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RETRIEVING CONTENT...PLEASE WAIT
Celtics Blow 25 Point Lead and Lose to Cavs
Saturday, November 11, 2006
by FLCeltsFan 11:31 PM
November 12, 2006 For 3 quarters, the Celtics looked really good. We were playing defense and the offense was clicking on all cylinders. Then the Cavs started playing defense and the Celtics fell apart. Once again, we are left to look for positives in a loss.
The Celtics were playing without Wally Szczerbiak who announced just before the game that he would be unavailable for the game. Ratliff is once again out with his bulging disc. Al is out with appendicitis. It seems like the team is picking up where they left off last season with a rash of injuries one after another. Last year, the injuries gave us Ryan Gomes. I have a feeling that if Telfair wasn't out last night, Rondo would still be on the bench. Now would be the time to give Powe some playing time with Ratliff possibly out for awhile with his back. However Doc seems to think that Scal is a crunch time player so Powe will probably continue to sit on the bench.
 There were some bright spots tonight though. We showed through the first 3 quarters that we can play defense and we can play as a team. My personal highlight was the play of Perk. He ended up with a double double with 12 points on 5 of 7 shooting to go with 11 rebounds and 2 blocks. Perk is going to continue to improve and to play more and more without fouling. All he needs is playing time and with Theo out indefinitely, hopefully he will be getting it.
 West seems to be breaking out of his slump and hit some big shots tonight. He finished with 12 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 block. He plays hard and we really need him to get his confidence in his shot back. Gomes continued with his solid play finishing with 11 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks. I just don't know why Scal was out there in the 4th quarter instead of Gomes. Again, Doc's substitutions and in game decisions are puzzling.
Telfair played 34 minutes and finished with 15 points and 5 assists and no turnovers. I still feel that Rondo is our better PG because of his defense and because he runs the team more under control. He played only 13 minutes last night.
 In spite of not scoring in the first half, Pierce finished with 19 points and 9 rebounds. Pierce took and missed at least two 3's over a double team and failed to see (or just didn't want to) an open Delonte on the wing. Perhaps, Pierce got wrapped up in the whole Pierce vs LeBron thing and wanted to do more than he should have.
I do feel that it is coming together for this team. We may be 1 and 5 and that is a terrible record but we are seeing some progress. Many of our problems stem from the inability to get stops when we need them. If we had a coach who took defense seriously and knew how to coach it, our defense would undoubtedly improve. I am not ready to give up on this team yet, though, even with Doc as coach. It is still very early and when other teams begin to slide toward the end of the season, the Celtics will be hitting their peak. There is an article today that compares this team to the young Chicago team taht started out 0 and 9 and finished with the 4th seed in the east. There is definitely time for this team to gel and come around. And I believe they will and last night's heartbreaking loss will be a distant memory and a blip on a successful season. [Box Score] [Recap] [Play by Play]
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Injury Update for Cavs Game
by FLCeltsFan 6:59 PM
November 11, 2006 The Herald Blog has some good news and some bad news.
Sebastian Telfair will, indeed, be playing tonight, but Theo Ratliff and Wally Szczerbiak will not.
Ratliff, who missed the first three games of the season with a back problem, could be out a while with this latest flare-up.
Szczerbiak walked by Doc Rivers a little less than an hour before tipoff and let him know that a right gluteus strain would make him unavailable. Szczerbiak hopes to be back by Monday’s game against Orlando. The good news is that Telfair should be playing tonight. At least, that is good news if Rondo doesn't have to sit again. We desperately need his defense. The bad news is that Wally and Theo will be out tonight. The smart thing would be to put Theo on the IL and play Powe. But then, Doc has not been known to do the smart thing all that often.
[More] source:Herald Blog
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Saturday Odds and Ends
by FLCeltsFan 10:23 AM
November 11, 2006 Celtics lose another one because of their inability to defend. It doesn't get any easier as we face the Cavaliers in Cleveland tonight in the second of back to back games. We seem to be making progress individually and as a team, but still need to play defense. Here is what is going on around the Celtics Nation today.
The Herald, Globe, Worcester Telegram, and AP all report on last night's game. In every report, they list the positives we can take from last night's performances (Rondo, Perk, West, Gomes) and then all credit our lack of defense for the loss.
Mark Murphy remarks on Rondo's excellent performance last night coming after a DNP the night before. Rondo brings energy and leadership and more importantly defense when he enters the game. Also reported is that Al Jefferson is home after his surgery.
The Herald and Globe both have articles on Telfair's hospitalization last night. He was treated for a bronchospasm and released. He is expected to travel with the team to Cleveland tonight but it is questionable if or how much he will play. Also in the Globe article, Shira mentions Perk's improvement in the foul area last night. He is watching film to see his mistakes and working hard to correct them. Last night it was working as he played very well and stayed out of foul trouble.
The Beacon Journal reports that the Cavaliers hold big grudges against the Celtics including Pierce spitting at their bench, Ricky's calling them a black hole and most of all, keeping them out of the playoffs. They have plenty of motivation to bury us. Hopefully we have some motivation to prevent it.
The Celtics face the Cavs in Cleveland tonight. We are playing the second of back to back games and so far, we haven't played very well on the back end of these games. Add to that the fact that the Cavs are looking to bury us and things aren't lookin very good for the guys in green. But, I always hope for a win. If we could pull out a win tonight, it will go a long way toward building some confidence on this team. Join us for the play by play and some good analysis by Q on Celtics Green.
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Celtics Come Up Short Against the Jazz
by FLCeltsFan 9:45 AM
November 11, 2006 Last night the Celtics were up and down against the Jazz. The first half was fairly evenly played and were the Celtics best two quarters of basketball so far in spite of not defending well and allowing the Jazz to shoot 59% for the half. Then the wheels came off in the third. The Celtics came out flat and the Jazz went on a 15-0 run to put the Celtics in a big hole.
 Enter the hero of the night (And Tommy Award winner) Rajon Rondo. With Telfair being taken to the hospital with shortness of breath and chest pains, Rondo got the call and answered it quite well. He brought defense and energy and behind his leadership, the Celtics twice cut the lead to 3 but couldn't finish out the game. Once again, team defense came up short and was the biggest reason for the loss.
