It was a good day today. After all the hooplah and all the waiting and all the buildup, today's game didn't disappoint. Just seeing KG in a Celtics uniform for real was pretty incredible in itself and he didn't disappoint in the game either. The game was pretty exciting and featured 6 lead changes and 7 ties. After a sloppy start, the Celtics surged in the 3rd quarter behind the play of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett and never trailed in the 4th. The Celtics shared the ball and had great ball movement with 20 assists on 35 field goals.
Kevin Garnett was very impressive. He finished with 19 points, 16 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal and when he was on the bench you could see him yelling encouragement and instructions to his teammates on the floor. Perk played very well in spite of picking up 3 quick fouls. He finished with 8 points on 2-2 shooting to go with 7 rebounds and 1 block. Perk and KG played well together and complemented each other. When Perk went out with the fouls, Powe was the first big off the bench and played good defense while scoring 3 points with 1 rebound and 1 steal.
Rondo did a good job of running the team and didn't hesitate to shoot the jumper when he was open. He finished with 4 points, 6 assists, 2 rebounds and 1 steal. Behind him Eddie House seemed to handle the back up PG duties quite well and shot the ball very well. He has a very quick release and is going to be a fan favorite because he can heat up very quickly. He finishes with 14 points on 6-10 shooting. Pruitt played just over 5 minutes and did a good job but struggled when doubled or pressured on defense. He finished with 1 point and 2 rebounds.
Pierce played very well and drove to the basket over and over, getting to the free throw line and scoring 21 points to go with 3 rebounds and 3 assists. He played very well. Ray Allen couldn't seem to find his shot and finished with 10 points on 4-13 shooting to go with 4 assists and 3 rebounds. It is nice to know that all three of our stars don't have to score 20 points for this team to win.
Posey played great defense and finished with 3 rebounds and 1 assist. Scal also played good defense finishing with 1 rebound and 2 assists. It was good to see Tony Allen come into the game. In an article last week he said that when he could dunk against someone, he would know he was back. Well, Tony had a monster dunk tonight. Afterward, he limped a bit and they immediately called a time out, but he came back on the court and was fine. A very good sign for the Celtics.
Big Baby, Jones, and Wallace all played just over 3 minutes and all contributed. Big Baby had 2 points and 1 rebound. Jones finished with 1 point and 3 rebounds. Wallace pitched in 2 points and 2 rebounds. Manuel played just 23 seconds and pulled down 1 rebound. Batista was the only player who didn't get into the game.
It was an exciting game to watch. The Celtics struggled to find chemistry at first but by the third quarter, things came together very well. The Raptors are a very good team and they are deep so we can feel good about the win against some tough competition. The Celtics are going to be very dangerous once they have played together for awhile. We are in for a fun season so buckle up and enjoy the ride.
I can't help but keep track of our former players who also won today. Big Al had a very good first outing as a Timberwolf with 11 points and 17 rebounds. Ryan Gomes was also impressive with 13 points and 12 rebounds. I am excited about the team we have, but do miss these guys. Gerald Green had a rough shooting start with 10 points on 4-15 shooting to go with 5 rebounds. Telfair had 9 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists. Mark Blount hasn't changed much with 6 points and 3 rebounds. To no one's surprise, Theo Ratliff did not play because of a sore back. All in all, a very good day. Now, I absolutely can't wait until Wednesday's game against the Wolves.
I came across this picture and thought it was too great not to put up. That is our own Rajon Rondo doing a major dunk back when he was at UK. This kid has some serious hops. With Gerald Green going to defend his championship as a Timberwolf, maybe we should pit Rondo against him. I have a feeling that whatever this kid puts his mind to, he could do very well.
Anyway, while I am very nervously awaiting the Celtics game, I am watching the programming on NBA-TV that is leading up to the game. Right now, Red Auerbach is explaining his theory of the sixth man. Red was truly one of a kind. After this, Red and Me is on at 1:00 and at 1:30 Boston Celtics Dynasty Renewed is going to be on until game time at 2:30. To keep busy I am also doing some Google searches for the Celtics and finding some very interesting stuff, like the photo above that sent thoughts of Rondo as Dunk Champion dancing through my head.
The day is finally here! The first game of the Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen era for the Boston Celtics. I haven't been this excited for a preseason game since the days when Larry Bird walked through those doors.
Here are the particulars on the game: Boston Celtics vs Toronto Raptors Palalottomatica Arena Rome, Italy 10/6/07 2:30 PM Comcast SportsNet , NBA TV From noon on, NBA TV will be running Celtics related programming. Pregame show begins at 2:00 ET on CSN Key matchups to watch out for: Kevin Garnett vs Chris Bosh. Bosh is one of the best young PF's in the league and KG is one of the best ever. This should be a good matchup, with KG coming out on top. Ray Allen vs Jason Kapono. This matchup pits two of the leagues premiere 3 point shooters against each other. Kapono has the edge in 3 point percentage (46% for Kapono vs 37% for Allen) but Allen has the edge in experience. Doc Rivers vs Sam Mitchell. Sam Mitchell went from being a lame duck coach on the verge of being fired to being coach of the year. Doc has all the pieces right now to win and is going to have to prove himself this season. Coaching matchups are going to be crucial.
A rivalry has arisen between these two team thanks to Gerald Green's dunks that got the Raptors and their fans all up in arms. Many Raptors fans still hold a grudge and would love nothing better than to beat the Celtics. The Raptors are the defending Atlantic division champions and we need to send them a message that the Celtics will be a challenger for the division, the conference and the title this season.
Preseason games don't usually matter for the most part, but to the Celtics who are looking to make a statement, they will come out with a purpose. Chemistry may be a problem early with 9 new players on the team and the Raptors are basically returning with the group that won the division last season along with a few key additions. But, the Celtics have been together working out for several weeks now and hopefully, with a veteran team, they have gotten to know each other well enough that they can come out of the gates with a win. You can join us to chat about the game on Celtics Green on the game thread. Here are some game day links to keep you busy until game time. Big Baby continues to entertain us with his diary. I think it is pretty funny that much of what he talks about is food. The Herald tells us that KG treated the rookies to new suits and that Pierce is fired up and ready to go. Also in the Herald, we get words of confidence in Rondo as the starting point guard. KG especially seems to be confident that Rondo can run the team.
