyes would be intently focused on the game and his body language just oozed determination. If you watched him in the Vegas Summer League, particularly the Denver game, he practically carried the team on his back in the closing minutes of a very tight game (we lost that game, but I give the credit to a better Denver team). The commentator for that game noted how Telfair won't win a three point shooting contest in practice, but with the game on the line, Telfair steps up to the occasion and nails a clutch three pointer with no hesitation on his shot.
And though his first 2 years at Portland have been pretty unspectacular, he has had some shining moments.
Against Cleveland late last year, he came off the bench and poured in 24 pts. You know that playing against Lebron probably had something to do with it.
The very next night, he was given the starting nod for the first time in 3 months, against Milwaukee's tough PG duo, TJ Ford and Mo Williams, he attacked for 21 pts and 5 assists.
Earlier in the year, going back to New York to play the Knicks (he's from Coney Island), and against his cousin Stephon, Telfair put up his best stat line of the year with 27 pts, 7 assts, 6 boards and 3 stls, shooting 67% from the field, 60% from beyond the arc and 8 - 11 from the free throw line.
He's had to battle a lot of criticism since coming to the NBA because he's under 6 feet and he has a shaky jumper. But this kid puts in the time after hours to improve his game and his conditioning. He's definitely a hard worker.
The good ones could step up their games when the game was on the line and when the spotlight narrowed down on them. That's where they made their marks and proved to be special players. Telfair has a long, long, long ways to go before being mentioned in this group, and in the same sentence as Isaiah Thomas and Magic Johnson. But what he has shown early in his playing career as a high schooler and a 2 year NBA PG is that when the stakes are high, he steps up to the plate and will not whither under the heat of the spotlight.
He set numerous New York high school scoring records, often turning up the scoring dial when his team needed it most, and he led his Lincoln High team to 3 PSL titles, something that no team has ever done before. And in the McDonald's All-American game, he set out to set the all time assist mark, and he had a legit shot at doing it.
The spotlight is going to be much brighter in Boston than it ever was in Portland. And this could be what Telfair needs; he thrives in such situations. source: Celtics Green - Derrenmatts
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Telfair Happy to Be in Boston
by FLCeltsFan 8:10 AM
September 20, 2006 The Herald has a fluff piece this morning telling us how happy Telfair is with being in Boston. He is close to his roots in New York, happy to be away from the chaos in Portland, and happy to be playing for a team who feels that he has talent and will fit our system.
“You’re not out there just playing; you mean something. That’s huge for me, and that’s why I was excited to come to a team like this where we have an All-Star like Paul and people upstairs who want me here. As far as who’s going to start and all that, it’s pretty much wide open as I see it. Everyone’s going to come in and play hard and do their best to get the starting job.” It will be an interesting training camp with all of the starting jobs, except for Pierce's spot, wide open. There will especially be heated battles at the PG spot. You know that West will be trying his hardest to keep the spot he worked hard for last season. Rondo and Telfair both have what it takes to run this team and will be working hard for the spot.
I expect Telfair to win the starting nod to begin the year with West playing mostly at the 2 and moving to the point to guard taller PG's. I expect Rondo to eventually take over the starting spot. He just brings too much to the table not to.
| [More] source: Boston Herald
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Send Red Auerbach 89th Birthday Wishes
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
by FLCeltsFan 1:37 PM
September 19, 2006
| Wednesday September 20 is Red Auerbach's 89th birthday. Celtics.com is giving you a chance to send him your best wishes. Just click here and fill out the birthday message and send your birthday wishes to Red. I am sure he will enjoy hearing from Celtics fans all over the world. [More] source:Celtics.com
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Which of the Bottom 10 Teams Will Win A Championship by 2010?
Monday, September 18, 2006
by FLCeltsFan 3:27 PM
September 19, 2006 ESPN asked several sports writers including Chris Sheridan, John Denton, Marc Spears, David Thorpe, Ian Whittell and Brian Windhorst, which of the bottom 10 teams in the league this year would win a Championship by 2010. The bottom 10 teams include Blazers, Knicks, Hawks, Wolves, Bobcats, Warriors, Raptors, Rockets, Celtics, and the Sonics. I was very surprised by the answers. Two choose the Wolves, one chose the Bobcats, one chose the Rockets, one chose the Raptors, and one chose the Knicks.
Now, I have to say, I highly disagree with the results of this poll. Ok, I can kind of see the Rockets with Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady and they have added Shane Battier. The Rockets had injury problems last year and if they are healthy will be a much better team than their record shows.
And I suppose that the addition of a number 1 pick, a couple of additions from the World Champion Spanish team, and a pure point in TJ Ford has to fuel some people to think that the Raptors could be on the verge of moving to the next tier of teams. The Raptors seem to have improved themselves this off season and I suppose they may have a chance if everything clicks there.
But to pick the Knicks to win a championship in the next few years? Come on now!! This writer chose the Knicks because he thinks LeBron James or Dwayne Wade will be wearing a Knicks uniform after their current contract ends. I just don't see it. And the writer who chose the Bobcats did so expecting Vince Carter to leave the Nets and join the Cats because of his divorce situation. Again, this is pure speculation. I think these two writers are way out in left field.
