Archive for April, 2009

« Older Entries

Reviewing Rondo

April 30th, 2009

The best thing about those three overtimes and the fact that this series has already earned “Best Ever First Round Series” status is that the league is (almost certainly) not going to suspend Rajon Rondo for his flagrant foul on Kirk Hinrich. (Best video available here).

Because if I’m reading the rule correctly, the league has the right to review any flagrant foul for a possible fine and suspension. Here’s the relevant section:

If a player is ejected on (1) the first technical foul for unsportsmanlike conduct, (2) a punching foul, (3) a fighting foul, (4) an elbow foul, or (5) a flagrant foul, he shall be fined a minimum of $1,000. 

b. Whether or not said player(s) is ejected, a fine not exceeding $35,000 and/or suspension may be imposed upon such player(s) by the Commissioner at his sole discretion. 

That’s pretty clear cut to me. And, frankly, you could make the argument that Rondo’s foul is worthy of a suspension. I am not advocating that, and I would never do so. It would be a shame to end a series like this with the guy who has been the best player overall sitting next to an insane seven-footer in street clothes. And it’s not going to happen anyway. Nobody got hurt, no brawl ensued, nobody left the bench, so let’s all forget about it and move on.

The easy comparison to make is with the Robert Horry foul on Steve Nash in 2007, since both fouls ended with players flying into the scorer’s table. Here’s the Horry foul. The league suspended Horry two games for this:

 

In any case, Doug Collins was right: Rondo has to be smarter than that. I understand he and Hinrich got tangled up, which happens in NBA games all the time, but you cannot swing somebody so hard that they go flying out of bounds. Not in a playoff series, and not after you punched Brad Miller in the face–by accident, sort of–just 48 hours ago. It was a silly, impulsive reaction, and Rondo has to have more restraint that that. 

I know that I’ll never understand how it feels to have your adrenaline rushing during an NBA playoff game. But still. You can’t do that.

I hope that Rondo’s play has been spectacular enough that it will be the first thing fans think of when they think of Rajon Rondo’s 2009 playoff performance. But for a certain segment of fans, that may not be the case anymore.

11 Comments »

Posted in Commentary, Playoffs 2009

Trying to appreciate history–and failing (sort of)

April 30th, 2009

I am beginning to feel about this series like a drug addict must feel when he’s ready to enter serious rehab. It started out as innocent fun, we experienced some unthinkable highs, but now I’m coming down and I’m ready for it to be over. My friends and loved ones would like to see me at some point. For god’s sake, the Houston-Portland game was in the third quarter by the time this game ended. I have to start blocking out four hours just to watch these games.

Everyone says you should step back and appreciate history while it’s happening. That worked through Game 5. I am no longer appreciating history. I just want the series to be over. And it was over. It felt over. I am still not sure what happened. I know it involved Brad Miller, and that Tony Allen was taking pressure shots for some reason. I may have dreamt that last part. 

I am developing an irrational hatred toward everything about Chicago. I snapped at a close friend from Chicago  when he made a crack about Ray Allen  in our fantasy baseball chat room during Game 5. (The crack, for the record, was: “Ray Allen = glorified Craig Hodges.” I told him he was stupid. I am 31 years old and I called another grown man–my friend–stupid. But, yeah, I guess Game 6 sort of ended the argument about Walter Ray Allen). I ignored a text message one of my closest friends–a non-serious Bulls fan–sent me during the first quarter tonight. It said “Go Bulls.” I just didn’t respond. Now I feel awkward. Oh well. That’s playoff basketball, I guess. 

A few other random thoughts are below. Brian Robb is going to bring you real analysis later if he’s even alive right now.

• Glen Davis was huge in this game. He had 13 points in the last 8:00 of regulation and the three overtimes combined. I am terrified that Vinny will realize at some point during Game 7 that the Celtics cannot score against the Bulls small line-up because Doc replaces Davis with Tony Allen. I hope no one tells Vinny this, or else he may, you know, play the small line-up more.

• The Celtics designed some beautiful pressure plays tonight–the two that set up long jumpers for House and Allen (with their feet on the line) were particularly nice. And I suppose I can’t criticize the C’s for using Pierce on isolations at the end of the first overtime when he canned all those shots in Game 5. It’s just that when the shots don’t fall, the plays look ugly. But you can’t have it both ways.

• John Salmons. Just killed us. Murdered Pierce off the dribble. 

• Here is Rajon Rondo’s shot chart for the game:

He just couldn’t get in the paint tonight. There were none of those plays where he guns it in transition and lays it in over two back-pedaling Bulls. I’m not sure why he couldn’t attacking the paint, and lord knows I’m not re-watching this game now. Rose did seem to play an additional step or two off of him, and it helps (from Chicago’s perspective) when you make half your shots. 

That’s it for now. More later from people who are not me.

8 Comments »

Posted in Commentary, Game Recaps, Playoffs 2009

Going The Distance

April 30th, 2009

C’s let one get away in another instant classic that probably took off 10 years off the life of every Celtics fan. Recap and analysis on the way.

1 Comment »

Posted in Playoffs 2009

“Do you believe in Miracles?”

April 30th, 2009

Before Tuesday’s game, Ben Gordon said he needed a miracle to play in Game 5. Somehow, whether it be through treatment, massaging, or over-dramaticizing the extent of the injury (we Celtics fans know a thing or two about that), his hamstring didn’t slow him down. So are we canonizing any Saints soon? If so, we should be consider just how many miracles Ben Gordon received during Game 5.

