Jackie Manuel is a 6'5" shooting guard who is known for his defense and hustle. He graduated from Cardinal Newman High School in West Palm Beach, Florida where he won 2 state championships. He went on to attend college at the University of North Carolina. He played in 89 career games at UNC and made 48 starts, most at the off-guard position. He averaged 6.5 points per game but developed into one of the finest defensive players in the country during his college career. He took 1,000 shots a day in the offseason to try to improve his shooting. He emerged as a fan favorite at the Smith Center because of his great attitude, hustle and defensive presence. He became the second Tar Heel to earn All-ACC Defensive Team honors. Manuel was a key member and one of three captains of the UNC's 2005 National Championship team. He had his own fan section at North Carolina and Jackie Manuel has a Posse tee shirts gained cult status and are still proudly worn there.
Manuel went undrafted and was signed Fayetteville Patriots of the NBDL in 2005 (the same team that Gerald Green played with). He didn't play with the Patriots, though, due to injury. In 2006 he was selected by the LA D-Fenders in the NBDL where he averaged 9.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.09 steals per game in just over 28 minutes per game. According to Draft Express, his strengths are
An outstanding athlete who can jump with the best of them. Has great instincts on the defense end, terrific lateral movement and can guard the 1-3 positions. Has a good wingspan; blocks shots, gets in the passing lanes and can provide a good sparkplug off the bench if needed. High character player who will do whatever is asked of him. Has 4 years of experience playing at the highest level NCAA basketball has to offer. Has been asked to guard all the best perimeter players in the ACC over his collegiate career. Very competitive player, attacks the rim and does a great job on the glass because of his tenacity, wingspan and athletic ability. Not afraid to sacrafice his body to come up with the charge
In the 2006-07 season, he played in 4 preseason games for the Orlando Magic. He averaged 5.0 points, 2.0 rebounds, .5 assists and 1.2 steals in 17.8 minutes per game. In this year's NBDL draft, Manuel was drafted with the 5th overall pick by the Iowa Energy.
“We got two of the best defenders that were available at the guard position and we fell really good about it,” said Nick Nurse, the Energy’s coach. “I am very pleased with the first choices.”
His contract with the Celtics is not guaranteed and with the signing of Batista, and Jones, I believe that Manuel's days as a Celtic are numbered. He will provide good defense in practice during training camp, but he will more than likely be playing for the Iowa Energy this season after an all expenses paid trip to Europe. Not a bad way to start the season.
Esteban Damian Batista Hernandez was born September 2, 1983 in Montevideo, Uruguay. He was raised in Playa Pascual, a suburb of Montevideo. Batista began his basketball career in Uruguay He played in 2001-02 with Welcome in the National League (Uruguay), and put up 6.2 ppg and 4.5 rpg in 22 games. He played for Salto Uruguay in 2002-03, and averaged 16.4 ppg over 28 games. He played in 23 games for Pozuelo (Spain), where he averaged 8.9 ppg and 7.4 rpg He also played in four games at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He spent most of 2003-04 with Trouville (Montevideo, Uruguay), playing in 40 games and averaging 20.1 ppg and 15.0 rpg during the regular season. He also played in two games with Liceo Mixto Los Andes (Chile) and with the Uruguayan National Team in the South American Tournament in Brazil. In 2004, he was nominated as the best basketball player in the country by the Uruguayan Olympic Committee. In 2004-05, Batista played in eight games with Aguas de Calpe (Spain), where he averaged 10.6 ppg and 5.5 rpg. In August and September of 2005, he represented Uruguay in the FIBA Americas Tournament, and grabbed a tournament-best 15.6 rpg, adding 18.0 ppg in eight games.
Batista signed with the Atlanta Hawks as a free agent on September 12, 2005 and became the first native of Uruguay to play in the NBA. The 6-10 center provided a physical presence off the Hawks’ bench. He appeared in 57 games, including 3 starts, as a rookie, and averaged 1.8 ppg and 2.5 rpg in 8.7 minutes per game.
In the summer of 2006, Batista led Uruguay to a runner-up finish in the 2006 FIBA South American championships in Caracas, Venezuela. He led all players in total points (85, with an average of 21.3 ppg), free throws made (37), rebounding (offensive, defensive and total, averaging 10.8 rpg), and he was 2nd in the tournament in blocks with 1.0 bpg and 4th in steals at 3.0 spg. After earning first-team All-Tournament honors, Batista joined Hawks’ summer league team and played in three games at the Rocky Mountain Revue in Salt Lake City, averaging 6.0 ppg and 3.0 rpg in 13.3 mpg.
