It is just 4 days till training camp and we are starting to get some real Celtics articles and reports. Mark Spears continues to give us some good articles on the Celts even though he isn't covering the team for the Globe any longer. He has this quote from Pierce:
“Before the season even started last year, I was asked, ‘What is going to stop y’all from winning it all?’ ” Pierce said in a phone interview on Thursday. “The first thing I said was, ‘If we’re healthy, we’re going to win it all.’ And I’m going to say it again: ‘If we are healthy, we are going to win it all.’
I agree with Pierce. If the Celtics had been healthy last season, I think they would have repeated as champions. If the team, especially KG, is healthy this season, it could be a very magical season. This team has the potential to be even better than the 2008 championship team. Mark also had this little tidbit to share:
Garnett has resumed practicing with the Celtics. He played “a couple days” last week, Pierce said, but is still working his way back from the injury.
“It wasn’t like he was out there [screaming] and dunking,” Pierce said. “No, none of that. But he was out there on the court.”
So, now we know that KG has been cleared to play. On Sports Tonight Pierce said that he expects KG to be 100% by training camp and that he has been practicing and playing full court basketball. Finally we are getting some positive reports on KG's knee and his ability to play. I agree with Lex that the Celtics will treat him like a fragile vase to begin the season until they are certain that he is 100% and to be honest, there is no reason not to. We should get Shelden and Sheed more minutes in the preseason and to start the season so as to get them more acclimated to the system and to their teammates.
Speaking of Shelden, Jessica Camerato has a very good article on Shelden Williams and Candice Parker. I just really like these two. At a time when there are scandals and athletes behaving badly, it is so refreshing to find a couple like this who obviously have a great relationship and are just great people. Here is a quote from Jessica's article:
Williams welcomed the support as Parker pushed him in the gym and encouraged him off the court. She made it a point to show her commitment in every way possible, even if it was watching him play in a pick-up game. Parker noticed a change in Williams — a positive one — and noted that her husband is showing more confidence now than he has in past years. Critics would be able to see past his rocky start, she said, if they saw his hard work.
"I don't think people really do know [what he can do]," Parker said. "A lot of things that Shelden does doesn't really show up on the stat sheet. I think that a lot of people maybe have a different impression from the last two years, but he can't worry about that. He has to focus on going forward, because I think that if people saw all the things that he's doing and saw the dedication and the way that he's playing and who he's playing against in LA, then I think they would change their opinion."
You have to cheer for both of them to succeed. I'm cheering for Shelden to have a career season and I think he will be a very positive piece for this team.
Celtics Town has a good interview with Lester Hudson who will be fighting for that final roster spot in training camp. He is another kid who seems to be working hard and that you like to cheer for. It still isn't clear who he will be fighting against. Dan Dickau decided that the Suns were a better fit for him than the Celtics, so he won't be one of them. Truthfully, I think he made the right choice. He is a very poor defender and in Phoenix, they won't expect him to play defense like they would in Boston. Another PG rumor surfaced in the SacBee as they mention that 39 year old Bobby Jackson may be headed to the Celtics.
Depending on which source you read, Jackson has been mentioned to be headed to the Celtics or the Suns. Whichever route he takes, he will probably have to earn a job with a non-guaranteed contract. He will have to prove he still has flashes of brilliance.
Today I went to the bookstore and picked up Lindy's season preview issue along with the Yahoo preview issue. Yahoo predicts the Celtics to finish 60-22 and first in the Atlantic. They also predict Cavs over Celtics in the East Finals and Lakers over Cavs for the title. Lindy's also predicts the Celtics will win the Atlantic and they also pick the Lakers to repeat as champion with Lamar Odom being sixth man of the year and Phil Jackson winning coach of the year. All this Faker love is making me sick. But, it is better to be the underdog than the favorite. The current champion and favorite has a bulle-sye on them and team will be gunning to beat them. I agree with Paul Pierce. The Celtics are the team to beat, but let's not tell anyone else. While the experts are picking the Cavs and the Lakers, the Celtics will quietly go about winning Banner 18.
Here is a great story about how Red ended up with Bob Cousy on the Celtics.