David Thorpe, who picked the Wolves had this to say
Mark Blount had his two best rebounding months in March and April last year. KG will continue to influence him toward playing to his potential. Count me a bit skeptical, but they are counting on Blount to be a championship center? I don't think so! He compares the Wolves to the Heat and uses a Shaq/Garnett and a Foye/Wade comparison. They are counting on Foye to become a DWade type player, which very well may happen. But to assume that they will be a championship team based on just that is a bit far fetched. It will take a lot more pieces than just Garnett and Foye to make that jump. Now wouldn't that beat all if Boston's cast offs of Justin Reed, Mark Blount, Mike James, and Ricky Davis win a championship before the Celtics. But I don't think they will. I can see Garnett bolting from Minny next year when his player option comes up a lot quicker than I see them winning the championship. Never count out the negative power of Mark Blount.
What surprised me most about this poll was that no one picked the Celtics. We have such a great core of young players and I honestly believe that at least 2 of them will have a break out year this year. We have two very talented all star caliber players in Pierce and Wally. We have great chemistry. We have added 2 pure points to the team. We have depth and quality players at every position. I guess the paper was right when they said that others don't value our young players as highly as we do, but they have to see that the potential is there. This team is going to surprise a lot of people - and I pick the Celtics to be the first to win a championship out of this group.
| [More] source: ESPN.com
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Some Monday Morning Links and News...
by FLCeltsFan 9:17 AM
September 18, 2006 First of all, a Big Congratulations to Justin Poulin and his wife. Justin has run the Celtics 17 blog and boards for years. He now is the moving force behind CelticsStuff Live, the first live call in podcast that is bringing Celtics' fans from all over the web together. Justin and his wife are the proud parents of a baby girl, born yesterday around 4 pm.
The Nugg Doctor is hosting the 36th Carnival of the NBA. Drop by and check out his collection of NBA blog offerings including one from our own Loy's Place.
Blazer's Edge has a season's preview of the Knicks and the Celtics. I am left wondering why they chose to pair the Celtics and the Knicks together. We certainly are a much better team than they are so maybe it was just random. I love the first comment:
I'll give my synopsis of Boston Later. Have to run now.
In their NBA Camp Preview, SI.com gives a listing of Players on the Hot Seat. Sebastian Telfair is listed at number 11 on the list. He came into the league with a lot of hoopla, failed to impress in Portland, ending up as the 3rd Point Guard, and is looking for a second chance here in Boston. I, for one, amd hoping he makes the most of it.
ESPN SportsNation has a poll up on this year's crop of rookies. Take a moment and check it out and vote for the Celtics Rookies who are included. My biggest dilemma will be whether to vote for Rondo or Powe for biggest steal of the draft. I expect big things out of both. But if Powe becomes what I expect, he would be the bigger steal at #49 than Rondo who went in the first round and was the first PG taken.
Jeff over on CelticsBlog takes a look at the battle for the last spot on the roster. He gives Pittsnogle the nod, but I would go with Jones. We have many players who bring what Pitts does...3 point shooting. But we have a need for a player who can block shots with both hands and rebound like Jones can. I say go for defense over offense.
The Cheap Seats has an interesting piece that compares Big Al and Perk with other players who jumped directly from high school to the pros. I don't think we can comepare them because Perk played all of 19 minutes his whole first season. His second season wasn't much better. It was only after Blount was traded that he got any meaningful minutes at all and then he got injured. He has improved immensely without much playing time. Al was hampered by injuries his whole sophomore season. This season will be a breakout season for both, if Doc uses his head and plays them.
RealGM gives us a look at the positional battles that can be expected in the Celtics Training Camp. I think I should send them some koolaid as it seems a bit pessimistic to me.
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Rotations... Would this Work?
by FLCeltsFan 9:00 AM
September 18, 2006 Doc seemed to have a hard time last year settling on a rotation. It seemed we had a different lineup every game. The problem with that is that players never develop a chemistry by knowing their role and never get that telepathy that comes from playing with each other for extended periods of time. We see teams that win play the same players game in and gamne out.
A possibility that would help Doc as well as help the players to know their roles is to play 2 complete teams. We could have a first team and a second team and substitute them in mass. Each of these teams would be used to playing with each other and would know each other's tendencies. As a result, we would see much better play and fewer turnovers. Some of the turnovers last year occurred when a player wasn't where they were supposed to be or wasn't ready for a pass. If a team of 5 was used to playing together in practice and games, I believe that it would mean fewer of these turnovers. We could have a first team that is more of a half court team and a second team that is a fast break team. I could see Pierce, Wally, West, Al, and Ratliff starting on a half court team and Telfair (or Rondo), Tony, Gomes, Perk, and Green on the fast break team. Or we could have 2 fast break teams. Or, we could go with one big team and one small team. Either way, both teams would be used to playing together and have great chemistry. It would define roles and I believe it would me more effective. Training camp is going to be very important this season. Pierce and probably Wally will be starters, but after that, every player will have to work and earn his spot. We have players who can play more than one position so where they play is also up for grabs. Rondo and Telfair are pure points. Ratliff and Perk are Centers. But in between, Pierce can play the 2 and 3. Gomes plays the 3 and 4. West the 1 and 2. Tony plays 1,2 or 3. Al can play 4 or 5. Which players will start? Which players will be on the Inactive List? Which players will be sent to the D League? There are lots of questions to be answered and Doc has a lot of decisions to make. I believe that a good decision would be to set a 10-11 man rotation using 2 separate teams rather than to substitute piecemeal as Doc did last year. Doc used the 2 team system somewhat the season before last and it seemed to work when he did. 15 days till training camp and then we will find out.