During his second season with the Hawks, he played in only 13 games and averaged 1.5 points per game to go with 2.3 rebounds per game in 6.2 minutes per game. This past summer, he once again played for Uruguay in the 2007 FIBA Championships, held August 22nd through September 2nd in Las Vegas. Batista averaged 20.8 points per game and a tournament high 12.4 rebounds per game for Team Uruguay.
After his strong showing in the FIBA championships, he was pursued by several teams including the Celtics, Charlotte Bobcats, Indiana Pacers, and Phoenix Suns. Early on, Batista's agent said that he turned down an offer from the Celtics and was pursuing teams who showed more interest. Then, the next day we learned that he was still considering the Celtics and was working out with the team. On September 26, Batista was signed to a non-guaranteed contract. He will give us some much needed depth behind Perk at the center position and I expect him to make the team. Early reports from Rome are positive about him.
...training camp invitee Esteban Batista also displayed nice touch and footwork in the paint as well.
He didn't play in the game against the Raptors and had a decent showing in the game against the Wolves with 7 points (2-4), 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and only 1 turnover in 19 minutes.
I think that everything is focused on the attitude that I put into every minute of the game. This helps me become more powerful, have more energy, better approach my rebounds, be more active under the hoop and be physically strong. I think these are my biggest strengths and also what got me here. Always wanting to play, help and fight a team.
Batista's favorite sport outside of basketball is soccer, which he watches religiously on South American sports television. He roots for the National soccer club in Uruguay. In his spare time, he enjoys going online to check out the news in his native country, and emailing friends and family. He likes all styles of music, but he prefers hip-hop. Off the court, Batista led the Hawks’ first-ever Spanish Reading Timeout for children last season, as part of the NBA's Read to Achieve program.
Batista is fighting for one of the final 2 spots on the roster. With the Celtics need for size and with Pollard being injured already, I can see Batista sticking with this team.
It's been awhile since I was able to do a Fiddlin' and Diddlin' post. So much going on. Seems like there aren't enough hours in the day. YAY Sports has been won over by Rajon Rondo and apparently, so has Europe. But then, what's not to like. He is a hard worker and a nice kid. As I said in my article a few days ago, the Celtics are in good hands. The Globe continues the Boston media's articles on Perk. You just have to love this kid.
"I'm not worried about it," Perkins said. "I always say I just want to lose myself within the team. If we go win it all and I average 2 points, we all still get rewarded. If I average 2 points and we win it all, I will have nothing to complain about."
The Herald sees an older, better, and wiser team this season with the swap of youth for veterans over the off season. Celtics.com has a video of the post game press conference from the Wolves game. Red's Army once again proves to be the master of Photoshop. It is worth it just to see the picture with their No Place Like Home article.
The Enterprise gives us a look at Pruitt and Davis as they settle in on an unexpectedly veteran team.
Glen Davis had arrived for an informal workout session with his new teammates when he spotted one of the most famous players in the NBA. “I look up, look around the corner, see this tall guy and I'm like, 'That's KG',” said Davis, recalling his first encounter with Kevin Garnett. “I was like a kid, 'Oh my God. Oh my God.' “Then I'm like, 'Settle down. That's your teammate now.' But I'm still like a kid every time I'm around him. I used to watch those Gatorade commercials with him. I'm like a kid in the candy store.”
If nothing else, Big Baby is going to be an interesting interview. Reveal Manchester shares some randomnsess in the UK. CBS Sportsline talks about how different KG looks in Celtics green, especially to former teammates. Boston Daily talks about the genius that is Big Baby. While no one will replace Delonte West's personality on this team with his naming shots, wire hanger interview and his Valentine's Day post, Big Baby certainly will help to fill in the void.
The Sporting News has a couple of articles on Al Jefferson. In one, McHale sizes up Big Al and in the other, it discusses the big shoes Al is going to have to fill in Minnesota. I still haven't given up getting Al back again. He really loves Boston. Maybe he won't sign an extension with the Wolves and will come back as a free agent. Stranger things have happened.
