After reading all the accounts from Media Day and listening to the interviews, I am more excited than ever for the season to start. As the Celtics are heading to Europe for the start of training camp, I am trying to sort through all the thoughts and quotes from various places all over the net. Here are some rather disjointed thoughts from various sources. On the tempo of the games. In the WEEI interview, Ray Allen was asked what he had done so far to prepare for the season. He answered that he had gotten in the best shape he can so that they can play uptempo ball. He said that teams that play faster have a better chance and that good teams run up and down the court. Sounds like he is planning to run this season.
Cohesive work will be important, as well. The Celtics will be trying to find a balance between the up-tempo game Rondo runs and a more methodical offense that could suit his veteran mates.
“We’ll have to work together,” Rondo said. “I feel I am at my best when I’m running, but they’re at their best when they’re in the halfcourt. So we can mix it up. You have to be able to do both to win a championship, I believe. You have to be able to execute in the halfcourt offense, and I think we’ll definitely be able to do that, as well as fast breaking. We’ll be a better defensive team this year and we’re a better rebounding team with Kevin and Perk (Kendrick Perkins [stats]) down low. I think we’ll have a lot of fast-break points this year.”
Rondo is at h is best running and it seems that Ray Allen is ready and willing to run. If Pierce and Garnett see that they can get easy baskets by running with Rondo, then they may run as well. We do have to balance half court and fast break ball and I think Rondo is just the PG to do it as long as Doc doesn't try to micromanage and keep him from using his instincts to run the team.
When they asked Pierce what he would have done if he was forced to play another year on a rebuilding team he said that he thought he would have gone "Kobe-ish." KG said that he felt that he had been in jail the last few years and he feels very free right now. He is going to embrace this experience for the next 5 years and have fun with it. I loved when they were talking about how good the Celtics uniforms feel and that the fabric was better than the uniforms with their last team. They sure look good to the fans also.
Although they’ve been playing pickup games for only three weeks, Garnett and Allen already have become comfortable in their new Celtics jerseys. “I love the way this feels on me,” Garnett said. “No offense to the teams we played for prior to this,” Allen said, “but we always comment on how much better this jersey feels compared to the last team we played for. It’s definitely a great fit for us.”
I really like the way the troika of Pierce, Garnett and Allen are forming a unit and do interviews together and are trying to make it about team and not just Garnett or Allen or Pierce, or even about just the three of them. They realize that it will take more than the three of them and are taking the other players under their wings and working with them. They are building team spirit and chemistry. Ray Allen said that every one on the team has to set aside personal agendas for the good of the team. And KG said that chemistry is the biggest question mark at this point, but all 3 of them are very unselfish. In fact, they may be too unselfish and at first they may over-pass trying to get others involved. They also discussed that the defenses will dictate who will take the final shot. And they talked about how other teams would have a tough time defending all 3. They might stop 1 or 2 but the other would always be there to beat them.
They joked about seniority on the team and this is where the comraderie and comfort with each other came out. Ray is the oldest, KG has more experience, but Pierce has been a Celtic the longest. KG was joking with Ray that he was 40. They asked Pierce about Antoine and if he had called him to discuss the turn of events for both of their teams. Pierce said he called him about 5 times and left messages but for some reason, Walker hasn't returned his calls.
So funny. Every other word out of this guys mouth was a joke. His caveman beard matched with his Ron Burgondesqe humor made him difficult to stay professional around. He had two smiles which he called "Magnum" and "Million Dollar Smile" and then he had his mean look. The director says "come on man, mean, like you just got a bad call from the ref!" He goes "My mean face at the ref is like this: What are you, ****in STUPID!? No, you're just cheating." He had so many jokes and facial expressions, I'm gonna beg for the editors to get me the whole unedited piece of Scot Polard.
First thing he does is run in, annihilates a basket full of fruit, and starts complaining/joking about his weight problem as he stuffs food in his mouth. He was just as I thought He would be. Funny and full of life. I'm still a fan of BB but Polard had the comedic edge on BB that day.
Doc doesn't like the name "The Big Three" for PP, KG, and RA.
Rivers recommended that someone come up with a new nickname. But until the “Terrific Trio” or something else catches on, people will call them the Big Three whether Rivers likes it or not.
Garnett and Allen don’t mind the nickname. They both used the word “privileged” when describing their feelings about being called members of the new Big Three. But Allen quickly pointed out that it will take more than the three of them to turn the Celtics into a contender.
Allen said there will be nights when someone else takes the last-second shot to win a game. He even mentioned that Leon Powe might take it. It’s safe to say if Powe does take the last shot, it’ll happen only once. Rivers will then tell him never to do it again.
In Doc's interview, they asked him about Leon Powe. Doc said that Powe has worked really hard and has looked really good so far this season. He also said that he thinks that Powe is the perfect fit to play alongside KG. I am definitely going to have to listen to CelticsStuff Live on Sunday at 7 because Justin is going to talk about his interview with Powe. More on Powe from poster bleedingreen85 on RealGM:
Director, "Ok Scal, now hold the ball, look over your shoulder and wink" Scal, "I don't wink." Director, "Powe - who's sitting and watching Scal- can I get you to wink?" Powe, "Not if he don't." Powe was the first guy to really have fun with the whole process and show a side of himself I've only heard about from people I work with; that he's really approachable and pleasant. Yesterday, I saw how nice and funny he could be. By the way he plays you would never have guessed it. I always expected him to be more stone cold. Good guy to work with.