There were a couple of silver linings. One was the play of Rondo who finished with 13 points on 5-10 shooting to go with4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals. Perk also seems to be breaking out of his fouling pattern drawing only 2 in 22 minutes of play. He also scored 10 points on 5-5 shooting with 4 rebounds and 4 blocks. He played very well and that is a good sign for the future. Gomes continued his solid play with 11 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists. Even Scal played well with 3 rebounds and 1 block in 10 minutes without the mistakes that usually accompany his play. I still would much rather see Powe out there, though. Wally and Pierce also only combined for 5 turnovers instead of the 17 from the game before. Our free throw shooting still continues to need improvement as we only shot 56% from the line. The officiating was pretty bad last night, missing some very crucial calls and making some bad ones also.
 There are some positives among all the negatives. Team play as a whole is improving, individual players are improving. Now if we could just play some defense, we may have a chance this season.
[Box Score] [Recap] [Play by Play]
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To Run or Not To Run...
Friday, November 10, 2006
by FLCeltsFan 12:25 PM
November 10, 2006
 Last week, Pierce came out and said that other teams usually run the first half of the year and then abandon the running game. He also added that the Celtics have the players that will be able to run all year. To a man, the Celtics have talked about finally running this season. Danny went out and got two of the fastest point guards in the league to be able to run all game. It all sounded good. We would finally see an uptempo game in Boston again.
Then the season started and we saw the team lapse into a half court game more and more and run less and less. The team was still talking about running, though. There were Pierce's comments from last week. On 11/7, Telfair had this to say:
"That makes it a lot easier knowing the ball is going to be in my hands, and we're going to play an up-tempo game, which stresses my abilities. Now it's just a matter of going out there and doing it." Then Doc had this to say:
"I like both of them. They have great vision and great speed. I like the fact that for 48 minutes we can play at the same speed," And we had this quote from Al as reported by Scott Souza:
"The second unit is the energy team," he said. "A lot of people don't know this, but on the second unit we run totally different plays sometimes from the first unit. We have our own little selection of plays that we run that fit for us." Ok, I guess that means that everyone is on the same page and even if the first team slows down and runs a half court, at least the second team will be running, right? Guess again. Today there were two quotes that really surprised me (but really shouldn't have since Doc is our coach). First, is this quote from Pierce:
"But you look at our starting lineup and it's really not a speed lineup. You have Sebastian [Telfair]. You have [Rajon] Rondo. You have Delonte West, but you have me on the wing and Wally [Szczerbiak]. We're pretty athletic guys, but we're not some of the fastest guys in the world along with Theo [Ratliff] and Ryan Gomes. So, I think with that lineup, we've got to be an opportunistic running team. The second unit is going to be more of a running team because they're a lot faster and more athletic." Ok, this is something we kind of felt was coming because the starting lineup never did run. In spite of Telfair talking about the uptempo game giving him a new chance and being happy that this team will play to his strengths, and in spite of Pierce saying that he welcomed the running game and felt we could run all year, the starting lineup has lapsed into a half court team.
But the second team will still run, right? Wrong! Here is the second quote that really struck me. In Bulpett's notebook, we get this little gem when talking about why Rondo was sitting in the last game.
Rondo, the coach explained, is a victim of position limitations and the fact the Celts no longer are playing the up-tempo style that fits his talents. WHAT??? The Celtics are no longer playing the up tempo style that fits his talents? Even on the second team? We are 4 games into the season and no longer looking to run? After spending the whole preseason working on a separate set of plays for the second team so that they can run, we are no longer playing the uptempo style that fits Rondo's talents and Rondo has to work on skills to fit into the half court game. Is it just me, or is something wrong with this picture? Up until 4 days ago, they were still talking about running and how we can run all season and that we finally have the players to run, and now Doc is saying we are no longer playing the uptempo game. Do we need any more evidence that Doc should go?
Danny has worked for 3 years to make this a running team. He went out and got two very fast PGs to run the team. If we weren't going to run, he could have kept West as the PG who did a good job running a half court team. Now we have two PGs better suited to the running game and we are no longer playing the up tempo game. I haven't been this disgusted since Pitino was the coach. Could taking a team built to run and making them a half court team constitute tanking? Something needs to be done and soon, or this season will be even worse than last and some very talented players are going to take a step back in their development.
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Friday's Odds and Ends
by FLCeltsFan 11:58 AM
November 10, 2006 We face a Jazz team tonight that is coming off their first loss of the season against the Nets. Hopefully we can build on our win (as ugly as it was) against the Bobcats and win 2 in a row. Here is what is going on around the Celtics Nation today:
Steve Bulpett reports that in spite of getting their first win, the Celtics have plenty of room for improvement. That seems to be an understatement since our defense definitely needs improvement, our offense needs improvement, our rotations need improvement, our decisionmaking needs improvement, our hustle and intensity needs improvement, and our turnovers need improvement.
The Celtics Notebook shares that in spite of his play in the preseason, Rondo is being shelved in favor of Telfair and West. We are no longer playing the style that fits his strengths (more on that later). In the meantime, he is coming early and staying late to work on his shooting.
In the Globe Notebook Pierce says that we will run when the opportunity arises (more on that later). We have to play smarter, but I don't agree that we need to abandon our running game. We need to cut down on turnovers but we also need to work on defense. We won't win unless we do.
The Globe Blog tells us that Perk is working to make adjustments in hopes of staying out of foul trouble. I still believe that Perk will have a break out season. He will work until he does in spite of not knowing if and when he will get playing time.
The Patriot Ledger reports that Al could have been lost for the year if his appendix had burst. Thankfully they got him to the hospital before it did. Also, Doc has faith in Perk that he can play much better and I agree. Once he figures out how to limit his fouls, he will break out. Dave Cowens had a problem with picking up too many fouls and he worked out pretty good. I am sure Perk will too.
Hopefully we will play better tonight against the Jazz. Our intensity has been very low in the first 4 games. We need to play with more energy, or this could get ugly. Join us on Celtics Green for the play by play as well as the enlightening color commentary from Q. Game time is 7:30.
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Thursday's Odds and Ends
Thursday, November 9, 2006
by FLCeltsFan 9:24 AM
November 9, 2006 Celtics fans are pumped up after getting their first win in dramatic fashion this morning. But the news is not all good. Al will be out 3-6 weeks, our D is still terrible, and Doc is playing Scal over Powe. But at least we aren't going to be the last team to get a win. That honor belongs to either Dallas or Denver, who are both winless. Here is what is going on around the Celtics Nation today:
The big news, aside from the win, is Al's emergency appendectomy. The Herald, The Globe, The Daily News Tribune, The Worcester Telegram, and Projo all have articles on Al's surgery and what it means for the team. Since Doc chose to activate Scal and put Powe on the IL, it is going to mean that everyone has to pick up their game to fill the hole left by Al's absence. Powe could come in and give the team some of what they are missing without Al, but Scal just does the "little things" and so can't even come close. It is good that Ratliff has returned as that will help the team alot.