"Did I ever tell you how I ended up with Cousy? I didn't really want him. In fact, I didn't want him at all. He was a megastar in New England because he'd been a star at Holy Cross, and college ball was much bigger than pro ball back then. Everyone in the media was saying I had to take him in the draft. My response was simple: I'm here to build a team. I've got no interest in local yokels." Red had been hired by Walter Brown to take over a truly bad team. The Celtics had finished 1949-50 season with a record of 22-46 under coach Alvin "Doggie" Julian, meaning they had the first pick in the draft. And so, soon after arriving in Boston, Red found himself under tremendous pressure to use the first pick in the draft to take local hero Bob Cousy. "I had seen Cousy play," Red said. "He was very flashy. He wasn't the first guy to dribble behind his back, a guy named Bob Davies was, but he was the guy who made it popular. The local press was all over me to take Cousy. I wasn't interested in making the press happy - I had a ball club to build. You don't build a club with guards, you build it with big men. So, when it was my turn to pick, I took Charlie Share out of Bowling Green. He was six-eight, big, strong guy. Later, I traded him for Bob Brannum, Bill Sharman, and Bob Harris. That turned out to be a pretty good deal. But they were all over me for not taking Cousy. Here I was, the new guy in town, and I'm turning my back on the local hero." Red wasn't exactly intimidated. In fact, shortly after the draft, the Chicago franchise, which had drafted Cousy, folded. Three players were made available in a dispersal draft to the three worst teams in the league. That included the Celtics. The league decided that the only fair way to decide where the players went was to put the three names into a hat and let the teams draw. "If I had a choice, my third choice would be Cousy," Red promptly announced. "The other two guys [Max Zaslofsky and Andy Phillip] are proven pros. Phillip has long arms and is a great defender. Zaslofsky can really score. Cousy's just a rookie." Red didn't get his way. The Celtics picked Cousy out of the hat, and REd was stuck with the rookie local yokel who was too flasy, just a guard, and not someone you could build around. All that said, his opinion of Cousy changed soon after he met him. "I was surprised because, watching him play, I expected him to be loud, a cocky kind of guy," Red said. "He wasn't. He was quiet, modest, a lot different than the way he played. Plus when we started practicing I could see that the flashy plays he mad had a purpose. He didn't throw fancy passes just to throw fancy passes, he threw them because that was the best way to get the ball where it needed to go. Still I called him in early on to talk to him. I wanted him to understand why I'd said I wanted Zaslofsky or Phillip. He understood. Then I said to him, "I've now had a chance to watch you play up close a little. You're ahead of your time with the way you pass the ball. But I want you to understand one thing. You can throw passes to people any way you want too. You can throw them between your legs, behind your back, sidearm, underhanded, or backward. I don't care. But I'm telling you one thing: no matter how you throw a pass, someone better catch it. If it goes off a guy's hands, it's your fault. If it hits a guy in the chest and he drops it, it's your fault. If you turn the ball over, you won't play. "I wasn't trying to be tough on him, but I've always believed that ninety five percent of turnovers are caused by the passer. I wanted him to understand that. He was amazing, though, the way he adjusted his game when he had to. Once, he had a problem with his shoulder, so he figured out how to throw a long pass sidearm. He said, 'You okay with that, Arnold?' [Cousy is one of a handful of people who has ever called Red anything other than Red.] I said, 'I'm okay with it as long as the ball gets where it's supposed to go.'"
And now, we'll introduce the bench players for your Boston Celtics. First up is:
Eddie House !!!
by Eja117
You MUST protect this HOUSE! no no no. Wait wait wait. This House is a very very very fine House, fine House, with 3 pointers in the yard. This guy is never a star.
Continuing the lyrical theme started by RoadRunner, these lyrics apply to Eddie House. (There is a rumor he is related to Eddietours, but he probably isn't.)
Eddie House is older than myself by 24 hours (depending on when our moms gave birth) and we have a lot in common. We are both considered short compared to the people around us. Eddie House is 6ft 1, so naturally he only averages about 2 rebs a game. But he does everything else reasonably well and he has good looks just like me. He is also humble, just like me, and fits into the team first atmosphere of Boston.
He was born in Berkeley CA, very close to where the TV Full House took place. Apparently it was full enough for Eddie to attend Arizona State. He was drafted in the 2nd round by Miami in the 2000 draft. For years Eddie wasn't much in this league, shooting consistently below 40%. The only thing he did well was shoot threes.
In 2004-05 he played for Sacramento and his career took a bit of a jump. He has consistently shot over 40% from the field since then.
