The Celtics had a fairly easy schedule in the beginning of the season and now it is about to get much harder in February and March as they face the Spurs, Suns, and Hornets all twice over that span. In February, they will play 8 of 13 on the road. Before the All Star break, It isn't too rough as the Celtics face Cleveland, Clippers, Minny, San Antonio, Indy and New York. Of those, only 2 teams have winning records - Cleveland and San Antonio. The Celtics are 1-1 against the Cavs although the Cavs were without LeBron for their second matchup.
Right after the All Star break, the Celtics go on a 5 game in 7 nights road tripwhere they will face Denver, Golden State, Phoenix, Portland and the Clippers. Of those 5 teams, all but the Clippers are over .500. That will be a brutal trip and will go a long way to prove whether the Celtics can hang with the best of the West. If they can win at least 3 of those 5 games it will be considered a successful trip. After the trip, the final two games of the month are against Cleveland and Charlotte.
In March, the Celtics play 7-16 on the road, not quite as bad as February. Of those 16 games, 8 are against teams with records over .500. The Celtics face the Hawks, Pistons, Bulls, Grizzlies, Sixers, Sonics and Jazz before going on another tough road trip. On the trip, the Celtics will play 5 games in 8 nights. Four of the teams on the trip have winning records including the Spurs, Rockets, Mavericks, and Hornets. The fourth team, the Bucks, are 18-29 and lead off the trip.
After the trip, the Celtics come home to a 4 game home stand where they face Philly, Phoenix, New Orleans and Miami. The Celtics have had a chance to get out to a very strong start and grow as a team with a favorable early schedule. With the injuries in January, the bench had proved that it is ready to contribute and if the Celtics can stay healthy, I think they have a good chance of doing well through the upcoming tough schedule.
After a tough February and March, they have a fairly easy April leading to the playoffs. So far, the Celtics have met the challenges and came out on top. I have every confidence that the Celtics will do very well against all that the West has to throw at them during the next two months and finally quiet the critics who continually say that they haven't done anything yet. With KG coming back rested and loaded for bear, the Celtics could very well tame the West once and for all.
Herald C's have lots in reserve FL's Take: The Celtics' bench has been much maligned this season and many articles have some reference to the Celtics' weak bench. These last few games where the stars have been out or missing in action, the bench has come through big time. With the emergence of Leon Powe to fill in at center and PF and Big Baby coming along and with Tony Allen finally getting back to pre-injury form and the strong play of James Posey, the Celtics' bench has been proving itself. The only weakness is at the point guard position and if Danny can bring in a veteran back up point guard, the bench will match up with any in the league. Baby time: fans of Davis should step off the ledge FL's Take: Doc seems to play Baby and Powe in turns. It is one or the other depending on matchups. Leon has been earning his minutes lately and so he has been getting more minutes. Globe Harris: take abdominal strains seriously FL's Take: It isn't worth bringing him back too quickly and risking further injury. the extra playing time for Leon is only going to make the Celtics stronger in the end when they will need KG much more than they do now. Lakers get Gasol to shore up offense FL's Take: This trade was an absolute steal. Wallace got completely fleeced. What can they expect from a guy who engineered the Vin Baker trade for the Celtics? LOY's PlaceThe Leon Powe Bandwagon FL's Take: I have been on the Leon Powe bandwagon since day One. I wrote this last night and then saw 3 more articles on Powe in this morning's links. It is so good to see him getting good press. I have seen posts on the boards that say that the Celtics are showcasing Leon but I disagree. He is playing more now because they need his toughness, defense and rebounding with KG out. If they do trade him, they are making a big mistake. Leon can play and with the opportunity, is going to prove it. HoopsworldCeltics more than three Can't Run Can't JumpTis the season for getting fleeced FL's Take: I don't think that McHale was fleeced. He got one of the top young bigs in the league in Al Jefferson. Al is going to be a perennial All Star for many years to come and is playing some incredible ball right now. Ryan Gomes is also proving that he can play and doing good things. Sebastian Telfair may finally be getting it. Plus they got cap room with the expiring contract of Ratliff. Green is still an unknown but they still got plenty from that trade with just Big Al and Gomes, two very good young players. SF GateHouse, Powe helping Celtics Seattle PI West must play well or no payday FL's Take: I really like Delonte and hope he does well. I wouldn't mind having him as a back up PG/SG. I hope that wherever he ends up, though, that he does well. Parquet Pride Celtics vs Patriots: a battle of characters Chicago TribuneJoke of a deal - to the Bulls Sporting NewsNBA Poll: Celtics regain the top spot Wolves Watch Is Al Jefferson an All Star snub? FL's Take: Yes, Al belongs on the All Star team. But then again, so does Marion and Ginobili. The Wolves' record is going to go against Al's making the team in spite of his numbers. Every deserving player can't make it. I think Ray Allen was one of the biggest snubs because of the success of the Celtics and his contributions to get them there. Basketbawful Worst of the night 1/31 Slam OnlineGame notes Dallas at Boston Sports BeatLeon Powe: The Show any critic would love Looks like Celtics/Lakers is back FL's Take: A Celtics/Lakers finals would get some incredible media hype. The Lakers still need to prove that they can mesh just as the Celtics had to. Kobe will have to be willing to sacrifice some and change his game to make this work just as KG, Pierce and Ray had to. Plus, Gasol has to prove he can play in the triangle offense of Phil Jackson's. But there is no denying that chants of Beat LA in the Garden would bring back fond memories and muster up a few chills while they do so. Patriot Ledger Celtics play best against the best FL's Take: It does seem that the Celtics get up more for the better teams. But then again, so did our last championship team. The 86 Celtics lost a majority of their games to sub-.500 teams. CBS SportsMisguided All Stars need tutorial on attendance Milford Daily News International influx in the NBA Shamrock HeadbandWestern fore Lex Nihil Novi How long is Leon Powe? Powe always had game FL's Take: More good stuff on Leon Powe. His 7'2" wingspan allows him to defend and rebound against taller players. Clifford Ray was only 6'9" but was the center on a championship team because of his huge wingspan. Can DannyEverybody hates Chris RallyTown A photo contest, Rondo KY highlights, RA vs AI, Connecticut PostCeltics growing weaker or stronger?
