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7 hours ago

5 Questions With Josh McRoberts

I talked to Los Angeles back up big man Josh McRoberts prior to the Celtics-Lakers game Thursday night at the Garden.  Here is what the former Duke Blue Devil, who is averaging 2.9 points and 3.8 rebounds in his first year in LA, had to say. 1. How have you guys been able to deal [...]

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9 hours ago

5-on-5: Predicting All-Star Reserves

I was a panelist on the 5-on-5 today at ESPN, choosing reserves for the Eastern and Western Conference all-star teams. I took two Celtics, as noted below. Hit the link to read the rest. 1. Which East and West point guards should be chosen as All-Star reserves? Ryan DeGama, CelticsHub: East: Deron Williams, Rajon Rondo [...]

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2 days ago

Greg Stiemsma’s Contract To Become Fully Guaranteed

The C’s gave their 26-year-old rookie a vote of confidence before Tuesday’s game. By not waiving the seven-footer, Stiemsma’s contract will become fully guaranteed on Friday, allowing the shot blocker to breath a little bit and perhaps unpack some boxes for good in Beantown. Here’s Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston with some reaction from Stiemsma and [...]

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2 days ago

5 Questions With Kemba Walker

I had a chance to talk with Bobcats rookie Kemba Walker prior to the Celtics game against Charlotte on Tuesday night.  Here is what the UConn star, who is averaging 12.3 points, 4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game had to say. 1. How much communication have you had with Michael Jordan this year? Walker: [...]

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3 days ago

I Am Awesome!

Yes. This is a “pat myself on the back” post because a) I’m a jackass and b) I predicted something correctly. Back on January 8th, I predicted that the next ten games will tell us everything we need to know about this Celtics’ team. If they struggled, it was time to blow it up. If [...]

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3 days ago

Pierce Wins Eastern Conference Player Of Week

One day before he’s scheduled to pass Larry Bird for second on the Celtics’ all-time scoring list, Paul Pierce won the Eastern Conference Player of the Week award. Pierce averaged 22 points, 6.3 assists and 5.8 rebounds in four Boston wins, playing point forward in Rajon Rondo’s absence. Pierce is only 9 points behind Bird [...]

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Standings Check: Miami, Philly or Detroit? (or even Chicago?)

The first-round match-ups are starting to become a little clearer. Here’s how the bottom of the Eastern Conference looks right now:

5) Miami 38-33

6) Sixers 37-33

7) Detroit 34-36

8) Chicago 34-38

So the Pistons have clearly fallen out of the 5-6 race, meaning the second seed will almost certainly face Detroit, while the third seed will get either the Heat or the Sixers. I haven’t thought deeply yet about which of these three times I’d most like to face in the opening round, and I think all three of them are capable of getting a game or two  from Boston and Orlando. As Jessica Camerato pointed out on WEEI today, the Pistons have eliminated the Magic from the playoffs the last two seasons and went 3-0 against Orlando this season. Interesting, but probably (maybe?) irrelevant come playoff time. 

If Orlando gets the second seed, they’ll likely have another shot at the Pistons. As for Philly-Miami, the two teams split four games this season, so if they finish tied, the fifth seed will be determined by whoever has the better record against the Eastern Conference. Right now, Miami is 23-20 against the East, and Philly is 21-19, so that’s still up in the air. (After that, it’s record against Eastern Conference playoff teams). 

So, C’s fans, which team–Miami, Philly or Detroit, do you feel most confident going up against?

**Update: My fellow CHer Brian Robb chastises me for prematurely eliminating the Bulls from 7th seed contention. Here’s Brian’s note: “I actually would be surprised if Chicago doesn’t move up to the 7th seed for the playoffs. They have 7 of their last 10 at home where they play very well (22-12) and have many of those games against sub .500 competition. Their road games are in Indiana, Toronto and Detroit. They hold a 2-1 edge over Detroit in season series with one matchup still to come against them in Auburn Hills on April 13th that could be huge in deciding the seeding. Meanwhile the Pistons are hurt, finish up with 7 of 12 on the road and still have games against the Lakers, Cavs (on road), twice against Philly, and in Miami besides their home matchup with Bulls. Not exactly an easy slate.”

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