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RETRIEVING CONTENT...PLEASE WAIT
Celtics Run Past Knicks
Saturday, October 21, 2006
by FLCeltsFan 11:44 PM
October 21, 2006
| It seemed as though everything came together for the Celtics tonight. Delonte returned to the lineup tonight and had a very good game. He filled up the stat sheet with 9 points, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals, and an incredible block on Eddie Curry. Rondo was once again incredible. His stats don't show the whole picture. He had 2 plays that were very impressive where he dribbled behind his back and went in strong for a layup. He also excelled on defense. Powe had another good outing with 16 points, 9 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 blocks. He is very tough in the paint. Perk had a good game with 11 points and 6 rebounds as did Al with 12 points, 7 rebounds and 3 blocks. Telfair also had a nice game with 10 points, 4 assists and 3 steals. Wally was shooting well and finished with 17 points
I really like the unit with Powe, Rondo, Tony, Al (or Gomes), and West. That is our best defensive unit and runs the floor very well. They played very well as a team. I hope to see this group together a lot more this season. Al was cut in the first quarter and got 3 stitches above his eye. He returned later in the game and played well in spite of the bandage over his eye.
Jackson and Ray got into the game for a short stint in the 4th quarter. Kandi, Ratliff, and Scal didn't play. From what Doc said in the post game show, Ray may have the advantage for the final spot over Jackson.
There were all positives in this game. We won the rebounding battle 44 -40, we had 16 turnovers, but several of them were at the end of the game when play got sloppy at both ends. The most incredible stat of the game is that we had 20 steals. That may be a record of some kind. The team was so active, cutting off passing lanes, and looking to disrupt every play. We also played much better defense tonight. Tonight's game has to make you excited if you are a Celtics fan.
[Recap]
[Box Score]
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Odds and Ends for Saturday
by FLCeltsFan 10:46 AM
October 21, 2006
Still rumblings about the Telfair robbery in NY as we prepare to play the Knicks tonight. Also some speculation on the last cuts still to come. Here's what is going on today:
The Herald begins with another article about the Telfair saga. While Telfair and the Celtics insist that he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, the NY papers infer that there may be more to it. Time will tell but I am hoping that Telfair is just an innocent victim in all this. The Bennington Banner brings tries to make a correlation between Telfair and Iverson. The problem is that they don't make the parallels on the court but off. I think it is a stretch to call the kid a troublemaker when he has just had two unfortunate incidences and nothing has been proved that he isn't a good kid. The New York Daily News tells us that Marbury is backing his cousin.
In the Patriot Ledger, Pierce has a message for his colleagues. NBA players are a target just because of who they are. They need to try their best not to be in situations that will make them even more of a target. He also states that he is firmly in Bassy's corner.
The Herald Notebook tells us that the last cut could come down to Kandi or Jackson. I don't see Kandi getting cut because they need a 3rd center with injuries being a concern. Doc also says that West will play tonight and that he is looking for a 10 man rotation and has 8 on the list so far. The Worcester Telegram reports that Ray, Jackson or Scal could be the final cut. So far it is all speculation as to who will go. I believe that it will be Jackson or Ray. We need the third center, Scal is owed too much even though he doesn't bring that much to the table, and so it should come down to Ray or Jackson.
The Patriot Ledger tells us that the rotation will be settled in the last 3 preseason games. I agree that we should have a 10 man rotation if we are going to run the whole game as Doc says we are. If Doc uses the starters he has in the preseason, it seems as though we will start out with a half court game and then bring in the subs for the running game. It will be interesting to see how the rotation shakes out and if Doc can truly manage a set rotation.
The Eagle Tribune brings us an interview with Big Al. I believe that he is going to break out this season. He may start out a little slow as he is still getting used to his new playing weight and still healing but I do believe he will break out.
Celtics 17 has a good article on Gerald Green. Green has improved immensely since last season and should get some playing time this year. The more he plays, the better he is going to get. He needs to continue to work on his defense. As goes the defense of this team, so goes the team.
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Deja Vu - Again
Friday, October 20, 2006
by FLCeltsFan 3:10 PM
October 20, 2006
| Not long after Tony Allen was called in for questioning in the Chicago shooting case as a "witness" and then subsequently charged with battery, reports surfaced of a video tape as evidence. We have not heard whether that tape would help or hurt Tony. It does give one cause for worry.
Now, after Bassy was called in as a witness to identify the person who stole his chain, there is a report of a video tape in this case also. I don't know how much we can believe this report, but I am putting it out there for you for the sake of keeping everyone informed.
The NY Daily News has a report that says that the thief was one of Fabolous' companions who returned to the restaurant after the theft.
One of Fabolous' pals can be seen grabbing the chain from Telfair's neck while another, decked out in a Brooklyn T-shirt, keeps watch, the sources said.
The thieves then bolted into Diddy's restaurant Justin's, the sources said.
Telfair, a point guard for the Boston Celtics, followed the crooks inside and saw them laughing with members of Fabolous' crew - known as the Street Family, the sources said.
Telfair, who grew up in Coney Island, pulled out his cell phone and made a call, the sources said.
Twenty-three minutes later, a security camera outside the restaurant captured the gunman who shot 28-year-old Fabolous in a nearby parking lot driving off in a gray car, the sources said. The rapper was not believed to be the gunman's target, the sources added.
Now if this report can be believed, things look bad for Bassy. But here are my thoughts.
