(Check it out here.)
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Sorry Perk
Out of respect for the big fella, I'm not going to post the video here, but RwH readers need to know: In last night's Clippers-Thunder game, Kendrick Perkins secured his place on NBA highlight reels until the end of time -- the wrong way. In the third quarter, Perk got absolutely obliterated by Blake Griffin, victim of the the most spectacular dunk dunk-like maneuver I have ever seen on a basketball court.
(Check it out here.)
(Check it out here.)
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Cleveland 88, Boston 87
[recap] [box score]
The Celtics just gave this one away.
After sort of sleepwalking through the first half -- understandable, perhaps, given all the minutes everyone has had to play due to injuries -- the Celtics finally put some space between them and the young Cavs in the third quarter, and led by 11 with 4:24 to play.
From there, the Boston offense went completely stagnant. The closest the Celtics came to scoring was probably when Paul Pierce got a Cleveland defender up in the air, drew contact on a 16-footer -- but didn't get the whistle. The league is trying to clean up that kind of play this year, sick of offensive players getting to the line by leaning into defenders and drawing contact. So they've emphasized that if the defender goes up and the contact comes from the player with the ball leaning in after the defender lands, there should be no call. This, however, was a missed call; the Cavs defender clearly had not landed by the time he hit Pierce.
It's tempting to blame one play in a one-point loss, and there were others, besides that missed call, that probably would have won the game for the Celtics. Up one with less than a minute left, a Ray Allen three-pointer rimmed out, but Kevin Garnett grabbed the rebound. Rather than going back up, he looked to kick it back out to run some more clock -- and traveled when he couldn't find anyone immediately open.
On the ensuing Cleveland possession, Kyrie Irving missed a drive, but Anderson Varejao grabbed the offensive rebound and found Antawn Jamison open at the top of the key. Jamison missed the three-pointer, and Brandon Bass grabbed the rebound. But a Cav -- I think it was Alonzo Gee -- poked it away, and Varejao pounced on the loose ball, calling a timeout with 22 seconds left.
Anyone one of those plays might have secured the game for the Celtics. But instead, Cleveland had one possession to win, and Byron Scott decided to win it or lose it on that final trip down floor, instructing Irving to dribble out most of the clock at half court. Varejao came up and set a high screen, which Boston defended well. Irving drove right, over the screen, and Bass hedged nicely. But Irving, the top pick in last summer's draft, spun back left, ripping the ball through Avery Bradley's steal attempt. Irving continued to the bucket, and lofted a pretty left-handed layup over a recovering Bass that dropped through with 2.5 seconds left.
Boston still had a chance to win, of course. They advanced the ball to half court with a timeout, and inbounded to Pierce, who was immediately fouled by the Cavs, who had one to give. After another timeout, Boston again inbounded to Pierce, who was rushed by most of the Cavs defense. He had to double-clutch, and the ball was still in his hand when the buzzer went off. (The shot missed short, anyway.)
Time to move on. The Celtics have their chance for revenge on Tuesday, in Cleveland.
The Celtics just gave this one away.
After sort of sleepwalking through the first half -- understandable, perhaps, given all the minutes everyone has had to play due to injuries -- the Celtics finally put some space between them and the young Cavs in the third quarter, and led by 11 with 4:24 to play.
From there, the Boston offense went completely stagnant. The closest the Celtics came to scoring was probably when Paul Pierce got a Cleveland defender up in the air, drew contact on a 16-footer -- but didn't get the whistle. The league is trying to clean up that kind of play this year, sick of offensive players getting to the line by leaning into defenders and drawing contact. So they've emphasized that if the defender goes up and the contact comes from the player with the ball leaning in after the defender lands, there should be no call. This, however, was a missed call; the Cavs defender clearly had not landed by the time he hit Pierce.
It's tempting to blame one play in a one-point loss, and there were others, besides that missed call, that probably would have won the game for the Celtics. Up one with less than a minute left, a Ray Allen three-pointer rimmed out, but Kevin Garnett grabbed the rebound. Rather than going back up, he looked to kick it back out to run some more clock -- and traveled when he couldn't find anyone immediately open.
On the ensuing Cleveland possession, Kyrie Irving missed a drive, but Anderson Varejao grabbed the offensive rebound and found Antawn Jamison open at the top of the key. Jamison missed the three-pointer, and Brandon Bass grabbed the rebound. But a Cav -- I think it was Alonzo Gee -- poked it away, and Varejao pounced on the loose ball, calling a timeout with 22 seconds left.
Anyone one of those plays might have secured the game for the Celtics. But instead, Cleveland had one possession to win, and Byron Scott decided to win it or lose it on that final trip down floor, instructing Irving to dribble out most of the clock at half court. Varejao came up and set a high screen, which Boston defended well. Irving drove right, over the screen, and Bass hedged nicely. But Irving, the top pick in last summer's draft, spun back left, ripping the ball through Avery Bradley's steal attempt. Irving continued to the bucket, and lofted a pretty left-handed layup over a recovering Bass that dropped through with 2.5 seconds left.
Boston still had a chance to win, of course. They advanced the ball to half court with a timeout, and inbounded to Pierce, who was immediately fouled by the Cavs, who had one to give. After another timeout, Boston again inbounded to Pierce, who was rushed by most of the Cavs defense. He had to double-clutch, and the ball was still in his hand when the buzzer went off. (The shot missed short, anyway.)
Time to move on. The Celtics have their chance for revenge on Tuesday, in Cleveland.
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Boston 94, Indiana 87
[recap] [box score]
As many of you know, when Paul Pierce is introduced to the home crowd, the announcer refers to him as "The Captain, and the The Truth." The former is, of course, a nod to the fact that he is the long-time captain of the Celtics, and the latter is the nickname bestowed on Pierce early in his career by a very impressed Shaquille O'Neal.
It doesn't get much more Captain-y, or much Truthier, than the way Pierce has played over the last couple of games.
The night after Pierce's 24 points, six rebounds, and ten assists led his team to an improbable comeback victory over the Magic, Pierce's 28/10/8 helped his team avenge avenge two earlier losses to the youthful Pacers. Playing a dual role as main ballhandler and primary scoring option, there's hardly been a Celtics possession lately with #34 on the floor that hasn't gone through him. Pierce is averaging more than eight assists per game in the five that Rajon R-ndo has missed with a wrist injury, all while raising his season scoring average from 14.9 to 17.7. On Friday night, after a relatively quiet first half, he went off for 17 points in the third quarter, picking apart Danny Granger and the Pacers in the second half with a series of crafty left-handed drives and long-range jumpers.
There's no question that Pierce is being asked to do too much. The 34 minutes he was asked to play against the Pacers are one or two too many; the 44 he played on Thursday against Orlando are absolutely horrifying. Doc hasn't had much choice but to play Pierce a ton of minutes, given all the injuries, and in some ways, perhaps it's good -- maybe it has gotten Pierce into shape. But as fun as it's been to watch Pierce put this team -- his team -- on his back, it'll be good to get some of the cavalry back.
Not that Pierce has been alone. Kevin Garnett has really elevated his play in the last two games, especially on the defensive end. With Jermaine O'Neal out with sore knees, Garnett has had to slide over to the starting five spot, and he has kept two of the game's best young centers, Dwight Howard and Roy Hibbert, well under control on consecutive nights.
And in each of the last three wins, Pierce and Garnett have gotten help from an unheralded teammate. In the first Orlando win, the home blowout on Monday, it was Avery Bradley and his fantastic pressure defense; in the Orlando comeback, it was rookie E'Twaun Moore clutch sharpshooting. On Friday, it was backup center Chris Wilcox, who, after scoring 15 points all season, erupted for 14 against the Pacers.
All these guys helped Boston to what was a pretty comfortable win, despite the fact that Indiana shot 31 free throws (making 30) to the Celtics' 14 (we hit 12).
Doc, by the way, is coaching his ass off. He's been working the sideline with more energy than I've seen him before, keeping his team fighting through injuries and an awful start to the season. And on Friday, he used his timeouts brilliantly to stem any momentum shifts in Indiana's favor. Three times during the game he used a timeout after Indiana went on a five- or six-point run; after two of those, Boston scored on the ensuing possession, and in all three situations, the Celtics regained control soon thereafter. He also drew up a great little high pinch post variation coming out of the under 3 timeout that led to a Mickael Pietrus dunk and a 90-80 lead.
The opponents on the schedule get a little easier this week, but Boston has now started a stretch in which they play at least as frequently as every other night for more than two weeks. They've got the Cavs at home on Sunday, the return date in Ohio on Tuesday, and the Raptors at home on Wednesday, three winnable games before the Knicks and Grizzlies visit over the weekend.
As many of you know, when Paul Pierce is introduced to the home crowd, the announcer refers to him as "The Captain, and the The Truth." The former is, of course, a nod to the fact that he is the long-time captain of the Celtics, and the latter is the nickname bestowed on Pierce early in his career by a very impressed Shaquille O'Neal.
It doesn't get much more Captain-y, or much Truthier, than the way Pierce has played over the last couple of games.
The night after Pierce's 24 points, six rebounds, and ten assists led his team to an improbable comeback victory over the Magic, Pierce's 28/10/8 helped his team avenge avenge two earlier losses to the youthful Pacers. Playing a dual role as main ballhandler and primary scoring option, there's hardly been a Celtics possession lately with #34 on the floor that hasn't gone through him. Pierce is averaging more than eight assists per game in the five that Rajon R-ndo has missed with a wrist injury, all while raising his season scoring average from 14.9 to 17.7. On Friday night, after a relatively quiet first half, he went off for 17 points in the third quarter, picking apart Danny Granger and the Pacers in the second half with a series of crafty left-handed drives and long-range jumpers.
There's no question that Pierce is being asked to do too much. The 34 minutes he was asked to play against the Pacers are one or two too many; the 44 he played on Thursday against Orlando are absolutely horrifying. Doc hasn't had much choice but to play Pierce a ton of minutes, given all the injuries, and in some ways, perhaps it's good -- maybe it has gotten Pierce into shape. But as fun as it's been to watch Pierce put this team -- his team -- on his back, it'll be good to get some of the cavalry back.
