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RETRIEVING CONTENT...PLEASE WAIT
Random Thoughts After All Star Injustice
Friday, January 30, 2009
by FLCeltsFan 9:52 AM
The All Star reserves were announced yesterday and I was very much disgusted with the whole thing. The Magic have 3 (yes THREE) All Stars? I don't agree with several of the coaches' picks. For one, Mo Williams should have been on the team over either Nelson or Devin Harris. Second, I can understand Rondo not making it. I think he is All Star caliber but there are just so many spots on the team. He is young and will make many All Star appearances in his career. But for them to leave Ray Allen off of the team was a travesty. Ray has been the most consistent and most valuable Celtic on a regular basis so far this season. For him to be snubbed for Jameer Nelson or Rashard Lewis or Devin Harris is absolutely inexcusable. The All Star selecting process needs to be fixed. I mean, KG barely beating out Yi? Jameer Nelson over Ray Allen? Need I say more?
All that being said, the team is better off with Ray getting rest instead of playing. But it is the principle of the thing. Ray deserves it and as always the league conspires to snub the Celtics in every way they possibly can. Another snub that is terrible is leaving Al Jefferson off the Western squad. Al has been playing great basketball. The Wolves are playing good ball. His stats are better than most of the players chosen. He deserves to be on the team.
Another snub that hasn't been mentioned is the fact that Big Baby was left off the Rookie Sophomore teams. Yes, he has been a bit inconsistent, but lately he has been playing well and he did contribute to a championship last season. He deserved a shot at playing on the Sophomore team. Next up will be Eddie House being snubbed for the 3 point contest. I don't know if Eddie will do well in the contest or not, but he deserves the chance to try. He uses his legs alot in his shot and typically jump shooters don't do as well as set shooters as their legs tire by the end. But, I think he has earned the right to compete. For that matter, so has Ray.
And, speaking of an injustice. Remember KG's little slap at Andrew Bogut? It was first ruled a flagrant 1 and then later upgraded to a flagrant 2 which comes with an automatic suspension. He was suspended for one game for it. No one was hurt. It was just a little slap during a physical play by both players and actually, KG got the worst of that exchange. Now, remember Andrew Bynum's hit on Gerald Wallace? This was also called a flagrant one in the game and later upgraded to a flagrant 2. But, even though Wallace has a collapsed lung and a cracked rib because Bynum hit him so hard, there will be no suspension. HUH? No suspension for hitting a guy hard enough to collapse his lung? David Stern is a joke. If it was me, Bynum would be out at least as long as Wallace. Fair is fair.
I was sorry to hear of Lucky's departure as the Celtics' mascot. He did a great job of being a leprechaun. It will be interesting to see how the Celtics replace him, if indeed they do. I wonder if Lucky's appearance on Conan was unsanctioned by the team and was maybe the straw that broke the leprechaun's back, so to speak. Maybe they will dump the dance team next. I still think that Red left this earth because he couldn't bear to watch dancers on his beloved parquet floor.
I was happy to see that the Grizzlies are planning to pick up Darius Miles for the remainder of the season. Anyone who works as hard has he has to come back from a career ending injury deserves a chance to play. He is averaging 5.7 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in 12 minutes.
Just as they did last season, the Celtics' much maligned bench has been coming together and producing. While the Celtics could still use a back up center with length, I think they can develop what they have without having to trade away half the team to bring someone else in. I don't think Marbury is the answer. He is already causing controversy for the Celtics without even being on the team with his comments about having an offer which the Celtics have since denied. I think with enough playing time between now and the end of the season, Gabe Pruitt will be a very good backup to Rondo. He doesn't let the defenses shake him and he has a nice shot when he takes it. Also, by moving Eddie to the 2 guard spot, it has freed him up to be quite a threat from beyond the arc.
I was happy to see that Doc said that Leon should get more playing time with Scal out. I love Leon and his tenacity on the boards is a big plus for this team. Even when he doesn't get the rebounds he boxes out so that his teammates get them. He also is a tough player on defense who is not afraid to take a charge and make players think twice before approaching the basket. Big Baby has been playing very well and he deserves to get minutes. Scal did a great job filling in for Perk and he has been playing the best ball of his Celtics tenure, but I still think Leon brings more to the game than Scal does. I think that Bill Walker can be the answer for a defensive 3 off the bench. I love this kid's intensity and toughness.
Celtics face the Pistons tonight in Motown looking for their 10th straight win. This rivalry has lost much of it's intrigue. The Celtics have been playing great basketball but the Pistons have been going in the other direction. The Pistons players have been doing a lot of finger pointing and complaining. Rip Hamilton, one of the key players from Pistons past is relegated to the bench. Iverson is now a shooting guard. And, they have lost 7 of their last 10 games. But, they are still a very dangerous team. The Celtics would do well not to take them for granted. The Pistons will come out looking to prove that they still belong with the elite and it will be up to the Celtics to bring their D game, as in the stifling defense that takes teams out of games before they even get started. Hopefully the Celtics won't let playing on the road in Detroit take them out of the groove they have been in over the past 9 games.
[Discuss this topic on the Celtics Green Forums!]
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