“I didn’t realize how young Rondo was,” Garnett said of the 21-year-old. “And I didn’t know how good of a defender he was. I just thought of him as an average defender, knowing what little I did from last year. “But so far he’s been phenomenal for us. He’s come in and he’s a very, very hard worker. You know I respect that right off the bat. He comes in and gets his nose dirty. He plays really, really hard. I love him. He’s unselfish. I’m trying to get him acclimated with Ray and Paul and myself.” Garnett paused, shook his head and added, “I didn’t know this was just his second year, man. If Rondo’s not good, it’d only be because he doesn’t want to be good. The sky’s the limit for that kid.”
The Globe tells us that the new Celtics are still trying to learn each other but that KG is thrilled to be in Boston and likes how they do things there. He loves the organization and loves his teammates and told Sam Mitchell that if he knew the NBA was like this he would have asked to be traded long ago.
"I'm a little bit revived," Garnett said after yesterday's press conference at the Rome mayor's office. "It's good to be around excellence. It's cool . . . The organization, everything so far has been first-class. Obviously, the guys on the team [and coach Doc Rivers have] been phenomenal. In 13 years, this is the best camp I've been involved with by far . . . "I've never experienced a lot of things that have been going on. But you can definitely tell a difference in the organizations. It's revived me, I will say that. I'm having a lot of fun."
Hollinger projects the Celtics to end up 3rd in the East behind the Bulls and the Cavs. The Globe and Mail questions whether the Celtics will have the chemistry to win right away with 9 new players. Sports Talk questions whether Scal could be the X-factor this season. Bright Cove TV has a good interview with KG, RA and PP.
Only 4 hours until game time and I couldn't be more excited. After all of this build up and anticipation, we finally get to see Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen play for the Celtics. Ubuntu!
Next to Perk, my favorite player on this team is Leon Powe. You just have to pull for this kid. If you aren't familiar with his story, check out the profile on him here. He has overcome a lot to be here and he works very hard to stay here. I knew when I read stories of how hard he works that he would be a good player and I was hoping that it would be for the Celtics.
Tonight on Sports Tonight, Mike Gorman said that Leon has had one of the best players in camp. He even said that he would put him up there in the top 3 as far as performance so far. Mike also said that Leon has won the admiration of KG and Ray Allen. This is really good news. Last season, Leon didn't see much playing time, but every time he got on the court, good things seemed to happen. Mike seemed to think that Leon had solidified his position on the team with this camp.
Not only Mike Gorman has singled out Leon as one of the best players in camp, but Danny Ainge also mentions Leon along with Pruit as having one of the better camps in this interview on Comcast SportsNet. No one works harder than Leon Powe and it is paying off for him in his second season as a Celtic.
In the footage from practice that they have been showing on Comcast, almost every segment has a Leon Powe rebound and put back in it. He plays very hard and will give us a rebounder and intimidator on the second unit. He has been a beast on the offensive boards and this is something that the Celtics will need this season. We have a lot of scorers and having a player who can clean up the boards and get points off rebounds will be a big plus.
Leon seems to be having a great time in Rome and off the court has been enjoying himself along with cementing his place on the team on the court. Here is some video from Comcast SportsNet of Leon seeing the sights in Rome. He is so intense on the court, it is great to see him having fun with his teammates and seeing the sights.
In order for this team to win, we have to have a strong bench. Hearing such great things about Leon is very exciting and goes a long way toward giving us a strong bench. I have a feeling that Leon is one of the big reasons that the white team beat the green team several times during camp and is going to be a big reason that the Celtics come out winners this season.
In case you missed it, here is the video interview from Leon on media day from the crack staff at Perkisabeast.
Marc Spears is reporting in the Globe that Scot Pollard is returning to Boston for an MRI on the left ankle that has been bothering him since the first practice. Many of us have been concerned about his history of injuries, but I thought it would be his back that has kept him out for much of the last couple years. This should give Danny a very good reason to keep Batista on the team.
The Herald, which has had much better coverage of the Celtics during training camp expands on the coverage with this:
When it became clear he wouldn’t play here tomorrow against the Raptors or even next Wednesday in London against Minnesota, it was decided he should be closer to the Celts’ practice facility in Waltham.
“Dr. (Brian) McKeon came to Danny (Ainge) and I and Eddie (Lacerte, the trainer) and just suggested that if we wanted to get him good treatment to send him home,'’ said Doc Rivers. “That’s where to get it.
“His ankle is really big. We just want to make sure it gets right. We need him clearly, so we want to get him healthy. He’s a veteran. If he was a young guy, we probably would have kept him here, but then it (the rehab) would have been slower.
“It didn’t (respond). It will; you know that, but we just wanted to make sure. He’s important to our team and we just wanted to make sure we get the right treatment and get him everything he needs to heal.'’
Pollard sprained the ankle a couple of weeks before training camp and wasn’t able to participate in any of the practices here. He was most notable for his loud proclamations when it was time to get the Celts on their bus after practice.
Before he left, Pollard said, “Yeah, I wish I could just snap my fingers and the ankle would be perfect, but I guess that’s not the case. I’ll catch all of you back in the States.'’ Things just got a lot quieter around here.
I wonder who they will get to yell for the team to board the bus now.
Several reports coming from training camp. One of the best is on Celtics Blog from Fabio Anderle. Fabio has been a scout, a coach and a GM and knows his basketball and has been giving us some very informed reports that leave the regular media in the dust. He said something in today's article that especially caught my attention.
Perkins is in great shape, his chiselled body is ready for the season and he runs as if he had never suffered because of that nasty plantar fasciitis.
“I’m always on him about conditioning,” the coach said. “I thought he came into camp in average shape, and he should have been in great shape. I told him, ‘You’ve got family things you have to do, but you can still work out.’ But he’ll be fine. He’ll catch up with that. I thought he worked his butt off, and then he took two weeks off. That’s a long time to take off before camp, but that’s all right. Life happens, and you’ve just got to get over it.”
This puzzled me at the time and puzzles me even more now. Perk took exactly 2 days off after the season and has been pushing himself the entire summer. So, he took 2 weeks off for the birth of his first child. This is a once in a lifetime event and I am proud of Perk for putting Vanity and his child first. Then, Doc comes out and says that Perk came into camp in average shape. I just don't get how all that hard work could be undone in 2 weeks. Fabio's report sounds more like reality. Perk is in great shape and has continued to push himself to be the best he can be. He is running the floor well and looks great and this is from someone without an agenda who knows basketball. Be sure to check out his whole article as it has some great observations.
