Over the past few days Ray Allen has been the subject of interviews and articles in the Boston media. In reading all of these I realized that Ray Allen is a big key to this team and to the season. First of all, what was the difference in the Celtics between the time KG said he absolutely didn't want to come to Boston and when he decided that he did want to come to Boston? The only difference was the arrival of Ray Allen. It was Ray Allen's presence on the team that changed KG's mind about Boston. Seeing RA's professionalism and his work ethic, I can see why.
Most people agree that Rondo will be key to this season. It is also agreed that Rondo needs a jump shot to keep the defenses honest. Enter Ray Allen. From Scott Souza:.
Though the seven-time All-Star is expected to be a mentor for many of the team's young holdovers, it appears he has already taken one, in particular, under his wing. ``I was in the gym one morning and I looked over and noticed that (Rajon) Rondo was on the floor even earlier. I asked some of the guys: `What time does he get in?' They said he gets in at 7 or 7:30. So I said that I was going to get in here (earlier) so I could work with him. Because he and I have to be on the same page as the starting backcourt.'' For the next few days, according to Allen, he introduced Rondo to his extensive workout regimen as the pair trained and did a lot of shooting together. ``When he finished he was very tired,'' Allen said. ``I tried to explain to him that is what jump shooting is all about. Being able to make shots in the fourth quarter to win games for your team. Being able to shoot consistently over 82 games.''
Ray Allen is one of the best jump shooters in the league and he puts in the time to be sure he stays at the top of his game. He knows what it takes to be a good jump shooter and teach the fundamentals to others. If anyone can get Rondo to hit his shots consistently, it is Ray Allen.
There isn't a doubt in my mind that after weeks of working out with Ray Allen, Rondo will be a much better jump shooter. From Tanguay on FSN:
Allen said the need for the young Celtic to be in the best shape of his life when the fourth quarter comes around and being able to sprint up the floor is crucial. Plus, the added ability to stop and pop a jumper without his legs letting him down is a vital attribute. Allen went on to state that jump shooting is not just an act but a philosophy and a passion. It is simply not hurling the ball at the rim from afar, but making sure that your entire body is moving as one to deliver the technically perfect fundamentally sound jump shot.
The need for the knees, foot placement, shoulders, head and perfect follow-through to be in line is all a must, but none of the aforementioned can happen unless the body can withstand the rigors of a National Basketball Association season. Allen's main focus with Rondo is to have the young point guard ready to deliver the perfect winning shot with time running off of the clock and a player's gas tank running on fumes.
Not only is Ray Allen mentoring Rondo and helping him to develop his jumper but he is also helping him to get into a routine and to get into great shape. Rondo is a willing pupil and had impressed RA with his work and his maturity.
Though some may be concerned about having a second-year point guard run the show on a supposed championship contender, any concerns from Allen seem to have been tempered in those early morning sessions.
``He is a very smart guy because he asks questions,'' Allen surmised. ``He wants to know what I am doing on game days and what I am doing in certain situations. He wants to be good.
``I think of typically what a two-year player in the NBA is like,'' he later elaborated. ``He is more mature. He is not scatterbrained. He is very excited about the challenges that lie ahead for him and he is trying to get better. There is not a lot of play with him. ... He knows the spotlight is going to start zooming in on him and he has to be ready to answer that call.''
As I said in the article yestday, at first, I was concerned about RA's age and his ankles, but there is no need to worry about either. From the Herald:
“So we started working on getting up and down the floor,” he said. “I put him through running and then stopping on a dime, because that’s what you need if you’re going to hit that jump shot.
“But I’ve been talking with everyone,” he said.
Garnett, upon watching Allen’s backcourt drills, knew better.
“So today I’m in there and I said, ‘Hey, big fella, come out and workout with me,’ and he said, ‘Hell, no,’ ” said Allen. “But the great thing is that everyone is here. We’re going to need everyone. Leon Powe, Kendrick Perkins [stats] - a lot of these guys are going to have the best years of their careers.”
RA has a work ethic to match anyone and his ankles are perfect and stronger than ever according to Scott Souza.
Ray Allen also appears to be the glue that is going to draw this team together. He is the bridge between the veterans and the younger players and is actively mentoring the younger players. From Scott Souza's article:
Allen said the goal of the past two weeks has been to bring all of the players into the instant clique that he, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett seemed to develop when the wonder trio was united this summer. ``True basketball takes 12 guys,'' he said. ``Even if the seventh or eighth guy on the bench gets injured, you need someone to step into that rotation. You need everybody.'' Allen related an amusing story about the first time rookie Glen Davis walked in the HealthPoint locker room, saw Garnett, and stood ``in awe'' of his new teammate. He added that part of the purpose of the pre-preseason workouts is to get past the star-struck stuff and become more of a team. ``That sense of amazement is great,'' he said of the Davis reaction, ``but at some point you realize that guy over there is my teammate and he's my brother.''
This kind of attitude is so important. He understands the value of team and teammates. He is pulling the team together and doing whatever it takes to get everyone on the same page. There have been questions as to whether the 3 stars can put their egos aside for the good of the team and defer to each other. With Ray Allen, that definitely doesn't seem to be a problem. From the Globe article:
Allen said he has talked to Garnett and Pierce about putting their egos aside in hopes of each winning their first NBA title. Allen said they've also talked about how it's going to take a team effort, and not just three stars, to get Boston a 17th championship. Training camp begins Sept. 30 in London. "We have to absolve ourselves of any animosity or any egos out there on the floor," Allen said. "If we win, everybody will ride together on whatever float it is on the championship parade. We'll all ride together."
And, not only is Ray Allen teaching Rondo to hit his jumpers, keeping everyone's egos in check, and getting the team on the same page, and being the special guest at the media luncheon, he can play too. He has averaged 21.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.3 steals per game for his career while hitting 45% from the field, 40% from beyond the arc and 89% from the FT line. Last season, he averaged 26.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game so he is still at the top of his game. More than anything else, if the Celtics win the championship, we can point to the trade for Ray Allen as the catalyst for it.
I don't know about anyone else, but this has been a summer of mixed emotions for me. First, there were the hopes for the lottery. Celtics fans were excited that we would get the #1 or #2 pick in the draft. We had dreams of Oden or Durant in green. We were due, right? and Oden's #20 was one of the few not retired. All the signs were there. Then came the lottery and when the envelope revealed the #5 pick, the breath was collectively sucked out of the Celtics nation. It seemed as though the curse that has followed this team for the past 21 years would continue.
But as we have for the past 21 years, Celtics fans made the best of it, discussing who was available at #5 and how they would help the team. We also had the break out season of Al Jefferson to be excited about. Then, on draft night, Danny traded away Delonte, and Ray Allen was a Celtic. I was disappointed to see Delonte go and was skeptical about Ray Allen at first, given his age and his double ankle surgery last season, but felt that he would definitely be an upgrade over Wally. But, then the more I heard from and read about Ray Allen, the more I started to like the idea of RA as a Celtic and I was excited again.