Some things don't add up so I am a bit skeptical. For one thing, the timeline doesn't fit according to the other facts that have been released. Telfair supposedly went to the restaurant around 10. Cars needed to be moved by 10:45 or be towed. He moved his car before that time and was robbed at that time. He said that he made a call when he got back in the restaurant to a family member to come escort them to the car due to the robbery. Original reports on the shooting said that it took place around 12:30 AM and this is about 2 hours after the robbery. Telfair said he was back at the hotel by then. These are things that can be easily checked.
I may be out of the loop, not being of the hip hop generation, but I don't see why a famous rapper would steal a chain from a well known NBA star and then return to the restaurant where they were eating with it. It just doesn't make sense. But like I said, maybe that is just me. I personally believe that these reports in the NY papers are just stirring things up. But, there are conflicting reports here and lets just hope that Bassy truly was a victim and not the cause as this article infers. [More]
Edit: On NE Sports Tonight, they just said that the police have asked for Bassy's cell phone records so they are investigating. Hopefully they will find nothing wrong.
source: NY Daily News
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Pittsnogle and Akingbala Placed on Waivers
by FLCeltsFan 1:15 PM
October 20, 2006
The first cuts have been made. After Doc said yesterday that the cuts would come today, the paper reported that Danny wanted to wait to get a look at Luke Jackson. It looks like they decided to make 2 cuts today anyway and wait a bit for the 3rd cut, which could be Jackson or Ray. Here is what Celtics.com had to report:
- The Celtics waived undrafted free agents Kevin Pittsnogle and Akin Akingbala following today's practice at the Sports Authority Training Center at HealthPoint in Waltham.
Pittsnogle appeared in three exhibition games for the Celtics, playing 11 minutes and scoring three points combined in his three outings. Akingbala appeared twice, once against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the opening preseason contest, where he scored three points in five minutes of action. He also played the final 17 seconds against the New York Knicks on Tuesday.
| [More]
source: Celtics.com
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Odds and Ends on a Friday
by FLCeltsFan 10:46 AM
October 20, 2006
The Telfair incident seems to be dominating the news today. I can see why the kid didn't want to report it. Hopefully the report in the Post is a bit reactionary and that Bassy's report is accurate and he was just a victim and the furor will die down. In spite of Doc saying that cuts would come today, it looks like we will have to wait a bit longer. I hope that Powe is safe from being cut now. If nothing else, he will push Al this season in practice to make him much tougher under the basket. Here is what is going on around the Celtics Nation today:
First of all, let's look at the links that pertain to the Telfair incident in New York. The Herald makes a point that fame and wealth make the players a target, whether they like it or not. In a separate article, they bring to attention the fact that Pierce has guns at his home because he fears for his safety at times with cars following him after games. He doesn't carry a gun when away from home though. It may end up with players needing to hire protection just to keep them safe and out of trouble. The Globe reports that Danny is standing behind Telfair and that he isn't disappointed yet, at least with the facts he knows at this time. The Patriot Ledger offers their take on the Telfair affair and has Doc and Danny's explanations.
In the Celtics Notebook in the Herald, they also report that Danny stands behind Telfair. He feels that Bassy was a victim and accepts his version of the events. Delonte West is ready to play tomorrow night and that is good news. In spite of Doc saying that he expected to make the first cuts today, Danny says he wants to hold off to look at Luke Jackson a little more. I believe that the last cut will be either Allan Ray or Luke Jackson. They have to keep Powe if they have any sense at all.
I didn't think I saw any dancers at the preseason home opener. Today's Globe reports that they will be unveiled at the regular season home opener on 11/1. It is nice to know that they aren't bimbos, but "smart and educated" ambassadors for the team.
Ok, I know I sometimes sound like a broken record about Powe and Perk but I really like these kids because of their toughness and their willingness to play defense and rebound and do the dirty work. Both kids are such hard workers and you just have to pull for them. The Patriot Ledger reports on Powe's break out game against the Nets. It is hard to show what you can do sitting on the bench, so I am glad that he finally got the chance to play. It still is amazing to me that Doc was playing Akingbala, Pittsnogle and Scal but didn't even give Powe a chance until injuries forced his hand. It seems to be a recurring theme with Doc. Play the veterans into the ground before giving a young player a chance. Then when back is to the wall, giving said young player a chance and being very surprised when they produce.
Along the same lines, The Enterprise discusses Gomes and the fact that works very hard to make the most of his opportunities. If Al and Perk didn't get hurt last season, would we still be wondering what Gomes could do? Ryan's explanation on how he rebounds as an undersized 4 is most interesting to me.
“It’s hard,” Gomes said, “to keep your body on a guy until the shot goes up, box him out and then go get the ball. So I try to give him a bump early, try to visualize where the ball is going to come off the rim and then beat him to the ball. I get a lot of rebounds off one bounce off the rim."
I read almost an exact duplicate of this statement from Larry Bird many years ago. That is exactly the way that Larry rebounded. It seems to work for both of them.
The Lowell Sun shares what a lot of Celtics fans have been thinking lately. Rajon Rondo is a steal! The kid can play and is causing a lot of talk all over the league. He has definitely been the best PG in camp so far. His assist/turnover ratio is quite impressive and he has played with the poise of a veteran so far. Like most fans, I can't wait to see what he is going to do next!!