Not that Pierce has been alone. Kevin Garnett has really elevated his play in the last two games, especially on the defensive end. With Jermaine O'Neal out with sore knees, Garnett has had to slide over to the starting five spot, and he has kept two of the game's best young centers, Dwight Howard and Roy Hibbert, well under control on consecutive nights.
And in each of the last three wins, Pierce and Garnett have gotten help from an unheralded teammate. In the first Orlando win, the home blowout on Monday, it was Avery Bradley and his fantastic pressure defense; in the Orlando comeback, it was rookie E'Twaun Moore clutch sharpshooting. On Friday, it was backup center Chris Wilcox, who, after scoring 15 points all season, erupted for 14 against the Pacers.
All these guys helped Boston to what was a pretty comfortable win, despite the fact that Indiana shot 31 free throws (making 30) to the Celtics' 14 (we hit 12).
Doc, by the way, is coaching his ass off. He's been working the sideline with more energy than I've seen him before, keeping his team fighting through injuries and an awful start to the season. And on Friday, he used his timeouts brilliantly to stem any momentum shifts in Indiana's favor. Three times during the game he used a timeout after Indiana went on a five- or six-point run; after two of those, Boston scored on the ensuing possession, and in all three situations, the Celtics regained control soon thereafter. He also drew up a great little high pinch post variation coming out of the under 3 timeout that led to a Mickael Pietrus dunk and a 90-80 lead.
The opponents on the schedule get a little easier this week, but Boston has now started a stretch in which they play at least as frequently as every other night for more than two weeks. They've got the Cavs at home on Sunday, the return date in Ohio on Tuesday, and the Raptors at home on Wednesday, three winnable games before the Knicks and Grizzlies visit over the weekend.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Boston 91, Orlando 83
[recap] [box score]
What's worse? Losing by 31 on the road to a team missing its starting backcourt, or blowing a 27-point at home to that same team missing that same starting backcourt?
I'm guessing it's the latter, but only the Orlando Magic know for sure.
Orlando, which bounced back from that embarrassing loss in Boston on Monday by winning in Indiana on Tuesday, got off to a rough start Thursday as well. Dwight Howard picked up two fouls in the first three minutes, Boston led 8-2 and everyone was wondering if Monday actually was a fluke after all.
But after a Stan Van Gundy timeout, the Magic spent the next 20 minutes of game time threatening to run the Celtics out of the building. The went on a 30-8 run to close the quarter, taking a 32-16 lead behind 12 points from Ryan Anderson. The second quarter brought more of the same, the lead ballooning to 27 before settling in at a still-comfortable 21.
If you turned it off at that point, I don't blame you. The Celtics were listless in the first half. Paul Pierce, the only guy in uniform capable of creating any sort of offense for himself or others, had done almost nothing. Avery Bradley had done less than nothing, suffering through one of his nights where he can't seem to hang onto the ball, a Tony Allen-esque performance. Brandon Bass was hesitating on his jumper, the first time all season I've seen him look reluctant to shoot. Only Mickael Pietrus, who hit a few early jumpers, and Kevin Garnett, who slid over to the five with Jermaine O'Neal sidelined by sore knees and defended Howard very well, played even decently in the first half.
Towards the end of the second quarter, coming back from a timeout, TNT played a clip of one of Doc Rivers' huddles. They were down 25 at the time, and he told his team they were still in it, pleading with the players to cut into the lead, just a little bit. "At least Doc's trying," I said to myself. I remember being impressed at how convincing Doc forced himself to sound.
I did not necessarily expect the players to listen.
Look, I've watched enough of the NBA to know that no halftime lead is safe. And I know the kind of heart that beats deep in the chests of Pierce, Garnett, and Rivers. But the NBA season is a long, exhausting slog -- made even longer and more exhausting this year by the condensed schedule -- and there are nights when you just don't have it. Indeed, there are nights when saving your strength for the next night is probably the smart thing to do.
Thursday night could have been one of those nights. Down three starters and 21 points, in the first of three games in four nights (and 11 in 17 -- the Celtics don't have two consecutive off-days until February 17 and 18), no one would have been been surprised or complained if the Cs folded the tent early.
But they didn't. Even when the comeback seemed to die in its early stages as Boston squandered three possessions in the first half of the third quarter that would have cut the lead to 13 or 12, they persisted. Indeed, Orlando still led by 18 with about two minutes left in the third. But Boston finished the period on a 10-3 run, and Doc all but sprinted off the bench to encourage the guys as they came off the floor.
The fourth was stunning in the swiftness with which Boston took over the game. They ratcheted up the defense and started making shots on offense, and it took them just four-and-a-half minutes to complete a 15-1 run, taking the lead on an E'Twaun Moore three-pointer.
From there, the offense more or less stalled, but the defense never let up. Howard finally made his team's first field goal of the quarter with 5:56 remaining, cutting the lead to one, but the Magic wouldn't make another shot until Hedo Turkoglu buried a three-pointer with 39 seconds left to cut the Boston lead to 87-83. Orlando, which had scored 58 points in the first half -- one more than it got in the entire game on Monday -- managed just 25 in the second, including a mere seven in the final quarter. The Magic players let their frustrations boil over, forcing bad shots and earning two late technical fouls arguing a couple admittedly tough calls that didn't go their way.
As badly as Orlando imploded, however, Boston's defense was absolutely tenacious in the second half. With Bradley having such a nightmare evening offensively (and with Keyon Dooling lasting just a half before getting hurt in his return after seven missed games due to injury), Doc turned to the rookie Moore, who responded in a big way. He harassed Chris Duhon and a hobbled Jameer Nelson all over the court, forcing Orlando to get into its offense late. Garnett played Howard largely without the benefit of a double team and held him to 50 percent shooting and eight trips to the free throw line. Even Bass, who doesn't have much of a defensive reputation, got into the act, making a late steal and staying in front of Turkoglu on the perimeter as Hedo pounded the ball, looking for a driving lane.
Offensively, Pierce was the catalyst, getting hot early in the fourth against long-time antagonist Quentin Richardson before finding Bass for a couple 20-footers on the pick-and-pop when Orlando started running two defenders at him. But the revelation was Moore, without whom we simply would not have won the game. Moore had 16 points, including a perfect four-for-four on three-pointers. Three of his triples came at the end of the third and the first half of the fourth -- he accounted for points 3 through 5, 11 through 13, and 23 through 25 of the 25-4 run that saw Boston go from down 18 points to up three. His lone two-point field goal was just as crucial; Howard cut the Boston lead to one, Moore caught a hit-ahead pass and attacked the rim despite not having numbers. His soft floater over Jason Richardson and Jameer Nelson bounced all over the rim before dropping through, preserving the Celtic lead.
After the game, Boston celebrated about as much as you'll ever see from an NBA team during the regular season, at least in the absence of a buzzer-beating game-winner. Watching Doc and the guys hug and pound each other on the back as though they had just won a playoff series, I couldn't help but get a few goosebumps. For the last four years, we've been chasing championships, and when you have realistic expectations of winning the last game you play in June, nights like this one tend to be forgotten.
The NBA is a business, but at bottom, it's still basketball. And I fell in love with basketball long before I truly understood the NBA. So I don't feel at all bad for enjoying this win without worrying about whether Boston can turn around, or is turning around, its season. Of course I'm going to swell with pride watching a couple of veterans play their asses off to pick up their fallen teammates while their coach exhorts them from the sideline; I wouldn't be a fan if I didn't.
Maybe this season will be worth watching after all.
What's worse? Losing by 31 on the road to a team missing its starting backcourt, or blowing a 27-point at home to that same team missing that same starting backcourt?
I'm guessing it's the latter, but only the Orlando Magic know for sure.
Orlando, which bounced back from that embarrassing loss in Boston on Monday by winning in Indiana on Tuesday, got off to a rough start Thursday as well. Dwight Howard picked up two fouls in the first three minutes, Boston led 8-2 and everyone was wondering if Monday actually was a fluke after all.
But after a Stan Van Gundy timeout, the Magic spent the next 20 minutes of game time threatening to run the Celtics out of the building. The went on a 30-8 run to close the quarter, taking a 32-16 lead behind 12 points from Ryan Anderson. The second quarter brought more of the same, the lead ballooning to 27 before settling in at a still-comfortable 21.
If you turned it off at that point, I don't blame you. The Celtics were listless in the first half. Paul Pierce, the only guy in uniform capable of creating any sort of offense for himself or others, had done almost nothing. Avery Bradley had done less than nothing, suffering through one of his nights where he can't seem to hang onto the ball, a Tony Allen-esque performance. Brandon Bass was hesitating on his jumper, the first time all season I've seen him look reluctant to shoot. Only Mickael Pietrus, who hit a few early jumpers, and Kevin Garnett, who slid over to the five with Jermaine O'Neal sidelined by sore knees and defended Howard very well, played even decently in the first half.
Towards the end of the second quarter, coming back from a timeout, TNT played a clip of one of Doc Rivers' huddles. They were down 25 at the time, and he told his team they were still in it, pleading with the players to cut into the lead, just a little bit. "At least Doc's trying," I said to myself. I remember being impressed at how convincing Doc forced himself to sound.
I did not necessarily expect the players to listen.
Look, I've watched enough of the NBA to know that no halftime lead is safe. And I know the kind of heart that beats deep in the chests of Pierce, Garnett, and Rivers. But the NBA season is a long, exhausting slog -- made even longer and more exhausting this year by the condensed schedule -- and there are nights when you just don't have it. Indeed, there are nights when saving your strength for the next night is probably the smart thing to do.
Thursday night could have been one of those nights. Down three starters and 21 points, in the first of three games in four nights (and 11 in 17 -- the Celtics don't have two consecutive off-days until February 17 and 18), no one would have been been surprised or complained if the Cs folded the tent early.
