This one right here is probably THE best. Courtesy of THE best dunker of all time. There’s really no disagreeing. He continuously posterizes every big man in the game.

Amazing. Hit the jump to see tons more from Vince, Lebron, Wade, Byant and more. All are ridiculous. Yaaa…I’m on my basketball kick today.

Corey Brewer on Derek Fisher (the look on Fisher’s face is priceless)

Lebron James on Tim Duncan

Vince Carter on Dikembe Mutumbo

Lebron James on Kevin Garnett

Dwayne Wade on Varajao

Shaq on Rasheed Wallace

Kobe Bryant on Denver Nuggets

Baron Davis on Andrei Kirilenko

VC On Alonzo Mourning

Lebron James on Damon Jones (w/ commentary from Shaq)

Chris Paul on Dwight Howard

Kobe Bryant on Dwight Howard

Kobe Bryant On Steve Nash

Ty Lawson on DJ Mbenga

Hit the comments with your favourites. Thanks to Hoop Doctors and Dime Mag for the help.

I was listening to The Sports Hubs’ Michael Felger bash Rasheed Wallace for getting ejected in last night’s game and thought “What was he expecting?”

For those of you who didn’t get a chance to catch the game, Rasheed was ejected after trying to approach the referees (albeit with a few choice words) after receiving his second technical foul.

Is this really a surprise?  I think one of the biggest differences between this year’s team and last year’s is their swagger toughness and confidence, two attributes no one can take away from Rasheed Wallace.

Rasheed’s routine technicals are one minus in an otherwise polished game. He’s emotional and wants to win and no striped shirt has ever tamed his tenacity.  The Celts have been far from perfect but with a little more emotion and a lot more KG, the Boston Celtics are a championship contender once again.

Rasheed is Boston’s best insurance policy off the bench, I’d say just as valuable as Posey was a few years ago.  Are the technical fouls a distraction on a team full of high character veterans?  What Boston sports fan doesn’t appreciate an athlete with that kind of emotion?

Think about it, at least his emotions don’t leave him in tears and masked by a towel.. does anyone miss Glen Davis?

-  Smith Buckley and Hunt Insurance, Boston’s Best Insurance Agency

I’ve seen two things in recent weeks that have really made my heart flutter. Yes. I said it… flutter. My heart is freakin’ fluttering!

Boom! Sheed dropping a D bomb!

I’ve seen Sheed tackle the monster task of playing inside more than out… GASP! And I’ve seen Perk finally closing quarters in meaningful and/or close games. Both of these changes have undoubtedly been a contributing factor the the recent win streak (¡11!), and I hope will continue to make beating our beloved team increasingly difficult.

While the nit-pickers out in the world can argue about how to fill the wing role left open with Quisy’s absence and our severe lack of a reserve point guard to handle and distribute the ball within the second unit, let’s dwell on that at a later point and time, shall we? For now, let’s really focus on the positives: the increase of Sheed inside and Perk closing out the final 6 minutes when it matters.

Since Quisy’s been out recovering from surgery, a robot by the name of Tony Allen -3.0 has stepped into fill the minutes. When Quisy was playing efficiently, it was partly due to the spacing the second unit could give him to slice through the lane: it was too risky to leave Sheed and Eddie wide open on the wings, meaning teams couldn’t collapse on Quisy when he got into the paint. The catch-22 of it all was Sheed was back behind the 3-point line in order to give Quisy the room, but when Quisy kicked out, we were left with Sheed’s rendition of Bombs Over Baghdad. Sheed has been a streaky shooter this season; whether it be due to the murmurs of him being out of shape or him taking the inch Doc gave him to shoot 18 miles away, the simple fact of the matter is that Sheed was launching a lot of threes without much success. With Quisy out, Sheed has fallen back into the post more and more. For the first time this season (I am guessing on this based on previous numbers, so of course there is room for me to be wrong on this), Sheed has had a batch of 5 games where he has taken more shots in the post than from deep range (excluding longer mid range jumpers). Hallelujah. Halle-freakin-lujah. Check out the hotness that is NBA Hot Spots:

Love the HotSpot...

Sheed has taken a total of 18 shots from downtown in the last 5 games, and made 7 of those shots leaving him at 39% (rounding up…). That is a great percentage for him, and a good amount of threes for a big man to keep his defenders both honest and on their toes. On the inside, Sheed has taken a total of 21 shots in the last 5 games, and made 11 buckets resulting in a fantastic 52% FG. This, my dear friends, is what you call efficiency! Sheed has been in a wonderful groove in the last 7 games (all of the games in December). Sheed is having his best and most efficient month out of the previous three: he averaging the least amount of minutes (19) out of the 3 months but having stronger and better numbers across the board… Sheed has his highest ppg out of all 3 months (11.0), his highest FG% (42%), highest FT % (90%), most blocks per game (1.6), least amount of fouls (2.1), and least amount of turnovers per game (.1).

Sheed! Inside!

This is what we all signed on for: a 20 minute big man that can play smart interior defense and provide help on the offensive post from the bench. Yes he could be a starter, but those are not where our needs are. We know he loves to pull the massive trigger on that long ball, but that needs to be fired on selective plays instead of it being a go-to default move. I really like the way Sheed is playing on both ends of the floor and he is proving to be our best bench player during our 11-game win streak. If we keep this algorithm simple, then it basically comes down to this:

1/3(Sheed’s long ball) x 3/1(Sheed’s inside play) = W

W = wins.

And Perk. Perk Perk Perk Perk Perk. There is a grass roots movement to vote for Perk onto the All Star team. Okay. We all know that we are not going to garner the kind of numbers it will take to get Perk the sheer volume of votes to get in the game… So we will have to just rely on the coaches to get Perk in. But that doesn’t mean we give up: visit @kwapt site (http://voteforperk.blogspot.com) and vote anyways.

This really shouldn’t have been an argument at all this season. Perk has worked to earn the closing spot with fellow starters Rondo, Ray Ray, Pierce, and KG. This is our opening squad, and this is our closing squad. At the very least, anyone could have made the argument that Perk is a co-anchor of our defense: Perk holds down the paint so that KG can make those quicker switches. But the surprise to many of us this season is that Perk has all of the sudden turned into an offensive threat with the addition of so many of his post moves and ability to front defenders with the ball. Now, Perk is not only our defensive stalwart, but turning into a light (dieted version of an) offensive weapon as well. It only makes sense for Perk to be on the floor when it matters. We hired Sheed to be a bench guy that could fill in the front court in case of an injury; we did not bring Sheed on to close out our games. This is Perk’s job… to perform with Rondo, Ray Ray, Pierce, and KG.

Perk! Perk! Perk!

Credit goes to Doc on both of these fantastic changes. Doc saw the symptoms, diagnosed the problem, and found the ideal remedy.

Let’s keep the gravy train rolling through Christmas.
Orlando: we’re coming for you.

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Articles of the day: Rondo’s Latest Trick – Consistency (via CelticsBlog), Rajon – “I’m Sleeping Better” (via Red’s Army), It Took 24 games, But… (via CelticsHub)

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My favorite KG pic so far this season:

KG: a portrait of intensity.

If you’re reading this blog, you might be one of the following:

• A) a die hard Celtics fan
• B) a casual basketball fan that likes to laugh at what a homer might say
• C) my mother
• D) a realist basketball lover that likes to read mind-boggling, cut-throat analysis of a game we all love
• E) a very nice friend

CSL!

If you are either A, B, or D, then you probably know about one of the best basketball podcasts out on the net: Celtics Stuff Live. Jon (@csl_duke), Justin (@csl_justin), and Kevin (@henkink) do a fabulous job of bringing together wonderful Celtics analysis that has plenty of humor organically woven into the show. You can catch their podcast every Sunday night when Jon, Justin, and Kevin have a special guest (such as Mike Gorman, Jess Camerato, Austin Ainge…), chat with live callers on air, and address email/twitter questions from fans. Additionally, once a week you can catch their weekly podcap after a Celtics game. Be sure to check their schedule each week at http://www.celticsstufflive.net.

I trust Jon and and Justin and Kevin’s take on the Celtics more than most. They have a wonderful eye for the game, and an even better appreciation of what it means to be a Celtic fan.

