James Posey, whose full name is James Mikely Mantell Posey, Jr. was born on January 13, 1977 in Cleveland, Ohio. He attended Chamberlin High School in Twinsburg, Ohio and played basketball there. Posey attended Xavier University. He sat out his freshman year to become academically eligible. He wore No. 42 in high school but was given 41 at Xavier because 42 was retired for Tyrone Hill. He averaged 15.3 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.15 steals and 1.7 assists while shooting 52.7 percent from the floor, 32.9 percent from three-point range and 80.8 percent from the foul line in 95 games during his three seasons at Xavier and he led his team in rebounding in each of his three seasons.
Posey was selected out of Xavier University by the Denver Nuggets with the 18th pick of the 1999 NBA Draft. He played a little over three seasons with the team before being sent to the Houston Rockets in December of 2002. After finishing the season with the Rockets, he signed with the Memphis Grizzlies as a free agent in the 2003 off-season. He started all 82 games for the Grizzlies in the '03-'04 season and averaged a career-high 13.7 points with 4.9 rebounds and was considered by some to be the team's most valuable player. In the '04-'05 season, he struggled with injuries and conditioning and appeared in only 50 games with only 18 starts.
Posey was connected to the Celtics in August of 2005 when he was was involved in the largest trade in NBA history, which involved 13 players and five different teams. Through this trade, the Miami Heat acquired Posey, Jason Williams, Antoine Walker, Andre Emmett, and the draft rights to Roberto Duenas. The Memphis Grizzlies received Eddie Jones and Raul Lopez. Boston, who dealt Walker to the Heat, received a package that included Qyntel Woods, the draft rights to Albert Miralles, Curtis Borchardt, two second-round draft picks, and cash. Utah acquires Greg Ostertag, and the New Orleans Hornets acquired Rasual Butler and Kirk Snyder.
In 2005-'06, Posey averaged 7.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game with the Heat. He was somewhat disappointing during the regular season, but in the playoffs, he more than made up for it. He was switched to the Heat's sixth man and was able to average 11.8 points per game on 48.8 shooting against the Chicago Bulls in the first round. Against the New Jersey Nets in the second round, Posey's defense made a difference as he was given the task to guard Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson. Although Posey's scoring dropped, his defense was said to have been the key to the Heat's advancement into the conference finals.
In the conference finals against the Pistons, Posey's defense once again made a big difference as he was called upon to guard Richard Hamilton, Tayshaun Prince, and even sometimes Chauncey Billups or Rasheed Wallace. In the finals against Dallas Posey was again a key factor on both ends of the court. Defensively, he provided tough defense on Dirk Nowitzki and Josh Howard. On the offensive end, Posey was also key in knocking down shots when Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O'Neal were double-teamed.
Last season with the Heat, Posey played in 67 games and averaged 7.7 points and 5.0 rebounds during the regular season, but the season was not without controversy. He was suspended by Pat Riley, along with Antoine Walker, for not meeting the fitness goals of the team. According to Posey, he had 9% body fat instead of the 8% that the team required but it may have been more attitude than conditioning (see quote below). On April 9, 2007, Posey was arrested on a DUI charge. According to reports, he had stopped his car on a double-lane Miami Beach road and was talking to occupants of other vehicles and pedestrians. The report said that once out of the car, Posey displayed bloodshot eyes, slurred speech, and an odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath. The report also said that Posey was unsteady on his feet and swayed while standing. Posey issued this
"Please know that I was neither intoxicated nor was I driving at the time," Posey said. "However, out of respect to the police, and to the legal process which must follow, it would be inappropriate for me to comment further at this moment."
Vivek Wallace who covers the Heat for Crazy from the Heat, was kind enough to send his thoughts on Posey from the perspective of a Heat fan.
When he's focused, there aren't many tier two players - meaning aside from the Kobe's, The Wade's, the LeBron's, etc. - who can contribute more to a team. The cool thing about Posey is that he does just enough to lift his team which allows him to fly under the radar so to speak. If the team needs rebounds, he's snatching them all night long. If his team needs timely 3pt'ers, he's draining them all night long. If his team needs effort and hustle plays, he's diving for the loose balls all night long. Trouble with Posey is, (and this is where he fell out of grace with Riley in Miami), he doesn't bring that type of effort on a nightly basis. He was huge in the Postseason run when we won it all down here in Miami, but more often than not, he simply didn't show up most nights. People need to realize that Riley is a master motivator, and even he couldn't get through to Posey - and that was with the help of Shaq, Zo, Payton, etc. So if Riles was willing to put such a potentially great defender (which is always a top priority of his) on the backburner with negotiations, one has to truly wonder what it's gonna be like in a city like Bean-town where it could be a classic situation of too many great's, and only one ball on the court. I like Doc Rivers but to put it bluntly, I think only a Phil Jackson could get so many personalities and superstars to gel down the stretch, as well as execute an effective game plan. Bottom line, Posey at some point may feel a bit lost in the shuffle and begin to mentally wonder off. That tendency got him suspended along with Antione Walker for a few games in Miami...It was blamed on conditioning but inside sources were very accurate in saying it was more attitude.
Posey has been involved in several controversial incidents with the Chicago Bulls over his 2 seasons with the Heat. In the first round of the 2006 playoffs, Kirk Hinrich was dribbling down the court when Posey hit him with a hard shoulder block knocking Hinrich down to the floor. Posey was called for a flagrant 2 foul and was ejected from the game and suspended for the following game. When asked about the shot to Hinrich, Posey responded, "I was just trying to get back on defense and cut the ball off." "He didn't see me and that's how collisons happen. That's all it was." You can judge for yourself in the video below.
In the season opener of the 2006-07 NBA season, Bulls rookie Tyrus Thomas was going for a rebound and was hit in the face by Posey which lead to Thomas having his nose broken and missing a few games. In yet a third incident in a December game with the Bulls, Luol Deng was going for a layup and was clotheslined by Posey. Posey was again called for a flagrant 2 foul, ejected from the game and suspended for 1 game as a result. You can see this play here:
Matt Bernhardt of BlogABull was kind enough to send his thoughts on Posey and these incidents from a Bulls perspective.