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Deja Vu
Thursday, October 19, 2006
by FLCeltsFan 10:25 PM
October 19, 2006
| Haven't we been here before? A young Celtic being investigated by the police for being involved in a shooting. We still haven't heard the end of the whole Tony Allen saga and now we get this report from ESPN:
New York City police sources tell ESPN's Jeremy Schaap that Boston Celtics guard Sebastian Telfair is being investigated for a possible role in the shooting of rapper Fabolous.
Skylar John Jackson, 28, also known as Fabolous, was shot and wounded in the left thigh Monday night outside of Justin's, a New York club owned by hip-hop mogul Sean "Diddy" Combs. Telfair was outside of the same club Monday night, and the shooting occurred shortly after a $50,000 chain was ripped from Telfair's neck.
Telfair was observed making a phone call after the chain was stolen.
"We're investigating whether there's a connection between the reported robbery and the shooting," New York Police Department spokesman Paul Browne told The Associated Press.
Telfair was observed making a phone call after the chain was stolen.
First we are told that Telfair was ill with a mysterious stomach illness instead of being told the truth that he was at the police station looking at lineups. Then, we were supposedly told the truth, that Telfair was at the restaurant with his girlfriend and when he went out to move his car, he was accosted by 4 men and his chain was stolen. According to Telfair, he then left the restaurant and was not there when the incident with Fabolous occurred. According to Telfair, he left the restaurant around 10:30 PM and the rapper's shooting took place around 12:30AM.
The NY Post, however has this report
Telfair was robbed about 30 minutes before the shooting, after he drove up to Sean "Diddy" Combs' restaurant in Chelsea early Tuesday and parked his Bentley in front before going inside with his fiancée.
When restaurant staff told the hoops star his car would likely be towed, he moved it to a parking lot up the street where a man allegedly stole the necklace, police said.
The 6-foot phenom from Brooklyn's Lincoln HS told investigators the sticky-fingered bandit then ran into the swank eatery, sources said.
When Telfair went inside, he said, he saw the thief talking to members of Fabolous' entourage, the sources said.
A witness at the restaurant told The Post Telfair loudly complained of being robbed, but when asked by security if he wanted to call police, he said no. He then got on his cellphone and was heard telling someone, "Get over here and take care of it," and left.
This seems to contradict Telfair's story. If indeed he was telling someone to come and take care of it, it is eerily similar to the command that Tony supposedly gave to someone in his entourage. One thing that I do know for sure, if it turns out that Telfair was somehow involved in this shooting, the Celtics organization and Doc in particular, along with the Boston media, will look very bad for an apparent cover up of this matter.
source: ESPN and NY Post
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Wyc Stands Behind His Men
by FLCeltsFan 12:39 PM
October 19, 2006
Just a little bit ago on Dennis and Callahan on WEEI, they were very much putting Telfair down for wearing expensive jewelry and basically made it all his fault. Wyc had called in earlier and confirmed that he felt that Doc shouldn't have lied about Bassy's reason for leaving Tuesday's game. I agree with him there. By not telling the truth, Doc made a big story out of nothing.
But then, they began to put the whole thing on Bassy for wearing expensive jewelry and Wyc called in again and mentioned that other Boston athletes, namely David Ortiz wears a lot of jewelry. It seemed that they just kind of glossed over that and then rushed Wyc off the air. it is obvious that there is a huge Red Sox bias on this show. I can't wait for the Celtics to break out and make these guys eat their words. In spite of the continued ignorance of the Boston Media, it is good to hear Wyc defending his players.
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source:WEEI
Listen to Wyc's comments
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Thursday's Odds and Ends
by FLCeltsFan 11:37 AM
October 19, 2006
Much of the talk today is about Leon Powe's performance last night after not playing in previous games and about Telfair's incident in New York. It sure was good to see some defense played last night. We ought to do that more often. Here is what is going on around the Celtics Nation Today:
The Herald, the Worcester Telegram, and the DailyNews Tribune all have articles on the Telfair robbery and absence in New York. We still got a slightly different story from the Herald than we did from the other two papers. The Herald also has an article with Wyc's reaction to the deception that was at first reported. I agree with Wyc, if they continue to spin false stories to make the team look better, no one will know what to believe from them, and eventually won't believe anything they have to say.
The Herald, The Green Room, Celtics.com, and Projo all have articles that discuss Powe's game last night and the fact that the kid is a player. Some, who were saying yesterday that Powe would be one of the cuts, are now joining me in saying that cutting this kid would be a huge mistake. I have been saying that all along. Powe averaged a double double in college, added 3 inches to his vertical leap, and works too hard not to succeed. What I don't get is how Doc could sit him in the first 3 games while playing Scal big minutes. Another Doc "brain fart." These seem to be way too frequent for my liking. The kid is a player and should have been given minutes all along. If they cut him, they will regret it.
The Eagle Tribune give more well deserved praise to Rondo.
A few folks, however, were aware of what the vast majority of NBA observers have come to realize through the first half of Boston's preseason schedule - Rondo has been the real deal for some time.
His high school coach is quoted as saying that Rondo was the best guard he has ever coached. This is saying a lot since he also coached Ron Mercer, Steve Blake, Jerry Stackhouse, Stephen Jackson, Marcus Williams, and Carmelo Anthony.
On the other side of the coin is this article from Slam Online that cautions us not to get too caught up in Rondo-mania. I don't know about them, but I have seen enough to make up my mind that this kid is for real and is only going to get better.
Full Court Press has a good article that puts forth a lot of questions and decisions that the Celtics will have to face in the near future. Suppose that most of our young players take that next step and become very, very good this season. Can we sign them all? That is something that Danny is going to have to address.
