After reading all the accounts from Media Day and listening to the interviews, I am more excited than ever for the season to start. As the Celtics are heading to Europe for the start of training camp, I am trying to sort through all the thoughts and quotes from various places all over the net. Here are some rather disjointed thoughts from various sources. On the tempo of the games. In the WEEI interview, Ray Allen was asked what he had done so far to prepare for the season. He answered that he had gotten in the best shape he can so that they can play uptempo ball. He said that teams that play faster have a better chance and that good teams run up and down the court. Sounds like he is planning to run this season.
Cohesive work will be important, as well. The Celtics will be trying to find a balance between the up-tempo game Rondo runs and a more methodical offense that could suit his veteran mates.
“We’ll have to work together,” Rondo said. “I feel I am at my best when I’m running, but they’re at their best when they’re in the halfcourt. So we can mix it up. You have to be able to do both to win a championship, I believe. You have to be able to execute in the halfcourt offense, and I think we’ll definitely be able to do that, as well as fast breaking. We’ll be a better defensive team this year and we’re a better rebounding team with Kevin and Perk (Kendrick Perkins [stats]) down low. I think we’ll have a lot of fast-break points this year.”
Rondo is at h is best running and it seems that Ray Allen is ready and willing to run. If Pierce and Garnett see that they can get easy baskets by running with Rondo, then they may run as well. We do have to balance half court and fast break ball and I think Rondo is just the PG to do it as long as Doc doesn't try to micromanage and keep him from using his instincts to run the team.
When they asked Pierce what he would have done if he was forced to play another year on a rebuilding team he said that he thought he would have gone "Kobe-ish." KG said that he felt that he had been in jail the last few years and he feels very free right now. He is going to embrace this experience for the next 5 years and have fun with it. I loved when they were talking about how good the Celtics uniforms feel and that the fabric was better than the uniforms with their last team. They sure look good to the fans also.
Although they’ve been playing pickup games for only three weeks, Garnett and Allen already have become comfortable in their new Celtics jerseys. “I love the way this feels on me,” Garnett said. “No offense to the teams we played for prior to this,” Allen said, “but we always comment on how much better this jersey feels compared to the last team we played for. It’s definitely a great fit for us.”
I really like the way the troika of Pierce, Garnett and Allen are forming a unit and do interviews together and are trying to make it about team and not just Garnett or Allen or Pierce, or even about just the three of them. They realize that it will take more than the three of them and are taking the other players under their wings and working with them. They are building team spirit and chemistry. Ray Allen said that every one on the team has to set aside personal agendas for the good of the team. And KG said that chemistry is the biggest question mark at this point, but all 3 of them are very unselfish. In fact, they may be too unselfish and at first they may over-pass trying to get others involved. They also discussed that the defenses will dictate who will take the final shot. And they talked about how other teams would have a tough time defending all 3. They might stop 1 or 2 but the other would always be there to beat them.
They joked about seniority on the team and this is where the comraderie and comfort with each other came out. Ray is the oldest, KG has more experience, but Pierce has been a Celtic the longest. KG was joking with Ray that he was 40. They asked Pierce about Antoine and if he had called him to discuss the turn of events for both of their teams. Pierce said he called him about 5 times and left messages but for some reason, Walker hasn't returned his calls.
So funny. Every other word out of this guys mouth was a joke. His caveman beard matched with his Ron Burgondesqe humor made him difficult to stay professional around. He had two smiles which he called "Magnum" and "Million Dollar Smile" and then he had his mean look. The director says "come on man, mean, like you just got a bad call from the ref!" He goes "My mean face at the ref is like this: What are you, ****in STUPID!? No, you're just cheating." He had so many jokes and facial expressions, I'm gonna beg for the editors to get me the whole unedited piece of Scot Polard.
First thing he does is run in, annihilates a basket full of fruit, and starts complaining/joking about his weight problem as he stuffs food in his mouth. He was just as I thought He would be. Funny and full of life. I'm still a fan of BB but Polard had the comedic edge on BB that day.
Doc doesn't like the name "The Big Three" for PP, KG, and RA.
Rivers recommended that someone come up with a new nickname. But until the “Terrific Trio” or something else catches on, people will call them the Big Three whether Rivers likes it or not.
Garnett and Allen don’t mind the nickname. They both used the word “privileged” when describing their feelings about being called members of the new Big Three. But Allen quickly pointed out that it will take more than the three of them to turn the Celtics into a contender.
Allen said there will be nights when someone else takes the last-second shot to win a game. He even mentioned that Leon Powe might take it. It’s safe to say if Powe does take the last shot, it’ll happen only once. Rivers will then tell him never to do it again.
In Doc's interview, they asked him about Leon Powe. Doc said that Powe has worked really hard and has looked really good so far this season. He also said that he thinks that Powe is the perfect fit to play alongside KG. I am definitely going to have to listen to CelticsStuff Live on Sunday at 7 because Justin is going to talk about his interview with Powe. More on Powe from poster bleedingreen85 on RealGM:
Director, "Ok Scal, now hold the ball, look over your shoulder and wink" Scal, "I don't wink." Director, "Powe - who's sitting and watching Scal- can I get you to wink?" Powe, "Not if he don't." Powe was the first guy to really have fun with the whole process and show a side of himself I've only heard about from people I work with; that he's really approachable and pleasant. Yesterday, I saw how nice and funny he could be. By the way he plays you would never have guessed it. I always expected him to be more stone cold. Good guy to work with.
I'll leave you with the inteview with Perk from the Crack staff at perkisabeast. Perk looks great in all the photos. He sounds determined and I am more certain than ever that Perk is going to have a break out season. On Sports Tonight Greg Dickerson also agrees that Perk is going to be the player to have a standout season.
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