Consider me firmly in place on the Leon Powe bandwagon. There is just so much about this kid to like. First consider all the hardships he has been through with his house burning down, growing up in foster care, losing his mother... Consider the effort and inner strength that it took to come back from not one, but two major reconstructive surgeries on his knee to average 20.5 points and 10.1 rebounds per game in his final season at Cal.
Consider his determination. In his freshman year, his GPA dipped below 2.0 and he was forced to sit out several games. Showing just what kind of determination he has, he improved his GPA to a 3.5 by his junior year. He also had the determination to increase his vertical leap by 3 inches between college and his rookie season.
Consider the work ethic that has him spending every moment in the gym working out, practicing, working on his game. The Herald had a good article on his improvement and talks about his work ethic.
Now that he’s playing, don’t expect him to lighten up when the lights aren’t bright. “It helps having the time in games to get comfortable, but it all starts in practice,” Powe said. “You can’t not practice good and then go out and expect to play good. It don’t work like that.”
Consider his character that makes him go back to the surgeon who reconstructed his knee to say thank you to him. The character that has him taking care of his brothers and sisters and has the goal of having them all together under one roof. The character that says that being a role model and helping the kids in the community is more important than the money. The character that will make him get his degree because he made a promise. The character that led him to deliver hand written thank you notes to the coaches and staff after his rookie season.
You just have to love this kid. I can see why Danny was making calls to every team trying to get him when he saw that he was still available in the draft. He is hungry. He works hard. He has a great skill set. And although, at 6'8", he is somewhat undersized for a 4 or 5, but with a 7'2" wingspan, he has the ability to cover much bigger players.
He is playing very well right now. Consider John Hollinger's PER (Player Efficiency Rating) that compares players' with a minute and pace adjusted stat. Leon's PER is currently 20. That is second only to Kevin Garnett's 26 PER on the Celtics. He has recently gotten the chance to play and as always, has made the most of it. He has averaged 15 points and 8 rebounds in his last 3 games. He had a nose for offensive rebounds and gives the Celtics a tough presence inside that the Celtics very much need.
I have a feeling that the Leon Powe bandwagon is going to be very crowded before his career is over so better get on now while there is still room.
ESPN is reporting that the Memphis Grizzlies have traded Pau Gasol and a future second-round pick to the Lakers for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, the unofficially retired Aaron McKie , the draft rights to Pau Gasol's brother Marc and future first-round picks in 2008 and 2010, NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com's Marc Stein. My first thought is what are the Gruzzlies thinking? They certainly could have gotten more than that for a player of Gasol's caliber. Although he has had several injuries, he still is a difference maker. This is a steal for the Lakers.
This puts the Lakers up a level in the West and although the Celtics have already played the Lakers twice this season, they may meet again in the Finals. The question is whether Kobe can co-exist with another star on the team. KG, Pierce and Ray Allen have all sacrificed parts of their games to mesh and make the Celtics what they are. It will be interesting to see if Kobe can do the same.
Here are comments found around the Mavs' message boards during their game with the Celtics. It is always interesting to see what the other side is saying.
I wish KG was playing. Hopefully we still decide to show up.
It sucks KG and Ray arent going to be playing so theres the excuse for the Celtics if they lose.
I really wish that KG and Allen would both be playing. With KG and Allen both playing, it will be a true test for the Mavs. (Playing one of the NBAs best teams with all of their starters) Not that tonight isn't going to be a true test, because it is... But I just wish the Celtics were 100%.
I'm not liking this. KG is out, so if we win we are supposed to win, if we lose, then why couldn't we win playing them w/o KG? It's a no win situation.
The Celtics will have to play exceptional to stay in this game.
Well I think Celts played well without KG and Allen last game. They really have a much better bench than I thought.