In my article today, I mentioned how not many people agreed with me about Perk's potential at first. But, I have always had one ally in my defense of Kendrick Perkins and that is the crack staff over at Perk is a Beast. They share a few things about the game, especially Perk's role in the win. Scott Souza sends us postcards from Fitchburg in his Courtside View today. Scott continues to cover the Celtics as well as anyone in the media. Got Garnett talks about the hustlers on the team. That is one thing that stood out to me in the first two games as well. I have seen KG, Pierce and RA diving for loose balls and generally doing the dirty work on the court. What team can't succeed when their superstars are willing to do those kinds of things. Even when on the bench, KG is the first one up yelling encouragement to his teammates in the game. I know that at first I was upset about the trade as I didn't want to give up Big Al, but seeing the intensity of Kevin Garnett makes me know that Danny did the right thing. This guy is for real.
Sorry I didn't get these posted yesterday, but I was going all day long. Here are the links to the Southwest Divison Blog previews. Thanks again to Jeff for organizing this and keeping it rolling.
For 4 years now, I have been telling everyone who would listen to me that Perk is going to be a great center. I love this guy and his attitude and his toughness and his work ethic. I have been saying since his first season when I saw how hard he worked to get into shape that he was going to be something special. I have been told I was crazy and told that Perk is nothing more than a back up center on a bad team. I never believed that and it seems that neither do Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.
His first 2 seasons, Perk got very little playing time and when he did get into the game, Doc would pull him as soon as he made a mistake rather than letting him play through his mistakes and learn from them. Finally, his third season he got a chance to play and then he injured his shoulder. That summer he had surgery and while Big Al was able to work out with Clifford Ray, Perk was rehabbing his shoulder. Last season he was hampered by plantar fasciitis but yet, only sat out 10 games because his team needed him. But, he couldn't practice and it hampered his movement and jumping ability. He played in pain much of the season but never used that as an excuse.
In spite of the lack of playing time and the injuries, Perk has never stopped working. Before the season a lot of people were saying that Perk couldn't handle the starting center job. I have been saying all along that when healthy and given the playing time, Perk is going to be one of the top centers in the East. I believe that he is gong to have a break out year this season.
I have been seeing a lot more positive comments on Perk after the first two preseason games. But, most importantly, in the Herald, there were some very positive comments about Perk from his teammates.
“Perk’s going to help me out a lot,” Kevin Garnett said yesterday as the Celtics prepared for tonight’s preseason game against Minnesota. “And not just me.”
“Perk’s going to be a real big part of this team’s winning and this team’s progress. He’s very vocal. He has a very, very high IQ on how to play. He works really, really hard, and those things are refreshing. Not only that, but the way he communicates, the way he approaches the game, his work ethic . . . I like Perk a lot. You know we had some battles when we used to play against each other, and now that we’re on the same team, I love him. I love the fact that he’s beside me playing the way he plays. It makes it not only easier on me but easier on the other guys, also.”
I am very happy to see that KG agrees with me about Perk. It validates a lot of what I have felt over the past 4 seasons. But, the article doesn't stop there, Pierce also weighs in on Perk.
When Paul Pierce [stats] was asked Monday who has surprised him thus far, he noted Glen Davis, Dahntay Jones, Gabe Pruitt, Eddie House, Rajon Rondo [stats] and Tony Allen. Did he leave someone out? “I didn’t mention Perk because they asked me who surprised me,” Pierce said. “I expect that from Perk. He works hard, and you know what he’s going to give you. He’s going to throw his body around. I’ve seen him work when he’s ready, when he’s in shape, when his mind’s right. I know what he can do. I know what he’s capable of. “He’ll have an opportunity to have a really good year, because Kevin’s going to take so much attention that he’ll be able to get a lot of offensive boards and get into some open places for passes. You see how KG’s willing to give the ball up, and Perk’s really going to benefit from that. He’ll be one of the best centers in the East. You just watch.”
To me, this is some pretty good praise for Perk and I fully expect Perk to live up to it. In his first two games this preseason, he looked really good and with KG getting doubled inside, Perk is going to get a lot of dunks and a lot of open looks at the basket. He is going to be a very solid center and is going to surprise a lot of people who told me I was crazy when I was telling them that Perk was going to break out this season.
