CELTICS GREEN BLOG by and for boston celtics fans: Fiddlin' and Diddlin' on 9/17

by FLCeltsFan 2:26 PM

Is it just me or is anyone else amazed that there was nothing in any of the Boston papers today about the Celtics. I know it is still 15 days until training camps starts, but come on, all of the Celtics are in Boston and working out. They are getting together at Pierce's to play cards and bowling at the Beckett charity and bonding as a team. Shouldn't there be some news or human interest story they can post? This is the most exciting team we have had since Bird walked through those doors and the Boston media ia slipping big time. Speaking of the Beckett Bowl, here is a picture from Celtics.com of Paul, Tony and Big Baby showing some comraderie there.

Thank goodness for the blogs and the media in other towns or there would be absolutely nothing to read. Sports of Boston has an interesting look at the ownership of the Celtics from the sale of the Celtics by "Thanks Dad" Gaston to the current owners. There is no doubt that the current ownership is in it to win. They have opened their wallets and haven't batted an eyelash at going into luxury tax territory. Hopefully their spending will be rewarded with Championship #17.

Celtics Blog gives us 5 things the Celtics can learn from the Sox and Pats: Defense wins, Leadership matters, Coaching matters, Handle the media, It's a marathon and not a sprint, and Basketball town. Defense wins is especially close to my heart as I have been preaching this for years and have been disgusted with Doc's attitude that the team will get defense while working on offense because after all, while they are working on offense, half the team would be working on defense. It seems that this season, they are ready to do more than pay lip service to defense. They have brought in two players known for their defensive intensity in Posey and Garnett. And the biggest move was bringing in one of the top defensive assistants in the league in Thibodeau. Coaching matters and I have been fearful that coaching may be our weak link on this team but Doc may surprise us and do a good job. If not, Danny better be ready to make a move. Several have conjectured that Thibodeau was brought in on a 1 year contract for that very reason. He was considered for several head coaching jobs and almost took a job with Washington only to back out of that and take one with the Celtics. Could he have been given some kind of indication that if Doc doesn't cut it this season, he will move into the head coach position? Only time will tell as the season unfolds.

ESPN tells us that there is a lesson for team USA in Spain's loss to Russia.

"It just shows how great a game basketball is, how it's a team game, how it's about chemistry, tempo, enthusiasm and passion. Here's a team that basically came out of nowhere, but the way that team played here is indicative of how teams can rise to the occasion if you have all those factors working for you,"

The Celtics may see a lesson in this as well. They certainly have enthusiasm and passion as evidenced by everyone in Boston 3 weeks before training camp to work out together and hopefully they are building chemistry. It certainly seems so, anyway. The tempo of the game will be up to the coaching and I sure hope that Doc will get the team playing up tempo basketball because that will play to the strengths of this team, especially Rajon Rondo.

Celtics 17 talks about Tony Allen, Charlie Bell and podcasts. Tony is hoping to be ready by preseason and all indications are that his rehab is going very well. Charlie Bell would do almost anything to get out of Milwaukee. Since he is a restricted free agent, it isn't all that easy. And speaking of podcasts, last night, Celtics Stuff live was cut short by Jughead suspiciously losing internet connection just as the Patriots game was coming on. The last thing we heard was Jeff saying that Antoine Walker is fat. I guess that will have to linger in our minds until next week when they promise to have Jeff on again to take some phone calls.

For those who have been hoping for a deal with Golden State for Jasikevicius, Real GM is reporting that he has agreed in principal to a two year deal with Panathinaikos. He is still under contract to the Warriors so this may or may be fact. I don't expect Danny to swing a trade for him either way since he is making $4 million and it would take Scal plus 2 other players to make it work and that is too much in my opinion.

And what would a day be without an update from the circus that is the NY Knicks. It seems that the Knicks owner, Mr Dolan, could be called to the stand to testify in this very amusing sexual harassment trial that already has brought out some interesting tidbits about Isaiah (he regularly addressed a top executive as "bitch" and "ho") and Stephon Marbury (admits luring a college-age intern into the backseat of his truck after a night at a Manhattan strip club). Who knows what Dolan will come out with? I guess, even with Doc's imperfections, we need to be thankful that he is a good guy and we don't have to be subjected to this kind if farce for our team.

Only 15 more days till camp opens. Hopefully the Boston media will wake up and discover that and report on what the team is doing in preparation for the season. On the bright side, it seems as though every day another Celtics blog pops up and so we have plenty of things to read in the meantime.

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