Round-up: It’s all about the Cavs…and Antoine Walker

Posted by Zach Lowe on Mar 6, 2009 68119 commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F2009%2F03%2F06%2Fround-up-its-all-about-the-cavsand-antoine-walker%2FRound-up%3A+It%27s+all+about+the+Cavs...and+Antoine+Walker2009-03-06+12%3A35%3A50Zach+Lowehttp%3A%2F%2Fcelticshub.com%2F%3Fp%3D681

• The Celtics are saying all the right things about tonight’s game against Cleveland, even though the Cavs will be adding Joe Smith in time for the game and the C’s will once again be missing KG, TA and Scal. Here’s Paul Pierce in the Herald’s story today:

“We have a chance to make up some games,” said Paul Pierce, whose C’s trail the Cavs by two games in the loss column. “We’re playing them and Orlando back-to-back, and that’s quite a challenge.

“To lose this game would definitely throw (an advantage) to Cleveland. It affects a lot not having (Garnett) for this game, but we just have to find other ways to win. Cleveland is at the top of the Eastern Conference, and they’re playing great.”

In the same story, Doc chides the defensive effort Wednesday New Jersey and says the C’s better bring the intensity tonight:

“Our defense had better be better,” the Celtics  coach said of tonight’s showdown at the Garden. “When you have Earl Campbell bringing the ball at you at full speed, you had better be better.”

Is it me, or are people obsessed with comparing LeBron to football players–not to mention the already annoying national obsession with his weight. 

In any case, Rajon Rondo drops a nice detail about how the C’s defensive game plan tonight:

“We can’t overhelp. Delonte (West) and Mo Williams are both great scorers, too. We can’t just overload on LeBron and think that is going to take care of the problem.”

• Spears focuses on the opponents in the Globe, where LeBron seems happy about the Smith acquisition:

“We are in pretty good shape now,” James said. “I think the potential that we have from the rest of the regular season and the playoffs is really high. It doesn’t change our goal. Our goal is to win an NBA championship. But I think Joe helps that even more.”

Doc has some nice things to say about our old friend (and CelticsHub favorite) Delonte West: “Delonte is as tough a guy as I’ve ever coached in my life.”

• NBA.com has a big preview of the game, and Pierce is very candid about how well the C’s will have to play tonight:

“When you don’t have one of your go-to guys, the Defensive Player of the Year, we’ve just got to find other ways, like we have,” Pierce said. “Cleveland right now is playing extremely good basketball. They’re on top of the Eastern Conference. So, we got our work cut out for us.”

One other interesting tidbit from that preview comes from Mikki Moore, who talks about how difficult it is to learn a new system on the fly:

“I’m about 80 percent, 85 percent [integrated],” Moore admitted. “I’ve got to learn the defensive calls. I know the basic setup on defense and offense, but I’ve just got to learn how to call them out.

“That’s the big thing for them. It’s the communication part. The hustle part is there. My timing is not all the way there. My jump shot is not all the way there, but I feel good out there with them.”

• Finally, Basketball Reference has something for all of us who have a soft spot for Antoine Walker. They’ve got a numbers-heavy breakdown of ‘Toine’s career, with at least one analyst hinting that Walker’s might have been such an outlier that the numbers don’t accurately reflect his value:

“But he still confuses me. He’s inefficient, turns the ball over, is an average rebounder for a PF, and is a horrible defender. Yet for some reason he seems to contribute to Boston.”