But they didn't. Even when the comeback seemed to die in its early stages as Boston squandered three possessions in the first half of the third quarter that would have cut the lead to 13 or 12, they persisted. Indeed, Orlando still led by 18 with about two minutes left in the third. But Boston finished the period on a 10-3 run, and Doc all but sprinted off the bench to encourage the guys as they came off the floor.
The fourth was stunning in the swiftness with which Boston took over the game. They ratcheted up the defense and started making shots on offense, and it took them just four-and-a-half minutes to complete a 15-1 run, taking the lead on an E'Twaun Moore three-pointer.
From there, the offense more or less stalled, but the defense never let up. Howard finally made his team's first field goal of the quarter with 5:56 remaining, cutting the lead to one, but the Magic wouldn't make another shot until Hedo Turkoglu buried a three-pointer with 39 seconds left to cut the Boston lead to 87-83. Orlando, which had scored 58 points in the first half -- one more than it got in the entire game on Monday -- managed just 25 in the second, including a mere seven in the final quarter. The Magic players let their frustrations boil over, forcing bad shots and earning two late technical fouls arguing a couple admittedly tough calls that didn't go their way.
As badly as Orlando imploded, however, Boston's defense was absolutely tenacious in the second half. With Bradley having such a nightmare evening offensively (and with Keyon Dooling lasting just a half before getting hurt in his return after seven missed games due to injury), Doc turned to the rookie Moore, who responded in a big way. He harassed Chris Duhon and a hobbled Jameer Nelson all over the court, forcing Orlando to get into its offense late. Garnett played Howard largely without the benefit of a double team and held him to 50 percent shooting and eight trips to the free throw line. Even Bass, who doesn't have much of a defensive reputation, got into the act, making a late steal and staying in front of Turkoglu on the perimeter as Hedo pounded the ball, looking for a driving lane.
Offensively, Pierce was the catalyst, getting hot early in the fourth against long-time antagonist Quentin Richardson before finding Bass for a couple 20-footers on the pick-and-pop when Orlando started running two defenders at him. But the revelation was Moore, without whom we simply would not have won the game. Moore had 16 points, including a perfect four-for-four on three-pointers. Three of his triples came at the end of the third and the first half of the fourth -- he accounted for points 3 through 5, 11 through 13, and 23 through 25 of the 25-4 run that saw Boston go from down 18 points to up three. His lone two-point field goal was just as crucial; Howard cut the Boston lead to one, Moore caught a hit-ahead pass and attacked the rim despite not having numbers. His soft floater over Jason Richardson and Jameer Nelson bounced all over the rim before dropping through, preserving the Celtic lead.
After the game, Boston celebrated about as much as you'll ever see from an NBA team during the regular season, at least in the absence of a buzzer-beating game-winner. Watching Doc and the guys hug and pound each other on the back as though they had just won a playoff series, I couldn't help but get a few goosebumps. For the last four years, we've been chasing championships, and when you have realistic expectations of winning the last game you play in June, nights like this one tend to be forgotten.
The NBA is a business, but at bottom, it's still basketball. And I fell in love with basketball long before I truly understood the NBA. So I don't feel at all bad for enjoying this win without worrying about whether Boston can turn around, or is turning around, its season. Of course I'm going to swell with pride watching a couple of veterans play their asses off to pick up their fallen teammates while their coach exhorts them from the sideline; I wouldn't be a fan if I didn't.
Maybe this season will be worth watching after all.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Viewing Alert
The rematch with Orlando is Thursday night, 8 p.m. Eastern, on TNT. Orlando bounced back from Monday night's humiliation by beating Indiana on Tuesday. I'm not going to bother speculating about which of the injured Celtics might suit up for this one. Your guess at the starting lineup is as good as mine.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Boston 87, Orlando 56
[recap] [box score]
Raise your hand if you predicted a 30-point game Monday night.
:Raises hand:
Actually, that's not entirely accurate. I predicted an even larger margin of victory.
"Darn," I said to my girlfriend when we I saw all the Celtics who were inactive for the game, using a word that is a bit stronger than "darn."
"We're going to lose by 100."
I was exaggerating, of course, but not by much. A blowout seemed imminent. Rajon R-ndo, Ray Allen, Keyon Dooling, and Mickael Pietrus were all in civilian clothes with various maladies. That's our starting point guard, our starting shooting guard, and the two men who back them up, all out of commission. In addition, Chris Wilcox, one of just three big bodies on the Boston roster, was down with an injury -- with the league's most dominant center since Shaq's heyday coming into town. How could the Celtics keep it competitive, never mind win?
The answer, of course, is that I have no idea. I can't explain why Kevin Garnett looked better than he has all season, why Marquis Daniels and Jermaine O'Neal played with more energy than they have in weeks, or why Sasha Pavlovic was flying around the court, making steals and blocking shots. And I certainly have no explanation for why the now 11-5 Magic played as poorly as they did, setting a franchise record for offensive futility.
I'd like to say that the Celtics turned a corner tonight, but Orlando was so bad that this game is probably best described as an anomaly, just another funny night in an NBA season that promises to be even more full of surprising results than usual. The win is significant, sure, and could be a big confidence boost moving forward, but as fans, I would caution against reading much into the margin of victory and the dominating nature of the performance.
With that heaping spoonful of salt served, I'd be remiss to not mention that the defense, almost from the beginning, was excellent. Garnett and Pavlovic each had steals on one of Orlando's first three possessions. O'Neal blocked two shots and drew a charge in the first seven minutes. Howard had 12 points in the first quarter, but went 0-10 the rest of the way. Boston doesn't double Howard much, and O'Neal and Greg Stiemsma did a good job, as Kendrick Perkins did before them, of pushing Howard a bit farther from the basket than he likes, forcing him into a number of tough running hooks.
No one was better defensively than Avery Bradley, however. He had three steals and one block, and hounded Jameer Nelson into at least two other turnovers with the kind of hounding, full-court defense you don't often see in the NBA. His only two baskets came early in the first quarter, and his offensive limitations will probably limit his role considerably once the regulars heal, but he didn't turn it over once on Monday, a major plus after he coughed it up six times against Washington on Sunday.
Honestly, you could go down the roster tonight and say nothing but good things about everyone who suited up. Garnett had a double with 14 points and ten rebounds, adding five steals and two blocks for good measure. Paul Pierce with a 19/5/7. Brandon Bass burning his old team, tying Pierce for game-high honors with 19 points. Even JaJuan Johnson, the only one of ten Celtics in uniform who didn't play until garbage time, had a thunderous jam and a nice baseline turnaround. (His other two shot attempts were blocked, however -- so much for nothing but good things.)
A few non-game related notes:
* Glen Davis got a nice acknowledgement from the team and the crowd, in recognition of his four years of service in green. He then went out and made two of nine shots, making the Celtics fans even more appreciative of Bass than they already were. Von Wafer got no such recognition, and took out his aggression with five quick points in the final seconds.
* As they do a few times a year, Tommy Heinsohn and Mike Gorman brought Celtics CEO and co-owner Wyc Grousbeck to the broadcast table for the second quarter. I love it when they do this; I don't know if other teams do it, but they should. Grousbeck didn't sugarcoat the team's early season struggles, noting that the team wasn't ready (read: was out of shape) when they tipped off in December. He didn't speak entirely frankly about the potential of blowing up the Big Three, but he didn't talk with blind optimism about the team, either. He's less caustic than Danny -- I don't know, but listening to him talk makes me more confident that whatever decisions the front-office makes will be good ones.
* Line of the night, from Grousbeck, on Kendrick Perkins: "He's a great guy. He told us he wasn't gonna re-sign here, but he's a great guy."
Orlando will look to work out its frustation against Indiana on Tuesday night. They won't have to wait long for revenge, either; Boston travels to Florida on Thursday for the rematch. The Celtics are off until then, which hopefully will some of Boston's injured players a chance to get healthy. I've got a feeling we'll need them next time around.
Raise your hand if you predicted a 30-point game Monday night.
:Raises hand:
Actually, that's not entirely accurate. I predicted an even larger margin of victory.
"Darn," I said to my girlfriend when we I saw all the Celtics who were inactive for the game, using a word that is a bit stronger than "darn."
"We're going to lose by 100."
I was exaggerating, of course, but not by much. A blowout seemed imminent. Rajon R-ndo, Ray Allen, Keyon Dooling, and Mickael Pietrus were all in civilian clothes with various maladies. That's our starting point guard, our starting shooting guard, and the two men who back them up, all out of commission. In addition, Chris Wilcox, one of just three big bodies on the Boston roster, was down with an injury -- with the league's most dominant center since Shaq's heyday coming into town. How could the Celtics keep it competitive, never mind win?
The answer, of course, is that I have no idea. I can't explain why Kevin Garnett looked better than he has all season, why Marquis Daniels and Jermaine O'Neal played with more energy than they have in weeks, or why Sasha Pavlovic was flying around the court, making steals and blocking shots. And I certainly have no explanation for why the now 11-5 Magic played as poorly as they did, setting a franchise record for offensive futility.
I'd like to say that the Celtics turned a corner tonight, but Orlando was so bad that this game is probably best described as an anomaly, just another funny night in an NBA season that promises to be even more full of surprising results than usual. The win is significant, sure, and could be a big confidence boost moving forward, but as fans, I would caution against reading much into the margin of victory and the dominating nature of the performance.
With that heaping spoonful of salt served, I'd be remiss to not mention that the defense, almost from the beginning, was excellent. Garnett and Pavlovic each had steals on one of Orlando's first three possessions. O'Neal blocked two shots and drew a charge in the first seven minutes. Howard had 12 points in the first quarter, but went 0-10 the rest of the way. Boston doesn't double Howard much, and O'Neal and Greg Stiemsma did a good job, as Kendrick Perkins did before them, of pushing Howard a bit farther from the basket than he likes, forcing him into a number of tough running hooks.
