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RETRIEVING CONTENT...PLEASE WAIT
The Ten Commandment of Celtic Fandom
Saturday, January 31, 2009
by eja117 8:44 PM
It's Saturday nite and Mrs. EJA is watching a chick flick with Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz. I think I hear music from Dirty Dancing. I need a beer. Naturally I am on the computer watching the fantasy team and being myself. A lot of people don't know this about me, but I like to analyze some things. Like the 2nd Amendment is just hell. Who are "the people"? What are "arms"? What is a "militia"? What is "infringement"? What is "well regulated"? They really just blew that one. Another subject I love is religion. I find it equally confusing. And one of the most famous pieces of religion is the Ten Commandments. It's technically Jewish and Christians use it a lot, so since Saturday is the sabbath for some, and Sunday for others, and it's Saturday nite, sort of between the two times, now is as good as ever to post THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF CELTIC FANDOM! I'm not Celtic God, but this is my reinterpretation ....
1 I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other Gods before me….so draft Celtics and avoid Lakers in your fantasy teams
2 You shall not make for yourself an idol. Don’t ever have a poster of a Laker in your room or allow your kids to have them or your fantasy team will suffer. Bad karma.
3 You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not acquit anyone who misuses his name…..don’t ever brag too heavily about the Celtics or say anything bad about them. Let Tommy do the talking for you.
4 Observe the Sabbath and keep it Holy. Thou must watch the playoffs and marquee games that are received by your television. Also thou must listen on the radio if possible. If that isn't available then do your best to go on line and read Celtics Green discussing the games and get the instant updates on espn or yahoo sports.
5 Honor your mother and father…….don’t ever say anything bad about Red. Don’t even think about it.
6 You shall not murder…….Kobe’s not worth it.
7 You shall not commit adultery……but you can definitely make inappropriate comments about hunting for Mexican girls or not needing condoms to Vannessa Bryant or Cookie Johnson
8 You shall not steal. Harassing the opposing player into bad passes is better cause it’s more embarrassing.
9 You shall not bear false witness against anyone. Don’t say something stupid like "Magic Johnson was overrated". Everyone knows it isn’t true.
10 Neither shall you covet anything that belongs to your neighbor. Buy your own damn fake NBA championship rings, SI commemorative hardbound edition, and way overpriced jersey that was made in China or Mexico.
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Comments from the Other Side - Pistons
by FLCeltsFan 10:06 AM
Might as well chalk this one up as an "L".
We got this.
MIGETTY DYESS GONNA WIN IT FOR US!
If we're gonna win this game, the bench MUST kill Boston's bench. Hamilton must have a great game. McDyess must have a great game. Simple as that.
Only way Boston will win is if Boston bench come in like usual and just beast
Bostons bench always plays at a super human level against us. Tony Allen, Leon Powe, Big Baby, one of them is gonna go off on us. Maybe all of em.
We will lose 100-0 and Doc Rivers will be fired for not letting up.
I hope someone is planning on guarding Eddie house..that sob has been shooting lights out and has usually been the guy who helps bos break away from the other team on the offensive end.
This one could be ugly. This matchup brought out the worst in us even in the best of times. Better hope something goofy happens.
KG, Peirce and Allen all dive for a loose ball, bump their heads, and are hospitalized for mild concussions?
Easy WIN!
We'll see if Sheed picks up a T tonight. My money is on the yes.
Shoot KG don't do anything but shoot jumpers now it aint hard to guard him.
I love Rip more for the "hard" foul on that fat tub of lard Davis.
Fat man can't jump!!!
The refs hate the pistons.
Some of these calls are ridiculous. The Rasheed "foul" on Powe specifically. Who the eff is Leon Powe to get that call?
I'm used to it by now. The refs have always hated them. They do deserve some of it though because they do complain a lot.
Detroit is playing with more heart than I have seen them play with for awhile now.
That was a dirty dirty play by Perkins- good thing he got called for the flagrant 2
Perkins you scum. Maxiell better not get any punishment. Responded how anyone would.
I seriously hate Boston. That was cheap as hell and now they're going to win.
Way to go Maxey. Now Perkins can get an early start on the post game buffet, the fat P.O.S. That he is. That's a suspendable takedown.
Perkins is the MVP of this game. His flagrant ejection actually benefits his team. His flagrant put a bad foul shooter on the line while Maxiell's tech put one of the best foul shooters in the league on the line.
The Celtics are a great defensive team. Best in the business in fact.
The good: despite poor shooting from some guys, and rip being a turnover machine, I thought we played great and tough. One of our best games of the year, actually.