I'll leave you with the inteview with Perk from the Crack staff at perkisabeast. Perk looks great in all the photos. He sounds determined and I am more certain than ever that Perk is going to have a break out season. On Sports Tonight Greg Dickerson also agrees that Perk is going to be the player to have a standout season.
Brandon Wallace is listed at 6'9" and 203 lbs and is a 22 year old undrafted senior out of USC. He went to Silver Bluff High School in Jackson, South Carolina. In his senior year, he averaged 21.9 points, 15.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 4.3 blocks per game. He led his team to a 24-7 record, clinching the state title on a last second basket and was named the best defensive player.
He chose USC over Maryland and Auburn. In high school, he had played at small forward, but when he got to USC, they moved him to center. As a slender center for the Gamecocks, Wallace averaged 9.9 points, 9.4 rebounds and 2.9 assists in his senior year. He was the SEC Iron Man. He played 40+ MPG in 7 games and started every game. In spite of being an undersized 5, he set the school record for career blocked shots (249) and finished number 9 in SEC all-time play. He was number 5 in career bpg (1.84 bpg) and number 6 in career rebounds (775).
But, at barely more than 200 pounds, he didn’t project to the NBA well at that position and he slipped though the cracks during the draft and went undrafted. Several teams, included the Celtics had worked him out but he was projected to be a 4 in the NBA and just didn't have the bulk to survive at that position. Here is what Doc had to say in the Herald on him:
“We may have gotten really lucky here,” said Rivers. “We thought he might be able to be an active 4, but then seeing him in our league with all the strength I was thinking he won’t survive at that spot. Then at the morning coaches meeting, I said, ‘Guys, I think he’s a 3. Let’s just throw him at the 3 and see what happens.’ And he looked phenomenal. It’s amazing. “He’s smart, he makes great decisions, he can defend and he’s a bitch on the boards. He was one of the top 10 players coming out of high school, and the reason he slipped through the cracks is because they played him at 5. That’s what all of us would have done. We threw him in at 4 and he was OK there, but when you put him at 3, now all of a sudden he’s the best athlete on the floor. It might work out. It’d be a good addition, a guy that can guard the 3s. And he’s a cerebral player.
He impressed at the Portsmouth International, but again, he was projected as a 4, since he had played center in college. At Portsmouth, he scored 17 points (8-12), pulled down 5 rebounds, and had 2 blocks. Jonathan Givony of Draft Express had this to say of his performance at Portsmouth:
This was another intriguing showing by South Carolina’s raw power forward Brandon Wallace, doing a good job using his athleticism to the fullest on both ends of the floor. He clearly looks better suited for the up and down tempo we find here rather than the stagnant half-court offense he played in at South Carolina, and as a result has improved notably from game to game here. Wallace ran the floor extremely well today and did a nice job presenting himself around the rim for easy finishes. He is a very frail power forward who can’t finish very well if being contested excessively, but his length, terrific athleticism and excellent activity level help him out tremendously in this area. Wallace also stepped outside on one occasion and knocked down a very good looking 3-pointer.
During the Summer League games in Vegas, Wallace showed a distinct knack for getting to the offensive glass, which is particularly impressive when considering how underdeveloped he is from a physical standpoint. Wallace is in dire need of a strength and conditioning regimen that can put about 20 to 25 pounds of muscle onto his long and lanky frame, but it would be time well-spent on his part. Wallace moves very well without the ball and knows how to get into rebounding position while other players are standing still and watching the ball while it’s in the air. Offensively, Wallace shows a very promising stroke from 3-point range. He shoots with his arms above his head and squares up to the basket nicely using a short wrist-driven follow through on his release. During summer league, he averaged 6 points and 5 rebounds.
But still, the knock was that he was too frail to play the 4 and needed to add bulk. The Celtics worked him out twice during pre-draft workouts and must have seen some promise in him then, even though he was still thought of as a 4. Doc may not always make the best decisions in games, but he nailed this one to give Wallace a look at the 3. Physically, he reminded me of Tayshun Prince. But time will tell whether his game will approach anywhere close to that of Prince's.
He signed a 2 year partially guaranteed contract with the Celtics and with the signings of Esteban Batista and Dahntay Jones, it remains to be seen if he can stick with the team. Although 3 inches shorter, Jones offers much the same attributes that B Wallace does but Jones brings experience that Wallace doesn't have. Batista should definitely make the team because he fills a need and so the last spot will probably come down to Wallace or Jones, depending on what they see from each in training camp.
Media Day came and went and if you are a Celtics fan, you have to be excited!! As we reported yesterday, The Big Show was broadcasting from Waltham today and they interviewed Pierce, Garnett and Allen, Danny Ainge and Doc Rivers. My impression from the interview with PP, KG and RA was that these guys really get along great and are having fun. The thing that struck me the most from this interview was that Ray Allen several times mentioned the fact that they are in great shape and plan to run this season because a running team has a better chance at winning. Doc may not know what tempo we will play, but Ray Allen seems pretty set on running. Here is the interview with the Celtics troika.