James Posey just seems to have it out for the Bulls. I'm not aware of any repeated incidents he's had with other teams, but with the Bulls there are at least 3 acts of on-court thuggery:
2006 playoffs: hipchecking Kirk Hinrich 06-07 opening night: breaking Tyrus Thomas' nose 06-07 midseason clobbering Luol Deng midair
Only the Thomas play could be considered borderline clean, the others were outright dirty. And enough of those get you labled a dirty player.
Such incidents can be written off (and even celebrated) as providing 'toughness' or 'intimidation' that benefits his own team, but I find such byproducts miniscule to non-existent. A far more tangible effect are the negative consequences through the flagrant foul penalties and suspensions. Posey is a decent player, so having him out of the game likely isn't worth whatever 'message' he was trying to send across.
And besides, the Bulls won each of those games, and were so scared and intimidated of James Posey and the Heat that they proceeeded to throttle them in a 4-game sweep in the 2007 playoffs.
Do those results have a lot to do with James Posey? Not really, it's a healthy Wade and Shaq that drove that Heat squad, as a healthy Garnett/Allen/Pierce will for the Celtics. But if Posey continues his antics, it won't lead to a brand of toughness for your team, it'll just mean one less available bench player for a team that needs all they can get.
On a personal level, Posey is the son of James Mikely Mantell Posey, Sr. and Rosetta Moore and he has an older sister, Lavon Moore. His cousin, Anthony Morgan played wide receiver in the NFL for the Chicago Bears and Green Bay Packers. He graduated from Xavier with a degree in criminal justice and forensic science. He said that he chose his major because of the mental challenge and because it kept his attention…He would like to work in forensic science with the FBI following his playing career.
When not on the basketball court, he enjoys shooting pool and bowling and he maintains a 220 bowling average. His nicknames include Mike from his family and friends, Big Game James for his bowling and basketball prowess and The X Factor. He lists football as his favorite sport other than basketball and the Denver Broncos and New England Patriots as his favorite teams. His favorite baseball team is the Cleveland Indians. Martin is his favorite television show and Chris Tucker and Martin Lawrence are his favorite actors. He listens to rap, hip-hop and R&B and Jay Z, Biggie, Tupac and Game are his favorite artists.
We have two sides of the coin with Posey. On the one side, he will give us toughness and defense and a key player off the bench. On the other side, he may lack motivation and/or conditioning. Vivek mentions Doc as being the motivator, but on this team, I would think that KG is the motivator and isn't the type to put up with players not giving their all. Just being in a new situation may be enough to give him all the motivation he needs to play well consistently. New Jersey, Cleveland, and the Heat all wanted to sign Posey and he was very happy to sign with Boston because he saw this team as his best chance at a ring. Hopefully he will get one. [Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!]
Both the Globe and the Herald cover Phil Jackson's induction into the hall of fame but no Celtics news. Very sad. All of the players should be in town by now and there are things going on with the team and all we get is Phil Jackson.
While Cousy said that he had not seen enough of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in the last two years to talk about their games specifically, he did say that even with the infusion of offense the team’s playoff fate will come down to its ability to defend.
“Defensively is where, I think, we are going to have to stabilize,” he judged. “We got rid of all of the slow guys. Now we have, not as much young guys, but quick guys. If the other Allen (Tony Allen) gets back healthy, he’s a defensive stopper. The other kid they got (James) Posey is a defensive stopper. That’s where they have to start. They have to create defensive integrity because up to now we have been just matching baskets. I was glad to see they hired this guy the other day (assistant coach Tom Thibodeau) who is supposed to be a defensive guy. That’s what they need.
“If they were listening to me,” he concluded. “It will be up-tempo. Even with this team, I don’t think they will beat a lot of teams in a halfcourt game alone. But that’s what Doc gets paid the big bucks for.”
Let's hope they were listening to Cousy because we need to be a running team. Also he is right on that this team's success will come down to defense. He also made the point that it is much harder to rebuild today with 30 teams than it was when Red was calling the shots with 8-12 teams. We have very few true centers and very few true points in this league. I believe that the Celtics have both in Perk and Rondo and these two are going to prove it this season.
Celtics 17 discusses teamwork as a key to success for this team. I have been talking about this for some time and did an article on the Importance of Chemistry a while back. The success of this team will come down to teamwork and chemistry along with defense.
Taking it to the Rack looks at 5 burning questions as the season approaches including the Celtics point guard position. Fox Sports looks at 5 Celtics games that no one wants to see. TWolves Blog looks at some fun stats on Al Jefferson. I know he is no longer a Celtic, but I still love Big Al and in my heart, Al, Gerald, Delonte and Ryan will always be Celtics so I am going to follow them on their new teams.
SI.com reports that Phil Jackson is now on Kobe's side. I just love seeing the Lakers squirm and having problems. My two favorite teams will always be the Celtics and whoever is playing the Lakers. I still have nightmares about the Celtics fans actually cheering for Kobe.
Our own Q has an article on his blog on the importance of picking up James Posey. Satch Sanders is being honored for a lifetime of excellence. Painted Area has an article on how Russia's defense stifled Greece. David Blatt has made defensive powerhouses whereever he has gone. I still wish we could have gottne him for the Celtics but I also have big hopes for Tom Thibodeau, who is also known for his defensive teams.
Hoopshype takes a look back at the famous Dominique/Bird duel. Payton mulls over his NBA Future.
24 days till training camp and the whole team should be in Boston this week. I can't wait to hear how everyone is in great shape and they are all quickly developing chemistry. That is, if the Boston papers actually report on the Celtics.
When we made the trade for KG, there was a lot of criticism that we gutted the team in the trade and we wouldn't have a bench. Since the trade, Danny has signed Eddie House, Scot Pollard, Glen Davis, Gabe Pruitt, and James Posey to fill out the bench.