The bad: Imo this is about as good of a fight we can give the C's and we lost by a healthy margin.
That body slam took some of our intensity away and couldn't get it back.overall this team just has the pistons number.
Sheed just missed another wide open shot... I hate the Celtics.
I hate the Celtics, I hate Eddie house, I hate how damn excited they get. Yes, most of it at this point is envy, I concede that. Nontheless, I'm pretty sure I feel hatred.
NO NEVER ADMIT THAT YOU ENVY THE CELTICS You might as well be envying Satan...
I picked up a "Boston Sucks" shirt here in LA when the Lakers were playing them in the finals. Never thought I'd wear a purple/gold shirt, but anything to display my hate for Boston is good enough for me.
Is keeping Boston under 90 a small victory?
Boston has gotten it done in crunch time, the Pistons haven't. Bottom line. And that is why they are defending champions and we are the 6th seed in the East right now.
Lol @ KG giving Stuck a piece of his mind every trip to the frethrow and during every timeout.
Sigh...the Celtics still own the Pistons.
After just watching that KG commercial, a troubling thought just came to me. When he retires, KG will take Bill Walton's place as the most annoying ex-player turned commentator.
And a shiver runs down my spine.
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EJA's Fantasy Philosophy
Friday, January 30, 2009
by eja117 1:27 PM
This is eja117 and this is my new weekly column about fantasy basketball. You may want to know my qualifications. I came in 2nd out of 14 in 2005, won our league in 2006, won again in 2007, and have currently pulled myself from about 10th out of 12 to 3rd this year and am 1.5 games out and just last week knocked off #1 (KGinGreen) 8-2. Also people don’t know this, but the year before I joined the Celtics Green league I came in 2nd in another league that played by different rules.
The most important thing you need to know about playing fantasy sports (in particular basketball and in particular in my league) is that this is the most important rule of all…..you must be active. If you don’t set your rosters and if you don’t make at least one move a month then you are the 6th most evil thing ever right behind Commies, Hippies, Nazis, Pacifists, and people that use the metric system, in that order. Yeah I know. That list is a kilometer long and weighs a metric ton, but hold on cause I’m gonna give you liters of knowledge.
In terms of winning a fantasy league we should (apologies to Julie Andrews) start at the very beginning. A very good place to start. When you start with the alphabet you start a,bc. When you start with a fantasy team you start 1,2,3. Rounds that is. In the draft. All rounds. There are multiple strategies out there. I’ll go over some of the most common. However I wrote a lot so today I will only go over the first two.
Strategy 1 Prerank your players and let the chips fall where they may
Nooooooo. BIG mistake. I did this my first year in 2005 with Celts Green guys and it yielded interesting results. I was picking last and my first two picks were Steve Nash and Jason Kidd. This was fine. Guys who score points, threes, assists up the yinyang, ok percentages and they can both rebound. So what was the problem?
The problem was that I wasn’t there to stop the computer from doing stupid things. Rounds 9-14 went like this Toine, Eric Dampier, Shaun Livingston, Jasikevicus, Kenny Thomas, Bruce Bowen. So do you see the problem? The computer can’t do everything for you and it’s hard to do perfect predraft ranking and take rookies into account.
Strategy 2 Go big. Really big.
I can vouch for this strategy. It has its benefits. I was frustrated at coming in 2nd the year before and vowed I wouldn’t have the same problems again. I wanted blocks, fg%, rebs, to be competitive in points, and to not have the same TO problems that going so pg heavy had caused me before. There is one drawback. Don’t overdo it. That year I was picking 2nd, which helped. I picked in order KG, Jermaine O’Neal, Amare (who was coming back from a major hairline fracture) Ben Wallace, and Ilgauskas. It ticked people off and I was as happy as a clam, but now I needed guards and a lot of the good ones were gone. I freaked out. I went for Brandon Roy (which was fine, but then he got hurt) Wally, Sam Cassell, (I was trying to get assists, threes, and points) and then I hit gold. Andre Miller in round 9. Then Rudy Gay, Mike Miller (still looking for 3s) then I hit gold again. Kevin Martin in round 12. I remembered him from when I had picked him the year before off the waiver wire. I knew he’d be good. I had tried to hit home runs with Roy and Gay. That was stupid. Then I tried to wrap up blocks with Perk (my one Celtic. I always make myself take a Celtic and up till this year a Lithuanian). Then I got cute and picked Grant Hill with the 2nd to last pick. A good team but I had overdone it. Fortunately I had cornered the market on big men and Derren traded me Vince Carter for Ben Wallace. That was awesome. Now I was well on my way to a championship, but I still had to duke it out in the final week with CF.
