If you get a chance, you should check out The Unofficial Guide to Basketball's Nastiest and Most Unusual Records (Unofficial Guide)by Kerry Banks. I highly recommend it for a fun offseason read. You will find every kind of unusual record in this book. Here are a few of the Celtics related records to whet your appetite for this fun book.
First NBA player to break a backboard Chuck Connors, Boston, Nov. 5, 1946 Connors, who would later go on to much greater fame as the star of TV's "The Rifleman," broke the backboard at Boston Arena before the Celtics' maiden home opener against the Chicago Stags. Contrary to popular belief, he did not do it with a dunk. "During the warm-ups, I took a harmless 15- to 20-foot set shot, and, crash, the glass backboard shattered," Connors recalled in a 1986 interview. The backboard crumbled because a worker had not installed a piece of protective rubber between it and the rim. The game was delayed an hour while a truck picked up a spare backboard from Boston Garden, where a rodeo was taking place in front of a packed house. In 53 career games with the Celtics, Connors averaged 4.5 points per game. After leaving basketball, he tried his hand at baseball, playing briefly for the Brooklyn Dodgers and Chicago Cubs, before finding his niche in Hollywood.
Most stab wounds suffered by a player 11: Paul Pierce, Boston, Sept. 25, 2000 Pierce was definitely in the wrong place at the wrong time. But he was also more than a little lucky. Minutes after entering a Boston dance club in the early morning hours of Sept. 25, 2000, the 22-year-old Celtics player was ambushed after he stopped to chat with a gang member's sister. Jumped from behind by three men, he was sucker punched, had a bottle broken over his right eye, and had a knife plunged through the back of his leather jacket six inches into his body. Pierce also received 10 other stab wounds in the neck and chest, the worst of which penetrated his abdomen and diaphragm and punctured his lung, coming within an inch of his heart. Friends rushed him to hospital where he underwent emergency surgery to repair the damage. Amazingly, Pierce was back on the court in less than a month and went on to have a stellar season, leading the Celtics in scoring.
Highest draft pick to die of a drug overdose Len Bias, No. 2 overall, June 19, 1986 Bias was considered a can't-miss star. Not only was the 22-year-old a terrific talent, he also had a sterling reputation. As his college coach Lefty Driesell stated, "Leonard's only vice is ice cream." Unfortunately, the Maryland Terrapins forward never got a chance to strut his stuff in the pros. Less than 48 hours after being selected second overall by the Boston Celtics, Bias collapsed in his dorm and died of a cardiac arrest. Doctors found cocaine in Bias's system and concluded that he died of a cocaine-induced seizure. A subsequent investigation into his death led to charges being laid against three other people who admitted using the drug with Bias on the day of his death. The fallout eventually resulted in Driesell's resignation.
First player suspended for biting another player Wayne "Tree" Rollins, Atlanta, April 24, 1983 Boston was leading the deciding game of its 1983 playoff series with Atlanta when Tree Rollins elbowed Danny Ainge. The feisty Celtics guard responded by tackling the 7-foot-1 Hawks center. As the two struggled on the floor, Rollins sank his teeth into one of Ainge's fingers, opening a gash that required five stitches. The NBA handed Rollins a five-game suspension, one game for each stitch. The next day's headline in Boston read: "Tree Bites Man."
Most pregame vomiting episodes, career 1,128: Bill Russell, 1956-57 to 1968-69 The Boston Celtics great would get so psyched -- and nauseated -- before virtually every game that he would have to puke. It didn't hurt his play though. In fact, if Russell didn't vomit before a game, his teammates knew they were in for a long night. Once, before a Game 7 playoff clash against Philadelphia in the 1960s, Celtics coach Red Auerbach actually pulled his team off the court during warm-ups because Russell hadn't performed his usual pregame ritual. Auerbach told the players they weren't going back out until Russell tossed his cookies. Russell came through and Boston went on to victory.
Most Grateful Dead concerts attended by a Hall of Famer More than 650: Bill Walton Walton is a die-hard Deadhead. "They've been my life since I first saw them in the late sixties, when I was in high school," he admitted in one interview. "I attended lots of rock concerts when I was in high school and college, but after my first Dead show I realized that I had found a home." Walton numbers the Dead among the great teachers in his life and believes that lessons learned from the band served him well in the pursuit of his goals as a basketball player: "Their inspiration drove me. They taught me the importance of delivering peak performances on demand, and to always play with a sense of joy and creativity."
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 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.
Only NBA teams to trade Owners Boston Celtics and San Diego Clippers 1978 Faced with declining attendance, Buffalo Braves owner John Y. Brown went looking for a new city for the Braves franchise at the 1977 owners' meeting. The Boston Celtics were owned by Irv Levin, a Beverly Hills resident who wanted to own a club that played closer to his home state. NBA attorney David Stern (who is now the league's commissioner) proposed a novel solution: the Buffalo Braves would move to San Diego, and Brown and Levin would flip franchises. In June 1978, NBA owners voted 21-1 in favor of the swap. The deal included a complicated seven player trade but the most important detail in the transaction was that Boston retained the draft rights to Larry Bird.
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 source:The Unofficial Guide to Basketball's Nastiest and Most Unusual Records [Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!]
In a Herald article, Danny defends his decision to extend Doc's contract. I had to read one quote a couple of times to really believe he said what he said.
“It’s easy to find things that every coach does wrong,” Ainge added later. “X’s and O’s are somewhat overrated in my mind. Critiques of substitution patterns and timeouts are overrated because, in my opinion, just about every NBA coach is on a fairly equal field in those regards. Those are the least of my concerns.
X's and O's are overrated? Substitution patterns and timeouts are overrated? I just don't know what to say to this. Not every coach is equal in these regards. X's and O's, substitution patterns, and knowing when to call time outs to settle your team or disrupt the momentum of the other team are crucial to wins and losses. We have lost games because Doc didn't put a defender on the inbounds pass. We have lost games because Doc didn't match lineups with the other team. We have lost games because Doc didn't have any rebounders in the game and we got killed on the boards. I have never once called for Danny to be replaced but if Danny truly believes this, it is time for him to go.
The Globe tells us that Doc's contract is loaded with incentives. The farther he gets into the playoffs, the more he gets paid. I wonder if there are incentives for the other side also. Every time he makes a stupid coaching move, pulls a player who is on a roll, or puts Scal back in the starting lineup, he has to give money back.
Celtics.com has Part 2 of the interview with Chris Wallace. He gives his insights on Oden, Durant, Yi, Noah and others. He echoes Danny's words that the draft is deeper than just Oden or Durant. And he discusses tweeners and players who have to change position from college to the pros.
Q: Would you eat a poop hot dog to guarantee the Celts the top pick in the Oden/Durant sweepstakes? --Tom, Salt Lake City SG: I'm already eating a poop hot dog -- it's called "the Doc Rivers extension."
And it gets better as he discusses a reality show called "The Celtics GM." and discusses a lot of other topics as only the Sports Guy can.
WLKY.com tells us that Rondo is home after the season and working on his game as well as giving back to the community by running some basketball camps for kids.
The Courier Journal has what is meant to be an encouraging article for Louisville fans but is rather depressing for Celtics fans.
It was 10 years ago this week that Rick Pitino took the 36.3 percent gamble. Ten years ago this week that Pitino left the University of Kentucky to fix the Boston Celtics. Ten years ago this week that Pitino could not escape the irresistible allure of coaching Tim Duncan, a player with the skills and ego to fix any basketball team. Ten years ago this month that Pitino had a 36.3 percent chance to win the lottery and select Duncan with the first pick in the 1997 NBA Draft — and lost.