Mark Murphy reports that Pierce had a lot of trust in West to make that last shot, in spite of his struggles to that point.
Steve Bulpett reports in the Celtics Notebook that Ratliff made a good first impression in his first game back after his back injury. He also reports that Doc still believes in Perk and feels he will break out this season. For once, I agree with Doc. The Herald also has a report about one of their dancers being threatened by a disgruntled fan. You had to know that this would happen. So many of the old time fans feel that the dance team was a slap in the face to Red and are not very happy about them. Along the same lines, the Eagle Tribune has a very negative piece on the Dancers. I agree that our money could have been much better spent on a new coach or trying to lure an all star here. I also agree that they haven't been all that classy.
The Herald, the Worcester Telegram, and Globe report on our sloppy, but gratifying win last night. It wasn't pretty with 25 turnovers (12 from the Captain) and a decided lack of intensity from our players and a definite lack of defense, but it will get the pressure off the team and possibly help them to play better next time out. West hit his first game winner and Gomes had his first triple double, and so it was a night of first all the way around. I thought it was funny that Pierce called Morrison a "baby Wally Szczerbiak" before the game.
Peter May reports that Pierce used the D word to spur his teammates to play harder last night. No, not Defense, Desperation. I didn't think we played with much of either, but a win is a win.
Hopefully, the Celtics can take this win and build on it. It won't get any easier as the 4 and 1 Jazz come to town on Friday.
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Celtics Win a Close One!!
by FLCeltsFan 8:54 AM
November 9, 2006 It wasn't pretty, but the Celtics will take it. In a game that was marked by turnovers and a lack of defense, it took an overtime and a shot at the buzzer from Delonte to get their first win.
The Celtics started out slowly, falling behind quickly, but fought back behind the play of the bench to come within 4 at the half. Wally woke up for the 4th period and hit 4 straight 3's to get the Celtics on a roll. They led by as many as 10 before blowing an 8 point lead over the final 1:29 of the game. Our defense has got to improve or we are in for a long year!
 Theo Ratliff played his first game of the season and made his presence immediately felt by blocking Emeka Okafor's first shot. He was a presence in the paint, causing several shots to be altered. Kandi also played well last night, scoring 8 points and grabbing 3 rebounds in 15 minutes of play. Perk had another off night picking up 5 fouls in only 9 minutes of play.
 The player who did most to step up and fill the gap left by Jefferson's absence was Ryan Gomes. Gomes recorded his first triple double of his career with 10 points 12 rebounds and 10 assists. As always, he played a very efficient game with very few mistakes. Another player who recorded a triple double, but would rather not talk about it, was Paul Pierce with 35 points 12 rebounds and 12 turnovers. In all my years of watching basketball, I have never seen a player get 12 turnovers. Wally also turned the ball over too much chalking up 5 turnovers for the game. It is scary when your best two players combine for 17 turnovers in a game.
 In a night of oddities, Delonte West once again moved to the PG spot and backed up Telfair while Rondo was the only DNPCD on the team. Doc said that he hoped that moving Delonte back to the point would help his confidence and get him back on track. In my opinion, this is just confusing the poor guy who is working on forgetting that he is a PG and trying to be a 2 guard. Despite shooting only 3 of 10 from the floor, Delonte hit the big shot when it counted. Pierce drove the lane to the basket and had 4 Bobcats collapsing on him when he kicked the ball out to a wide open Delonte who calmly hit the 20 foot game winner. It was Delonte's first game winner of his career.
In spite of Leon Powe possessing the closest game to Al's and who could have filled in for him quite well, judging by his play in the preseason, Doc opted to put Powe on the IL and activate Scal because of his experience. Not the smartest move in my opinion. In the words of Danny Ainge, just because they are veterans, it doesn't mean they are good.
I think the most disturbing element of this game was our lack of intensity and our lack of defense. We seemed a little flat all game. If we played that way against a better team, we would have been beaten soundly. We have to play better defense. If the coach with his myriad of defensive sets can't teach them defense, then the players need to take it on themselves to play aggressive D every time down. For a team to have an 8 point lead with 1:29 to go in the 4th and then have to go to overtime, is inexcusable. But as I said at the start. It wasn't pretty, but I'll take it.
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Big Al Has Emergency Appendectomy
Wednesday, November 8, 2006
by FLCeltsFan 5:14 PM
November 8, 2006
 Celtics suffer yet another setback as they seek to get on track:
Celtics forward Al Jefferson underwent an emergency appendectomy this afternoon, according to Celtics executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge. Jefferson experienced severe stomach pain overnight and attended this morning's shootaround at Health Point in Waltham, but upon arrival, trainer Ed Lacerte sent Jefferson immediately to a hospital. Ainge did not place a timetable on Jefferson's return, though the forward will be out at least 2-3 weeks. This is another setback for Jefferson, who is hoping to have a breakout season after suffering a pair of ankle injuries last season and undergoing surgery Aug. 3. This will definitely change the strategy for tonight. It is going to make it harder to get that first win tonight as we need as much size as possible against the Bobcats. I would love to see Powe get some playing time but unfortunately Doc will probably play Scal.
source:Boston.com Newsletter Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!
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Wednesday's Odds and Ends
by FLCeltsFan 9:04 AM
November 8, 2006 Celtics play the Bobcats tonight and hope for their first win. Since the last game, they have simplified offense to two basic plays, hopefully gotten Ratliff back and West back on track. If the 4th game of the season can ever be called a must win, this one is a must win. Here is what is going on around the Celtics Nations today:
Mark Murphy reports that Delonte is working hard to get his rhythm back. He has been working extra with Kevin Eastman as well as practicing his post defense playing with Perk, Al and Powe, which prompted Doc to say that Delonte is nuts (but in a good way). Delonte is due for a break out game and let's hope it is soon because we really need the Delonte back that we all know and love.
The Celtics Notebook reports that Ratliff is probable to return tonight. This would give our defense a big boost in that Ratliff has been coaching the defense and can direct it when he is in. This is a good thing since Doc has proved that he doesn't have a clue how to coach defense. Powe will probably be moved to the IL to make room for Ratliff. I really wish Doc would give Powe a chance in a game. He proved he can play in the preseason and I really believe that his toughness and energy would help us off the bench. I also hope that the return of Ratliff won't mean that Perk will play less than 10 mpg again. We need to develop Perk and he can't do so without playing time. Perk can be a dominant defender and shot blocker and a very good rebounder, but he needs playing time to develop his game.