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Fiddlin' and Diddlin' - Daily Links 1/30
Random Thoughts After All Star Injustice
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.
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Fiddlin' and Diddlin' - Daily Links 1/29
Thursday, January 29, 2009
by FLCeltsFan 11:54 AM
Herald Celtics reign down on Kings
Brian Scalabrine takes slow road back
Ray Allen: Respect the game
A very, very fine Eddie House
Globe Celtics bring down the house
Subs' improved play has come to the surface
Tony Allen returns, gains a foothold
Various posts on the Globe Celtics blog
MetroWest Daily Celtics 119, Kings 100: Crowning achievement
CelticsBlog Questionable bench leads the way
Rondo's jumper
LOY's Place Comments from the other side - Kings
Celtics 17 Why LeBron is better than Kobe and has been for awhile
ESPN House, Rondo pace Celtics' attack against hapless Kings
Celtics 24/7 Rondo, bench lead C's to 9th straight victory
Red's Army Rondo makes his case
Ride 'em Doc
Perkisabeast Best bargain in the NBA part deux
ProJo Scalabrine out up to 10 days after second concussion
Rivers says 4 Celtics are deserving of All Star selection
Celtics trounce Kings in royal fashion
Lex Nihil Novi E. House and D. Fish
Flip the switch
Replacing Scalabrine
USA Today McHale has Wolves believing again
Eagle Tribune House money
Worcester Telegram Nine is just fine for surging Celtics
Scalabrine feeling OK
Patriot Ledger Tony Allen makes contribution in first game back
Teammates selling Eddie House's participation in 3 point contest
Metro Headache for Celtics
Washington Post Bobcats' Wallace has collapsed lung
NBA.com Rookie- Sophomore challenge rosters announced
Bleacher Report Ruthless efficiency: Ray Allen and the Celtics' Defense
Ray Allen: The Forgotten C-Eattle
Do the Celtics still miss James Posey?
He got game: Ray Allen's success in Boston
Hoopsworld Award watch: Coach of the year
Celtics push win streak to 9, smash Kings
FanHouse Andrew Bynum sends Gerald Wallace to the hospital
SI.com While the Marbury rumors swirl, Celtics rediscover their groove
ProBasketball News Nelson, Okafor deserve nod, Rondo doesn't
Banner 18 We wouldn't get so excited
Eddie's on fire, TA's back and we're going to win without even playing
Jack of All Trades Celtics should pass on Marbury
Comcast SportsNet Is Nigerian spam key to Celtics success?
Sports Network House shoots Celtics past Kings
Connecticut Post Danger: House explosion, falling threes
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Comments from the Other Side - Kings
by FLCeltsFan 7:51 AM
WOW. We are on FIRE in the 1st!
Kings lookin good so far...shooting 90%
Kings may pull this one out and get revenge for that loss in Sactown.
today's my birthday and I deserve a Kings win as my birthday present!
Your present was the Kings being up by 10 at one point in the game. With this team, that's as good as it gets.
Officiating is really horrific
You know with Scalabrine out, we might just have a shot...
So much for the false hope they gave us. Same old same old
You know, its to the point where we should just have a selection of instant game conversation posts. No need to type, just hit your selection...
Can somebody please get a rebound!
Is anybody going to freakin' guard that guy?
Here we go again.
Another turnover? Unbelievable!
Why is __________ coming into the game?
What's with this rotation, coach?
Another blown (layup/putback).
Another ____ to zero run. WTG Kings!
Ball pounded into oblivion or turnover, whichever comes first.
Kings make another scrub player look like MJ.
Please put in Thompson!
Please put in Hawes!
Damn, we suck.
Wow, Kevins feet were not set as he slide trying to guard Pierce - but 3rd foul called on Paul. Maybe he put his arm into Kev's grill a bit. Hey, we got the call and it's BIG.
Theres something that bugs me about Doc Rivers...
The Celtics are getting every single rebound possible. Pathetic.
The sad thing is, we were beating the Celtics starters by 10 at one point. Then their bench comes in and completely destroys us.
Tony Allen better rebounder than Mller and Hawes????
Rondo can pretty much do anything he wants against us.
I guess the Kings coaches missed the scouting report about letting Rondo shoot from outside. For whatever reason, they are pressuring him, allowing him to go right around them. Lay off him, and make him beat you from outside please. On the other hand, apparently they missed the report about how House can shoot.
Eddie House is killing us...and Brad Miller is shooting 3's instead of getting rebounds. Perfect. I wonder why we are the worst team in the league...
Well, you know....Petrie likes Bigs that shoot 3's. Rebounding is for philistines. He also likes to draft Douby over Rondo.
