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RETRIEVING CONTENT...PLEASE WAIT
Celtics Top Rockets in Scrappy Game
Saturday, October 11, 2008
by FLCeltsFan 10:34 PM
In a game that looked more like a playoff game than a preseason game, there were 12 lead changes and 11 ties and 4 technical fouls called. The game had a physical tone right from the start and was close right to the end where the Celtics pulled out a 90-89 win.
After all the talk about Stern reforming the refereeing and bringing in an Army General to oversee the program, we saw a lot of the same old stuff tonight as they allowed the Rockets to get away with hard fouls and they called the game very much one sided with the Rockets taking 48 free throws while the Celtics took only 29.
With just under 7:30 left in the first quarter, Pierce drove the lane against Artest and was literally mugged by Artest with no foul called. The Rockets took advantage of the no call and scored on a fast break at the other end while Pierce went to the locker room with a bruised shoulder. He would return after a brief absence. Moments later Artest gave Ray a hard hip check that sent him into the first row, again with no call. Later, Artest landed hard on Pierce as they fought for a rebound.
Emboldened by the fact that they were getting away with a lot of contact, Tracy McGrady joined Artest by giving Walker a shove as he drove to the basket. You have to love Walker as he doesn't back down from anyone. He stood up to McGrady and had to be held back by Patrick O'Bryant while Pierce held back McGrady. In the midst of the melee, McGrady and Eddie House got into it and were assessed double technicals. After all that contact and the hard hits that the Rockets got away with, Pierce barely touched Artest and he flopped and Pierce was given a technical. Finally, once McGrady and Artest went to the bench, the teams settled into playing basketball.
It all came down to the last minute of the game. With 40 seconds to go and the Rockets up 1, Big Baby missed a 19 foot jumper and the Rockets rebounded. They worked the clock down and missed a jumper. Miles grabbed the rebound and immediately called time out. Gabe Pruitt was the hero of the game as he banked in a 14 foot jumper with just 6.6 seconds to go. Doc inserted JR Giddens for the first time in the game for his defense. Miles and Big Baby combined to swat Scola's layup attemt out of bounds with .4 seconds to go. The Rockets got it back to Scola, who hit a jumper but it was ruled after the buzzer and the Celtics walked off with the hard fought win.
Patrick O'Bryant put in a solid performance for the third game in a row. He finished with 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 1 block. After being singled out by Doc after the last game, Big Baby put in his best game yet with 12 points and 6 rebounds. Leon Powe was typical Leon with 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block and 2 steals and fouled out after playing 23 minutes.
Miles got very little playing time last game and played only 9 minutes, but he played well in those minutes. He is still a bit rusty, but shows enough promise that the team should keep him. Walker played only 9 minutes and had 1 point, 1 rebound, 1 steal and 5 fouls but won even more fans by not backing down when McGrady tried to push him around.
Tony played only 12 minutes in this game after playing 42 minutes in the previous game, finishing with 3 points and 1 rebound. He wasn't near as aggressive as he was against the Cavs as he was saddled with early foul trouble. Gabe Pruitt played very well in his 20 minutes with 6 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist and 4 steals and he hit his first NBA game winner. Scal played under 2 minutes and pretty much had the same impact as he did when he played close to 30 minutes: none.
After playing only 9 minutes last night, Doc played the stars a little more in this game with Pierce and KG playing 22 minutes and Ray playing 25 minutes. The way the starters mesh while on the court is a thing of beauty. As much as Artest tried to rattle Pierce with his rough play, it didn't work as Pierce out played him and finished with 15 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists.
The Celtics shot 49% from the field while holding the Rockets to 38% and out rebounded the Rockets 41-37. The Celtics outscored the the Rockets 40-28 in the paint. The Celtics also did much better taking care of the ball as they had only 15 turnovers to 20 for the Rockets. From the numbers, it would seem that the Celtics should have won by more than just 1 point but the free throw disparity made the difference.
The young players are showing a lot of talent and fight. The starters are so good it is scary. I really like what I have been seeing from this team.