Sports Illustrated has an article that discusses Pierce's place in Celtics history. They seem to think that he should have signed with another team to look for a title. How will Pierce fit into the Celtics greats if he doesn't win a championship? I personally believe that we will win it all with this team. Not this year, but definitely before Pierce's contract is up. But the best thing about this article isn't the part on Pierce, it is the bit at the end about Rondo. I just love their description of him! ...but during his first three preseason games, he has been a skinny little jolt of caffeine in a green headband.
Seems to fit him very well, doesn't it?
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Powe Impresses in Comeback Win
by FLCeltsFan 10:52 AM
October 19, 2006
| Last night, the starters got off to a very poor start. They seemed to be settling for half court basketball and we saw very little running. Perk was called for 3 quick fouls, 2 of which were bad calls on offensive fouls, and left the game. We had very little presence on the boards and weren't playing any defense and were turning the ball over way too much. It seemed that the Nets were going to run away with the game, leading by 18 at the half.
The Nets pushed the lead to 23 when a strange thing happened. Doc finally gave Leon Powe playing time and sent out a lineup that included Powe, Rondo, Telfair, Gomes, and Tony Allen. This team played in your face defense and Powe played very tough under the basket, grabbing 15 rebounds and blocking shots, and they ran. The end result is that we won a game that appeared to be lost.
I have said before that our youth can work for us this season. Last night was an example of this. With an entirely young team, we rallied from a huge deficit and won the game. They just played hard and pressed on defense, holding Vince Carter scoreless in the 4th period. I believe that the keys to this win were Powe who played very tough under the basket and grabbing rebounds. We outrebounded NJ 43-38 and that is a key to winning. We have to win the rebounding battle. Doc went to his small ball lineup again, but this time, included 2 rebounders in Gomes and Powe and that made the difference.
Also, it was the steady play of both point guards again, particularly Rondo who had 10 points, 6 assists and NO turnovers. Telfair came up big at the end to seal the victory and ended with 10 points, 2 assists, 3 steals, and No turnovers.
Perk, Al and Green all played limited minutes due to picking up quick fouls. Perk and Al especially seemed a bit tentative after picking up quick fouls. Wally sat out as a precautionary measure again, although he said he felt very good. West, Scal, and Ratliff sat out with injuries. Pierce started but was in obvious discomfort afterwards. Kandi and Allan Ray played limited minutes and both were basically ineffective. Luke Jackson came in and hit a couple of 3s but was 2 of 6 on the night.
Doc has said again that cuts will probably come tomorrow. Hopefully now that Powe has pretty much outplayed all of our other bigs, he will be part of this team for this season. It seems as though Pitts and Akingbala will be the first cuts, since they haven't shown much of anything so far this season.
[Box Score]
[Recap]
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The Weakest Link
by FLCeltsFan 10:18 AM
October 19, 2006
| I have said it before and I am now strongly convinced that Doc is the weakest link in this team. We have a lot of young players who are coming into their own this season. We have talent and depth but what we don't have is a head coach who knows what he is doing. He says all the right things, but I haven't seen him doing the right things. Last season he was incapable of managing the rotation, making wise decisions during games, and teaching defense to a young team very capable of playing it. I haven't seen anything so far this season to prove that he is any better at those things than he was last season.
First and foremost is his lack of respect for defense. Last year he made the comment that He worked on offense in practice because that was the hardest to get and that the players would pick up defense while practicing offense because "after all half of the team is playing defense when they work on offense." This would seem to be a bad approach to coaching because our team desperately needs more defense. We won't win without it. Any coach who doesn't stress defense is not a good coach. Defense wins games and championships and a team go nowhere without it. We saw that last year very clearly. We had a good offense, but terrible defense, and we won 33 games.
Second, Doc doesn't know his players. He plays Scal big minutes in 2 preseason games. He doesn't need to see what Scal can do. We all know what Scal does and it isn't much. At the same time that Scal is getting big minutes, Powe is sitting on the bench because he doesn't "get the system." Doc finally gives Powe some minutes because of Scal's injury and he produces and plays perfectly within the system. I can't believe that he played poorly in practice and then suddenly "gets it" when put into the game. Last season we had a similar situation with Gomes. He never got off the bench and then finally when Doc was forced to play him due to injuries, he came in and became a star. I can't believe that Gomes wasn't showing enough in practice to warrant some playing time.
Third, Doc doesn't have a clue as to how to use our bigs. He played Raef big minutes last season because he loves a center "who can spread the floor." Raef rarely played under the basket and roamed on the 3 point line. This year he made a remark about liking centers who play under the basket. When did he develop this proclivity? Doc last season constantly played Blount big minutes,even though he was turnover prone and didn't rebound. Because of this, Perk has gotten precious little playing time over the past 3 years.
Doc loves small ball but doesn't realize that when you go small ball, you will be at a big disadvantage on the boards if you don't keep at least one of your bigs in with them to grab rebounds. Yes, the small ball teams are faster and can run more, but you can't run without the ball. Also, our young bigs play tentatively because at their first mistake, Doc tends to pull them and sit them. They know that they get very little time in the first place because Doc tends to rely on veterans, whether they play well or not, to the young bigs. And they are afraid of making a mistake because they don't want to be pulled from the game and that makes them more tentative. This preseason, we should have been stressing our bigs and seeing what we have and instead, for 3/4 of every game, Doc plays small ball and for much of that, without a rebounder and shot blocker in there. Last night's rally wouldn't have happened without Powe grabbing 15 boards.