Last year, was virtually a career year for Eddie. He played in 81 games averaging 44.5% from the field and 44% from three point land, which is consistent with Ray Allen's career averages. However he dipped down to 79.2% free throws.
Eddie still didn't have much fantasy value however. His 8.5 points were helpful, but he won't be a 6th man candidate any time soon.
Espn.com has him listed as the backup pg to Rondo, and it is likely he will lose minutes to him and possibly others this season.
There is a perception that House has poor ball handling skills. He won't win any ball handling contests, but he won't lose the ball doing anything stupid either, and it's worth noting he averages about as many steals as to's over the course of his career. Last year was .8 steals to .7 tos. So basically whenever he loses the ball he steals it back. How a guy who has less than a turnover a game and has a positive assist to to ratio has such a bad rep as a ball handler is beyond me.
When you go to the espn stats page and use the overall option House is 24th in stls/tos. That's a lot of players worse. He was actually the highest Celtic followed by Pruitt, followed by Rondo.
To be fair assists to tos leaves a lot to be desired. While he ranked ahead of Ray and Kg he was behind both Pruitt and Marbury and ranked 132 in the league, which makes him one of the lowest pgs in the league in this regard. He's just not a huge passer. He's a spot up shooter who plays D and isn't overpaid at under 3mill. But he doesn't have the two left hands people say he has.
When you watch him little jumps out about him if he's not on fire with his three pointers, but nothing jumps out negatively either. He's a solid solid backup guard.
However he and I are on the back 9 of our careers. We're both old men at 31 and we now are reduced to attracting tremendous amounts of chicks with our stately gray hairs and old stories. But we can still teach the wippersnappers a thing or two and he will this year.
After leaving Duke, Red spent the rest of the season coaching the Tri Cities Black Hawks but disagreements with the owner made that job short lived also. Here is where Red began his long tenure with the Celtics. When Walter Brown, the owner of the Celtics, called Kerner (owner of the Blackhawks) after the season to see if there was any chance he might be able to hire his coach away, he was surprised to learn that he could. Red had signed a two year contract with Kerner when he had left Duke, but Kerner was more than happy to let him out of the second year of the deal. And so, for the thrid time in less than a year, Red packed his bags. Before he did that, he and Dorothy sat down to talk. When Red had gone to Tri Cities, Dorothy and Nancy had not followed. Durham had not worked well for Nancy, perhaps because the family had lived in a house out in the country. Taking her to the Midwest smack in the middle of the winter had been out of the question, so mother and daughter had gone back to Washington, a place where Dorothy was comfortable and where her father was right nearby if Nancy needed a doctor. Now the question became what to do about Boston. Both Dorothy's father and the pediatrician who regularly cared for Nancy did not think that a Boston winter was a great idea for a little girl with serious asthma. Red and Dorothy decided that she and Nancy would stay in Washington. Red would rent an apartment in Boston and get home whenever a break in the schedule allowed him to. The season was much shorter then - the finals were usually over in early April - so it wasn't as daunting a prospect as it might be today. Even so, the decision was very difficult. Red believes that, in the end, it was the right choice. "For one thing, it was clearly better for Nancy," he said. "It was also easier on Dorothy. She felt more comfortable with her dad close by, and she didn't have to deal with all the pressures of coaching she would have felt in Boston. She always took anything written about me that wasn't very nice very personally. It bothered her. Being in Boston, she would have been exposed to a lot more of it than she was in Washington. "The other thing was me. I was never easy to be around during the season. I was tired, uptight, nervous all the time. That's one of the reasons why I had to quit coaching at a young age. It was just wearing me out. I'm not so sure how it would have gone for us if my family had to put up with me on a day to day basis during the season. It wasn't always easy, but in the long run, it was the right move." And so, during the summer of 1950, Red moved Dorothy and Nancy into a house on Legation Street in Northwest Washington. When training camp began, he headed to Boston, where he lived in a suite at the Lenox Hotel during his first few seasons with the Celtics. "I paid one hundred dollars a month the first couple of years," he said. "Then a new manager came in and doubled it to two hundred. No problem. I paid it. Then the next year he doubled it again to four hundred. "That was enough for me. I walked over to the Prudential Building that day and rented an apartment. When the owner of the Lenox found out I was moving because the guy had upped my rent, he was furious. He offered to take me back for one hundred dollars a month. I said, "Don't bother. I already signed the paperwork." Red grinned his wicked grin. "I think that manager got fired soon after."
