The Pistons/Celtics rivalry is alive and well. You can bet that the Celtics will be looking to avenge that loss in the next meeting. There were several reasons that we lost that game. The one that stood out to me was the free throw shooting. We missed 8 free throws in that game. We were up big in the Bulls game, but we missed 9 free throws in that game also. This should be a priority in practice to figure out why we are missing so many free throws and correct it.
When Rondo was out of the game against the Pistons, they took advantage. Eddie House is ok at back up when we are playing teams that don't press on defense, but the Pistons uncovered a glaring weakness. Eddie House can't handle pressure defense. The Pistons totally took the Celtics out of their game with their defense. We need a back up point guard who can handle defenses like the Pistons and Spurs are going to throw at us. I like the idea of signing Gary Payton. I think he would be a good fit for the team.
I had a flash back to 1986 while watching the Bulls game. Those teams of the 80's never went on losing streaks, and when they did lose a game they should have won, they got mad and took it out on the next hapless team to play them. That is exactly what this team does. They lost to Orlando by 2 and two nights later, they beat Golden State 105-82. Then, they lost to Cleveland by 5 in OT and two days later, they beat New York 104-59. And after they lost to Detroit by 2, they beat Chicago 108-82.
Losing to Detroit wasn't a terrible thing. They now know they have a lot to work on to get to the top level. The biggest thing they have to work on is handling pressure defense. When teams play defense against them, they let that take them out of their game plan. The offense sputters and the ball movement stops.
Rajon Rondo is really impressive. He has been playing very well and improving with each game. He is being more aggressive and has incredible court awareness and now that he is hitting his jumpers, he is becoming a force to be reckoned with. It has been a long time since we had a PG with Rondo's skills. Danny has gone through quite a few PG's looking for just the right one, and I think he has found him.
I really wish I didn't have to watch another Pierce ISO for a long, long time. They don't usually end well. Doc needs to realize that he has more players who can take the last shot than Pierce. Ray Allen and KG were hot in the Pistons' game. Pierce was not. Why draw up the last play for the one player who wasn't hot?
I see a lot of posts on different boards talking about how Perk is the weakest link. They saw his missed shots and turnovers, but they didn't watch him without the ball. Sometimes we just see what he does when he has the ball. But, you have to watch how hard he works on defense and what he is doing all the time when the ball isn't in his hands to realize how important he is to this team's success. KG and the others get their rebounds because he boxes out and clears the way for his teammates to get the rebound. He sets picks on the offensive end and he defends and changes a lot of shots in the paint on the defensive end. He does the dirty work and all the little things that the team needs for everyone else to get their points and rebounds.
Kevin Garnett is so intense. I just never realized how intense he was. It is the 4th quarter, the Celtics are up by 20 and KG is still off the bench yelling instructions and encouragement to his teammates. Amazing.
Ray Allen has a lot more game than most people, including myself, has given him credit for. He is a much better defender than I thought. He does a lot more than shoot threes. And this is just icing on the cake.
After suffering their first home loss, the Celtics came back to start a new streak by embarrassing the Bulls 107-82. The Celtics controlled this game from start to finish with Pierce an KG playing only 26 and 25 minutes.
The Celtics played very good defense, holding the Bulls to 36% shooting from the floor. They out rebounded the Bulls 46-40 and out hustled the Bulls on both ends of the floor. The Celtics still need to work on their free throws as missed free throws very well could have cost them the Pistons game and tonight again, they missed 9 free throws. The ball movement was very good with 25 assists on 31 field goals.
2 players who had a sub-par game on Wednesday bounced back with strong games tonight. Paul Pierce had 22 points on 6-11 shooting and 4-6 from beyond the arc along with 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal in 26 minutes. Tony Allen played 22 minutes and finished with 12 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 steals. After two of his steals, he had break away dunks that looked pretty impressive.
Perk had a good game also with 12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block and played good defense along with setting some great picks. He also won the Tommy Award for his efforts. KG played only 25 minutes and finished with 12 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals. How special is it to have your power forward leading the team in steals? The team was up 20 points and you could still see KG off the bench shouting encouragement and instructions to the team on the floor. This guy is so intense.
Rondo is improving with every game. Little things like how he dove out of bounds to save the ball and knock it out off the Bulls or when he grabbed a rebound over Aaron Gray. He finished with 7 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal in 30 minutes. Ray Allen finished with 18 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists in 37 minutes.