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Fiddlin' and Diddlin' - Daily Links 10/11
See Bill Dunk Part 2
Celtics Pull Out First Preseason Win
Friday, October 10, 2008
by FLCeltsFan 10:21 PM
The Celtics bench pulled out the win against the Cleveland Cavaliers behind a strong performance from Tony Allen. The Big Three all played under 9 minutes in this game and Doc went with various combinations off the bench for the rest of the game. At times the Celtics' bench was playing against the Cavs starters. The Cavs got out to an 11 point lead but the Celtics young guns fought back and pulled out the 96-94 win. I wonder if the drop in playing time for the starters had anything to do with how hard they are playing when they are in. At one point, Paul Pierce hit the floor chasing a loose ball and his head bounced off the floor. He went to the bench checking on his teeth and that was the end of the starters playing time.
Thoughts on the game:
Bill Walker once again impressed. He had 10 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal, 1 block and 1 assist. The play of the game was when he flew in out of nowhere for a dunk of a Scalabrine miss.
Patrick O'Bryant is showing some consistency with his second solid game in a row. He finished with 12 points, 5 rebounds and 1 block. He had 3 rather nifty hook shots in the game that really got Tommy excited.
JR Giddens showed some flashes of what we can expect from him. One play that stood out was when he blocked a shot and then chased down the ball and saved it by throwing it off of Ilgauskas as he was falling out of bounds. He played some good defense and showed some good moves.
Gabe Pruitt ran the point down the stretch and did a good job as the Celtics caught up and passed the Cavs for the win. He had a nice play when he drove down the lane for a dunk. Miles played under 4 minutes and looked quite rusty. Leon was Leon and made the most of every minute, finishing with 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 1 block.
Eddie House has one of the quickest releases in the league and showed some leadership in the game as he was vocal in directing his teammates on the court. He finished with 10 points and 3 assists in another solid performance. Big Baby again struggled and may be trying too hard. He needs to just go out and play and not push himself so hard to try to prove himself. Brian Scalabrine proved once again that he may be the worst player in the league going 0-5 for 0 points with 3 rebounds and 3 turnovers.
The Player of the Game was Tony Allen. Doc is obviously trying to give him confidence as he played 42 minutes and he responded with 25 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. Tony seems to have his explosiveness back and scored from outside and on drives to the hoop. He also got to the line 16 times, making 13 of them. It will be huge for the team if he can continue to play at a high level and show consistency, something that eluded him in previous seasons.
Once again, the young players showed promise and played well but this time they pulled out the win. Bill Walker continues to impress and it was good to see Paul Pierce get up and move to sit by Walker when he came off the floor and explain some moves to him. The Celtics shot 55% and held the Cavs to 46%. The Cavs out rebounded the Celtics 32-30 and the Celtics continued to turn the ball over way too much with 23 turnovers to 21 for the Cavs. All in all, the bench is shaping up just fine and the starters are working together like a well oiled machine.
Next Game: Saturday Night vs Rockets
[Box Score]
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Fiddlin' and Diddlin' - Daily Links 10/10
Early prediction of our 12 man roster
by Unknown 12:46 AM
These preseason games will be used by the coaching staff to determine who will be on the 12 man active roster when the 2008-09 season rolls around in November. 15 is the absolute limit to have on the roster, but players 13 - 15 will be sitting next to Clifford Ray in the second row of benches, dressed in street clothes.
I think I've already got my 12 man roster set, even though we still have 3 weeks left of preseason games. Some of you may agree with my line of thinking, while others will be disappointed. (Feel free to discuss your point of view at our forums http://celticsgreen.proboards18.com/index.cgi)
Here's my list, and a brief explanation of my way of thinking: Starting 5: Perk, KG, Pierce, Ray, Rondo --No surprises here. This unit will be even better than last year, simply because they already have an entire year of playing together under the enormous pressure of winning a championship, and also because Rondo's and Perk's games will be better than it was last season.
Bench: O'Bryant, Powe, Miles, Tony, House, Cassell, *Pruitt--OK, some explanations here. O'Bryant makes the 12 man roster because of his athleticism, long limbs, and shot blocking presence. His points will be gravy. Powe makes it because he deserves it, and he gives us a low post scoring threat (something we don't really have much of).
Darius makes it because, even though he's not the same player he was 5 years ago, he's still an NBA caliber player and his talents will be good enough to help us off the bench. Tony makes it because this is his year to breakout and make his doubters eat his dust.
House makes it because we need sharp shooters, and he's got one of the quickest triggers in the NBA. Cassell makes it because his veteran presence and leadership will calm the second unit's nerves.