When Simmons posted his Tweet about KG having staples in his knee I just kind of blew it off as BS being BS. But now there is more smoke about it and when there is enough smoke, there probably is a fire. This article on Red's Army references a comment by Michael Felger on Sports Tonight mentioning an old report about staples in KG's knee. The Celtics Hub article gives these quotes from the Boston media about KG's injury and surgery.
From the Patriot Ledger on May 26: The All-Star forward had an arthroscopy procedure performed on his right knee and had bone spurs removed from the back of the knee at New England Baptist Hospital.
Later in the same article, the author describes the injury/ies this way: The tendon continued to swell whenever Garnett attempted to run, and Rivers declared him out of the entire playoffs just two days before the Celtics opened against the Chicago Bulls.
From Scott Souza at MetroWest Daily News last week:
The Celtics coach said yesterday Garnett was on schedule to hit the practice floor running when camp opens a week from Tuesday after undergoing offseason right knee surgery to remove a bone spur and calm a swollen tendon.
Celtics Hub digs a bit further in this article. Then, the article goes on to give some quotes from Will Carroll, a well respected reporter on sports injuries. First, from Will's Tweets:
Kevin Garnett’s knee surgery may be getting the typical Boston treatment, but this was complex surgery. No 1, including Celts, know respond
More on Garnett — tough tendon, no comps, and for cripe’s sake STAPLES. Doesn’t that tell you, combined with last yr, that this is serious?
@celticsblog The popliteal tendon was the big issue. The spurs were causing tendon damage. Saying it wasn’t tendon is chicken/egg spin.
Then in response from Zach's queries:
I can’t talk about sourcing, but heard that this was more than just a simple chip/spur removal and that there was some repair work done to the tendon itself. That’s not uncommon or even a bad thing, it’s just that it’s much more serious than they’re letting on. I think the Celtics suddenly feel like they need to be the Pats in regards to information.
Given the information I have, I don’t think Garnett’s “done” or even going to be out significantly longer, but I do worry that he’s going to have maintenance issues.
So, there may be some validity that KG did have staples put into his tendon to repair it. And that could be why he still has not been cleared for contact and once again, the Celtics organization has probably put out spin and partial truths and outright falsehoods about the injury. But with all that said, reports from players (particularly Ray Allen) have been that KG looks good and that he is raring to go for this season. So, regardless of what the injury was and how it was repaired, I am looking forward to a healthy KG this season and Banner 18 in June.
Sports Illustrated has an interview with Rondo. He opens up on various subjects and has some interesting things to say about this team and his future. First off, Rondo is in great shape going into this season:
I've gained about eight pounds; I'm up to like 187 now. I came into the league at 160. But with the type of game I play, taking the contact and the hits, hitting the floor, it's still a game of muscle. And my body fat has improved a little bit. I'm down to like 5.1 [percent] now.
And about working with Rasheed Wallace added into the mix with Pierce, KG and Ray Allen and how that will have to be handled:
I have to stay aggressive, not necessarily offensively, but throughout the entire game on both ends of the court. Just knowing when to get guys the ball, who has it going. Just like the last two years, if Paul has it going then Ray and Kevin have to sit back and let Paul go to work. Those guys are easy to work with. I'm sure Rasheed will fall in line. I don't know him much but I'm sure he won't be a problem trying to get shots. He's a very unselfish guy, and he wants to win a title.
He also says that he wants to stay in Boston if they want him. If they don't, he said he wants to go where he is wanted. So, Danny needs to get that extension done. This kid is still young and growing and is willing to learn and work on his game. Don't make the mistake they made with Chauncey Billups and trade a potential all star for temporary fix. We have a potential top PG in the league and need to keep him.
Ron Artest has said that if the Lakers don't repeat it will be his fault. Nice of him to admit it up front because it probably will be his fault. That is, along with Odom's whirlwind wedding to his future ex-wife which seems destined for a divorce around playoff time, Farmer's disgruntled attitude about being a back up, and Gasol's busy summer playing for Spain. All that will take a toll along with Artest's volatile personality. Not to mention that contenders rarely stay injury free two seasons in a row. They had their injury free season last year and shouldn't expect the same this season. Oh, and now they have the bullseye on their backs where every team is gunning for them. So, the Lakers won't repeat, but it won't be all Artest's fault.