James Posey came off the bench firing and finished with 11 points on 4-7 shooting to go with 4 rebounds. Eddie House filled up the stat sheet with 4 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal in 20 minutes. Big Baby had 5 points, 1 rebound 2 steals, and 1 block in 18 minutes. Scal didn't score even though the crowd was chanting his name from the time he got off the bench. He finished with 1 rebound and 2 assists in 7 minutes. Powe made the most of his 5 minutes as usual with 4 points and 1 rebound. Pollard also played only 5 minutes and finished with 4 fouls. At one point, he dove to the floor and wrestled for a loose ball. This was a nice, easy win. I wish they all could be like this.
The Globe is reporting this morning that Gary Payton wants to join the Celtics.
"He called me and said, 'Hey, I'm reminding you that the Celtics are a team I feel like I can help,' " said agent Aaron Goodwin.
If the Pistons game showed us one thing, it is that we still need a veteran PG to back up Rondo. The Celtics have maintained that Eddie House can fill that position but it was very obvious from this game that we need a real PG for when Rondo is out.
Rondo has been doing a fantastic job of manning the point as a starter but he can't play 48 minutes every game. We don't need a vet who thinks he should be the starter. We need someone for when Rondo is in foul trouble and for those hopefully few times when Rondo is out with an injury. For teams that don't press and who aren't veteran saavy, Eddie House is ok. He is a shooting guard who thinks shoot first. He is best on the catch and shoot. But as the Pistons game showed, when a team presses, he just can't handle it.
Enter Gary Payton. Yes, he is 39 years old and is more like a Mitten these days than the Glove, but, he keeps himself in terrific shape and seems like the perfect answer to the back up PG position. Last season he played in 68 games and averaged 5.3 points, 3 assists, 1.9 rebounds and .6 steals in 22.1 minutes per game. For the Celtics, it would be perfect if he could play the 10-15 minutes per game that Rajon is out of the game for whatever reason. He wouldn't insist on getting big minutes or taking anything away from Rondo and would be the perfect mentor for our young PG's emergence. He know's Doc's system so there wouldn't be a lot of time to get acclimated. The last time he was with the Celtics he led us to the Division championship. We don't need that from him now, just a solid 10 minutes or so per game. He can give us that.
Danny was looking to give Reggie Miller a chance and he was already out of the league a couple of years. Payton played last season. Reggie didn't really fill a need on the team but Payton does. I like this idea. Payton would add to that intensity that Garnett and Allen bring. He seems like the perfect fit.
"Just knowing [Payton] and playing with him, I know what he brings to the game," said James Posey, who played with Payton the last two seasons in Miami. "He brings that competitive nature. That experience. He's been doing it. Even before we won a ring in Miami, people understood what he brings to the table."
I, for one, would love to see Danny give Payton a shot. He would sign for the veteran minimum and be happy to back up Rondo and mentor him. He would be the perfect fit to fill in the 10 mpg that Rondo has to sit and would be a very suitable fill in if Rondo has to miss a game or two. He knows the system already. He has that same intensity and work ethic that our 3 stars have. He is a professional and would bring more championship saavy to the team. I don't really see any drawbacks to signing him other than financial. But, they have come this far and if they want to win the championship, this is a position they must fill.
I remember back when the original Big Three roamed the Parquet and the Bad Boys ruled in Detroit and the Celtics-Pistons games were always a war. They were anticipated and it was a toss up in every one which team would come away a winner. That rivalry had gone down the tubes along with the Celtics. For a long time, it hasn't been much of a rivalry because the Pistons had risen to the top and the Celtics had sunk to some very unfortunate lows. We are back to the point where the Celtics-Pistons game tonight is a big game. It is another chapter in this storied rivalry. I took this opportunity before tonight's battle to look back over the past via YouTube. First, we look back to last season where we lost so many close games, especially against the Pistons who had the ability to turn it on defensively to pull out games. This was when moral victories still ruled the Celtics fans. They lost but the kids showed potential.
Another reason why beating the Pistons would be very nice.
This one is my very favorite play from Celtics lore. Game 5 of the playoffs, the Pistons were up 1 with the ball and just seconds left. But, you could never count a team with Larry Bird out. Hopefully you can never count out a team with KG, RA and PP either.
Back in 2002, the over-achieving Celtics beat the Pistons in the second round of the playoffs. Some good memories here for sure. It had been so long since the Celtics had a winner but that team had achieved just about all it was capable of and Danny started the dismantling and rebuilding the following season.
Finally, back to the really good old days. I remember in the post game interviews after the Bird incident, Laimbeer claimed that he was just going for the ball. When told this, Larry replied that he was just trying to give it to him. I can see a very physical series between the current teams as well.
Scott Souza is reporting that the Celtics have made the decision to release Brandon Wallace. Doc cited the fact that they made the decision because they needed more roster flexibility.
“I told him this morning, Danny (Ainge) and I,” Rivers said. “We need (roster) flexibility. It was more that (than a knock on his potential). Great kid, though.”