The Herald reports that the Celtics have until the end of October to work out and extension for Tony Allen and Pierce thinks they need to do it quickly.
The Celtics [team stats] have until the end of this month to sign Tony Allen to a contract extension, and Paul Pierce [stats] thinks it might behoove the club to get on it. “Yeah,” said Pierce with a smile, “they’d better do it right now because he may be worth a whole lot more if they wait until after the season.”Perhaps the Celts should take heed. Pierce’s last advice to management was to get some good veterans. After just a few days of training camp, the club has indeed seen enough from Allen to believe he will recover well from his left knee reconstruction. Danny Ainge acknowledged yesterday that the team needed to be sure with his health before proceeding. Allen can be a restricted free agent (the Celts could match any offer) next summer if he does not sign in the next three-plus weeks, but the club will now see if there is something that makes sense for both sides.
From all reports out of Rome, Tony still isn't 100% but he still brings energy and leadership to the team and is healing very well from his injury. Many have felt all along that if Tony can get back to where he was before the injury, he could very well be the X-factor on this team. He certainly brings a lot to the team.
The Globe reports on the 4 players who are vying for the final 2 spots on the team. Going into camp, it was pretty much assumed that Wallace and Manuel would be the odd men out but it may be Jones and Manuel judging from reports from camp.
Wallace went undrafted out of South Carolina and is the only one of the four with guaranteed money in his contract, which he signed July 10. The 6-9, 203-pound forward averaged 4.2 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 assist in 22.4 minutes per game in summer league play. The Jackson, S.C., native (Wallace) also may have the surprise play of practice thus far, as he dunked on 10-time All-Star Kevin Garnett Wednesday. Batista and Wallace could be helped by the fact the Celtics are more in need of size than guards.
ESPN Insider has an article that gives 5 observations from a British writer. These include this info on Ray Allen:
Little known fact, but the new Celtics guard spent the bulk of his early years in Europe, living in Germany and England where his father Walter was a master sergeant and metals technician in the US Air Force. Indeed, Allen did not play organized basketball until he returned to live permanently in the States at the age of 10, a fact which explains why he looked so adept with the ball at his feet, rather than his hands, during post-practice horseplay in Rome this week. "Oh I could have been a pro soccer player, easy," joked Allen. "I'm not saying being a soccer pro is easy but the focus, the hard work, the determination to be here in the NBA would have been there if I played baseball, soccer, anything.
The same writer also has another article on ESPN about Garnett's leadership on the team so far.
In today's Herald, Steve Bulpett reports that this year's team has a new motto:
But those lucky enough, and wealthy enough, to sit near the Celtics bench this season will hear something quite different coming out of the team huddles. During the first days of training camp in Italy, the team has chosen the word “ubuntu” to finish its post-practice moment with coach Doc Rivers.
I have written several articles on the importance of chemistry. Teams that have great chemistry like the Spurs and Pistons win championships. Teams that don't have great chemistry, even with multiple stars on the team, such as the Lakers with Malone, Payton, Kobe, and Shaq or the Rockets with Drexler, Barkley and Hakeem, don't win championships. The team that won the last championship in Boston had great chemistry and did things as a team to promote comraderie. In Peter May's book, The Last Banner, he tells us that the players on that team took a common bond not to drink beer until after the season. It may seem silly, but things like that tend to draw a team together.
That brings us to this current Celtics team. First, we saw the unity of the 3 stars on this team. Pierce and Allen flew in to be there for KG's press conference. Then, all 3 came back to Boston early to work out together and get to know each other's games. They have made a point of appearing for interviews and pictures as a unit. They have made the point that they are unified with one goal, and that is winning a championship.
Yesterday we got the news that Pierce, Rondo and Perk had shaved their heads to show unity among the starters. The 1986 team gave up drinking beer as a sign of unity and solidarity as a team going for a championship. Doc said that it doesn't matter what they look like and that is true, but what is important is the singularity of mind on that unit and being willing to band together.
Today, the Herald ran a story about the team's new motto - ubuntu. The word 'Ubuntu' originates from one of the Bantu dialects of Africa, and is pronounced as uu-Boon-too. Bishop Desmond Tutu defined ubuntu like this:
A person with ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed.
This is an excellent motto for this team to stress team unity. The statement "does not feel threatened that others are able and good" should remind the 3 stars on this team (or as Donny Marshall called them on Sports Tonight, the 3 studs) that ego should not get in the way of team play. They are all playing for the greater whole and it doesn't matter who scores the most or who gets the headlines, all that matters is the win and that will take team chemistry.
In his blog today, Big Baby talks about ubuntu and how he has already put it into effect.
I had to help Jackie Manuel eat oyster salad. The rookies had to eat that, and when he was having trouble finishing, they asked me if I was going to help my teammate out. You read about Ubuntu in Thursday’s Herald and how that’s our philosophy — each man on the team helping each other. So I had to help my fellow rookie. Ubuntu, that’s the saying of the year for us. They were like, are you going to help him. And I was like, yeah, I’m going to help my man.
Poor guy, first there was the octopus and now he has to help his teammate eat oyster salad. For one thing, this can't be helping him in his quest to keep his weight down. But the fact that he was willing to do something disgusting to him to help a teammate shows that he is taking this motto to heart.
Perk had this to say about the new motto:
It’s just our team motto this year. It’s what we’re living by - ubuntu. We stick together. That’s basically what I think it means, just bringing everyone together, everybody sticking together through thick and thin. I think it brings team unity. It’s very unique. I think if we live by it, we’ll be all right.”
Ray Allen had this to say about it:
“It’s a unique way of trying to unite everybody and make people understand that through all of our differences, we’ve got to have a similarity,” he said. “We have to come out here and play basketball every day, but we have to do it together. We’re starting our season now, and this is what we want to have as our foundation.”
Paul Pierce had this to say:
“I look at this team, and I think everybody believes in that phrase, because no matter who gets the glory, it means we all get the glory. For Kevin Garnett to get the MVP or Ray Allen to get the MVP or (Rajon) Rondo to make an All-Star team, I know I’ve got a part in that. I’m going to feel that. That’s what’s going to make us successful. If everybody feels that way about it and doesn’t care who gets the glory - because we all get the glory at the end - it’s going to be something special. If we can carry that throughout the whole year and not get down on one another and we keep it like that, we’re going to go a long way.”