So that makes 11. If you noticed, Pruitt is my 12th man, but I placed an asterik next to his name. I did this because I had to wrestle with myself to settle who I'd pick for the last spot. It was between Bill Walker and Pruitt, and I eventually picked Pruitt because I believe we're going to allow Walker sometime in the D-League to develop his game. I know many of you have already jumped on the Walker bandwagon (I've got one foot on the wagon, and the other one is almost off the ground), but lets give our new puppy dog a chance to work on his game. We have the luxury to let him develop and bring him up when he's good and ready, or if someone gets hurt (knock on wood).
He may be exciting to watch, but ask yourself this: does he have the conditioning (stamina) to last an entire NBA season, plus the playoffs? is his ball handling good enough? is his jumper good enough? does he have counter moves to use when defenders take away his initial move? These are the things he'll focus on in the D-League, and in the long run, it will benefit him, and us, when he improves in these areas.
Now, we still have 3 more roster spots open, but its for inactive players. I think Scalabrine and Big Baby will occupy 2 of the spots, and the 3rd will be kept open for PJ later in the season.
If Bill Walker shows that he is ready for the NBA, Ainge can always bring him up and slide him into the final inactive roster spot while PJ isn't on the team. Walker won't be able to suit up for games, but he can practice with the team and watch the games--both which will be beneficial for him.
So there you have it--our complete 15 man roster. I may be jumping the gun prematurely, but I think we've got the deepest bench in the league. We are legitimately 9 deep, and if O'Bryant and Miles can hold their own, we are 11 deep (I won't consider Pruitt a key contributor this season).
So not only do we have the best starting 5 in the league, but we also have the deepest bench. No wonder we are the early favorites to win the title.
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Random Thoughts and Game Preview
Thursday, October 9, 2008
by FLCeltsFan 11:19 PM
While watching the Celtics' first preseason game, I was quite amused by the shots of a very exuberant JR Giddens jumping up and down and yelling whenever a teammate made a good play. He just seemed so excited and genuinely happy for his teammates. He may be struggling to learn the plays, but he has cheerleading down pat.
Doc at first said that everyone played well but then singled out Big Baby as a player who didn't play well. Uh... did Doc see Scal out there? Scal was terrible. Scal's fumbles in the last 2 minutes may very well have cost them the game. Maybe Doc is using the criticism to motivate Big Baby to play better and he figures there is no hope for Scal. But, the opener did reinforce my opinion that Scal is the player the Celtics should cut. The other players are young and have potential and all have a place in the future of this club. Scal doesn't on all counts.
Quick trivia question: Who got the very first Tommy Point of the the 2008-09 preseason? Answer: Big Baby Davis. Tommy awarded him the first Tommy Point for diving out of bounds for a loose ball. Let's not dwell on the fact that it almost took out Paul Pierce when he landed on him. With 9:56 in the 3rd period, Patrick O'Bryant got his first ever Tommy Point when he forced a jump ball with some good hustle. If he continues to play like he did in his first game, it will be the first of many.
Speaking of Tommy, the Celtics have released that Tommy won't travel with the club this season because of health reasons so Donny Marshall will be doing the away games. I like Donny alot, but there is only one Tommy. Tommy will still be calling the home games and will be in studio for the road games. Also, Bob Cousy who has been a guest commentator for somewhere around 10 games a season will not be doing that this season. Sadly, we are seeing the end of an era.
Perk has been cleared for contact and plans to practice full force on Monday. Perk wants to play on Tuesday, but Doc, ever the cautious one, is saying it will be more like Thursday. I love Perk. I also like what I saw from O'Bryant in the first game and if he shows any consistency, we will have a great 1-2 punch at the center position.
My favorite players have been Perk, Leon and Rondo but I may have to add a 4th player in there. I love Bill Walker. The kid is aggressive and coachable and a hard worker. I think he will be the steal of the draft and will be even bigger than Danny's steals in Ryan Gomes and Leon Powe. He is going to help us this season. I love that he doesn't back down from anyone and the fact that he wants to be a good defender and is willing to work hard to make it happen. We have gotten excited about athletic players before who never seeemed to get it (see Green, Gerald). But Walker is different. He has the work ethic and mindset to take his potential and make it work on the court. He has also come through tough times with 3 knee surgeries in 5 years and has come out stronger because of it.
Speaking of Gerald Green. He is off to a good start in Dallas. He had 18 points,1 rebound, 1 assist, and 1 steal with only 2 turnovers in 19 minutes off the bench in his first preseason game. But, this is preseason and we know what he is capable of, but the question is, will he find any consistency and has his head caught up with his talent?