Our starting lineup should be: PG:Rajon Rondo SG: Ray Allen SF: Paul Pierce PF: Kevin Garnett C: Kendrick Perkins
Our Bench would look like this: PG: House, Pruitt (both are combo guard who may play both the 1 and 2 positions) SG: Tony Allen, Manuel SF: Posey (can also play the 2 and 4 positions), Wallace PF: Scalabrine (can also play the 3), Powe (can plsy the 5), Davis C: Pollard
House, Posey, and Scalabrine are all veteran players who know how to fit their games within a system and how to complement their teammates. House has done it with the Suns and the Nets, and Posey did it with the Heat, helping them to win a championship. Scal has taken a lot of heat about his play and I know I have given him plenty myself, but with a veteran cast, Scal may surprise us and become a solid contributor off the bench this season just as he was with the Nets before we signed him.
The true test of our bench will be how it compares with the benches of other Eastern conference contenders to see how we measure up once our starters come off the floor.
The Heat signed Smush Parker as their back up PG, Daquean Cook and Dorrell Wright will come off the bench at the shooting guard position, Devin Green will see minutes at both the 2 and 3 positions. They have Dorell Wright and Penny Hardaway at the 3 and Walker, Alexander Johnson and Wayne Simien coming off the bench at the 4. Their biggest question this season was one of their strengths. With Shaq and Zo both aging, injury and minutes at the center position will be an issue. Michael Doleac will also see some time off the bench at the center position. Their bench isn't a particularly strong one and I feel that our bench can match up to theirs especially since we signed one of their key bench defensive players out from under them.
The Nets have some size on their bench but are reeling from the Celtics signing 2 free agents they desperately wanted (House and Posey) along with losing one of their key reserves from last season to free agency (Mikki Moore). They have Marcus Williams backing up Kidd at the point and with Kidd's age and injury history, he may see some time in the starting lineup and they have rookie Robert Hite behind them. At center, they have Ilic, and Magloire. Cliff Robinson, Sean Williams and Josh Boone will be coming off the bench at PF. And at the 2 and 3, they have Nachbar, and Antoine Wright. Right now, we have a stronger bench than theirs but they aren't finished yet. But, with limited money available, I don't see them getting too much better.
The Cavs had a weak bench this past season when they won the Eastern Conference championship and they haven't done much to improve it this off season, although their name has been associated with several free agents, including Troy Hudson. Coming off the bench at PG they have Damon Jones and Daniel Gibson. House and Pruitt are comparable to this combo. At SG, they have Shannon Brown and David Wesley. At SF and PF, they have a couple of questions in that Varejao and Pavlovic still haven't been re-signed. Other than these two, who are solid back ups and who will probably be back, Newble is back up at the 3 and Marshall at the 4. They don't have a back up center as such and unless they sign someone, they will be forced to use their power forwards to back up Ilgauskas.
Of all the teams, it seems that the Bulls may have the strongest bench. Backing up Heinrich, they have Duhon, who is a quality PG. Sefolosha and rookie JamesOn Curry will back up Gordon at the 2 guard position. At small forward they have Adrian Griffin, and Viktor Khryapa. They have good depth at the PF and Center positions with Joe Smith, Tyrus Thomas, Joakim Noah and Aaron Gray. I may be wrong, but I see the Bulls as the team that will challenge us for the Eastern Conference title.
The Pistons have a very good starting lineup with great chemistry. They resigned Billups who will more than hold down the starting position, and coming off the bench they have Lindsey Hunter, and 2 combo guards in Afflalo and Stuckey. They have Flip Murray, Jarvis Hayes, and Stuckey and Afflalo who may spend time at both guard spots backing up at the 2. Hayes and Ronald Dupree will back up the small forward spot. McDyess, Johnson, and Maxiell will fill in at the 4. They drafted Samb but he probably won't see all that much time if he makes the team and it is more likely we will see some of their PF's splitting time at the center spot off the bench.
I don't see any of these teams, other than the Bulls, having a strong enough bench to give our bench a lot of problems. We should match up with any of these teams whether the starters or the bench is on the court. Even though we will have to use a couple of combo guards to back up at the point and we may have to play a power forward to back up at center, we aren't all that far off from the other teams that we will be battling in the East.
While we were all wondering about the holdup on signing Big Baby, the Herald today gives us some insights into it. Apparently, Danny wanted to add the third year team option as he did with Pruitt and as he has done with our other 2nd round picks. But Big Baby wanted a 2 year contract and with Posey taking up the rest of the MLE, it became a non issue and Big Baby signed a 2 year contract. This seems to be a good sign that Big Baby has a lot of confidence in his game as he expects to be playing so well by the end of year 2 that he will be worth a bigger contract then. The Herald also has an announcement that individual tickets will go on sale on Friday 9/21. From the Business section, we get the information that Boston missed out on the 2009 and 2010 All Star game they were hoping to get.
Celtics Blog has part 2 of the interview with Bill Russell. This is a great read and well worth taking the time to check it out. Also, Jeff is tired of writing about a bunch of things. Very happy to see that defense isn't one of them. I agree that there are a lot of things that are getting way too much attention, Rondo's shooting, or lack of it, tops the list.
MSNBC has a good article reporting that in spite of several concerns, it will work in Boston because of Kevin Garnett.
I know, I know, Rajon Rondo can’t shoot. At least he was smart enough to try fewer than 30 threes in his rookie season as he made about 20 percent of them. And, no, despite what they say, Ray Allen is no point guard. He handled the ball some, especially when he arrived in Seattle. But he usually makes plays for himself. No shame there. He’s a scorer. And Tony Allen averages about as many assists as Eddy Curry. And the depth is spelled S-c-a-l-a-b-r-i-n-e. But this is going to work in Boston. It’s going to work because of Kevin Garnett.
If that isn't enough to convince you, Green 17 compares Garnett to Bird. The Fitness Black Book proclaims that Garnett and Ray Allen are the fittest duo in NBA history.
Kevin Garnett is a freak of nature. He is so ridiculously athletic and ripped it is amazing. Seriously…there isn't another athlete in any sport that is such an impressive physical specimen. He looks like a whole different species when compared to other players.
Speaking of "pretty" jump shot…Ray Allen also gets voted in the top 10 "sexiest male athletes" lists that come out each year in various magazines. The guy is in incredible shape and seriously has an amazing jump shot. The only reason he doesn't score as much as Kobe Bryant is that he doesn't take as many shots.