Jon was nice enough to answer some questions from Loscy.
Enjoy.

2008 Boston Celtics: World Champs.

1. What’s the biggest difference between the way the 2008 team was built and the way the current 2010 team is built?
The biggest difference between construction of the 2008 and 2010 teams is arrival of Rasheed Wallace. Let’s not forget that until PJ Brown rolled into town in late February, the C’s relied on Leon Powe and rooke Glen Davis for their front court depth. It’s even more remarkable looking back that the team did as well as it did relying on young players in important reserve roles.

2. How many more good years does Pierce have in him?
Though it depends on what a “good year”  is, I’d say Pierce is good for another 3 years at an All Star level and 5 as a starter. The problem Paul faces is that the most athletic and diverse players on a court are the guys he has to guard. This may shrink his window of influence.

3. What’s the ceiling for Rondo?
Rajon Rondo does not have a ceiling. He has innate abilities and intuition about the game of basketball that will be with him until he’s 40. He has athleticism that can match anyone in the league. The only thing holding him back is not his unreasonably criticized jumpshot, but his inability to be a consistent force on the court. If Rondo can learn to be more consistent with his effort and aggression level, he can be the best point guard in the league.

Heeeeeeeeeeere's ¡Rondo!

4. Did you ever play basketball growing up? If so, what was your go-to move?
I “played” basketball, but I won’t snow you and tell you I was good. I was not. I was slow, unathletic, and until I turned 16, short. I loved the game as much as anyone, but that only goes so far and entering high school as one of the shortest kids in your class isn’t a great way to become a varsity player. Of course now I’m 6-2 and I bloomed a bit late, but the athleticism never really came around. As for a go-to move? It became a lot more effective for me when I grew, but I watched a lot of McHale growing up and his up and under was a frequent friend out of my bag of tricks.
5. What awards/accolades could you see any member of the Celtics winning this year (realistically or what you hope)?
Though it is a big man award, I think the only individual honor I see a Celtics player winning is the Defensive Player of the Year and Rajon Rondo being the recipient of that. Rondo racks up a ton of steals and he is becoming highly regarded as an on the ball defender. Of course he has a ways to go in not gambling for steals, but DPOY is, not unlike baseball’s Gold Glove, an award that doesn’t always go to the person most deserving.

6. Will the Celtics will another serious rebuilding era of 3-5 years after the window for this team closes, or can you see the Celts staying contenders (ECF Semi contenders) annually?
What the Celtics look like after The Big Three era ends will be answered in the next 18 months. Rondo is locked in and if he can become a more consistent threat then they should be competitive. The question is how the team makes over the wing positions. I would suspect Pierce is here for life, so a lot of this depends on whether Ray Allen re-signs this summer and how much he costs. Even if Pierce, Allen, and KG are not replaced with All Star players, you have to feel confident in Danny Ainge that he can get the guys he needs to fill in around Rondo (and possibly Perk if he re-signs after next year).
7. Do we need a real back-up point guard?
We need Marquise Daniels to get healthy and give him the keys to handle the ball full time. I don’t think anyone on the second unit knows who the “point guard” is and thus the group seems disorganized. I think a wing defender is a bigger priority right now because I think Eddie and Quisy will figure it out.
8. Could Tony Allen and Scal combined rent us a decent PG with an expiring contract?
Even in this era of a Swine Flu Pandemic, I would accept a bag of used kleenex for Tony Allen. As for Scal, until Glen Davis returns I wouldn’t want to pull the trigger on anything, but I’m not sure how much the Celtics get for these guys unless it is to assure the C’s of a chance to acquire a guy who might get bought out or take someone off of another team’s books. I think with the Summer of 2010 looming, it will be a weird trade market this February.
9. Do you see Perk getting re-signed for a long term deal once his contract is up?
I’d like to think Perk re-signs here and I see no reason why the Celtics wouldn’t want that. They will have plenty of cap space after next season, so they can back the Brinks truck up for him. I think the only issue for a Perk re-signing is how much will need to be devoted to adding a wing player will cost. Might it cost sending Perk in trade? Maybe, and writing that might make my CSL partner Justin Poulin’s head explode.
10. What are your thoughts on how the time share of minutes will work between Glen Davis (refusing to call him Baby) and Shelden?
Shelden started very strongly and I think saying that he’s been bad or knocked out of the rotation is unfair. However he does seem lost at times and still needs time to acclimate to his teammates. Still, Baby missed a lot of time and will be very rusty coming back. I would suspect that it will be a true competition for Shelden and Glen with perhaps each sharing the minutes Shelden has been occupying with one getting the minutes in the first half, and the other getting the second half minutes. May the best man win… so long as no one is getting punched in a moving vehicle.

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Be sure to check out Celtics Stuff Live for more information.
Thank you to Jon for your time and answers.

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Articles of the day: Perkins v. Bogut Had an Old-School Feel To It (via CelticsBlog); He [KG] Doesn’t Know What He’s Saying Half The Time (via Red’s Army); Daniels Out 8 Weeks: What Does This Mean For the C’s Bench (via CelticsHub)

En una temporada en que los fichajes de relumbrón están cumpliendo uno destaca por encima del resto.  Rasheed Wallace se ha acoplado como anillo al dedo a la filosofía de los Celtics y Vince Carter pone en duda que el jugador franquicia de Orlando sea Dwight Howard, sin embargo, nadie tiene más transcendencia tanto fuera como dentro del campo como Ron Artest.

Ron Artest ha sido uno de los fichajes de la temporada

El alero fichado por los Lakers empieza a disipar dudas. Aunque muy en su estilo también levanta polémicas por igual. La semana pasada saltaba a la palestra unas declaraciones suyas para Sporting News que rebelaban que bebía cognac francés en los descansos de los partidos cuando era joven. Esa confesión ha levantado ampollas en la prensa estadounidense, sin embargo, para Artest están creando el efecto deseado. Todas las miradas están puestas en él, y él está ayudando a que los Lakers no dejen de ganar partidos, ya suman nueve victorias consecutivas.

Trevor Ariza y Ron Artest han cambiado los papeles esta temporada

Todas aquellas incertidumbres que creó su traspaso caen por su propio peso. El debate si Ariza o Artest se empieza a decantar claramente por este último. Él lo supera en ataque y en defensa, entiende mejor el juego, imprime más carácter y como el buen cognac gana con el tiempo. Los peores números de su carrera (12.4 puntos, 4.8 rebotes y 4 asistencias por partido) son mejores que los números de Trevor Ariza en Los Ángeles (8.9 puntos, 4.3 rebotes y 1.8 asistencias por partido). Pero los números no lo son todo.

Ron Artest, sin saberlo, ha caído en un equipo perfecto para él. No tiene obligaciones ofensivas, a parte de suplir los puntos desde fuera cuando Kobe Bryant descansa, y en defensa puede demostrar todo su potencial, y eso es mucho. Con un galardón al Mejor Defensor de  la temporada 2004 y dos veces en el mejor equipo podría ser considerado el mejor defensor exterior de la actualidad, aunque ese honor se lo podría discutir entre otros su compañero Kobe Bryant, que posee seis presencias en el mejor quinteto defensivo de la liga. No obstante, Phil Jackson, listo donde los haya, ha optado por repartir meritos y esfuerzos para conseguir el máximo nivel de ambos. Por una parte, Ron Artest se encargará de la defensa, cubriendo a los exteriores estrella de los equipos rivales y, gracias a esa tarea de desgaste que evitará que Bryant tenga que liderar el equipo ofensivo y el defensivo cubriendo a los Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, etc…Ahora, Kobe Bryant se centrará exclusivamente en el ataque. Y además gracias al buen tiro exterior de Artest, Bryant no tendrá que basar su juego en el tiro exterior y pueda empezar a explotar su físico más cerca del aro. Conclusión: Ron Artest ejerce su tarea de desgaste defensivo y de goteo anotador, mientras que Kobe Bryant se libera defensivamente y da más frescura al juego de ataque.