Doc is talking about having to make a cut. He said it will be a difficult decision and that he will wait as long as possible to make the decision but realizes it will be better for whoever gets cut if it is sooner. Doesn't sound like he expects a trade. I don't want to see any of the young guys cut. We need to think of the future and I think they all have potential. The logical choice would be Scal. The second most logical choice would be to cut Sam and add him to the coaching staff now. But I imagine it will end up a business decision to give them the least impact financially rather than a basketball decision based on logic.
Boston Celtics (0-1) vs Cleveland Cavaliers (0-1)
Friday, October 10
Dunkin' Donuts Center
Providence, Rhode Island
7:30 PM
TV: CSN
Radio: WEEI
Tonight the Celtics take on the Cleveland Cavaliers. It won't be anywhere near what we saw in the playoffs last year as neither team will play their stars for big minutes and both teams will be looking at combinations and fringe players. But, no matter how briefly they are on the court together, LeBron James vs Paul Pierce is always a great matchup.
Probable Starting Matchups
PG: Rajon Rondo vs Mo Williams
SG: Wally Szczerbiak vs Ray Allen
SF: Paul Pierce vs LeBron James
PF: Kevin Garnett vs Ben Wallace
C: Patrick O'Bryant vs Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Players to Watch
Celtics
Bill Walker, Darius Miles, Patrick O'Bryant, Tony Allen, Gabe Pruitt
These are the players that the Celtics need to step up. They need POB to fill PJ Brown's roll and Tony to step up to help fill the void left by Posey. Walker and Miles, and Pruitt need to show they belong on the team.
Cavaliers
Daniel Gibson, Delonte West, Wally Szczerbiak, Sasha Pavlovic
The Cavs have a real battle going at the shooting guard position and these four are fighting it out for the starting position. One of the 4 will likely move to the end of the bench.
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Fiddlin' and Diddlin' - Daily Links 10/9
Comments from the Other Side - Sixers
by FLCeltsFan 9:07 AM
Here is our first edition of Comments from the Other Side. Just like last season, the bench comes in for some pretty stinging criticism from the opposing fans. But just like Derren reports in his article below, I believe that the bench is going to be just fine. As always, poor Tommy gets his share of criticism as well. I love Tommy and think he is one of the best color guys around. I wish I could get him for every game as I hate the other teams' announcers (probably as much as, if not more than, opposing fans dislike Tommy). Not a lot of comments on boards since it is still early in the preseason but here are the ones I could find. Enjoy!
OMG these guys are homers!!! They never made any comments about the Sixers! I mean they haven't even talked about the game. One time they were talking about how good a play Eddie House made and he was just dribbling the ball. I think I will enjoy this game listening to it on mute.
I just caught a few minutes of the first pre-season game and was treated to the joy that is Tommy Heinsohn.
His first pearl of wisdom was that after watching 3 quarters of the Sixers FIRST pre-season game, it's clear to him that they're not going to work Elton Brand into the offense and that it's a wasted signing. Wow.
My hatred for the Celtics knows no bounds.
Looks like Ed forgot to check if Theo can jump anymore.
For the C's Big surprise, Ray Allen can still shoot the ball. Pierce and that one guy, Garnett looked good in limited minutes. Darius Miles looked like he was moving pretty well on the reconstructed knee. Good for him. I hope Boston cuts him and he plays well for someone in the West.
Theo got YAMMED on!!!!
Apparently Bill Walker is the greatest thing ever because he can dunk.
The guy will be in the NBDL by midseason, book it.
Looks like their whole bench belongs in the nbdl.
I would have loved to hear anything about a Sixers player. Just one thing. Oh, we heard that Willie and Tony Allen are best friends forever.
The Celtics announcers are the most biased, annoying, queer tommy point giving people I've ever had to listen to. My ears haven't done anything to me to deserve to be subjected to such tools. I don't even know how New England fans can stand them.
Mike Gorman: "Thaddeus has game"
Heinsohn: "Well Pierce isn't focusing on him"
Uh oh, here comes Bill Walker. I heard he can score without shooting!
Yeah if you listen to there announcers you would think the guy walks on water.
I'd say keep in mind he was being guarded by Kevin Garnett. Although on the much hated Celtics, we must give credit where credit is due and that is Kevin Garnett is a: MVP, Defensive power, and a hall of fame forward/center. Any team Garnett is on wins championships. Unless GM'D by Kevin McHale, whom until recently sucked at his job.