The Globe Notebook pretty much tells us the same as the Herald did. Delonte has had 2 good practices and then went up against the big guns afterward. I love this kid's competitiveness. The Bobcats have never won in Boston. Let's hope it stays that way.
The Globe Green Room questions whether Pierce is becoming frustrated with the team already. To me, Pierce seems like he is staying positive and believes that they will turn it around. It is too early to get frustrated, especially with all the talent we have on this team.
Hoopshype features an interview with Peter May. Among other things, May feels that Doc isn't on the hot seat but feels that he would be a better fit for a veteran team. He feels that Tony Allen has been the most disappointing and that Delonte is the best of the young guns so far. Also, he felt that the Celtics made a mistake in promoting Big Al.
Tommy Beer on Hoopsworld feels that there is trouble brewing in Boston. I think it is too early to give up on this team. They had a slow start but I think they will come around.
Speculation on Larry Brown's next stop has already begun and Boston seems to be in the forefront with most everyone but Danny Ainge realizing that Doc is the weak link in this team and should be replaced. I am not sure that Brown would be a good fit for Boston because he has traditionally liked veteran teams and he doesn't seem to do as well with young players.
Eric Weiss has an interesting piece on how Arenas scored his 44 points against us and breaks it down possession by possession.
Last night FSN aired Tommy Forever Green. It was a very good program and if you have a chance to catch it when they air it again, you should do so. FSN has it listed for 11/10 at 5:00 pm and 11/11 at 7:00 pm (before the Cleveland game) for the next airings. Also on FSN, Russillo, Dickerson and Tanguay had a round table discussion and they agreed with me that Perk can be a dominant rebounder and physical presence in the paint but he hasn't been given enough playing time and that he has to worry too much about completing the play that Doc has called rather than just playing. Also they feel that Delonte will turn it around and that he will stay at the 2 this season and not be moved back to the PG position. They were saying that Delonte is thinking too much about his shot and if he just gets in rhythm and shoots it instead of thinking about it, he will break out of his slump. They are also saying that Green should be given more time to develop. They feel that he can be an impact player if given the minutes to develop. The also mentioned the fact that Tony isn't playing very well and that Gerald's defense and play couldn't be any worse than Tony's and could be a lot better.
Bobcats at Celtics 7:30 tonight... Go Celtics!!!
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Gerald Green is a Dunking Machine
Tuesday, November 7, 2006
by FLCeltsFan 3:12 PM
November 7, 2006 This was just posted on Celtics.com:
What started out as a joking bet between Brian Scalabrine and Gerald Green turned into one of the one of the craziest things you'll ever see after practice, and if it could be replicated, a first ballot Hall of Fame dunk contest winning slam.
Scalabrine and Green were talking about dunks after Tuesday's practice wrapped up, and Green jokingly threw the ball about 30 feet up the wall behind the basket and watched it drop to the floor, measuring with his eyes where it landed. After Allan Ray tried the same thing, Scalabrine told Green he'd have three chances to convert the dunk off the wall for $100.
Standing behind the three point line in the right elbow area of the court, Green tossed the ball off the bottom of 1986 NBA Championship banner, which hangs about 35 feet over the floor, and when the ball came back to the floor, Green elevated from just outside the free throw lane, caught it off the bounce with his right hand, grabbed the rim with his left, and tomahawked the ball through the rim, sending the gym into hysterics.
Scalabrine just fell backwards to the floor while Green walked out of the gym slapping high-fives with players and media members.
"You cheated," said Scalabrine. "You grabbed the rim."
"I would have hit my face on it," replied Green.
Sadly, there is no video footage. You'll have to take our word for it. This is absolutely amazing. Anyone else can't wait for this year's Slam Dunk Contest??
[More] source: Celtics.com Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!
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Tuesday's Odds and Ends
by FLCeltsFan 10:08 AM
November 7, 2006 The Herald, The Globe, and The Daily News Tribune all have articles on Ratliff's return to practice. It is interesting that Ratliff has seen the problems with our defense and has been working on fixing them from the practice floor.
"It's about communicating on the floor," Ratliff said, talking about Defense 101. "I think we get up on our man too much and lose position a lot. And that's why people are running right down the middle on us and getting layups. We've got to curtail that to be a better team.
"I can be a helper on that, but everyone has to learn how to communicate on the floor. When you're doing that, that's the sign of a great defensive team. People who talk on defense, [who let] people know if you're getting back-doored or if you need help where the ball is. So everybody's alert." This just reinforces my thoughts that Doc doesn't have a clue how to coach defense. Maybe we should fire Doc and make Theo our player coach.
Mark Murphy's notebook reports on the Celtics search for a 3rd scoring option behind Pierce and Wally. We have players step up from game to game but no one has been consistent. Al, Delonte, Telfair, Gomes, and Green all have the potential to fill this role but all have been inconsistent so far.
USA Today reports that the Celtics are looking to Telfair to be their playmaker. I am not completely sure that Telfair is going to be our future PG for the long run. Rondo just has so much going for him, especially on the defensive end, that I think he will end up be the starting point guard eventually. He just needs to improve his shooting. Telfair had a break out game against the Wizards, but his defense is still very suspect.
Over on CelticsStuff Live, The Duke has a good piece on what is wrong with the Celtics. Much of it comes down to coaching and lack of defense (which also comes down to coaching). I am happy to hear that Ratliff is finally coaching this team in how to play defense... someone has to. Delonte is struggling to switch from playing the 1 to playing the 2 right now and hopefully he will get it soon because we really could use the Delonte of last season back again.
Full Court Press is offering bandwagon seats cheap. This piece makes a good case for why Wally should come off the bench and discusses the problems on this team. All is not lost though as it also points out things to be encouraged about.
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Just for Fun - Unique Celtics Records
by FLCeltsFan 9:24 AM
November 7, 2006 While most of us Celtics fans are eagerly awaiting our first win and agonizing over our coaching and lack of defense (some are hoping for Greg Oden and don't want to win), I figured I would look on the brighter side and share some of the more unique records that the Celtics hold from a great book I have been reading: "The Unofficial Guide to Basketball's Nastiest and Most Unusual Records by Kerry Banks. Here are several that I thought you might enjoy.