La filosofía Zen ha ayudado a Phil Jackson a tratar con jugador como Michael Jordan

Pero no solamente dentro de la pista Artest ha caído en el equipo perfecto, fuera de la pista también. Todo el mundo pensaría que cualquier escándalo resonaría con más fuerza en Los Ángeles que en cualquier otro equipo de la liga, ya que ahora mismo los Lakers son la élite y el equipo más famoso de la liga. Sin embargo, en ese equipo ya cuentan con muchas tablas en solventar problemas y escándalos. Phil Jackson es el único entrenador de la liga que ha podido centrar mínimamente a Dennis Rodman, ha luchado con los egos de Michael Jordan y Scottie Pippen, se ha enfrentado a las batallas dialécticas entre Shaquille O’neal y Kobe Bryant, y un largo etcétera, así que sabe mejor que nadie conducir estas situaciones, y además está ayudado por Kobe Bryant al que problemas como la acusación de violación o la fama de ser el culpable de la disolución de los Lakers de la dinastía lo han convertido en un jugador durísimo a nivel interior y convertirlo en un auténtico líder tanto dentro como fuera de las canchas. Esas dos manos tendidas que tiene Artest le tienen que ser suficientes para que pueda conseguir el éxito en Los Ángeles.

A partir de ahora, Artest vivirá una lucha diabólica contra el entorno, sin embargo, ese es el hábitat natural del nuevo alero de los Lakers. Y si no que se lo recuerden a los Kings de Sacramento a los que Artest llevó a su mejor resultado en playoffs en los últimos tiempos o en Houston donde ha sido tan criticado, y que con él consiguieron al fin pasar de primera ronda, cosa que no hacían desde 1997. Por todo esto, hoy reclamo todo el reconocimiento que Artest se merece, y que ese juego tan intrascendente que parece que posee llegue a convertirse, como el vino en cognac, en un néctar irremplazable para la hora de los puros, más concretamente los puros de campeón.

David Stern no se anda con mari…neros cibernéticos. Quiero decir, que el supercomisionado de la NBA no navega por la red o no le gusta que sus indisciplinados chicos lo hagan. El pasado curso hubo revuelos por varios casos de jugadores (entre ellos Shaquille O’Neal) que publicaron mensajes en esta página (en twitter, no en Puertatras, que aquí solo le dejamos ese honor a Roger Esteller) mientras estaban en el banquillo durante un partido, además del incidente que protagonizó Ron Artest al publicar su número en esta red social o de la exclusiva que dio Allen Iverson por este medio de su futuro fichaje por Detroit hace unos meses (¿por qué siempre salen los mismos tipos en este blog?). Ahora le ha tocado el turno a otras dos estrellas de la Liga, el señor Amare Stoudamire y el Knick Tyson Chandler. Ambos han sido multados por twittear durante (en el caso del de Phoenix) o en la misma noche de un partido, algo prohibido por el nuevo reglamento de conducta que Stern reescribe tras cada pilleria de sus gamberros y millonarios juguetes. 7.500 dolares por estar a la última.

Antonio Graves pensando qué escribirá en Twitter cuando llegue a casa

En Europa la cosa ha ido más lejos y Antonio Graves ha sido despedido de forma fulminante por la Cibona de Zagreb después de sacudirle un par de twitters a Vladimir Perasovic. Sus comentarios abiertos (hasta ayer, no intenten llegar a la página, está cerrada) sobre su entrenador solo son interpretados como un harakiri voluntario o consciente o por la soberana estupidez de pensar que no se iba a enterar nadie de sus jocosas afirmaciones, dignas de denuncia por otra parte al comentar sus deseos de agredir al técnico: “basura de entrenador” 0 “Hombre, él me gritaba mientras yo me moría de risa por dentro”, al referirse a un incidente con ‘Peras’ tras llegar tarde a un entrenamiento. Aunque el problema de Graves puede ser más de bolsillo vacío, ya que hace unas semanas se negó a viajar con el equipo croata en un desplazamiento de la Euroliga por impago. A este le coge Stern y lo pone recto.

Otras multas

Si recuerdan o, más fácil, si barren hacia abajo en esta misma página, encontrarán a Sheed Wallace berreando contra las malas maneras de Hedo Turkoglu y el piscinazo del turco que le costó su sexta técnica de la temporada y una rajada calentita por la falta de sanción de estos engaños por parte de la NBA. En el mismo encuentro Paul Pierce recibió otra técnica por mirar a Chris Bosh tras hacer un mate ‘in your face’. Pues le han caído a Etiqueta Negra unos 30.000 dólares de penalización por sus jugosas declaraciones, en las que decía que si la acción con la que penalizaron a Pierce la hace Lebron James, todo hubiera sido idílico para la Liga.

Parecida cifra recibió hace unos días el tatuado (como si eso fuera un carácter diferenciador en la NBA) alero de los Magic, Matt Barnes. El curtido sexto hombre fue sancionado por lanzar el balón a la grada después de que los árbitros dieran por válida una acción sobre el aro con la que Michael Beasley convirtió el mate que consumó la victoria de los Miami Heat en el derbi de Florida a 1,6 segundos del final. 20.000 dólares por su rabieta. Stan Van Gundy, su coach, bromeó sobre el asunto y dijo que ese lanzamiento fue más o menos “como lanzar esos 20.000 dólares al público. Pero su lo hubiera hecho ahora sería mucho más popular”. De guasa y pensando en los 35.000 machacantes que le tocó pagar a él tras rajar en pretemporada en relación a la huelga de los árbitros. Ojalá Stern tome nota y contemple esa posibilidad. Quizá algunas franquicias ganarían un puñado de adeptos a sus malnutridos pabellones por si les cae algún ‘buck’ sobre su cabeza.

Μπορεί να γερνάει αλλά η γλώσσα του Rasheed Wallace παραμένει δραστήρια όσο ποτέ. Το μοναδικό στατιστικό που δε πέφτει στα 35 του, είναι φυσικά οι τεχνικές ποινές. Μετράει ήδη 5 φέτος, με τελευταία αυτή εναντίον των Raptors όταν και αποκάλεσε τον Turkoglu “flopper”. Αν και γενικότερα δεν έχει άδικο, αυτή τη φορά ο Τούρκος δε φλόπαρε…

Το πιο αστείο στην υπόθεση είναι τα σχόλιά του μετά τον αγώνα όπου ο Sheed δήλωσε πως αν έλεγε κάτι αντίστοιχο το Χρυσό Παιδί (LeBron) ή κάποιος από τους αθλητές που ανήκουν στο “Basketball Without Borders“, όλα θα ήταν καλά.

Για τη γενικότερη γκρίνια των Celtics, φταίει και η τεχνική ποινή στον Paul Pierce μετά από βρώμικο κάρφωμα που έκανε πάνω στον Chris Bosh. Δείτε πως ανοίγει τα πόδια του για να χτυπήσει με το γόνατο τον Bosh σε ευαίσθητο σημείο, για να αποφύγει τη τάπα. Τη τεχνική ποινή όμως, δε τη χρεώθηκε για τη γονατιά αλλά για το προκλητικό κοίταγμα μετά (η ειρωνεία των κανόνων).

O Rasheed είναι ο μόνος παίχτης που έχει καταφέρει να πάρει τεχνική ποινή απλά γιατί κοίταξε τον διαιτητή με ύφος…

Trencitas Wallace se acerca a un micro

Sheed Wallace es otro de los que se pasa la podadora por la lengua para que no brote ni un pelillo rebelde. Etiqueta Negra se mosqueó ayer de lo lindo porque a Turkoglu le dio por tirarse a la madera (‘flopping’) y el piscinazo le costó al ex Bad Boy y Jail Blazer, ahora enverdecido, su quinta técnica de la temporada y la 296 de toda, toda, toda su carrera, toda (récord en la historia de la Liga). “Solo he dicho que se había tirado”, se defendía el elegante ala-pívot Wallace tras protestar a los árbitros la acción que se desarrolló en el segundo cuarto. Wallace fue culpable de que los Celtics noquearan a los Raptors (106-115) y al acabar el partido se despachó con las argucias del turco y la falta de criterio de los árbitros y la NBA para sancionar estas malas tretas. “Ellos (los árbitros) tendrían que saber que el se tira. Eso es todo lo que Tukododo hace (do en inglés). Esto no es baloncesto, hombre, No es defensa. Esto es una basura”. Pero la rajada de Wallace se dirigió directamente al corazón de la NBA, que está buscando alguna forma de sancionar este tipo de acciones engañosas, pero es complicado.