No one was better defensively than Avery Bradley, however. He had three steals and one block, and hounded Jameer Nelson into at least two other turnovers with the kind of hounding, full-court defense you don't often see in the NBA. His only two baskets came early in the first quarter, and his offensive limitations will probably limit his role considerably once the regulars heal, but he didn't turn it over once on Monday, a major plus after he coughed it up six times against Washington on Sunday.
Honestly, you could go down the roster tonight and say nothing but good things about everyone who suited up. Garnett had a double with 14 points and ten rebounds, adding five steals and two blocks for good measure. Paul Pierce with a 19/5/7. Brandon Bass burning his old team, tying Pierce for game-high honors with 19 points. Even JaJuan Johnson, the only one of ten Celtics in uniform who didn't play until garbage time, had a thunderous jam and a nice baseline turnaround. (His other two shot attempts were blocked, however -- so much for nothing but good things.)
A few non-game related notes:
* Glen Davis got a nice acknowledgement from the team and the crowd, in recognition of his four years of service in green. He then went out and made two of nine shots, making the Celtics fans even more appreciative of Bass than they already were. Von Wafer got no such recognition, and took out his aggression with five quick points in the final seconds.
* As they do a few times a year, Tommy Heinsohn and Mike Gorman brought Celtics CEO and co-owner Wyc Grousbeck to the broadcast table for the second quarter. I love it when they do this; I don't know if other teams do it, but they should. Grousbeck didn't sugarcoat the team's early season struggles, noting that the team wasn't ready (read: was out of shape) when they tipped off in December. He didn't speak entirely frankly about the potential of blowing up the Big Three, but he didn't talk with blind optimism about the team, either. He's less caustic than Danny -- I don't know, but listening to him talk makes me more confident that whatever decisions the front-office makes will be good ones.
* Line of the night, from Grousbeck, on Kendrick Perkins: "He's a great guy. He told us he wasn't gonna re-sign here, but he's a great guy."
Orlando will look to work out its frustation against Indiana on Tuesday night. They won't have to wait long for revenge, either; Boston travels to Florida on Thursday for the rematch. The Celtics are off until then, which hopefully will some of Boston's injured players a chance to get healthy. I've got a feeling we'll need them next time around.
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Boston 100, Washington 94
[recap] [box score]
At least we can still beat the Wizards.
It wasn't as easy as you'd hope -- the Celtics coughed up all of a 15-point third quarter. But in an early Sunday game, on the road, missing two starters for much of the game, and given the team's early-season struggles, any win is a good win.
And yes, I said missing "starters," plural. Rajon R-ndo sat for the second straight game with his injured wrist, and Ray Allen left in the second quarter with an injury that the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn kept referring to as a "jammed" ankle, whatever the hell that is.
This game was won on the back of Paul Pierce, who matched his uniform number and obliterated his season-high with 34 points. This is the third time the Celtics have played the Wizards this season, and in the second matchup, Pierce was struggling offensively until early in the second quarter, when Washington coach Flip Saunders put Chris Singleton on him. Pierce looked offended that someone would dare put a rookie on him, no matter how strong that particularly rookie's defensive reputation happens to be.
Singleton has since moved into the starting lineup (and deservedly so; the kid is the most versatile defender I've ever seen at the college level and should be a really nice player for them), and Pierce wasted little time going to work. Eventually, Nick Young and Jordan Crawford entered the torture chamber and had similarly little success in stopping Pierce's familiar array of drives and clever maneuvering for mid-range jumpers. The Captain was coolly efficient, accumulating his bounty on just 15 shots, making 12 of 15 free throws, and dishing out ten assists. He ended Sunday's game just two rebounds shy of a triple-double.
Pierce was the leader, but he had a little help. Kevin Garnett missed his first three shots, but went 7-for-7 from the second quarter on, including two huge buckets down the stretch. On both of those, Garnett craftily used a ball fake to shake his defender, perhaps taking advantage of his reputation as someone who passes more than he should. Both hoops (a thunderous dunk and a 21-foot jumper) pushed a three-point Boston lead to five, helping ensure that the Wizards never took possession of the basketball with a chance to tie for the final 4:46.
KG finished with 17 points, and joining him in double figures were Mickael Pietrus (14 points) and Brandon Bass (13) off the bench. Bass had what has become a fairly typical game for him in a Boston uniform, hitting about half of the jumpers he takes and grabbing a bunch of rebounds. Pietrus, who probably would move into the starting lineup if Allen has to miss any further time, took as many two-point field goals as three-point field goals, the first game in seven as a Celtic in which his threes haven't outnumbered his twos. (Thirty-four of his 44 shot attempts this season have been from behind the arc.) It's good to see a little depth in his offensive game -- we need him to be more than just a shooter.
Avery Bradley took several steps backward after his solid performance on Friday, going 1-for-8 with six turnovers in more than 41 minutes of court time. (He did have seven assists, but I don't remember him doing a lot of creating for others -- sometimes guys just get assists by swinging the ball to open shooters.) He also did little to stop John Wall, who nearly matched Pierce's numbers with 27 points, ten rebounds, and seven assists. Stopping Wall is no easy task, but Bradley earns his paycheck on the defensive end of the court and he didn't seem to bother Wall at all. His backup, E'Twaun Moore, wasn't any more effective -- or any less ineffective, I should say -- than he's been all season, and so point guard is going to remain a concern for as long as R-ndo and Keyon Dooling are out with injuries.
It's a tough week for the Celtics, with the Magic visiting Monday, a return date in Orlando on Thursday, back home for the Pacers on Friday, and then the Cavs in the Garden on Sunday. The Magic haven't played since beating the Lakers on Friday, but they've got five games this week, including a four-in-five stretch, with Boston being the front end of both back-to-backs, so we'll see if Stan Van Gundy manages his guys' minutes bit this week.
Chris Wilcox's availability is rarely noteworthy, but against Dwight Howard, Boston will need as many bodies and fouls as possible. Wilcox hasn't played since January 13th due to a sore calf. I have no idea if Wilcox will be available at all this week, but I'd be surprised if Greg Stiemsma could guard Howard for more than eight minutes of game time without fouling out.
At least we can still beat the Wizards.
It wasn't as easy as you'd hope -- the Celtics coughed up all of a 15-point third quarter. But in an early Sunday game, on the road, missing two starters for much of the game, and given the team's early-season struggles, any win is a good win.
And yes, I said missing "starters," plural. Rajon R-ndo sat for the second straight game with his injured wrist, and Ray Allen left in the second quarter with an injury that the Boston Globe's Gary Washburn kept referring to as a "jammed" ankle, whatever the hell that is.
This game was won on the back of Paul Pierce, who matched his uniform number and obliterated his season-high with 34 points. This is the third time the Celtics have played the Wizards this season, and in the second matchup, Pierce was struggling offensively until early in the second quarter, when Washington coach Flip Saunders put Chris Singleton on him. Pierce looked offended that someone would dare put a rookie on him, no matter how strong that particularly rookie's defensive reputation happens to be.
Singleton has since moved into the starting lineup (and deservedly so; the kid is the most versatile defender I've ever seen at the college level and should be a really nice player for them), and Pierce wasted little time going to work. Eventually, Nick Young and Jordan Crawford entered the torture chamber and had similarly little success in stopping Pierce's familiar array of drives and clever maneuvering for mid-range jumpers. The Captain was coolly efficient, accumulating his bounty on just 15 shots, making 12 of 15 free throws, and dishing out ten assists. He ended Sunday's game just two rebounds shy of a triple-double.
Pierce was the leader, but he had a little help. Kevin Garnett missed his first three shots, but went 7-for-7 from the second quarter on, including two huge buckets down the stretch. On both of those, Garnett craftily used a ball fake to shake his defender, perhaps taking advantage of his reputation as someone who passes more than he should. Both hoops (a thunderous dunk and a 21-foot jumper) pushed a three-point Boston lead to five, helping ensure that the Wizards never took possession of the basketball with a chance to tie for the final 4:46.
KG finished with 17 points, and joining him in double figures were Mickael Pietrus (14 points) and Brandon Bass (13) off the bench. Bass had what has become a fairly typical game for him in a Boston uniform, hitting about half of the jumpers he takes and grabbing a bunch of rebounds. Pietrus, who probably would move into the starting lineup if Allen has to miss any further time, took as many two-point field goals as three-point field goals, the first game in seven as a Celtic in which his threes haven't outnumbered his twos. (Thirty-four of his 44 shot attempts this season have been from behind the arc.) It's good to see a little depth in his offensive game -- we need him to be more than just a shooter.
Avery Bradley took several steps backward after his solid performance on Friday, going 1-for-8 with six turnovers in more than 41 minutes of court time. (He did have seven assists, but I don't remember him doing a lot of creating for others -- sometimes guys just get assists by swinging the ball to open shooters.) He also did little to stop John Wall, who nearly matched Pierce's numbers with 27 points, ten rebounds, and seven assists. Stopping Wall is no easy task, but Bradley earns his paycheck on the defensive end of the court and he didn't seem to bother Wall at all. His backup, E'Twaun Moore, wasn't any more effective -- or any less ineffective, I should say -- than he's been all season, and so point guard is going to remain a concern for as long as R-ndo and Keyon Dooling are out with injuries.
It's a tough week for the Celtics, with the Magic visiting Monday, a return date in Orlando on Thursday, back home for the Pacers on Friday, and then the Cavs in the Garden on Sunday. The Magic haven't played since beating the Lakers on Friday, but they've got five games this week, including a four-in-five stretch, with Boston being the front end of both back-to-backs, so we'll see if Stan Van Gundy manages his guys' minutes bit this week.