It might be a good idea to cover Ray Allen...Easily the worst sounding rims I have heard this year
Allen is going to have a big night! He looks so relaxed and confortable shooting.
Ray Allen has such a smooth shooting touch! That last shot when he went through a screen and caught the ball and shot almost in one motion! I've always felt that Allen is one of just a few PURE shoorters in the league.
Will someone tell me what in Sam hill is up with these rims? Are these guys shooting frozen basketballs or what? They even clank on MADE shots hahah and it's annoying....
Could that be why the shooting pct of visiting teams is so low? A little home court advantage?
Without KG the Celtics do not have any low post defensive players.
The Celtics are giving this to the Mavs.
Pierce getting bailed out every time
I wasn't going to say anything on the first one... But two "star" calls to pierce.... Nba home court advantage in full swing tonight.
Rondo off rebound ??? ARE YOU **** KIDDING ME ?????
Dirk with the unclutch non box out on Rondo. Really disappointing loss.
Well, it's time to go after Jason Kidd, -_-.
I bet we would have won this game with devin Harris though. Dal had 20 points in the paint while Boston had 44. And that was without Kevin garnett. Man imagine a driving devin Harris, he would have had 20+ something, some free throws and some dish outs to the 3pt line. Instead of terry shooting 4-12. On a side note: I remember a few weeks back how there was a Ryan Gomes rumor or something and it seemed most people on this board were against going after him, even giving up our young guys to get him. And people were talking about rather having Rayshawn Terry over Gomes. I thought it was proposterous that people wouldn't want Gomes and of course the guy has been pretty damn nice for the Wolves. We could have used him off of the bench.
With the Celts team defense, they will be in every game they play.
Leon Powe should worry Celt opponents more than anyone. You know what you get from Kevin Garnett, Pierce and Allen. But Powe playing well makes them a diffrerent team.
So, will Rondo's playground moves stick in the NBA? If so, why don't more players do them? The pass fake forced Dirk to foul him in the fourth.
If Brian Scalabrine is it behind Kevin Garnett, the Celts are screwed.
The knock on the Celtics was that they might have the best record, but they hadn't played the best of the West. Tonight, the Celtics played one of the West's top teams and came out on top. Without KG, the Celtics could have had an excuse for a loss, but they came up big and pulled out a tough win.
With 35 lead changes and 51 ties, it was a hard fought game on both sides. Ray Allen got off to a quick start with 15 points in the first quarter as the Celtics shot 50% and held the Mavs to 26%. The game was tied at the half as the Mavs shot much better in the second quarter getting up to 43% while the Celtics cooled off a little to 42%. The Celtics were also out rebounded 21-16. Ray Allen finished the half with 22 points. After an all star snub, he may have felt he had something to prove. He finished the game with 26 points on 11-20 shooting to go with 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal.
In the third, it was Pierce who came up big. Doc made a great comment that during the half he told Pierce that it was really Ray who made the All Star team and let him get a little mad about it. After a slow start, Pierce finished the game with 26 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block. James Posey was big in this game, playing great defense on Dirk and making two huge plays at the end of the game. With the Celtics up 2, Posey got inside for a big rebound and hit two clutch free throws. Then, he stepped into the passing lane and made a big steal and hit two more free throws to ice the game.
Rajon Rondo was incredible in this game. He had a double double with 14 points and 12 rebounds (6 on the offensive end). It is amazing when a 6'1" point guard can out rebound the centers and power forwards on both teams. He also had 4 assists and made a huge play to secure the win for the Celtics. The score was tied at 90 with 58 seconds left to go. Pierce missed a jumper but Rondo grabbed a rebound away from Dirk and put it in. Just an amazing play. Eddie House came in when Rondo had to go out with 2 fouls and finished with 2 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists.
Scal started at power forward in place of KG who sat out his third game. He had no points, no rebounds and 2 assists in 16.5 minutes. It seems to me as though Big Baby would make much better use of those minutes. Leon Powe once again had a very good game. He finished with 10 points, 4 rebounds (3 on the offensive end), 1 assist and 1 steal before fouling out in the 4th quarter. What didn't show up in the stats was his defense and the charges he took. He is just such a tough player inside. I am happy to see him finally get playing time. Perk finished with 5 points and 6 rebounds in just 18 minutes. Tony had just 1 assist in his 14 minutes of play.
This was a big win for the Celtics as it answers some of the critics who point to their record and add an asterisk because they didn't play any of the top teams in the West. Tonight the Celtics played one of the best in the West without Kevin Garnett and pulled out a win. Now the Celtics have 4 days off before playing the Cavs and they will get a much needed rest along with some practice time that is also needed.