If you want a laugh, this video of the Celtics Dancers on a British soccer show should do it. I'm not sure if this is good or bad for the Celtics reputation.
5. Instructional Time Outs for Gerald Green - While the rest of the team was going over Xs and Os on a whiteboard, one player was receiving special one-on-one attention from the coach. On several occasions Doc Rivers could be found on the court with Gerald Green, going over the ins and outs of the game, pointing to the mistakes Green made on the floor. This season, Rivers can stay on the sidelines as there'll be no need to cram a Defense 101 study session into a 20-second timeout.
Finally, the Houston Chronicle has an article on the 1966 Texas Western basketball team that is being inducted into Hall of Fame. One of the best movies I have watched lately is Beyond the Glory, which is the story of Coach Haskins and how he put this team together and how they fought bigotry to make history and win the championship. Excellent movie and a great story.
25 days until training camp. I just love reading articles like the one above on what good shape KG and RA are in. These two guys are excited to finally be playing on a team with some help and they are going to work very hard to be sure to take advantage of it. This team is going to be very exciting to watch and I can't wait till the season starts.
I feel that the most important concept on a team is defense. You simply can't win if you don't play tough defense and so a lot of my thoughts and articles go toward that end. Derrenmatts posted this on Celtics Green and I wanted to share his thoughts here on this important subject. by DERRENMATTS As I was reading FL's new article on the importance of team chemistry, I was reminded again that if we can play defense, we are the team to beat in the East. Chemistry, not only of the offensive end (which is normally where most people focus on), but on the defensive end as well.
Think back to 2001-2002, when we went all the way to the ECF (and playing in one of the most memorable--yet disturbing--playoff games in NBA history <4th quarter of game 4>). We did not get there on the strength of our offense. We got there through determination on defense, and a big dose of chemistry. Aside from Pierce and Walker, everyone else on the team was just average. Think about Battie, McCarty, Potapenko, Kenny Anderson, Erick Strickland, etc.--nothing special about those role players. Yet, because of the defensive intensity and chemistry this team displayed (players knowing their roles), we went all the way to the conference finals.
In contrast, this year's team, led by the Big Three, but also helped out by solid role players with good attitudes (Perk, Rondo, Pollard, Posey, House, Scalabrine), has much better basketball talent, and even more desire to succeed than the 2001-2002 team--offensively and defensively.
Again, it comes down to how well the team plays defensively. We should be a very good offensive team, since we have three deadly scorers, and a host of complimentary scorers (including the all important perimeter shooting). But looking at the defensive end of the court, we have encouraging upgrades here, which should translate to a better shot at Banner #17.
-We have an All-Defensive Team player in KG (when was the last time we had an All-Defensive player on the team?)
-We have improving defensive players in Rajon and Perk, playing positions which traditionally should be strong defensively
-We have Tom Thibodeau, who takes over for Tony Brown, and Thibodeau has a pretty convincing track record of improving a team's defense almost overnight.
-We have James Posey , who is one of the better defensive wing players in the league, and he will play a big role on defense.
Last season, had our players remained injury free, we could have had a pretty potent offense (Pierce, Jefferson, Wally, TAllen). But our defense was horrendous, so we wouldn't have gone very far. The upgrades we've made this summer should change the defensive makeup of the team, and have a domino effect throughout the rest of the lineup. Most of the lineup is already filled with devoted defensive players/hustlers. Along with KG, Rajon, Perkins, and Posey, Brian Scalabrine is also a hustler on defense, and with Leon Powe adding to our defensive mindset, we seem to have a good portion of players who will give their hearts on the defensive end. Pierce and RAllen aren't known for their defense, but they can certainly be motivated to buy into the team defense concept if it will lead them to championship trophies. And I don't think it will be difficult to get Pollard, Big Baby Davis, and Eddie House to hustle either.
If these upgrades can change us into a tough defensive team, I think we are shoe ins for the ECF. And if we can build team chemistry right off the bat, I think we have a good shot at the NBA title. I haven't been this optimistic about our chances in over a decade.
Both Celtics Blog and Red's Army have some comments on Charlie Rosen's newest article that grades the off season free agent signings. He grades House at a D-plus, Pollard at C-minus and Posey anywhere from an A-plus to a D, depending on his off season workouts. I have to say I agree with Red's Army on this one: Charley Rosen is still an idiot.
"His Achilles' heel is his ability to shoot the ball," the Eastern assistant GM said. "People are going to run off him and make him prove he can hit the jump shot." If Rondo can improve his jumper even a little, it might be good enough. After all, the Celtics will have three perennial All-Stars in Garnett, Pierce and Ray Allen. With House also around to handle the ball, and the 6-4 Tony Allen to defend the bigger point guards, the Celtics indeed could have most of the bases covered. Still, Ainge appears to be taking a calculated risk by not looking to add another veteran floor leader to his roster. What if Rondo can't handle the job? What if he gets injured? It's enough to at least temper some of the enthusiasm among those Celtics fans.
I don't have a problem with Rondo at the point. I believe that he will be able to handle it quite well. My question is what happens if he turns an ankle and we need to go to the back up. I'm not really comfortable with the back up options. I can't help but feel that either Danny knows something we don't and has another ace up his sleeve.
On RealGM, Elrod Enchilada asks how long until the Big Three become the Medium 3. He feels that we have 3 years. I did an article on this same thing here on LOY's Place and came to the conclusion that we may have anywhere from 5-8 years. When I see the kind of shape that KG is in and his workouts, I can't help but feel that he will be more along the Reggie Miller type who will play at a high level until he is 40.
Read some great news coming out of Boston. The Celtics signed Glen "Big Baby" Davis, but it's only a two-year deal. This, of course, means the Mavs don't have to wait too long to make up for the terrible draft-night decision to take Nick Fazekas instead of Big Baby. Hopefully, the Mavs will see the light and finally fill that low-post void by bringing Big Baby to Dallas before the 2009-10 season.
Very interesting. Hopefully, if Big Baby emerges and plays well, we will be able to resign him to an extension rather than lose him. If he doesn't pan out, well then, Dallas can have him.