No fue el único jugador de los Orgullosos Verdes que vio como una T se marcaba en su cara. Paul Pierce fue sancionado con otra falta técnica tras mirar de forma desafiante a Chris Bosh tras un brutal mate ‘in your face’. El video lo teneis abajo. Ya sabeis que la NBA tiene mucho cuidado con estas acciones que dan mala imagen a la Liga. Para Wallace esto depende de quién protagonice la foto, cuestiones del marketing. “Esperemos que el Chico de Oro (Lebron James) o algún chaval del NBA sin fronteras (programa solidario de la NBA) lo haga. Entonces todo estará bien y será elegante”. Pues eso. Clarito.

Has anyone been watching the Celtics lately?  If you have then you are probably like me and a little concerned with the way things have been going.  Even the games they have been winning have not been very impressive.  Kevin Garnett does not look right – the fact that he still seems to have a limp and there has never been anything official on what he actually hurt last year is concerning.  Rajon Rondo does not look like the same player – could it be a post-contract hangover?  Contracts are guaranteed in the NBA so I sure hope not.  Ray Allen and Rasheed Wallace have not found their stroke from the outside lately.  Thankfully Paul Pierce continues to be the dependable scorer for this team, especially towards the end of the game.

Ultimately I think this team will turn it around but the trend is concerning.  For a team that was talking about 72 wins at the start of the year, they better hope that it turns around quickly.

The Captain gets the game ball: solid D, great offensive punch, final play call.

Let’s face the facts: the Celtics are playing mediocre ball and have been for the last week and a half. Despite their 10-4 record, it’s mediocre ball at best. This most recent game against New York raised more questions than answers.

I’m a teacher. I teach world history and economics. I ask a lot of questions. My students ask a lot of questions. We all ask a lot of questions. It can more often than not show a deeper understanding of a topic. Other times, it’s just the perfect thing to do when we are absolutely bewildered by a topic.

I’m bewildered.
I’m going to stop diagnosing.

Hey ¡RONDO! why aren't we seeing more of this?

Here are 34 questions for the Celtics because I just don’t know what else to say. Why 34 questions? Because #34 is Paul Pierce. Paul Pierce is the Truth. So by the power of transitive property, 34 = The Truth. I am hoping these 34 questions lead to some level of enlightenment and higher understanding.

1. Why is overall energy level so inconsistent and why aren’t we
2. Why is our offense settling for so many low percentage jumpers with the shot clock expiring?
3. Why are we not attacking the hoop more?
4. Why is Rondo playing like a $3 million PG on some nights and an $11 million PG on other nights?
5. Why is our help defense scheme look so slow?
6. Why is Ray Allen getting so many more minutes than he needs?
7. Why isn’t Quisy getting more playing time?
8. Why is Sheed shooting 3s like I shoot 3s?
9. What’s going to happen in a few weeks when Glen Davis returns (remember: no more Big Baby)?
10. When will KG finally be in game shape?
11. Actually: will KG ever be back to being in good game shape (even if he can’t jump)?
12. When will everyone realize how unbelievably good Pierce is playing right now?
13. Will Danny many any trades before the new year?
14. If Danny were to make trades, what do we really need right now?
15. Is our PG by committee / PG by convenience working?
16. Will the Real Eddie House please stand up? Please stand up?
17. Has Doc ripped into his team yet about what the heck is wrong with them?
18. Is this the kind of play we can expect for the rest of the season?
19. Is it a good sign that Rondo can’t hit his FTs because it means he is finally changing his shooting style   for the firs time in his career?
20. Will Doc force Sheed down on the block more?
21. Why isn’t Perk closing out quarters more often?
22. Aren’t we a defense-minded team?
23. So why aren’t we a) playing defense better and b) letting one of our team’s best defenders (Perk) get more minutes on the floor?
24. Why haven’t we seen more dynamic lineups on the floor (like Rondo, Pierce, KG, Perk, Sheed; or Ray, Pierce, Quisy, KG, Sheed; or Rondo, Piece, Quisy, Perk, Sheed)?
25. Will TA’s first game in the 2010 season be in Celtic green?
26. Will Scal continue to be 100% efficient on the floor for as little minutes as he is getting?
27. Should we trade Scal (with TA) and if so should we get him more minutes?
28. Is JR Giddens the epitome of practice hero and game zero?
29. Will Shelden William’s interior game improve with more touches?
30. Why can’t our team get offensive rebounds (is it not built into our defensive scheme?)?
31. Why have we started so slow offensively in almost every game this season (what happened to those 30+ points from 2008-2009?)?
32. Why are we giving up so many points in the first half?
33. Why are we turning into a team that either wins/loses a game in the 3rd quarter?
34. Is the whole “sleep experts” advice of bypassing pre-game shoot arounds in favor of naps really working?

I want to see an absolute spanking tomorrow night against the 76ers on Wednesday night. I want Philly to waddle off the court.

Cool, then we done.

Next question?
Cool, then we done.

Articles of the day from my 3 favorite Celtics sites: It’s not time to trade Ray Allen (yet) at CelticsBlog, Myth or Fact: The Celtics are shooting too many 3s at RedsArmy, Do you believe Doc at CelticsHub.

Have you ever heard people say, ‘they brought their A game’? Or a coach will demand, ‘you need to bring your A game’? Better yet, someone in the losing locker-room explaining to a reporter, ‘we just didn’t bring our A game’.

To me, that’s all wrong.  You need to bring something stronger. Something much better. Something that gives you a better chance of winning.  How about your A+ game!

In big games, your A game will not cut it. In any game, your A game may help you stay close, but in order to win the big games, you need to bring your A+ game.

Every possession matters.  Every shot, every pass and every rebound…matters! Each time you step between the lines, play with energy, defend and take care of the ball.

Step up your game and bring your A+ game!

Observations:

I watched the Denver Nuggets go into LA to play the Clippers Friday night. Bad news for the Nuggets. LA decided to play.  Play hard that is.  Carmelo Anthony started off the game scoring 17 points helping Denver to a 12 point lead early.  He was scoring from all angles.  But Chris Kaman, by way of Central Michigan University took it upon himself to dominate the low post.

The Clippers bench also did a great job led by Sebastian Telfair who thought he was back in Coney Island pushing the ball in transition and dribbling like he was auditioning for the latest And 1 Mix Tour.  Rasul Butler chipped in with 27. Clipper came out on top 106-99.  Do you think Clippers head coach Mike Dunleavy and Telfair sit down and talk Brooklyn Hoops? Dunleavy played at Nazareth High School, Telfair at Lincoln.  Would love to hear those two debate which is better, the CHSAA or PSAL?

“We have to somehow realize that we are everybody’s big game,” said Denver guard Chauncey Billups. “It’s not like a few years ago where you play the Clippers or somebody and it is just another game.”

That’s right CB, you guys are being hunted now!

Speaking of another ‘CB’, Charlie Bell of the Milwaukee Bucks (formerly of Flint Southwestern High School) has filled in for Michael Redd at the shooting guard position and has done a solid job. Last night he scored 19 points on 7-15 shooting including 5-11 from way downtown in leading the Bucks to a 103-98 win over Memphis. Milwaukee is now 8-3.

The New Jersey Nets are now 0-13 after losing to the Knicks on Saturday 98-91. Bring back Foots Walker, Mike Newlin and Mike Gminski!

Rasheed Wallace of the Boston Celtics is shooting 22 of 70 on the season from way downtown. Including 0-8 Friday night against the Orlando Magic.  What, him worry?

“I ain’t worried about it, honestly,’’ said Wallace, after he missed all eight 3-point attempts. “I probably rushed about two or three of them. Other than that, it’s good looks, they’re just not going for me. I’m not worried about my offense now. It’s still early in the season, I know I won’t be shooting like this for the duration of the season.

BigRay Allen to Host ‘Ray of Hope Foundation’ Benefit at The Lansdowne Pub

by NESN Staff on Nov 18, 2009 5:41:46 PM <!–a class="addthis_button" href="http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php?v=250&pub=jpelletier"></script–>

Celtics shooting guard Ray Allen will host an event for his Ray of Hope Foundation at The Lansdowne Pub on Thursday, Nov. 19 to benefit Boston Centers for Youth and Families.