I just love Perk's attitude. He knows his role and works very hard to fill it.
“I think we’re just going to help each other,” he said. “I don’t think you can do anything but have a good year playing alongside a guy like that and with two wing players like Paul and Ray. I think on the offensive end my job is going to be very easy. I’ve just got to stay focused and stay within my role. When I get outside my role is when I start messing up.
“Once I start feeding off of them, things are fine. I noticed the other night against Toronto that I’m going to get a lot of easy baskets. Our team is very unselfish. We’ve got the guys who’ve been All-Stars, and I don’t want to forget Rondo. I can’t leave him out. He’s great at getting in the paint and giving the ball up.”
And, Perkins added, if everyone gives up a little, the Celtics might get a lot this season.
For those who have doubted that Perk could be a starting center on a championship team, be prepared to be surprised.
In a highly anticipated match up between teams who have been involved in 2 blockbuster trades over the past 3 seasons, the Celtics prevailed over the Timberwolves 92-81. For the second game in a row, the team seemed to struggle to find chemistry in the first quarter but then picked it up as the game went on. The bench play was a bit ragged, but they managed to hold a lead and pull out the win even though the starters were on the bench for the 4th quarter.
From watching the first 2 games it appears that the three amigos will do fine sharing the ball and the spotlight. It will depend on matchups and on who has the hot hand as to who will star in any particular game. In the first game, Pierce came on strong in the 3rd quarter and was the high scorer. Against the Wolves, Ray Allen was the star. It also puts to rest the questions about Ray's ankles and shooting from the first game. He shot 11-14 from the field and 5-8 from beyond the arc on the way to 28 points along with 1 rebound and 1 assist. For his efforts, he was given the Tommy Award for the game.
Kevin Garnett filled up the stat sheet with 9 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks and 6 turnovers. He didn't stand out in any one area but helped out all across the board. He scored only two points during the stretch before halftime, but he set up Perk for two straight dunks and had a steal in between. Speaking of Perk, he had a very nice game with 11 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block in 24 minutes. I expect Perk to get better and better as the season goes on. He and KG play well off of each other and I love what I am seeing from him so far. Batista came in as the back up center today. He seemed a bit nervous but from what I saw, he should be one of the players that makes the team. He finished with 7 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals in 19 minutes of play.
The 3rd part of the triad, Paul Pierce had a rather quiet game with 8 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal and played well without forcing anything. Pierce was able to kick back and let the game come to him and he didn't have to try to take over the game since Ray was hitting on all cylinders. Even at the post game press conference, Pierce was able to relax after the game while KG and Ray faced the media at the post game press conference. Tony Allen was again aggressive on drives, but still looks awkward when he dribbles the ball. He struggled with his shot going 1-8 from the field for 4 points to go with 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals. It is going to take a few more games for him to shake the rust off.
Rondo did a good job once again of running the offense in his 26 minutes of play. He finished with 4 points, 1 rebound, 6 assists, and 4 steals. Behind him, House didn't score as he did the first game, shooting 1-3, but was able to run the offense for the second unit. He finished with 2 points and 2 assists. Pruitt shows promise, but he struggles against pressure and may take some time to adjust to the pro game. He finished with 1 foul and 2 turnovers.
Posey played 16 minutes off the bench and finished with 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal. Scal played 12 minutes and finished with 8 points on 3-5 shooting with 1 rebound and 1 assist. Big Baby finished with 4 points, 1 rebound, and 1 assist in 7:20 of play. Like Pruitt, he shows promise and had a couple of very nice plays around the basket. Jones finished with 5 points and 2 rebounds in 6:18.
Powe, Manuel, and Wallace didn't play as Doc tries to sort out his roster. Powe has shown too much good stuff in this preseason and summer league not to make the team. I would assume that he isn't playing because Doc knows what he has in him. The final 2 spots are going to come down to Manuel, Wallace, Jones and Batista and I would expect to see Doc playing them more in the preseason to get an idea of what he has in each one so as to know which of the 4 to keep.
As a team, the Celtics were out rebounded 37-33. That surprised me because I thought we hit the boards better than that while watching the game. We had 13 steals in the game which is pretty amazing. Our turnovers were down to 15 as opposed to 21 for the Wolves. Not too bad for just the second game together. The more this team plays together, the better the chemistry will be. We are already seeing some very good things, including a much improved defense. This is going to be a very fun season.