It really is a white trash salad down at umass.
The Boston(city of losers) Celtics are the most overrated team in the history of the NBA and will not win the NBA Finals. **** Boston.
Nothing like starting off beating those bunch of loser bums in the MA area. Hahaha, gotta love it. I don't care if it is preseason. Whenever you beat those losers up there in Boston, it is always nice.
For all of the worship throughout the night on how great the likes of Powe, Big Baby, Tony Allen, Darius Miles, and Patrick O'Brient are, they still couldn't handle Mr. 4th Quarter.
Thadeus looks like he improved a lot. Any interest in Brian Scalabrine in Philly? He had more TOs than Rebounds, not many guys can give you that.
Ratliff = Love the guy back in a Sixers uni, but he looked like he just stepped out of one of the night of the living dead movies, yikes. He gets dunked on by a rookie and then gets rejected by the rim.
We beat the piece of crap Celtics tonight. We are such a deep team this year. We should win the division with no problem. Celtics have no depth at all. Beyond their starters, their team is nothing.
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Our bench will be fine
by Unknown 12:43 AM
(This is my first attempt putting up an article, and it'll take a few attempts to get it like FL's, so please be patient :D)
Our first preseason game of the 2008 season was everything we wanted it to be--everything, that is, except for a "W". But fans shouldn't put much stock in our preseason record because the primary focus is not about winning every game. Rather, our coaching staff will use these games to prep our players for the start of the regular season.
Early on, more emphasis will be placed on our bench players. Our coaching staff needs to use these preseason games to get a better idea of what they have in the young players, as well as other players who are coming off of injuries. One game is not sufficient to analyze players, but the initial look has thus far been encouraging.
Patrick O'Bryant showed some nice things both offensively and defensively. He rebounded nicely (8 boards), scored efficiently (10 pts on 4 - 6 shooting), and swatted away 3 shots. Honestly, I don't expect him to average these numbers, but what he's showing is that in the right situations (like playing alongside of KG), he can have his moments in the sun. What I'd like to see from O'Bryant the rest of the preseason is consistency. We can't have him appearing and disappearing from game to game. It'll be fun monitoring his development throughout the season. He's a guy with talent who may finally be motivated to do something with it.
What Patrick O'Bryant potentially gives us at Center, Leon Powe gives us at Power Forward. Powe may not know every single defensive scheme in the book, and he may get lost in his assignments here and there, but put him on the court and he'll instinctively rebound anything within his reach and convert missed shots into putback points. As if this weren't enough, Powe also pours out his blood, sweat, and tears every minute he's privileged to play, and will give up his body for the team to draw charges. I'm predicting a breakout season for Powe--he'll be one of our consistent producers off the bench. His low post offense is underrated, but we may finally see what he can do with regular touches on the low blocks. It breaks my heart to see Big Al Jefferson tearing it up for Minnesota, but hopefully Powe's emergence will take some of the sting away and make me forget what we've lost in Jefferson. Tonight, Powe was the team's high scorer, putting up 12 points on 50% shooting.
Tony Allen is my other dark horse player I predict will breakout and be a key player off the bench (Powe being the other). Its not fair for one player to receive this prediction year after year, but when a player is as talented as Tony, and has had injuries set him back year after year, its only a matter of time before he makes me look like a prophet. I don't think I've ever seen Tony as dedicated towards honing his skills as he has been this summer, and his attitude in training camp has been encouraging. He wants to be an impact player off the bench, and he's declared himself to be a better player than James Posey. Now this might be suicide for most players, since Posey was one of the main characters in last year's championship run. But Tony may be right--he's certainly got more skills. Now its up to him to prove that he is indeed better than Posey. Everything he's learned up to this point, he's got to incorporate. Every skill he has in body, he must utilize. He won't be replacing exactly what Posey provided us, which was excellent team defense, timely three point shooting, and numerous floor burns. What Tony brings is better man to man coverage, more steals, more fastbreak scoring opportunities, a better slashing option, and a better playmaker. Tony will impact the game in different ways than Posey, and I'm confident he'll be able to replace Posey's importance to the team. Many fans don't share the same optimism as I do regarding Tony Allen, but in time they will. Tonight, Tony filled the stat sheet with 11 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.