The All Star reserves were announced tonight and Paul Pierce was chosen, but Ray Allen was not. I know that Ray may be disappointed in not playing while KG and Pierce will be, but it may be the best for the team for Ray to get some rest over the break. Here are the Eastern Reserves: Chauncey Billups, Detroit Richard Hamilton, Detroit Chris Bosh, Toronto Caron Butler. Washington Antawn Jamison,Washinton Joe Johnson, Atlanta Paul Pierce, Boston
The Western Reserves include: Chris Paul, New Orleans David West, New Orleans Brandon Roy, Portland Carlos Boozer, Utah Steve Nash, Phoenix Amare Stoudamire, Phoenix Dirk Nowitski, Dallas
Celtics fans will have plenty to cheer for with KG and Pierce on the Eastern Squad and Doc and his assistants coaching the team. Rondo will be on the Sophomore team in the Rookie Challenge. And those with a nostalgic feeling can cheer for Gerald in the dunk contest.
The Herald is reporting that KG will not play tonight and that there is no timetable for his return but that Ray Allen will be in the starting lineup.
It’s official. Kevin Garnett will not play tonight against the Mavericks and Ray Allen is in. Doc Rivers gave the word a few minutes ago.
Rivers went on to say that there is no timetable for Garnett’s return. KG did some light shooting this morning and went through a conditioning workout, but the coach said that even with the four days off after tonight’s game, Garnett is not a lock to play next Tuesday in Cleveland.
Celtics.com has Scal in the starting lineup at power forward against Dirk. I have a bad feeling about that matchup. Leon Powe is now listed as the Sixth Man and that is a good thing. I really like what Leon brings to the game. We match up pretty well with Rondo against Terry, Ray Allen against Eddie Jones, Perk versus Dampier and Pierce against Howard. The defensive matchup against Dirk is going to be key in this game and I don't see Scal getting it done.
The knock on the Celtics so far is that they haven't played the West's best teams yet. Tonight they get first crack at one of them as the Mavs come to town. I have a feeling that KG will play in this one even though Celtics.com game notes has Scal in the starting lineup and it will more than likely be a game time decision. With a healthy KG against Dirk, and the Celtics playing the kind of defense they found once again down in Miami, the Celtics have a very good chance to win this. Rondo has to keep up his aggressiveness, even with KG and Ray back. In my opinion, that is one of the keys and the other is to get back to aggressive defense. When they play that kind of defense, the offense feeds off it. When they back off on defense then their offense is off as well. It all has to start with defense.
Look at this clip on ESPN. at about the 31 second mark, there is a pass from Rondo to Powe. Absolutely one of the best passes I have ever seen from a point guard. It is like a side armed bullet bounce pass. incredible. And Powe wasn't too bad on the catch and bucket either.
Speaking of Leon Powe, NBA TV had a nice interview with him that you can see here. I love this kid. He works so hard and is a nice kid on top of it. The Herald has a story about him today as well and how can you not like a kid who hands out hand written thank you notes to the coaches and team personnel after his rookie season. It is very evident that Powe should be getting minutes over Scal. If Doc is trying to showcase Scal, then playing him is the worst possible thing to do. I mean 22 minutes with 1 point and 1 rebound is not going to get anyone's attention. If he is playing him because he thinks he gives us more than Powe, or even Big Baby, then Doc is just not a very smart coach. Scal is going to make a great coach someday. He has the basketball IQ but just doesn't have the skills to match.
It looks like Stoudamire is going to sign with the Spurs. The Mavs are trying to make a deal for Kidd. The other top teams are working on deals to make them better. The Spurs have to do something as they are really not playing well of late. But, you can never count them out. They have a way of pulling it all together when it counts. The Celtics still need a PG and rumors have it that Danny is still trying to get Cassell. If the Celtics can get Cassell, it would be the final piece to take this team to the championship. He is a savvy veteran PG who could give us a very quality 10-20 minutes a night behind Rondo along with giving Rondo some good mentoring. Celtics Blog points out that it will come down to what Cassell wants more, a ring or money. I say at this point in his career, go for the ring.
There are several threads wanting Delonte back in Boston because he has been put on the back burner in Seattle. We can't trade for him because the league prohibits a trade for a player that you have traded away in the same season. But, if the Sonics were to waive him or cut him, then the Celtics could pick him up. He could also give us 10-20 minutes behind Rondo. He knows the system, is a good kid, and would fit right in with the team.
Tonight's game is on TNT. We had Sunday's game on ABC and Tuesday's game on NBA-TV. All three games this week have been on national TV. Is there any more evidence that the Celtics are back? In one week, we have more national TV exposure than we had almost all of last year. Yesterday, in the top ten plays of the day for 1/29 on NBA TV, Wally Szczerbiak had the number 2 play of the night as he drove hard to the baseline for a huge one handed dunk. I was amazed to see him moving that well. He still has some play in him. I thought Wally was a classy guy and am glad to see him come back from the injuries to play that well. I still remember him coming to the game directly from the physical after the trade and begging to play.
Tonight's game could be a good one if KG plays. If not, Scal doesn't have a chance to contain Dirk and we would be in for a long night. The only other option might be a rusty Pollard, but Powe and Baby don't have the height to stop Dirk although they would try their best to do so. Perk doesn't have the mobility to stop him. That being said, if KG isn't 100%, he should sit. If everyone else comes out with the fire and aggressiveness on both ends of the floor that they had against Miami, let Dirk go off and contain everyone else and we could get a win regardless.