Chemistry is going to be a very important to the success of this team and every time I read something like the fact that the starters have all shaved their heads to show unity, or the fact that their motto is now ubuntu, I see that this team is building chemistry and they are working as a team. There have been many asking if there will be enough basketballs for the 3 stars on this team and if they can work together, but ubuntu guarantees that they can and will work together. Like the Three Musketeers, it is one for all and all for one. And it will take that attitude all season for this team to be successful.
I am starting to get a bit worried about injury problems already. Since the first day of practice, Pierce has been icing his knee after practices. No mention has been made about how he injured it or what the problem is, but the fact that he is consistently icing it shows that there is a problem of some kind with his knee. From Fabio Anderle's article on Celtics Blog:
The Boston Celtics went through another hard fought session, practicing for about three hours. Some of them showed the signs of the battle: Paul Pierce got his left knee iced, and Kevin Garnett did some rehabbing too, after he was seen slightly limping.
Now, we not only have Pierce icing his knee after every practice, but we also have Kevin Garnett coming up limping and having to be attended to after practice. If Garnett or Pierce were to be out for any period of time, it would really hurt this team.
When Pruitt went down with a sprained ankle, Doc was concerned with our depth at point guard. Almost every blog and message board has been talking about this all along. Rondo is the starting point guard and I have no doubt that he is going to do well, but what happens if he gets injured? We have a piecemeal group of shooting guards who can play the point along with a rookie point guard who is a converted 2 guard. Doc voiced his concerns in the Herald:
With Gabe being out, it just shows how thin we are at that position. People keep talking about the point guard spot and they’re talking about Rajon. Rajon’s going to be fine. It’s what happens if he gets in foul trouble or one of the other guys can’t go. Then we’re thin.”
Pruitt was back at practice today but his absence due to the sprained ankle showed how thin we are there. An injury to Rondo would be devastating because he is going to have to play most of the minutes at the point with the 2 guards who can play point filling in behind him.
Scott Pollard has an injury history and is already out injured. We need to sign Batista, or we will be too thin at the center position again. If Perk's foot should flare up again, and Pollard spends his usual time injured, we would be without a center. Batista gives us a young center that will give us some insurance at the center position. From what I have heard out of training camp, Batista may move into the second unit in front of Pollard as he has been playing well and impressing. From the Herald
Esteban Batista continued to impress with his offensive game, but Rivers said again his chances of making the team will be determined by other aspects of his play. “He played great offensively today and he’s physical,'’ Rivers said. “He plays hard every possession and that’s really important, and he’s not scared of anybody — and I love it. Hell, it may go the other way. they’re a little more fearful of guarding him. (But) he’s got to improve defensively. He fouls right, and that’s an area he has to improve on.'’
I am concerned by the number of injuries that we have had on the Celtics over the past couple of seasons and that was with young guys who should be more durable. Now we have older veterans who may be more susceptible to injury and it is a very concerning thought. We are contenders for the title this season, but with a few key injuries, we could be right back in the lottery as well. Hopefully the team's strength and conditioning coaches can keep these guys healthy. Pierce icing his knee and Garnett limping off the court along with Pollard with his foot in a bucket of ice and Pruitt already sitting out because of an ankle sprain have tempered my optimism somewhat. We need to stay healthy if we plan to get anywhere this season.
Over all, things are looking great! I'm working hard everyday, and the start of the season is getting closer... things couldn't be better!
Big Baby has also updated his blog. Poor guy needs a nap and is trying to avoid eating another plate of octopus by hiding out with Batista.
I’m sitting here with ice on my groin. My bunions are hurting. But, hey, this is a job and I love it. I love the game, and this is what comes with the game so I’ve got to suck it up. But just to give you a little insight on how I feel right now, I’m sitting here looking at all the reporters. My eyes are a little dizzy. I’m really tired and I’m glad we’ve only got one practice today. I’m going to get me a lot of rest and come back stronger tomorrow. In the meantime I’m going to try to avoid the rookie duties. I’ve been hiding from everybody so they don’t know where I’m at. Everybody be looking for me. Right now I’m chilling here with my man Estaban (Batista), and I just want to say… I’m out.
Kendrick Perkins kept working with Clifford Ray after the scrimmages. Cliff had him shooting from the top of the key, then both left handed and right handed short hooks, and then some jumpers more from the corner. It is great to see how Ray is taking care of the kid, he always pushes him to the edge but in a very gentle way, as if “barking orders” wasn’t part of their bond. Tony Allen went very strong to the basket, and although you can see that his lift is not back yet, he’s working hard to come back. His knee sometimes is sore, sometimes is ok, but he was definitely working very hard to get his groove back.
We can't stress enough the influence of working with Clifford Ray is going to have on Perk. Because of the shoulder injury he couldn't work with him last summer and because of the plantar fasciitis, he couldn't work with him during the season. Good to see that they are putting in extra time together. It is also good to hear that Tony is looking good. He is going to be a key to this team if he can get back to where he was. He brings a lot to the team and hopefully he can stay healthy and get back to where he was before the injury.
The team is building great chemistry. Doc was talking about how Tony and Eddie House are building great chemistry on the court. Off the court they all seem to be bonding very well. The second unit seems to be coming together quicker than the starters judging by the results from the scrimmages. Doc describes Tony and Leon as two pit bulls. We have a bigger defensive presence on the second unit and because of that, I can see why they would be winning. I really like Leon and hope he can break into the rotation. Good things just seem to happen when he is on the court.
I can't wait for the game on Saturday! It will be amazing to watch KG, RA and PP all playing on the same team. It won't really sink in until I see them play in a game. As intense as their practices have been, I hope they don't all injure each other before the game.
In his EuroBlog on Celtics.com, Peter Stringer reports that Pierce, Rondo and Perk have shaved their heads to match KG and Ray Allen in the bald and beautiful category. My son's soccer team did the same thing in his senior year. The whole team went out and shaved their heads before a Districts. It just happened to be the night before he had his Senior pictures taken and so I have a lasting reminder of his team's togetherness. His team won Disctricts and went on to State. I hope the Celtics sign of solidarity has even better results and it results in a championship. Pierce isn't sure if he will keep the look so if you like it, go to Celtics.com and vote for bald or hair on the Captain. I'll post pictures as soon as any come up.