Ten years ago, I remember that horrible feeling watching the draft lottery when we slipped to the 3rd pick. I had endured a terrible season and hopes were high just as they are now that the future would be better. And then one bad move after another by Pitino doomed the Celtics for 10 more years. I say it is time for the Celtics fortunes to turn around. We have suffered enough. I hope this lottery will have a much better result.
Can Danny has just a little piece on Gerald Green coaching his little brother's basketball team. The article makes fun of it, but can you imagine being a little kid and being coached by an NBA player, and the slam dunk champ at that? How great for those kids.
Finally, the lottery watch is down to 10 days. Just 10 more days until we know the Celtics fate. I wish I could be more positive about this but history has been unkind to the Celtics. I think the only time we ever got a #1 pick was back in the 50's. We should have won it in 1997 but the ping pong balls didn't bounce our way. So much rides on this lottery and this draft and this off season. I just hope and pray that our luck is going to change with this draft. Although with Danny making statements like he did in the opening paragraph, I am a bit worried.
There is a movie titled Celtics Pride, there is a Celtics Pride blog, there is a radio show with Hickman and Gilroy named Celtics Pride. I used to subscribe to a very nice publication put out by the Celtics called Celtics Pride (seen above). But what is Celtics pride? Is it the pride that the fans feel toward this storied franchise? Is it the pride that the players feel about being Celtics? I think it is a little of both but according to this statement, it is even more than that.
He also had the inner drive that characterized "Celtics pride." After his first year Havlicek went home and worked hard to improve both his outside shooting and his dribbling. The next season he led the team in scoring.
The inner drive that characterized Celtics pride. This phrase really caught my attention. The context of this statement seems to indicate that Celtics pride is something inside the players to make them want to be better. Something inside that makes them work harder because they are Celtics and that means something. Celtics Pride is what drove Havlicek to work to improve his dribbling and his shooting after his first year. It is what drove all of the Celtics' legendary players to be the best they could. It is what kept Bird in the gym hours after practice working on his game. I look at the players that we have now and can't help but think that Celtics pride is back with this current team. We have a core of very hard working young players and every one of them have that inner drive.
Perk Even though he saw only 19 minutes of playing time his entire first season, Perk never stopped working. He put in hour after hour in the weight room. He changed his eating patterns and remade himself into a solid, strong NBA player. Even though he got very little playing time his second season, he still didn't stop working. When he finally did get playing time in his third season he made the best of it. He cut down on his fouls and improved his defense. Unfortunately, he injured his shoulder just as he was starting to come on. He had shoulder surgery and worked just as hard at rehab and was ready to go for training camp. This past season, he battled plantar fasciitis for most of the season. If ever there was any doubt about this kid's toughness, it was erased this past season as he played game after game in pain because his team needed him. He plans on staying in Boston and working with Al and Clifford Ray over the summer and I have no doubt that he will break out this next season and surprise a lot of his doubters. Perk has that inner drive that characterizes Celtics Pride.
Delonte Delonte spent much of his first season injured. He never stopped working though. Doc asked him to play the point, which wasn't Delonte's natural position. In spite of playing out of position, he put all he had into learning the new position and played it very admirably. He has a collection of videos of every point guard in the league. He spends much of his off time studying those tapes, learning about his opponents so that he can defend them better. This past season he was shuffled back and forth between the point and the 2 guard and in spite of battling a back injury for parts of the season, was always ready to go. Because of his drive to play, sometimes the trainers have to hide his uniforms to keep him from coming back from injuries before he should. He is going to work on his right hand this off season so that this year he won't be quite as predictable. Delonte West has that inner drive that characterizes Celtics pride!
Ryan Gomes Gomes was the 50th pick in the draft. There was no guarantee that he would even make the team. The entire first half of the season, Gomes sat on the bench getting very little playing time. But he never stopped working. When he got the chance to play due to injuries on the team, he made the best of it. He spends large amounts of time working on his game. You could see the improvement in his shot and in his defense from his first season to his second. He increased his range, making him more versatile at the 3. He played in last season's Summer League, which he didn't need to play in, but he did because he wants to get better. He said you can always learn things no matter who you are playing against or with. Ryan Gomes has that inner drive that characterizes Celtics Pride.
Rajon Rondo Rajon Rondo came to the Celtics with rave reviews about his ability to run a team and even more rave reviews about his defense, but the knock was that he couldn't shoot. Reports in the Globe last season said that he was working on his shooting over 2 hours a day after practices. He worked on drills and individual work. By the end of the season, we could see marked improvement in his shooting. This summer he will work even more on his shot. In a Hoopsworld article, he was asked who was his biggest motivator, he said that he was his own motivator. This is a point guard who can out rebound some bigs and who thinks nothing of driving to the basket against Shaq. This summer he will be working at Impactball with noted trainer Joe Abunassar, and I am sure we will see him come back with a jumper and more next season. A report from WLKY today tells us that he is at home and working on his shot and his game along with giving back to the community. Rajon Rondo has the inner drive that characterizes Celtics Pride.
Paul Pierce Paul Pierce has given 9 years to the Celtics, improving each year. He has changed his game over the past few years of Doc ball for the good of the team. Pierce played through bursitis in his elbow, in spite of having to drain it several times and having severe pain throughout the second half of the '05-'06 season. Last season he had his first major injury that caused him to miss time. He wasn't able to stay in shape while out with the injury and even though he was out of shape and knew it would probably lower his stats, he came back to help the team. He played when most stars would have sat out until they were 100%. But Pierce cared about what his teammates were going through and wanted to help. Pierce played in training camp just 3 weeks after being stabbed 11 times, one of which punctured his lung and came within an inch of his heart. In 2004 he lost several teeth in a game and the next night, after spending 7 hours in a dentist chair having them repaired, he played and even hit the game winner. Even after 8 years, Pierce came into training camp last season in the best shape of his career. Pierce has that inner drive that characterizes Celtics Pride.
Wally Szczerbiak Wally Szczerbiak was traded to the Celtics and spent the night on a plane. The next day he spent going through physicals and ran into Doc's office just before the game saying he was available to play. Doc didn't plan on playing him, figuring that after all he had been through he wouldn't be up to playing. But every time he looked down the bench, there was Wally staring at him waiting to get into the game. On the day that the Celtics played the Wolves in Minnesota, Wally was at the hospital all day while his daughter was born and once again, he rushed to the game wanting to play. He played almost 40 mpg that first half season in Boston, in spite of playing in pain most of that time. Last season he was plagued with ankle injury after ankle injury. He wanted to come back to help the team so much that he often rushed back too early and that contributed to subsequent injuries. Wally spends hours upon hours in the gym in the off season working on his game. Even now that he is an established player he never stops working. Wally Szczerbiak has that inner drive that characterizes Celtics pride.
Al Jefferson Al Jefferson did not get off to a great start in Boston. He wasn't in the best shape his first or second year, and suffered several ankle injuries. The criticism of his conditioning and his game really got to him. In the off season he worked very hard to get himself into shape. He changed his diet and worked out to get into the best shape he could. Unfortunately, his ankle problems were mis-diagnosed, but in spite of the recurring pain, he continued to work and to try to play. When they finally found the bone chips in his ankle and fixed them, he came back with a vengeance. He was a fixture in Boston in the off season, working out with Clifford Ray every chance he got. This season, he came to camp ready to play and was sidelined early with appendicitis and was rushed to surgery. He was expected to be out for up to 6 weeks but after just 2 weeks he was back in the lineup and ready to play. Those who questioned his toughness had to admit they were wrong. This past season we saw the fruits of Al's hard work come to fruition as he averaged a double double and emerged in the NBA as a budding star. Big Al has the inner drive that characterizes Celtics pride.