Allen, Celtics managing partner and co-owner Wyc Grousbeck, Grousbeck’s classic rock band French Lick, the Elan Trotman Band and a host of Boston sports all-stars and celebrities are teaming up to provide Thanksgiving dinners for Boston Centers for Youth and Families.

The Lansdowne Pub will open its doors for sports enthusiasts, Ray of Hope Foundation supporters and basketball fans alike. As part of the festivities, French Lick will perform their well-known classic-rock covers. Special surprise guests and other musical performances will highlight the event, which will also feature a live auction.

Last night I had the HONOR of background singing for the Beautiful and extremely talented Mrs. Shannon Allen. Elan Trotman invited me to come on board for this amazing event that was held at the Lansdowne Pub near Fenway Park. The show was one of the best musically and vocally that I have been a part of. We were accompanied by Web Roache on bass, Ryan Brown on keys, Anthony Steele on drums, Tyrone Chase on guitar, Danny McClain, Neil Letendre and myself on vocals.

At one point in the show Elan invited the players on stage with us to dance. Rasheed got up and did his two step and as Danny and I sang Big Babys name, he came out and graced us with an old school dance set. It was a surreal night, one of which I will never forget.

12% of the season finished, 88% left. Plenty. Of. Time.

I want to stress very early on in this post that I am not freaking out. You are not freaking out. Well, you might be freaking out, but there is no need for you to be freaking out. It’s far too early to be freaking out. We are just a tad over 1/8 of the way through the season. A measly 12% through. Calm down, folks.

Yes we have dropped 2 games, but it really isn’t a big deal. Our loss column is filled with the number 3, but there is also the number 8 in the wins column. Only 1 team in the entire NBA has played more games than us (Portland), while some teams like Milwaukee and Indiana have played 8 and 7 games, respectively. We still have the 3rd best win % in the East.

Let’s also face this fact: out of the 3 teams that are responsible for handing the Celtics a loss, Atlanta is the only one that could push us in a 7 game series. Neither Phoenix nor Indiana could take us in 7 games: both teams were on fire and couldn’t miss– you can’t repeat those shooting nights over and over again. There is a difference between taking a team down during any given game and taking a team down 4 times out of a possible 7 chances. 7 game series are designed to allow the better team to prevail. The Celtics are better than the Suns and the Pacers. Case closed.

Why you should feel good:

• Boston is the only team with a double-digit positive point differential in the entire league at +10.2.
• The Celtics are 2nd in points allowed by opposing teams with 88.3 per game.
• On BasketballReference.com, the Celtics are ranked 1st in Pythagorean W-L (Pythagorean Wins; the formula is G * (Tm PTS14 / (Tm PTS14 + Opp PTS14))); ranked 2nd in SRS with a score of 7.95 (read the explanation here: http://www.pro-football-reference.com/blog/?p=37); and ranked 1st in BR’s team defense rating with a score of 97.8 (Defensive Rating (available since the 1977-78 season in the NBA; for players and teams it is points allowed per 100 possessions.)

We are a good team. We are designed to win a series, not every game. We are designed to win a series, not every game.
We have smart players and great coaches that have high basketball IQs: whatever is going wrong in a series, as long as we are healthy, we will rectify and fix.

But… of course, we did just drop 2 games to younger, more athletic teams.
Let’s see these 5 things as we move forward against the next 5 games: Golden State (Wed), Orlando (Fri), New York (Sun), Philly (Wed), and Tor (Fri) in the following week and a half.

Perk is a beast. The beast needs to close out the 4th.

• Keep rebounding. It’s pretty simple: the more boards a team gets, the less the opposing team gets. More rebounds = more possessions and more chances to score while at the same time taking away chances for the opposing team to score. We need to box out. We need to send 2 guys into crash the boards while sending the other 3 into transition.
• More Quisy. More Shelden. I want to see these 2 get a few more minutes: with Pierce banged up, I’m hoping we see more Quisy. His title, thus far in the young season, should be Mr. Efficiency. Everything he does is efficient, modest, controlled, and important. Quisy matters to this team as much as Posey mattered to the 2008 team. Quisy is the swingman we need to go deep in the spring. As for Shelden, he’s been Mr. Pleasant Surprise (self-explanatory).
• Perk closing the game. Perk is a Beast. Right? Right. Sheed is in a bit of a funk and I’d like to see him get a few more minutes in the middle of the game instead of the end; I want to see Perk close out the 4th. I’m choosing defense over offensive possibility. I’ll always choose defense over offensive possibility. If you have Perk in, he is guaranteed to play solid interior defense on every defensive possession. Not to say Sheed is a slouch on defense, because he has been great, but Perk can still jump. Perk can still box out stronger guys and do the dirty work underneath that he is genetically and athletically designed to do. Let him close out the quarter because it makes sense.
• Rondo needs to take 12 shots a game. While it was great to see him pushing to create for his teammates against Atlanta this past Friday, but we need to see him aggressively taking it to the hoop. We need floaters. We need lay ups. But more importantly, we need the opposing team’s defense to collapse on Rondo when he enters the paint. If he is going to get players better, clearer looks, the defense needs to bite on the possibility of him shooting/scoring so the other guys are free/open. Rondo will usually be pass-first, so it’s not like we are changing his game. We just need to see him take some more shots.
• Mix up the line-ups. I will have to stop saying this eventually, but for now, I’m still begging for it. I want some dynamic diversity in our line-ups: a speedy lineup, a big lineup, a mix of starters and reserves. Doc has a deep bench that can cause opposing teams major headaches if he is able to mix-in different lineups together. The Celtics are in the position to set the tone with lineups and make other teams match-up against us, as opposed to us having to match up against other teams like we had to do for much of last year.

So if there are 4 blue jerseys around Rondo... Hmm...

My hands are steady. There are 71 more games to play.
Settle in for the ride.

Article of the day: NBA Mate’s “David Andersen can shoot”

Genius at work.

Before I get into the story, let me first share with you that Daryl Morey (HOU), Sam Presti (OKC), an Danny are my 3 favorite GMs. They’re crafty in their own ways, but all three have an UNCANNY ability to recognize talent in different ways. Morey has been known to find players that are fighters, play with an abnormally large chip on their shoulders, grit out every possession, and understand how to play in a system. Presti just finds the right complimentary players. In time, if he can hold onto his core young guys of Harden, Westbrook, Green, and especially K-Durant, my gosh they are going to be a force. Presti has found some great defensive-minded players and as they mature, they will be great in the middle of the pack team in the West. We know about Danny’s track record with draft picks and trades.

So on Thursday, November 12th, I get an update from Twitter about a new follower. I have trouble trusting my young eyes: Daryl Morey? Shut up. Shut up. Shut up.

I immediately investigate, and as it turns out, the freakin’ GM of the Houston Rockets is indeed a new follower. Aside from the fact that he would be my most famous follower, Morey only followed 84 other people at that point. I was part of an elite group.

Yup. For real.

I immediately send Morey a direct message asking if a measly blogger like myself can attend the statistical conference later on next year, and he writes back immediately:

Yup. This is also for real.

Of course, I flatter him a bunch and tell him that he wins the award for being Loscy’s most famous follower. I didn’t ask him how he found me, and I wish I had… because 9 hours later he un-followed me. I was irked by the whole ordeal.

Daryl: what did I do to make you leave?!?!

Then… I started to read my tweets the same day. First, there were probably 65+ tweets in that small window of flattery to depression. Hmmm. Maybe Morey was getting sick of the sheer volume of tweets? Probably not. The dude can remember the NYC skyline and draw it from memory after 1 fly-over in a helicopter (seriously: he did it). His ability to push out the crap and keep the goods kind of dismisses that theory. Theeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen I started reading my tweets a little bit closer and realized that I sounded like a child. Some foul language. Some bad jokes.

Ugh.

Daryl: did you leave me (ie, unfollow me on Twitter) because of the content of my tweets, volume of tweets, or both? Most of them were re-tweets. It wasn’t even my material! I was re-gifting!

AGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!

I was consoled by my wife: “It’s better to have loved and lost, than to have never loved at all”.
She was so right. So right.