Also of note in his blog, the starters lost both of their scrimmages today.
Who cares about practice? The big story today: Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins all shaved their heads, matching Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen in the dome department. But follicles weren't the only thing that challenged the starters today; they dropped two scrimmage games, one to the white team and one to the gray team, while team white (second unit) won both of its scrimmages. Maybe hair isn't so bad after all.
Doc was miked at practice and you can watch the video here. Another positive happening was that Pruitt returned to practice today and was shooting the ball well.
It is no secret that I really love this kid. Anyone who has been around the Celtics boards knows that he is my favorite player and I expect big things from him. He, like Powe has gone through some tough times and has come out much tougher because of it. Kendrick Perkins was born on November 10, 1984 in Nederland, Texas. His mother died when Perk was only 5 years old. His dad was rarely around which still hurts him. His grandparents raised him and were there to give advice, direction and comfort. But his grandparents didn't know much about basketball except that Kendrick seemed to have an aptitude for the game. His high school coach at Ozen High School, Andre Bouette, became his mentor as far as making basketball decisions and became the father figure he didn't have in his life. At first, Kendrick wanted to play football but Bouette wisely pointed him towardbasketball instead. During his high school career at Clifton J. Ozen High School in Beaumont, Texas, Perkins led his team to four consecutive district championships and one state championship. He averaged 27.5 points, 16.4 rebounds and 7.8 blocked shots as a Senior in the 2002-2003 season. He helped Ozen to a 33-1 record, with the only loss being a 66-54 setback to Fort Worth Dunbar in the state 4A championship game. He was selected to the McDonald's All-American game for high-school players. It was in this game that he first injured his shoulder. In spite of the dislocated shoulder, he still wanted to finish the game.
He chose to forego college and enter the NBA draft right out of high school after leading his team to a 96 and 3 record over his final 3 years in high school. He was named All State in all three seasons. He was the 27th pick in the 2003 draft, chosen by the Memphis Grizzlies and subsequently traded to the Celtics in the deal that sent Dahntay Jones to the Grizzlies.
His profile on NBAdraft.net says this about him:
"Unlike many young players his age, Perkins is not infatuated with playing on the perimeter. He plays strictly a power game and is capable of dominating the low post ... Fundamentally he has added various offensive moves, from a drop step, to an up-and-under, and even the rarely utilized jump hook which he can shoot over most defenders ... Perkins is very mobile around the lane and he has no problem running on the break despite his size ... Has an excellent pair of hands that can catch most passes thrown into the post. Once there, his soft touch around the basket allows him to convert easily ... Does a good job of drawing contact to bait his defender into fouling . Has shown decent passing skills when double teams occur ... Physically he has an NBA build that has yet to fill out ... An above average rebounder who uses his body to gain good position under the glass ... Possesses solid footwork on defense enabling him to stay in front of most defenders ... Each year he has developed in some area of his game ... Work ethic remains strong despite all the hype."
In Perk's first year, he played very little, averaging only 3 minutes per game and racking up 72 DNP's. In spite of this, he worked very hard that year to remake his body and build his conditioning. His second year wasn't much better. He averaged 9 minutes per game in 60 games. But he continued to work on his body and conditioning and when he got a chance to play, he showed a lot of promise. In his third season in the league, he still was given very little playing time and had several DNP's until the Mark Blount trade midway through the season. He finally was given more minutes and averaged 19 mpg. But he still took a back seat to Raef LaFrenz as far as playing time. He was coming on strong and was reaching double figures in rebounds almost every game when he dislocated his shoulder once again and had to sit out while it healed. Over the summer he dislocated his shoulder a third time while working out with Clifford Ray and underwent surgery to avoid further problems with it. The shoulder healed well and he showed no problems from it last season. To show his desire to play, he was sneaking onto the court to play before he was formally cleared.
This past season, his 4th in the league, he got off to a good start, but then was slowed by plantar fasciitis in his left foot. In spite of being in pain the entire season, he only missed 10 games because he knew the team needed him. He wasn't able to practice because he had to rest his foot as much as possible. The pain in his foot kept him from being able to jump and also affected his lateral movement. Toward the end of the season he started feeling a little better and was rebounding very well but still was not in shape because of the injury.
Perk took 2 days off at the end of the season and then was right back in the gym working on his conditioning and his game. He worked with Tom Thibodeau and Clifford Ray this off season, completely healthy for the first time since his rookie season and pushed himself to the limit to improve his game and his conditioning for this season. He has also been learning from his new teammate, Kevin Garnett as well. I expect all this hard work to pay off in a break out season for Perk this year. Early reports from Rome say that Perk is playing very well.
Perk has made himself into one of the toughest players on the Celtics and in the league. His work ethic is second to none and each year he improves his game in some areas. Center is one of the toughest positions to fill and the Celtics have filled this position with a very tough rebounder, shot blocker, and defender. He gives the Celtics something they haven't had in many years, and that is an enforcer. I truly believe that Perk can establish himself as one of the premier centers in the league.
In his blog in the Herald, Big Baby details his brush with a car in Rome. I had to laugh at the part where he said he was bigger than the car. This kid is going to liven up the interviews this season. He goes from eating an octopus to getting hit by a car. He seems to be preoccupied with food in his blogs which is pretty funny too.
I’ve got a little tip for you today. When you’re in Rome, watch the cars. They will knock you out.
I was walking to go meet the guys to get something to eat and — this is no lie — a car really hit me. I was crossing the street, and then guy slows down to come around a corner and — boom. The guy was like, “Oh, I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry.'’ I swear it happened.
But the car was so small. He kind of hit me on the thigh, but it didn’t even hurt at all. I mean, it was one of those small cars that just fits two people. You see them all over here.
I told my mom I got hit by a car, and she was like, “Oh, lord, are you hurt?'’ I told her, “No, mom, I’m way bigger than the car.'’
The guy knew it, too. When he got out, he checked his car first to see if it was OK. It was fine. No insurance claims or anything like that. Everything’s intact. I just kept walking.
I’ll watch the cars in Rome from now on. That’s the advice I would give to anybody who comes to Rome. Other than I had a good meal. I ate ravioli this time. Not octopus.
To start out with, ESPN is reporting that the jury found Isaiah guilty of sexual harassment and will now decide on MSG's liability. I know it isn't Celtics news, but any green blooded Celtics fan has to feel a little bit os joy at Isaiah and the Knicks having problems.