The WNBA Finals start tonight. Be sure to watch the LA Sparks take on the Phoenix Mercury tonight at 10:00 ET on ESPN 2. Cheer on Candace Parker, who is now a part of the Celtics family. I can't think of a better motivation for Shelden Williams than having his wife win a championship this year. Also, Lisa Leslie is retiring this year after her incredible career. She deserves to go out a winner. It is hard to cheer for a team wearing purple and gold, but the Sparks aren't the Fakers and there are some good reasons to cheer for them.
6 days till training camp which opens on 9/29 according to the schedule on NBA.com. I just can't wait! This is going to be a very long week!
It is no secret that I really love this kid. His attitude and work ethic won me over right from his first year as a Celtic. And I am an even bigger fan of his now than when he first joined the team. The tough times he has been through in his life have made him tougher and more determined to succeed.
Kendrick Perkins was born on November 10, 1984 in Nederland, Texas. His mother was killed in a shooting incident at the beauty salon where she worked when Perk was only 5 years old. His dad, former Lamar University star Kenneth Perkins, left the family when Perkins was 18 months old and played professional basketball in New Zealand. Perk never got to know his dad until recently. His grandparents raised him and were there to give advice, direction and comfort. But his grandparents didn't know much about basketball except that Kendrick seemed to have an aptitude for the game. Perk is now a dad himself to Kendrick Perkins II and is determined to be the kind of father to his son that his dad never was to him.
His high school coach at Ozen High School, Andre Bouette, became his mentor as far as making basketball decisions and became the father figure he didn't have in his life. At first, Kendrick wanted to play football but Bouette wisely pointed him toward basketball instead. During his high school career at Clifton J. Ozen High School in Beaumont, Texas, Perkins led his team to four consecutive district championships and one state championship. He averaged 27.5 points, 16.4 rebounds and 7.8 blocked shots as a Senior in the 2002-2003 season. He helped Ozen to a 33-1 record, with the only loss being a 66-54 setback to Fort Worth Dunbar in the state 4A championship game. He was selected to the McDonald's All-American game for high-school players. It was in this game that he first injured his shoulder. In spite of the dislocated shoulder, he still wanted to finish the game.
He chose to forego college and enter the NBA draft right out of high school after leading his team to a 96 and 3 record over his final 3 years in high school. He was named All State in all three seasons. He was the 27th pick in the 2003 draft, chosen by the Memphis Grizzlies and subsequently traded to the Celtics along with Marcus Banks in a deal that sent Dahntay Jones and Troy Bell to the Grizzlies.
His profile on NBAdraft.net says this about him:
"Unlike many young players his age, Perkins is not infatuated with playing on the perimeter. He plays strictly a power game and is capable of dominating the low post ... Fundamentally he has added various offensive moves, from a drop step, to an up-and-under, and even the rarely utilized jump hook which he can shoot over most defenders ... Perkins is very mobile around the lane and he has no problem running on the break despite his size ... Has an excellent pair of hands that can catch most passes thrown into the post. Once there, his soft touch around the basket allows him to convert easily ... Does a good job of drawing contact to bait his defender into fouling . Has shown decent passing skills when double teams occur ... Physically he has an NBA build that has yet to fill out ... An above average rebounder who uses his body to gain good position under the glass ... Possesses solid footwork on defense enabling him to stay in front of most defenders ... Each year he has developed in some area of his game ... Work ethic remains strong despite all the hype."
In Perk's first year, he played very little, averaging only 3 minutes per game and racking up 72 DNP's. In spite of this, he worked very hard that year to remake his body and build his conditioning. His work ethic was evident in the change in the way he rebuilt his body over the first season in the league. Here are two pictures of Perk - one from December 13, 2003 and the second from a November 25, 2005. You can see how he worked to become the beast that he is today. It has been his work ethic that has set him apart right from the beginning.
His second year wasn't much better than his first as far as getting playing time. He averaged 9 minutes per game in 60 games. But he continued to work on his body and conditioning and when he got a chance to play, he showed a lot of potential. In his third season in the league, he still was given very little playing time and had several DNP's until the Mark Blount trade midway through the season. He finally was given more minutes and averaged 19 mpg. But he still took a back seat to Raef LaFrenz as far as playing time. He was coming on strong and was reaching double figures in rebounds almost every game when he dislocated his shoulder once again and had to sit out while it healed. Over the summer he dislocated his shoulder a third time while working out with Celtics' assistant coach, Clifford Ray and underwent surgery to avoid further problems with it. The shoulder healed well and he showed no problems from it the following season. His desire to play was so great that he was sneaking on the court to play before he was cleared to resume basketball activities.