I really liked our young players. I have to admit that I was one of the fans who didn't want to trade Al Jefferson for anyone, not even KG. I wanted to keep the team together and watch each of our young players reach their potential with us. I stll remember Chauncey Billups being traded away and watching him reach his potential elsewhere. I liked the character each of our kids displayed and I liked the way they were growing together as a unit. I didn't want to break that up. So it was hard to see Delonte go. But we still had most of our young core left and Ray Allen to mentor them.
I have to say, I was relieved when KG said he wouldn't come to Boston when the first round of rumors came out about the trade. I really didn't want to give up Al Jefferson. I like Al and all I could think of was Al having to play alongside Mark Blount again. I also felt (and still do to a certain degree) that if we had kept that group together and picked wisely with the 5th pick, we could have had a team who could have challenged for the title in a couple of years, if all our young players reached their potential.
Then, the big news came out that Danny had traded half the team to bring in Garnett. My initial reaction was that I didn't like the trade. Giving up not only Al, but Gomes and Green along with Telfair and Ratliff plus a couple of picks just seemed like we were giving up way too much for a brief window at a title while the players we gave up might be playing at a top level for many, many years. But once again, the more I heard KG speak and the more I read about him, the more excited I got about having him on the Celtics.
And then there were the fears that we wouldn't have a bench because of all we had to trade to bring in KG, but Danny has been filling the holes and even though we could still use a back up center and PG, I feel that we have a bench that can compete. Eddie House will give us a microwave type scorer off the bench. Pollard can give us toughness and rebounding off the bench and Posey gives us a lock down defender and outside threat. Rondo, Perk and Powe are all coming back better and have put in a lot of work this summer. Tony Allen is hungry and from all reports will be able to come back strong. Scal may even be better on a veteran team. We have 2 promising rookies that although they were second round picks, have the tools and promise to be really good. And maybe most importantly, we finally have the defensive minded assistant coach to turn this team around defensively.
While a part of me still misses our young players and will wonder what we could have done if we had kept that team together, I am now officially very excited about the team we have now. We have 3-5 years where we have a chance to dominate and challenge for a title. It has been 21 years since I have been this excited about a Celtics season and a long time since I actually believed that we had a team that could win a title. I feel that way now. We can win the title with this team and that feels very good. What started out as yet another disappointment for Celtics fans on Lottery night has ended up as one of the greatest off seasons since Red was running the team and fleecing the other GM's. After the many lows of the past 21 years, we are definitely ready for a few highs and I have a feeling that this is the team to give them to us!!
Leon Powe was born on January 22, 1984 in Oakland, California. He attended Oakland Technical high school. This kid has had a rough life and has come through it a strong person and a gritty basketball player. By now, you probably know his story. 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 a 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.
Powe played his college basketball for the California Golden Bears from 2003-2006. After his freshman season at Cal, he was named PAC 10 freshman of the year and became the first freshman in PAC 10 history to lead the conference in rebounding. In his freshman year, his gpa dipped below 2.0 and he was forced to sit out several games. Showing just what kind of determination he has, he improved his gpa to a 3.5 by his junior year.
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.
In his profile at Draft.net, they list his strengths as:
" Very talented offensive player with the ability to play back to the basket or face up ... Explosive leaping ability despite the knee injuries ... Has great quickness, and crafty at getting around defenders to the basket ... Has a nose for the basket ... Very competitive and talented player, a real difference maker on the college level ... Ball handling is very good for a big forward ... Shooting ability out to 18 feet is good ... Has great upper body strength ... Super long arms and big hands make him like a magnet grabbing loose balls ... Great motor, competes hard ... " His weaknesses boil down to the knee injuries and the concerns of another injury along with his size. He is a bit undersized for a PF but his long arms and strength tend to make up for that.
Powe entered the draft after his junior season and was taken by the Nuggets with the 49th pick and immediately traded to the Celtics. Danny didn't have any picks left, but when he saw Powe still available, he got on the phones trying to make a deal with any team to get him.
In Powe's first season with the Celtics, he didn't see much playing time but when he did get on the court, good things seemed to happen. Several times after Leon was a difference maker in a game, Doc said that he would have to find more playing time for him, but he never seemed to do so. In this year's summer league, Leon looked like he has made great strides over last season and should be in the rotation this season. He out played Greg Oden in the game against the Trailblazers and had a very strong performance overall.
His nickname in high school and college was "The Show." That is a great nickname, but the players on the Celtics' Summer League team his first season gave him a new nickname: "The Grown Man" because he is built like a Mack truck and is very mature for his age. I guess going through all the adversity has made him wise beyond his years as well as a very strong and gritty player. You have to pull for a kid who has gone through so much and yet has seemed to rise above it all.
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. He is determined to make all of the teams who passed over him sorry they did so and somehow, I think he will.
The Herald and Globe both have articles on Gerald Green's return to Boston for a Rebok event. He has been catching up with former Celtics.
“Yeah, this feels a little strange,” Green said. “But that’s why it’s a business, man. You’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do. It was a thing where I felt bad at first when I heard about the trade, but that’s the business.”
As a result, Green has embarked on a rather odd trip into his past with Minnesota. He’s had several conversations with former and now current teammate Ricky Davis, and figures to break bread with Mark Blount at some point as well.
Barron Davis has this to say about Pierce since the trades this summer.
“He’s a kid in a candy store,” Davis said. “They’ve got a lot of weapons now, and the good thing is that this organization has always believed in him. He was waiting to see what they were going to do, and to their credit they made it happen.”
The Globe tells us that it didn't sink in for Green until he saw KG holding up his number at the press conference.
"After I saw KG hold up my old jersey, it sunk in," said the 21-year-old Green. "That's when I knew I was gone, I was out of here. But it's a business. "I feel honored to be traded for a guy like Kevin Garnett. And then he's wearing my jersey? So, I'm honored."
Green said he has stayed in touch with ex-teammates Paul Pierce, Kendrick Perkins, and Tony Allen. Although Green hasn't visited with any Celtic players or officials during his trip to the area, he has no animosity toward his old club. The 18th overall pick of the 2005 draft averaged 10.4 points for Boston last season. "[The Celtics] were the first team that gave me a shot after I dropped in the draft," Green said. "I thank them for everything. But now it's time to go to a new team."
Yesterday, Marc Spears alerted us to the fact that the Celtics were one of 4 teams targeting Esteban Batista. Today, he tells us that Batista turned down the Celtics offer.
The agent for Atlanta Hawks free forward-center Esteban Batista said late tonight that his client has declined an offer to sign with the Celtics. Agent Marc Cornstien said this afternoon that the Celtics, Charlotte, Phoenix and Indiana had made contract offers to the 6-foot-10, 270-pounder. While Cornstien said via text message Wednesday night that Batista had turned down Boston, he didn't say why and wouldn't say where his client was leaning now. "Boston could be a good fit, but there are teams expressing more serious interest," Cornstien said.
Since he is young and looking to make his mark, he may be looking for a team that will give him more playing time, rather than looking to win a ring with a team where he would be the 3rd option at center. Bob Ryan finds something rotten in the Big Apple. The more I read of the Isaiah trial, the more amazed I am at what a jerk he is and what a mess that whole organization is. I really feel for Knicks fans because what should be one of the storied franchises along with the Celtics has been turned into a laughing stock. The Celtics may have had bad luck and may have been losing, but at least we never lost our dignity (well, except for those few years with Pitino, but even then it wasn't a scandal).