Danny Ainge mentioned that Durant and Oden were plan A and B and that before the lottery he was leaning toward taking Durant over Oden. Good interview.
The Herald gives us good reason to expect Pierce, Garnett and Allen to put aside ego and play team ball.
Pierce, Garnett and Allen already have established themselves as among the best in the NBA. All they have to do now is establish that they can play in warmer months. To put it another way, the trio has a combined 32 years of NBA experience, but Rondo has them matched in Finals appearances with zero.
It's possible they may even have a tendency at first to over pass and defer to each other a little too much but they are going to figure it out and when they do, look out.
And they will get a pass on it for today. Just like most everyone else will get a pass. In baseball, they say Hope Springs Eternal. In the NBA, the first day of training camp is not always so optimistic. But after the summer Danny Ainge and the Celtics had you really can’t do anything else but give them a chance. Sure, you can wonder about the age of Big 3: The Next Generation. Yes, you can contemplate if Kendrick Perkins and Rajon Rondo are worthy of filling out the starting lineup of a supposed title contender. Sure, you can look at Scot Pollard’s hair and ask yourself: Why is he here again? And, fine, you can convince yourself that Doc Rivers couldn’t coach the first Olympic Dream Team to a bronze, let alone this squad to a banner, if you are so predisposed. But, for the most part, you are going to give the flowery images of glorious precamp workouts and single-minded goals a chance to be proved wrong today rather than demanding they be proved right on the spot.
TenaciousT has a great story from his trip to Prague over on Celtics17. John lives up to his reputation as King of the Photoshop over on Red's Army with a picture of Paul Pierce besieged by advertisers.
Projo reports that the Celtics are a hot ticket once again. The Eagle Tribune believes that this can be a banner year for the Celtics. In the Patriot Ledger, Doc tells us that he is ok with talk of a championship.
On Indy Cornrows, Larry Joe Legend weighs in on this season's Celtics.
Q. What impact do you think the Kevin Garnett trade will have on the landscape of the Eastern Conference, specifically towards the Pacers? (From Lee in Huntsville, Ala.)
A. It'll have a big impact. You get three top players on one team, it's going to make the East tougher to win. Still, we feel a team can beat a few individuals. On paper, they look very good but until the season starts you never really know what's going to happen.
With Media Day today, the season is officially kicking off. Only 4 days till the official start of training camp and only 8 days till tip off in Rome. Things are getting exciting in the Celtics Nation!
Things are going great for the Celtics. We have a trio of All Stars. We have signed a group of veterans to come off the bench. Ray Allen has been tutoring Rondo in shooting. Everyone has been around for weeks getting to know each other and developing chemistry. Yes, everything is shaping up toward a championship run this season.
But this morning, I was brought back to earth this morning. Doc is still our coach. I have been trying to give him the benefit of the doubt. In spite of his past coaching ineffectiveness here and in Orlando, I keep hoping that with this amount of talent, he has to succeed. Then I read his statements in the Herald article and I got worried all over again.
Rivers said to expect Pierce, Allen, and Garnett to be on the court together a lot during the preseason so they can get comfortable with one another. Rivers is intrigued about determining what players play best with the three stars. The Celtics begin training camp Sunday in Rome and play their first exhibition there Oct. 6 against Toronto. "Whenever they play, a lot of times they are going to be together," Rivers said. "It's not only for them. The rest of the guys have to get used to playing with them, too. That's just as important." Rivers will also experiment with lineups, including one with Garnett, normally a power forward, at center, and one with Pierce or newcomer James Posey at power forward. Rivers also plans on experimenting with a three-guard lineup of Ray Allen, Pierce, and Tony Allen, or Ray Allen, Tony Allen, and newcomer Eddie House. "We have a lot of flexibility," Rivers said.
Is flexibility another word for indecision? For 3 years now we have watched Doc put out bizarre lineups and have 400 different rotatons. We have watched small ball lineups against big lineups and have watched Doc pull players who are doing well and leave in players who are struggling. And now we are approaching training camp. A time when rotations should be set and players should get used to their roles, especially on a team with 9 new members.
So, what is Doc planning for training camp? Playing Garnett out of position at center. Playing our small forward at power forward. Playing a 3 guard lineup that will probably not include any rebounders just as his 3 guard lineups did not include rebounders last season. Suddenly I flash back to last season and envision Scal being the first big off the bench. I see the bigs stopping on the free throw line and waiting for the ball to be passed around the arc while no one is in the paint. And, I worry.
And, we are getting double speak from Doc about playing an up-tempo game this season.
Coach Doc Rivers said during the Celtics' annual media luncheon yesterday that the team could have an aggressive, fast-paced offense this season. He won't, however, decide what type of tempo fits the team best until he gets familiar with how newcomers Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett fit in with Paul Pierce during exhibition games. "I know what we want to run and how we are going to do that," said Rivers. "That's not difficult. But the whole key for us is pace and what is the correct pace of play for us. "I'm going to base my decision on how the big three play. If two of the three aren't sprinters, you can be a fast-paced team but you can't be an uptempo team. There is a difference. I think we can be a fast-paced team. I just don't see us being an uptempo, Phoenix Suns team. I know we're not going to do that." Rivers said the Celtics would push the ball, but there wouldn't be quick shots like the Suns, and he has no problems going into a half-court offense. He has told players outside of Pierce, Allen, and Garnett during pickup games that if they turn the ball over in hopes of being uptempo, they are taking opportunities away from the aforementioned perennial All-Stars.