The Herald reports that James Posey is leading the second unit and that things are shaping up for the bench, as well as the starting unit.
Looking at the club overall, the coach added, “The biggest change besides obviously the three guys is that our bench is all veterans, too - well, not all, but you think about Scal and James Posey and Eddie House. They’re not going to look at the starting unit and kiss their butt. They’re going to play them, and they’re not going to back down. “The scrimmages between that second unit and the first unit have been very close and very competitive - a lot of barking with each other. Before, when Paul said something, the young guys would back up. Well, they’re going nowhere now. Tony Allen’s on that group, and he’s a bulldog. Leon’s on that group. You’ve got five guys who look the starters in the eye and tell them to bring it on. And that’s nice.” Said Tony Allen: “It’s pretty competitive. There’s a lot of pride out there. Guys want to get stops. Basically we’re all just trying to make each other better.” Posey has done a good job of both establishing his own presence and giving Garnett and Pierce a hard go. “He’s very competitive, very tough,” Garnett said. “He doesn’t just play defense. He knows how to defend. You know what I mean? Some people just defend because they hustle. He actually understands how to defend. It’s refreshing. It’s a good addition to this team.”
The Globe reports that Ray Allen has been taking Rondo under his wing and Rondo is responding. Allen's leadership is going to be a key to this season because of what it will mean to Rondo's development in particular. A quote from Peter Stringer's blog on Celtics.com shows what a team player this guy is.
According to Allen, adaptation is the key to success in camp for veterans who may find that their role changes from year to year. "You just have to be willing to do what the team needs from you that particular year. I think most people go into training camp with a preconceived idea of what they're to do based on what they did last year. I know what I can do, but with this team, I have to figure out what they need me to do now."
I have always respected Allen but I have a whole new respect for this guy now that he is a Celtic. What a classy guy! Also from Springer's blog, Pierce has some very interesting things to say:
Pierce said that picking up offense is easy, but defense is the toughest thing to learn in the NBA. "Only the great teams are the top teams in defense, and those are the teams that win championships. That's what were focusing on," Pierce said. "We know we've got great offensive weapons, but if we can get our defense to be just as talented as our offense, and everybody has the will to want to do that, the sky's the limit for us."
Yes! Defense wins championships. It is about time this team concentrated on defense! Also from this article, Doc expresses some concern at being thin at PG.
"With Gabe being out, it just shows how thin we are at that position. Rajon is going to be fine, but what happens when he gets in foul trouble, or one of the other guys can't go?" Rivers asked rhetorically. He clarified that he's comfortable with the situation but he still realizes that any long-term injury could complicate things. "Tony and Eddie are getting better at it, but on purpose today we told Rajon to pick up whoever the point guard is, that way that guy would see pressure, and it affected them, no doubt about it. And that's what some teams are going to do [against us]."
Maybe Danny should have listened to the blogs and signed a veteran PG.
NBA.com and ComcastSportsNet both have videos from practice along with interviews. Leon Powe has a nice put back dunk in one of the videos. Both Doc and Mike Gorman have mentioned that Powe is looking good in practice and that the veterans love his intensity. As a big Powe fan, that is good news.
ESPN has their training camp power rankings out. Spurs open up at #1 and the Celtics are at #2. That is some kind of incredible turnaround. From 29th in the last rankings last season to 2nd to open this season. Here is their little blurb to go with the ranking.
Sobering fact: No team with three 20-point scorers has ever won it all. But all Boston has to do is get to the Finals to meet expectations, which (again) is very plausible now after the NBA's most spectacular offseason.
Scot Pollard doesn't like blogs but does have a journal on TrueHoop on his experience at Vlade Divac's charity event. The Palm Beach Post reports that Antoine is moving past the robbery and is ready to start the season. I just love how Antoine was telling Pierce he was going to have to leave Boston to get a ring and now, the Celtics are rated higher than the Heat.
In not Celtics news but you love it when they struggle department, The Chicago Tribune reports that Phil Jackson has real doubts about his team.
USA Today questions whether Rondo can lead this team to a championship.
Boston Celtics — The new Big Three of Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce shouldn't have any trouble playing together because they are unselfish veterans who understand that this could be their chance at a ring. The question, however, centers on point guard Rajon Rondo. Can he lead this team or will they have to go out and get a veteran point guard?
Seems like everyone is questioning Rond without even knowing what this kid can do. His only real weakness was his shooting and it seems that he has taken care of that. If you watch the training camp videos, you can see Rondo hitting a couple of jump shots that look pretty good.
Dahntay Lavall Jones was born on December 27, 1980 in Trenton, New Jersey. He is a 6'6" shooting guard. Jones starred in Steinert High School in Hamilton, New Jersey from 1995-1998. He averaged 24 points and 9 rebounds as a senior and was named as a McDonald's All-America honorable mention. He originally went to Rutgers University but then transferred to Duke University to play with his friend from New Jersey, Jay Williams who encouraged him to join him in Durham, North Carolina.
In his freshman year at Rutgers, Jones averaged 10.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. He was named to the Big East All Rookie Team. His sophomore season, also at Rutgers, he averaged 16.0 points and 4.6 rebounds. He transferred to Duke and sat out the 2000-'01 season as a transfer student. In his junior season, he averaged 11.2 points and 4.2 rebounds. His senior season he averaged 17.7 points and 5.5 rebounds. He was voted to the All ACC first team in 2003 and to the All ACC Defensive team in 2002 and 2003. He won a Gold Medal at the World Championship for young young men with the US team in 2001.
At Duke, Jones was involved in several on court incidents that got him into trouble. In a game against Clemson, his trash talk caused an incident:
Duke junior forward Dahntay Jones' fastbreak dunk to all but seal a win against at Clemson on Saturday evening should have been a highlight. Instead, it became a lowlight. The Tigers called timeout after the play and Jones, as he trotted to his bench, said something to his opponents Clemson coach Larry Shyatt didn't appreciate. Irate, he stormed toward midcourt to confront Jones.
Then, there is this:
Without Jones, Duke would have felt its way along this season. With him, the team gained swagger. Sometimes, too much of it. Krzyzewski blasted Jones for a flashy behind-the-back pass on a fast break against Florida State. After a spectacular dunk against Virginia, Jones fell to the floor and did pushups in front of a TV camera. Wake Forest freshman guard Justin Gray broke his jaw hitting a Jones' screen. Jones swiped North Carolina freshman point guard Raymond Felton across the face on a rebound, leaving him on face-down on the floor in anguish and setting up a chest-bumping altercation between Carolina coach Matt Doherty and Duke assistant Chris Collins.