Man, how different our team would be if we had drafted Rondo instead of Douby...sighhhh
I don't think rondo would be the same player he is right now if he were drafted by us.. He has it pretty easy playing with 3 Hall of famers.
Quit calling them the damn world champs. They're not!..
Aside from Robert Swift, Big Baby is the dumbest looking guy in the league.
Rondo is playing like MJ against us....
Why do we continue to let House shoot the 3? I don't get it...
Because there's no 4pt shot that we could let him shoot?
Winning is so overrated.
Give me another beer or 2 and I might not care that we lost.
You still care!?
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Fiddlin' and Diddlin' - Daily Links 1/28
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
by FLCeltsFan 9:37 AM
Herald Brian Scalabrine’s head takes hit
FL's Take: I have to admit that I haven't been a big Scal fan. Don't get me wrong. I love the guy for his character and locker room presence but I just didn't think that he added anything on the court. But, his recent stint in filling in for Perk has won me over. The guy plays hard. It's too bad that just as he was seemingly finally fitting in he gets two concussions right in a row. But, on the other side, it may be a good time to give Bill Walker some run and see what he can do for us.
Globe Celtics hope to have four All Stars
FL's Take: It isn't all that far fetched to have 4 All Stars. The Pistons did it one year. Pierce, Ray and KG all are very deserving. I would love to see Rondo and Perk there as well but there may be other players at their position who will beat them out for the honor. We'll find out tomorrow.
0Scalabrine out after second concussion
Kings thumbnails
Scalabrine suffers concussion, Allen likely to play
Marbury believes Celtics are among 3 options
MetroWest Daily Celtics: C's get boost from bench
FL's Take: Just like last year, the bench has taken a lot of criticism, but with Eddie House stepping up his game and Big Baby coming on strong, it seems as though it isn't near as bad as some people would have us believe.
ESPN Bobcats beat Lakers
FL's Take: I always love seeing the Lakers get beat! It brings a warm and fuzzy feeling!
Chat with Stephon Marbury
Perkisabeast The best bargain in the NBA
Cleveland.com Cavs roster not likely to change
Hoopsworld Surprising Wolves look to keep rolling
FL's Take: I am happy to see Big Al doing so well. I really like him and he is a good kid. He deserves to be in the All Star game this season. I am also happy to see Kevin McHale finally getting some good press as a coach. McHale has always been a favorite and I am happy to see him doing well.
Celtics aim for ninth straight win vs Kings
Patriot Ledger Celtics’ Scalabrine could be lost for some time
Suite 101 1998 NBA draft redo
Houston Chronicle NBA's top 10: Order restored, the champs back
NBA.com Allen's accuracy revives Celtics
FL's Take: Ray Allen is a pleasure to watch. His shot is so silky smooth. Last season at this point he was still struggling and this season he is tearing it up. He shot over 60% from the field last week and is the player I would most want taking a shot in clutch time. I also believe that he is having a positive effect on the younger players in teaching them the importance of routine and taking care of themselves. Ray is playing the best of anyone on the team right now. He is also playing the most minutes, which could be a problem come playoff time.
Dime Is the East officially back?
Comcast SportsNet Five reasons Rondo won't be an All Star
Bleacher Report Ray Allen's input to the Celtics success
SLAM The commish picks
Red's Army MVP/Roy voting - The Red's Army edition
Newsday Marbury's no cancer, he's a Pisces
Lex Nihil Novi Big Three make big leap at the line
What's in that hip pocket?
Hibachi 2.0 Homeless to hardwood: The Leon Powe story
Be the Three Checking on Kevin and the Baby C's
Al Jefferson and the 19/5 club
Banner 18 Tonight: Celtics vs Kings
Real Clear Sports Power Ranking averages: Lakers #1, Celtics #2
OC Register Celtics fans are jokes
FL's Take: Just one more reason to hate the Lakers, Lakers fans, and the Lakers media.
Sporting News NBA power poll: Lakers #1, Celtics #2
LA Times Phil Jackson says Lakers are focused on task at hand
WEEI Scal out, TA back, and Kings up
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Scal Out with a Concussion
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
by FLCeltsFan 1:13 PM
According the the Globe, Scal suffered a concussion in practice after colliding with Patrick O'Bryant as they were going up for a rebound. He already had a mild concussion after the collision with Dirk Nowitzki's elbow and with the second hit, he was taken to New England Baptist Hospital and is expected to be out for awhile according to Doc:
Celtics forward Brian Scalabrine was taken to New England Baptist Hospital after suffering a concussion at practice today, and coach Doc Rivers said he expects the forward to be out for an extended period of time.