KG will be joined by at least one teammate for All Star weekend. The rosters were released today for the Rookie/Sophomore game and the Celtics' Rajon Rondo was among those named to the Sophomore team. Here are the rosters for both teams.
ROOKIE TEAM ROSTER
Player Team Pos. Ht. Wt. School/Country Mike Conley Memphis G 6-1 180 Ohio State Kevin Durant Seattle G 6-9 215 Texas Jeff Green Seattle F 6-9 235 Georgetown Al Horford Atlanta F-C 6-10 245 Florida Jamario Moon Toronto G-F 6-8 205 Meridian CC (Miss.) Juan Carlos Navarro Memphis G 6-3 170 Spain Luis Scola Houston F-C 6-9 245 Argentina Sean Williams New Jersey F-C 6-10 235 Boston College Yi Jianlian Milwaukee F 7-0 238 China Head Coach – TBD Assistant Coach – TBD
SOPHOMORE TEAM ROSTER
Player Team Pos. Ht. Wt. School/Country LaMarcus Aldridge Portland F-C 6-11 245 Texas Andrea Bargnani Toronto F 7-0 250 Italy Ronnie Brewer Utah G-F 6-7 233 Arkansas Jordan Farmar L.A. Lakers G 6-2 180 UCLA Rudy Gay Memphis G 6-9 220 Connecticut Daniel Gibson Cleveland G 6-2 194 Texas Paul Millsap Utah F 6-8 258 Louisiana Tech Rajon Rondo Boston G 6-1 171 Kentucky Brandon Roy Portland G 6-6 229 Washington Head Coach – TBD Assistant Coach – TBD
Here are comments found around the Heat board during their game with the Celtics. I feel for the Heat fans. These comments are similar to ones from the Celtics boards last season: Hate the coach, tank talk, etc.
Garnett isn't playing in the game tonight, we'll still probably lose. They almost beat the Magic without KG on Sunday.
Lets upset the Celtics were the only team in our division not to beat them or just lose but don't make it look bad
Heat 94 Celtics 88
One of two things are going to happen: 1. We lose by a few points because we suck in the clutch 2. Get blown out
KG's not playing tonight...without him the Celtics are mediocore so we have a good chance tonight.
Well arent we 'lucky'? KG isnt playing tonight...can we make it another 2 ame winning streak?
Allen is out! Here comes win #10!
Ray Ray AND KG are out?!! You better be right, I'm betting all my savings on the Heat..
No KG or R. Allen? This is like the old Celtics last year... Come on HEAT...
Okay just because Tony Allen isn't that great of an offensive player doesn't mean you can let him just blow by you like that wade. Come on
Our whole team being outscored by their bench! Someone better punch somebody!
Oh man I miss James posey. What a defender he is.
Get on Blount's shoulders.....he is going to carry us all the way to the lottery!
At this rate, I'm sceptical not only of our chances of getting the 8th seed like Shaq said, but also whether we can beat the Celtics in the first round.... Like Shaq said.
Its possible we could go for 2 in a row...unlikely, but possible. We didn't lose by much when we were in Boston WITH KG...so home without him gives us a chance. Still say we blow it in the 4th though.
Whoa, is anybody watching the game right now? Perkins was wide open under the basket for like 10 secs. The closest guy was 6 feet away and I'm not exaggerating. That's SCARY bad. #1 pick might be safe after all? (Perkins dunked it by the way)
It's the Big Three minus two and we're losing by double digits in the first quarter.
We're losing to a team that started; Rondo TONY Allen Pierce Scalabrine Perkins
How do you expect Earl Barron to get excited to play those scrubs? He saw KG chickened out and he lost interest. Lucky for Boston, they dodged a bullet.
If we can keep it to less than 30 by the end of the third we might be only be blown out by 40.
It's beyond ugly! Watch Rondo have a 50 pt night! The Heat can make anyone a star!
Boston better stop running up the score. They better bring in Powe, House, and Scalabrine. Oh wait...
How can a front line of powe and big baby be killing us like this?
You know if Rondo, Tony Allen and Leon Powe are killing u - that u suck.
Just wow. I thought itd be bad, but without Garnett AND Allen WITH Paul Pierce sucking, we're down by 22.
91-57 is seriously the score? Or is this a joke?
And if NBA.com is correct, its only the 3rd quarter
94-61 Boston at the end of 3 This feels like the longest game ever. And there's still 1 whole quarter to go.
The Celtics are just lucky tonight, and the Heat aren't...
That was a nice pass by their PG. Something JWILL coulddo if he had a team who can catch those bounce passes
To think that KG and Allen are not even playing, we are talking about last year's Celtics minus the people they let go because of the KG Trade, so, they are worse. Right?. But they are still killing us.. Oh well.
**** you Riley. Look what you've done. You can't coach your way out of a paper bag. I hate riley.
Ummm, these millionaires aren't making shots! Everything can't be blamed on Riley!
Pat Riley has got to go. He makes Isiah Thomas look like coach and GM of the year.