Leon Powe Powe had every reason to just give up in life. This kid is one of my favorites just because of all he has been through and he has come through it a fantastic person. His father bolted the family when Leon was two. And when he was seven, his home was burned to the ground after his younger brother, Tim, was left alone to play with an errant matchbook. Because they had no place to live, the family which included 5 children stayed in homeless shelters, shoddy motels, and wherever they could find a place, often all having to sleep in the same bed. Powe's mother developed a drug habit and child services put Leon and his brother in foster care.
Over time, that burden proved too much for Powe’s mother, Connie Landry. With no steady income to support her family, and a burgeoning drug habit, Child Protective Services took control of Leon and Tim, placing both into foster care. It was at this time Leon discovered basketball and excelled. But then heartache struck again. During his junior year in highschool, his mother died of a heart attack at the age of 41 just days before his team was to play for the state title. He had remained close to his mother and the loss weighed heavily on him. Just weeks later, he tore the ACL in his left knee in an AAU tournament. He came back to play his senior year on his reconstructed knee and was a Parade All American, a McDonalds All American and a top 10 prospect for college recruiters. After his freshman season at Cal, he was named Pac10 Freshman of the Year and earned all conference honors. But, he still had severe pain in his reconstructed knee and he had surgery for a bone graft to relieve that pain. His knee didn't respond and they operated again and reconstructed the knee for a second time, his third major surgery on the same knee in the span of 2 years. A lesser person would have given up. But Powe persevered and went through rehab once again and he returned to Cal and became a dominant force, averaging 20.5 point per game and 10.1 rebounds per game, becoming only the 6th player ever to lead the conference in both categories and was named a second team All American. He donates a lot of his time helping kids and does free basketball camps every offseason. He uses his money to help care for his siblings. He works very hard on and off the court to make himself a better basketball player and a better person. If anyone has the inner drive that characterizes Celtic Pride, it is this kid.
Gerald Green Gerald Green expected to be a top 5 pick but was still there when Boston picked at 18. Gerald didn't get much playing time his first season with the Celtics and when asked about going to the D League, he willingly went since it meant a chance to play and a chance to get better. When he returned to the parent team, it was obvious that he had improved there. Gerald worked with John Lucas the off season and pushed himself to improve in all areas. This past season, he got more playing time and although he struggled at times, he kept working hard. One of the few bright spots in the season was the Slam Dunk contest where Gerald wowed everyone and came away the winner. Gerald is determined to make teams sorry they passed on him and will work hard to do so. He plans to return to Texas and work with John Lucas again this summer. Gerald Green has the inner drive that characterizes Celtic Pride.
Brian Scalabrine Brian Scalabrine hasn't had the easiest time in Boston. He has gone from sub to starter to sub. He has been booed at home and then cheered and then booed again. But one thing you have to say about Scal is that he plays hard and he tries all the time to encourage his teammates. When Tony went down with the torn ACL, in spite of a knee injury of his own, drove Tony and his mom to the hospital. The story was told that Tony's mom was a bit nervous and asked if maybe they should call an ambulance and Tony told her no because this was better. This was Scal. He gives of his time to help kids and he is considered one of the nicest guys in the league. In spite of all his shortcomings, Scal has the inner drive that characterizes Celtics Pride.
It is evident from the above that we have some very tough and hard working players. If you are a Celtics' fan, you just have to be excited about what the future holds. Each of these kids will come back better and ready to wipe out the memory of last year's lost season. Yes, Celtics Pride is back.
"Doc did a good job," Ainge said after the season, "and that's why we'd like to keep him as coach of this team and give him a real opportunity and chance to coach."
Doc did a good job? At what? Tanking? Honestly, they have been using all the injuries as an excuse. Golden State had injuries this past season along with a huge trade mid season and they are in the playoffs. Rick Carlisle lost the heart of his team to suspensions along with injuries and still got his team to the playoffs. It is what good coaches do. Doc hasn't had a real opportunity to coach? This seriously sounds fishy.
As expected, the reaction from Celtics' fandom was less than favorable by Doc's extension. Celtic's Blog presents the fellowship of the miserable with a montage of comments from the Celtics' faithful. The Globe has a poll where the fans have voted almost 2-1 that extending Doc was a bad move. JB over on CelticsStuff Live just asks "Why?" Fanhouse considers the extension absurd with the candidates that are available here.
There was some good news today as Hoopsworld reports that Tony Allen's rehab is ahead of schedule. The headline is a bit misleading as it proclaims that Tony is playing basketball again. Well, he is, but only on XBox. It is good news that his rehab is ahead of schedule. He expects to start running in June and hopefully will be ready to play by training camp.
The questions surrounding Oden's age and his comments that he grew up liking the Celtics cause they were good continues to give blogs fodder. Deadspin allows that sometimes it happens that you forget your own age.
Draft Express has an interview with Tiago Splitter. I wonder if this is the year he finally gets to make the leap to the NBA. He has been in the draft so many times I almost feel as though I know him.
11 days until the lottery. I honestly don't know how I am going to make it until then. The Globe has a ticker that counts down the days, hours, minutes, and seconds until the lottery and they ask the question as to whether you feel lucky. I wish I did. 38.7% chance of getting a top 2 pick is a 61.3% that we won't get one. That is like a 2-1 chance that we don't. With the way the Celtics luck has gone for the last 21 years, I am afraid to get my hopes up. But sometime our luck has to turn around, doesn't it?
Chemistry is one of the most important but underrated pieces to building a championship team. The recent article on SFGate about the Warriors' chemistry got me thinking about this.
Nelson calls the Warriors "one of the best chemistry teams (I've had), and I've been around a lot of good ones. But this one's really, really tight." "To see each guy kind of rely on each other, lean on each other, to have someone carry their weakness they struggle with and another guy pick them up? I think from that standpoint, it's been a truly team effort to get here."
The Pistons are a team with great chemistry and because of that they are able to win without a superstar. Players know their roles and they work very well together. For the most part, this team has been together for several years and because of that, know each other's tendencies on the court very well.
On the other hand, I think back to the Laker team that had 4 future Hall of Famers on it in Shaq, Kobe, Payton and Malone. They even had a future Hall of Fame coach and should have been able to win the championship that year. On paper, they were a lock to win it all. But, they didn't have any chemistry. There was in-fighting and bickering the entire year and I believe that is what kept that team from winning it all. They had the talent but didn't have any chemistry.
I believe that the reason that our USA teams have fallen from prominence is that they aren't together long enough to build any chemistry between the players. You throw together a group of players used to playing against each other and let them practice for a few weeks and expect them to develop chemistry. These teams have the best players in the league on them and should be able to dominate. European teams are together for years and just have better chemistry and that translates into a stronger team. I believe that with the current team, they are taking a better approach by having the core group together for several years, but they still won't have the kind of chemistry that many of the international teams have built by playing together day in and out for years.
Previously, the Celtics had chemistry problems with Blount, Banks and Raef. One by one, Danny moved them to bring in players who would be better team players. We now have a great group of players. All want to be here and all are hard workers and I just don't see any of them not working together for the good of the team. They get along on and off the court. Most of the team has been together for 2 or 3 years now and are learning each other's tendencies. They have been bulding chemistry and genuinely like playing together.