Hoopsworld discusses the most efficient players in the league and it is no surprise that Tim Duncan is number 1 and KG is number 2. Two Cents Sports has a list of the biggest curses in sports. They start off with the Blazers who have had bad luck with their big men for sure. Then the Celtics are next.
You're talking about one of the most storied franchises in all of sports, so it can't be too cursed. But, isn't it hard to believe that Boston's last title was 21 years ago? That is when the curse, in the form of tragedy, began. Len Bias was supposed to bridge the gap between Larry Bird's Celtics and another dynasty. But less than 48 hours after he was drafted second overall in 1986, Bias died of cardiac arrhythmia that resulted from cocaine use. With new additions Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, the Celtics hope to return to glory this season.
I am sure it is much to Stern's relief, but the ref controversy has been on the back burner since Boston took over the headlines with the KG trade, but the NY Times tells us that the spotlight will be on the refs as soon as the season starts. Any irregularities are going to be very quickly and thoroughly questioned, and understandably so.
Hoopsvibe gives us lots of evidence why Chris Anderson should be allowed to return to the NBA and wonders whether the Celtics would be a good fit.
On Celtics 24/7, Fin dawgg has good piece on his chat with John "Spider" Salley. It seems that Salley had the same thing against the Celtics as Gilbert Arenas does. The Celtics promised to take both players and then didn't and so the players have had it in for the Celtics and were determined to make them pay for it.
Paul Pierce just wrapped up his chat over on Celtics.com. The team is very excited and are all in Boston working out. Tony is hungrier than he has been in his career. And Scott Pollard paints his nails. He answered my question to him first and here it is:
FLCeltsFan (Panama City,FL): Thanks for chatting with us! I am very excited about this upcoming season. How is the elbow? It has bothered you for two seasons now, even after surgery. Is it fully healed or is it an ongoing problem that you will have to play around?
Paul Pierce: The elbow is fully healed. I expect no problems with it for the upcoming season. Although, I really think it might have helped my shot the past few seasons! (Laughing)
12 days till training camp starts. Pierce is healthy. RA and KG have been working very hard along with the rest of the team. Every time I read an article about this team I get more excited.
Anthony (Tony) Allen was born on January 11, 1982 in Chicago, Illinois. Another player raised in a single parent home, Tony was raised by his mother Ella Allen. He has two sisters, Ebony and Dominique, and a brother, Ryan. In his spare time, Tony Allen enjoys listening to music, and is considered somewhat of a music "connoisseur" by his Celtic teammates. He also frequently assists the Celtics in charity work in and around the Boston area. Tony has said that when he retires from basketball he would like to become a teacher. Allen attended Crane High School in Chicago, where he was a basketball standout.
Tony Allen came from a part of Chicago where he says that all of his high-school friends are either dead or in jail. While Tony was able to get out by playing juco basketball, his troubled history brought a temper and impatience to his game. But Tony played hard - hard enough for Eddie Sutton to notice him. And so, while Tony couldn’t get into a Division I program out of high school, OSU offered him a second chance. That second chance ultimately led Tony to a trip to the Final Four, a college degree, and a place in the NBA.
Tony is a 6'4" shooting guard who played for Oklahoma State University, where he was named the Big 12 Conference Player of the Year his senior year, after averaging 16 points per game and leading his team to the Final Four. He became the first player in OSU history to score 1,000 career points in just two seasons. He graduated Oklahoma State with a degree in education.
After graduating, he entered the NBA draft and was selected by the Boston Celtics in the first round, with the 25th pick overall. In his rookie year he had 6.4 points per game and 2.9 rebounds per game, and ranked 3rd in the NBA for steals per 48 minutes, with 2.89. He was selected to play for the rookies in the got milk? Rookie Challenge during All-Star Weekend, along with fellow Celtics rookie Al Jefferson.
The nature of Tony’s old neighborhood was brought to national light in an October 2005 incident. During a trip home, violence broke out in a restaurant/night spot where Tony was celebrating the Celtics signing Will Bynum, who was one of his high school teammates. One person’s orbital bone was broken and another was injured by a bullet. Two of those injured in the scuffle filed civil lawsuits against Tony. Despite being able to get away from the violence, it seems that Tony was being drawn back in by it. This time, his success at OSU and the resulting financial security that resulted have given Tony the resources to keep from being brought down by it. The lawsuits hung over him for almost 2 years until he was finally cleared of the charges in April of 2007.
After a rookie year full of promise, his second season was derailed by his legal troubles and knee surgery. The ongoing legal battles over the Chicago incident had to be a distraction for him. Along with the legal woes, Tony injured his knee and had to have surgery on it. There was a lot of conjecture as to how he hurt the knee since he dominated in Summer League. It was rumored that it was injured in the scuffle in Chicago that led to the charges filed against him. He seemed to struggle when first coming back from surgery and didn't have the explosiveness or the lateral movement that made him such a great defender and so exciting to watch the year before. Finally, after the All Star break, Tony seemed to be getting back to normal and had several very productive games, once again showing the promise that he had shown the previous year.
After the season, Danny Ainge announced that Allen would again have minor surgery on his knee to clean out more of the damage that was still bothering him. Doc Rivers once predicted, “Tony, I believe, is going to be a hell of a player. Easily. I mean for a long time. I think you can see little stretches of it. When he gets the ability to put those together, I believe he’s going to be special player. I do.”
This past season, Tony's third, he finally was turning the corner and was putting those stretches together. Pierce went down with the injury and Tony picked up the slack and was playing the best ball of his career. He had a string of 7 games where he was the high scorer and had over 20 points in each game. Then, on January 10, against the Indiana Pacers, Tony had already scored 19 points and went up for a dunk after he had drawn a foul and crumbled to a heap on the floor with a torn ACL. He missed the rest of the season and the team missed the player who had become their leader.
There is a funny story about the injury though. Even though in pain, Tony kept his spirits up and his sense of humor. Brian Scalabrine had also been injured in the game and after the game, Scal drove Tony and his mother to the hospital. When Tony's mother questioned this and asked if they shouldn't get an ambulance or something, Tony said, "No Mom, this is better than an ambulance. This is Scal."
Reports are that his rehab is going great. He has been cleared to play and he should be ready for training camp and may even play in the preseason. This is very good news for the Celtics because a healthy Tony Allen would be a crucial piece in a championship bound team.
Tony has been cleared to play and has been working out with his teammates in preparation for the season. He has described his knee as about 70% and feels that when he is healthy, he can make the Big Three into the Big Four. Here is a short interview from FSN:
Obstructed View: How's the knee? TA: "It can't get any better. I feel great." Obstructed View: You excited for the season, man? TA: "I'm fired up man. The biggest thing of the entire off-season was just to stay focused on the task at hand and get ready for the upcoming season." Obstructed View: Have you been working out with the Big Ticket? TA: "Yeah, I finally got a few scrimmages with him but nothing too serious yet. I'm looking forward to getting back to 100% and out on the court full speed."
Tony's play could be crucial to our championship hopes. He is a lock down defender on the wing and can slash to the basket and seemingly score at will when he is healthy. We can all look forward to his getting back to 100% because when he does, we are in for some exciting times.