We're going to push the ball, but maybe not. He will decide on the tempo after getting used to his 3 stars and let them decide the tempo. We may be a fast placed team but then again, we may play a half court offense. We have a point guard who is best in the open court in an up-tempo game. But we won't hesitate to forego his speed, which is his biggest weapon, to play half court if some players don't want to run.
I know, it is too early to panic. But I do worry that we are going to waste a year of our window with a mediocre coach. I know we have 2 players over the limit and Doc needs to evaluate the bottom 4 players to decide who to cut, but he can almost do that without playing them. Manuel and Wallace are good kids and can play, but I think in the end, experience will be the difference between Wallace and Jones since both serve the same purpose on the team. Batista fills a need at center where Manuel plays a position that is full. We don't need to evaluate players like we did with so many young players on the team. We need to develop chemistry and develop rotations and that isn't going to happen with a lot of experimenting.
I hope I am wrong, but I have a feeling that Doc is going to somehow negate the fact that we have 3 All Stars, one of whom is a top 5 player in the league. I have nightmares of bizarre rotations with Scal playing big minutes and Rondo having to slow it down while Garnett stops at the 3 point line and waits for the pass to come.
"The Big 3 are going to have to give up things and do things they have never had to do to win," said Rivers. "Every player in the league says he wants to win, but is it under their own (rules)? Are they willing to get out of their comfort zone and win.
How far out of their comfort zone is he going to take them? Is making Garnett stop out on the arc instead of playing inside considered taking him out of his comfort zone? Is making Pierce play power forward taking him out of his comfort zone? Is playing them out of position, playing them in positions they aren't used to or comfortable with, taking them out of his comfort zone? Is making them play uptempo ball taking them out of their comfort zone? Perhaps with any other coach who didn't have Doc's track record and the questions surrounding his coaching, these statements wouldn't cause concern. It may be too early to worry, but with Doc's past performance fresh in my mind and with statements like these, it is hard not to.
Friday, 9/28, from 2pm to 6pm ET, tune in to the Big Show as they broadcast live from Celtics Media Day. The Big Show will preview one of the most anticipated Celtics season in franchise history with potential player, coach, and front office interviews! Remember, WEEI Sports Radio is now the new home for Boston Celtics basketball. You can listen to the show, here.
Last week there were several articles on Ray Allen and this week it seems to be Paul Pierce's turn. He has a lot to say these days and seems to have a perpetual smile on his face. The theme throughout the articles is that a huge burden has been lifted off of Pierce's shoulders. When asked in a conference call whether he would prefer the burden of the expectations that are on him now or the burden of having to carry a team, he had this to say:
I think now there’s a lot of weight off my shoulders with the additions of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen and also James Posey. So, you know, I’ve been carrying a heavy load for the Celtics over many years and I’m not getting any younger and the load was getting heavier every year. So I’m real happy to have the chance to play with these guys and hopefully aim for a championship.
One of the questions that has surrounded this team since the signings of Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett has been whether the trio can put their egos aside and find chemistry on the court. Last week, Ray Allen made it clear that he has no ego problems and will fill any role needed of him to win. RA was excited about having more crunch-time options and being able to beat double teams. He is excited about mentoring Rondo and the other young players. He is definitely a team player and ego definitely won't be a problem with him.
Many have questioned whether Pierce could do the same. Pierce has been the go-to guy and is used to having the ball in his hands. Doc's patented Pierce ISO won't work with this team any more. When asked about how they will defer to each other and mesh their talents, Pierce had this to say:
Well, obviously you have to make sacrifices; we’ve all been used to carrying the load for our respective franchises. So now we have to focus on the little things we can do to make each other better and to compliment each other. We may have to change or at least adapt our roles compared to what we were used to doing in the past. We’re all capable of scoring 25 points a game but that won’t happen when you have a guy like Ray and Kevin. No team in history has ever had three players average 25 points a game so we may have to change our roles. Personally, I may have to concentrate more on my defense.
The Herald expands on this.
Pierce envisions himself becoming a better defender. He always has referred to himself as an underrated defensive player, with a few in the audience not always taking his claim seriously. This is his opportunity - after years of carrying the offensive burden - to prove it. “A lot of the offensive pressure has been taken off now, so now I can look at my defense. I think I’m an underrated defender,” he said, repeating his claim. “We have to run the system, trust the system, and just trust my teammates. We have to mesh all of these talents together. “It’s hard to say how long that is going to take, but we have to put this formula together. Eventually, that will happen if we continue to work hard. The goal for all of us (in Europe) is to build a foundation and build chemistry. It will be good to go over there, because after practice, guys will stay together instead of going home to their wives and families.”
This certainly is intriguing. We will have Garnett, Posey, Rondo, Perk, and Allen as lock down defenders and if Pierce does focus on his defense, that gives us yet another defensive presence. Defense wins championships and if Pierce concentrates on defense that can only be good for the team.
It makes sense for Pierce to be the one to concentrate on other parts of his game besides scoring. We would have the outside scoring of Ray Allen and the inside scoring of Kevin Garnett and if Pierce would sacrifice some of his scoring to concentrate on defense and focus on driving the lane and kicking out to his teammates along with gathering rebounds, it will make us that much better. A tough defender to guard the bigger 3's is one of the things we have been lacking in the past and Pierce could give it to us this season.