An often missed element of picking players, Ah and everybody starts going like the football coaches used to go by. Times and by how fast they were in the forty and what have you. Been my experience that the players with the best character, the players that truly love to play, the so called gym rats, who may not quite have all the talent these other guys have, but that by the end of their careers they will work themselves in to be great contributers to a program. And I've seen many players like that help a basketball program. They are not the star, but end up being great contributers. And so, the character guys, the guys that are willing to work, the guys that love to play the game, the guys that would pay ownership to play. Those are the kinda guys that you want to pick and that should be an important part of the mix.
I believe that Danny has brought in some very good character guys. Perk, Al, Delonte, Gomes, Rondo and Powe are all good character guys. They work hard, love to play and even more are good people. Tony Allen has learned his lesson after his brush with the law and I believe that it has built good character in him. Scal for all of his criticism is one of the best character guys in the NBA.
As with the Pistons, this team has been together for several years now. They are a young team, but have been getting better year by year. They went through some very tough times this past season with all of the injuries and the 18 game losing streak. But not once did we hear any of the players turn on each other or blame anyone for a loss. They stuck together and stayed positive. I believe that this experience will draw the team even closer together. And hopefully whoever is added to the team this season will fit in with the players we already have and become just as close. One of the keys to winning will be whether our team can develop the type of chemistry where they have each other's backs and trust each other. They have found this kind of chemistry off the court and to some degree on the court due to the tough times they have been through. Now they just need to display it on the court on a regular basis.
Leon Powe had a very complicated rookie contract. He signed a 3 year contract with the first year guaranteed at $432,000. The second year ($687,456) would become guaranteed if he appeared in 41 games and if his average of points + rebounds + assists totals at least 14 per game. It would also become guaranteed if he made the All Rookie Team. There is a similar clause for the third year where the magic number goes from 14 to 16 and
In his first season, Powe appeared in 63 games and he averaged 4.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and .2 assists in 11 minutes per game. The total of points, rebounds and assists for his first year was only 7.8, well short of the required 14. And he didn't make the All Rookie team.
But, it wasn't for lack of effort that he didn't reach the required totals. Powe played hard and gave his all every minute he was on the court. Doc played him in 3-4 minute stints for the most part and it was amazing that he produced what he did with the way he got his minutes in spurts and the way Doc used him in games. When he actually got playing time, he produced every time. In games where he got at least 25 minutes playing time he averaged almost a double double.
The Celtics can get out of the last two years on his contract simply by placing him on waivers before July 1, just as they did with Orien Green. But I think it would be a mistake to do it with Powe. This kid is going to be a player and a guy who puts out that much effort in practice and in games should be someone you want on your team. Just his work ethic would be a great example to everyone on the team. I love this kid and am hoping that we keep him around. To tell you the truth, I would much rather extend Powe's contract than Doc's.
The Celtics announced today that Doc's contract has been extended. No details have been released as yet as to the length of the extension. Hopefully it is only 1 year so that when the team doesn't play defense again next season, even with the defensive players that Danny brings in and the improved defense of our individual players, they won't be out too much when they have to fire him anyway.
"Doc is a leader and I have all the confidence in the world in Doc as coach of the Celtics. With Doc as our coach we have the continuity that is crucial in the development of the franchise," Danny Ainge said, Celtics Executive Director of Basketball Operations.
I know somewhere Bill Simmons is crying in his beer. Many of us have had our hopes for Rick Adelman dashed. By the time that Danny wakes up and realizes that this team will never get to the next level with Doc, there probably won't be any good ones available. We are passing up some prime candidates to keep Doc for at least another year.
UPDATE from the Herald: The Herald is reporting that the extension is for 1 year and 5 million dollars.
Celtics management, making good on its stated intention to keep Doc Rivers in the fold, signed the Celtics [team stats] coach to a one-year contract extension today. His salary will remain at $5 million, though bothsides reportedly had an option for a second year. The current extension goes ghrough 08-09 season.
I would have wanted to put a performance clause in there also. At least it was only 1 year. If he doesn't do a better job of in game management and coaching defense than he has, he may never get to coach the year out, let alone the extension. On the other hand, if Doc gets the Better Basketball Videos and learns to coach, keeping him may be a good thing. But I wouldn't want to bet on it.
Hoopsvibe reports that a source close to the Celtics says that they are looking at 10 players and that they are leaving all options open.
The other day I spoke with someone close with the Boston Celtics who asked to remain nameless, but the person did confirm to me that the Celtics truly are looking at 10 players in this years draft. The person said right now they’re waiting on the draft lottery before they can really get down to business. But the person said they have been working on the assumption that they’ll have the number 2 overall pick, as of right now. The players they are looking at are Kevin Durant, Greg Oden, Brandan Wright, Al Horford, Mike Conley Jr, Yi Jianlian, Spencer Hawes, Corey Brewer, Julian Wright, and Jeff Green. The person said Kevin Durant would probably be at the top of the list right now. The person also said they would consider trading their pick if the right package deal came along, but right now they’re leaving all their options open
Not knowing where we will be drafting makes it hard to center on any one of those players. Durant has to be the favorite if we pick second and Oden would be the choice if we pick first. Beyond that, it is wide open. I wouldn't trade Oden or Durant for anyone right now. But depending no who we can get back for a 3-5th pick, that may be a possibility. They are assuming that we will get the second pick, but as my post below shows, nothing is certain when it comes to the lottery.
There were a couple of Celtics questions in Chad Ford's chat. First the question was asked if the lottery was fixed where would the league likely want Oden and Durant to go.
Chad Ford: (12:51 PM ET ) If it was fixed? Oden to Boston. Durant to Chicago.
Now, let's hope that David Stern doesn't read this and fix it so we don't get either just to show that it isn't fixed.
The more I read and think about this the more I believe that Oden and the Celtics were meant for each other. First, we know that Oden wore #20 at Ohio State. It is very hard for players coming in to get their old numbers because of all the numbers that Boston has retired so far. If we look at the long list of retired numbers, we see that numbers 14-25 are all retired except #20. Now I ask you, is that an omen or what? Also when asked his favorite team growing up, he said the Celtics. By all accounts, he is a good character kid. He liked calculus and aced it for goodness sake! His agent said that Boston is the best fit for him. It is meant to be. Let's just hope that the ping pong balls cooperate.
A second Boston related question asked if Doc was likely done now that Carlisle is available.
Maybe ... but I think everything in Boston depends on the draft lottery. Let's wait until May 22 .... I think that will go a long way to determining Danny Ainge, Doc Rivers and even Paul Pierce's future in Boston.
I can only dream about a new coach but don't think it will happen with all the talk about extensions floating around toward the end of the season.
The Boston papers have seemingly forgotten the Celtics. You would think there would at least be a little draft buzz or some summer work out plans articles or something! But there are a few things worth mentioning.
First, SportsColumn has a couple of little tidbits. The first about Pierce not playing for the USA team:
Apparently the Boston Celtics don't have a solid grasp of exactly how the NBA lottery system works because it looks like Paul Pierce will not be participating in the upcoming Olympics due to his injuries. We know that Danny Ainge is desperate to get that hopper loaded full of green and white ping pong balls but someone should tell him that international competition doesn't count. You know how naïve good ol' Danny boy can be when it comes to things like this. Remember that time that he just "accidentally" ended up sitting next to Kevin Durant's mom during the Big 12 Tournament? Talk about a desperate franchise; after the season they just had, there's no way that Ainge is going to let his lone All-Star anywhere near harm's way, even if it is in the name of the U.S.A. And if those ping pong balls bounce Boston's way then the Celtics could be sporting a pair of superstars when the season starts anew in the fall.