Paul Pierce will be dropping by Celtics.com at Noon ET on Thursday 9/20 for a live chat. You can send him a question ahead of time here. Drop by the Chat at noon tomorrow and see what the Celtics Captain has to say as training camp approaches.
The Bobcats, Suns and Pacers are targeting a player who made a mark for himself playing for Uruguay at the FIBA Tournament in Las Vegas.
The 24-year old Batista led the tournament in rebounds, averaging 12.4 boards over eight games. He was third in scoring average with 20.8 points per contest. Last season he played 13 games for the Hawks, averaging 1.5 ppg and 2.3 rpg.
Cornstein said he expects the 6-10, 268 pound forward/center to make his decision in the near future.
"I think he will be a good pick for them (Celtics)," Cornstien He's a tough banger who runs the floor. I think he will be a great fit. But all of the teams would be good."
If we were to sign Batista, we would more than likely cut Manuel, whose contract isn't guaranteed. He would help to shore up our big man rotation and give us a third option at center should Pollard go down with an injury, which seems to happen more often than not. He is only 24 and in FIBA Americas championship, he averaged 20.8 ppg, and 12.4 rpg. Let's hope the lure of Kevin Garnett works again.
Still nothing in the Globe today on the Celtics. They do have an article on the USA women's team, though. The Herald is covering Isaiah's trial but not the Celtics. They even have a second article on Isaiah and his love/hate relationship with the plaintiff. I can't wait until the Boston media wakes from their midsummer's sleep and post some articles on the Celtics.
Jeff has a fun article on CelticsBlog that equates the Celtics with the fall TV lineup. He missed one, though. Heroes - starring the Celtics ownership, who have opened their wallets to put together a contender.
Hoopsworld has an article that looks at players who could be second round surprises and it is no surprise that Pruitt and Davis head the list. Depending on the amount of playing time, either could be a big surprise. I am thinking that Pruitt may get a lot of playing time being the only other true point on the team besides Rondo. If he can come in and fill in for Rondo, he will get plenty of playing time and will be important in this team's chances to make a run at the championship. They also have an article that says that playing for Team USA leads to more injuries and missed time during the season for those players.
TrueHoop tells us that David Blatt will be the next European coach to make the jump to the NBA. He has succeeded wherever he has gone and part of that is his emphasis on defense while not abandoning the offense. Too often coaches focus on one and forget about the other. Doc has focused on the offense in the past and neglected the defense. I have a feeling that is going to change with this season. O'Brien focused on the defense and neglected the offense and we know how that worked out. Blatt coaches a balanced attack that emphasizes defense and that is a winning combination. I know that I was hoping he would come to the Celtics as an assistant but I am happy with Tom Thibodeau who also has a very good defensive pedigree.
In the Bangor Daily News, the Big O sizes up the Celtics. The problem with the Celtics right now is they haven’t played yet," said Robertson.
"Everything is potential right now. It looks like they’re going to do all right. But they’ve got to go get a good center and defensive rebounder who can play.
"And they need a guard, a guard outside who understands what basketball is all about and how to run a team," added Robertson.
The Celtics also need depth, according to Robertson.
"You’ve got to have a couple of guys off your bench. They aren’t going to win unless they do that. You can have the greatest team in the world but unless you’ve got a bench, it’s hard to win. Things happen. Guys get hurt. Guys get into foul trouble. They can’t do this or that," said Robertson.
We have a good center in Perk and he is a defensive rebounder as is KG, Posey, Pierce, and even Rondo is a great rebounder. We have a PG in Rondo and a 2 guard in Tony Allen. We have some players on the bench in Posey, Powe, Davis, House, Allen, and Pollard who can play, but he is right, it will come down to how they all fit together when the games actually begin. The NY Times has a good article on Bill Russell's talk to the Rookies on the importance of staying centered. Joakim Noah took his talk to heart and looked for more.
Some might have heard hubris in such conviction, but not Noah. He comes to the Chicago Bulls as a two-time N.C.A.A. champion at Florida, a player most willing to do windows, who said he already knew that Russell’s talk would be the overriding lesson of the four-day program that attempts to educate the rookies on topics ranging from gambling to felony situations to professionalism and etiquette. When the session ended, when the others filed out for lunch, Joakim Noah headed straight for the man he called “the greatest winner of all time,” and squeezed in a few.
I still like Noah and think he is going to be a good player. I would have been happy if the Celtics had taken him.
Time Stops for No One feels that the Philadelphia/Boston rivalry is about to be revived. Philly.com tells us that the internal review of the referees is almost complete. If Stern doesn't form some kind of oversight committee that is made of owners or players or coaches, or even reporters - anybody but Stern and the other refs, he is still asking for more problems in the future. Anytime you set a group of people above being questioned, there is going to be trouble. Sports of Boston looks at the age limit and questions whether it is good or bad for the league.
The Bleacher Report tells us that Boston's moment is now for the Celtics to win #17 and even more. We are certainly poised to make a run for the first time in 21 years.
FSN has a piece on Beckett Bowl mania and in it, there are some good quotes from the Celtics who attended. I just love Leon Powe. I hope Doc gives him playing time this season as the kid makes good things happen and gives 110% out there every time. Now, he is trying to learn as much as he can from KG. I get the tingles just thinking about it!
Mr. Cal himself, Leon Powe, said he's looking forward to a new season. "I'm hoping for some more wins. Hopefully, we'll make the playoffs and really, I'm just planning to work hard." Every C's fan will agree that there's nothing wrong with that but what about Garnett?
"Oh yeah, we got that big guy," he said chuckling. "We've been working out together for a while. It's always great to work out with a vet like that." So, has he taken anything away from the ten-time All-Star yet? "Oh yeah, it's the little things," he said. "I'm just trying to learn as much as I can from the guy."
You have to love Big Baby also. In the words of Wyc, "He's got charisma. If you could talk your way into the Hall of Fame he'd already be there. He's first ballot- he's got that kind of talent." And then Big Baby went out and illustrated Wyc's thoughts.
The vibe must be infectious over there in Waltham at the C's training facility because the rook- second round pick, Glenn 'Big Baby' Davis out of LSU, was echoing the same mentality when I asked him what the key was to the upcoming season. "Hard work, man. That's it- hard work and gettin' ready to win a championship," he belted out with a smile. I think 'Big Baby' might be more excited for opening night than Wyc, Danny, Pierce or even the hardest core Celts fan. "Aw man- I cannot wait. I'm so fired up. I am just so excited. I can't even believe it man," he explained shaking his head as if he was still in utter disbelief. "It's like a dream to play with those guys." But, the big guy didn't stop there. When I asked him what he wanted to accomplish as a rookie he said, "Just win man! If we go out and win everything will come into place for us."
And Tony Allen said that he knee couldn't get any better and he is very excited about the season!
Everytime I read quotes from these guys or see an article about them working out already, I get more and more excited. It has been so long since this kind of excitement has surrounded the team that I almost forgot how it felt. It certainly feels good and is only going to get better as the games finally begin! Only 13 days till training camp starts. I can't wait!