The team has been playing together for two weeks now and are building chemistry and learning each others' tendencies. Training camp in Europe will give them even more time to bond as they will be together all the time and will bond through the experience. When asked if a championship is possible for the Celtics this season Pierce had this to say:
Definitely. I don't see why not. It's hard to say right now until we can get our chemistry down and playing well together and those are things we're already working on, but we have our work cut out and our expectation is to win a championship.
It has been a long time since we could start the season saying that a championship was possible. Is it any wonder that Pierce has looked like the Cheshire cat these past couple of months? If Pierce follows through with his plans to concentrate on defense this season, Celtics fans will be grinning a lot more too.
Both the Globe and Herald are reporting that the Celtics have finalized their training camp roster by signing Forward/Center Esteban Batista and Swingman Dahntay Jones to non-guaranteed contracts.
The Celtics, along with several other teams, have been pursuing Batista. He had turned down an offer from Boston reportedly to concentrate on other teams that were more interested. But the next day, it was reported that the Celtics were still in the running for his services. He has been working out with the Celtics along with Linton Johnson, Eric Williams and Kelvin Cato for the past two days. From the Herald:
Batista, a former Hawk, seemed to come into his own during the Olympic qualifying tournament last month, thus catching the attention of a number of teams. But according to agent Mark Cornstein, the Celtics showed the most consistent interest in Batista.
“Doc (Rivers) and Danny (Ainge) really pursued him and made him feel wanted,'’ said Cornstein. “I think he’s a great fit for the organization. What he wants and needs is an opportunity, and I think they can offer that.'’
The 6'10" Batista has played 2 seasons in the league, both with the Hawks. He played in 13 games last season and averaged 1.5 points and 2.3 rebounds in 6.2 minutes per game. It was in the FIBA Tournament of the America's that he caught the attention of teams when he averaged 20.8 points and 12.4 rebounds per game. I think he will be a good fit for the team and will provide much needed depth at the center position.
Dahntay Jones is a more puzzling signing. The 6'6" Jones was drafted by the Celtics in 2003 and immediately traded to the Grizzlies in the trade that brought Marcus Banks back to the Celtics. He has played all 4 seasons with the Grizzlies and averaged 7.5 points and 2.0 rebounds in 21.4 minutes per game this past season, playing in 78 games. According to the Herald, Ainge has been interested in Jones all summer. He is a good perimeter defender.
The signings put the Celtics at 17 players for training camp, 2 over the limit of 15 for the regular season. The final 2 spots should come down to Batista, Jones, Jackie Manuel and Brandon Wallace. Manuel was signed to a non guaranteed contract and Wallace has a partially guaranteed contract. As of now, I would say it will probably come down to Jones and Batista with experience being the difference.
Brian Scalabrine is the Celtic that most fans love to hate. He is a hard working player that isn't necessarily good at anything but is a good "energy guy" and a good "locker room guy" according to Danny Ainge and most reports.
Scalabrine played his prep basketball at Enumclaw High in Enumclaw, Washington. He attended Highline Community College and averaged 16.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game as a freshman in 1997, helping lead Highline to a 31-1 overall record and the state junior college championship. He red shirted his second year at Highline. He then transferred to the University of Southern California and was named the 1999 Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year and also earned All-Pac-10 honorable mention honors as a 1999 sophomore ... He was the only Trojan to start all 28 games.
On graduating from USC, he entered the NBA draft and was chosen in the second round by the New Jersey Nets with the 35th pick overall. He played sparingly his first 3 seasons in New Jersey. His fourth season he seemed to come on a bit more and averaged 6.3 points and 4.5 rebounds in 21.6 mpg. He became a fan favorite in New Jersey.
After 4 seasons in New Jersey, Scalabrine signed a 5 year deal with the Celtics worth 15 millions dollars. Like Danny Ainge, Scal depends on the Brain Doctor for advice. Much has been made of his brain type being the same as Michael Jorndan's and some feel this is why Danny signed him. His first season with the Celtics, played in 71 games, averaging 13 mpg, 2.9 ppg, and 1.6 rpg. In his second season, he played in 54 games and averaged 4.0 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists in 19 minutes per game. He hasn't had the success here yet that he had in New Jersey. Many feel that with the new cast of veterans on the team, Scal could experience a little more of the success that he had in New Jersey.
He has several nicknames. In college, his nickname was Redd. After being chosen by NJ in the draft, they started calling him Secaucus Red. Former Nets assistant coach Mike O'Koren nicknamed him "Veal" because he thought Brian's last name sounded like an Italian dish and the nickname has stuck. Another of his nicknames is Scal.
On the personal side, Brian has 2 brothers and 1 sister. He married Kristin Couch in August of 2003 in Hawaii. He is very active in the community and started the Brian Scalabrine “Take it to the Hoop” Basketball Camp in Stamford, CT and runs several basketball camps for kids during the summer.
The last 2 offseasons, he has participated in the SEEDS of Peace camp in Otisfield Maine where he was a counselor for campers from all over the Middle east.
This is from an article on Fox Sports:
I think Brian Scalabrine set a record in Boston on Wednesday night.