They take a couple of shots at the Celtics here insinuating that now that the season is over, Pierce can stop faking injuries. But the fact that he is giving up playing for the USA team that he so strongly lobbied to get on should prove that he wasn't tanking for the team but was really injured and needs the time to heal. Let's hope those ping pong balls fall our way, but I can tell you that I am not all that sure that they will. 21 years of bad luck can do that to you.
Speaking of not being sure of getting a top 2 pick, Hoopsworld has a piece that discusses the choices beyond the second pick. The piece covers 5 players who could be available to us if we pick 3-5. The players that won "pick" status include Horfort, Hibbert, and Conley Jr. Those who are in the "pass column" are Wright and Yi. I am thinking that if we slip out of the top 2, Wyc may bring some influence to pick Yi for financial reasons. He would definitely bring in more revenue and draw a lot of attention to the team, especially from the millions of new fans we would pull in from China. Danny did take 2 trips there to scout him.
Celtics.com has an interview with Chris Wallace. He discusses scouting the draft, the new rules with the workouts, international scouting and international players available and more.
HoopsAddict has an OJ Mayo rant. FanHouse discusses Bird and McHale's drug usage with Mellencamp.
The Sun Journal has a couple of Celtics tidbits among a lot of other things. • Tommy Heinsohn will be representing the Celtics at the draft lottery on May 22.
Bad as I want to see Boston get one of the first two picks, the mind races with comic possibilities of Tommy's reaction if David Stern opens the envelope for the No. 8 slot and pulls out a card with the Celtics' logo.
• If the Celtics end up drafting Greg Oden and Doc Rivers survives all of next season, I'm guaranteeing that he will set a new record for fouling out. The Celts' perimeter defense under Doc is so porous that Don Meineke's 54-year-old record of 26 disqualifications in a season will be broken by March.
It's nice to know that it isn't just me being frustrated with Doc's defensive coaching. A lot of Perk's fouls come from the team defense being so bad. Doc just doesn't take defense seriously enough. He also doesn't play bigs to their strengths. I really want a new coach.
Troy Nunes is an absolute magician poses the question as to whether Oden is really 19. In spite of the fact that his mom always carries his birth certificate with her and it is pretty much worn out by now, questions still lurk as to his age.
You see, Greg was on ESPN's First Take yesterday morning. I'll let Sports at Random fill in the rest:
"Today on the show formerly known as Cold Pizza, we were given proof that Greg Oden is not actually 19 years old. Oden was asked what his favorite basketball team of all-time is, or something like that, and he said he grew up watching Bird's Celtic teams. Larry Bird retired in 1992 (when Oden was 4), won his last NBA title in 1986, and the last time they even made the Eastern Conference Finals with Bird was 1988, when Oden was supposedly 4 months old. If that's not proof, I don't know what is."
I know that some of you are going to say it doesn't matter what happened in the lottery before because every lottery is a random event. But I can't help but look back at past lotteries to see where the team with the second worst record ended up picking. At least it gives me something to do so I don't go crazy waiting for May 22 to get here.
Starting with 1991 where the weighted lottery started, here are the teams who had the second worst record and where they picked.
Year Team Pick 1991 Miami 5 1992 Orlando 1 1993 Minnesota 5 1994 Detroit 3 1995 Washington 4 1996 Philadelphia 1 1997 San Antonio 1 1998 Toronto 4 1999 LA Clippers 4 2000 Chicago 4 2001 Golden State 5 2002 Chicago 2 2003 Denver 3 2004 Chicago 3 2005 New Orleans 4 2006 Chicago 2
One thing I noticed is that between 2000 and 2006, Chicago had the second worst record 4 times and the worst record once. That is a long time to be at the bottom of the league. But they are reaping the results of that now as they drafted talented young players who are blossoming and got them to the playoffs this season. Even though the Celtics haven't been at the bottom, Danny drafted very well and we have a lot of young and talented players who are beginning to blossom now and I believe that next year we will reap the benefits as well.
Over this 16 year period, the team with the second worst record picked first 3 times. They picked second only 2 times. They picked third 3 times. They picked fourth 5 times. And they picked fifth 3 times. Just because we have the second most ping pong balls, doesn't guarantee us a first or second pick. We can see from the above results that nothing is guaranteed in the lottery. You can have the most ping pong balls and pick third, as we did in 1997 when Duncan was the prize. Or a team can have the 6th most ping pong balls and win the lottery, as Milwaukee did in 2005.
The Celtics have had terrible luck and tragedy since their second pick in the 1986 draft died just days after being picked. For a team who is supposed to have the "luck of the Irish" behind them, they have had just the opposite. It is about time that our luck turned around and as Greg Popovich said, if there is any justice in this world, the Celtics should win the lottery this season.
John Mellencamp: "I've known Larry Bird since we were kids. When he was on the Celtics and I was playing in Boston, he and Kevin McHale would come to my dressing room after the show and smoke me under the table."
According to "Mellow"camp, Bird and McHale both smoked marijuana backstage during shows. Team "green"!?
Celtics Stuff Live and others posted recently about FSN releasing their Draft 07 site along with Mike Gormans Blog. At the bottom of Gormans Blog are several vids. This transcript here is of Tommy Heinsohn speaking about the coming draft, as well as, the C's in general. It's a good piece, but I cannot post the vid here (since they do not provide that option), but you can read this transcript I put together along with graphics. Or, if you must hear Tommy's voice, go watch the video.
After all the years I'm with the Celtics, I would hate to be remembered as the guy that didn't get the first pick in the draft. But the odds are that the Celtics are not gonna get one of the 1st two. Its like a 62% chance that the Celtics will get either the 4th or 5th pick and only a 38% chance that they would get one of the 1st two.
But I was used to shooting hooks from the corner to win a ball games and every once in a while, it went in. So, hopefully, if we take a shot its gonna go in and certainly everybody outta grab their Shamrocks, on the night of the lottery, and offer up a little prayer to St Patrick and talk to also talk to the Leprechaun. We gotta, we gotta talk to lucky here a little bit. Ah, to get everybody involved in pushing this forward so the Celtics come out with a good draft pick.
Well I haven't seen enough of either one of the players. I've seen some of the games but not nearly enough to evaluate them. Um, the best game Oden played was in the final game in which they lost, but he was sensational in that game. Every other time I, I tuned in the television just to watch him play, he was on the bench in foul trouble. And the other kid Durant is a bonafide potential star who could be the player of the decade! So, could oden they tell me.
So, if you got a 7 foot guy, that is an inside player, thats a rebounder, and a shot blocker, if he can really do all those things, thats the guy you go for. Thats what red would have done. Thats what he angled for to get ah, in that draft I was involved in. I was a terrific rebounder and Russell was a terrific rebounder and defender. So, he had an offense all ready to go with Cousy and Sharman. All he needed was for people to get the ball to that offense and off they could go. And I think that is what they're looking for in this draft. They believe that they have significa talent at all the positions. They have potentially a center, a forward, and a guard. A point guard, ah that would form the nucleus for the next 5 or 6 years.