Last but not least, Doc's rotations are bizarre. He will stick with players who are not playing well and pull players who are playing great but make a mistake. He plays small ball way too much and doesn't keep defensive units out there enough. His chosen starting lineup is veteran heavy, and a half court team. They don't run and settle for way too many half court sets and usually Pierce with an ISO. It is great for veterans to start, but not at the expense of abandoning the running game.
I am not alone in my assessment of Doc's weaknesses. Here is a quote from Mike on BSMW's Full Court Press.
I certainly don’t think Doc is at the top of his profession. He seems incapable of managing his team’s rotations, to the point where it seems like every other game finds the Celtics with 5 subs getting run off the floor by an opponent playing 2 or 3 starters. Similarly it is rare to see the Celtics play a solid game two games in a row. Most people would lay that at the feet of the youth movement, but the coach has some say in that too.
Also, Bill Simmons, the Sports Guy, constantly called out Doc for his poor in game decision making and his inability to manage the rotations. It seems that already this season, we are in for more of the same.
I firmly believe that if this team fails to make the playoffs this season, it will be Doc's fault. Danny has continually stuck by Doc and supported him. But when it is obvious to everyone else, including 99% of the fans and media, that Doc is a poor coach and is costing us games by his inability to manage rotations, failure to play deserving players while playing others who don't deserve playing time, and his disregard for the importance of defense, something should be done by the organization. I don't know who would be the best coach for this team, but I do know that Doc cost us quite a few games last season and will do the same this season if he continues along the same road he has been following.
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The Boston Media is Spinning
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
by FLCeltsFan 4:15 PM
October 18, 2006
| The Boston papers are apparently spinning a web around the truth again. After leading the Celtics in scoring and getting off to his best start yet as a Celtic, Sebastian Telfair disappeared and didn't play the second half. The Knicks announcers mentioned that he wasn't on the bench and then that he wasn't feeling well.
The Globe had this to say about Bassy's absence last night:
Telfair became sick with a stomach ailment during halftime of the exhibition game and did not return, finishing with 14 points in 17 minutes. It was easily the best stretch of basketball in a Boston uniform for Telfair. He's probable for tonight's game against New Jersey at TD BankNorth Garden.
Then, I read in the NY Post this account of his absence:
Balkman finished with nine points and seven rebounds in 13 minutes as the Knicks continued to get breaks that included not having to face Boston point guard Sebastian Telfair after halftime for the most bizarre of reasons. Telfair was said to be heading to a Manhattan police station to look at lineups stemming from a shooting Monday night of a rapper, Fabolous.
Telfair torched the Knicks in the opening minutes, scoring Boston's first nine points and getting 14 by halftime. Celts officials said Telfair didn't play because he "didn't feel well."
It really makes you wonder about the validity of the Boston Media. Obviously the NY Post had information contrary to what the Globe and the Herald reported. ESPN had this report this morning:
On Tuesday night, Telfair looked at four separate lineups, each including one of the four men arrested on the weapons charges, including Fabolous, but did not identify any of the men as the person who stole his chain.
So it seems that once again the Boston papers are reporting things the way they want to and not the way it actually happened. Bassy had been robbed on Monday night, not long before Fabolous was shot and he looked at the lineup on Tuesday evening, apparently during the second half of the game.
This article came out later in the day from Shira:
According to reports out of New York City, Telfair looked at the lineup during the second half of last night's game between the Celtics and Knicks at Madison Square Garden, though coach Doc Rivers told reporters the point guard missed the second half due to a stomach ailment. Judging from the comments made by the players after the game, they were unaware of the circumstances surrounding Telfair's second-half absence. Once the truth comes out they have to come up with some reason for their original story. Both the Globe and the Herald originally reported that it was a stomach ailment and now, after the fact, Shira is trying to do some damage control.
It reminds me of the Al Jefferson reports when they first came out. The Boston papers reported that Al had minor surgery and that nothing was found and that it was mostly exploratory. It wasn't until after the fact when Al finally spoke up that we learned the truth about his bone chips.
Even the little things like Peter May not realizing that Pierce's last year was a player option year. Or Shira this morning saying that the injuries gave Doc a chance to look at Powe(DNP), Akingbala(17 sec), and Pittsnogle (54 sec) last night. I wonder if the media is doing this themselves, or if they are just reporting what the Celtics organization tells them and then they end up with pie on their faces. Either way, it doesn't do much to give the Boston papers credibility.
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Celtics Face Nets at the Garden
by FLCeltsFan 12:21 PM
October 18, 2006
| In another back to back set of games, the Celtics will fact the Nets tonight in their first real home game at TD Banknorth Garden. Tonight the new scoreboard that was unveiled yesterday will be in use and we will have the first home game with the Celtics Dancers. Should be pretty exciting. A key matchup will be at the PG, whether it is Rondo or Telfair against Kidd.
Join us on Celtics Green for the play by play and chat about the game.
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Odds and Ends on Wednesday
by FLCeltsFan 10:19 AM
October 18, 2006
We lost our 3rd preseason game in a row last night to the Knicks and face the Nets tonight in the TD Banknorth Garden where we will get our first sight of the new scoreboard and also of the new Celtics Dancers. Here is what is going on around the Celtics Nation today:
Steve Bulpett focuses on Telfair and his return to MSG along with his relationship with Stephon Marbury. Telfair was off to his best game as a Celtic when he was sidelined by some mysterious stomach ailment. Hopefully it was just nerves and he will be back to play tonight.