Most derogatory nicknames handed out by a broadcaster Dozens: Johnny Most
 The voice of the Boston Celtics for 37 years, Most was a self proclaimed homer, someone who, as one referee stated, could cause a riot at a High Mass with his emotional, pro-Celtic descriptions. Most turned shoving matches into "bloodbaths" and minor fouls into "vicious muggings." Once, during a game in Detroit against the Pistons, he loudly declared, "Oh, the yellow, gutless way they do things here." Most frequently bestowed unflattering nicknames on Boston opponents. Kareem Abdul Jabar was "Kareem Puff." Dennis Rodman was "the Supreme Hot Dog." Isaiah Thomas was "Little Lord Fauntleroy." Washington's physical duo of Juff Ruland and Rick Mahorn were "McFilthy and McNasty." As Boston's director of basketball operations Danny Ainge observed, "I always believed we had thirteen guys on the active roster - twelve in uniforms and the thirteenth - Johnny Most- was high above courtside." First player to have his number retired twice by the same team. Bill Russell, Boston Celtics
 Russell was a complicated and prickly character: he didn't sign autographs and was uneasy with public adulation. The Celtics has intended to retire Russell's No. 6 in a pre game ceremony, but when Russell refused to participate, the team raised his number to the rafters in a private ceremony at Boston Garden on March 12, 1972. Twenty seven years later, on May 26, 1999, a more mellow Russell allowed his No. 6 to be re-raised to the top of Boston's FleetCenter in a special tribute hosted by comedian Bill Cosby. An estimated 12,000 fans attended. First Player to refuse to have his number retired Jim Loscutoff, No 18, Boston Celtics
 A hard nosed forward who won five titles with the Celtics from 1956 to 1964, Loscutoff declined to have his jersey number retired so that a future Celtic player could wear it. Instead, a LOSCY banner was hung in Boston in his honor. the jersey number was in fact later used and then retired in honor of another Boston star: Dave Cowens. Only NBA Hall of Famer inspired by a retired hockey number Larry Bird, Boston Celtics
 Legendary basketball star Larry Bird could be seen at every home game at Boston Garden standing isolated and staring up into the rafters while the national anthem played. In 1988 he explained what the ritual was all about. Bird said he was looking at the banner bearing Boston Bruins hockey star Bobby Orr's retired No 4 for inspiration. The First NBA team to retire the number of a player who never played for the team New Orleans Hornets, Pete Maravich, No 7 Oct. 20, 2002
 The Hornets' decision to retire Maravich's No 7 during halftime of the newly transplanted team's season opener in 2002-2003 was pure PR. Maravich did star in New Orleans at one time, but for a different franchise: The New Orleans Jazz (not Celtics related, but Pistol Pete holds a special spot in my heart).
Largest Chest on an unofficial mascot 88 inches: Busty Heart, Boston Celtics.
Stripper Busty Heart and her massive 88 inch bazooms bounced into the public eye during Game 1 of the Celtics 1986 playoff series with the Atlanta Hawks. The tall blonde caused a major commotion at Boston Garden when she began dancing in a tight halter top right next to a CBS TV camera. The uproar prompted Celtics radio announcer Johnny Most to explain to his listeners: "There is a blonde with very large assets dancing in the stands. She looks like Morganna but much larger." The voluptuous heart became Boston's unofficial mascot, and from her seat near the Hawks' bench she created such a visual distraction that Atlanta coach Mike Fratello later claimed she cost his team at least one win in the series, which the Celtics took in five games. Latest starting time for an NBA game Midnight: Boston vs Fort Wayne, February 21, 1952. As a marketing ploy this left something to be desired. The Celtics and Pistons tipped off at midnight in a 'Milkman's Special" following an Ice Follies show at Boston Garden. (In that era milkmen rose early to deliver milk to customers' homes). The game, which Boston won 88-67, attracted 2,368 fans, some 2,000 less than the Celtics' average gate that season. Longest game delay caused by noxious fumers. 9 minutes: Boston vs Los Angeles Clippers March 7, 2003 The third quarter had just ended when Boston's players suddenly bolted from their bench, gagging and coughing and covering their faces with towels. The possibility of a terrorist act immediately came to mind, and in the ensuing confusion, Celtics coach Jim O'Brien tried to convince the referee to postpone or cancel the rest of the game. But NBA officials, working with Boston police and FleetCenter security, decided that the substance was most likely pepper spray or Mace released as a prank. The suspected culprits were four men who abruptly left the building before fans and players began having trouble breathing. The game was resumed after a nine minute delay. Boston won 83-72. Longest retirement before returning to play 7 years: Bob Cousy 1963 to 1970
 In 1969, six years after he retired as the NBA's all time assists leader, Cousy was appointed coach of the Cincinnati Royals. By coincidence, the team was led by guard Oscar Robertson, who had just eclipsed Cousy's NBA record for career assists. In his second year as Royals coach, the 42 year old Cousy suited up and played seven games in a bid to generate fan interest. With Cousy and Robertson manning the backcourt, the Royals boasted the two highest scoring set up men in NBA history. Only team to draft a paralyzed player Boston Celtics, June 29, 1982.
 Indiana's Landon Turner was paralyzed in a car accident just prior to the 1982 draft, a few months after his team won the NCAA title. As a favor to Indiana coach Bobby Knight (who started a fund that raised 400,000 to defray Turner's medical expenses), and to lift Turner's spirits, Celtics GM Red Auerbach drafted him in the 10th round. In 1989, Turner received the Coors Light US Basketball Writers Association's Most Courageous Award after returning to the court with a wheelchair basketball team. Today he is a motivational speaker in Indianapolis. Most future Hall of Famers on one team 8: Boston Celtics 1962-1963 The Lakers attracted media attention in the 2003-04 season by fielding a team with four likely future Hall of Famers: Gary Payton, Karl Malone, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kobe Bryant. But that's half the total of Hall of Famers on the roster of the 1962-63 Celtics, whose lineup included Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, John Havlicek, Sam Jones, Tom Heinsohn, Frank Ramsey, K.C. Jones, and Clyde Lovellette. No surprise, the Celtics won the title that year.
These are just a few of the interesting tidbits about the Celtics I found in this book. If you are looking for a fun basketball related book, give this one a look.
source: The Unofficial Guide to Basketball's Nastiest and Most Unusual Records by Kerry Banks
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Has Doc Been Reading My Posts?
Monday, November 6, 2006
by FLCeltsFan 3:09 PM
November 6, 2006 On October 30, after reading article after article on Red's coaching theories I wrote this article on Loy's Place that puts forth the premise that Red's legacy to Doc should be to keep it simple. It was becoming more and more obvious that Doc is over coaching. We had two complete sets of plays depending on who was on the court. We had no less than 8 defensive sets. And, no one on the team seemed to get them. I have been talking about the need to simplify things in just about every post after that article also. On Celtics.com today, I read this:
After a tough 0-3 start, the Celtics have taken a step back and simplified the offense to keep their running game going and help some of the younger players concentrate on making plays rather than remembering them.