If KG and Allen was in OMG. 146 to 46
Umm...thank god they didn't play....
Thank God this game is over.
That. That was bad.
I didn't know Rajon Rondo was the next coming of Bob Cousy. Leon Powe was dominating out there. I thought Tony Allen was Ray Allen tonight. I don't if it was because these guys are so good or the Heat are so bad. I think I'm leaning towards the ladder.
There was some good news tonight, if you want to call this good news. The Sonics beat the Spurs so we're back to 2nd to last place with only 1 win more than the T-Wolves.
You know we suck when Mark Blount is our best player...
You know you're tanking when Dwyane Wade sits out the 4th quarter with flu like symptoms.
You know your tanking when your starting C is the remarkable McBlount..
JWill is playing below average really his defense is awful still. Boston has no interest in JWill as they seem to be going after Sam Cassell. Why would the Celts want an 8.9 million dollar backup to a much better Rondo?
If you were told that the Celtics played without Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce had just 7 points on 2-9 shooting, you would probably assume that the Celtics had just lost a game. But it was quite the opposite as the Celtics beat the Heat by 30 points without KG or Ray Allen and with Paul Pierce struggling. Right from the beginning, the Celtics came out strong and they never let up. They started out with a 9-2 lead and never looked back. They played incredible team defense as well as firing on all cylinders on offense, shooting 51% from the floor while holding the Heat to 36%.
Leon Powe had a career night, with a career hight 25 points, 11 rebounds and 1 assist. He came off the bench to play very well on both ends of the court. Doc said in his post game press conference that Powe is earning more minutes and it is good to see him doing well. Also having a career night was Rajon Rondo who continually blew past the entire Heat team to get to the hoop the entire game. He finished with a career tying 23 points to go with 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal. Rondo was very aggressive with his offense and showed that he can beat anyone off the dribble when he wants to. It would be great if he would continue to be aggressive and take it to the hoop when KG and Ray are back and healthy. He tends to defer to them too much and if he would play as he did against the Heat all the time, it would give this team another dimension.
As noted above, Pierce had an off night. Playing as the lone member of the 3 Amigos, he shot just 2-9 for 7 points. But even though his shot was off, he still did a lot of good things, finishing with 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 1 block. Tony Allen is very close to getting back to pre-injury form. He had several nice drives to the hoop that he finished with emphatic dunks. He finished with 20 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.
Scal started the game but picked up 2 quick fouls and went to the bench early. He had a much better game than he did against the Magic finishing with 2 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals in 16 minutes. Perk also spent time on the bench in foul trouble and finished with 4 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 block in 18 minutes. Big Baby Fouled out with 7 points, 3 rebounds and 1 block.
Eddie House had a strong offensive game with 20 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. Posey got a warm reception by the Miami fans when he came into the game and played a solid game, finishing with 9 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals. Gabe Pruitt played 10 minutes of the 4th quarter and did a good job of leading the offense finishing with 1 rebound and 1 steal.
The Celtics were aggressive the entire game. They went after every loose ball, got into passing lanes for 12 steals, and won the battle of the boards 51-36. This aggression is what they have been missing the past month as they have been sliding somewhat. They passed the ball very well and executed the offense while finishing with 22 assists on 40 field goals. The bench had 61 of the teams 117 points in this game. This was a good win because they proved that they are more than just the three stars and that the bench isn't as weak as some have been saying. Now, if only they could continue this aggressive play when KG and Ray come back, they will be ready to go on a tear. Tony and Leon are coming along and providing some very good play off the bench. The Celtics will certainly need it with Dallas coming into town on Thursday. KG and Ray will be game time decisions once again and it is certain that the Mavs won't just lay down and play dead the way the Heat did.
The AP is reporting that KG will miss his second game tonight against Miami in order to further rest the abdominal strain that kept him out in Orlando as well.
"He always wants to play, which is good," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said at the morning shootaround. "But he understands it's the right thing for the team."
Hopefully we will see KG on the bench tonight instead of staying in the locker room. His presence on the bench can go a long way to encourage his teammates. No word as to whether he will be able to go against the Mavs on Thursday and I expect it to be a game day decision as this was.
"If he can play Thursday, we'll play him," Rivers said. "But again, it's got to be almost 100 percent. That's the way I look at those types of injuries."
The Herald is reporting that Ray Allen missed this morning's shoot around with the flu (more than likely caught from Brian Scalabrine). His status will be a game time decision.