Gabriel Michael Pruitt was born on April 19, 1986 in Los Angeles, California. His nickname is "Smilin' Gabe" because of the grin that rarely leaves his face. Unlike many of our young players who had a tough childhood, Gabe had a very stable home growing up.
He averaged 15.0 points and 6.0 assists as a sophomore at Centennial High in 2002, leading his team to the California Division III state final. He transferred to Westchester High School in Los Angeles and sat out his junior season at Westchester because of high school transfer rules. He averaged 22 points per game as a senior at Westchester, earning Parade All-America fourth team, Roundball All-America, Student Sports All-America special mention, Los Angeles Times All-City and South Bay/Westside first team and South Bay Daily Breeze Player of the Year honors. He was listed as the No. 20 prep player in the country by Basketball Times after his senior year and among the top 20 prep point guards by Athlon Sports and Insiders.com entering his senior year.
From High School, he went on to the University of South California (USC). In his freshman season, he earned team co-MVP honors along with fellow freshman Nick Young as the pair put together two of the best freshman seasons by Trojan baskeball players in school history. Pruitt led the Trojans in points, scoring average, three-point percentage, assists, and steals en route to being named to the Pac-10 All-Freshman team. His three-point field goal percentage set a school record.
His sophomore season, he started 25 games for USC and finished second on the team and fifth in the Pac-10 with a 16.9 scoring average, while grabbing 4.0 rebounds and dishing out 3.1 assists per game. He was named to the All-Pac-10 first team along with teammate Nick Young. Pruitt had played the point his first season at USC but moved to the shooting guard position as freshman Ryan Francis took over the PG spot.
Francis, who would have been a sophomore point guard at USC in the 2006-07 season, was shot in May 2006 while visiting his family in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The murder occurred when the 19-year-old Francis was sitting in the back of a vehicle that was stopped at a traffic light, and the driver was the apparent target of the gunman. Following the death of Francis, Pruitt moved back to the point guard position for the Trojans last season when he averaged 12.5 points, 4.3 assists and 2.8 rebounds. The death of his friend hit Pruitt hard and he wore a wristband with Francis' name on it as he played during summer league.
Pruitt left USC after his Junior year to enter the NBA. Like Davis, he had gotten promises from teams that he would be picked in the first round but he slipped to the second round where the Celtics drafted him with the 32nd pick. Pruitt, had not worked out for the Celtics and had only been to Massachusetts once before when he played on a championship team in the Boston Shootout at Northeastern University. Because he played both guard spots in college, he is comfortable playing both spots and he will be a versatile combo guard for the Celtics. It remains to be seen whether he will be able to move into and hold down the back up PG spot this season as a rookie, though.
Like Ray Allen, Pruitt had worn #34 and had to choose another number with the Celtics since 34 is obviously taken. He chose #13 which previously belonged to the Delonte West who filled a similar role as combo guard with the Celtics previously.
NBAdraft.net lists his strengths as:
Has great size and quickness at the point guard position ... Very athletic, plays above the rim, real bouncy ... Smart player with a good understanding of the game ... Has nice offensive skills with the ability to drive or pull up ... Has range on his shot and is an excellent 3 point shooter ... Good defender with quick hands and nice anticipation ... Excellent balance and agility ... Clutch player who steps up in close games ...
One incident in Pruitt's college career that is he not likely to forget but would like to happened in a game against University of California Berkeley on March 4, 2006. Cal was in contention for the PAC-10 title and the NCAA tournament was at stake, so the USC game was a must-win game. Some enterprising Cal students created a fictional UCLA personna by the name of Victoria. They then engaged Pruitt in IM's with "Victoria" the week before the UCLA-USC game. They sent Gabe pictures and things got serious. Pruitt and several of his teammates made plans to go to Westwood after the game so that they could party with Victoria and her friends.
When Pruitt took his first trip to the free throw line early in the game, the Cal student section hollered in unison: "VIC-TOR-IA, VIC-TOR-IA," and then yelled out Pruitt's telephone number, which he had given to Victoria online to facilitate the meeting. Pruitt glanced back at the crowd in horror and bewilderment before clanking his free throws. The Cal students were on him the whole game and he was understandably very embarrassed. He was a 79% free throw shooter for the season, but he was so shaken by the chants that he hit only three out of 13 shots the whole game. Cal beat USC by 11 for the season sweep, in part due to the Cal fans' devious prank. Reports say that Pruitt was a good sport about it in the end. Something tells me that this is something that he will never live down, though.
At 6'4" and 170 pounds, Gabe Pruitt is a slender guard with good size for a point guard. His main focus this summer is getting his body ready for the NBA season by putting on some muscle and getting stronger. He has good quickness and acceleration and his point guard skills improved greatly over his 3 year career at USC. He is very effective with the cross-over dribble to shake defenders. He is a good scorer and shoots with range, but can be streaky. He is an active defender who plays the passing lanes well. With the loss of Delonte West, Pruitt seems like the perfect player to take his role on the team. Here's hoping that he can be ready to fill the back up PG role as that will go a long way toward making this team a contender this season.
Well, another day without any news in the Boston media. I know the team is working out. They are all in Boston and there has to be something they could report on. I mean, it is only 2 weeks till training camp begins. Shouldn't there be some news or even opinions from the writers? But all we get is associated press articles on other teams.
Even the blogs are a little slow today. But Celtics 17 asks if KG will fare better with the Celtics than he did in Minnesota. It is obvious that the difference in his situation there and here is supporting cast. He has never had players of the caliber of Pierce and Allen playing along side him. Sure there are questions at the point and center positions (not in my mind, but in some) and there is a question of the bench. But I still think the Celtics have a great shot at winning it all with this cast if they stay healthy. That is the key because if any of the major pieces go down with an injury for a long period, we could struggle yet again.
Speaking of injuries, Hoopshype reports that Oden's injury has trashed the morale in Portland. I can imagine all of the thoughts going back to Walton and Bowie of the long time Blazer fans. I also think how easily this could have happened in Boston. But for some weighted ping pong balls by David Stern, we could have had the first pick and heard that our franchise player would be out for the year with a knee injury. It definitely would have deflated the Celtics faithful after all this franchise has been through for the past 21 years. I truly feel for the Blazer fans.
In article very similar to one I wrote here on LOY's Place, Sports in Boston considers the Danny Ainge conundrum. The bottom line is, Danny had a 5 year plan where he would gather young talent and trade chips and then use them to bring in established talent. I'd say that his mission has been accomplished.
Yardbarker wonders why all of the great college players seem to do poorly in the NBA. It does seem that you can't equate greatness in college with success in the NBA. Also, you can't equate draft order with NBA success. We can look at Kandi who was the #1 pick and Arenas who was drafted in the second round as examples to prove this. The draft is a crap shoot and you never know which players are going to excel and which would fizzle under the NBA microscope. College and the NBA are two totally different animals.
Sideline Stories details boys behaving badly as many feel that cheating is bad, but losing is worse.
Red Auerbach was legendary for getting the edge any way he could. In the 1970s, the late, great, Boston Celtics general manager Red Auerbach was legendary for shutting off the heat and hot water in the Boston Garden locker rooms of visiting teams during the frigid Boston winters.