Chris Wilcox's availability is rarely noteworthy, but against Dwight Howard, Boston will need as many bodies and fouls as possible. Wilcox hasn't played since January 13th due to a sore calf. I have no idea if Wilcox will be available at all this week, but I'd be surprised if Greg Stiemsma could guard Howard for more than eight minutes of game time without fouling out.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Phoenix 79, Boston 71
[recap] [box score]
You might be tempted to look at the box score of this game, note the absence of Rajon R-ndo's name, and assume that was the reason the Celtics managed just 71 points while just shooting just 40 percent from the floor. And it's probably true that R-ndo, who missed the game with the sprained wrist he suffered Wednesday night against Toronto, would have made a big enough difference to swing the outcome of this game from a Boston loss to a Boston win; he's much too quick for Steve Nash, and indeed registered his career high of 32 points in a matchup with Nash in the 2008-09 season, well before he became a consistent scoring threat.
Hell, even R-ndo's backup, Keyon Dooling, might have made the difference. It wouldn't have taken much: The Suns didn't exactly scorch the net themselves, and they turned the ball over 21 times. But Dooling sat this one out, too, sidelined for the fifth straight game with a sore knee.
What's really frustrating, though, is that Boston could have -- should have -- won this game, even without their first- or second-string point guard. It came down, as it has in each of the team's last seven losses, to the most basic fundamental in the game of basketball: making open shots.
At around 45 percent on the season, the Celtics are in the middle of the NBA pack when it comes to shooting. And yet, I'd bet that if you filtered the data for open, mid-range jumpers, Boston would rank at or near the bottom of the league. (There's a good chance such data is available, but I don't know where to get it.)
You really ought to be able to take an open jumper for granted in the NBA. I'd say that almost every team, at any given time, has at least three guys on the floor who you'd feel reasonably confident in taking a wide-open 15- or 17-footer. Right now, Boston has two guys on its entire roster who I feel confident seeing take those shots: The great Ray Allen, who hasn't exactly lit it up recently, and Brandon Bass, our backup power forward.
That's not good, and it gets worse, because so much of Boston's offense is predicated on that mid-range jumper. (Again, I'm sure the data to prove or disprove this claim is out there.) Sure, we'll run Allen off of screens to try and spring him for a three, and R-ndo will take matters into his own hands and penetrate on occasion, but there's no post-up game to speak of, and so many of R-ndo's forays into the lane end in a kick-out to a teammate whose defender has sloughed off to help.
Statistically speaking, an offense based around mid-range jump shots is not a good one: you're better off taking a contested three than a contested two, for example, because the added difficulty of making the longer shot is outweighed by the extra point when the shot is made. Boston has succeeded in recent years in part because it has some excellent mid-range shooters, in part because the shots they got were more open than is typical, and in part because their defense was so good that they didn't need to be outstanding offensively.
We're seeing now that the offense looks like when the shots aren't falling, and it isn't pretty. And with R-ndo on the sideline and Paul Pierce still not himself, the usual alternative sources of offense aren't available. There's little we can do at this point but hope that the shots start to get down.
On to some Phoenix-game-specific stuff:
* After Marcin Gortat went nuts with a 14-point first quarter, mostly off of pick-and-roll with Nash, the Celtics defense was pretty good the rest of the way. They forced something like ten turnovers in the third quarter alone, and by and large shut down Nash, both his scoring and his assists. There were a couple crucial errors in the fourth quarter by the new guys -- a missed rotation by Mickael Pietrus; Bass leaving Channing Frye to help Kevin Garnett with Gortat in the post -- but the Celtics were more than adequate on that end to win.
* Boston trailed 46-35 at halftime, then opened the second half by scoring 18 of the first 22 points, the team's lone offensive outburst of the game. From there, however, the offense sputtered, as the Suns quickly went on a 12-0 run to re-seize control. The Celtics, maddeningly, went away from the more fluid offensive sets that had been working, in favor of a series of clock-draining post-ups. When Pierce is healthy, these plays are annoying, but tolerable. When he's not, or when the guy posting up is Marquis Daniels, it's just stupid. Stick with what's working.
* Bradley probably had the best game of any Celtic. He had ten points on 5-of-9 from the field, even burying a couple of the open mid-range jumpers that have eluded him in his career (and his teammates this season). He also had three steals, including picking Nash clean as the veteran point guard dribble near midcourt. Only one assist, but only one turnover, too. It was his finest outing of the year.
* In contrast, Bradley's backup for this game, E'Twaun Moore, was terrible. He shot 1-for-6, including a bad miss on a wide-open three-pointer (supposedly his specialty), and he committed three turnovers in 12 minutes of action. Moore's a rookie, and the way he's playing reminds me a lot of a college freshman in his first couple weeks of game action. As you move up in levels, the game moves faster, and for many, it takes some time to adjust, for the game to slow down, as some are fond of saying. You don't see it as much in NBA rookies as you see it in college freshman, but it happens, and its happening with Moore. His lone bright moment came in the third quarter when, with the shot clock running down, he find himself in an isolation with Nash. Moore calmly backed Nash down, then swished a sweet turnaround.
* It's funny, because Doc Rivers has quite notably been terrible at developing rookies over the last several years by not giving them playing time. His hand is forced somewhat with Moore, but Doc seems willing to give Moore run even without the exigent circumstances of injuries and a crazy schedule. Whatever Doc has seen in Moore on the practice court hasn't translated to games.
You might be tempted to look at the box score of this game, note the absence of Rajon R-ndo's name, and assume that was the reason the Celtics managed just 71 points while just shooting just 40 percent from the floor. And it's probably true that R-ndo, who missed the game with the sprained wrist he suffered Wednesday night against Toronto, would have made a big enough difference to swing the outcome of this game from a Boston loss to a Boston win; he's much too quick for Steve Nash, and indeed registered his career high of 32 points in a matchup with Nash in the 2008-09 season, well before he became a consistent scoring threat.
Hell, even R-ndo's backup, Keyon Dooling, might have made the difference. It wouldn't have taken much: The Suns didn't exactly scorch the net themselves, and they turned the ball over 21 times. But Dooling sat this one out, too, sidelined for the fifth straight game with a sore knee.
What's really frustrating, though, is that Boston could have -- should have -- won this game, even without their first- or second-string point guard. It came down, as it has in each of the team's last seven losses, to the most basic fundamental in the game of basketball: making open shots.
At around 45 percent on the season, the Celtics are in the middle of the NBA pack when it comes to shooting. And yet, I'd bet that if you filtered the data for open, mid-range jumpers, Boston would rank at or near the bottom of the league. (There's a good chance such data is available, but I don't know where to get it.)
You really ought to be able to take an open jumper for granted in the NBA. I'd say that almost every team, at any given time, has at least three guys on the floor who you'd feel reasonably confident in taking a wide-open 15- or 17-footer. Right now, Boston has two guys on its entire roster who I feel confident seeing take those shots: The great Ray Allen, who hasn't exactly lit it up recently, and Brandon Bass, our backup power forward.
That's not good, and it gets worse, because so much of Boston's offense is predicated on that mid-range jumper. (Again, I'm sure the data to prove or disprove this claim is out there.) Sure, we'll run Allen off of screens to try and spring him for a three, and R-ndo will take matters into his own hands and penetrate on occasion, but there's no post-up game to speak of, and so many of R-ndo's forays into the lane end in a kick-out to a teammate whose defender has sloughed off to help.
Statistically speaking, an offense based around mid-range jump shots is not a good one: you're better off taking a contested three than a contested two, for example, because the added difficulty of making the longer shot is outweighed by the extra point when the shot is made. Boston has succeeded in recent years in part because it has some excellent mid-range shooters, in part because the shots they got were more open than is typical, and in part because their defense was so good that they didn't need to be outstanding offensively.
We're seeing now that the offense looks like when the shots aren't falling, and it isn't pretty. And with R-ndo on the sideline and Paul Pierce still not himself, the usual alternative sources of offense aren't available. There's little we can do at this point but hope that the shots start to get down.
On to some Phoenix-game-specific stuff:
* After Marcin Gortat went nuts with a 14-point first quarter, mostly off of pick-and-roll with Nash, the Celtics defense was pretty good the rest of the way. They forced something like ten turnovers in the third quarter alone, and by and large shut down Nash, both his scoring and his assists. There were a couple crucial errors in the fourth quarter by the new guys -- a missed rotation by Mickael Pietrus; Bass leaving Channing Frye to help Kevin Garnett with Gortat in the post -- but the Celtics were more than adequate on that end to win.
* Boston trailed 46-35 at halftime, then opened the second half by scoring 18 of the first 22 points, the team's lone offensive outburst of the game. From there, however, the offense sputtered, as the Suns quickly went on a 12-0 run to re-seize control. The Celtics, maddeningly, went away from the more fluid offensive sets that had been working, in favor of a series of clock-draining post-ups. When Pierce is healthy, these plays are annoying, but tolerable. When he's not, or when the guy posting up is Marquis Daniels, it's just stupid. Stick with what's working.
* Bradley probably had the best game of any Celtic. He had ten points on 5-of-9 from the field, even burying a couple of the open mid-range jumpers that have eluded him in his career (and his teammates this season). He also had three steals, including picking Nash clean as the veteran point guard dribble near midcourt. Only one assist, but only one turnover, too. It was his finest outing of the year.
* In contrast, Bradley's backup for this game, E'Twaun Moore, was terrible. He shot 1-for-6, including a bad miss on a wide-open three-pointer (supposedly his specialty), and he committed three turnovers in 12 minutes of action. Moore's a rookie, and the way he's playing reminds me a lot of a college freshman in his first couple weeks of game action. As you move up in levels, the game moves faster, and for many, it takes some time to adjust, for the game to slow down, as some are fond of saying. You don't see it as much in NBA rookies as you see it in college freshman, but it happens, and its happening with Moore. His lone bright moment came in the third quarter when, with the shot clock running down, he find himself in an isolation with Nash. Moore calmly backed Nash down, then swished a sweet turnaround.