Now the NBA doesn't keep such records, so it would be hard to source, but I can't imagine anything like it ever happening before. Scalabrine is listed at 6-foot-9, 235 pounds. He played 34 minutes against the Cavaliers on Wednesday. There were 100 missed shots in the game. Scalabrine hauled down zero rebounds.
So while I can't prove this definitely, I'm going to go ahead and assume that never before had a player this size played this many minutes— in a game with this many missed shots — without collecting a single rebound.
Wesley "Stick" Person may have done it. Tyrone "Muggsy" Bogues may have done it. But can you imagine a 6-foot-9 power forward not being able to gather in any one of 100 missed field goal attempts? Or any of the seven defensive rebounds that were available off Cleveland missed free throws? Zero. Nada.
That's right, despite playing 34 fewer minutes than Scalabrine on Wednesday night, you matched him rebound for rebound. Of course you didn't receive $36,585 for your effort. He might not pull down any rebounds, but Scalabrine does pull down almost 40 grand per game, thanks to his baffling 5-year, $15M contract. And lest you think Wednesday night was some weird statistical quirk, in his last five games Scalabrine has played 111 minutes and reined in a meager nine rebounds.
It pretty much says all you need to know about Veal. Doc has played him a lot more these past two years than most Celtics fans wanted him to play. He is the player most fans would like to see cut from the team or traded. He seemed to be out of shape his first season and never really fit in. His second season he was in better shape and played better than his first season but still didn't excite many fans with his play.
Scal has been billed as a scorer and 3 point shooter and he certainly hoists up enough 3's during games, but for his career, he is only shooting 39% from the field and 35% from beyond the arc. Even Rondo, for whom shooting is known as a weakness shot 41% from the field last season. Maybe Ray Allen can tutor him a bit in the art of jump shooting and we will see some improvement from Scal in that area as well.
Obviously, Scal is a good teammate and good guy. He was voted to the first team "All Good Guys Team" last season. He is always the first one off the bench to congratulate a teammate coming off the floor and is always cheering his teammates when he is on the bench. Last season when Tony Allen went down with the knee injury, Scal drove him to the hospital. Tony's mom was with him and voiced her concern that they didn't call an ambulance to take him and Tony told his mom, "Don't worry Mom. This is better than an ambulance. This is Scal!" For what he is being paid, I guess having him there to be an energy guy and a glue guy and to help with the comradery in the locker room isn't all that bad. We could do a lot worse. We could have Mark Blount...A player with Scal's skill set AND a bad attitude.
Celtic Pride is a phrase that is kicked around a lot by Celtics fans and the media. Celtic Pride was the name of a publication I used to subscribe to back in the 80's. It was a magazine style monthly publication that included stories from behind the scenes. But, along with the glory years, the publication went by the wayside.
Celtic Pride is also the name of a movie starring Dan Akroyd and Daniel Stern as two rabid fans of the Boston Celtics. Mike O'Hara (Stern) and Jimmy Flaherty (Aykroyd) are die-hards in the truest sense of the word. They're the type of season ticket holders who go to every game wearing green and they eat, drink, and breathe the Celtics. In the movie, the Celtics have reached the NBA finals, and the series is knotted at 3-3. Looking for an advantage for their beloved Celtics, Mike and Jimmy decide to meet the star opposing player, Utah Jazz bad boy Lewis Scott (played by Damon Wayans), at a bar, get him drunk, then kidnap him while he's out cold. In the end, the die hard Celtic fans have to cheer for the Jazz in order to avoid being charged with kidnapping. I may be the only one on the face of the earth who actually liked this movie and even bought the DVD of it. The Celtic Pride in this movie is that of the fans for the team, so much so that they would do anything to help their team win. Around the league, Celtics fans are known for their fanaticism and being fans of the most storied franchise in the league is a good reason to be proud.
Celtics Pride is also the name of a radio show with Jeff Hickman and Patrick Gilroy. They are on ESPN radio with post game shows. On the show, they break down Boston Celtics home games, analyze all the latest moves and events, and interview special guests. Listeners can call in and voice their opinions and ask questions as well.
There are blogs named Celtics Pride. We hear people talk about Celtics Pride all the time. I just got a very cool tee shirt that says "Celtics Pride is Back" on it.
From the sixties through the late eighties, Boston Celtic fans were the ultimate in arrogance. The parquet floor of the old Boston Garden seemed to permeate pride. First it was Russell vs Wilt and then Bird vs Magic. The Celtics racked up banner after banner seemingly with ease. They had a few years in the seventies when they were down but they bounced right back to win more banners. No other franchise can boast 16 championships or the number of hall of fame players or as many retired numbers. Celtics fans are a proud bunch and with good reason.
This is from a 2002 issue of the Sporting News.
On April 21, the simple act of a leisurely stroll by five white-haired gentlemen, along with a few bars of Bruce Springsteen background music, suddenly awoke Celtic Pride.
Moments before the Celtics faced the 76ers in the first game of the teams' Eastern Conference opening-round playoff series, Tom Heinsohn, K.C. Jones, Bob Cousy, Bill Russell and even Red Auerbach supplied the home fans with an impromptu spine-tingler.