I don't think you, you really go by position. Ah, I think you go by best player and, thats available. And what happens then, if you get the best player available and you have a player of quality that is beaten out, that becomes the guy you trade to get a better player.
An often missed element of picking players, Ah and everybody starts going like the football coaches used to go by. Times and by how fast they were in the forty and what have you. Been my experience that the players with the best character, the players that truly love to play, the so called gym rats, who may not quite have all the talent these other guys have, but that by the end of their careers they will work themselves in to be great contributers to a program. And I've seen many players like that help a basketball program. They are not the star, but end up being great contributers.
And so, the character guys, the guys that are willing to work, the guys that love to play the game, the guys that would pay ownership to play. Those are the kinda guys that you want to pick and that should be an important part of the mix. Like when they lost Lenny Bias to a drug situation, ah that is a typical example. Had they known Lenny Bias was on the cusp of doing drugs, I don't think they would have taken him. But those are the type of things now that they do investigate.
If you've been watching the playoffs, what the Celtics under Danny ainge have been attempting to do is to go back and to utilize what is the greatest asset in basketball, quickness and speed. 13 of the 16 titles were won using quickness and speed. Uptempo pressure type defenses. The 3 titles won by the Bird team were big people and we've been trying to play big man basketball with small people. Until Danny Ainge came on board and were trying to get back to playing uptempo basketball with quick people and we have talented people right now.
Well I thought the Celtics would be a playoff team last year. They were very very light on experience and that was the glaring weakness of last years team. They had Pierce, they had Szczerbiak, and they had Scalabrine. Those were the four really experience players and they all went down for long periods of time.
And as a consequence the very, very inexperienced young players, who have a world of talent, were thrown into the pool and said now you gotta to swim by yourself, which they did. So, what happened this year only enhanced the ability of the Celtics next season to come out and really have a whiz-bang season. Because they will have a young team with experienced players and the experienced players are going to be pushed by young players and the experienced players are gonna pull the young players through. So you have the perfect interaction of experience and youth.
Lots of talk about coaching vacancies and who they are filling them with. It gets depressing knowing that the Celtics will have their same coach back again next season. The Globe leads with an article on VanGundy taking his time to decide on his future. The Seattle Times reports that former Celtic Sam Vincent is interviewing with the Sonics for their coaching job. He seems to be in demand. AHN tells us that Billy Donovan turned down $5 million in Memphis but that he is open to listening to other offers.
According to the Boston Globe, Pierce won't be participating on the USA team this season. He lobbied so hard to make the team and then his elbow and injuries derailed his efforts. Pierce is following the wishes of Ainge:
Last month, Celtics basketball boss Danny Ainge said he hoped Pierce would not play for USA Basketball. "I'd like to see him make a 100 percent commitment to the Boston Celtics," said Ainge, who felt that Pierce, who missed 35 games this season because of injuries, needed the summer to work on his rehabilitation.
The story goes on to speculate that the Celtics may still have a presence on the USA team if they manage to land Durant or Oden, who have been invited to the USA camp.
The Washington Post has a good article on Nellie and includes some good old stories.
Beneath the Uncle Nellie veneer, there is an old, aloof Celtic who believes you cannot possibly know more about the game than him.
There is the aging veteran who once drank a former teammate under the table, until the kid was ill equipped to take Nelson's starting job during his last Celtics training camp. Steve Kuberski could slog, but not like Nellie. "First of all, I liked beer," Nelson said, remembering the story. "And, well, I could probably drink more than the rookies could."
While coaching the Knicks for an abbreviated 59 games in 1995-96, Nelson told me a story involving John Starks. He said a fan approached the former Knicks guard after a game and asked him to sign a pennant for his brother. "His name is Marc. Marc with a 'C.' "
When the fan got the pennant returned, Nelson said, it read, "To Cark." Marc with a "C," get it?
Nellie delighted in telling that story, prefacing it with, "This is how stupid John Starks is." He wanted Starks traded and was prepared to give up any information that might lead to that end.
His success with the Warriors has proved what a difference a coach can make from the comraderie of a team to the play on the court. On the other hand, Doc hasn't shown us anything in Boston. Is it wrong to be jealous?
The Washington Times discusses the lack of big stars in the playoffs. In it they take a shot at the Celtics:
The following failed to make the cut: Elton Brand, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Pau Gasol and Jermaine O'Neal. In Pierce's defense, he was bound and gagged on the bench in accordance with the Celtics enhancing their lottery prospects. The Celtics tanking another one is a long way from Havlicek or Bird stealing the ball.
As bad a coach as Doc is, how could they tell that we were tanking? FSN.com has 3 good videos in their Draft 07 coverage. Tommy gives a draft preview and points out the fact that we have twice as much chance of not getting a top 2 pick as we do of getting one. He doesn't want to be the one remembered for not bringing home the top pick for the Celtics. He urges everyone to grab their shamrocks the night of the lottery. (see list of good luck charms in the article below) Tommy also has a video with a bit of Lottery History and there is an an interview with Paul Pierce.
Finally, the Sports Tribune discusses Durant's discussions for a shoe deal. It is interesting that Durant is expected to reap a $6 million to $7 million deal while Oden, even if they first pick will get only $50,000 because big men don't sell shoes. Doesn't seem fair. The old offense sells shoes and defense wins games argument.
Thirteen days until the lottery. Loy's place will be having an all day party in "The Box" chatroom on lottery day. Be sure to join us!
I loved the movie Celtics' Pride because it proves that there are fans out there more fanatical about this team than I am. At least I have never kidnapped a player to give the Celtics a boost. I love all their superstitions in the movie. I remember one time we got a message board thread going about our pre game superstitions and it was pretty interesting to read all the things that people do.
One fan sits on the same spot on the couch to watch every game. Another wears a lucky bracelet. Still another wears the same socks every game day. Another said that every game night he does 2 laps around his house during the pregame and then always takes his shoes off and sits in the same place. One fan always puts his hat on the TV. One guy said he always made sure to drink 2 beers before the game.
I was a little skeptical as to whether that was a superstition or a way to drink more beer. As for me, I always wear a Celtics shirt on game days. I guess it is pretty clear that these things don't work or our team would be undefeated, but you can't blame us for trying.
Team representatives at the draft lottery also give in to superstitions and take good luck charms with them. Last year Jo Jo White took one of Red's cigars with him. Over the years, there have been many different good luck charms pressed into service by the various team representatives. The Trailblazers GM brought a penny that he had found on the sidewalk that week. Jeanie Buss brought a native American rock. Billy King brought a Smarty Jones horse shoe. When Pat Williams won the lottery for the third time in 13 years, he was asked if he brought any lucky charms with him and he had this to say:
Actually, I didn't. When I heard the Smarty Jones horseshoe thing I was intimidated. Then I heard about Diana Taurasi being here and that scared me. But then I calmed my nerves when I thought about the fact that we had one thing that they didn't: Lots of ping-pong balls. Linda, given a choice between a Smarty Jones horseshoe and a lot of ping-pong balls, you take the ping-pong balls. Billy King would've traded that horseshoe for the ping-pong balls. And that was a real horseshoe. It had dirt in it. I would've liked to have had that horseshoe. That would've been one to keep. But this ping-pong ball (bounces it on desk) goes right into our trophy case. Most teams have trophies in their trophy cases. We have ping-pong balls.