As for the former Celtics, word before the game was that Al and Green were doubtful because of ankle injuries. Neither started but both did play. Telfair started and had a solid performance with 9 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists. Ricky Davis was on fire to start the game but cooled off in the second half. He finished with 18 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal. Gomes was the solid player we all grew to love. Nothing spectacular but a very solid 9 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist. Big Al came off the bench to score 5 points with 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 blocks in 24 minutes. I really feel for Al. He loved being a Celtic and never wanted to be traded. I can't help but hope that maybe things won't work out for an extension in Minny and he will be able to come back to Boston. It is pretty unlikely, but I can hope, anyway. Gerald Green played only 10 minutes and finished with 4 points and 2 rebounds. To my amazement, Theo Ratliff is more than just an expiring contract. I think he played more in this game than he did all last season for the Celtics. He finished with 6 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 blocks in 17 minutes.
Now we wait for another week before the next game. The team will be working on chemistry and defensive schemes between now and then and we can expect even more good things to come.
After the trades this summer, one of the biggest questions that kept coming up concerned the point guard position. First, many questioned whether or not Rondo could handle the starting PG position in only his second season. He started off the season last year as the back up to Telfair and he even pulled several DNP's from Doc before being given the starting job toward the end of the season. And, then there was the question of his ability to shoot the ball.
Beyond the question of the starting point guard position which everyone agrees is Rondo's, there were questions as to who would back up Rondo. The only other point guard on the team is Gabe Pruitt, a rookie. According to Danny and Doc, Pruitt has had a great camp so far and has been impressive. In the first game, though, he showed that he is still not read to play against strong defensive pressure and double teams. But, as time goes on, Pruitt will be getting more and more of the back up PG minutes as he develops his game and his confidence.
According to Danny, we also have Ray Allen, Tony Allen and Eddie House to back up Rondo. Eddie House was an eye opener in the first game. Although he is primarily a scorer, he can handle the ball and will be able to back up Rondo at the point as well as be a microwave type scorer off the bench. Tony still looks rather scary when he plays the point but Ray can handle minutes here and there at the point when Rondo is on the bench. It looks like Eddie House will be the primary back up with Tony as his back court mate. It has been mentioned in several articles that they have developed chemistry during camp and work well together in the back court. House looked comfortable bringing the ball up the court and as we saw from the first game, we will have no shortage of assists from positions other than the point with plays like the one below.
Rondo did a good job of running the team in his first game. He was willing to take the shot when it was there and his form looked good. He also did a good job of pushing the ball up the court and finding the open man as well. He got good reviews in most of the game reviews but the most important praise came from his all star teammates.
Kevin Garnett has been effusive in his praise of Rondo. When asked about the young point guard in an interview after the first game, he had this to say:
"Rondo's exceptional. He's a great young talent who has a great IQ for basketball. I look forward to watching him in the future and him being one of the best, if not the best, point guards in the league one day. I love his work ethic. I like the way he grows and continues to get better. I see a number of great things for him in the future."
“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.”
But Garnett wasn't the only star to be saying very positive things about Rondo. Pierce joined in the praise as well.
“He’s a year more mature,” Pierce said. “You can tell he really worked on a lot of aspects of his game this summer. His confidence is a lot higher. There’s times where he’s taking his shot. We encouraged him to take it last year, and now he’s stepping up and taking the shots that are there. He just seems more comfortable. I think he’s really building on the end of the season and what he did last year.”
And Ray Allen, who has taken Rondo under his wing and has been working with him on his shooting, also has good things to say about him.
“I think he’s doing really well,” Allen said. “He’s fitting right in. He’s learning a lot. He’s been soaking everything in, and that’s what you want to see from a guy in his situation.”
Allen found an eager pupil in his younger backcourt partner, and is optimistic that Rondo will make strides in his second season. ‘‘He’s a smart kid,’’ said Allen. ‘‘He doesn’t claim to know everything. He steps out there and asks plenty of questions. He wants to be good. He asks questions about his shots. ‘‘The sky’s the limit for him. It’s a matter of him playing games and being a student in practice.’’
Along with the endorsements from the three all stars he will be playing with on the first unit, Rondo has also received praise from his coach.