The Energy followed with Jackie Manuel, a member of the 2005 North Carolina NCAA championship team. “We got two of the best defenders that were available at the guard position and we fell really good about it,” said Nick Nurse, the Energy’s coach. “I am very pleased with the first choices.” Conroy and Manuel were the fourth and fifth overall picks of the 10-round expansion draft.
He may not have been drafted in the NBA draft, but he went 5th in the D-League draft. It's nice to know that if he doesn't make the Celtics roster he has a job waiting for him. Sports of Boston has a profile of Manuel today as well.
Full Court Press is beginning a series of articles that will do a position by position comparison of this year's Celtics vs last year's Celtics. Celtics Blog has a wonderful interview with Bill Russell. It is well worth checking out. Taking it to the Rack makes a good case for Rondo being the most improved player this season.
This season, the Refs will be able to use instant replay for fights and flagrants. I still say that Stern needs some kind of oversight committee over the refs to check into complaints from players and coaches. Allowing the refs to continue to be above questioning is just asking for more trouble. Finally, former Celtic Justin Reed was arrested for marijuana possession. The Crack Staff at Perkisabeast takes a look at an even bigger scandal than the Reed arrest as well.
26 days till training camp. The players are all expected in camp by Sunday and things should start picking up. Hopefully we will get reports on Tony's rehab, Rondo's shot, Pierce's conditioning, RA's ankles, Big Baby and Pruitt's progress and all the other little stories that the Boston media has been ignoring. We are in for some exciting times ahead.
I was watching a couple of classic Celtics games today and something caught my attention and stood out to me. I watched as the Celtics ran up the floor on offense and Parish and McHale ran up the floor and set up position under the basket. This is what bigs are supposed to do.
In the clip above, you can see McHale and Parish on offense run down the court and set up under the basket. By doing that, they are ready for the offensive rebound if a quick shot presents itself and they are ready for the ball to come inside to score in the post. This is what bigs are supposed to do and this is how a running game is effective.
Then, I watched parts of a couple of games I have on tape from last season and the season before and every time up the floor, Perk and Raef would stop at the top of the arc and wait for the ball to be passed around before going toward the basket.
This is my biggest pet peeve with Doc. He has his center stop at the top of the arc when the team comes down the floor on offense. This is why he loves Scal and why he loved Raef and Blount. Because these centers love to wander around the arc and they are outside shooters, rather than playing inside under the basket. Perk loves to bang inside and play under the basket. Yet, Doc has had him come down and stop at the top of the arc and wait for the offense to set up. I just can't picture KG stopping at the top of the arc and waiting for a pass.
My hope is that Doc will make a change in his offense this season and let the bigs set up under the basket instead of holding up out on the arc. I think we could have a 1-2 punch in the post with Perk and KG just as we did with McHale and Parish. If we want to run, we need to get our bigs into the post as quickly as possible to be ready for a pass inside or for an offensive rebound if we get open for a quick shot. Too many times, we got an open shot but Perk wasn't in position for the rebound because he was still out on the perimeter in Doc's system.
I really hope that with a veteran team and a couple of tough inside players like Perk and KG, Doc will abandon the old system. I would love to see the bigs set up quickly in the paint just as they did in the old days. And hopefully we will win again like we did in the old days. That sure would be nice. [Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!]
The big news is that the Celtics have signed Big Baby to a contract. Danny has liked to sign his rookies to a 3 year contract using a portion of the MLE, similar to the one that Pruitt signed. But since the MLE was used up signing Posey, House and the 3rd year of Pruitt's contract, Davis's contract is only 2 years.
Jeff shows some love for Al Jefferson over on Celtics Blog. I have to agree with him - I will always be an Al Jefferson fan. As fans, we watched Al, Gerald, Delonte, and Ryan growing up and becoming players and they will always have a spot in my heart, no matter where they play. I think we especially love Al because of his tough years due to injury and then he blossomed. I will always love Delonte also because he always played so hard and was just such a tough competitor. I plan to watch our kids as much as possible this season. It may be my imagination, but I always think that Al's smile always looks a little sad. I wish we could have kept him. I know that this season is going to be exciting and having Garnett will be incredible, but I will always think about what might have been if the kids had all stayed together and blossomed. We could have had something special then too.
There are several sites doing player profiles now and they are all a little different so worth checking them out. I plan to start running some player profiles this week here on LOY's Place as well. Today, CelticsNews has a profile of Ray Allen. Talking T-Wolves has a profile of Gerald Green (Like I said, I still love these kids and will be following their careers.) Talking T-Wolves also reports that the rumor is that Big Al is close to signing an extension with the Wolves.
Big Baby is in the news for doing some good things as well as for his contract extension. It is good to see TommyPoint.com active again and today they ask How good are the Celtics?
There are a couple of articles on the USA team. ESPN is comparing this edition to the Dream Team. 20 Second Time Out looks at the reasons for the past failures by USA teams. Doug Christie is looking to come back to the NBA. Could the Celtics be one of the teams making him an offer? I don't think so because if we were, he would have grabbed it right away. 4 have been indicted in the Antoine Walker robbery. Sonics Insider looks at their PG position. They profile Delonte West and also raise the possibility that Gary Payton may end his career in Seattle.
27 Days till training camp. The players should all be in Boston by Monday. It seems that the players are almost as excited about this season as the fans are. I have been amazed at the lack of coverage from the Boston media though. They put out a story here and there like throwing a bone to a dog, but haven't really been very good at covering the team. I am excited about Marc Spears coming because even though he isn't in Boston yet, he has had some of the best stuff yet. We are all anxiously awaiting news on how Tony is doing and how the players who have been working out all off season here in Boston are doing. Hopefully when everyone is here we will start getting some regular reports.
"Defense is more important than breathing!" I love that quote from the movie "The Air Up There" where Kevin Bacon goes over to Afica to recruit a player and ends up teaching the natives to play basketball. It is a great line and maybe not one that would work in the NBA, but certainly defense is one of the more important concepts in building a championship team. The old saying goes that offense sells tickets and defense wins games.