The Celtics Notebook in the Herald begins with some well deserved praise for Rondo. Once again, he was the brightest spot on the team. You just have to be excited about this kid. Perk also very quietly had an excellent game with 10 rebounds and 4 blocks. We also learn that Danny said yesterday that he does plan to pick up Tony's option.
The Globe Notebook also centers on Telfair's return to the Garden. Shira also mentions that the injuries gave Doc a chance to evaluate Powe, Akingbala and Pittsnogle who combined played just over 1 minute. Doc is so absorbed with playing small ball, he forgets he has bigs that need to be developed as well.
CelticsBlog has a good interview with Danny Ainge. I like the fact that Danny isn't going to make a trade just to bring in a veteran. Unless he gets a good veteran, he isn't going to trade away any of our young players. By the time a talented veteran becomes available, many of our young players will be talented veterans themselves.
The Berkshire Eagle reports that the owners are willing to be patient and build our team with young talent and watch them develop. Without tanking, that is the only way a team picking in the middle of the pack can get better unless they somehow luck into an unbelievable trade.
ESPN reports that Telfair had a gold necklace worth 50,000 stolen from around his neck outside of a club. Later the same night, the rapper Fabolous was shot and killed outside the same club. When will these kids learn to stay away from the clubs where they can get into trouble?
Matt Maguire feels that Rondo is the missing link that the Celtics need to get to the next level. He certainly appears to be the pass first PG that we have needed. And we don't need to wait for him to develop because he is already showing the game and poise of a veteran. Now if Doc would just learn to play his bigs and use their strengths, we may have something here!
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Rondo Shines as Celtics Lose 3rd in a Row
by FLCeltsFan 9:58 AM
October 18, 2006
| Once again, the Celtics had some positives and some negatives as they lost their third game in a row, this time to the Knicks. Isaiah seems to have the Knicks playing well and Balkman is playing very well.
Telfair came out of the blocks ready to play and scored the Celtics first 9 points. He was having his best game as a Celtic but sat out the second half with a stomach ailment. Rondo once again was excellent with 14 points, 4 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals before fouling out at the end of the game. One sequence in particular has to make you excited about what this kid can do. Gerald missed a jumper from the corner and Rondo swooped in from nowhere to slam it home. He then turned around and stole the inbounds pass and took it in for another slam. He plays with the poise and court sense of a veteran and you just have to be excited about what he has done so far. You can see this sequence on YouTube here.
Doc started Kandi and Allan Ray in place of the injured Pierce and Ratliff. It seems that Doc will do anything not to play Perk and I don't understand it because Perk is clearly ready to take his game to the next step and has been our best center so far. Perk and Al were playing very well. Perk had 6 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, and 4 blocks in 23 minutes. If Doc would just let this kid play, he will be a monster on the boards by the end of the season. In spite of missing several easy shots in the lane, Al looked good and rebounded well with 6 in just over 20 minutes.
The negatives come mostly from the coaching. Doc left a small lineup in that wasn't getting the job done way too long and it allowed the Knicks to get back into the game and change the momentum. Our shooting seemed rather tentative with that lineup. Also our defense was terrible last night. We allowed the Knicks to get way too many easy baskets. We have to improve our defense or we won't get anywhere this season. The Celtics were once again outrebounded by 18 and this has a lot to do with Doc playing too much small ball without a rebounder in the game. Perk is our best rebounder right now and he needs to get more minutes.
In spite of being 1 and 3 so far in the preseason, I can see a lot to be positive about with this team. I continue to believe that the weak link in this team is going to be Doc.
[Box Score]
[Recap]
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Odds and Ends on a Game Day Tuesday
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
by FLCeltsFan 9:04 AM
October 17, 2006
Well, in spite of once again saying he would do so, Doc didn't make any cuts yesterday. We still have 18 players, but Scal (shoulder injury), West (infected toe), and Ratliff (back) didn't travel with the team and Pierce is in NY but won't play on a precautionary move. It is still not clear which players will be cut. Several players have been mentioned as being possible. One player I believe that will be cut is Pittsnogle. He is one dimensional and doesn't add anything other than that 3 point shot. We need more than that from our centers. Apparently Kandi is still impressing in camp and will probably make the team, especially since Ratliff is already proving to be fragile. Here is what is going on around the Celtics Nation today.
Bulpett features Kandi and his surprising effort in training camp so far. A non guaranteed contract would be the best thing if he continues to improve in camp as it would give him incentive to keep working so that he doesn't get cut down the road. If he keeps playing hard like he has been, he can really help the team, especially with Ratliff injured already. I still think that Perk needs to be our starting center and he needs to get decent minutes. He will never take that next step if Doc insists on pulling him as soon as he makes a mistake and playing him only 15 minutes a game. Doc needs to let him play and work through those mistakes and he will play with a lot more confidence.
Also in the Herald in Bulpett's notebook, we learn that the early injuries have forced Doc to change plans. He is still saying that he is looking at players so apparently he isn't ready to make a cut yet. Doc is talking about possibly starting Allan Ray tonight with Pierce and West both out. Jackson could also see some playing time. Without his "binky" (Scal), Doc may even play Powe some. If he is evaluating the bigs, he hasn't given them much playing time to do so. This article also says that Ray should stick with the team and that possibly Akingbala may stay instead of Powe. I am pulling for Powe, however. I just like the kid.