"He got hit in the head and just had a mild concussion," Rivers said. "I don't know if he is out, but it's close. He'll be out probably for quite some time.
It's a little confusing as Doc first says that he doesn't know if he is out and then in the same breath says he will be out for quite some time. This is a good time to see what Bill Walker can give us!
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Fiddlin' and Diddlin' - Daily Links 1/27
By the Numbers
by FLCeltsFan 9:23 AM
I have been thinking for some time about the 19 game win streak vs the 2-7 slump vs the 8 game win streak the Celtics are currently on. There is a difference between the team we have seen in each of these stretches. Sports tonight listed some numbers that bear this out, and being a math teacher, numbers always catch my attention and make things much clearer.
During the 19 Game Win Streak:
Opponents points per game: 92.7
Opponents field goal percentage 43.1
During the 2-7 Slump
Opponents points per game: 92.1
Opponents field goal percentage 43.6
During the Current 8 Game Win Streak
Opponents points per game 89.8
Opponents field goal percentage 41.7
These numbers bear out the fact that the team that lost 2 out of 7 wasn't playing that much differently than the team that won the 19 games in a row. But, the team that has won 8 in a row in their recent streak is something else again.
The team that started out with the 19 game win streak wasn't playing as well as that record indicated. They won several of those games not because they were playing so well, but simply because the other team played worse. There were a lot of close wins and a lot of come from behind wins. But, during that stretch the Celtics weren't dominating teams, they were getting past teams.
In most of those games, the starters came out slow and the team got into a hole that they had to play themselves out of. In other games, they had big leads that they let other teams come back from to make the game close. Doc kept saying that even though they were winning, they weren't playing well. As the wins racked up and the streak reached 15, 16, 17, 18, and 19, it took more and more out of a team that was not performing at their peak to try to keep the streak going.
Then, came the Christmas day meeting with the Lakers. The Celtics had played more games than anyone else in the league. They were putting out massive efforts to win games in which they weren't playing their best and they were tired. The Lakers had been playing most of their games at home and had an easy schedule compared to the Celtics. The Celtics let up just a little and lost to the Lakers, who were treating the game like Game 7 of the Finals, which incidently they never made it to since the Celtics beat them in 6 games. And so, the streak was over and then they lost 7 of the 9 games in that stretch as teams saw a crack in the armor and were coming at the Celtics with all they had sensing that they could beat the Celtics if they played their best game. It wasn't that the Celtics were playing that much worse than they had played in their win streak, but now the opposing teams were playing better because they saw the Celtics as beatable.
After the Cleveland game, the Celtics regrouped, watched tape and most importantly, got some rest and practice time. And, they started playing more like the Celtics we saw last season than the ones that started this season. The starters are getting off to strong starts. The bench players are finding their niches and playing better and as a team they are putting teams away early and dominating games. And most importantly, that stifling defense that became their trademark last season is finally back.
This is the team that won the championship. Not the team that started the season. We could use some help in the form of a veteran big man. I don't think Marbury is the answer. First, he wants a bigger role than the Celtics are offering him. Second, I think we need a veteran big man more than we need another back up point guard. Eddie House has proved over and over that when it counts he is going to come up big and he is playing the best ball of his career right now. I have a feeling that Marbury will be more trouble than any help he gives us as a player.
There is no reason to think that this team won't continue playing at this level because the toughest part of the schedule is behind them. They have matched last season's record of 37-9, but they didn't play their 46th game of the season last year until February 9. They will have more rest and more practice time from now until the end of the season. They are back to playing their brand of defense that won them the championship. The sky is the limit from here on out and the numbers bear this out.
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The huge GM that could.