* It's funny, because Doc Rivers has quite notably been terrible at developing rookies over the last several years by not giving them playing time. His hand is forced somewhat with Moore, but Doc seems willing to give Moore run even without the exigent circumstances of injuries and a crazy schedule. Whatever Doc has seen in Moore on the practice court hasn't translated to games.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Boston 96, Toronto 73
[recap] [box score]
The Raptors aren't very good, so I'm not going to pretend that this win means much of anything or that the Celtics are even on the road to being "back." But I will say that as a fan, it was nice to have a game against an inferior opponent go the way we've gotten used to around here for the last several years. Boston jumped out to a 29-14 first-quarter lead, then buried Toronto in the third quarter after the second unit let the Raps back in the game in the second.
The big news from this game, really, is that Rajon R-ndo left near the end of the third quarter after landing on his elbow/wrist trying to break his fall after being fouled by Linas Kleiza. (Kleiza is a tough customer and the refs called a flagrant on the play, but it didn't look to me like a dirty play at all.) He was down for a while, then got up to shoot his free throws -- a good sign, all things considered, because the game was well in hand at the time and he didn't need to take them (if he hadn't, he'd have not been allowed back in the game at any point). R-ndo is day-to-day and reportedly said he'll be ready to play Friday when the Suns come to town.
Up until his injury, R-ndo was excellent, scoring on a bunch of nifty drives and getting to the free throw line. So easily was he getting to the basket and scoring, in fact, that he didn't have his first assist until midway through the third quarter -- certainly the longest I ever remember seeing him going before dropping his first dime.
It's been a difficult early season for R-ndo, on whose shoulders a heavier offensive burden has been placed. To be effective, he needs teammates who can either knock down shots (to spread the floor and open up the lane) or who can get out on the fast break with him, where his vision and creativity can flourish. As has been well-documented, however, the Celtics are busy playing their way into shape, and no one is really knocking down many shots. This isn't something he's used to, and I think his production has suffered a bit as he tries to adjust.
Any win is a good win when you're struggling, but just as important as the result was the progress made on the court: The Celtics are starting to knock down some open looks, rebound, and get into shape. There's a long way to go, but on any journey, the first step is going to be small.
Notes:
* Mickael Pietrus hit four of seven three-pointers Wednesday night, the only seven shots he took. In five games this year, he's 11-for-27 behind the arc -- and three for five inside it. If he continues to hit at his current 40 percent clip, that's fine, but the guy is at 36 percent for his career from downtown and I'm not convinced he's a good enough outside shooter to justify such an imbalance. At least he contributes defensively, as well.
* E'Twaun Moore has gotten Avery Bradley's minutes the last couple of games. (Bradley only played in garbage time against the Raps.) Moore has not, in my eyes, played particularly well, and I wonder if his inclusion in the rotation has more to do with Keyon Dooling's absence than anything else. Without Dooling, the second unit has been badly hurting for offense, and Bradley is a disaster offensively. If Moore's not knocking down shots, however -- and he isn't -- the Celtics are probably better off with Bradley's defense on the floor. We'll see what happens when Dooling returns.
* Another position battle is that for backup center, between Greg Stiemsma and Chris Wilcox. Doc has said that neither has separated himself, and that he'd use them situationally: Stiemsma in physical games, Wilcox in more uptempo contests. Wilcox has been bothered by a sore calf and missed the last three games, and so Stiemsma got the backup pivot minutes against the Raptors. I prefer Stiemsma to Wilcox because of the rim protection he provides, but if he's gonna stick in the league, he'll need to learn to grab a rebound with two hands, rather than try to tip it to a teammate with one. Against the Raptors, Stiemsma rebounded as though he were trying to prevent the ball from touching his body, swatting it in the direction of his teammates on the perimeter. There are times where tipping a rebound is appropriate, but it seemed to be Stiemsma's default Wednesday.
The Raptors aren't very good, so I'm not going to pretend that this win means much of anything or that the Celtics are even on the road to being "back." But I will say that as a fan, it was nice to have a game against an inferior opponent go the way we've gotten used to around here for the last several years. Boston jumped out to a 29-14 first-quarter lead, then buried Toronto in the third quarter after the second unit let the Raps back in the game in the second.
The big news from this game, really, is that Rajon R-ndo left near the end of the third quarter after landing on his elbow/wrist trying to break his fall after being fouled by Linas Kleiza. (Kleiza is a tough customer and the refs called a flagrant on the play, but it didn't look to me like a dirty play at all.) He was down for a while, then got up to shoot his free throws -- a good sign, all things considered, because the game was well in hand at the time and he didn't need to take them (if he hadn't, he'd have not been allowed back in the game at any point). R-ndo is day-to-day and reportedly said he'll be ready to play Friday when the Suns come to town.
Up until his injury, R-ndo was excellent, scoring on a bunch of nifty drives and getting to the free throw line. So easily was he getting to the basket and scoring, in fact, that he didn't have his first assist until midway through the third quarter -- certainly the longest I ever remember seeing him going before dropping his first dime.
It's been a difficult early season for R-ndo, on whose shoulders a heavier offensive burden has been placed. To be effective, he needs teammates who can either knock down shots (to spread the floor and open up the lane) or who can get out on the fast break with him, where his vision and creativity can flourish. As has been well-documented, however, the Celtics are busy playing their way into shape, and no one is really knocking down many shots. This isn't something he's used to, and I think his production has suffered a bit as he tries to adjust.
Any win is a good win when you're struggling, but just as important as the result was the progress made on the court: The Celtics are starting to knock down some open looks, rebound, and get into shape. There's a long way to go, but on any journey, the first step is going to be small.
Notes:
* Mickael Pietrus hit four of seven three-pointers Wednesday night, the only seven shots he took. In five games this year, he's 11-for-27 behind the arc -- and three for five inside it. If he continues to hit at his current 40 percent clip, that's fine, but the guy is at 36 percent for his career from downtown and I'm not convinced he's a good enough outside shooter to justify such an imbalance. At least he contributes defensively, as well.
* E'Twaun Moore has gotten Avery Bradley's minutes the last couple of games. (Bradley only played in garbage time against the Raps.) Moore has not, in my eyes, played particularly well, and I wonder if his inclusion in the rotation has more to do with Keyon Dooling's absence than anything else. Without Dooling, the second unit has been badly hurting for offense, and Bradley is a disaster offensively. If Moore's not knocking down shots, however -- and he isn't -- the Celtics are probably better off with Bradley's defense on the floor. We'll see what happens when Dooling returns.
* Another position battle is that for backup center, between Greg Stiemsma and Chris Wilcox. Doc has said that neither has separated himself, and that he'd use them situationally: Stiemsma in physical games, Wilcox in more uptempo contests. Wilcox has been bothered by a sore calf and missed the last three games, and so Stiemsma got the backup pivot minutes against the Raptors. I prefer Stiemsma to Wilcox because of the rim protection he provides, but if he's gonna stick in the league, he'll need to learn to grab a rebound with two hands, rather than try to tip it to a teammate with one. Against the Raptors, Stiemsma rebounded as though he were trying to prevent the ball from touching his body, swatting it in the direction of his teammates on the perimeter. There are times where tipping a rebound is appropriate, but it seemed to be Stiemsma's default Wednesday.
Monday, January 16, 2012
This Could Be a Very Important Week for the Celtics
Three games, four nights, three losses. After losing at home to the Bulls on Friday, in Indy to the Pacers on Saturday, and at home to the Thunder on Monday, the Celtics are now 4-8, having lost five straight for the first time in the Big Three era.
There were signs of life on Monday, to be sure, as Boston hung with a young Oklahoma City squad, currently the holders of the best record in the NBA. Paul Pierce looked more like his old self than he has at any point during this young season, and for the first time in a while, the Celtics put in a respectable performance on the glass and seemed to get most of the loose balls. Ultimately, turnovers and an inability to capitalize offensively down the stretch did the Celtics in, the same way they were done in against Chicago when they overcame a horrible-shooting first half to cut a 20-point lead to one, only to see their chance to take the lead rim out. Turnovers, an ability to score, and somelucky skillful...nah, let's go with lucky, three-point shooting from Russell Westbrook.
As the title of this post suggests, I think the next six days could dictate the future of the Celtics franchise. That may seem a bit strange, given that the next three teams on the schedule are the 4-10 Raptors, the 4-8 Suns, and the 1-12 Wizards. Here, however, is my completely unsubstantiated and probably untestable hypothesis.
Last week, after the loss to the Mavs, someone asked Danny Ainge if the Celtics were too old. His answer was non-committal, but he did throw this in: "I'm committed to the guys as long as they're going to perform, but they've got to perform. They've got to show they have an opportunity to win. Otherwise, I've got to at least make an effort to go in another direction."
Ainge certainly isn't the only person to give the Celtics a far-from-ringing endorsement -- something the players deserve with their performance thus far. In a post-game interview last Wednesday, Dallas' Jason Terry said, in so many words, that the Cs were too old to compete at a high level in the NBA. At halftime of the Bulls telecast on Friday, the EPSN studio crew wrote Boston off, announcing the physical decline of Pierce in the process. And there's been plenty of talk in the blogosphere about Ainge blowing it up -- selling off the veterans with an eye towards building a new contender.
What's this got to do with Toronto, Phoenix, and Washington?
It's just a hunch, but I think that if the Celtics can't win these upcoming games -- or at least two of the three -- Ainge will have his answer to whether his team has an opportunity to win. At least, he'll have that answer in his mind, and that's all that matters.
We can talk all we want about Pierce and Garnett playing themselves into shape and giving the new bench guys time to gel. By the end of this week, the season will be a month old, and all the other teams off to slow starts will have righted the ship. Boston's schedule isn't getting any easier -- seven of their games so far have been at home, and the games against the Raps and Suns are also on the parquet. Boston has also already had a four-day break, a rare luxury in this condensed season. In contrast, they've got a five-game road trip coming up in February, an eight-games-in-thirteen-nights roadie in March, and a road back-to-back-to-back looming in the middle of April. If the Celtics can't beat the Raptors, Suns, and Wizards, then the Celtics' ability to even make the playoffs would be in doubt -- and I guarantee that simply making the playoffs is not what Ainge had in mind when he talked about the "opportunity to win."