Rivers saw enough to be confident that Rondo will be ready to run an offense with Garnett, Paul Pierce and Allen. ‘‘Rajon Rondo, in the second half of last year, just kept improving and kept getting better,’’ said Rivers. ‘‘I’ve read and heard all the talk about ‘is he ready?’ Well, he has an opportunity to show everyone he is.’’
But, how does Rondo feel about this season. Does he have the confidence to run a team of future Hall of Famers? On his relationship with Ray Allen and the help that Ray has been giving him.
‘‘He’s like a big brother to me now,’’ said Rondo. ‘‘It’s only been a short time since I’ve known him, but it seems like I’ve learned so much. ‘‘His worth ethic, that’s what I’ve been picking up - keeping a routine every day, a lot of little things off the court to make me more of a man, and how to handle business off the court. ‘‘He was showing me how to use my legs on my shot. My legs were getting tired at first, but you condition them and you start to play focused, and in the fourth quarter, you’ll still be able to jump with your shot.’’
And on the encouragement from his new teammates:
“Kev’s been telling me that good stuff, and that’s important,” Rondo said. “It’s great that he has that type of confidence in me. And Ray’s been telling me to stay positive and that he thinks I’m an excellent player. Things like that can only help. Those guys are helping me feel comfortable, and that’s key at this stage for me.”
Is he ready to lead this team?
‘‘I believe I can do my part,’’ Rondo said. ‘‘Hard work pays off. I’ve been in the gym doing it every day. I have no choice. I have to be ready.’’
Some of the questions about the PG position going into camp are being answered. From all indications, the team is in good hands.
On the back of the shirts that the Celtics were wearing last season, the ones with the clover on the front with Red's name in the middle, it says: "The Celtics are not a basketball team, they are a way of life." Red was the Boston Celtics for over 50 years. When he passed away before last season, the Celtics dedicated last season to him. That was unfortunate because the Celtics had a terrible season. Between the youth, the injuries, the coaching, the 18 game losing streak and the tanking accusations, it was one of the worst seasons in Celtics history.
They should dedicate this season to Red. He would be very proud of the way Danny rebuilt the team this season. Danny was Red's choice as GM and he always had faith that Danny could do the job of rebuilding the Celtics. When Danny was named GM, Red had this to say about him:
"I know that it will be a great relationship because he is a worker. He has a great personality, he's smart and bleeds green!"
He also remarked on several occasions that he felt that Danny was one of the luckiest guys he ever knew.
Red would be proud of the way Danny has taken a chance to bring in players that might be considered by some on the tail end of their careers, but players who have a lot to give. He would be proud of the way Danny stands by his players and had brought in players who not only fit together but who are good guys. Red was always willing to take a chance on players and he had an uncanny knack of finding just the right players who would fit together. Some of Red's most notable moves were: In 1951, Red acquired the rights to Bill Sharman from Detroit. Most teams thought Sharman would play baseball, but he turned his back on baseball and signed with the Celtics. His No. 21 was retired by the Celtics 15 years later.
In 1956, Red traded Ed Macauley and Cliff Hagan to St. Louis for a first-round draft pick, which he would use to draft center Bill Russell from the University of San Francisco. But, that isn't the whole story. Rochester had the first pick and the Celtics had the second pick. Walter Brown, who owned the Celtics, also owned the Ice Capades. Red promised Rochester that they could have the Ice Capades for a week if they would pass on Russell in the draft. I am sure the Ice Capades were entertaining, but Russell went on to be instrumental in helping Boston to win 11 of the next 13 championships.
In 1970, one year after Russell retired, Auerbach drafted and undersized center named Dave Cowens with the fourth pick in the draft.
In 1980, Red, along with along with coach Bill Fitch, completed a deal to send the 1st and 13th overall picks in the draft to Golden State for center Robert Parish and the 3rd overall pick. Robert Parish was considered a trouble maker and under achiever by Golden State and they were happy to be rid of him. Red used the 3rd pick to select forward Kevin McHale from the University of Minnesota. This may well have been one of the most lopsided trades in history.
Another piece to what would be more championship puzzles was acquired when red sent center Rick Robey to Phoenix for veteran guard Dennis Johnson. Once again, DJ was considered a trouble maker in Phoenix and in Seattle before that. But, in spite of that reputation, he was a winner in both places. In Boston he became the consummate teammate and was instrumental in the Celtics last 2 titles.