For 3 years now, Doc and Danny have both talked about the need for a better defense but we didn't see them do much to improve it. At one point, Doc made the statement that he worked on offense in practice and that the team would pick up the defense while working on offense since half the team has to play defense while they worked on the offensive sets. Needless to say, they didn't get the defense very well. We had a few good defenders such as Tony Allen and Rajon Rondo and Perk. But then, we also had our share of poor defenders and the team defense was pretty much non existent. The Celtics were one of the worst teams defensively last season and it showed in our record.
Then, in this off season, Doc seemed to have a change of heart on defense.
Doc Rivers has an answer to critics who say that his teams in Boston have been indifferent to the concept of defense since he arrived three years ago. He's taking over. After guiding the offensive play his first three seasons, while top assistant Tony Brown oversaw the defense, Rivers revealed he will be the main person handling the defensive scheme now that Brown has left the Celtics for an assistant's job with the Bucks. "Right now it's with me and I don't mind that," the coach said after watching his team play a second straight spirited defensive game in the summer league on Monday. "My first year as a coach (in Orlando), when I won Coach of the Year, I didn't let anybody but me deal with defense. Since then I've tried to focus on offense and have always hired a defensive coach. It's been Tony here. "Offensively, we've run the same system and we know that now," he continued, "so I am going to give that to one of the other coaches. I will have (summer league coach) Armond (Hill) run the offense this year and I will take over the defense, along with whomever I hire (as another assistant). That will be my focus."
So, the emphasis this season is going to be on defense and Doc is going to stress it along with the new assistant that was hired. That assistant happens to be Tom Thibodeau, who is known as one of the top defensive coaches in the league. During Thibodeau's 17 years coaching in the NBA, his teams have finished among the top 10 in fewest points allowed 14 times. In 2000-01, Thibodeau's Knicks set an NBA record by holding opponents to fewer than 100 points in 33 consecutive games. In his first year in Houston, Thibodeau helped the Rockets set franchise records in scoring defense and field goal percentage defense. Thibodeau guided the Rockets to a top five ranking in the NBA in both opponents’ scoring defense and field goal percentage in each of the past four seasons.
Doc is suddenly ready to emphasize defense and we have hired one of the top defensive coaches in the league as an assistant. It seems that the commitment to defense that we have been promised for the past 3 seasons is finally happening. And it isn't just the coaches, Danny has brought in players who are defensively minded.
First, Danny landed the Big Ticket who is one of the top defensive players in the league and has been named to the All Defensive teams 8 times. We have Rajon Rondo, who is one of the better defensive point guards in the league with his long arms, quick hands and speed. Danny signed Brandon Wallace during summer league after his strong defensive showing there. Perk was a solid defensive center last season, and has been working on his defense this off season so as to be even better this season. When healthy, Tony Allen is a lock down defender. And the icing on the cake was signing James Posey who is one of the better defenders in the league and who is capable of defending 3 positions.
Defense may not be more important than breathing, but it certainly is essential to winning a championship. We have the ability to put a very good defender at every position with Rondo at the point, Tony at the shooting guard, Posey at small forward, KG at power forward, and Perk at center. We also have a defensive minded coach who can pull it all together. Defense is one of the most important ingredients in building a championship team and for the first time in years, the Celtics should be a good defensive team and that is very exciting.
Abunassar has been working out Garnett for seven weeks this summer, the majority of the time in Los Angeles. The regimen includes about 90 minutes of weight training and 90 minutes of basketball drills and five-on-five scrimmages. While Celtics training camp doesn't begin until Sept. 30 in Rome, Garnett already seems to be in prime shape.
In one drill yesterday, Garnett showed how strong he is. Wearing a belt with a cable connected to it, Garnett was immovable as one man tried to yank him from the post with the cable and Abunassar tried unsuccessfully to steal the ball several times.
The 6-foot-11-inch, 253-pounder also sprinted while pulling a man with a resistance cable. After the drill, a sweat-drenched Garnett made the majority of his free throws while pumping himself up.
"C'mon Kevin. C'mon Kevin. C'mon Kevin," he said.
Garnett preferred not to talk much about his tough regimen. Abunassar said Garnett is private about it and doesn't like fanfare, and he could be the hardest worker of all the players Abunassar trains.
"He's so focused about getting ready," Abunassar said. "He's a leader by the way he is. That's why he's Kevin Garnett."
When your star has that kind of work ethic it trickles down to the rest of the team. I have read many times that Larry Bird's work ethic made his teammates want to work that much harder. I have to add that Perk has this kind of work ethic too, and maybe he even works harder. He only took 2 days off and then was back at it working very hard to get ready for the season. I believe that this is why Perk and KG will get along great. They will recognize each others' work ethic and that will bring a mutual respect.
Also in this article, Doc expects everyone in Boston by Sunday and Garnett may be there as soon as tomorrow. There have been 8-10 players, including Perk, working out in Boston all off season and Pierce has even moved back early and has been doing some workouts here. I haven't heard much about Ray Allen's working out but he keeps himself in great shape so I imagine he will be ready as well. It will be exciting to get reports out of the workouts once everyone gets here. I can picture some real battles in the paint between Garnett, Perk, Davis and Powe. We sure do have some toughness now and that is exciting.
The Celtics have agreed to terms with Big Baby Davis and now that gives us 13 guaranteed contracts with Brandon Wallace with a partially guaranteed contract and Manuel with a make good contract. That should be it for training camp according to Ainge. I have a feeling that Danny is going to keep a couple of spots available in case that PG or big that you just can't pass up comes along. There will be cuts after training camps and who knows what will happen toward the trading deadline.
Welcome Marc Spears! I have a feeling that the Globe's Celtics' coverage is about to get much better!!
We have seen many instances of this over the years. Robert Parish was considered a troublemaker in Golden State they felt that he would never be a good center and couldn't wait to trade him so that they could draft Joe Barry Carroll, and yet became a Hall of Fame player in Boston. Dennis Johnson was considerd a troublemaker who couldn't run a team and became the glue that held the team together in Boston. Jermaine O'Neal was seen as a bust in Portland and became a dominant player in Indiana. Darko was a non-entity in Detroit only to become a player in Orlando. Steve Nash languished in Phoenix before breaking out in Dallas. And on and on.