And, during the 1981 Eastern Conference Finals, the Philadelphia 76ers allowed CBS to turn a camera inside their timeout huddles. So, the Celtics, knowing this type of intel was invaluable, sent a bellboy into their locker room before every timeout to watch the TV, in order to know what their opponents were planning. He would then run out and alert the team.
Basketbawful followed our lead about commercialism and posted this classic on their site. I missed this on YouTube or definitely would have included it. Great commercial!
The Heat have signed Charlie Bell to an offer sheet for 18.3 million over 5 years. Now we wait to see if the Bucks match it. Being that Bell hates Milwaukee so much, I think it is in their best interest not to match it and let him go. If they try to keep him, he is going to end up being a cancer in the locker room and that can really devastate a team. The NBA has reinstated Joey Crawford from his suspension. I still haven't seen any sweeping reforms in the way Stern deals with the refs and criticism against him. If he lets them have absolute authority with no way for teams, players, or coaches to challenge them, he is still setting the NBA up for a fall.
Finally, our look at the Knicks circus. Newsday says that this trial has revealed a Garden of Evil. The NY Daily News piece is priceless. Somehow, Isaiah can explain how it is ok for blacks to call women bitches but not for white people to do it. And he does it with a straight face. Priceless.
Just 14 days till training camp begins. Just 18 days till our first game. Anyone as excited as I am? Hopefully the Boston media will wake up between now and then.
Rajon Pierre Rondo was born on February 22, 1986 in Louisville, Kentucky to Amber Rondo and has three siblings: Dymon, William, and Anton. His nickname is Johnny and he has a prized shoe collection.
Rondo played basketball at Louisville's Eastern High School for his freshman, sophomore, and junior years. His coach there was Doug Bibby. His junior year, he averaged 27.6 ppg, 10.0 rpg and 7.5 apg. He also earned All-State honors and was named the 7th Region Player of the Year. He transferred to Virginia's Oak Hill Academy for his senior year where he averaged 21.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg and 12.0 apg. Rondo was also named to McDonald's All-American Team in 2004 and scored a total of 14 points, 4 assists and 4 rebounds in the all-star game. He also participated in the 2004 Jordan Capital Classic game, scoring 12 points, 5 assists and 4 steals. In his senior year, Rondo had one game where he dished out 31 assists, just four away from the all-time national record. He is still in touch with his high school coach and has a strong friendship with him.
When it came time to choose a college, his first choice was the University of Louisville playing for Rick Pitino. Pitino really liked Rondo, but he also had his heart set on Brooklyn, N.Y., point guard Sebastian Telfair, who everyone suspected was going to skip college and enter the NBA draft. Pitino put Rondo on hold and gambled on Telfair, hoping he would put on a Cardinals uniform for at least one season. He wound up losing both players as Telfair did indeed jump directly to the NBA and Rondo got tired of waiting and signed with the University of Kentucky.
His freshman season, he averaged 8.1 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.5 assists and led the SEC in steals per game (2.56) and set a single-season school record for steals with 87. His sophomore season, he led the SEC in assists with 4.9 per game and ranked second in steals with 2.0 per game, while averaging 11.2 points and a team-high 6.1 rebounds. Rondo had trouble fitting in to Tubby Smith's system though which never played to Rondo's strengths and he left school in 2005, after his sophomore season, for the NBA.
He was named to the 2005 USA Men’s U-21 World Championship Team, which traveled to the FIBA World Championships in Argentina and finished fifth there. Rondo averaged 11.0 ppg on 65.5% shooting and 4.5 apg in the eight-game tournament. His 27 steals set a new competition record, while he doubled the single-game steals record with eight versus China and tied the record for field -goals made with nine versus Nigeria. The USA U-21 team claimed a gold medal at the Global Games in Texas in late July.
He was drafted with the 21st pick by Phoenix and then traded to the Celtics on Draft night. Danny said afterward that Rondo was his man all along, even if he had kept the 7th pick which had been traded for Sebastian Telfair, and when he saw him slipping he started to make calls to get a team to pick him for the Celtics. It is interesting that Rondo joined the Celtics along with Sebastian Telfair on draft night because of their somewhat strange history together when both were being recruited for the University of Louisville.
After watching Rondo for one season, it isn't hard to see why Danny really wanted him. Other scouts and GM's have been impressed with him as well. Seattle was trying to demand that he be included in the Ray Allen deal and Danny made it clear that including Rondo was a deal breaker, even for Ray Allen. The same happened when Kevin McHale tried to insist on Rondo being included in the KG trade. Danny has been adamant in wanting to keep him. ESPN magazine said that one Eastern scout expects him to average a double double and another compares him to a nonshooting Gary Payton.
He is extremely fast. He's got a blinding first step that is tough to stop. His long arms and athleticism make him a terrific perimeter defender. He's an amazing rebounder for his size. He plays with poise, sees the floor well and really excels in the open court. He is capable of running the pick and roll quite well. He also has huge hands that help him to control the ball and to get steals and is constantly getting into the passing lanes and forcing turnovers.
As a slasher, Rondo has plenty of potential but he didn't get to show all he can do at Kentucky because of their slow it down style of play. He is extremely difficult to stay in front of and should be able to get to the hoop where he is capable of an array of moves to finish the play. Despite his size he is very capable of finishing with a dunk as well.
He is a tough player who has no problem getting physical to get the job done. He also isn't afraid to take a charge to prevent a score. Many times we saw Rondo take the charge and go flying as he got in front of much bigger players on their way to the basket. Defensively, he can change the complexion of a game because of his long arms and huge hands and his penchant for getting steals that lead to easy baskets.
The one knock against him is that he can't shoot. He improved considerably toward the end of last season, however and he has worked on his jumper all summer. In his own words from the ESPN magazine article:
"All I did was shoot. I shot from everywhere, every day, because I know I'm the one they are going to leave open." "Coach [Doc Rivers] taught me how to see the game two steps ahead - to know when a guy's open, how not to hit him too high or low, and exactly when to pass so a defense can't recover."
Rockinrondo, who posts on Celtics Green is a life long Kentucky Wildcat fan and is familiar with his game in college and this is what he had to say about Rondo:
I can tell you that Rajon Rondo is the most confident player that I have ever seen step on the court at Rupp. Rondo also has the best basketball IQ, that I've seen in my 30 years of watching the Wildcat's, along with being the best ball handler and defender,(he set the all time single season steals record his freshman year) and he hit many last second shots (even some three's) for win's. Rondo has that "IT" factor, that you just can't teach.
Tubby Smith who kept a very short leash on him for two years, is not known for starting freshman, and other than a few times when he was trying to shake up the team, Rondo is the only freshman in Tubby's ten years that started from day one. Rondo just didn't fit well in Tubby's slow it down offense, he is better in a up tempo offense. I think one of the reasons Rondo's shooting is not better, is because in high school and college he could just blow by people for layups and dunks, (he won a few dunk contests in HS and one in college, when he took off just inside the free throw line and jumped over a guy sitting in a chair) he has mad hop's.
Rondo's sophomore year he shot .482% form the field, while averaging 11.2 pts. 6.1 reb. 4.9 ast. and 2.0 steals, while playing only 30 min. a game. All those numbers were way up from his freshman year.