"We've been simplifying the offense and running two plays. [If] they make a shot, we run one play, if they miss a shot, we run another play," said Wally Szczerbiak, who noted that it's easier to play a running style in the preseason because most teams just aren't in shape yet. "We're just trying to simplify things so the young guys can pick everything up and stop turning the ball over."
Coach Doc Rivers said that aside from the last 20 minutes, Monday's long practice was satisfying. And that might just be because while the veterans on the team probably don't need the game simplified, younger players are generally more effective when they don't have to go deep into the playbook.
"It allows the young guys to play on instinct and at full-speed instead of playing while thinking," said Rivers. "In some ways it can hurt you but I think the benefits outweigh the negatives."
One of the benefits of simplification should be a reduction in turnovers; the Celtics committed 20 turnovers in Saturday's loss to Washington, 15 against Detroit and 19 on Opening Night against the Hornets. Hallelujah!!!! Doc is finally doing something intelligent. Hopefully they are practicing defense and simplifying that as well, since we desperately need work in that area and we definitely need to simplify what Doc has been doing in that area too. We have been able to score, but haven't been able to get stops when we need them.
Also reported in this article is the fact that Ratliff practiced today.
Ratliff admitted that he's still a little rusty and his timing might be slightly off, but teammates and coaches alike seemed impressed with Ratliff's effort on Monday. And everyone seemed to notice that he's still blocking shots.
"We could see the immediate impact defensively," Rivers said of Ratliff. "It was amazing because White (the second team in practice) stopped driving. They were tired of getting their shots blocked." That will be good news if Ratliff can return, if for nothing more than what Perk will learn playing against him in practice.
Also good to see is that Pierce and Wally are still in a good mood and had some fun with the media.
[More] source:Celtics.com Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!
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Celtics Rank Last in Power Rankings
by FLCeltsFan 2:22 PM
November 6, 2006 ESPN Rankings are out for the first week and they have the Celtics ranked #30 out of 30. Here is what Marc Stein has to say about the Celtics
If you're tempted to say Celts never would have started 0-3 under Red, be advised that it did happen . . . once. In '50-51, Red's first season in Boston. We are the only team in the league without a win right now. Yes, even the Hawks and Knicks, and Trail Blazers have wins. Knowing that Red's first season started out 0 and 3 somehow doesn't help. This truly is depressing.
[More] source:ESPN Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!
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Monday's Odds and Ends
by FLCeltsFan 8:58 AM
November 6, 2006 I didn't have time to get this up yesterday, but JB over on CelticsStuff Live had a piece about Scott Souza that was good. All summer long, Scott kept us informed of what was really going on with the Celtics who were in town, while the main media outlets failed to do so. Scott has had excellent articles with information we aren't getting elsewhere. A big thank you to Scott for continually working to keep us Celtics fans informed.
In Bulpett's Notebook, the theme from all the players is that they have to get stops and play better defense. I am becoming more and more convinced that Doc doesn't know how to coach defense. With all of his 8 or so defensive sets that he has introduced, we still can't defend the pick and roll and as a team are woefully deficient in that area. All of the players and all of the fans know that this is where we need to improve, but does Doc?
“We’ve got all the tools to go out there and win some games, but we’re just not winning,” Telfair said. So, if we have all the tools and still aren't winning, what does that mean? My guess is that the person using the tools doesn't know how to use them correctly.
MetroWest Daily once again tells us that Green is ready for more playing time. "I really think he's close to playing," the Celtics coach said last night before tipoff. "He's maturing in front of my eyes. Right now he's not maturing in front of your eyes, but I think soon enough you'll see him. I think he's going to find his way on the court sooner than most think." Also mentioned in this piece it mentions that Scal is close to returning. Just when we thought it couldn't get worse...
The Globe mentions that attitude and effort was front and center in post game remarks. I have to agree that Washington out hustled us in that game. We really didn't play with much heart. Danny has a very interesting comment in this piece about the team not meshing. When asked if the team "not meshing" hinted at a possible trade, Ainge said no. He merely wanted to highlight that some players spent little game time together during the exhibition season. Ainge mentioned that the starting lineup in the opener (Paul Pierce, Szczerbiak, Delonte West, Sebastian Telfair, and Kendrick Perkins) played only a few minutes together during preseason because of injuries to Pierce and West. We really need to define roles for the players and set a rotation. The reason they aren't meshing is because from night to night, they don't get regular minutes and they don't know what their roles are.
The Green Room proposes that we need Delonte back and I couldn't agree more. Delonte was our third best player last year and we desperately need his shooting and leadership on the second team. I am not sure if his slump is the result of not knowing his role and therefore a lack of confidence or if it is his back that is still giving him problems and he isn't telling anyone. Whatever it is, I really hope he gets over it soon.
The Perkolators has a tale of two coaches. Red's theory was always to keep it simple. Obviously, simple works. Doc has at least 8 different defensive sets that he has introduced along with two separate sets of plays for the first and second team. No wonder the kids get confused on what play to run. Maybe we should throw all that out the window and go back to keeping it simple and letting the players play.
Celtics 17 has a piece that suggests that Doc's coaching here may be mirroring his time in Orlando. Our 0 and 3 start is hauntingly reminiscent of the 0 and 11 start that resulted in Doc's firing in Orlando. I sure hope not. As much as I have been frustrated with Doc, I don't want to get off to that bad a start as it would totally demoralize the team that is much better than that type of start.
411.com tells us that Danny has put together one of the most puzzling rosters ever. I don't think it is all that puzzling as Danny has said from the beginning he was trying to gather every chip he could and I wouldn't be surprised to see some of these young players traded for a veteran at some time this season.
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What Might Have Been....
by FLCeltsFan 8:10 AM
November 6, 2006 I know it doesn't change anything to think about what might have been, but sometimes I like to punish myself and think about what could have happened if we kept certain players or if rumored trades went through. The last two games starting me thinking along these lines.
Ever wonder why Gilbert Arenas goes off on the Celtics and plays his best games against us? Back in the 2001 draft, the Celtics made a promise to Arenas. We had 2 first round picks and they told Arenas that they would take him. However, they didn't honor that promise and took Joe Johnson at #10 and Joe Forte with #21. Arenas didn't go until the 31st pick in the second round. Ever since, Arenas has had a grudge against the Celtics. Was his entrance in a prize fighter's robe a message to the Celtics? His 44 points definitely were. How different would this team be with Arenas playing along side Pierce all these years? I guess we will never know what that broken promise could have meant to the Celtics.