This leaves the Celtics with 13 players. Gabe Pruitt has been sent to the D-League twice now and can only send him one more time if they decide to. Wallace never played a regular game for the Celtics but was doing a good job for the Utah Flash before injuring his wrist.
I like Wallace and feel that he really has potential. I thought it was wise to build for the future while winning today. Since the Celtics are in in Luxury Tax territory, cutting Wallace before the December 20 deadline will be a considerable savings. But, it is more than likely the fact that Danny wants players who can help them now rather than players who will develop to help in the future. It will be interesting to see what moves Danny has up his sleeve next. If he is looking at anyone, he should look at a big or a veteran PG for insurance should Rondo go down for any length of time. But, the thought crossed my mind that Danny was just freeing up #8 for Antoine 3.0. Nah...
The Celtics will be facing their toughest test yet when they play Detroit at home on Wednesday. The Pistons are 17-7 on the year and 8-2 in their last 10 games. They are 8-5 on the road. A win on Wednesday will move the Celtics in to the history books with the best star in franchise history. It would also move them to 14-0 at home. But the biggest thing it would do is to quiet the naysayers who question their record because of not having faced the top teams.
The Pistons have the second best record in the Eastern conference and are third overall behind the Celtics and the Spurs. The Pistons are a proven team having won championships with the same group. this same unit for the Pistons have been together many years. They also pride themselves in playing tough defense. The Celtics are tops in points allowed with 86.5 and the Pistons are second with 91.2.
If the Celtics have been playing down to some of their competition lately, they should definitely play up to the Pistons. This will be a statement game for both teams. The Pistons want to prove that they are still the class of the East and are the team to beat. The Celtics want to prove that they are for real and that their record isn't a fluke because of weak competition. This should be a defensive battle from start to finish and a win by the Celtics will put to rest all those questions about their ability to beat the better teams. A loss will just raise more questions.
Following the Pistons game, the Celtics face the Bulls at home on Friday night. The Bulls haven't exactly been tearing up the league but they are still a dangerous team and in spite of a slow start are expected to challenge in the East. They are 8-13 but are 6-4 in their last 10 games. The Bulls are 3-8 on the road. Hopefully they won't be the let down game for the Celtics after playing the Pistons 2 days before.
After the Bulls, the Celtics have a rematch with the Magic, this time at home. The Magic are 17-8 and 5-5 in their last 10. They are 12-3 on the road and one of the best road teams in the league this season. They are dangerous with Dwight Howard inside and Jameer Nelson to slash to the hoop and Hedo Turkoglu to shoot from outside. The Magic are another of the top teams that the Celtics need to beat to remove the asterisk from their record. This is a game to avenge the earlier loss.
After the 3 game home stand, the Celtics head out West for their first extended road trip of the season. They will face Sacramento (9-14), Seattle (7-18), Utah (14-12) and the Lakers (14-9). There are several interesting sub-plots in these games that will make each one a little tougher.
In Sacramento, they face Ron Artest and the Kings who they embarrassed earlier in Boston. The Kings will be looking for revenge and Ron Artest, who wasn't much of a factor in the first game will be playing for pride. In Seattle, we will face Delonte and Wally for the first time since the trade. They would love nothing better than to beat their former team. Utah is a strong team that has been slumping but are dangerous. And, the Lakers also were embarrassed on the parquet and will be looking for payback. They are 7-3 in their last 10 and any team with Kobe on it is dangerous.
The road ahead won't be easy, but a good showing in the next 7 games will go a long way toward quieting the doubters. The first and biggest step will be to beat Detroit on Wednesday and cement their place in Celtics lore. Ray will be back and well rested and hopefully his jumper will be back with him. Tony has gained some valuable experience starting and playing big minutes in Ray's absence. There won't be any lack of motivation in this one. But, the Pistons aren't likely to be intimidated by the Celtics defense and will play some very tough defense of their own. There is a lot to be worried about in this matchup but hopefully the Celtics will come out and take care of business and remove the asterisks from their record.
Celtics.com is announcing that Paul Pierce was named Player of the Week for the Eastern Conference. Here's a look at Pierce's accomplishments as he helped the Celtics go 3-0 for the week. Dec. 12 vs. Sacramento: Tallied 26 points, six rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block in Boston's 90-78 win over the Kings. Dec. 14 vs. Milwaukee: Poured in 32 points, including five-of-11 from three-point range as the Celtics beat the Bucks 104-82. Dec. 16 @ Toronto: Collected 18 points, six rebounds, four assists and one steal in a 90-77 win over the Raptors.