Scott Souza's article in the MetroWest Daily reports that Luke Jackson is hoping to get some playing time in Boston. Doc is going to still be looking at players over the next two games to evaluate their play.
While Rivers has seen the rookies in camp for two weeks, how they respond over the next two nights may go a long way toward sorting out the roster logjam.
"I still think the games, in some ways, are telltale signs," he determined. "You know what everyone is doing in here. When we go up against a different talent, a different defensive scheme, that's when you can really see things revealed."
I hope he gives Powe a chance to play tonight and hopefully he will do well. Doc says that he is struggling with the system but I know he can be a player if they give him a chance. He has the physical attributes and works too hard not to.
Peter May discusses Tony's legal status in his notebook. Danny has until October 31 to pick up Tony's option. If he doesn't pick it up, I expect Tony to be part of a trade sometime this season. Danny won't know about Tony's legal status by then so will have to make the decision strictly on instinct as to what he expects will happen there. Tommy Heinsohn was finally recognized for his 10,000th point. Tommy bleeds green more than anyone in the organization and I am glad that they are making the effort to recognize him.
CelticsBlog presents a good interview with Doc. Here, Doc sounds like he likes Powe and wants to keep him but the Herald article presents a different picture. I still think the weak link on this team is Doc. Hopefully he can get input from his assistant coaches because so far we know that Doc doesn't know how to use bigs effectively in the post. He wants them out on the 3 point line "stretching the defenses." He also doesn't make very good in game decisions and tends to pull young players when they make mistakes so that they never can develop confidence in their game on the floor. So far this preseason, Doc hasn't done anything to alleviate my worries. He has played Scal way too much and his rotations have been anything but understanable. He plays small ball way too much in a game and doesn't include a rebounder in the small ball lineup. You can't run if you don't have the ball. I hope I am wrong, but I just see us reamaining mediocre as long as Doc is in charge.
Celtics Pride has a look at the players who are on the "chopping block." Either Doc is really having a hard time deciding among the players because they are all impressing, or he is indecisive and can't make up his mind on the players to cut. It now sounds like Doc is going to wait until at least after tomorrow night's game to make the cuts.
Tonight the Celtics face the NY Knicks in New York. I have read that the Knicks look a lot better than last season and so I am hoping that we don't take them for granted and play well tonight. Game time is 7:30 and TV coverage will be on FSNE and League Pass on channel 751. Grande and Max will be covering the game on Radio on WRKO. Join us on Celtcs Green for the play by play of the game tonight as well.
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Tony in Court Not On It
Monday, October 16, 2006
by FLCeltsFan 3:47 PM
October 16, 2006
| Tony Allen missed practice today to attend a status hearing on his aggravated assault case. His court case was originally supposed to have been heard in August, but the case was delayed indefinintely due to the judge's illness. A new status hearing will be November 21 and hopefully then a trial date will be set. He will not have to attend the November 21 hearing.
Danny had said that he was waiting to see how Tony's legal problems worked out to decide on picking up his option. It is obvious now that his legal status will still be up in the air on October 31 when Danny needs to make that decision. You have to wonder if Danny will pick his option up or not.
Also reported is that Pierce will travel to NY with the team but is not expected to play. West (infected toe), Scal (injured shoulder) and Ratliff (sore back) will all stay home when the team plays in New York. [More]
source: Globe
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Odds and Ends on a Possible Cut Day
by FLCeltsFan 9:00 AM
October 16, 2006
In the Herald Steve Bulpett reports that Delonte will play more at the 2 this season. I think this is a good thing as he should thrive there. Reportedly his back is doing great but he had an infected toenail removed that has set him back again. Pierce is hoping to practice today but probably will sit out tomorrow's game against NY. Doc is once again saying he could make the first cuts today,
“We could do it (today),” Rivers said. “We’re not sure about it yet. Danny (Ainge) and I talked a little about it (yesterday), but I wouldn’t be shocked if we did something (today).”
But then again he has been saying that since camp started.
Shira is also discussing the possible cuts today along with the injuries on the team. Joining Pierce (left hip contusion) and West (infected toenail)on the sidelines is Scalabrine Scalabrine suffered the shoulder injury early in practice and was taken to New England Baptist hospital for X-rays. Scalabrine will see team physician Brian McKeon today and, along with Pierce, will be reevaluated by the medical staff.
Early reports on Luke Jackson are all positive and he could make the rotation. If he does, that makes one other person, likely Allan Ray who could be cut. Eric Weiss from Draft express assured me last night in the CSL Pit that Powe is not going to be cut, but I still worry that he may be on the cusp since he hasn't seen any playing time at all. According to Eric, Powe hasn't been played because he isn't fighting for a position or to make the team. He should make the team and spend time in the D League getting some seasoning. I hope he is right because I really like this kid.
It is no surprise to hear that Perk is putting in extra work after practice. Kendrick Perkins is working hard to separate himself from the big-man pack, spending a half-hour with assistant Clifford Ray after practice refining his shooting form. I love this kid!! He is one of the hardest workers in the league and if Doc gives him decent minutes this season, I expect him to make a huge leap in his play.
The Cheap Seats takes a look at Rondo. So far, Rondo has been very impressive. In spite of the Celtics committing almost 60 turnovers in 2 games, Rondo had 2 in that span. He takes good care of the ball, makes impressive passes,is very fast, has great court awareness, and plays excellent defense, what is there not to like? In spite of advance reports that he can't shoot, his shot has been pretty decent so far. He is a pass first PG, but he doesn't hesitate to take a shot when he is open. The team seems to play much more under control with Rondo at the point. I said that in the Summer League games and I see it again in the first 3 preseason games. This kid is for real and should make a real difference for the team this season. I think so far he clearly has been the better PG and should get the starting nod.