We picked Joe Johnson in that draft and midway through his rookie year, we traded him to the Suns for Rodney Rodgers and Tony Delk. This is an example of why you don't trade a young promising player for older veterans who are role players. If we had kept Johnson, would he have developed into the player he is today? Is this an example of a player who needed another system to blossom? He certainly blossomed in Phoenix and right now the Hawks are 2 and 1 with him leading the way. I don't think we really gave him much of a chance to develop and gave up on him too quickly. Would he have made a difference on this team? I have to believe he would.
And then there is Chauncey Billups. Pitino drafted Billups with the 3rd pick of the draft. He started off strong but fell out of favor with Pitino who traded him to Toronto for spare parts. Imagine this team with Billups at the point. But he didn't become the PG he is now right away. After Toronto, he went to Denver and finally to Detroit where he really blossomed. We will never know how things might have worked out if Billups stayed in Boston, but we do have 2 PGs right now who show promise and with just a little patience who knows what will happen. Speaking of point guards. Last season we traded Marcus Banks to Minnesota after originally hoping that he would be the fast break PG we needed. Checking in on him in Phoenix, he is averaging 6.3 points ( on 37% shooting), 1.5 assists, 2 rebounds and 2 turnovers. Certainly not numbers that jump out at you. This is one of our might have beens that I think is working out in our favor. I don't believe that Banks would ever be the PG that we needed here.
In this past draft, we passed up drafting Brandon Roy and Rudy Gay, both very talented players to trade for Telfair. Foye would not have been available to us even if we had kept the pick as McHale wanted him and would have taken him at 6. Brandon Roy is very much looking like the Rookie of the Year at this point averaging 18.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg and 5 apg. Depending on how Telfair works out, passing on this kid may prove to be a mistake. Gay is also playing well, but I don't think he would have fit our team as well as Roy would have.
Looking at the trade that almost was this summer, trading for Iverson may not have been such a bad thing after all. Philadelphia is 3 and 0 and Iverson is averaging 35 points (shooting 52%) along with 3.5 rpg and 8 apg. But then again, he is averaging 6 turnovers also. Would these numbers along side Pierce make us a winning team? Would his attitude cause more chemistry problems than his numbers would solve? One thing about Iverson is that he plays hard each and every game. We sure could use some of that on the Celtics right now.
This brings me to the final what might have been. Back when Doc was hired, Danny said that Doc was the only coach on his list and that is who he wanted. But at the time Rudy Tomjanovich, Paul Silas, Jeff Van Gundy, Mike Fratello, Paul Westphal, Larry Brown, and Mike Dunleavey were all available. Looking back, would any of those coaches have been a better fit for this team? Doc was a good coach the first year to develop the young players and get them to mesh. But now as they are all ready to take that next step up, Doc seems to have outlived his usefulness on this team. Stan Van Gundy, Paul Westphal, Paul Silas, Rick Adelman, Dennis Johnson, and several other very good coaches are available now should the Celtics continue to struggle and the owners decide to replace Doc. I would think that if Doc is fired this season, either Tony Brown or Danny Ainge will take over as interim coach. Or maybe they will just leave Doc in place and tank this year to get a chance at the Greg Oden sweepstakes. Thinking about what might have been can't change anything, but it does give me something to think about instead of fretting about the state of the current Celtics. I have a feeling that I am going to need a whole lot of koolaid to get through this season.
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CelticsStuff Live Tonight 7-9
Sunday, November 5, 2006
by FLCeltsFan 4:10 PM
November 5, 2006 Celticsstuff Live returns to it’s regularly scheduled time slot tonight from 7-9pm EST and will feature guest Mark Rayburn from Bruce Allen’s Boston Sports Media Watch Celtics Blog, Full Court Press and Elrod Enchilada from RealGM. There will be a link on the web site just before the show so that you can listen live. Last week's show with Mike Gorman was excellent. You are really missing out on some good Celtics chat if you don't tune in. As always, the Chat Room (aka The Pit) will be jumping and a fun place to join other Celtics fans as you listen to the show. See you there!!
[More] source:CelticsStuff Live
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Wally Dangerous to Team Unity?
by FLCeltsFan 3:12 PM
November 5, 2006
 Minnesota Star Tribune has an interesting story today with some quotes from the Timberwolves owner on current and past Wolves. The most interesting of which is this: "I'm just saying there was probably more to it that had to do with Wally that we have chosen not to talk about," Taylor said. ". . . I am just going to say that no matter what I say, people are going to deny it. But I would say some things came to a head that forced us to get into something we didn't necessarily want to do. I think it would have been pretty dangerous for Kevin McHale not to do the trade." So what was Wally doing that was dangerous to the team? He seems to be the perfect teammate in Boston and has, on the outside anyway, gotten along with everyone since his trade. The article went on to say: But few around the Wolves on a regular basis failed to see the uneasy alliance, at best, between Szczerbiak and Kevin Garnett. It dated probably as far back as 1999, when Szczerbiak, just out of college, was added to the Team USA qualifying team on which Garnett played. Several members of that squad didn't like playing with ultra-confident Szczerbiak and reportedly razzed Garnett about his team's new lottery pick.
A locker-room skirmish, with Garnett punching Szczerbiak an hour after a perceived slight on the practice court flushed the tension into the open. An ESPN magazine piece cited more Szczerbiak critics within the Wolves' ranks. After which, the matter was repeatedly downplayed and denied. Season after season after season. I remember the fight between the two but didn't pay much attention to it. After all, Blount and Ricky came to blows here in Boston. But then, who in Boston didn't want to deck Ole Stonehands Blount?
As last season's 12-6 record started to unravel, Szczerbiak grew less willing to defer to Garnett. He was ready to meet any friction head-on, a line in the sand that would have polarized the locker room and shredded any pretense of chemistry. The trade did enough damage in those areas, but the team's two best players, throwing down? Intolerable. The question here is, was it Wally or Garnett who was actually causing the friction? Everyone in the league has been lusting after the day when Garnett would be available in a trade or free agency. Is he the type of player that has to be top dog and everyone else fall in behind? Wally doesn't seem to be that way here. He seems to want to fit in and just do whatever he can to help the team. He has very willingly taken a back seat to Pierce. Was Wally really so bad that they were willing to take Blount in exchange?