Another newcomer to our beloved Celtics family is Darius Miles. Hardly a new name around NBA circles, Darius will attempt to resurrect his name after enduring a "supposedly" career ending knee injury. Blessed with natural basketball abilities and a body that was built for this sport, Darius has a lot of things going in his favor. But his uphill battle will be overcoming his injury and gaining confidence in himself to raise his level of play higher than its ever been in his 8 years in the league. Darius gives us a true SF who can match the Shawn Marions and the Andre Kirilenkos of the world in terms of height, length, athleticism, and quickness. He's struggled in the past with motivation, but he's got good help on this team. KG, Pierce, and Ray are excellent examples of players pushing themselves to the limit to be the best they can be, and they certainly aren't going to let a lazy teammate ruin their chances at winning their second consecutive NBA championship. Miles is in a unique situation here in Boston. He's got a chance to redeem himself and have the last laugh. Many have criticized Darius' career thus far, and Portland dumped him in the trash bin to be cast off and forgotten. By proving to be a valuable part of this team, Darius can turn his entire career around and raise his stock for when he enters free agency in 2010. Darius didn't have a big night in his return to NBA action, but he was a perfect 3 - 3 from the field. As the year goes on, and as he develops his game and understands his role, he will be more productive.
Eddie House/Sam Cassell. I'll group these two together because they're pretty much identical and we basically know what we'll get from them. Though they score in different ways (House more on pick and pops, while Cassell excels on isolation plays), both are viewed as scoring PG's rather than PG's who create opportunities for their teammates. I'm under the impression that Doc will pick and choose when Cassell plays, since its wise to keep the often injured Cassell fresh for the playoff run. This means House will get more playing time overall. House is a steady player, and as long as Sam I Am doesn't get too greedy with his offense, our backup PG depth will be just fine. Sam didn't play tonight, but House did, and he scored 10 pts, came up with 4 rebounds, and had 2 assists.
The rest of the roster is not as clear to me. I think Brian Scalabrine and Baby Davis will be traded at some point this preseason to free up roster space. Gabe Pruitt may feel the numbers crunch at PG and be sent back down to the NBDL (although he's proved to be ready for the next challenge). The rookies are likely to be sent down to the D-League, but Bill Walker in particular, is making this decision hard for Doc. I was fairly confident that both Jr Giddens and Walker would be in the D-League without a second thought, mainly because of our crowded roster (only 12 players can be on the active roster). And it probably will be the case after all is said and done. But if Walker keeps up with Tony Allen, he could very well prove me wrong and remain with the parent ballclub. And I for one will be very happy (that Walker is that good) and will gladly announce my mistake. In limited minutes tonight (11+ minutes), Walker scored 8 pts on 3-7 shooting. Giddens only played in 4 minutes and recorded an assist, a rebound, and a steal.
And there you have it in a nutshell. From my perspective, our bench is deeper and more versatile this season than it was last season. We've gotten younger and less experienced, but we've gained athleticism, length, quickness, and more energy. Its not the bench we came to know and love from last year, but Celtics fans will fall in love all over again with this set of guys.
For those of you still skeptical of our bench, you probably won't be convinced just by reading this. So all I can say to you is see for yourself.
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http://celticsgreen.proboards18.com/index.cgi
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See Bill Dunk
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Sixers Sneak Past the Celtics 98-92
by FLCeltsFan 9:15 PM
It was exciting to hear Mike and Tommy again and get back to Celtics basketball. I liked what I saw in the first preseason game in spite of the Celtics' 98-92 loss. The starters played just under 9 minutes in the first half and around 17 for the game. The Big Three looked very sharp and looked like they were picking up right where they left off in June. They looked to be in incredible shape and had their timing and chemistry right
Patrick O'Bryant started at center and was impressive in his first game as a Celtic. He finished with 10 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocked shots in just under 25 minutes. He had one great play in the first half where he fired a bullet pass from the top of the key to Darius Miles inside for a layup. He was the Player of the Game as chosen by Mike and Tommy. Rondo looks even better than last year and had 4 points, 7 assists, and 2 steals. He had an impressive steal in the third quarter and sped up court and found a trailing Tony Allen for a layup.
Speaking of Tony, he looked really good as well. He played without the cumbersome brace that seemed to limit his mobility last season and had just a sleeve over his knee. He had several big plays in the game and seems to have his explosiveness back again. He finished with 11 points 3 rebounds and 4 assists. Leon Powe and Big Baby were very aggressive in their first game. Powe had 12 points and 2 rebounds while Big Baby had 6 points and 3 rebounds.