My point is, we don't have to worry about Rondo this year, he will step up and play the whole season like he did, when he got the chance to start at the end of last season.
In Rondo, we have a player with a great work ethic and excellent character. He is soft spoken off the court, but ready to become a vocal leader on the court, running a team with 3 stars and keeping them happy. He is a defensive minded point guard who will do whatever it takes to win. If Doc will let him run an uptempo offense, we should see some great things from Rondo this season. He fits this Celtics team like a "Glove."
Is it just me or is anyone else amazed that there was nothing in any of the Boston papers today about the Celtics. I know it is still 15 days until training camps starts, but come on, all of the Celtics are in Boston and working out. They are getting together at Pierce's to play cards and bowling at the Beckett charity and bonding as a team. Shouldn't there be some news or human interest story they can post? This is the most exciting team we have had since Bird walked through those doors and the Boston media ia slipping big time. Speaking of the Beckett Bowl, here is a picture from Celtics.com of Paul, Tony and Big Baby showing some comraderie there.
Thank goodness for the blogs and the media in other towns or there would be absolutely nothing to read. Sports of Boston has an interesting look at the ownership of the Celtics from the sale of the Celtics by "Thanks Dad" Gaston to the current owners. There is no doubt that the current ownership is in it to win. They have opened their wallets and haven't batted an eyelash at going into luxury tax territory. Hopefully their spending will be rewarded with Championship #17.
Celtics Blog gives us 5 things the Celtics can learn from the Sox and Pats: Defense wins, Leadership matters, Coaching matters, Handle the media, It's a marathon and not a sprint, and Basketball town. Defense wins is especially close to my heart as I have been preaching this for years and have been disgusted with Doc's attitude that the team will get defense while working on offense because after all, while they are working on offense, half the team would be working on defense. It seems that this season, they are ready to do more than pay lip service to defense. They have brought in two players known for their defensive intensity in Posey and Garnett. And the biggest move was bringing in one of the top defensive assistants in the league in Thibodeau. Coaching matters and I have been fearful that coaching may be our weak link on this team but Doc may surprise us and do a good job. If not, Danny better be ready to make a move. Several have conjectured that Thibodeau was brought in on a 1 year contract for that very reason. He was considered for several head coaching jobs and almost took a job with Washington only to back out of that and take one with the Celtics. Could he have been given some kind of indication that if Doc doesn't cut it this season, he will move into the head coach position? Only time will tell as the season unfolds. ESPN tells us that there is a lesson for team USA in Spain's loss to Russia.
"It just shows how great a game basketball is, how it's a team game, how it's about chemistry, tempo, enthusiasm and passion. Here's a team that basically came out of nowhere, but the way that team played here is indicative of how teams can rise to the occasion if you have all those factors working for you,"
The Celtics may see a lesson in this as well. They certainly have enthusiasm and passion as evidenced by everyone in Boston 3 weeks before training camp to work out together and hopefully they are building chemistry. It certainly seems so, anyway. The tempo of the game will be up to the coaching and I sure hope that Doc will get the team playing up tempo basketball because that will play to the strengths of this team, especially Rajon Rondo.
Celtics 17 talks about Tony Allen, Charlie Bell and podcasts. Tony is hoping to be ready by preseason and all indications are that his rehab is going very well. Charlie Bell would do almost anything to get out of Milwaukee. Since he is a restricted free agent, it isn't all that easy. And speaking of podcasts, last night, Celtics Stuff live was cut short by Jughead suspiciously losing internet connection just as the Patriots game was coming on. The last thing we heard was Jeff saying that Antoine Walker is fat. I guess that will have to linger in our minds until next week when they promise to have Jeff on again to take some phone calls.
For those who have been hoping for a deal with Golden State for Jasikevicius, Real GM is reporting that he has agreed in principal to a two year deal with Panathinaikos. He is still under contract to the Warriors so this may or may be fact. I don't expect Danny to swing a trade for him either way since he is making $4 million and it would take Scal plus 2 other players to make it work and that is too much in my opinion.
And what would a day be without an update from the circus that is the NY Knicks. It seems that the Knicks owner, Mr Dolan, could be called to the stand to testify in this very amusing sexual harassment trial that already has brought out some interesting tidbits about Isaiah (he regularly addressed a top executive as "bitch" and "ho") and Stephon Marbury (admits luring a college-age intern into the backseat of his truck after a night at a Manhattan strip club). Who knows what Dolan will come out with? I guess, even with Doc's imperfections, we need to be thankful that he is a good guy and we don't have to be subjected to this kind if farce for our team.
Only 15 more days till camp opens. Hopefully the Boston media will wake up and discover that and report on what the team is doing in preparation for the season. On the bright side, it seems as though every day another Celtics blog pops up and so we have plenty of things to read in the meantime.
Ronald Glen Davis was born in Baton Rouge on Jan. 1, 1986 to Donald Robertson and Tonya Davis. He got the nickname big baby when he was playing in peewee leagues. Because he was bigger than the other kids his age, he was playing with older kids and would whine at times and they would call him a big baby and the name stuck.
Big Baby has a way of seeing the bright side of everything in life. He went to live with a friend when he was 11 years old because his mother had been jailed. He bounced around foster homes and lived with friends and family as his mother battled drugs and was in and out of jail. Instead of seeing this as a negative, he chose to see his mother's strengths as she has fought drug addiction.
He concentrated on basketball his senior season at University High school in Baton Rouge, Louisiana although he also had a stellar career at University High at tailback of the football team as well as tossing the shot for the U-High track team. He earned Parade and McDonald's All-America honors and was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Louisiana, the Athlete of the Year as chosen by the Baton Rouge Advocate, and was named Mr. Basketball by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. He was a top 100 football recruit when he came out of high school. Florida State and Tennessee, among others, wanted him for their football programs.
However, he chose to attend LSU and play basketball. As a freshman, he averaged 13.5 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.4 blocked shots and was named SEC Freshman of the Year by the league coaches. In his sophomore season, he led the SEC in scoring with 18.6 ppg and rebounding with 9.7 rpg He was only the fifth player in league history and the first since Shaquille O’Neal in 1991 to accomplish that feat. In his junior season he led the SEC in rebounding with 10.4 rpg and ranked third in scoring at 17.7 ppg. He Earned Second Team All-America honors from The Sporting News and Third Team honors from The Associated Press as a sophomore. He was also named SEC Player of the Year as a sophomore and earned First Team All-Conference honors his sophomore and junior seasons. He finished his collegiate career as LSU’s 10th all-time leading scorer with 1,587 points and he also ranks sixth all-time in rebounding with 916 and third in blocked shots with 110.
Big Baby left LSU after his Junior season for the NBA draft. In spite of promises from a couple of teams that they would take him in the first round, he slipped to the 35th pick in the second round where he was taken by the Seattle Supersonics and then traded to the Celtics as part of the deal that brought Ray Allen to Boston.
Big Baby Glen reported to campus at 358 and he played at 338 but he has hired a nutritionist and has completely changed his diet, eating more chicken than hamburgers and eliminating junk food from his diet. At last check he was down to 280 and working out hard to remake his body to be ready for the rigors of an NBA season. He came into summer league at his lowest weight ever and averaged 12 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in 27 minutes per game.