In his 4th season, he got off to a good start but then was slowed by plantar fasciitis in his left foot. In spite of being in pain the entire season, he only missed 10 games. He wasn't able to practice because he had to rest his foot as much as possible. The pain in his foot kept him from being able to jump and also affected his lateral movement. Most players who have had plantar fasciitis miss months to allow it to heal but Perk toughed it out knowing that his team needed him. Toward the end of the season he started feeling a little better and was rebounding very well but still was not in shape because of the injury.
After that painful season, Perk took 2 days off after it was over and then was right back in the gym working on his conditioning and his game. He worked with Tom Thibodeau and Clifford Ray in the off season as he was completely healthy for the first time since his rookie season and he pushed himself to the limit to improve his game and his conditioning for the coming season. He also spent time learning from his new teammate, Kevin Garnett.
All that work paid off because Perk had a great season as the starting center on what was to become the Celtics' 17th championship team. He averaged 6.9 points on 62% shooting from the field along with 6.1 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. But, his stats do not show the whole story as far as Perk's importance. Perk does so much on the court that does not show up on the stat sheet. He may not get the rebound, but he boxes out so that his teammate can get the rebound. He may not score the points, but he sets the pick so that his teammate can score. He also plays very tough defense around the basket, forcing opponents to change their games.
If you question Perk's importance to the team, look no farther than game 5 of the 2008 NBA Finals. In games 1-4 and 6, the Lakers' Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol were virtually invisible most of the time. With Perk out of game 5 with yet another shoulder injury, however, the two Laker big men took over the game. But with Perk back for game 6, even limited by the injury, they went back to being intimidated by him and were ineffective around the basket. Perk once again had surgery after the Celtics' championship season and had a screw put into his troublesome shoulder that was supposed to prevent the injury from happening again. This past season, Perk once again tweaked the shoulder but opted for rest this past off season instead of another surgery.
Perk has made himself into one of the toughest players in the league. His work ethic is second to none and each year he has been in the league, he has improved his game. Center is one of the toughest positions to fill and the Celtics have filled this position with a very tough rebounder, shot blocker, and defender. He gives the Celtics something they haven't had in many years, and that is an enforcer. He took a leap forward in his development in the Celtics' championship season and then again, last season, when KG was out, Perk again upped his game, averaging a double double in the playoffs. Perk also showed his toughness on defense as he frustrated Dwight Howard and held him to just 16 ppg in their playoff series.
In Perk's first few seasons, there were only a few of us on the Perk bandwagon. As he has improved his game from year to year, and as people see Perk's importance to the team, the Perk bandwagon has gotten quite crowded. I expect Perk to improve yet again this season. He is still only 24 years old, in spite of already playing 6 years in the league. The only question mark about Perk these days is whether his shoulder will make it through another season without any problems. I truly believe that Perk will establish himself as one of the premier centers in the league before his career is over.
Just one week until training camp starts and I am as anxious as a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs. I can't wait for this season to get underway. I have great expectations for this team. It's going to be a fun year!
I expect Perk and Rondo to be even better this season than last season. I expect KG to be fully healthy and even more motivated than ever. I expect Paul and Ray to be in great shape ans also more motivated than ever. They tasted defeat last season and didn't like it. They want to get that winning feeling back.
As for the bench, I think we have one of the deepest and most talented benches in the league. Sheed, Quisy and The Landlord are all going to fit in seamlessly and will up their games this season because of the influence of the veterans around them. Big Baby is going to continue where he left off and so is Eddie House. TA may or may not ever find his game. Bill Walker will get a chance to play and will make the most of it. Scal will be Scal. TA may or may not ever find his game and if he doesn't I expect him to be trade fodder at the deadline. Danny will sign a veteran PG and then all the pieces will come together to bring home Banner 18. I absolutely can't wait.
Elsewhere around the league, Pau Gasol led Spain to a Euro championship. Let's hope that he wears himself out after playing all off season and won't have much left by the playoffs. Another Laker is in the news as Lamar Odom and Khloe Kardashian are getting married next week. They have been dating for just a month and are already tying the knot. I imagine that the divorce will be right around playoff time.