But it still hurts.

Daryl: I promise to be a better Twitter member if you come back.
Now I’m begging.

How pathetic is this?

Would I be this way if the Celtics had won the last 2 nights?

What’s become of me?!?!?!?!?!?!?

DARYL!!!!!!

–

Torched by Granger.

We didn’t play sloucher teams. We played a young team that we’ve had many close games with and that was simply hungrier than us. On Friday night, Atlanta out-hustled, out-rebounded, out-swaggered, and flatly out-played us. We got killed on second chance points (20-4) and b*tch-slapped off the glass. The very next night, a young team that is playing pretty well torched us in the second half when our defense fell asleep, everything they threw up found its way to the bottom of the net, and our shots were getting stuck between the rim and backboard.

The common denominator in both losses? Young… teams. We have looked slow, old, and a bit out of rhythm. We forced passes. We weren’t playing good transition defense. We had a tough, tough schedule early on (8 in 12) and our current skid, no doubt, is a byproduct of the early going. It is a funk. It will pass.

What about some radical lineups to start the game in Indy? Why not rest Pierce if he was a game-time decision? Why not start Rondo, Ray, Quisy, Shelden, and Perk? Eh.

It is a funk. It will pass.

I’m not going to hinge the entire season on the last two nights. There is plenty to learn from the games, and the coaching staff will figure it out with the players. But at the same time, should we be worried… at least a little bit? We’ve gone from looking invincible to very vulnerable (sort of like last year after the Lakers game on X-Mas day?)

Celtics: go figure it out, please.

Article of the day: Advanced States in Pacers Game at CelticsHub.com

Do watch the Boston Celtics this year. It looks like Rasheed Wallace has done two things so far, put on a little weight, and solidify Boston’s bench and made them a beast already in the Eastern Conference. Boston started the season off with a huge road win at Cleveland and Lebron James.  The big three (Garnett, Pierce, Allen) are back in full force averaging over 46 points and 16 rebounds a game.  And if you include Wallace and Rajon Rondo, that’s another 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 10 assists per game. Boston also is giving up the league best 84.4 points per game, so with a deep bench, and the best defensive, and what I think is the best starting 5 in basketball, Boston is the eastern conference favorite.

Don’t watch the New Jersey Nets.  At least point the 0-7 Nets are just plain horrible, The Nets are averaging 17.3 turnovers per game which is more than their assist average of 17.0. If my math is correct, and I don’t think it would take Urkle to figure this one out, the Nets are on pace to go 0-82. But with four games scheduled with the New York Knicks, I think they might but one on the board, but don’t expect to beat last year’s record of 34-48.

Do pay attention to the Utah Jazz point guard Deron Williams.  I am from Utah and I get to watch this premier point guard play every game, and I wish the rest of the country could too.  The Jazz are not a glamorous team like Lakers, Celtics, or Cavs, but they have one of the best point guards in the game.  Williams has been over shadowed in the media world by Chris Paul ever since they were drafted as the 3rd and 4th picks in the 2005 draft. Last season Williams averaged over 19 points per game and almost 11 assists.  The NBA world knows about him, thats why they put him on the 2008 Olympic “Redeem Team”, the fans just need to know about him and put him in the All-Star game which he deserves to be in.  Oh and you think CP3 is a better point guard? Deron has led his team to the Western Conference Finals, and head-to-head the Jazz are 11-3 against the Hornets since 2005.

Don’t pay attention to Greg Oden. I hope Portland’s front office kicks themselves every night for not drafting Kevin Durant.  The best game Greg Oden has recorded was a game against Milwaukee back in January when we had 25 points and 15 rebounds, so that would be 1 good game in 3 years. Oden isn’t even averaging a double this year, and almost has more fouls and turnovers a game than rebounds.  Oden who is still only 21 years old, looks and moves like Patrick Ewing at the end of his career.  Shouldn’t a young 21 guy be flying around the court rather than moving in slow motion? I can’t stand watching him play.

Do expect Lebron James to be playing in another jersey color next year. After last weeks win over the Knicks, James said that winning is more important than anything else, especially a max contract.  The Cavs are off to a slow 4-3 start and so far, the signing of Shaq seems to not be working out so well.  In my eyes, Shaq just clogs the lane where King James does most of his work.  I mean look what Phoenix (7-1) is doing now that they have a free lane for Nash and Amare Stoudemire to play with.  The way Cleveland is built, they wont compete with Orlando and the Celtics this year and most likely for the next few years.  So maybe, we will see a rebuild down in Miami where Lebron, Dwayne Wade, and possibly Chris Bosh all play together and be the best assembled this decade.

Don’t model your look after a few NBA players.  First off, Don’t grow a beard out like Baron Davis or Deshawn Stevenson.  Also don’t get a 5 dollar bill tattooed on your neck.  I don’t think that’s a lady getter.  Next don’t look like Mike Miller or Joakim Noah with the long ponytail look.  Come on man, are you kidding me looking like that? You are not good enough to look like whatever you want. If you can help it, don’t let your face become like Chris Kamen’s or Pao Gasol’s, you will go a lot further in this life.  We thought here at hmhd that we could give a few fashion tips and our tip today is, try not to look like any of these players.

PE – Player Exclusive

Shelden doing what Shelden does: crashing the boards.

Sometimes I have these ideas. They are really creative, cool, and catchy. Then I find out, in due time, that my idea has already been thought of and often executed to a higher level of functionality and desirability than I ever could have thought.

But my philosophical question stands: if I thought of an original idea autonomously without any prior knowledge of the actual existing idea, is that moment of intellectuality actually mine as well? I would argue… yes.

This is my predicament. Let me share with you, just for a moment, my ideas for upcoming columns for this week:

• The efficiency of Shelden Williams on the glass and the impact of his hustle on the floor
• The Celtics current struggles to get to the FT line
• Rondo’s match-ups with some of the league’s best PGs early on and how he will behave
• The strength of our bench offensively compared to last year

Ok. Celtics Hub wrote about the Celtics issues with getting to the stripe this morning. Celtics Blog wrote about Shelden’s work in the paint. Celtics Blog wrote about whether Rondo was going to be talking trash against D-Will this week when playing against the Jazz. Celtics Hub mentioned the strength of the second unit on offense referencing my go-to stat site of 82games.com.

Seriously?

I guess you can’t contain good ideas from good writers that are hungry in this early season. We are all eager to perform full, all-out dissection of Celtics games. I’m going to keep these topics on my sticky note in case they crop up later on in a different form. The Rondo article will appear later on this week (not quite hit so far in the Celtics blogosphere).

For today? Let’s talk about Glen Davis. Notice how I’m following Wyc’s lead: no more Big Baby if I can help it. While it is a bit of a reflex to just refer to him as Big Baby, Baby, or BBD, I’m going to do my best to call him Glen Davis, Davis, or even Glen. Have you actually stopped to think about how his school teachers used to call him “Glen”? Think about an 11 year old 5’-9” 191 in front of you with 5 kids pinned to the ground: “Excuse me, Glen, can you stop killing those kids?”

What happens when Glen returns?
Well, let’s answer that by figuring out what Glen brings to the Celtics.

• An ability to stretch the floor with his improving mid-range jumper
• The power to box out the bigger bigs on opposing teams to make way for guys like Rondo to get boards (you know, the guys that can actually get off the ground)
• An improved ability to finish near the rim
• He plays hard and hustles and is willing to sacrifice his body
• A tough, tough guy who can get beat up and play physical (so our big finesse players don’t have to)

Those are all qualities that we need from a role player. There is no doubt about that. But… what about Glen’s deficiencies in his game?

• He can’t play above the rim (at all)
• He can’t rebound because he can’t get off the floor
• Glen whines and cries
• While he’s heavy, he doesn’t have length to guard the taller PFs in the league
• While he may be agile for a guy his size, he still isn’t that quick in the grand scheme of things
• There’s a relatively low ceiling for his post moves: who knows how much better they’ll really get

The perfect system for Shelden Williams.