The Celtics have lots of ping pong balls this year. Not as many as Memphis, but we have more than anybody else. Hopefully Pat Williams' method will work for us this year as it did for him in the 2004 draft. But he has to have something going for him because he has won it 3 times, including one time when he had the 11th worst record. I guess we should be grateful that Orlando won't be in the lottery this year with Pat's luck. Maybe Tommy should try to take Pat with him to the lottery for luck. Unfortunately having lots of ping pong balls doesn't always mean the top pick. The team with the most ping pong balls has only won the lottery 3 times since 1990. Having a 38.7% chance of winning one of the first 2 picks also means that we have a 61.3% chance of not getting a top 2 pick.
That brings me to good luck charms. Old Superstitions.com has a list of good luck charms. Here are a few of them that may work for Tommy at the Lottery (or other Celtics fans wanting to give our luck a boost): Fingers Crossed - By making the sign of the Christian faith with our fingers, evil spirits would be prevented from destroying our chances of good fortune.
Knock on Wood - It was believed that good spirits lived in trees, and that by knocking on anything made from wood, we could call upon these spirits for protection against misfortune.
Sneezing 3 times before breakfast
A 4-leaf clover, Picking up a pin, Dropping a glove
A horseshoe, Peacock feathers, Sleeping facing south
Sleeping on un-ironed sheets, A ladybug on you
Carrying an acorn on your person will ensure good luck & longevity!
And if all else fails, we have lots of ping pong balls.
Hardcore Frontyard Basketball Ah! The quietness of the offseason! Slow times at Celtics Central! Although, there is plenty of Oden and Durant whisperings amongst us hardcore Green Koolaid drinkers to keep us busy. So, to keep your mind off of "the gamble"...I mean Lottery, I've got another entertaining youtube vid! If you've missed the others I have posted, I suggest going back and checking them out.
This is a NOT top ten basketball highlight reel by some kids on a suburban neighborhood driveway hoop. It also has a standard top ten best of highlights at the end. Pretty good editing and use of top ten graphics.
The cool thing about this vid, aside from the top ten format, is these kids keep their own stats, which you will get to see at the end in a rolling credits format. It appeared as if they were having a one on one series. It's a tender story of Driveway Legends being born!
"FOUL!
...did you not hear the slap???"
The Not Obviously. these kids know the Hack-a-Shaq real well, as they viciously and flagrantly foul each other clip after clip! At one point we see a Technical!!! We also see some pretty bad shooting slumps and Field Goal percentages in the single digits! I wouldn't expect to see these kids blooming into the next highschool phenoms. One young man is a real "Tractor Traylor" in there! I think you can figure out who.
The Top Their Top Ten plays are not overshadowed by their Not Top, however. In fact, one young man makes so many off balance shots and scoops, it reminded me of Larry Legend himself! "Tractor" also throws down some mean dunks on the adjustable hoop that looks to be set at 6 feet (I may be wrong, it could be lower, hehe).
Pay attention... ...to Not Top Ten Play #9. I can't help but giggle at the poor sportsmanship! I laugh at how many times my friends and I done that to each other back in the day! Just plain fun stuff!
The T-Mobile NBA All-Rookie Second Team consists of Utah’s Paul Millsap (36), Charlotte’s Adam Morrison (35), Chicago’s Tyrus Thomas (26), Minnesota’s Craig Smith (21) and Boston’s Rajon Rondo (10), Charlotte’s Walter Herrmann (10) and New Jersey’s Marcus Williams (10) all tied for the final spot on the second team.
On the first team were Brandon Roy, Andrea Bargnani (57 points), Randy Foye (48 points), Rudy Gay (39 points), Jorge Garbajosa (37 points) and LaMarcus Aldridge (37 points). Since Aldridge and Garbajosa tied for the final spot, there were 6 players on the first team. There were 7 named to the second team due to the 3 way tie for the final spot.
It is notable that Rondo made the team because he started the season coming off the bench behind Telfair. He was even benched by Doc for a period of time. But when he finally was given the playing time and the reins to run the team, he came through and showed that he is the PG for our future. [Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!]
I just can't wait for the lottery. This suspense is really getting to me. Just 2 more weeks - 14 days to wait now. Still not a lot of Celtics news but some interesting tidbits out there to think about while waiting to know where we will pick.
FSN.com and Celtics.com have both launched their Draft Central websites. On the FSN site Mike Gorman has his first draft blog posted. He mentions a European player who may go in the top 5 if he declares and that is interesting. He feels that Noah and Horford are rated too high and I tend to agree with him on that. on Celtics.com they have draft prospect profiles, Mock Drafts from around the web, and more.
USA Today reports that Oden will sign with Conley, Sr. as expected. He is also expected to represent Conley, Jr and Cook if they remain in the draft.
AZ Central reports that Nellie received a directive from the league that he can't have beer during interviews any more. The article also mentions that former Celtic Sam Vincent has permission from the Mavericks to interview for the Bobcats' coaching position.
The Knicks as always provide a circus of activity. Hoopsworld reports that they are close to buying out Francis's contract. Isaiah is set to go on trial for sexual harrassment. And he is expected to make a play for KG or JO'Neal this off season. I just can't find it in me to like the Knicks but they do afford us with some comic relief.
On CelticsBlog, Jeff has posted his early top 10 list. At this point, not knowing where we will pick, it is hard. Of course, we hope to get the first or second pick and if life was fair, we would. Then it is a no brainer. But with the 3-5th pick, it is not so black and white.
The Berkshire Eagle questions why the Warriors are thriving and the Celtics are waiting on ping pong balls. First is the obvious - they have a much better coach. But the article goes beyond that to suggest that Mullin is a better GM than Danny and suggests we try to go after Jerry West. But then, look where Jerry West's last team is... waiting for ping pong balls right along with us.
Finally, over on FanHouse, MJD and Shoals discuss the 2008 Celtics and whether they will make the playoffs or not. I have no doubt that the Celtics will make the playoffs next season if they can stay healthy. We would have made them this season if we didn't have all the injuries. We never had our whole team together for any period of time last season. We have players who can get to that next level, but I wonder if our coach can.
14 days until the lottery.... get out all your good luck charms... but more on that tomorrow.
We are at the very beginning stages of the next potentially big era in Celtics history, and its important we do the right things to make it a reality.
Consider that we have an impact PF who will be a big offensive and rebounding weapon. Al Jefferson, if he continues to improve, and sustain his performance throughout his career, can possibly move past Kevin McHale as the Celtics' best low post scoring PF ever. He's got that much potential, so its important the coaching staff maximizes his abilities. An All-Star caliber big man who can impact the game with his offense and rebounding (and Al is getting better defensively as well), is one huge piece of the puzzle. Big Al Mix It's important to find creative ways to get Jefferson the ball. Karl Malone made a killing off the pick and roll and his steady jumper, and these are other ways Jefferson can supplement his vast low post scoring.
Another big piece to the puzzle that we may already have is Rajon Rondo. Cat-quick reflexes, Spider-Man senses, unreal athletic ability, and unbelievable basketball instincts and smarts make Rajon a potentially awesome PG. I just watched a Youtube highlight video of Jason Kidd and watched as he made unbelievable passes off the cuff, and I realized that these are the types of instincts, reflexes, vision, and passing ability that Rajon possesses. He's not a Kidd's level right now, but he does have the same type of goods. Rondo Mix Lot of emphasis has been made about Rajon's horrific shooting (which is improving), but consider that Jason Kidd and Magic Johnson have never been applauded for their shooting ability either.
Its important to surround Rajon with running mates, just as its important for a master artist to have a pallet of wide ranging colors to create his masterpiece. If we slow down Rajon and minimize him only to the halfcourt offense, we are limiting his game big time.