Along with Pierce's accomplishments, the Celtics are atop this week's Power Rankings. NBA.com has this to say as they move them from #2 last week to #1 this week:
Off: 111.5 (6), Def: 95.8 (1) -- The current run of nine straight matches the streak that started the season. Ray Allen is expected back for Wednesday's tilt against the Pistons.
ESPN had the Celtics ranked 3 last week, up from 5 the week before and this week they finally rank them #1.
The league's first 20-game winners -- which puts them on a 75-win pace, remember -- haven't had Ray Allen (ankle) for the last two of those triumphs. So we won't harp on the Celts' schedule for a change.
The Celtics stay at #1 on the Hoopsworld Power Rankings as well:
While the big concern was depth, the Celtics have gotten by with Ray Allen nursing an ankle injury - and Kendrick Perkins getting mauled by a bed (?). The next three will be challenging ones at home (Pistons, Bulls and Magic). So far it's been a special season for the Celtics.
The Celtics now have their longest win streak of the season after soundly beating the Raptors 90-77 and winning their 9th in a row. The Raptors, who were on a 4 game win streak of their own, never led in the game and fell behind by as many as 23. They got the lead down to 10 at one point, but that was as close as they would get.
The Celtics won this one once again with defense. They held the Raptors to 23.5% shooting in the first while shooting 61% themselves. And it wasn't just the starters doing the dirty work. At the end of 1, the score was 27-17 and with a lineup of Posey, House, Davis, Pierce and Tony Allen on the floor they increased the lead to 33-17 in the first 1:24 of the second quarter. The Celtics held a 50-36 lead at half time holding the Raptors to 29% shooting for the half.
There was a 14 minute delay to start the second half when a leak was discovered that was making the floor wet near the free throw line at one end of the court. They got the leak stopped and the Celtics picked up where they left off in the first half. Whenever the Raptors would make a run, the Celtics would answer by tightening up the defense. This was their 9th straight game of outscoring the opposition in the third quarter.
Tony got his second straight start with Ray Allen staying home to rest his ankle. Tony seems to be getting closer to his old form with every game. He made some nice drives to the hoop and hit some outside shots while once again excelling defensively. He finished with 10 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals. Rondo beat Calderon time after time and finished with 14 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals in only 24 minutes. As with Tony, we can watch him growing in confidence and ability with each game.
Perk played solid defense in the paint and finished with 4 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocked shots. Perk's presence opens up the games for the others as he is excellent at boxing out and allowing KG and Pierce to grab rebounds. Many of his contributions won't be seen in the box score, but if you watch the game, you can see that he is playing his role and doing good things on the court. Big Baby played 17 minutes and did some nice things on both ends, finishing with 5 points, 1 rebound, and 1 block.
Pierce had another very solid game with 18 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal. He is becoming a very well rounded player doing a bit of everything for the team and not just having to score. On one play, Pierce was hit hard across the face in front of the officials and no call was made. Pierce was given a technical for complaining about it when he very clearly had reason to complain. The officiating in this game was on the whole very bad. At best, the refs are incompetent and at worst, they have some type of agenda for not making very obvious calls or making calls on fouls that haven't occurred. Maybe they were trying to be sure the point spread was covered.
KG again provided the intensity and finished with 16 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 1 steal. You know you have something special when your power forward leads the team in assists. James Posey won the Tommy Award for his energy and defense in the game, taking charges and hustling on both ends of the court. He finished with 10 points, 7 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block and took several charges to draw offensive fouls on the Raptors. Eddie House also came off the bench and played good defense while hitting some big shots and finishing with 11 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block.
Scal played 3 minutes and hit one shot on the baseline for 2 points. Pruitt came in with 23 seconds to play. Powe was set to come in but he was coming in for Posey who was at the line and Doc called him back to the bench. But Posey, showing a concern for his teammate immediately committed a foul to allow Powe to get into the game for the final 20 seconds and the last two plays of the game. That says a lot about both Posey and the chemistry and camaraderie on this team.
There were three other Celtics teams who started out 19-2: The 57-58 team, the 63-64 team and the 84-85 team. But, there is only one team that started out 20-2 and that was the 63-63 team that went on to win the championship. The Celtics have tied that team for the best ever record to start the season and if they can win on Wednesday against the Pistons, they will move into the record books with the best record ever to start the season.
The defense that this team is playing is incredible. From the starters to the bench, this team is capable of swarming on defense and completely disrupting the opposing team's offense. Mike Gorman made the comment that in his 27 years as a broadcaster for the Celtics he has never seen a team play better defense. That is saying a lot. The Celtics now are ranked first in 5 different defensive categories. They are holding teams to a league best 87 points per game on 41% shooting. The big test for this team will come on Wednesday when they face a very poised Detroit team that has been together for many years now and who play some very tough defense themselves. It should be a fun game to watch.