In comes Shelden Williams. (follow him on twitter @sheldenwilliams, one of the best NBA-ers to follow)
There isn’t a better scenario for Shelden: The Landlord™. While the lotto pick got lost in the shuffle during his bounce-around to teams like ATL, SAC, ATL, MIN, and then back to SAC, there is no better system for him than the Boston Celtics. The Landlord™ is surrounded by veterans, especially veteran bigs like KG and Perk (while Perk is young, this is his 7th year…) and he isn’t being asked to carry a team in any way. Specifically, his role has been defined very early on and clearly and he is proving that his minuscule salary was one of the best off-season pick-ups. Rebound, play defense, hustle = playing time and salary.

Understand that I have no college/university allegiance. I don’t follow college basketball: it’s overwhelming. Regardless if you like Duke or not, you have to respect it’s program. Regardless if you like Coach K or not, you have to respect him. There is an atmosphere of hard-work, an expected high level basketball IQ, and that you can play a role for a team expected to win in a pressured situation.

Guess what? The Celtics system is the same. Duke bled blue for its team and players, while Boston bleeds green for its team and players. A great fit.

Glen Davis. Not Big Baby. Not Baby. Just Glen. Davis.

When Glen finally returns, his minutes are in danger. They are even more in danger come playoff time when we’ll have an 8-9 man rotation. Who is going to fill the other bigs role off the bench besides Sheed? If I’m judging based on where Glen left last season at the conclusion of the Orlando series with the way that The Landlord’s™ playing, I’m going with The Landlord™.

• Shelden hustles.
• He has bought into his role with the Celtics.
• He rebounds.
• He lays defense.
• He’s got length.
• He isn’t selfish.

Most of all? Shelden seems to be playing with chip on his shoulder and is out to prove something… but he’s mature enough to know how to handle the situation. Shelden, Quisy, and Sheed are all shaping up to be a 3-3 hat trick for Danny this summer.

The ever-efficient Pierce 2.0 is on a hot streak scoring inside and out. Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant NBAE via Getty Images.

Only in Boston.
Only in Boston can you find fans that aren’t 100% happy when their basketball team is 6-0.
Only in Boston can you find fans calling into local sports radio and complaining about what needs to be fixed after only 1 week of basketball.

Only in Boston.

We will start with something noteworthy: the Wall Street Journal and Dave Berri is ranking the Celtics starting 5 among the top 5 starting 5 of all time.Despite our winning ways, sure enough, I can poke and prod at some of the things that the Celtics still need to address. Much like last year’s 19-game win-streak that was ended by the Lakers on Christmas Day, we weren’t playing our best ball despite the impressive record. Doc said over and over again that there were things the team needed to do better even though they were winning.

¡ RONDO !

This is what separates the good teams from the great teams: even when winning, or at times dominating, winners find ways to keep improving. The 2008-2009 Celtics had some serious issues with depth and length off the bench. These issues became even more evident when KG and Powe went down… making it nearly impossible for the Celtics to get past the front-court heavy Magic.

We saw these issues fixed during the off-season: re-signing Glen Davis (I’m going to see if I can stop calling him Big Bay for a little bit, too, Wyc), picking up Quisy, Shelden Williams, and most importantly adding Rasheed Wallace to our bench.

So why is this 6-0 2009-2010 Celtics team still not perfect?

Starting out slow.

Game 1 v. Cavs – down 21-7 early on.
Game 2 v. Bobcats – only had 12 points through the first 8 minutes.
Game 3 v. Bulls – only had 16 points through the first 10 minutes.
Game 5 v. 76ers – only had 10 points through the first 10 minutes.
Game 6 v. T Wolves – really? do we even have to talk about this one?

We’ve been anything but quick out of the gates. Part of the issue is that it is only the first week, but shots just aren’t falling early. I heard the other day that the team decided to forgo some of their pre-game shoot-arounds in favor of giving the guys additional time to sleep. They met with sleep experts and are trying to buy into rest instead shots. Am I reaching on this one? Maybe. I am hoping it is just early and we see the team come out firing… but there have always been some inconsistencies, offensively, with this starting line-up of Rondo-Ray-Pierce-KG-Perk: sometimes they will light you up for a 38 point quarter and other times have 18 on the board. I’m hoping to find some consistency in rhythm on offense… sooner than later.

Forcing passes.

Part of our sluggish start also comes with some forced passing. Sometimes we aren’t passing (remember that play against Minny when Ray dribbled down, dribbled around, and then threw up a terrible shot after holding onto the ball for 20 seconds?) and sometimes we are passing too much (how many good looks do we want to pass up?). I’m not sure which situation is worse, but both are pretty undesirable. Rondo isn’t the only perpetrator here, so bring those fingers slowly down. We are throwing the ball into places that shouldn’t be thrown and thus resulting in turnovers.

Turnovers.

Oh yeah. Turnovers. The little statistic that is already starting to rear its ugly head only 1 week in. After 6 games, the Celts have already turned the ball over 83 times (averaging 13.8 TO/game). If the Celtics are giving up the ball almost 14 times per game, opponents are getting an easy 14 points a game if they can convert just 50% of the recovered turnovers into buckets.

Mixing in starters and role players.

I’ve been screaming for this during live game chats over at Red’s Army and Gino’s Jungle and over Twitter and to my wife during games: mix in the bench players and starters! We know the starting 5 have so much ubuntu in them they’re practically crapping it out during the game. The second unit is gelling quite nicely with Eddie, Quisy, Ray/Pierce, Shelden, and Sheed in. Scal is starting to acquire some minutes as he makes his return, and the players are playing pretty well together. But I would love to see some serious mixing up of line-ups during the close of the second and third quarters. I want to see Rondo-Ray-KG-Sheed-Perk or Quisy-Pierce-KG-Perk-Shelden or Eddie-Ray-Pierce-Sheed-KG (shooter’s line-up!) in. Why not mess around to make the chemistry that much more explosive or to make their anticipation that much tighter?

KG looking more mobil with each passing game. Photo by David Sherman NBAE via Getty Images.

Going into the game tonight against the Suns, I’d love to see Doc read my blog and really pay attention to the advice that I’m giving to him free of charge. It seems like a simple game-plan: stop Nash and Amare and let everyone else hurt you. It’s as simple as that. The run-n-gun offense only works when their point guard can penetrate and their big man can finish. It just so happens Rondo and KG are two of the best defenders in the league. How convenient.

Be Green.

Rasheed Wallace con su nueva equipación

¿Quién le iba a decir a Rasheed Wallace a principio del verano que la NBA leiba a dar otra oportunidad para alcanzar la gloria? Hace apenas unos meses los Detroit Pistons caían en primera ronda de playoffs ante Cleveland Cavaliers. Ese resultado parecía cerrar el ciclo de oro en el equipo de Michigan y Rasheed Wallace parecía tener las horas contadas. Orlando Magic, San Antonio Spurs y Dallas Maverick eran los principales equipos interesados, sin embargo, una semana después del fichaje de O’neal por Cavs eran los Boston Celtics los que dieron un golpe en la mesa haciéndose con los servicios de Rasheed Wallace por 2 temporadas. El ala-pívot llegaba a Boston con 34 años y aparentemente nada que demostrar a nadie. Su fama de polémico sembraba dudas de cómo podía responder en un equipo en el cual ni siquiera sería titular, no obstante, viendo los primeros partidos de temporada podemos decir que posiblemente estemos ante el mejor fichaje del año.

“Etiqueta Negra” Wallace como lo apodaba el gran Andrés Montes se ha acoplado como anillo al dedo al juego de los Celtics. Es posiblemente el mejor prototipo de jugador de Boston de los últimos años, ya que se ciñe a lo que es la esencia de esta franquicia: Trabajo, bravura y ese toque de chulería (sólo le faltaría ser irlandés).

Un día Charles Barkley, ala-pívot estrella durante los 90 y en la actualidad analista de la TNT, comentó que Rasheed Wallace era “el mejor jugador de la liga”, pues posiblemente en este comienzo de temporada tenga algo de razón. Para mi esta siendo el jugador más desequilibrante hasta el momento con permiso de Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets). La llegada a Boston le ha quitado años a Wallace y está viviendo una segunda juventud, recuperando un nivel que no alcanzaba probablemente desde el año que ganó el anillo con Detroit Pistons. Su único anillo, allá por la temporada 2003-2004.