We still have Paul Pierce in the mix, and while he is here, we need to make sure that we get everything out of his star level talent. He's a player who can get his own offense and bail us out of trouble when need be.
And next year, we should be adding another star level talent through the draft. Greg Oden or Kevin Durant may be Celtics come June, and if they are, we will have 4 star level players.
With 4 high caliber players, we should be an elite team knocking on the door of our next dynasty.
Our upper management (Ainge and Wyc) and our coaching staff (Doc and Co.) must not mess this up. They must make sure we don't let Jefferson's, Rajon's, Pierce's, and Oden's (or Durant's) careers go down the drain.
Another slow news day for the Celtics. Even the blogs are on vacation so not a lot of Celtics news to report but a couple of things of general interest to note.
Newsday has one of several articles out there concerning Isaiah's plans to keep an eye on KG and JO and make a play for one or the other. I don't like the Knicks and don't want Isaiah getting one of those players. In fact, I don't like the idea of the Knicks getting better at all. Maybe if they have to give up enough to get one of them, it will even out. Look at what they gave up for Curry. They might trade their whole team for KG along with draft choices for the next 5 years. On second thought maybe it would be good for Isaiah to get an aging KG who will be over paid for years to come. I am not sure why but I have this strong dislike for the Knicks, the Bulls, and the Lakers and would love nothing better than to see them flounder. Unfortunately, the Bulls have been doing very well but the other two have been living down to expectations.
If you missed last night's show on CelticsStuff Live, you should check out the podcast. A lot of good stuff concerning the draft from Eric Weiss.
Real GM announces that the next round of awards are coming up with the All Rookie Teams to be announced tomorrow and the All NBA Teams on May 10. I doubt the Celtics will get much attention on both but there is a chance that Rondo could make the All Rookie team since he finished #9 on the Rookie Rankings.
SFGate has an interesting piece on how the Warriors have become a very tight knit group laughing and joking their way to a first round win over the Mavs. They eat together, go out together and go to movies together. They are trying to win for each other. Sounds a lot like the comraderie of the Celtics young players. Chemistry is often underrated. That is why I would like to see the Celtics keep their core group together. They have amazing chemistry off the court and it is going to show up on the court this season as they play together, just as it is for the Warriors.
Only 15 days until the Lottery... Anyone else counting the days?
In this era of 10 minute oil changes, 1 hour photo developing, and instant oatmeal and every thing else, we tend to get impatient with anything that takes awhile. This includes basketball. Where in most cases a little impatience won't change much, in basketball impatience can be the difference between continual mediocrity and building a contender.
Pitino was impatient with Chauncey Billups and traded him for Kenny Anderson so he would have an instant PG instead of trying to develop Billups into the PG of the future for the Celtics. Billups is helping to lead the Pistons to championships while Kenny Anderson is out of the league.
Jim O'Brien was impatient with Joe Johnson and traded him for instant help to propel them down the stretch. Joe Johnson is now helping other teams get better while the two players we got for him, Delk and Rodger, are long gone.
Another example of impatience is Jermaine O'Neal. I see any number of message board posts saying that we should get O'Neal and how good he is. Well, it took O'Neal years to get that way. He was drafted out of high school by Portland in '96 and only averaged 4.1 points and 2.8 rebounds his first year. Second year he upped it to 4.5 points and 3.4 rebounds. In O'Neal's 3rd year in Portland, his averages dropped to 2.5 points and 2.7 rebounds and he played in only 36 games due to injury. If he was in Boston I can just read all the posts saying what a bust he is. In O'Neal's 4th year he averaged 3.9 points and 3.3 rebounds. This kid showed promise in high school. Enough that he was the 17th pick in the first round. But yet in 4 years he doesn't seem to be showing a lot of progress. Then, in 2000, he was traded to Indiana for Dale Davis. In his 5th year in the league he finally started to show the talent that was promised when he was drafted. He averaged 12.9 points and 9.8 rebounds. If Portland had just a little more patience, they could have this young and promising All Star center on their team. O'Neal has continued to improve his averages every year after his fifth year in the league when he finally broke out.
I am sure you can see where I am going with this. The Shaq's, the Kobe's, the LeBron James's who come into the league and make an impact right away are few and far between. Centers and PG's especially take more time to develop. Especially when you draft a player out of high school or an underclassman, you have to realize that they probably won't be stars right away. High school players have to learn the game all over again on the pro level as it is nothing like the high school game. Along with that, they have to learn to live on their own for the first time, learn how to condition their bodies for the NBA season and their whole lives are in upheaval.
Now, if we compare Perk to O'Neal, we can see that Perk is slightly ahead of where O'Neal was in his 4th year and he has played a lot fewer minutes in those 4 years. The first year, Perk only played a total of 35 minutes in 10 games and averaged 2.2 points and 1.4 rebounds in those 3.5 minutes a game. His second year, he still didn't get much playing time he averaged 2.5 points and 2.9 rebounds in 9 minutes per game. His third year, he was still not playing much because he was behind Raef and Blount who was being showcased. When Blount was traded mid-season, Perk finally got to play more and was playing very well when he injured his shoulder. He spent the whole summer rehabbing his shoulder and when he was starting to come on this past season, he developed plantar fasciitis and played in a lot of pain all season. To his credit, he played through the pain and although it limited his movement and jumping ability, he gave it all he had every game. A number of fans are getting impatient and want to move him because of the injuries and because he isn't dominating like they think he should. But this kind of thinking is why J O'Neal is an All Star in Indiana and not Portland and why Chauncey Billips led the Pistons to a championship and not the Celtics.
Sure we can trade our young kids with so much promise for a player who can help us right now... But just as Chauncey, O'Neal and Joe Johnson are starring in the league long after the veteran players they were traded for have fallen by the wayside, if we become impatient and trade our future for some immediate help, a couple of years from now we will be in the same position and OUR young players will be starring and leading their teams to championships when whoever we get for them will be long gone.
Coming into this past season, many people were calling for a trade of Big Al because he wasn't living up to our expectations for him. He was injured much of his sophomore season and some people felt that he was soft. Al broke out this past season and there are very few, if any, fans who want to trade him now. Just think how we would feel if Danny had given in to the pressure to trade Al for Artest or even for Iverson. While they continue to decline, Jefferson will be improving and dominating in the paint for years to come.
Perk is entering his 5th season. Al, Tony and Delonte are entering their 4th season. Green and Gomes are entering their 3rd season. Rondo and Powe are entering their second seasons. They are no longer a very young team. Perk, Al, Delonte and Tony can be considered veterans in this league. Al broke out last season. Tony was well on his way to a break out year when he went down with the injury. Perk has steadily improved in spite of a lack of playing time and battling injuries. Delonte and Gomes have solid games and play like veterans. Rondo is a jumper away from being able to dominate in games. We will add a talented player in the draft with a top 5 pick.
Chemistry is important in the league as players learn their teammates tendencies and they learn to feed off of each other. We see the results of chemistry as we watch the top teams in the playoffs, like the Pistons and Spurs, who have been together for several years. We need to keep the core group of players together on this team and we will be rewarded as we see them blossom and break out to become the stars that we knew they would be when we drafted them. A trade for an all star in his prime is one thing, but trading for middle of the road veterans as we have done in the past to win a few more games is unacceptable. I for one hope that Danny has learned that patience is a virtue and that being impatient may just doom the Celtics to a perpetual state of mediocrity.