I'm not saying that "blowing it up" is necessarily the smart move. Kevin Garnett's physical decline and price tag for this year make it unlikely Ainge could fetch much of value for him -- he'd probably be more valuable as an expiring deal. Pierce's age and slow start to the season are likely to make potential buyers wary, as he's scheduled to make a combined $32 million in 2012-13 and 2013-2014 -- and trading the Captain would likely incite a riot among the team's fan base. And Boston's early struggles have only served to confirm what many have long asserted about Rajon R-ndo -- that's he's not a point guard you can build a team around. Ainge could get something for him, but he's not at the peak of his value at the moment. Ray Allen, an expiring contract who has performed well thus far, probably would bring in something, but nothing to build a dynasty around.
There's also a third option, an alternative to "put up or shut up," where Ainge patiently waits for the team to play better (this is going to happen, by the way; it's just not possible for us to continue to miss as many open shots as we have so far), then pulls the chair out from under everyone at the trade deadline by shipping out Rondo and the veterans. This possibility, rather unpleasant to stomach though it may be, is probably the smart play for Ainge -- wait for everyone's stock to bounce back, rather than sell low. But that's something to worry about in March.
For my part, I think the team is going to improve. We're going to start hitting some shots, Doc will (hopefully) settle on a bench rotation, and our conditioning will continue to improve. At this point, my expectations are low -- I want to make the playoffs and make a little noise there, though I reserve the right to later talk myself into how we can win a championship (one of the privileges of being a fan). But I can't argue with anyone who says the Celtics are done, and I don't think anyone will be able to convince Ainge otherwise, either, once he makes up his mind.
Here's hoping that's not this weekend.
There were signs of life on Monday, to be sure, as Boston hung with a young Oklahoma City squad, currently the holders of the best record in the NBA. Paul Pierce looked more like his old self than he has at any point during this young season, and for the first time in a while, the Celtics put in a respectable performance on the glass and seemed to get most of the loose balls. Ultimately, turnovers and an inability to capitalize offensively down the stretch did the Celtics in, the same way they were done in against Chicago when they overcame a horrible-shooting first half to cut a 20-point lead to one, only to see their chance to take the lead rim out. Turnovers, an ability to score, and some
As the title of this post suggests, I think the next six days could dictate the future of the Celtics franchise. That may seem a bit strange, given that the next three teams on the schedule are the 4-10 Raptors, the 4-8 Suns, and the 1-12 Wizards. Here, however, is my completely unsubstantiated and probably untestable hypothesis.
Last week, after the loss to the Mavs, someone asked Danny Ainge if the Celtics were too old. His answer was non-committal, but he did throw this in: "I'm committed to the guys as long as they're going to perform, but they've got to perform. They've got to show they have an opportunity to win. Otherwise, I've got to at least make an effort to go in another direction."
Ainge certainly isn't the only person to give the Celtics a far-from-ringing endorsement -- something the players deserve with their performance thus far. In a post-game interview last Wednesday, Dallas' Jason Terry said, in so many words, that the Cs were too old to compete at a high level in the NBA. At halftime of the Bulls telecast on Friday, the EPSN studio crew wrote Boston off, announcing the physical decline of Pierce in the process. And there's been plenty of talk in the blogosphere about Ainge blowing it up -- selling off the veterans with an eye towards building a new contender.
What's this got to do with Toronto, Phoenix, and Washington?
It's just a hunch, but I think that if the Celtics can't win these upcoming games -- or at least two of the three -- Ainge will have his answer to whether his team has an opportunity to win. At least, he'll have that answer in his mind, and that's all that matters.
We can talk all we want about Pierce and Garnett playing themselves into shape and giving the new bench guys time to gel. By the end of this week, the season will be a month old, and all the other teams off to slow starts will have righted the ship. Boston's schedule isn't getting any easier -- seven of their games so far have been at home, and the games against the Raps and Suns are also on the parquet. Boston has also already had a four-day break, a rare luxury in this condensed season. In contrast, they've got a five-game road trip coming up in February, an eight-games-in-thirteen-nights roadie in March, and a road back-to-back-to-back looming in the middle of April. If the Celtics can't beat the Raptors, Suns, and Wizards, then the Celtics' ability to even make the playoffs would be in doubt -- and I guarantee that simply making the playoffs is not what Ainge had in mind when he talked about the "opportunity to win."
I'm not saying that "blowing it up" is necessarily the smart move. Kevin Garnett's physical decline and price tag for this year make it unlikely Ainge could fetch much of value for him -- he'd probably be more valuable as an expiring deal. Pierce's age and slow start to the season are likely to make potential buyers wary, as he's scheduled to make a combined $32 million in 2012-13 and 2013-2014 -- and trading the Captain would likely incite a riot among the team's fan base. And Boston's early struggles have only served to confirm what many have long asserted about Rajon R-ndo -- that's he's not a point guard you can build a team around. Ainge could get something for him, but he's not at the peak of his value at the moment. Ray Allen, an expiring contract who has performed well thus far, probably would bring in something, but nothing to build a dynasty around.
There's also a third option, an alternative to "put up or shut up," where Ainge patiently waits for the team to play better (this is going to happen, by the way; it's just not possible for us to continue to miss as many open shots as we have so far), then pulls the chair out from under everyone at the trade deadline by shipping out Rondo and the veterans. This possibility, rather unpleasant to stomach though it may be, is probably the smart play for Ainge -- wait for everyone's stock to bounce back, rather than sell low. But that's something to worry about in March.
For my part, I think the team is going to improve. We're going to start hitting some shots, Doc will (hopefully) settle on a bench rotation, and our conditioning will continue to improve. At this point, my expectations are low -- I want to make the playoffs and make a little noise there, though I reserve the right to later talk myself into how we can win a championship (one of the privileges of being a fan). But I can't argue with anyone who says the Celtics are done, and I don't think anyone will be able to convince Ainge otherwise, either, once he makes up his mind.
Here's hoping that's not this weekend.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Viewing Alert
Friday: Chicago at Boston, 8 p.m. Eastern, ESPN.
At first glance, the last thing a struggling Celtics team needs right now is a tough home game against the class of the East, coached by a defensive wizard (Tom Thibodeau) who, as a former Doc Rivers assistant, is intimately familiar with what the team does. Boston's had trouble putting the ball in the basket as it is; it's going to be even harder against the Bulls.
Derrick Rose, last year's NBA MVP, missed Wednesday's game against the Wizards with a sprained toe, but I've read that the Bulls are optimistic he'll play against the Celtics. That's bad news for those fans whose sole concern is a Boston win or loss, but it's good news for basketball fans: Rose and Rajon R-ndo tend to bring out the best in each other -- remember their battles in that first-round playoff series in 2008-09, when Rose was a rookie? And Chicago, who can be a little boring to watch even with Rose on the court due to their pace, becomes positively excruciating with their best catalyst on the bench.
The key to the game, if I had to pick just one, will probably be rebounding. Boston has struggled on the glass this year and Chicago, with the energetic Joakim Noah, can definitely cause some problems in that regard. The Bulls also have a good-shooting power forward in Carlos Boozer, the kind of player the Celtics have struggled to guard in recent years (because he keeps Kevin Garnett occupied).
Here's to stopping the bleeding...
At first glance, the last thing a struggling Celtics team needs right now is a tough home game against the class of the East, coached by a defensive wizard (Tom Thibodeau) who, as a former Doc Rivers assistant, is intimately familiar with what the team does. Boston's had trouble putting the ball in the basket as it is; it's going to be even harder against the Bulls.
Derrick Rose, last year's NBA MVP, missed Wednesday's game against the Wizards with a sprained toe, but I've read that the Bulls are optimistic he'll play against the Celtics. That's bad news for those fans whose sole concern is a Boston win or loss, but it's good news for basketball fans: Rose and Rajon R-ndo tend to bring out the best in each other -- remember their battles in that first-round playoff series in 2008-09, when Rose was a rookie? And Chicago, who can be a little boring to watch even with Rose on the court due to their pace, becomes positively excruciating with their best catalyst on the bench.
The key to the game, if I had to pick just one, will probably be rebounding. Boston has struggled on the glass this year and Chicago, with the energetic Joakim Noah, can definitely cause some problems in that regard. The Bulls also have a good-shooting power forward in Carlos Boozer, the kind of player the Celtics have struggled to guard in recent years (because he keeps Kevin Garnett occupied).
Here's to stopping the bleeding...
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Dallas 90, Boston 85
[recap] [box score]
After four days off, going against an opponent who had played the night before, the Celtics nonetheless looked like the more tired team Wednesday night against Dallas.
The explanation, it turns out, is rather simple: Boston was the more tired team. Word is that Doc has been pushing the guys in hard in practice in an effort to use this rare opportunity to get the team in shape after the shortened preseason. Paul Pierce even reportedly did an hour-long sprint workout on the treadmill after today's shootaround.
If this seems implausible to you, or if you're ticked at Doc for maybe costing us a win by pushing too hard, I urge you to consider the alternative. It's either this, or we get four months of the sluggish play we've seen so far from Pierce and Kevin Garnett, followed by an early playoff exit. (Remember how playing into shape worked for Rasheed Wallace two seasons ago?) And if not that, then a realization that is far more unpleasant, if one we're going to have to come to soon: these veterans don't have it anymore.
So, yeah, given these alternatives, I'm going to go with the most pleasant option, the options that affords the most reason for optimism. It's going to be a weird season, and it's too early to start worrying about our playoff spot. We're gonna have to be patient, particularly in the early-going.