HeraldNew stars bring change FL's Take: The Celtics do have a great chemistry going and Danny is right in being cautious as to who he brings in. I am sure he will get input from the players, especially the 3 stars, before making a move. At least, he should get input from them. But, the fact remains that the Celtics need a back up point guard and maybe another big off the bench if they want to compete down the stretch and in the playoffs. Teams are learning that when Rondo is out, they can press the ball handler and get turnovers. That is not a good thing because Rondo can't play 48 minutes and more and more we are seeing teams make hard fouls on Rondo and that is pretty scary. GlobePosey can feel Heat's pain Stoudamire officially waived FL's Take: From all reports, Stoudamire wants to come to Boston as his first choice. It is up to Danny whether he makes the offer quick enough to get him. If Danny hesitates too long, the Spurs, Suns, Mavs and Raptors are standing in line waiting to make offers of their own. Danny may have another option in mind and so we can only wait and see what happens. With Stoudamire clearing waivers tomorrow, it won't be long until we know if there is someone else on Danny's list. Heat thumbnails Courtside View KG, Celtics rest in Florida FL's Take: Let's hope the Celtics are getting rest. With 2 days in South Beach without a game or practice, the Celtics have a chance to either rest or live it up and the choice they make will show just how much they really want to win. CelticsBlog The Birdman cometh? FL's Take: The Birdman is 6'10 inches and at last count was incredibly athletic for his size. The key here is whether he kept himself in playing shape during his exile from the NBA. If he is in playing shape, and if the Hornets pass on him, it might be worth giving him a shot. I can't imagine him turning down a shot to play for the Celtics. Also, KG, being a friend, may lobby to give him a shot. Reports out of Minny say that KG put some pressure on the management to bring in friends there, so who knows? I'm ok with KG's flaw of unselfishness LOY's PlaceRandom thoughts and a great video NBA.comPower rankings - Celtics drop to 4th Turkoglu and Big Al named Players of the Week FL's Take: I am very happy for Big Al. I was really against the trade before it went down because I knew that Big Al would be a star for many years to come. We are seeing the beginning of that right now. It may be a bad omen that both Players of the Week are coming off big games against the Celtics, though. ESPN Power Rankings Celtics #2 Celtics 24/7Stoudamire update Chicago TribuneNBA predictions not a slam dunk Palm Beach PostCeltics have aura, like the '05 Heat FL's Take: It has been a long time since the Celtics had anything to cheer about. It sure feels good. Let's hope the aura leads to a championship at the end. Celtics visit Tuesday night, KG questionable Bangor Daily NewsThe ultimate Boston Celtics fan trip USA Today Losses don't derail Celtics playoff hopes The Celtics have had 5 losses in January. The '86 Celtics had 5 losses in December. Last year's champion Spurs had 7 losses in January. The 2006 champion Heat had 7 losses in December and 5 and January. And it goes on. All teams, even championship teams have let downs in the middle of the season. It just happens. The Celtics need to gather themselves after the break and surge to the end. As long as they have momentum going into the playoffs, losses in December and January will long be forgotten. Now, if they are playing this lackluster in April, we can start to worry. No numbers game for these stars Miami HeraldHeat sees similarities to Celtics NY TimesUncommon wealth of success in Boston for Big Three teams FL's Take: If the Patriots win the Super Bowl, as I expect them to do, that will put big pressure on the Celtics to win the championship. If the other two big teams in Boston are champions, the Celtics would be seen as failures if they don't do it also. TradingMarkets.com Pro Basketball may return to Maine Fox SportsCeltics have an attitude problem (scroll down) FL's Take: I admit, the Celtics have displayed attitude at times this season and it hasn't set well with the other teams and fans. But, the Celtics of old had that swagger and attitude and they need to have that attitude to push them to up their play and in the process intimidate their opponents. I don't mind a little attitude. But, Bird and the Celtics of old backed up the swagger with their play and these Celtics will need to do so as well, or it is just talk. East Coast Bias Other members of the Wolves-Celtics trade starting to produce Bleacher ReportWould Mighty Mouse really save the Celtics' day? FL's Take: I am not sure if Stoudamire is the answer or not. I will leave it up to Danny to make that decision. If he signs him, then he must be the best available to help the Celtics. The key here is available and within the Celtics' means to get them. If he passes on Stoudamire, he must believe there is another player out there who would fit the team better. Celtics losing streak: Where's that Irish luck? Wicked Good SportsBoston Celtics midway report card Hoopsworld All Star reserves a tough choice in both conferences Big Al leads on and off the court Timberwolves.comPregame chat with Celtics.com Simon on SportsScalabrine watch week 13 Red's Army Random thoughts Patriot Ledger Celtics have a ton of respect for Jefferson's game Hardwood ParoxysmOkay. That's it. BostonistDidn't we almost have it all? Orlando Sentinel Great players can make any coach look good McKeon and Mongoose Mid season awards Seacoast OnlineFor NBA coaches, players hold the key Perkisabeast News of our demise has been greatly exaggerated Our condolences Green Bandwagon Wait a minute Lex Nihil Novi Midseason look at 1986 C's Seven games in May and June Connecticut Post Celtics - a lesson in fine wine Enterprise Garnett forced to take a seat FL's Take: Whether KG likes it or not, an abdominal strain is not something to play with. Pushing it might lead to a tear and then he would be sitting for half the season whether he liked it or not. The Celtics need KG down the stretch and it is better to be safe than sorry. Even if it doesn't tear, pushing himself to play now may make the injury linger and also hurt the team in the long run.