Danny also took a chance on a second baseball player when he drafted Danny Ainge. Here is how Danny describes the way Red approached drafting him.
"Do you want the real story or what the deposition said? Red talked with me before the draft. I had a contract that was an iron clad contract with the Blue Jays that would prohibit me from playing another professional sport for at least another year. So when I was coming out of college, my contract indicated that I can't play professional basketball. I told everybody that, the Sixers, the Mavericks, the Lakers. I told every team the same thing. I told the same thing to Red Auerbach, and Red says, "Forget that, we're drafting you anyway!" So Red ended up drafting me. He had the best opportunity [to draft me], he had three picks that year. He was able to roll the dice, go to court and lose the battle with Toronto, and then paid Toronto to have my rights. There was just something certain about Red. And from my perspective, I'm not sure that I leave professional baseball at that time to play for any other organization but the Boston Celtics, although I never indicated that to Red. If the Celtics draft me I'll come, but I'm not going to any other team, I never said any of that to Red, but he didn't care. He was confident that he had an organization that would be appealing to a player like myself, and he was willing to take the chance and try to make something happen."
Red always gave the credit to the players. When they retired #2 in his honor, he had this to say in his speech.
"I wouldn't be standing out here today if it weren't for all those guys out there. I Just sat on the bench and said, 'Cooz, get the ball downcourt; Russ, get the rebound,' ... It's great. Tommy? I didn't have to tell Tommy anything, he knew how to do it. Ramsey, the first sixth man, Russell, Havlicek, Silas, Jo Jo, Ed Macauley, the first center we had here. They're all so great and special to me."
Red never over coached. He had a very simple philosophy of coaching. He asked players to do what they could do, not what they couldn't do. He asked Bob Cousy to pass, because he could pass. He asked Bill Sharman to shoot, because he could shoot. He asked K.C. Jones to play defense, because he could play defense.
Russell was never a scorer. Russell blocked shots; Russell got rebounds; he started the fast break. That was what he did. He didn't say, "This is my system, and you will play my way." He said, "This is your team, and I will build the team around your skills." And he adapted as players came and went.
When John Havlicek became part of the team, they went more to quickness around the basket, because Havlicek was so quick. He always adapted to the skills of his players; he never made them adapt to his coaching style.
The coaching still worries me more than anything on this team. In the past, Doc has tried to make players adapt to his system rather than adapting the system to the strengths of the players. With the players that we have now, I can only hope that Doc will adapt his system to the strengths of these players. Red knew what he was doing and it would be a good thing if Doc followed his advice.
Here are some of Red's more famous quotes that show more of his philosophy of life and coaching.
"An acre of performance is worth a whole world of promise."
"Basketball is like war in that offensive weapons are developed first, and it always takes a while for the defense to catch up."
"He who believes in nobody knows that he himself is not to be trusted."
"Just do what you do best."
"Natural abilities are like natural plants; they need pruning by study."
"The only correct actions are those that demand no explanation and no apology. "
"When I looked around at all those flags up there, I really feel really great because they mean more to me than flags. They mean people; they mean paying the price for victory."
Red was truly one of a kind and I know that Danny depended on Red for advice and guidance. I am sure that Red approved of Danny's plan to gather "chips" and develop them and trade them for established stars. I just wish that Red could be around to see the fruition of that plan. I know he would be very proud of what Danny has done this off season. I will close with a quote from Danny about Red.
Red is part of all of us. I think that will live on. I will never forget what Red has done for me and the opportunities that opened the doors for me and many of the people in the organization, and I think that Red lives on in all of us."
The Celtics will always be equated with Red Auerbach. He is so much a part of everything that is the Celtics (except the dancers, that is). Red would be very proud of what Danny accomplished this summer and I know he is smiling down on the Celtics this season. He will be lighting up his victory cigar as we lift Banner 17 to the rafters. This one's for you, Red.
Defense is going to be key if this team is going to win a championship. Pierce and Garnett agree that this has to be the focus of the team. From the Herald:
“I think our whole focus is going to be on the defensive end,” said Pierce, as Garnett nodded his head. “We have so many weapons on offense, and the great thing about it is we play unselfishly. We were able to move the ball.
Championship teams play great defense. Teams that don't play defense don't make it to the finals. Last night in many cases, the Raptors seemed to be too open.