El ala-pívot de Boston se ha adaptado de la mejor manera posible a su nuevo rol, jefe de la segunda unidad, o sea sexto hombre. Pese a que los números digan que estamos viendo el peor Rasheed Wallace desde que llegó a la NBA no se dejen engañar. En ataque es el más listo de la clase, ya no postea como antaño pero ahora crea juego para los demás sin necesidad de tocar un balón. Se abre al triple y acelera la circulación de pelota del equipo, se colapsa el ataque y le propone un pick and roll (bloqueo y continuación) al base de turno que acaba en el 90% de las ocasiones en una entrada fácil del base o en un tiro franco suyo desde la línea de tres. Línea de tres que está frecuentando más que ninguna temporada, de hecho, 33 de sus 46 tiros han sido desde ese lugar, y encima está anotando con un 45,5% de acierto. Pero además en defensa se ha convertido en todo un líder. Sigue igual de intenso que siempre y eso está contagiando al equipo (Boston todavía no ha encajado más de 90 puntos en ningún partido). En el uno contra uno sigue siendo insuperable en el poste, y aunque no robe o tapone como antes sigue robando o taponando las bolas que tanto cuestan, las importantes.

El hambre de Rasheed Wallace parece inagotable y este año parece que quiere volver a ganar el anillo. Y si no lo consigue por lo menos esperemos que nos siga deleitando con partidos como el de la otra noche ante Philadelphia donde él solo en 23 minutos destrozó al conjunto entrenado por Eddie Jordan con 6 triples y otras tantas acciones de mérito. Larga vida al factor diferencial de estos Boston Celtics, larga vida a Rasheed “Etiqueta negra” Wallace.

THE NBA SEASON HAS STARTED and I’m so excited that i can barely control myself.  Watching highlights every night, the fast paced action, the dunks, Kobe, Lebron, D-Wade.. damn I LOVE THIS GAME!!   My thoughts this week may be a little off, but hey, it’s the first NBA thoughts of the season and  we’re only 5 games into the seaosn… So enjoy DDISBORED’s 10 Thoughts on the NBA.. thus far…

1. The OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER aka THE BABY BOLTS lead by Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, & Russell Westbrook will make the Playoffs this year after only winning 23 games last year!!  And Durant may win MVP… stay tuned..
2. Lebron James still lacks the Killer Instinct that he needs to be great!  LeBron is 6 years in the league and against the Celtics instead of beasting through the lane down by 4 with 3 minutes left… he gives up the ball twice, Cavs Lose!  He needs to take some lessons from Kobe on how to put that dagger in and start twisting it!
3. Rudy Gay is soooooo smart for not signing a contract extension with the Memphis Grizzlies (even though it was for 50 million).  Heck, I don’t even know if I would sign with Memphis.  Gay, is a diamond in the deep rough of the NBA, just looking for a team (cough, Cleveland) to find him!!
4. The Celtics, Rajon Rondo is one of the best Point Guards in the NBA and starting a battle with the BEST point in the NBA, Chris Paul, is good for the league! Though, Rondo, may want to shut his mouth and focus on winning another championship now because KG, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, & Rasheed Wallace could all retire after this season.
5. Rookie, Brandon Jennings is a genius for not going to college last year!  I know that is an oxymoron if I’m talking about the local bartender, but the Milwaukee Bucks point guard is averaging 22 points, 2 steals, and 6 assists per game, after spending last year playing in Europe.
6. KOBE BRYANT IS STILL THE LEAGUES BEST PLAYER AND HAS BEEN SINCE 2003! ..stop kidding yourself..
7. I wish that the NBA showed more teams on TV, but I know they won’t because of ratings and such.  The only teams shown every week are: The Lakers, Cavs, Spurs, & Heat… I would love to see the Warriors, Hornets, Thunder, & Blazers every once and awhile…
8. I said this in July, but I feel like I need to say this again… THE TORONTO RAPTORS ARE GOING TO BE THE SURPRISE TEAM IN THE NBA THIS YEAR!! So, if you want to win some money… put it on the Raptors!  Chris, Hedu, Andrea, Jose, & DeMar are ready to shock some people!!
9. All NBA pregame, halftime, & postgame coverage should be handled by Charles, Kenny, and EJ from TNT! The ESPN & ABC crews just don’t compare!
10. 5 GAMES DOWN… 77 GAMES TO GO… til the PLAYOFFS!!  YESSIR!!

5 games into the season those are my thoughts… whether you love ‘em or you got a problem with ‘em

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For the last six years Tayshaun Prince hasn’t missed a game, 496 consecutive appearances to be exact. The streak was the second longest active streak in the league behind Portland’s Andre Miller.

Prince didn’t play in Detroit’s 85-80 victory against Orlando Tuesday night, and it was the first time he’s missed a game since April 13, 2003. Shortly before tipoff the Pistons announced that Prince would miss the team’s next three games because of a lower back strain.

Prince wasn’t on the bench last night, and neither was Richard Hamilton whose missed the team’s last three games with a sprained ankle (at least an injury we all saw happen). Hamilton likely will return Friday in a rematch against the Magic.

Something just doesn’t seem right.

After six years of not missing a game, Prince is going to miss a big game against Orlando at home because of strained lower back? In addition to that, he’s going to miss the following two games with the same injury, including a road game in Orlando. All of this after starting the season 1-2 and knowing the team’s leading scorer for the past seven years won’t be able to play in at least two of those games?

It doesn’t add up.

In addition to Prince not playing and not even being on the bench, doesn’t it seem a little odd that Jason Maxiell didn’t get off the bench last night. In the team’s first three games Maxiell averaged 17 minutes per night, then going against Orlando, a team loaded with size, Maxiell doesn’t even see the floor?

There’s some logic to this type of speculation.

After all of this time, Prince is going to miss an important game as the Pistons are trying to get the season off on the right track (with a revamped roster and new coach) and it’s because of a measly strained back?

On top of all that, why wasn’t he at least on the bench? Especially if he was a late scratch from the game.

Detroit added two big name free-agent pickups this summer in Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva. They also brought back Ben Wallace and added veteran big man Chris Wilcox.

The Pistons drafted three small forwards in the draft; Austin Daye, Jonas Jerebko and DaJuan Summers (If for some reason you’re living under a rock, Prince plays that position)

They also let Rasheed Wallace and Allen Iverson walk to the curb.

What the Pistons didn’t do this summer was make a trade, well, at least a trade with a major part of their core, something that a lot of people expected. Hamilton seemed to be the main target of rumors all summer, but Prince has a lot of value as well.

Prince has a good reputation in the league, and a solid resume, but he’s vastly overrated. Fortunately for the Pistons trading sake, I don’t think too many people around the league realize it.

The guy is a lame duck in the playoffs, putting together three awful playoff finales in a row (the 2009 First Round knockout against Cleveland and the 2008 and 2007 Conference Finals debacles against Boston and Cleveland). In all three of those losing efforts that the Pistons played in, Prince shot no better than 31 percent from the field, in addition to getting torched by the opposition. All of this from a guy that is deemed All-NBA Defensive year after year.

When you try and talk bad about Prince’s game and how he has not helped the Pistons win serious games over the past three or four years, fans always will find a way to bring up “The Block.” That play was more than five years ago and Prince has reached his ceiling since.

Prince’s value might not as be as high as it was in 2006, but it still exists, and the Pistons need a player with size who can score in the post, Prince should be able to yield at least someone, especially if combined in a package deal.

I think it’s about to happen, and Maxiell may be on the way with him.

Of course, Joe Dumars denied any speculation on a Prince trade, but why would he confirm it? He can’t come out and say that he’s going to trade Prince before he actually finds a deal and it goes through, so he has to deny it, that’s his job.

It’s all speculation, but it’s speculation that makes sense and is warranted. Prince needs to go, he’s a much weaker link in Detroit than Hamilton is, contrary to popular belief. It was nice to finally not see him on the court, and go figure, the Pistons won against a great team nonetheless.

I’m not going to speculate on deals, and I can’t quote anyone saying that a deal is happening, but I wouldn’t be shocked if Prince has played his last game as a Piston, and I don’t think you should be either.

Months before Ben Wallace was traded by Cleveland, released by Phoenix and wound up in Detroit, I told you it would happen, so trust my word.

Prince will be traded by Friday, bet on it.