Draft.net lists his strengths as:
Charismatic personality, similar to Shaq ... Excellent feel for the game ... His physical strength is virtually unparalleled for a player his height ... Has the ability to physically overpower players, but also has the skills and finesse of a smaller player ... Has tremendous body control, very soft hands and surprisingly quick feet, which could be attributed to his days on the gridiron ... He sets up strong on the block and establishes position immediately and can seal off players with a simple use of his off arm. Opponents can’t get in front of him ... Excels at squaring up from 12 feet and taking bigger players off the dribble ... Really understands how to use his body to create shots against bigger and more athletic players ... Does a good job of passing when doubled, seeing teammates on the wing ... He’ll surprise you with some of the things he can do both as a post player but also in the open floor ... Davis will step out of the paint and knock dow perimeter shots, has range out to 18 feet ... His mechanics are solid and has good form and knows when to pull up ... A complete team player and is very coachable as well as being a leader in the locker room ... Strong personality. Very poised in interviews and has a good demeanor about him ... Could guard some centers on the next level due to his strength ... Has great touch around the basket, especially with contact ...
One of Big Baby's strenghts is is character and his leadership. A story from John Brady, Davis' coach at LSU, will give you an idea of the type of person he is and the type of character he brings to the team.
And when he started talking about Hurricane Katrina and his gym, The Maravich Center, being used as a crisis center for the severely injured in the hours after the hurricane, he was deadly serious. “Seven or eight of our players volunteered to help, and it was a sobering experience,” he said. “The residue of that has made us a closer team. I’ve never had a team as close as this one.” And just like on the court, the center of attention that night was SEC Freshman of the Year, Glen Davis. Davis was one of the first to arrive and the last to leave. When asked about it, he just shrugged his shoulders and said : “It is what we are supposed to do for each other.” Brady had already revealed that one of the things Davis was called on to do that night was act as a human bracket. “They had blood hanging off both arms while they were doing transfusions,” Brady said. “Blood, plasma whatever they needed, Glen was there, his arms extended for long, long minutes. “ He never complained. Not once. They finally had to make him leave. “ It is that type of character that makes him a leader, and he likes to be the leader.” Davis said : “That was an experience that will stay with me for life. It changed me in ways. I wake up every day appreciative of the life I have.”
Big Baby will vie with Leon Powe for minutes off the bench at the power forward position. He will bring a great sense of humor to the locker room to help keep things loose and he will be a leader on and off the court. One thing is for sure, with his sense of humor and his love of life along with his all out playing style, he will make things a lot more interesting both on and off the court.
The best news of the day is that Tony Allen is hoping to be back for the preseason and all indications are that he should be ready for the regular season. He still lacks his explosiveness and hopefully that will come back because without it, he isn't going to be effective. A healthy Tony Allen will be a difference maker though.
Portland feels a bit cursed now and you can't help but feel for them. It has seemed that way for the Celtics for a long, long time now, since the death of Len Bias back in 1986. It seemed as though our luck was still all bad when we lost out on the first pick but looking back on it, that may be when the Celtics luck turned around.
Hoopsworld has a two part story on the Bubble teams and whether they have improved enough to make a difference. Here is what Jessica Camerato had to say in Part 1 about the Celtics. Part 2 can be found here.
BOSTON: Did the Celtics do enough? What didn’t the Celtics do? If acquiring Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen doesn‘t make them a contender, there’s just no helping the Cs. When the Celtics traded away the much-hyped fifth pick for one of the best shooters in the league, their competition took notice -- “I wish Ray Allen wasn’t playing in the Eastern Conference, that’s for sure,” said one Atlantic Division coach. Little did they know that was just the tip of the iceberg. The Kevin Garnett blockbuster deal shook up the entire league. Not only did the Celtics become an Eastern Conference favorite, they transformed themselves into one of the most formidable threats in the NBA. The Cs then spent the summer surrounding their All Star core with veteran support, from the championship-winning James Posey to role players Eddie House and Scot Pollard. They also went after eager young talent and signed three coachable rookies -- Gabe Pruitt, Glen Davis, and Brandon Wallace. While many expected the Celtics to ink a veteran point guard, Danny Ainge proved his faith in the 21 year old Rajon Rondo by leaving him at the helm in just his second NBA season. The Celtics proved their commitment to a winning and, piece by piece, built a championship contender in this off season.
Always fun is watching the circus that is the Knicks. The Herald discusses Isaiah's trial somewhat and the NY Daily News tells us that Stern could go after Dolan over this whole thing also.
Shamrock Headband has a good article on the turn of events that Celtics fans have seen this summer.
Now let's allow ourselves to think, for a moment, of what happens if the Celtics win the 2007 Lottery and draft Greg Oden (and let's face it, there's no way they were ever planning on doing anything else). For three and a half months the city of Boston is abuzz: billboards pop up, jerseys fly off the shelves, Oden throws out the first pitch at Fenway to a standing ovation, etc., etc. Let's go even further and suggest that Paul Pierce, seeing that the C's truly are going in a new direction, quietly steps up his trade demand, and management acquiesces, dealing him to a contender for a couple of youngsters and a choice draft pick or two. Boston barely notices, content to move forward with a front line of Oden and Big Al that will be unmatched in the NBA for years to come. Then, on September 13, the team announces that Greg Oden will miss the entire 2007-08 season, and on top of that, might never again be the same player who hung 25 and 12 on Florida and damn near singlehandedly won a National Championship for his otherwise woefully overmatched team. That Greg Oden, all of a sudden, is not walking through that door, folks, at least not for another year or few. All of a sudden the 2007-08 Celtics are the 2006-07 Celtics, only somehow even worse.
And... scene. Take a breath. Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce are still in Boston, and for the first time in twenty years the Celtics are the luckiest team in the NBA. What a world.
I just can't imagine how we would feel if we had gotten Oden only to see him lost for the season. But if he returns from the surgery as many have done, there is a silver lining for the Blazers. They should get a high draft pick again this season, they will have Raef's expiring contract to bring in someone good and Oden will be healthy manning the middle.
Fox Sports lists several players who are on the hot seat this season. Interestingly, they include Kevin Garnett on the list but not Pierce or Allen. I would have to say that especially Pierce is on the hot seat just as much as KG since he is the one who has been saying all along that he is a great player on a bad team. Pierce as much as anyone has to come through this season. Here is what they said about KG.
Kevin Garnett — Boston For years, KG has been posting remarkable numbers for mostly mediocre teams. The constant complaint from Garnett's supporters is that while he's one of the very best players in the league the T-Wolves' management failed to surround him with enough talent for the team to succeed. With the trade to Boston, however, there are no more excuses. Ray Allen and Paul Pierce are two of the best "supporting" players imaginable. After a career chock full of inadequate performances in postseason money games, it's up to the Big Ticket to demonstrate his true greatness by having an MVP-type season and leading the Celtics to at least the championship series. Anything less will prove that KG is more of a super-loser than a bona-fide superstar.
Finally, be sure to check out Celtics Stuff Live tonight from 7-9 as Jeff Clark of Celitics Blog fame will be their special guest for the first hour. There is always a lot going on in the pit also, so see you there. Only 16 days till training camp starts so there is lots to talk about.