Another player who impressed was Bill Walker. He had 2 monster dunks in the first half, the second one had every Celtic player off the bench cheering. He is going to help the Celtics this season. He is aggressive and showed poise and some very good hustle. He finished with 8 points and 2 rebounds and the play of the game with his monster dunk. I like this kid. Darius Miles had some moments as well with a couple of dunks and some nice defense.
JR Giddens played only 4 minutes but he had a rebound, an assist and a steal. He also showed some nice defense. Gabe Pruitt showed some nice defense as well and looked confident running the point. He finished with 2 points 3 rebounds and 1 assist. Eddie House showed why he was the back up point guard in the finals as he finished with 10 points, 4 rebounds 2 assists and a steal. He has one of the quickest releases in the league and is good for instant offense off the bench.
The one player who seems to be the odd man out and doesn't seem to have a role on this team is Scal. He was 0-4 from the field and didn't score. He passed up a few open shots as well. He did have 3 rebounds and 1 assist but also 4 turnovers. I know that there is little to no chance that it will be Scal who is cut or traded, but of everyone on the team, I think he is expendable. My second choice would be to move Sam Cassell to coach this season and not next. Sam I Am and Doc Rivers were not with the team due to personal reasons. Tom Thibodeau took over the head coaching job.
Both teams were sloppy with the ball as the Sixers turned the ball over 21 times and the Celtics turned it over a whopping 26 times. That is one area the Celtics will definitely have to address. The Celtics out rebounded the Sixers 38-34 and shot 48% to 45% for the Sixers, but the turnovers really hurt them. In spite of the loss, I liked what I saw from the young guys tonight. I liked what I saw from the starters. Of the new players, Patrick O'Bryant and Bill Walker were especially impressive. Tony Allen's play was very encouraging as he seems to be finally getting back to pre-injury form. Next game is Friday against the Cavaliers.
[Box Score]
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Doc Rivers to Miss Preseason Opener
by FLCeltsFan 4:23 PM
This just out from AP:
Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers was not with the team for its exhibition opener against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night so he could return to his home in Orlando, Fla., for a personal matter.
Assistant coaches Tom Thibodeau and Armond Hill were to run the defending NBA champions in Rivers' absence.
Also to miss the game is Sam Cassell who will miss the game for personal reasons. Tom Thibodeau is more than capable of running the team in Doc's absence, so I'm not too worried.
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Game Day!!!!
by FLCeltsFan 9:40 AM
 
Seems like forever since we had a game day, but it really hasn't been all that long. At least not as long as other seasons. We had a fairly short off season but the anticipation of a season as reigning champs for the first time in 22 years made it seem longer. But it is finally here... the first game of the preseason.
Boston Celtics (0,0) vs Philadelphia 76ers (0,0)
Wednesday, October 8
Mullins Center, UMass
Amhurst, Massachusetts
7:00 PM ET
TV: CSN, NBA-TV
Radio: WEEI
Game Thread
This is the first game for both teams. Both teams are expected to rest their starters while getting a look at the young players who are new or on the bubble of making the team or being cut. Both teams have added new players through the draft and free agency. The Celtics have added 4 new players: JR Giddens and Bill Walker through the draft and Patrick O'Bryant and Darius Miles through free agency. The Celtics will have at least one cut needed to get the team down to the maximum of 15 players before the season. The Sixers have added 6 new players through the draft and free agency: Elton Brand, Royal Ivey, Donyell Marshall, Teho Ratliff and Kareem Rush through free agency and Marreese Speights through the draft. They also have several training camp invitees hoping to catch someone's eye and gain a roster spot. The Sixers will have to make 5 cuts before the season.