The quintet of Boston icons decided among themselves to walk side by side, in front of the Philly bench, across the parquet floor and to their seats in Section 12. For good measure, the Celtics blasted The Boss' "Glory Days" over the FleetCenter's usually unnoticed loud speakers.
The legends were back, and so were the Celtics. "That gave me chills," says Boston general manager Chris Wallace. "You're around this stuff all the time, but that really probably brought it home maybe more than any event I've been through in the five years I've been with this team. When those guys walked across the court, that showed that we're not another sports franchise."
Red Auerbach was the master of gamesmanship. He would do anything to get the edge in a game. He would have cold water piped into the visiting locker rooms in the old Garden. It is said that he turned up the heat in the locker rooms during the playoffs as well. It was so bad that opposing teams had to bring oxygen for their players just to get through the games. Also the dead spots on the floor were legendary. I remember watching one game a player was dribbling up the floor and DJ seemed to be herding him over toward the side. Suddenly, DJ swooped down and grabbed the ball as it hit the ground and didn't come back up. He had hit a dead spot and DJ knew right where it was and was ready to grab the ball when it didn't bounce back up from the dribble.
The past has always been a security blanket for Celtics fans. 16 World Championships. Red Auerbach, Russell, Heinsohn, Cousy, Havlicek, the Jones Boys, Cowens, Bird, McHale, Parish, DJ, Sharman, Walton, Maravich and so many more. No other team has such a rich history or such a winning tradition. Then came the dark ages known as the '90s, and with them came the ML Carr debacle and the Pitino years. The fans who have stuck with the team through it all are the real die hard fans, those with real Celtic Pride.
With the acquisition of superstar Kevin Garnett, the Celtics have their pride and swagger back. Kevin Garnett is more than a superstar. He is one of the few players that knows what it means to compete. He is fierce, and he does not like to lose. He has the ability to make those around him better. He is a multi talented threat that is equal parts scoring, rebounding, and assists. Those are the qualities that made Larry Bird a legend in Boston and helped him to bring 3 championships to Boston. Hopefully those qualities will help KG to bring a couple of championships to Boston now.
He also had the inner drive that characterized "Celtics pride." After his first year Havlicek went home and worked hard to improve both his outside shooting and his dribbling. The next season he led the team in scoring.
The inner drive that characterized Celtics pride. This phrase really caught my attention. The context of this statement seems to indicate that Celtics pride is something inside the players to make them want to be better. Something inside that makes them work harder because they are Celtics and that means something. Celtics Pride is what drove Havlicek to work to improve his dribbling and his shooting after his first year. It is what drove all of the Celtics' legendary players to be the best they could and to work to become a team capable of winning a championship. It is what kept Bird in the gym hours after practice working on his game even though he was already a superstar.
Three weeks before training camp, and all of the current Celtics, including our 3 stars, were in Boston and working out. Celtics Pride is what brings Rondo to the gym at 7 am to work on his shot. It is what brings Ray Allen to the gym at 7 to work with him and what has both of them working out to the point of exhaustion. It is what caused Pierce to lose weight so that he would be at his college playing weight. It is what has kept Perk in Boston all summer working out long hours and pushing himself hour after hour and wanting to be pushed to his limits to be the best he can be. It is what has all of these Celtics here already and working together to build chemistry. Yes, it seems that Celtics Pride is back in Boston and in a big way.
Former Celtic Eric Williams, journeymen big men Kelvin Cato and Linton Johnson, and Esteban Batista, the first Uruguayan to ever play in the NBA, all worked out for the Celtics yesterday.
All are expected to continue their workouts today, with coach Doc Rivers and his staff expected to invite at least one and quite possibly two to training camp.
A team source stressed last night that none of these players have been offered guaranteed contracts, though Batista is reportedly demanding exactly that in exchange for a training camp invitation.
Batista, a young power forward who played two uneventful seasons for Atlanta, opened a lot of eyes one month ago when he earned MVP honors in the Tournament of the Americans in Las Vegas. This bullish post player led the tournament in rebounding.
He has drawn interest from a number of teams.
Williams, who was traded from Toronto to San Antonio in the summer of 2006, was traded last February to Charlotte, which waived the defense-oriented swingman a month later.
Eric Williams was a tough defender and a great locker room guy when he was here before, but the question is, how much does he have left. He is 35 years old and has been bothered by injuries the past couple of years. Last season he averaged 2.6 points and .8 rebounds with the Spurs and the Bobcats.
Kelvin Cato is a 6'11" center who has played 10 seasons in the league with Portland, Houston, Orlando, Detroit and NY. Last season he averaged 1.2 points and 1.7 rebounds for the Knicks.
Linton Johnson is a 6'8 forward who has played 4 seasons in the league for Chicago, San Antonio, New Jersey, and New Orleans/OKC. Last season he averaged 4.2 points and 3.0 rebounds for the Hornets.
It is interesting that they are working out power forwards along with centers. I don't see the team needing another 6'8 forward. But we could use another center, especially one with size. Batista would be a good signing but he may be asking too much. It will be interesting to see if they sign any of these guys. Cato and Batista seem like the most likely.
We are all excited about the upcoming season, and rightfully so. Danny did a masterful job of turning our young players with potential into all stars who can compete now. The Celtics went from last in the East to contenders for the title pretty much overnight. Exciting things are happening in Boston these days. The whole team was in town 3 weeks before training camp. Everyone is excited about KG in green. Ray Allen is proving to be a leader and mentor. But, there are some questions still surrounding the team that have yet to be answered.
