CELTICS GREEN BLOG by and for boston celtics fans: Fiddlin' and Diddlin' on 9/19

by FLCeltsFan 8:33 AM

Still nothing in the Globe today on the Celtics. They do have an article on the USA women's team, though. The Herald is covering Isaiah's trial but not the Celtics. They even have a second article on Isaiah and his love/hate relationship with the plaintiff. I can't wait until the Boston media wakes from their midsummer's sleep and post some articles on the Celtics.

Jeff has a fun article on CelticsBlog that equates the Celtics with the fall TV lineup. He missed one, though. Heroes - starring the Celtics ownership, who have opened their wallets to put together a contender.

Hoopsworld has an article that looks at players who could be second round surprises and it is no surprise that Pruitt and Davis head the list. Depending on the amount of playing time, either could be a big surprise. I am thinking that Pruitt may get a lot of playing time being the only other true point on the team besides Rondo. If he can come in and fill in for Rondo, he will get plenty of playing time and will be important in this team's chances to make a run at the championship. They also have an article that says that playing for Team USA leads to more injuries and missed time during the season for those players.

TrueHoop tells us that David Blatt will be the next European coach to make the jump to the NBA. He has succeeded wherever he has gone and part of that is his emphasis on defense while not abandoning the offense. Too often coaches focus on one and forget about the other. Doc has focused on the offense in the past and neglected the defense. I have a feeling that is going to change with this season. O'Brien focused on the defense and neglected the offense and we know how that worked out. Blatt coaches a balanced attack that emphasizes defense and that is a winning combination. I know that I was hoping he would come to the Celtics as an assistant but I am happy with Tom Thibodeau who also has a very good defensive pedigree.

In the Bangor Daily News, the Big O sizes up the Celtics. The problem with the Celtics right now is they haven’t played yet," said Robertson.

"Everything is potential right now. It looks like they’re going to do all right. But they’ve got to go get a good center and defensive rebounder who can play.

"And they need a guard, a guard outside who understands what basketball is all about and how to run a team," added Robertson.

The Celtics also need depth, according to Robertson.

"You’ve got to have a couple of guys off your bench. They aren’t going to win unless they do that. You can have the greatest team in the world but unless you’ve got a bench, it’s hard to win. Things happen. Guys get hurt. Guys get into foul trouble. They can’t do this or that," said Robertson.

We have a good center in Perk and he is a defensive rebounder as is KG, Posey, Pierce, and even Rondo is a great rebounder. We have a PG in Rondo and a 2 guard in Tony Allen. We have some players on the bench in Posey, Powe, Davis, House, Allen, and Pollard who can play, but he is right, it will come down to how they all fit together when the games actually begin.
The NY Times has a good article on Bill Russell's talk to the Rookies on the importance of staying centered. Joakim Noah took his talk to heart and looked for more.

Some might have heard hubris in such conviction, but not Noah. He comes to the Chicago Bulls as a two-time N.C.A.A. champion at Florida, a player most willing to do windows, who said he already knew that Russell’s talk would be the overriding lesson of the four-day program that attempts to educate the rookies on topics ranging from gambling to felony situations to professionalism and etiquette.
When the session ended, when the others filed out for lunch, Joakim Noah headed straight for the man he called “the greatest winner of all time,” and squeezed in a few.

I still like Noah and think he is going to be a good player. I would have been happy if the Celtics had taken him.

Time Stops for No One feels that the Philadelphia/Boston rivalry is about to be revived. Philly.com tells us that the internal review of the referees is almost complete. If Stern doesn't form some kind of oversight committee that is made of owners or players or coaches, or even reporters - anybody but Stern and the other refs, he is still asking for more problems in the future. Anytime you set a group of people above being questioned, there is going to be trouble. Sports of Boston looks at the age limit and questions whether it is good or bad for the league.

The Bleacher Report tells us that Boston's moment is now for the Celtics to win #17 and even more. We are certainly poised to make a run for the first time in 21 years.

FSN has a piece on Beckett Bowl mania and in it, there are some good quotes from the Celtics who attended. I just love Leon Powe. I hope Doc gives him playing time this season as the kid makes good things happen and gives 110% out there every time. Now, he is trying to learn as much as he can from KG. I get the tingles just thinking about it!

Mr. Cal himself, Leon Powe, said he's looking forward to a new season. "I'm hoping for some more wins. Hopefully, we'll make the playoffs and really, I'm just planning to work hard." Every C's fan will agree that there's nothing wrong with that but what about Garnett?

"Oh yeah, we got that big guy," he said chuckling. "We've been working out together for a while. It's always great to work out with a vet like that." So, has he taken anything away from the ten-time All-Star yet? "Oh yeah, it's the little things," he said. "I'm just trying to learn as much as I can from the guy."

You have to love Big Baby also. In the words of Wyc, "He's got charisma. If you could talk your way into the Hall of Fame he'd already be there. He's first ballot- he's got that kind of talent." And then Big Baby went out and illustrated Wyc's thoughts.

The vibe must be infectious over there in Waltham at the C's training facility because the rook- second round pick, Glenn 'Big Baby' Davis out of LSU, was echoing the same mentality when I asked him what the key was to the upcoming season. "Hard work, man. That's it- hard work and gettin' ready to win a championship," he belted out with a smile. I think 'Big Baby' might be more excited for opening night than Wyc, Danny, Pierce or even the hardest core Celts fan. "Aw man- I cannot wait. I'm so fired up. I am just so excited. I can't even believe it man," he explained shaking his head as if he was still in utter disbelief. "It's like a dream to play with those guys."
But, the big guy didn't stop there. When I asked him what he wanted to accomplish as a rookie he said, "Just win man! If we go out and win everything will come into place for us."

And Tony Allen said that he knee couldn't get any better and he is very excited about the season!

Everytime I read quotes from these guys or see an article about them working out already, I get more and more excited. It has been so long since this kind of excitement has surrounded the team that I almost forgot how it felt. It certainly feels good and is only going to get better as the games finally begin! Only 13 days till training camp starts. I can't wait!

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