There are instances all over the league. A player seems washed up, a troublemaker, a mistake, etc. only to become an All Star on the team they are traded to. Chauncey Billips was a player seen by Rick Pitino as not developing quickly enough. But yet he went to Detroit and developed very quickly. The same can be said of Jermaine O'Neal after he went to Indiana.
In most cases, the difference is in the system or the coaching. Some come from a system that doesn't fit their playing style. Or the coach and the player don't get along and so the player is not given playing time or is given a reputation as a malcontent. Or, sometimes it is just the player maturing and breaking out that coincides with the trade.
Sometimes, it is the player and not the system that is the problem. I had hoped that Telfair was one of those players who would blossom when given a fresh chance with a new team, but it didn't work out that way. Telfair may still break out and find a system where he can shine, but it didn't happen in Boston. Rondo came out of a system that didn't play to his strengths at Kentucky. Because of that, he had some adjustments to make when he came to the NBA. He has the skills and the talent to become a very good PG in the NBA, in spite of not thriving in the Kentucky system. He impressed last season when he finally moved into the starting position and I am sure he is going to impress even more this season.
There are also many cases where a coach is fired and the team does a turn around because the coach was not getting through to the players or the coach's system didn't fit his players. This is why we see so many coaching changes in the league. As there are trades and personnel changes on teams many times the coach's system no longer fits the the new players and a change has to be made. After spending a fortune to bring in highly paid players, it is usually the coach who goes and not the players. The Celtics have made wholesale changes on the team this season and it will be a consideration as to whether all these players can fit into Doc's system.
We have 9 new players coming together along with the 6 remaining from last season and all will have to acclimate themselves with Doc's system. Whether or not they can fit into this system may determine how far this team goes. Also, each of the three stars are coming from a team where they were the go-to guy and where they had to shoulder the majority of the load on the team. Can they change their games to fit together in a system where they have to share the ball and incorporate their teammates?
Doc's system tends to keep the bigs out on the arc too long in my opinion and hopefully KG can get used to this system or, maybe Doc will change his system now that he has an experienced team and a dominant inside player. Certainly it takes a different coaching mindset to coach veteran all stars as opposed to young players directly from high school. Hopefully Doc can be the coach to take advantage of all of our new players' abilities and hopefully he can make his system play to their strengths. If not, we may see a coaching chance in the not too distant future.
Celtics director of operations Danny Ainge confirmed today that second round pick Glen Davis has agreed to a deal with team. The Celtics are expected to formally announce the transaction on Tuesday.
We should get the official announcement on Tuesday along with the terms of the deal.
Not a lot out there today on the Celtics. Rondo has a new blog up at Yardbarker and is in Atlanta and will get back to Boston after the holiday to get back to work. On Celtics Blog, Jeff is asking about Tony's numbers at point guard. I am not sure what Danny saw, but I don't remember any stellar play by Tony at the point. I do remember Tommy saying many times that Tony is good as long as he doesn't have to dribble more than once. It certainly is odd that Danny keeps touting Tony as a PG when in reality, he wasn't that good.
Hoopsvibe asks who should start at PG, Ray Allen or Rondo. Rondo is our starting PG. Ray will be a good back up when Rondo is on the bench, but he is much better suited to playing shooting guard. The Herald tells us that Doc and Francona share a mutual admiration.
Much of the news today centers on the USA Team who won the gold in Vegas yesterday. Gold in '08 is the goal of team USA. Chicago Tribune tells us that these stars have earned their stripes. Oregon Live talks about Nate McMillan and the defense on the USA team.
No Blood No Foul reports that the Suns still have no help for Nash. Seems like there are a few stars around who needed help and didn't get it. There is even talk of Kobe not showing for training camp since the Lakers still haven't gotten him any help. Paul Pierce should feel very lucky to have gotten not one but 2 all stars to help him this next season.
29 days until training camp... less than a month now. We have had some players in Boston all summer and the rest should be here within the next couple of weeks. Exciting times lie ahead.
One of the keys that is needed for any team to be successful is to have players with character who find chemistry together as a team. Teams also need to stay away from players who will be a divisive element on the team. Danny has done a good job of trying to bring in team players and removing any divisive elements. Pierce, Garnett and Ray Allen all get along great and from all indications are going to bring that chemistry to the court. All of the players that Danny has signed this season are good character players and all are excited to be on the Celtics. This is very important. To win a championship, all key players have to be on the same page and there can't be distractions or players complaining about their playing time.
The 3 All Stars on the team have reached individual goals and have proved themselves to be top level players and now they will have one goal and that will be the team. They will be willing to sacrifice individual statistics for the good of the team and this attitude will filter down to all of the other players as well. All 3 stars have had to carry a team and now they will be more than willing to share the load and contribute to a team effort. The goal on this team is to win a championship and every player will be content to play whatever role is needed for the team to succeed.
Chemistry between the 3 stars and the rest of the team will be very important. Obviously, establishing chemistry is on the minds of Danny Ainge and our new stars and is on their list of priorities, judging by the quotes in Jessica Camerato's article on Hoopsworld. Danny sees the potential but knows that establishing chemistry is of utmost importance to succeed.
"On paper this team looks good," Ainge said at Kevin Garnett's introductory press conference. "[But] these guys have a lot to do. These guys have to get the chemistry right."
Ray Allen also has chemistry on his mind and is going to be a great mentor working with the other players on the team.
"I personally try not to worry about what's going on with the rest of the league," said Ray Allen. "[I worry about trying] to build what we have here and team chemistry, working with the guys that are going to come in ... and the other guys that are on the team." "We have a lot that we want to build toward," said Allen. "We're going overseas this year [for training camp], and we'll have a great time to bond through traveling [and] playing against some international competition. Before you know it, the season will be here."
And KG also has chemistry on his mind and knows that for us to be the team to beat, that chemistry has to be right.
"I wouldn't go that far to say that we're the team to beat because we still have things to prove," he said. "We still have to work on chemistry and bonding."