Could it be that Garnett demanded that Wally be traded as Kobe did with Shaq? We all know how that one worked out. Would Garnett fit into another system if traded? While I am one of those who has dreamt of KG in a Celtics uniform, it may good to pay attention to the old addage: Be careful what you wish for.
[More] source:Minnesota Star Times
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Sunday's Odds and Ends
by FLCeltsFan 10:56 AM
November 5, 2006 It took 4 stitches over his eye to fire him up, but Wally came out firing and hit for 33 points last night. Gerald Green is close to seeing more playing time. Ratliff and Scal close to return. I have mixed emotions about this. With Ratliff available, Perk's playing time is going to be even more erratic. And Scal will probably get valuable playing time that both Gomes and Jefferson can use. It will also probably move Powe to the end of the bench without even getting a chance to prove he can pley.
Celtics offense firing on all cylinders but the defense is missing in action. Also, excessive turnovers haunt the Celtics once again.
NBA Notebook reports on the zero tolerance policy for no whining this season. Celtics got to see it in action when Wally drew a T for complaining. Also, the new ball is here to stay according to Commissioner Stern.
The Globe reports that the Celtics can use some toughness. I agree but when our toughest player plays only 10 minutes and our second toughest player hasn't played a minute, what can you expect? We need to learn how to play in the 4th quarter instead of disappearing as we have been. I believe that the excessive turnovers are in part due to the lack of a set role for any of the players as well as Doc making things too complicated by having too many plays.
Shira reports that Doc has big plans for Jefferson but wants his first option to find an open Pierce or Wally. Doc doesn't know how to use bigs. I was hoping that the addition of Clifford Ray would help, but so far things appear pretty much as before. Pierce predicts that most teams will abandon the running game by mid season and that the Celtics have the players to keep it going here. So far, we haven't seen the running game. We do have the players, but it isn't translating to the games. I have to wonder if Doc is trying to call too many plays that hinders the players from just getting out and running.
Scott Souza once again has a very good article with info not given in the other papers. For one thing, Doc is saying he won't over use Pierce and Wally this season and wants to get them plenty of rest. Second, Al reveals that the second team has an entirely different set of plays than the first team. No wonder these kids are confused. The not only have to learn Doc's 8 or so defensive sets but they have 2 separate sets of plays to learn. Can you say, "Over Coaching"?
Our next chance to break out of the doldrums and come up with a win is on Wednesday night at home against the Bobcats. I am hoping for a win but with Doc's micromanaging and lack of a rotation, I am becoming more and more skeptical.
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Celtics Open the Season 0-3
by FLCeltsFan 10:13 AM
November 5, 2006 Celtics seem to have fixed their offense, sort of, but forget about the defense. The Celtics shot 52% from the floor, but then, so did the Wizards. The difference is that the Wizards took care of the ball and the Celtics didn't with 20 turnovers once again. The Wizards seemed to play with hustle and toughness and the Celtics seemed sluggish and tentative. Perk came out playing tough but was rewarded by 4 quick fouls and a 4 stitch gash over Wally's eye and he sat the rest of the game after only 10 minutes. It seemed that the Wizards hustled for every loose ball and went for every pass and they ended up with 11 steals to only 2 for Boston. We just weren't aggressive on defense.
Another sad tale is that the Wizards had 27 fast break points to only 14 for the Celtics. So much for our alleged transition game. We were stuck in a half court game for the most part with the occasional fast break thrown in. We didn't run, we didn't press and for the most part, didn't defend. We did out rebound the Wizards 43 to 28 but then turned those rebounds over for the most part.
 Wally played much of the game with 4 stitches over his eye courtesy of a collision with Perk.
West once again struggled with his game going 1 for 3 and scoring only 5 points in 11 mostly uneventful minutes. Rondo once again had a fairly forgettable game with 4 points and no assists in 14 minutes. Tony Allen had 9 points and 5 assists but he seems to play out of control the entire time he is out there and gives the impression that he is trying too hard. Gerald made a 7 minute cameo appearance with 3 points on 1 of 3 shooting to go with 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 3 fouls. Doc says that he is close to earning more playing time and we should see him get more minutes in the future. Perk picked up 4 quick fouls and had 2 turnovers. One stood out because Pierce had the ball and had an open shot and instead of shooting, he passed it inside to Perk who was already positioned for the rebound in a crowd of white jerseys and he had to change course and quickly try to get the pass but couldn't handle it. In fairness to Perk, he didn't play as badly as the box score looks.
On the positive side, Wally seemed to find his shooting touch after having a gash opened up above his eye that required 4 stitches and scored 33 points on 10 of 16 shooting with 5 rebounds and 2 assists but still turned the ball over 4 times. Telfair seemed to have a break out game with 23 points on 8 of 12 shooting to go with 6 assists and 3 turnovers. But along the same lines, Arenas torched us for 44 points.
 Telfair scored 23 points to go with 6 assists but did little to stop Gilbert Arenas.
Kandi came in and did a good job in 7 minutes of play and seems to be a good pick up for the veteran minimum. Gomes had a solid game, but not a remarkable one, grabbing 7 rebounds and scoring 6 points. Al once again looked very solid with 10 points and 7 rebounds. One statement that bothered me in the paper is this:
Still, the coach is looking for Jefferson to be a better teammate offensively and more physical overall. "He's playing much better as far as when he gets the ball on the post," said Rivers. "Where he has to improve is to get other people shots . . . Even though when he gets it, it's good, there's times when he doesn't follow through getting others their shots. That's his first job, to get Paul [Pierce] and Wally [Szczerbiak] open. Jefferson is a big man, supposed to be playing under the basket. His job is to get position and receive the ball and score down low as well as to rebound and to intimidate in the middle. I can agree that he needs to be more physical, but like Perk, he has drawn quick fouls and plays tentatively at times to avoid fouling. It is not Al's job to get Wally and Pierce open shots. That is a point guard's job. Al should think score first if the ball comes in to him and he has a shot, not pass back to Wally or Pierce. Herein lies a problem with our bigs. Doc doesn't have a clue how to use bigs and what their roles should be.
 Gomes and Al both had solid games
One of our problems has been toughness and defense. You would think that Doc would at least give Powe a try in the game. He brings both of those much needed qualities and couldn't be worse than the players that Doc has been using. Now, Scal and Ratliff appear ready to return and my fear is that Doc will once again turn to Scal to do all his little things that do more to lose a game than to win it while Powe will languish on the IL.
[Box Score] [Recap] [Play by Play]
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