I am still at a loss for words about Dwight Howard taking a swing at Rondo right in front of the official and nothing happening to him. Perk got a technical for looking at someone in the New York game. And Howard can take a swing at Rondo and get away with it? If it wasn't for Rondo's quick reflexes he would have been out cold because Howard was swinging with some power behind hit.
I am really disgusted with the officiating this season. I thought they would have cleaned up their act after the scandal this summer and would try to avoid all appearances of impropriety. But, it seems that the officiating is even worse this season than ever. I am starting to think that the officials have been given a directive to keep games close, especially when they are on national TV. When the Magic were making their run in the game against the Celtics, the calls seemed to go in favor of the Celtics. But when the Celtics started to make a run, the refs were calling it the other way. There were 3 non-calls that changed the end of that game.
Powe was battling on the offensive glass and got two rebounds and was fouled at least 3 times and maybe 4 as he missed the put backs. They were hacking at his arm and it was so obvious that Hubie Brown mentioned it. And with Powe on the floor because of the fouls, the Magic went down the other end for a dunk. This was a 4 point swing because of the non-calls. Then, when Howard took a swing at Rondo, he should have gotten a T. That would have been a point for the Celtics and the ball. Instead, they ignored the swing and gave the ball to Orlando. That was a 5 point swing. And they ignored a blatant travel by Turkoglu with the ref right there, and gave him a basket and foul instead. Another 5 point swing. Those 3 non calls changed the game. The Celtics really should file a complaint about that game, especially the swing that Howard took at Rondo.
And speaking of Rondo, the poor little guy is getting some pretty hard hits these days. Every game, he ends up hitting the floor hard and slowly picking himself up. Time for Leon, Perk and Baby to play big brothers and protect the little guy a little, or at least make whoever hits Rondo wish they didn't. At the rate he is taking hits, he won't have anything left by the end of the season. I liked Doc's quote that when Rondo hits the floor he has no padding and feels it everywhere as when Baby hits the floor, the floor feels it everywhere. I guess Rondo needs some padding. Maybe one of those protective padding things that Alonzo Mourning wears would help.
Big Al is really making some noise. He followed the 39 point, 15 rebound performance in the Wolves win against the Suns with a 40 point, 19 rebound game in a win against the Nets. He was named Player of the Week for his efforts. I really like Big Al and am glad that he is doing well. I would love to have him back in Boston one day.
Rumors, rumors, rumors. There are all kinds of rumors floating around about players Danny may be targeting to fill the back up point guard role. The most obvious are the Damon Stoudamire rumors. Then, too, there are the Sam Cassell rumblings. There are also rumors of a possible Delonte West return as well as Mike Bibby possibilities. So far, Danny insists that he likes the roster as is. But there is no denying that the Celtics need a back up point guard. Even Rondo has said he would like to have a veteran around as a mentor. Danny will sign one, but who it is remains a mystery. Stoudamire will clear waivers on Wednesday and there are several teams including the Suns, Spurs, Raptors and Mavs who are reportedly interested in obtaining his services. Seems to me that if Danny offers him a contract, he will probably take it, but Danny may be waiting for someone else and pass. There was a report from Miami that the Celtics have offered him a contract, but I am not sure I believe it. Other rumors swirl around Chris "the Birdman" Anderson who is eligible to return from his 2 year suspension. Hornets have first crack at him once he is reinstated, but he is good friends with KG and if the Hornets pass, the Celtics may be interested.
I was disappointed in KG when I heard that he stayed in the locker room for the Magic game. I know he wanted to play and was disappointed with Doc's decision to make him sit, but he should have been there to support his teammates. He said he didn't want to be a distraction. He should have been there cheering on his teammates and encouraging them and his intensity, even on the bench, would have given the team a lift. Ubuntu means putting aside one's own agenda for the good of the team. In my opinion, KG didn't do that. Sitting to be sure that he doesn't do damage that would keep him out for a longer time is the smart thing and the best for the team. If he is truly putting team first and if a ring is the only goal, sitting now shouldn't be a problem.
Leon Powe is playing very well. When he gets minutes, he makes the most of them. Doc needs to keep him in the rotation and if KG is out again, Leon needs to get the nod. I think Powe would match up very well with Haslem. When Doc goes to his dreaded small ball lineup, He should have Leon in there at least for some rebounding.
Doc's decision to start Scal at power forward and then play him for 22 minutes was terrible. Scal had 1 point and 1 rebound in 22 minutes as the starting power forward. Powe came off the bench with 9 points and 9 rebounds in 26 minutes. Nine times as much in 4 more minutes. Scal should never get more minutes than Powe or even Big Baby. I can handle Scal at the 3 but not the 4 or 5. He is just too soft.
The Celtics are playing in Miami after having 2 nights in South Beach. The '86 Celtics wanted a championship so much that they made a pact with each other that they wouldn't drink any beer or liquor until they won the championship. I wonder how bad this team really wants the championship. Do they want it enough to put aside personal distractions to win it?
Finally, this is a great video that goes from Celtics past to Celtics present. Having been around for much of the Celtics glory days, I just am so excited to have them back on top again. Excellent video, it gives me the chills every time I watch it.