One of the keys to the Celtics defense is going to be Kendrick Perkins. Also from the Herald:
But Kendrick Perkins [stats] returned to the game in the second quarter after three quick fouls and a seat in the first, and the defensive intensity seemed to pick up.
Perk takes defense very seriously and it shows. In spite of being perfect on offense last night (2-2 from the field and 4-4 from the line, Perk's biggest value is going to be on the defensive end.
One of the things that Perk does very well is setting screens. The Globe has an article that talks about setting screens and what makes Perk so good at it.
In the NBA, setting the perfect screen requires commitment and self-sacrifice. Executed at the highest level, the skill demands that the biggest men on the court stand in the path of opposing guards and small forwards, freeing teammates for shots. Without a screen setter like the Celtics' Kendrick Perkins, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen would be endlessly harassed on offense, looking at obstructed views of the basket. With Perkins, opposing players are often left wondering what hit them. The answer is a 6-foot-10inch, 280-pound center who craves contact. Throughout the season, Perkins has bruises on his arms and chest to prove it, reminders of all the elbows, shoulders, and heads that have collided with his body. "Learning how to set a screen is just giving up your body," he says. "It's like setting a block in football. I'll try to go down and really take somebody's head off with my screens. If I set a good screen and, ka-boom, make somebody's neck jump, I love that." Perkins estimates he sets some kind of screen on every Celtics possession, which can translate to roughly 40 per game. When he sets a screen for Pierce, Perkins singles out Pierce's defender from the moment the Celtics bring the ball up court. Next, Perkins sizes up the angles at play, asking himself where and how he can intersect the defender for a solid hit. After four seasons together, the two rely on an intuitive sense of timing. Pierce must make sure Perkins stands set in the proper place before he makes a run that will force his defender into the Celtics' center. If poor positioning and poor timing occur, the defender can more easily get around Perkins and increase the odds of an offensive foul. But when they're in synch, each player boosts the other. "With me setting the screen and Paul hitting the shot," Perkins says, "I feel like I hit the shot because I got him open."
Many times last season, Perk would set a pick only to have one of the players out of position and he would end up being called for a foul. I expect this season, playing with KG, Pierce and Ray Allen, he will be very efficient at setting screens and this will be very important to the team.
Along with Perk, we have very good defensive players in Rondo, Tony Allen, KG, Leon Powe, James Posey and Brandon Wallace. Danny also took a step in the right direction by bringing in defensive guru Tom Thibodeau as an assistant. Thibodeau has done a great job building defensive teams in New York and Houston. From Fabio's report from Rome, it sounds as if Doc is letting Thibodeau handle the defense and that is a good thing.
The first part of Thursday’s workout was devoted to defense, as usual. Tom Thibodeau kept yelling to get the players on the same page, and the group seemed to take his words very seriously. After Thibodeau completed his task, Rivers had the teams play five on five.
A commitment to defense by both players and coaches is going to be necessary is this team is to reach their peak. Everything starts on the defensive end. Good defense will key the offense. Players like Perk, Posey, Rondo and KG have always been all about defense. It seems as though their defensive mindset is catching. From Peter Stringer's blog:
But just as the attention off the court has loosened up, so will the pressure on the court. And now that he won't have to carry the load on offense every night, Pierce plans to pout more effort into his defense. "I put so much energy into scoring and rebounding in past years that I just did have the energy to be the type of defender that I know I can be," said Pierce. "That's going to be my focus this year, to show people I can defend on a high level against anyone in the NBA."
It is good to hear Pierce talk about making a commitment to defense this season and hopefully he will follow through on it. Pierce has always been capable of playing good defense but often didn't put out the effort needed to do so. Championship #17 will be won on the defensive end of the court and I believe we now have the pieces in place to do it.
He averaged 6.5 points per game but developed into one of the finest defensive players in the country during his college career. He took 1,000 shots a day in the offseason to try to improve his shooting. He emerged as a fan favorite at the Smith Center because of his great attitude, hustle and defensive presence. He became the second Tar Heel to earn All-ACC Defensive Team honors. Manuel was a key member and one of three captains of the UNC's 2005 National Championship team. He had his own fan section at North Carolina and Jackie Manuel has a Posse tee shirts gained cult status and are still proudly worn there. 