He was selected by the Boston Celtics in the first round (20th overall) of the 2003 NBA Draft, and his rights were traded, along with the rights to Troy Bell, to the Grizzlies for the rights to Kendrick Perkins and Marcus Banks. In his 4 seasons with the Grizzlies, he averaged 5.1 points, 1.6 rebounds, and .6 assists. His best season was in 2006-07 when he averaged 7.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, and .9 assists in 21.4 minutes per game over 78 games.
Like in college, Jones has been involved in a couple of incidents in the NBA. One involved Shawn Marion of the Suns:
As Shawn Marion attempted a layup, Memphis' Dahntay Jones pushed him to the ground. An angry Marion landed hard and had to be restrained from going after Jones by teammate Steven Hunter. Jones, who was called for a flagrant foul, later apologized to Marion, but the Suns were still steaming about the hit after the game. 'It was a dirty foul,' Hunter said. 'He (Marion) was hot, but I wasn't going to let him do anything stupid.' Suns coach Mike D'Antoni, hearing fans heckling him, turned around and shouted, 'That's not right. That's not basketball.' No one was angrier than Quentin Richardson, who said he wanted to '(expletive deleted) Jones up.' 'If it had been in the regular season, he would have been in the first row with me on top of him,' Richardson said. 'But we had better things to do than get into it.'
HoopsHype has this to say about Jones:
Awesome athlete... can get to the basket... great offensive rebounder... good perimeter defender... will block some shots... jump shot still needs work.
Dahntay's father, Larry, played basketball at St. Peter’s College. His parents, Larry and Joanne, both work for Johnson and Johnson, his father as a Director and his mother in Network Securities. One of his cousins is fellow NBA player Al Harrington.
Off the court, Dahntay is very involved in the community and is a good guy. He launched the Dahntay Jones Foundation in 2005 to help at-risk youth, and in June 2006 he donated $16,000 to Greenwood Elementary School in Hamilton, New Jersey, to cover the costs of upgrading their Success For All reading program. He frequently participates in basketball camps for kids. He has participated in the Grizzlies Tickets for Kids program with Dahntay’s Department of Defense. He played in Kenny Smith’s Hurricane Katrina Relief game in the summer of 2005, and along with Damon Stoudamire and Eddie Jones, provided toys for hurricane victims during the holiday season. During the summer of 2006, he played in the Midsummer Night’s Dream Celebrity game, as well as the Chicagoland All-Star Classic.
Danny has been keeping an eye on Jones over the years since he was drafted and signed him to a non-guaranteed contract for training camp. The Celtics have 17 players on their roster, which means that 2 will have to be cut. The final spot will probably come down to either Jones or Wallace, depending on who plays better in the pre-season. He definitely has a chance to make this team since he has experience on his side.
Jeff over on Celtics Blog is once again previewing the 30 teams in 30 days team previews. The Celtics are first, as well they should be. Check out the previews today on CelticsBlog, LOY's Place, Green Bandwagon, and Red's Army.
There are reports coming from Rome on the team and things are getting exciting. The Globe has an article about how intense Garnett is, even in practices.
Garnett's intensity picked up dramatically after his first team lost to the second team. The 2004 NBA Most Valuable Player said he "doesn't like to get beat" and that he got his competitive fire from his mother. "I enjoy competing," said Garnett. "I enjoy playing the game. I get to come to practice and release some of my energy. Release some of my stress." During his 12-year career with Minnesota, Garnett often worried his coaches and the front office by practicing extremely hard. Ex-NBA player Robert Pack played with Clyde Drexler, Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Chris Webber, Steve Nash, and Baron Davis, but he couldn't recall anyone who practiced as hard as Garnett did when they were Wolves teammates. "If it wasn't for the other team having the same name on their jersey, you wouldn't know it was practice [with Garnett]," Pack said. "He goes all-out, which should send a message to the rest of the players."
The Herald reports that Tony Allen is putting his knee to the test and playing at full strength. Doc figures to use Tony a great deal at the point coming off the bench with House playing the 2 guard with him.
Assuming he is able to get through camp without any major setbacks, Allen will be spending a good deal of time at point guard on offense. He was there yesterday, running the show for a second unit that also consisted of Eddie House, James Posey, Leon Powe and Brian Scalabrine. (As expected, Paul Pierce [stats], Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo [stats] and Kendrick Perkins [stats] comprised the first team.) “That’s probably pretty much what we think we’ll do,” Rivers said. “Tony will run the point off the bench. When him and Eddie are on the floor, he may have the ball more than Eddie. Tony will guard the 2, but the point will still guard Eddie, so that means the point won’t be guarding Tony and pressuring him.” Allen said he’s yet to hear a definitive word on the positioning, but he added, “I know all the plays, and I feel good with the ball in my hands. But that’s just a way for me to stay in things and get my aggressiveness and my strength back.
Let’s see what else … well, breakfast was really good today. I had some fruit and some egg whites. I didn’t know what some of the stuff was, but it was good. I did have some orange juice that tasted horrible, but maybe it wasn’t orange juice. I started off feeling kind of tired this morning. I’m still not really used to the time. But then I was walking in the hall and I realized this was going to be my first NBA two-a-day. I was like, oh, my gosh. I was thinking, please, God, just let me make it through. But it wasn’t so bad [and the second session was changed to a walk-through]. I got out a little Sunday night, and we got to see some things. The Spanish Steps were nice. It was a whole bunch of us. It was fine until I had my first rookie duty. Gabe (Pruitt) wasn’t there, so I had to do it alone. I had to eat a whole plate of octopus. I think that’s one of the toughest things I ever did in my life. I ate raw octopus. Everybody was like, “Eat it. Eat it. You’d better eat it.'’ So I ate it. You know, team spirit.
My list of guys who stood out today: Ray Allen, who seemingly couldn't miss during the scrimmage; Tony Allen, who was attacking the hole when the opportunity showed itself, and once again, Esteban Batista, who appears more polished than advertised, at least to these eyes, anyway. Captain Paul Pierce also had a strong day. I'm probably leaving a few guys out, and the coaching staff's opinion is the only one that matters anyway, but about two hours later, those are the guys who stuck in my head.