Monday, January 26, 2009
by eja117 8:14 PM
This is the first time I've ever logged into a blog to try to post something so I have no idea what will happen. Starting soon I think I will try to post regularly about fantasy bball, BUT IT IS NOT THIS DAY. This day I have other thoughts. I am hoping for actual change. Not just change cause it sounds cool. I have no hope. I like proof. I don't believe that together we can. I think only Danny can. And I don't believe in reaching out. I believe in destroying the Lakers and letting them envy us. To that end I am getting nervous about the team. Have you ever marveled at the way the Red Sox and Patriots always have players they can plug in at a moment's notice that contribute? They sign street free agents that somehow instantly know their system and they bring rookies from their farm systems that are ready. Were you just laughing at every other team when the Pats suddenly brought in Junior Seau and Roosevelt Colvin and with one day of practice they were all over the field helping? If Danny Ainge is as good a GM as I think he is what is he waiting for? What is happening? The team needs help. Please do not tell me that Pruitt, Glen Davis, Giddens, and Walker are supposed to be what will get us where we need to be. This can't be happening. In a worst case scenario I seriously doubt that the old guys can help us but don't we owe it to ourselves to try to find out? I don't think Tim Hardaway can beat out Pruitt or Sam Cassell or that he'd leave the studio, but couldn't we just make the call? Doesn't Kenny Anderson have serious money problems supporting all his kids he hasn't seen in 3 years? Lets get more serious. Do you suppose Christian Laetner could beat out Scala? Think he'd like a ring? Do you suppose Keith Van Horn could help us for half a year, or does he like being a stay at home dad so much that he wouldn't be interested in a half million bucks and a ring?Spree? A little help here? Let's say we don't go the washed up route. Do you suppose there are some guys with reasonably flexible (possibly expiring) contracts that would be excellent prospects? How about Giddens for Adam Morrison? Hey Adam. Go nuts. Shoot the lights out. Don't you wish we'd tried to get Von Wafer about two weeks ago? Desmond Mason? Are you telling me that we have so little to trade and that the asking price is so high for the moderately helpful players in this league that it can't be done? How happy do you think Rashad McCants would be to come here? I'd give my left nut for Hakkim Warrick. Seriously I have a couple macadamia nuts right here on my desk and the one on the left is huge and I'd trade it in two seconds for Hakkim. What does Mike Miller cost or Mike Conley or whoever? Just get this done already Danny. I don't care if you have to do the Lawrence Taylor thing and send the other GMs fruit baskets (or at least I think that's what he said he sent other players the night before games). Just get it done
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Fiddlin' and Diddlin' - Daily Links 1/26
Comments from the Other Side - Mavericks
by FLCeltsFan 8:09 AM
Sometimes there is a picture or graphic in the game threads that is too good to pass on sharing. The above was shared by a Mavs fan as his expert analysis of the team. Again, I am amazed at how fans start out optimistic and end up attacking their own team. Right up there with expecting to see a lot of Posey on Dirk in this game.
Boston favored to win by 9.5 points.
I will take the Mavs +9.5! I think we win,
Celtics are overrated. The East is the weaker conference. The Mavs should win this one easily.
Boston -9,5 should be Money.
This should be a real interesting game with the Celtics. There are a couple of things I want to see from the game:
How does Dallas react to what will be a tough defense?
How does Boston try to defend Dirk?
Which Josh will show up?
Can Kidd keep his momentum rolling?
Who does KG try to get in a fight with? JJB, Wright, Hollins?
I see the Mavs winning this. The only match up problem I see is PP, I think we can match them offensively in every position except that. Lets hope Josh decides to show up a lil and can slow PP or that Wright can do it a little. If we can do that then the rest will come down to Jet and Dirk and they will deliver.
Celtics are a much better team than us and they only have 2 losses in their house... Our only chance is if they have an off game, unfortunately.
I figure they're going to throw KG at Dirk, but Dirk can take KG...
KG will be on him, but he'll also see a TON of Posey. This game will depend on keeping Rondo in check and not letting Ray have open looks behind the arc.
I'm pretty sure Dirk won't see any of Posey......
Not about the game, but he do know James Posey is not on the Celtics this season, he is on the Hornets. Just telling you
Pierce can go for 50 but if Rondo and Ray are held to under 10, we'll still win.
Mavs get blown out today. The Celtics defense will be stifling .
Dirk vs KG Fun fact: Dirk is 3rd all-time in defensive rebounds per game in the playoffs with an average of 9.2 in his 87 playoff games. Garnett is first all time with 9.5 in 73 games.
Dirk is killing us thus far. 0-7 with 2 turnovers. Scalabrine has outscored Dirk!
I'm not going to let this game bug me too much since we're not as good as the Celtics.
1st off, kg getting away with crap right now against dirk. Second, damn it we suck today.
KG is following Dirk around whispering in his ear. Kevin, it's not a great idea to piss Dirk off.
Dirk is already writing his memoirs called "One and Done".
I wouldn't say our window of opportunity is closed. It just turned into one of those small crank open bathroom windows!
Celtics are not particularly whoopin us, we're just hurting ourselves by not closing out on 3s.
Mav's always brings out the best in the other team while simultaniously bringing out the worst in themselves.
Our defense sucks so badly. We allow the Celtics, espicially ray Allen to do what they want.
Dirk is just choking. Its no secret that this happens in important games
Dirk got pwnd by Big Baby!
I'm done. I quit on this game team about 18 minutes after the mavs decided to.