I really feel bad for Delonte. I don't think he is a bad kid. I think he has some emotional problems and I know that bipolar disorder can be really rough to deal with if you don't get it regulated. I imagine that at least he will get a suspension and fine and at most, he can do jail time. I hope he can get his life and his career back on track.
Former 2 time Celtic, Antoine Walker, has said that he will be trying to find a team to land with. Chris Mannix reported on Twitter that Walker is talking to 4 teams and will be in a camp on a non guaranteed deal. While he was a good soldier for the Celtics when he was with them, I really don't want him back in Boston. That 15th slot needs to be for a PG and not a volume shooter who has seen his best days behind him.
I still remember Toine urging Pierce to leave Boston if he ever wanted to win a title. Glad that Pierce didn't listen to him. Speaking of Pierce, there is a really good article on him on Slam Online. Well worth the read. Here is just the beginning of it:
You can see some of them every time Paul Pierce steps on the court. The next time the camera focuses in on his back, look just above the top trim of his jersey.
You’ll see two diagonal marks. They’re noticeable, but far from massive or extravagant. In fact, you’d probably think nothing of them if you didn’t know the story behind them.
But there is a story, one that could have been tragic and disheartening. It’s a story that puts to rest the sometimes perceived invincibility of professional athletes. To those who know about the story, the scars are a reminder of how the basketball world almost lost a star before his potential blossomed.
In honor of Red Auerbach's birthday on 9/21, here is the classic Red on Roundball on Intimidation. I'd love to see Red with Perk talking about intimidation.
Just one week until training camp. Anyone else as excited as I am?
We are picking up the story where the last part left off. Red's first professional basketball team,the Washington Caps, had just lost their first playoff series and Red began his long and testy relationship with the refs. We also learn the birth of the sixth man, way before he started coaching the Celtics.
"There was a guy, I don't remember his name because I don't want to, who absolutely robbed us blind in the first game of that series," he said. "If we were called for thirty fouls, he called twenty nine of them. Honest. I don't know what was going on but that SOB was out to nail us. Maybe he didn't like my style, who knows? I'll tell you one thing, though, he wasn't in the league the next year. He went to work in the Big Ten and they threw the bastard out too. Served him right." Not that Red ever held a grudge. Right from the beginning, Red was an innovator, with a remarkable eye for detail. During his first season, he came up with the idea of a "sixth man." Nowadays, basketball people take the sixth man for granted, an accepted part of the game to the point where the NBA gives out a sixth man award each season. Very few teams start their five best players now, always holding someone back on the bench to give the team a burst of energy early in the game. Almost always, the sixth man is on the court in the endgame, and he is usually one of the team's three top scorers. On occasion, the sixth man has been the leading scorer. It wasn't that way in the 1940's. Conventional wisdom held that you start your five best players and keep them in the game at all times unless fatigue or foul trouble forced you to go to your bench. Red had the notion that he could gain an edge by holding one of his five best out for the first six, eight, or ten minutes of each half. "When a game or a half starts, both teams get into a certain rhythm," he said. "After a little while, a little bit of fatigue sets in and everyone begins to lose just a little. My thought was, 'If I send one of my two or three best players into the game at that point and he's completely fresh, he's going to be able to take advantage of people. He'll probably make some plays right away because his legs are fresh. In turn, that gives my other guys a burst of energy and picks up the whole team." Irv Torgoff was the sixth man in Washington. When Red first arrived in Boston, Frank Ramsey was his sixth man, followed by John Havlicek. Later, when Red was the general manager, Paul Silas and Kevin McHale served in the sixth man role. All were all stars. Ramsey, Havlicek, and McHale are in the Hall of Fame. There were other, more subtle things Red did. "I always kept my biggest guy sitting right next to me," he said. "That way, whenever there was a scramble for a loose ball and I saw a potential jump ball coming, I'd send him right to the table to check in when the whistle blew so he could go in and jump." The league finally figured that one out and changed the rule so that the two men who tied the ball up had to jump for it. Years later, Red came up with another way to help his team with the jump ball. Call it the Abdul Jabbar rule. "When Kareem came into the league, there was no one who could beat him on a jump ball." he said. "In the eighties, if we wanted to win championships, we had to beat the Lakers. If you had a jump ball to start every quarter, the Lakers were going to get the ball every single time with Jabbar jumping center. So I suggested getting