He also reports that Gabe Pruitt sprained his ankle on the final play of a scrimmage game and that Pollard is day to day with his ankle sprain. Yesterday, Pierce was icing his knee.
I don't like all these injuries so soon. One thing we need in order to succeed this season is good health. Last season we would have been much better if we hadn't had 312 player games lost to injuries. I hope that these injuries early aren't going to mean another season of the same. Makes me wonder if the trainig guys are doing their jobs.
Gilbert Arenas is predicting that the Celtics will lose their season opener and he is still carrying a grudge because the Celtics didn't draft him. Get over it Gil!
Oh man, everybody is jumping on this Celtics band wagon. You know what? I was going to go prediction-free for the whole year, but I guess I’m going to break that now. Now, if anybody remembers back when I got drafted, I got a report back that the reason I dropped so far in the draft was that Jim O’Brien of the Celtics said that I was too immature and that I wasn’t ready for the NBA. What really happened was that I had an Achilles injury and I went back to L.A. to go get it healed when I was supposed to have a two-day workout in Boston with O’Brien. He didn’t like that. So word came back to me that he was trashing me and it put this knife through my chest about the Boston Celtics. Back in the day when I would day dream I thought that if I could score 100 points against any team it would be the Boston Celtics. Now, I knew it would never happen, but if I could do one thing in the NBA it would be to score 100 against Boston. So anyway, since everybody is back on the Boston bandwagon it brought back old memories. So listen here. On November 2nd, we’re going to go into that building, we’re opening up Boston. Right now I’m telling the Boston fans: You guys are going to lose. It’s not going to be a victory for Boston. You might as well just cheer for me, because Boston isn’t winning in Boston for the season opener. I’m sorry.
Only 4 more days till we play the Raptors in Rome. The game will be on NBA-TV and ComcastSports Net at 2:30 Eastern time. I can't wait.
Boston Celtics Last Years Record: 24-58 Key Losses: Al Jefferson, Gerald Green, Ryan Gomes, Delonte West Key Additions: Kevin Garnett, Ray Allan James Posey
1. What significant moves were made during the offseason? The most significant moves were trading Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes and Gerald Green to pick up Kevin Garnett. Also, we moved picks and sent Szczerbiak, Delonte West to Seattle in order to acquire Ray Allen. Some other significant moves have been the signings of James Posey and Eddie House as well as Brandon Wallace. Current unguaranteed signings Esteban Batista and Dahntay Jones. Drafting Gabe Pruitt and Big Baby Glen Davis will also be significant pickups. However, having a 17 player Roster puts Boston over the limit, which means more changes are on the horizon.
2. What are the team’s biggest strengths? Our biggest strengths now appear to be rebounding, scoring, defense, and player depth. Adding the All-Stars Ray Allan and Kevin Garnett will make points easier for everyone especially Paul Pierce. As well as open up the court for other players to contribute. The additions of Kevin Garnett, James Posey, and defensive guru Tom Thibodeau should greatly improve our defense, along with the fact that Pierce is determined to concentrate on defense this season as well. At Center, Perk is looking to surprise a lot of people this season. With the addition of Batista to back him up, the center position is looking to be another strength over last year.
3. What are the team’s biggest weaknesses? One of our biggest weakness is still the Point, but this may not be an issue with Rondo's continued improvement and the addition of House as well as the Draft pick of Gabe Pruitt. Also, Tony Allen is also a tweener that could, but prolly will not, run the point. I would say our second biggest weakness is coaching since Doc hasn't proved himself in 8 years as head coach.
4. What are the goals for this team? The Goal of this team is a title! An appearance in the ECF after an injury filled season last year as well as the controversy over tanking to land the top Lottery spot is a must. With 3 All-Stars and a young crew full of talent, a title should be a considerably realistic one for the first time since Walker & Pierce brought us to the ECF vs NJ. If not this season, then next. We have all the horses to win it all this year if luck holds out and we stay healthy and mesh early.
5. Where do we stand amongst the East? Boston is as close to a lock for number 1 in the East as you can get. Detroit is still a force. Cleveland was the ultimate underdog and it still remains to be seen if they can repeat the past season performance. Chicago is also among the top EC teams, while Miami seems to have fallen sharply. Perk has to be able to be prove he is a legit Bigman as well as Rondo who is still unproven at Point. However, all things considered, I predict Boston silencing a lot of critics.
The Celtics are in Rome and have held their first practice. On Celtics.com Peter Stringer reports from their practice and Yahoo has posted photos from there. In spite of planning only an hour and a half practice since the players pretty much were running on a couple hours sleep, they ended up going 2 hours. It is interesting to note that the reserve beat the starters in their first scrimmage.
And while I figured the guys would be somewhat sluggish, the intensity on the floor was very high, especially at the end of the session after the white team (reserves) beat the green team (Garnett, Pierce, Ray Allen, Perkins and Rondo) in quick scrimmage game.
Despite getting just two hours of sleep, KG was clearly the most vocal -- after practice Paul Pierce said he's the most intense guy he's played with, placing him a notch above Gary Payton and Antoine Walker -- with James Posey probably coming in second. Garnett later told reporters that he gets his intensity from his mother. "The white team beat us, and I don't like to get beat. That's just what it is."
Posey had some nice finishes around the basket in traffic that impressed, and training camp invitee Esteban Batista also displayed nice touch and footwork in the paint as well.
Fromthe sounds of it, Posey is going to be a very good signing. Batista will almost surely get one of the final roster spots.
Allen is still getting used to his new surroundings. Despite working out for a few weeks with his new teammates and doing several photo shoots, he said the reality of his offseason trade was still sinking in.
"I noticed it for the first time when we walked into the hotel and I saw that sign that says Boston Celtics Team Room," Allen said. "I looked at Kevin and said, 'Wow, I'm a Boston Celtic.' That name carries a lot of weight. It has for a long time, and I'm definitely in great company."
Pierce, who reported getting barely any sleep between the flight and the time between arrival and the bus to practice, said it felt good to break a sweat but that fatigue was still a factor.
With nine new guys on the team, there'll be plenty of system review in the next few days. The opening minutes of today's session went through responsibilities during a free throw attempt and the basics how the team executes getting into one of it's basic offensive sets. Tomorrow, the team is slated to begin the first of two days of two-a-days.