Don't forget to check out all of the great team previews. This past week we have had the Nuggets, the Bucks, the Pistons from the Need for Sheed site, and the Pistons from the Bad Boys site. You can see all the previews here.
If you missed CelticsStuff Live last night, you missed a great show!! Be sure to download the podcast and listen as Sean Grande and Kim Malo were both excellent guests. The chat room (aka the Pit) was jumping as always. This show just keeps getting better and better.
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NBA's Scariest Team
Sunday, October 15, 2006
by FLCeltsFan 1:45 PM
October 15, 2006
Chris Vining of Hot Sauce Sports has an article that pegs the Celtics as the league's scariest team. He is alternately positive and negative about the team throughout the entire article.
Watching the Celtics preseason games and looking at their roster has to worry any opponent. They are impossible to match up with; however, they can go from the best to worst team in basketball from game to game. Throw in a coach who is more focused on traveling to his Florida home that mentoring his young players, and the C's are a recipe for disaster. The saving grace is that this team could frustrate opponents with match up problems that could make them impossible to defend against.
While I agree that the Celtics are going to cause opponents problems once they get used to playing together and once Doc gets the rotations down, I don't have the negative feeling about the team that he does. I feel that the first game is more of what we will be seeing on a regular basis this season. We will see improvement with each game they play. If we set the pace and play our game, we are going to be very tough to match up with. I don't know about Doc yet. So far, he hasn't shown me anything that proves he can be a competent coach.
He makes the point that Perk is a rising star and Powe is a future star and I heartliy agree with that assessment. He also makes the suggestion that Boston can field 2 separate teams, a point I made a couple of weeks ago in an article here on Loy's Place. I think this could work and would give each of the teams even better chemistry by playing together all the time.
The Celtics can match up with anyone, but that isn't their style. They like to play their game on their terms. This team can be explosive (two straight 110+ point nights) or awful (followed by a 38 turnover game and then not breaking 80 points the next night). This is a young team with more chips in their hand than a poker champion. The Celtics could easily trade three or four players and get some veterans in return, to help balance out the roster. That just isn't Danny Ainge's style, or else Kevin Garnett or Allen Iverson would be joining Paul Pierce on the Eastern Conference All-Star team.
Yes, we can match with anyone and we will create matchup problems for other teams this season and we will run and because we are deep will be able to wear other teams down by the end of games. He then goes on to harp a bit on our 38 turnovers. Yes, 38 turnovers is an incredible amount, but what is even more incredible is that we still had a chance to win that game with 38 turnovers. We cut that number down to 13 the next night. We are going to have some growing pains getting used to running and the new point guards, and will from time to time have too many turnovers, but as with everything else, I expect this to get better game by game as well. I agree with this writer that the Celtics are going to be one of the scariest teams this season... but for all the good reasons, not the bad.
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source:Hot Sauce Sports
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Odds and Ends on a Sunday
by FLCeltsFan 9:53 AM
October 15, 2006
Well, here we are in a lull between a Friday game and a Tuesday game. Still no cuts have been made so we still have 18 players and need to jetison 3. With Luke Jackson coming in, it seems that one of the 3 may be a wing and I am thinking that Pitts and Akingbala will be the other two. In spite of saying he wanted to pare down the roster weeks ago, Doc still hasn't done it. Here is what is going on around the Celtics Nation today:
Steve Bulpett reports in the Herald that Doc is really wanting to push the pace this season. In order to do so, he practiced with a 12 second clock. It seemed that we slowed down in the third game but were settling into more of a half court set much of the time. One thing that bothers me is that when Doc goes small he goes all small and doesn't leave any rebounders in there. I mean, with Gerald as your center, how many rebounds will you get? Going with a 3 guard set is fine but you need a couple of rebounders in there because you can't run if you don't have the ball.
Scott Souza has a good piece on West. I believe that he will see a lot of time at shooting guard this season and should get a lot of open looks. I am worried about him though. The paper reports that his back is fine but Kim Malo, who has been wonderful about giving us first hand reports from the events for season ticket holders, reported that Delonte didn't practice yesterday.
Delonte and Paul were there but didn't participate. From her report:
Poor Delonte looked like he was in agony when he stood up at one
point, and he's never struck me as someone who readily lets you see
he's in pain. Was walking like an old, old arthritic who could barely
move. Wonder if it was the back stiffening up rather than rust behind
the bad shooting last night. I hope this isn't something that is going to plague him. I still have visions of Bird lying on the sidelines during time outs etc. so that his back didn't stiffen up on him.
In a Globe article, Doc is downplaying Green's role on the team this season. But it seems to me that his play is going to dictate getting playing time. Donnie Marshall on the pregame show the other night said that he feels that by the end of this season Green is going to be the #2 scoring option right behind Pierce.
Tonight's CelticsStuff Live should be an excellent show. Guests are going to be Kim Malo and Sean Grande so there should be a lot of inside info to be had. Be sure to tune into the show from 7-9 pm eastern time and call in your questions and comments for Kim and Sean to the show. You can call in any time and record a question or email your question that you would like answered on the show. Also, join us in the chat room (aka The Pit) before and during the show for a lot of fun and Celtics talk. See you there!!
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