These players have great character and that is what it takes for teams to mesh. Selfishness and egos will kill a team very quickly, and thankfully, Danny has brought in players who seem to be able to put their egos in check and play for the good of the team. That quality is one of the things that has made the Celtics teams throughout history succeed. There were no egos and everyone on the team from the stars on down were willing to accept a role and do whatever the team needed to win.
Leadership is also necessary for a team to be successful. Pierce has been criticized at times for not being a vocal leader, but still, he has led by example. He has played while injured and has always played hard. He may not be a vocal leader but he has led the team with his work ethic. Pierce was always willing to yield the stage to Walker as the vocal leader when they played together and I can see Pierce yielding the stage to Garnett as the vocal leader on the team now. Ray Allen has also been a player who leads by example and will be more than happy to yield the stage to both of his co-stars, while at the same time mentoring the younger players as a leader on the team. We also have Perk who will be leading by example and who has never shied away from saying or doing what was needed to get his team a win. Rondo is also ready to take on the role of floor general and will be a leader on court even though he is young.
"I'm the point guard on the team and I'm going to take leadership," Rondo said rather matter-of-factly. He always talks succinctly, and while in the past that might have pointed to discomfort with the attention of an interview, he seems more direct and self-assured these days. Rondo displays the confidence that a year under the belt provides a young player who now knows what to expect from training camp and the rigors of an 82-game season. "When I'm out there playing with them, we're all basketball players. I don't look at how many All-Star (appearances) they have or how long they've been in the league. If they're in the wrong direction I'm going to speak up and direct them, whether it's Paul Pierce or an incoming rookie like Gabe Pruitt," Rondo said. "I'm just going to have to be more of a leader. Even though those guys have been in the league so long, I'm still going to have to direct them and tell them where to go."
Finally, a committment to defense is necessary for a team to be successful. Defense has been a weakness for this team in the past, but I believe that Danny has taken the steps to make us a better defensive team. KG is one of the top defenders in the league. We also have excellent defensive players in Perk, Tony Allen, Rajon Rondo, Brandon Wallace and James Posey. Along with having players who are willing to put out the effort to play defense, Danny brought in one of the top defensive coaches in the league in Tom Thibodeau. The Celtics should go from one of the weakest defensive teams in the league last season to one of the better defensive teams this season.
For the first time in many, many seasons, the keys are all there. We have character, chemistry, leadership, and a commitment to defense. Now we just have to use them to put it all together.
The Globe has a long article that touches on a lot of things but it leads off with Danny's once again saying that he is happy with our PG rotation right now and, in spite of Hudson's agent pushing for the Celtics to sign him, Danny has said thanks but no thanks.
Well, Ainge doesn't want Hudson - or anyone else right now - as a point guard. He said he is committed to Rajon Rondo as his starter (no surprise there) and that he is just as committed to a group of players as Rondo backups. Those players all happen to be on the Boston roster: Ray Allen, Tony Allen, and Gabe Pruitt. The two Allens are hardly your prototypical point guards, while Pruitt is a rookie. "I'm very confident in all of their abilities," Ainge said.
It is puzzling that Danny isn't looking to bring in another PG. But, maybe he has his eyes on someone who isn't available yet and so he is happy for the time being and will wait until the player he wants is there for the taking (after everyone else has signed the PG's who are available now). Or, maybe he knows something we don't about House or Pruitt. Time will tell.
Hoopsworld has a good article on Garnett and his workouts in Vegas at Joe Abunassar's program. I can't help but feel that he is going to come to camp in the best shape of his career. Another Hoopsworld article tells us that the Posey suspension will be the first test of the team's chemistry. While Garnett is working very hard, the Sporting News reports that Pierce needs to get his butt in gear.
But, secondly, he does need to get his (uh, butt) in better shape. Michael Jordan never wore down. Kobe Bryant doesn't get tired. LeBron James didn't show any sign of fatigue as he shot down the Pistons last season. Dwyane Wade fell down 547 times and got up 548 against the Mavericks a couple of years back. Paul Pierce isn't as good as any of those guys, not that anybody suggests he is. But he is the icon of what suddenly is the "it" franchise in the NBA. The Celtics are going to be the hot pick to win the East and get sacrificed in The Finals, and Pierce -- although Garnett obviously is a bigger star -- is going to be in a harsher spotlight than he's ever dealt with before. He dang well better get himself into the best shape of his life. That is, after all, what champions do.
Pierce was obviously out of shape last season and had put on a lot of weight. Reports are that Pierce is going to try to get back to his college playing weight for this season. Hopefully he is working on his conditioning as well as his weight loss. I know one thing for sure, he will have to go a long way to work as hard as Perk has on his conditioning. Powe is doing youth basketball camps inbetween getting ready for the season.I love this kid! I really hope Doc gives him a chance this season.
MetroWest Daily has an article that tells us that we can't call the Celtics owners cheap anymore as they have opened their wallets to bring in the big players this off season.
Celtics managing partner Stephen Pagliuca sat in front of video cameras and flashing bulbs on Monday, listening to newly signed forward James Posey utter the words that seemed incomprehensible just a few months ago. Yeah, Posey said "championship" when talking about the Celtics, and that was still startling enough to those who watched the team stagger through back-to-back lottery seasons. But the sentiment seemed to go deeper than that. Posey chose to come to the Celtics, chose to come to cold and supposedly uninviting Boston, reportedly over at least two other teams - the Heat and Nets - that have their own designs on a title run this season
. It is rather amazing that in just a couple months the Celtics have gone from the doormat of the NBA and a laughing stock for the most part to a contender and a favorite to win it all. It all seems too good to be true. My only concern is the PG position but if Danny isn't concerned with it, I guess maybe I shouldn't be either.
The Globe reports that the USA team has secured a berth in the Beijing Olympics with their win over Puerto Rico in the semi-finals. And now they face Argentina in the finals. I can't see them relaxing now that they have made it to the Olympics. They are in it to win it and to send a message to everyone else. CommaPause feels that the 07 USA team is the best since the original Dream Team. And ESPN gives the USA team a grade of A-minus.
On a sad note, ESPN is reporting that a body has been found that is presumed to be that of Jameer Nelson's father. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Nelson family at this time.