Dirk should be embarrassed, it took Garnett 5 minutes to make Dirk his lil bitch and get into his head. Dirk needs to be tougher then that. Very sad
I wonder if Mav fans will get to see Matt Carroll today? Carlisle won't play George now that he got Carroll, but he also won't play Carroll.
Hey honey bring me my next bottle of tequila, need it to get through this game. Can't watch TV at its best.
You know I fully expected to be beat soundly today....but this is embarrassing. These two teams just don't belong on the same floor.
Rondo shoots 30% on jumpers and hasn't missed one yet...crazy.
Did we make the wrong move in hiring Carlisle? YES WE DID!!!!! The offense is horrible, the players are complaining about Carlisle and we are losing by 31pts in the 1st half on National TV
it's like the Harlem Globetrotters against the Muppets Allstars
Someone get an oxygen tank for kidd, he can't deal with rondo
We are just soooooo bad~
On any given night against any opponent in the NBA, the Mavs have the potential to be be blown out by 30.
Free Gerald Green
Green sucks. Get over it.
Mavs team is full of non-defensive players (excluding Kidd). So why Green doesn't play is beyond me. Mavs suck so much and don't know what to do with a potential all-star on their bench.
there's a reason why he does not play.It's because he sucks.
Dirk looks timid when he plays against Garnett, always has.
When will it be time to just embrace this team's suckiness? At least last year, we would make it slightly entertaining before we choked away a game. Now we just get blown out by the Bucks and Celtics. Fun.
Mavs need to watch this game very closely, it will aid them in how the game of basketball is to be played.
It also might aid them in developing acute depression and lifelong problems with self-esteem.
Their bench vs our starters ugh...
The worst part of this game is we actually got to the FT line 32 times so far. The Celts, 9 times.
And we still suck...
Damn. I was sort of hoping that we could pull a trade for Mike Redd. Even with a torn ACL I'd take him over any 2 guard on this team sadly.
The Mavs should've drafted Billy Walker. He's a freak athletically.
Pathetic effort. It wasn't so much that the Celtics beat us but that we beat ourselves.
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Various thoughts on the C's
by Unknown 3:17 AM
Well, after our little scare where we went 2 - 7, we are back on track and playing championship caliber basketball once again. Here are some random thoughts that came to me:
-Rajon is actually shooting the ball well from 18 - 20 feet. Its still unorthodox looking (a one handed shot from his ear), and his timing isn't perfect, but its going in. And you know what? He's gaining comfindence in his shot. Give him credit--he's putting in the work after hours to develop it, and its paying off. If he has consistency with that shot, look out. He'll be a shoe in for the All-Star festivities.
-I'm scratching off Patrick O'Bryant my list of players I want to keep on the team, unless he shows me otherwise. Maybe I'm jumping the gun prematurely, and maybe he'll find his game and earn a spot in the rotation one day. But from what I'm seeing from him now, it wouldn't bother me if we cut him loose a year early from his contract. Yes he has length, yes he has athleticism, yes he has some quickness, but right now, he's showing me he has little basketball IQ (looks clueless out there), very little anticipation skills (5'10" Jose Juan Berrea had a layup right in front of POB, who was standing right under the basket waiting to block the shot), and absolutely no toughness. There are young guys I want to see out there in garbage time (Walker, Pruitt)--but POB isn't one of them. I am disappointed in POB and see why the Warriors had no problem letting POB walk for nothing in return.
-Gabe Pruitt can hit jumpers, but he takes long to release his shot. Its like he release his shot an instant too late, and on the move he seems too slow in gathering himself to shoot. He's certainly no Eddie House; Eddie can shoot the ball twice before Pruitt gets one off.
-Speaking of Eddie, what a firework display he put on vs. the Mavericks. He just couldn't miss out there.
-Scalabrine is hard to put a finger on. One game he's terrible--shooting airball after airball, brick after brick, dribbling the ball too much, and making one bad decision after another. I whack myself and ask, "why does Doc even play this guy?" And the next game, he's nailing his jumpers, setting excellent screens, making timely passes, playing excellent defense against big men and SF's, and doing everything Doc tells him to do. And I tell myself, "we gotta play this guy more."
-I don't ever want to lose Tom Thibodeau. We absolutely need to keep him locked up for the next 40 years. There is bound to come a day when he'll want to be the head coach of a team, and GM's will quickly come knocking on his door. I'm not sure what we're going to do when this day comes.
Well, that's it for now.
-Derren
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Mavericks at Celtics in Pictures 1/25
Sunday, January 25, 2009
by FLCeltsFan 7:36 PM
KG had a huge game against Dirk Nowitski on both ends of the court. He finished with 23 points, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal in 24 minutes of play. He also played very good defense on Dirk, making him work for everything he got.