Probable Starting Matchups
Probable Starting Matchups
PG Rajon Rondo vs Andre Miller
SG Ray Allen vs Andre Iguodala
SF Paul Pierce vs Thaddeus Young
PF Kevin Garnett vs Elton Brand
C Patrick O'Bryant vs Samuel Dalembert
Celtics Bench
Tony Allen
Glen Davis
JR Giddens
Eddie House
Darius Miles
Leon Powe
Gabe Pruitt
Brian Scalabrine
Bill Walker
Sam Cassell
Injured
Kendrick Perkins
Sixers Bench
Reggie Evans
Herbert Hill
Royal Ivey
Donyell Marshall
Theo Ratliff
Kareem Rush
Marreese Speights
Louis Williams
Thaddeus Young
Maureece Rice
Antywane Robinson
Andre Emmett
Jared Reiner
Cory Underwood
Injured
Jason Smith
Players to Watch:
Celtics
Bill Waker
Darius Miles
Patrick O'Bryant
Gabe Pruitt
Doc has said that he won't play his starters big minutes in the preseason and we can expect to see a lot of the young guys and new guys. Walker, Miles, and O'Bryant have all been praised for their work in camp and so this will be their chance to show they belong in the rotation and for O'Bryant to show that he isn't the bust that the Warriors have made him out to be. Walker is fighting for a spot in the rotation and Miles is fighting for a spot on the team. They all have something to prove. Gabe Pruitt has been mentioned as the odd man out after the Cassell signing and so he is also fighting for a spot on the team.
Sixers
Elton Brand
Andre Iguodala
Theo Ratliff
Thaddeus Young
With Elton Brand being new to the team and to Mo Cheeks' system, he may see more time on the floor than most veterans do in the preseason. The Sixers need to see how he fits with the team and the system. Iguodala got a big payday this summer and will be looking to prove that he can earn it. Also, the Sixers are experimenting with moving Iguodala to the 2 guard and Thaddeus Young to the starting small forward. It will be a change for both players and the Sixers will be monitoring how both players handle the move. It will be interesting to see if Ratliff is still functional. The over/under for his next injury is 2 games.
We can't take much from a preseason game as coaches try to limit starters minutes and play their benches while looking at players to see who will stick and who will be cut. Coaches are also looking for combinations to see who works well with whom. Expect Doc to give a long look at Darius Miles, Patrick O'Bryant, Gabe Pruitt, JR Giddens and Bill Walker to see what they can give the team. We will probably also see a lot of Tony Allen as Doc tries to give him some confidence in the preseason since he will be called on for a bigger role this season. The Sixers are trying to build chemistry with their new players and new lineup along with watching the many invitees to see which players earn their spot. It will be interesting to watch the first few minutes when both teams will have their starters on the floor to see how they match up.
I am sooooooooo ready for this! Anyone else excited?
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Fiddlin' and Diddlin' - Daily Links 10/8
Fiddlin' and Diddlin' - Daily Links 10/7
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
by FLCeltsFan 9:33 AM
Herald Ray Allen’s selective shooting fits Celts’ plans
FL's Take: I thought Ray should have been co-MVP of the finals. He struggled for much of the season, but when it really counted, came through. I expect to see the Ray of the finals for this entire season which would be huge for this team.
Globe Unquestionably, Allen is glad to be back
FL's Take: The Celtics need Tony to step up. Unfortunately, along with his injuries, he has also shown a tendency to be boneheaded. Let's hope he gets it together.
CelticsBlog VladRad minutes reduction justified
NBA.com Interview with Larry Bird
Kevin Eastman Basketball Want to/need to
Hoopsworld Carter happy in NJ, Walker impresses
Can the Boston Celtics repeat?
Power Rankings: Lakers on top?!
FL's Take: It starts again. All last season the Celtics had to fight the "experts" predictions and doubts and already with the first power rankings, it is starting all over again. Of course, these were written by a Lakers fan so I guess we can give him a pass this time.
WEEI Blogs Take me out to the ball game
NBA Cavaliers One on one with Delonte West
My Basketball Ubuntu diary
Metro Repeat after me
Lex Nihil Novi Darius Miles at the four spot
Robey trades PT for winning
A snapshot of Antoine after 5 games
OC Register Zen or Ubuntu? Phil or Doc?
Indian Express Worst to first Celtics gunning for repeat
Hooped Up The formula: Boston Celtics
Blazers Edge Miles watch - Day 234,305
Press Enterprise Lakers learn that D matters
Lowell Sun Debating the legacy of Paul Pierce
FL's Take: Pierce cemented his legacy with this championship. He already had earned a place in Celtics' lore with his play over the years, but the championship caps that. If he should lead the Celtics to back to back championships, it would definitely put him right up there with the Celtic greats. Some might say that Pierce didn't do it until KG and Ray were added, but then again Bird had some pretty good players around him when he won his rings. It always takes a team effort and rarely will one star be able to do it by himself.
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Fiddlin' and Diddlin' - Daily Links 10/6
Monday, October 6, 2008
Blogger Previews: Atlantic Division
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