Coaching. One of the biggest questions is whether Doc Rivers can coach this team to a championship. Doc has been a head coach for 8 years, 5 with Orlando and 3 with Boston and he has never won more than 45 games. He also has never won a playoff series. Doc has never had 3 All Stars on his team either. Defense was a weakness for this team in his first 3 seasons, but with the arrival of Tom Thibodeau and Kevin Garnett, our team defense should improve greatly. Doc is great with the players and communication shouldn't be a problem for him, even with 3 All Stars. But, whether he can get the X's and O's down is the big question. But with 3 All Stars on the team and one of the top defensive coaches in the league as an assistant, Doc could be Coach of the Year. But if the team doesn't get off to a quick start, expect there to be a coaching change. We have a 3-5 year window with these players and Danny shouldn't waste one with a coach who can't get the job done. Until Doc proves himself, our coaching is a big question mark.
Injuries. We would have been much better the past two seasons if it wasn't for all of the injuries. Last season, we had 312 player games missed due to injuries that ranged from a staph infection that invaded the locker room to Al's appendicitis to Pierce's stress reaction in his foot to Perk's plantar fasciitis. We are starting the season with everyone healthy. Pierce said that his elbow is 100% and he doesn't expect any problems with it this season. But then, he said the same thing last season and he had problems with it for the second year in a row. His foot is completely healed. Perk's foot is 100%. Ray Allen's ankles are perfect. Tony Allen is about 75% but hopes to be back to 100% by season opening. But yet, injury concerns are still there. Tony Allen was slow to get his explosiveness back after his previous knee injury and we have to wonder how long it will take to get back to where he was before the injury or even if he will. Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce have all been very durable in their careers but are getting to the point in their careers where injuries may start to slow them. Pierce had never missed any major time in his career before missing 35 games this past season. Teams never know when injuries will hit. After the '86 championship, Bird hurt his back, McHale hurt his foot and injuries began to slow the original Big 3 and they were never the same. Scott Pollard and Eddie House have both missed a lot of games in the past with injuries. The Celtics have been hit by way more than their share of injuries for the past 2 seasons and a major injury to any of our starters and the team would be in trouble. Maybe our luck has finally changed and everyone will stay healthy this season. Injuries are always a concern, though, especially when there is a big gap between the talent in the starting five and the bench.
Point Guard. Rondo will be our starting PG. Most of us agree that he is the real deal and that he has what it takes to be a top PG in the league and with Ray Allen tutoring him in shooting, his one weakness should be taken care of. But, he is just entering his second season and Doc didn't give him much playing time until the end of last season. Will Rondo hit the sophomore slump? Will he remain healthy all season? Will he be able to hit his jumper with enough consistency to keep the defenses honest? And beyond Rondo, will House, Pruitt, Tony Allen and Ray Allen be enough to back him up off the bench? Danny may pick up another PG before the season but as of now, this position is a big question.
Center. Perk is going to be our starting center and in spite of some doubters, I expect Perk to do a great job this season and surprise a lot of people. He will be a very strong defensive center and I wouldn't be surprised to see him average a double double. He has lost between 20 and 30 lbs and hopefully that will prevent a recurrence of the plantar fasciitis. The big question in my mind is the back up center. We have Scott Pollard, who would be good for 15-20 minutes off the bench, but with his history of back problems, we can't depend on him staying healthy. We are in the mix for Batista, which would go a long way to shore up this position. But, beyond that, we only have Powe who could possibly play the 5 and Garnett who could slide over to the 5 sometimes. There are still a lot of questions surrounding the center position.
Chemistry. We have 3 All Stars who are used to being the #1 option on their respective teams and now they will have to mesh and put their egos in check in order to make this work. So far, it seems as though this is going to work out as they have been working together and they are all saying the right things about team and putting their egos aside. But, it remains to be seen whether they can put into practice what they know in theory. They need to be able to balance their games so that they don't try to do too much or, on the other side, defer too much to the others and do too little.
There are only 8 days till training camp opens and hopefully we will get answers to many of these questions as the preseason begins. One thing that is certain, the Celtics have the best shot that they have had in many years to make it to the finals. If everything comes together and the team can answer all these questions, we could be celebrating title #17 this coming off season.
Last week, Batista's agent announced that he had declined an offer from the Celtics and was looking at teams more interested. Well, now the Celtics are back in the mix. Apparently, the other teams weren't as interested as he thought. According to the Globe:
But yesterday, Cornstien said Boston was back under consideration by the 6-foot-10-inch, 270-pounder from Uruguay. "The situation has reopened," Cornstien said. "Boston is very much alive." Cornstien has said Indiana and Charlotte also made offers and talks with Phoenix have slowed.
Batista is solely an inside player. Less than 5% of his shots are from outside the paint. He rebounds at a rate of 12 per 40 minutes of play. He tends to get more steals than blocks. He was used sparingly by Atlanta, but he broke out with 20.8 points and a tournament-best 12.4 rebounds in the FIBA Americas Championship in Las Vegas last month. He would make a great back up for Perk. Then, all we would need is a back up PG for Rondo.