We're gonna have to be patient even if the losses come due to infuriating things like the defensive glass and blown defensive assignments. The Pacers killed us with offensive rebounds on Friday; though it wasn't as big a factor Wednesday, especially in the second half, the Mavs did have 13 offensive rebounds (compared to two for the Celts). And while I think that Boston's defense has been quite good over the past six games, Pierce blew a crucial rotation on a late Dirk Nowitzki drive (a mistake he atoned for by drilled the game-tying three with 25 seconds left). And then, on Dallas' game-winning possession, Garnett was in Nowitzki's shorts with no help behind him. Dirk easily drove around KG and made a circus shot while being hammered by Brandon Bass, who was waaaaaaaaaaaaay late on the play. Either Bass blew it or KG did -- there's no way the plan was to defend Nowitzki that way.
So I'm remaining patient, even as we sit a game below .500, having not yet beat a playoff-bound team with three games against such teams (Chicago, Indiana, and Oklahoma City) in four days looming on the weekend, starting on Friday.
Notes:
Rajon R-ndo has been brilliant this season, and on Wednesday (Ray Allen's first off-night of the young season), his aggressive offense has been the only consistently good thing for Boston so far. Yet he's made some crucial mistakes, as well; he's already committed a couple of rally-crushing turnovers this year, and Wednesday night he made a bad gamble for a steal on a Nowitzki drive, leaving Jason Terry wide open for a three-pointer at the end of the shot clock. He also threw away Boston's last shot at a tie by delivering an inbounds pass to Ray too low; Ray couldn't corral it and it went out of bounds, sealing the game ... Avery Bradley has shown that he's one of the most tenacious on-ball defenders in the league, but he also has the worst jumper of any guard I can think of. He had a wide-open 20-footer from the top of the key on Wednesday that he rocketed off the backboard, a foot high and a foot right. It's almost inconceivable that he could miss a shot that badly ... Mickael Pietrus made his Celtics debut against the Mavs, making the first shot he took in the green and white, a three-pointer. He made some nice defensive plays but also took a very bad three-pointer in the fourth quarter. Still, it'll be nice to have a more competent offensive player to spell Pierce ... Marquis Daniels didn't play, though I think it was because he's recovery from some sort of bug as much as it was the presence of Pietrus ... ESPN's announcers noted that part of Boston's rebounding woes are due to the fact that the guards aren't going to get the ball off the glass. That's true, but it's only part of the story. Our bigs are being pushed around by the other team's big bodies ... Dallas coach Rick Carlisle was ejected in the third quarter, charging out onto the court to protest a play in which Garnett grabbed Nowitzki as the big German tried to free himself up around a screen. It's the second time this season an opposing coach has elected the rather unusual remedy of storming onto the parquet to protest a relatively innocuous play at a non-crucial moment; Flip Saunders was tossed less than two minutes in to Boston's home win over the Wizards earlier this month.
After four days off, going against an opponent who had played the night before, the Celtics nonetheless looked like the more tired team Wednesday night against Dallas.
The explanation, it turns out, is rather simple: Boston was the more tired team. Word is that Doc has been pushing the guys in hard in practice in an effort to use this rare opportunity to get the team in shape after the shortened preseason. Paul Pierce even reportedly did an hour-long sprint workout on the treadmill after today's shootaround.
If this seems implausible to you, or if you're ticked at Doc for maybe costing us a win by pushing too hard, I urge you to consider the alternative. It's either this, or we get four months of the sluggish play we've seen so far from Pierce and Kevin Garnett, followed by an early playoff exit. (Remember how playing into shape worked for Rasheed Wallace two seasons ago?) And if not that, then a realization that is far more unpleasant, if one we're going to have to come to soon: these veterans don't have it anymore.
So, yeah, given these alternatives, I'm going to go with the most pleasant option, the options that affords the most reason for optimism. It's going to be a weird season, and it's too early to start worrying about our playoff spot. We're gonna have to be patient, particularly in the early-going.
We're gonna have to be patient even if the losses come due to infuriating things like the defensive glass and blown defensive assignments. The Pacers killed us with offensive rebounds on Friday; though it wasn't as big a factor Wednesday, especially in the second half, the Mavs did have 13 offensive rebounds (compared to two for the Celts). And while I think that Boston's defense has been quite good over the past six games, Pierce blew a crucial rotation on a late Dirk Nowitzki drive (a mistake he atoned for by drilled the game-tying three with 25 seconds left). And then, on Dallas' game-winning possession, Garnett was in Nowitzki's shorts with no help behind him. Dirk easily drove around KG and made a circus shot while being hammered by Brandon Bass, who was waaaaaaaaaaaaay late on the play. Either Bass blew it or KG did -- there's no way the plan was to defend Nowitzki that way.
So I'm remaining patient, even as we sit a game below .500, having not yet beat a playoff-bound team with three games against such teams (Chicago, Indiana, and Oklahoma City) in four days looming on the weekend, starting on Friday.
Notes:
Rajon R-ndo has been brilliant this season, and on Wednesday (Ray Allen's first off-night of the young season), his aggressive offense has been the only consistently good thing for Boston so far. Yet he's made some crucial mistakes, as well; he's already committed a couple of rally-crushing turnovers this year, and Wednesday night he made a bad gamble for a steal on a Nowitzki drive, leaving Jason Terry wide open for a three-pointer at the end of the shot clock. He also threw away Boston's last shot at a tie by delivering an inbounds pass to Ray too low; Ray couldn't corral it and it went out of bounds, sealing the game ... Avery Bradley has shown that he's one of the most tenacious on-ball defenders in the league, but he also has the worst jumper of any guard I can think of. He had a wide-open 20-footer from the top of the key on Wednesday that he rocketed off the backboard, a foot high and a foot right. It's almost inconceivable that he could miss a shot that badly ... Mickael Pietrus made his Celtics debut against the Mavs, making the first shot he took in the green and white, a three-pointer. He made some nice defensive plays but also took a very bad three-pointer in the fourth quarter. Still, it'll be nice to have a more competent offensive player to spell Pierce ... Marquis Daniels didn't play, though I think it was because he's recovery from some sort of bug as much as it was the presence of Pietrus ... ESPN's announcers noted that part of Boston's rebounding woes are due to the fact that the guards aren't going to get the ball off the glass. That's true, but it's only part of the story. Our bigs are being pushed around by the other team's big bodies ... Dallas coach Rick Carlisle was ejected in the third quarter, charging out onto the court to protest a play in which Garnett grabbed Nowitzki as the big German tried to free himself up around a screen. It's the second time this season an opposing coach has elected the rather unusual remedy of storming onto the parquet to protest a relatively innocuous play at a non-crucial moment; Flip Saunders was tossed less than two minutes in to Boston's home win over the Wizards earlier this month.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Viewing Alert
Hey gang...I hope to keep posting regularly now. I'm studying for the Nevada bar exam but should be able to watch most games and at least put up a few words every time I do between now and the end of February.
Dallas at Boston, 8 p.m. Eastern, ESPN.
After dropping three straight to start the season, the Celtics won four in a row. That's the good news. The bad news is that the teams they beat -- the Pistons, the Wizards twice, and New Jersey -- are hardly world-beaters; they're a combined 5-25 on the season. And in Boston's last outing, a sluggish home loss last Friday night, they lost to the Pacers.
This means, of course, that Boston still hasn't beaten a playoff-caliber team. Dallas, the defending champs, would qualify, but at 5-5 and winners of two straight, they're just now rounding into form.
Boston's had four days off, while Dallas played Tuesday night. But the Mavs got plenty of rest in easily dispatching Detroit -- ten players played at least 17 minutes, but no one played more than Dirk Nowitzki's 28. Nowitzki, by the way, was 9-of-10 from the floor and was a +42 on the night (meaning that the Mavs outscored the Pistons by 42 points when Action Dirk was on the floor, and were outscored by 28 with him on the bench).
By the way, former Celtic (twice over) Delonte West hooked up with Dallas in the offseason, and has started every game other than the season opener. With Jason Kidd sidelined with a bad back, West has been starting at point guard, with the newly-acquired Vince Carter playing the two. Dallas also added Lamar Odom in the offseason, LO having demanded a trade from the Lakers after he was included in the Chris Paul deal that was squashed by the league.
I haven't really seen Dallas this year, and so I can only speculate as to whether integrating the new pieces has been a source of Dallas' struggles. I do know that Tuesday night notwithstanding, Nowitzki's shooting has been terrible this year, as has Shawn Marion's, and that Odom has been more or less a non-factor thus far. Dallas is deep, but they may still be figuring out how to put the pieces together.
Dallas at Boston, 8 p.m. Eastern, ESPN.
After dropping three straight to start the season, the Celtics won four in a row. That's the good news. The bad news is that the teams they beat -- the Pistons, the Wizards twice, and New Jersey -- are hardly world-beaters; they're a combined 5-25 on the season. And in Boston's last outing, a sluggish home loss last Friday night, they lost to the Pacers.
This means, of course, that Boston still hasn't beaten a playoff-caliber team. Dallas, the defending champs, would qualify, but at 5-5 and winners of two straight, they're just now rounding into form.
Boston's had four days off, while Dallas played Tuesday night. But the Mavs got plenty of rest in easily dispatching Detroit -- ten players played at least 17 minutes, but no one played more than Dirk Nowitzki's 28. Nowitzki, by the way, was 9-of-10 from the floor and was a +42 on the night (meaning that the Mavs outscored the Pistons by 42 points when Action Dirk was on the floor, and were outscored by 28 with him on the bench).
By the way, former Celtic (twice over) Delonte West hooked up with Dallas in the offseason, and has started every game other than the season opener. With Jason Kidd sidelined with a bad back, West has been starting at point guard, with the newly-acquired Vince Carter playing the two. Dallas also added Lamar Odom in the offseason, LO having demanded a trade from the Lakers after he was included in the Chris Paul deal that was squashed by the league.
I haven't really seen Dallas this year, and so I can only speculate as to whether integrating the new pieces has been a source of Dallas' struggles. I do know that Tuesday night notwithstanding, Nowitzki's shooting has been terrible this year, as has Shawn Marion's, and that Odom has been more or less a non-factor thus far. Dallas is deep, but they may still be figuring out how to put the pieces together.
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