rid of the jump ball after the first quarter and alternate possessions to start the other quarters. I said to everyone, 'Look, the referees aren't very good at throwing the ball up straight' - which is true - 'so let's take the luck out of it and have them do it just once a night.' They went for it. So instead of the Lakers getting four guaranteed possessions at the start of quarters, they got two and we got two." Off the court, Red came up with ways to make life easier too. In those days air travel was just becoming a part of American life and it wasn't all that comfortable (as if it is now), so teams traveled by train. Conventional wisdom held that sleeping in a lower berth was easier and more comfortable. Knowing that only half of his players could have lower berths, Red one day announced to his team that he had measured the berths on several trains because someone had told him the upper berths were three inches longer than the lower berths. "Turns out they were right," he said. "I never knew that myself, but since it's true, I think it makes sense if we put the big guys up top to give them the extra legroom." Everyone agreed. Of course, Red had never been told the upper berths wer e longer and had never measured anything. But this way there was no bickering on the trains over who would get the lower berths and who would get the upper. The next two seasons with the Caps were similar to the first season. The team was very good in the regular season but unable to get over the hump in the playoffs. They did reach the finals in 1949, but lost to Cleveland. Even back then there was a difference between playoff basketball and regular season basketball. Red had taught his team Reinhart's principles of the fast break, and during the regular season they were able to use them very effectively. But in the playoffs, the only way to run was to rebound, and the Caps never had a great rebounder. Teams slowed them to a walk it up pace that took away their strength. By the end of the 1949 season, Red and Mike Uline were not getting along all that well. Uline wanted a championship. So did Red, but he didn't think Uline understood that it wasn't as easy as his team made it look during the regular season. "He was never a basketball guy," Red said. "He was a hockey guy. He really didn't understand basketball."
After that season, Red left the Caps to take a job at Duke University. However, his tenure at Duke didn't last long. He arrived at Duke in September of 1949 and was gone by New Year's.
And now, the starting Shooting guard for your Boston Celtics....
RAY ALLEN !!!!!
by RoadRunner
When you listen to the following lyrics, who do you think of?
I got game. She's got game. We got game. They got game. He got game.
Answer: Ray Allen
Ray Allen is the starting SG on the Boston Celtics. Allen was acquired (via trade) from the Seattle Super Sonics, with Glen Davis for Delonte West, Wally Szerbiak, and the 5th selection in the '07 NBA draft (Jeff Green).
Allen, by the numbers (NBA career): Seasons: 14 (7-Milwaukee, 5-Seattle, 2-Boston)
Allen, by his strengths: 1.Team Player No player on Boston's roster has been asked to sacrifice his game for the good of the team than Ray Allen. Even before he played a single game for Boston, Allen changed his number to accommodate another teammate, which he had worn throughout his collegiate, and professional career from #34 to #20 (and #34 is not a retired BOS number). Allen's role has changed from the team's leading scorer with the ball in his hands, to the team's second or even third option. Though his scoring average is down, his FG%, 3P%, and FT% have been up. 2. Accurate Shooter Ray Allen has shot (career) 44.8% from the field, 39.8% from 3-point range, and 90.3% from the free throw line. Allen's shooting mechanics are the prototype for the SG position. Allen has a great work ethic, which has translated into consistency throughout his NBA career. 3.Prolific scorer Ray Allen has averaged 20.9 points per game(PPG) throughout his 14-year NBA career. Allen has the ability to create his own shot, as well as move without the ball. Boston's offense uses Allen more to take advantage of his accuracy, and efficiency by catching and shooting, versus having him create his own shot by going one on one with the defender. 4.Effective defender Ray Allen's defensive statistics, 0.9-STL, 0.2-BLK , do not measure how effective a defender he really is. Allen has a high basketball IQ, and makes his opponent work every possession. Its possible that if Allen were not as effective on the offense, his defense would receive more credit.
Allen, his opportunities: 1. Age Like his old number, Ray Allen turned #34 this summer, and has accumulated 942 regular season games (excluding playoff games) @37.3 MPG. However, Allen's shooting mechanics, and work ethic has translated into consistency throughout a 14-year NBA career.
Allen, season outlook: Though Ray Allen is in a contract year, I expect Allen to perform at the same all-star level as in previous seasons. With the addition of Marquis Daniels, and the steady play of Eddie House, I expect Allen to average a few less minutes, though I expect his FG%, and 3P% to increase a few percentage points. Ray Allen is a professional, on and off the court, and expect him to “be game” when Boston begins its quest for banner #18.