Rondo once again outplayed his competition. He finished with 13 pionts, 7 rebounds, 14 assists and 4 steals in 34 minutes of play. He kept the Celtics running and literally wore out the Mavs. Kidd had just 6 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists.
Ray Allen also had a big game finishing with 23 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block in 34 minutes.
Paul Pierce played just 22 minutes in this one and finished with 8 points, 5 rebounds and 1 assist. Big Baby didn't have quite as good a game as he did vs the Magic, but he played well, finishing with 7 points and 4 rebounds in 15 minutes.
Not really sure what is going on with Leon. He didn't make an appearance until garbage time in the 4th quarter and didn't score and had just 1 steal in just under 9 minutes.
Eddie House had another stellar performance with 23 points, 2 rebounds, and 2assists in 27 minutes. He shot 7-11 from beyond the arc. Now that Gabe is getting some back up PG minutes and Eddie is playing his natural position, he has been shooting the lights out.
Speaking of Gabe, I really like this kid and am glad that Doc is giving him a chance to play. He finished with 5 points, 2 rebounds and 2 assists in 14 minutes. Bill Walker is also getting a chance as he played 12 minutes in this one, finishing with 6 points, and 2 assists.
Perk is getting back into the groove with 8 points, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks in 23 minutes of play. Patrick O'Brien played the last 8 minutes and finished with 2 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal. Scal played 15 minutes and had 6 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist.
There was plenty of time for the starters to enjoy Gino in this game as the reserves closed out the 124-100 game. The Celtics dominated the game throughout and scored a phenominal 74 points in the first half.
Photos courtesy of Getty Images
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Fiddlin' and Diddlin' - Daily Links 1/25
"Drinking with the Truth", by CF00
by Unknown 2:31 AM
Hi, I was asked to write a piece here and I wasn't really sure where to start so I thought I would begin by talking about me. For those of you who don't know me I am CF00. I have been posting at celtics green since the not quite very beginning. I knew DerrenMatts and Loy from the espn boards and followed them over here because I respected them as people and posters. I was asked to write something here and wasn't really sure at first because I'm terrible when asked to do things under constraints and I also say things sometimes that people don't like to hear. But FL is a very ncie lady and works hard on this site and I wanted to help out.
Anyways what to write about. I figured I'd start with my favorite Celtic, Paul Pierce. We have had this ongoing thing going on on the forums about the future of this team. I am very much future oriented but I'm also very much caught enjoying the present as well, and I get kind of tired of talking about things that may or may not happen. I think sometimes people force change when it's not necessary instead of seeing what is right in front of them. Pierce just turned 31 years old. Some people say we need to start looking at replacing a guy like Pierce and the big 3, but I don't think that is necessarily the case as of yet. I have not seen a decline in Pierce as of now. I personally think Pierce is still in his prime and is actually doing what Danny Ainge stated when he got help for Paul, and that's extending his career. I'm not saying Pierce is coasting but some people might think Pierce has lost a step because he just doesn't blow by guys like he used to or isn't being as aggressive as he used to be, but isn't that what we wanted? Is Pierce getting older or just more mature? I understand the human body doesn't get better with age like fine wine, but human beings are amazing pieces of work and I tend to think you also learn to adjust. People do become like fine wine in that regard and I think this is what we are seeing from Pierce at this point in his career. We are actually seeing something very special from Pierce. It all depends on how you look at it. The rest of the team is taking some of the pressure off and Pierce is picking his spots. The thing is I wouldn't say he's coasting, but he kind of is ina way. But is that really a bad thing? Isn't the zone a coasting sensation? It wouldn't surprise me at all to see Pierce explode come playoff time as he hones his skills. It's like Garnett says. Superman is just kind of coasting along surveying the situation and then shows up and saves the day. That's why I say we should hold off the next era just a bit until we actually see a decline. I have not seen it yet. Pierce is as good as ever, right now, and he keeps getting better. As long as Pierce after every game is saying we are trying to get better, we aren't there yet. That's a good thing. When he actually says we are there, then I'll be a little bit concerned, because what then? Is that the sign of the apocalypse? I was listening to post game interview and a reporter asked if they were happy with shooting 70% in the 1st quarter and pierce stopped the reporter mid sentence and tapped his finger making a point and said we want 100%. I loved that, because people question Pierce as a leader and that was such a great thing to say. Fans always want better and more and so does Pierce. Garnett laughed and was like "do you get us now?" They are still getting better and can improve. That's a wonderful thing at their age. It's like fine wine.
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