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No Celtics Stuff Live Tonight
Sunday, September 17, 2006
by FLCeltsFan 6:29 PM
September 17, 2006 Justin is in the hosptital with his wife who is having their first baby and so no live show tonight. You can still join everyone in the chat room at 9 Eastern time for some good Celtics chat. JB and Duke will be there and hopefully their guests will join them in the chat. Jeff will be on the show on the 29th and Patrick may be joining them next week. We wish the best for Justin and his wife ... Another Greeniac is on her way!!!
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Good News as Training Camp is Just 16 Days Away
by FLCeltsFan 10:24 AM
September 17, 2006 Articles today bring us good news about our young players. The Herald has a piece on Al Jefferson and his conditioning for this season. It seems that Al has hired a chef and is very, very serious about his conditioning.
He is 30 pounds slimmer with only 9.5 percent body fat and much more muscle. This new trimmed down body has him feeling lighter and moving quicker. But when he took on rookie Leon Powe Thursday, certain qualities came right to the surface.
Powe, an outstanding post player in college, struggled against Jefferson, who blocked, altered or stripped all but one shot by the rookie. “I felt like I could get higher - a lot quicker,” Jefferson said. “I could really tell that I was moving quicker. I felt great. “I just refused to let the surgery set me back. Man, my body fat is 9.5 (percent), and I’ve never been that low.” This is good news indeed. We can expect great things from Al Jefferson this season.
Some other good news came from The MetroWest Daily in an article on Gerald Green by Scott Souza. Gerald brings a world of potential but last season looked more like a deer in the headlights than a pro basketball player.
Green's body is another thing that has changed dramatically in a year as he has noticeably built up muscle on what was a lanky 6-foot-8 frame. "When I was a draft pick they said I was 200 pounds, but I was probably more like 193," he said. "Now I am almost 215. I have been lifting weights and eating right. Last year, I was light. I could only do one pull-up. I could do maybe 11 pushups. Now I can do 100 pushups and do pull-ups with added weight. It's a big difference." One of the many things that should make it a much different training camp for Green starting in two weeks. Gerald, like Al has worked hard on building the optimum NBA body and this work on strength and conditioning will pay off in improved play this season. With Kevin Eastman and Clifford Ray here to work with our young players, We should see both Al and Gerald taking that next step this season.
The third bit of good news came buried in an article in the Globe between Nellie's coaching Golden State and Pittsnogle's advance salary.
Earlier this summer, Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan said the main reason the team traded Sebastian Telfair to the Celtics was that the Blazers wanted to play a halfcourt style and Telfair is better-equipped to play an up-tempo style. Theo Ratliff, Telfair's teammate in Portland and now in Boston, seconds that emotion, while adding that Telfair was also ``caught up in the melee last year in that there were too many young guys and distractions. His game was crushed. I'm very positive in what Sebastian can do. I know his work ethic. I know his attitude. I think he's going to be a great player in this league. He's still young and he still has a lot to learn in terms of command of the game. But here, he will get a chance to develop without having so many young guys all around, trying to be coached. It is a better fit for him." . . Ratliff, who has been around the league for a good long time, agrees with his former coach and feels that Telfair will thrive in Boston. He certainly will get a chance to do so. If Doc does as he says he will, our team will run a lot this season. We have the legs and the young players to do so and now we have 2 young points who can run the team and the fast break. Coach Eastman is working with Rondo on his shot and I imagine will work with Telfair as well. That has been his job with Nike for the past year, teaching young players how to shoot and the fundamentals. This should make a difference for us and what has been perceived as a flaw in both Rondo and Telfair's game will no longer be there.
Lots of good news today. I can't wait for training camp!!
| source:Herald, Globe and MetroWestDaily
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Big Show for CelticsStuff Live Tonight!!!
by FLCeltsFan 10:12 AM
September 17, 2006CelticsStuff Live is going to have a big show tonight. Joining Jon, JB and Justin will be Patrick Gilroy and Jeff Clark.
Patrick Gilroy is the co-host of the Celtics Pride post game show that last year was on The Zone and has moved to ESPN 890 in Boston for this upcoming season.
Jeff Clark runs one of the most successful sports blogs on the web... Celtics Blog.com. Both of these guys are sure to have some good things to share with us about the Celtics and the upcoming training camp and season.
The broadcast will be from 9-11 Eastern time. Join the group in the Chat Room on the site as we have a great time there discussing the show and the Celtics in general. Don't miss it! You won't find better Celtics chat anywhere on the web!!
| source: CelticsStuff Live.com
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