1) Usually when a guy is hurt, a coach is forced to limit his minutes because the pain is too much or there is a potential of getting hurt more. Before the game, the Bulls’ reported that Doctors concluded that Ben Gordon’s injury couldn’t get any worse by playing. I am not a Doctor, a physical therapist, and I’ve never hurt my hamstring enough to see a doctor or a physical therapist. Still, I don’t understand how a person with a “strained hamstring” couldn’t make it worse throw exertion. Couldn’t it tear? Couldn’t he strain it more? Couldn’t it at least give out on him causing him to turn an ankle or something? If there’s a Doctor in the building, please, I welcome all explanations.

Instead of playing limited minutes, Ben Gordon played more minutes than any other Bulls’ player, and tied Paul Pierce in playing the most minutes out of anyone one on the court. He also shot the ball twenty one times, the most by any Bulls’ player. If it hurts every time you jump, surely you can’t possible be able to take twenty one shots? Which brings me to my next point…

2) Two of Ben Gordon’s six makes were miracle shots. The first was the leaner on Marbury. With everyone else covered and Marbury chesting him up, Gordon made a pick up basketball shot. You know the one where the guy defending you says, “Take it. I’ll give it to you” because the shot is near impossible. You take it to show him up, miss it while his team gets the rebound. Then, as the other team , scraping the egg off your face while no one passes to you for the rest of the game. Except he made it, sans celebratory crotch grab.

The second was the shot in the fourth quarter where Gordon dribbled into the lane, leaned a few feet forward trying to get a foul call and threw the ball up at the rim, which, sticking with the theme here, banked the shot in. The refs thankfully did not call a foul. Players have really taken the “Reggie Miller Scissor” to a whole new level. It began which Reggie Miller shooting the ball and once released, kicking his leg out on a mid-air defender and falling down like a soccer player trying to induce a red card. Then Paul Pierce made a living out of the shot fake, wait for the contact, then make the shot. Then Lebron James took it to a new level where you could sick Ray Lewis on him on the way to the basket and he’d still make the basket and flex in his face. Now, Ben Gordon is trying everything possible to a get a call- even having Tony Allen actually fouling him on a three point play (I don’t blame Tony, probably would have gotten called for a foul had he stopped playing defense and gone to get nachos when the shot went up- given that phantom fifth foul on Ray how can you argue?). Which brings me to my next point…

3) The shot Gordon took where he kicked his legs legs out and drew the foul on TA. Possibly the first thing that needs to be addressed by David Stern in the off season, narrowly edging out reviewing what an illegal screen actually is, and firing Joey Crawford, again. Oh and returning all of the fines accrued by coaches and players criticizing the officiating- it has just been awful all the way around this season. Players and coaches usually preach to officials to simply “call it both ways” but there’s another legitimate bone-needing-picking when it’s been as terrible as this season.


**Bonus Bulls Miracle** The deflected alley-oop pass to Dereck Rose that he tapped in off the glass. Definitely not the way it was drawn up.

The Celtics were also not without their miracles in this game was well. Most notably the non-flagrant (when I first saw it, I gasped because I figured it’d be two shots and the ball tot he Bulls) call on Rondo, Brad Miller getting his comeuppance for annoying players for years, Brad Miller missing the first free throw and not hitting the rim on the second, and, oh yeah, the Celtics winning the game.

*I know I was harsh on Ben Gordon, so just to clarify:
Do I think Ben Gordon is injured? Yes.
Do I think Ben Gordon is extremely tough? Yes.
Do I think Ben Gordon is playing mind-numbingly (especially for a Celtics fan) well? Yes.

Leave your comment »

Posted in Commentary, Features

Defending Marbury

April 30th, 2009

Employee number 8 has caught a lot of flack in the aftermath of game 5 for failing to pull the trigger on a wide open three ball with 45 seconds remaining in a tie game. Here’s how Celtics Hub’s Zach Lowe described the sequence that led to the criticism:

But Doc did have one chance to get Davis in the game on offense: when Boston got the ball with 49 seconds left in regulation and the score tied 91-91 and called time out to set up a play. But Doc, enamored with the concept of having four “shooters” on the floor, kept Baby on the bench and inserted Marbury. And that’s when Pierce drove to the middle, drew the defense and dished to Marbury for a three-pointer so wide open the crowd groaned when he passed the ball to Rondo along the baseline.

I at first was also outraged at Starbury’s unwillingness to take the three. Why was the guy even in the game if he’s unable to pull the trigger at that point? There’s a fine line between playing unselfish and playing scared. In this case, Marbury looked like a player that just lacked the confidence to take the big shot.

After some further investigation of this play however, I have noticed one glaring part of the play that many Celtics fans (myself included) failed to see during the intital viewing. Marbury did not catch the ball cleanly. In fact, by the time he had the ball comfortably, the Bulls defender had recovered so he likely would have been able to contest any shot Starbury would have put up.

I also don’t understand the negativity towards Stephon’s actions after passing up the shot. People reacted as if he threw the ball out of bounds when he passed it to Rajon Rondo. Yes it was a tough spot for the point guard to drive from on the baseline with the shot clock winding down, but Rondo had been our best offensive weapon in the game at that point.

Given the choice of the two players, almost every Celtic fan would prefer Rajon to take the shot on that possession as opposed to the player who hasn’t been able to find his jumper consistenly all year. The entire sequence was made out to be worse once Rondo airballed the floater which allowed Marbury to become an easy scapegoat.

My point here I guess is admonish Marbury all you want, but make sure you are doing it for the right reasons. The guy obviously has not lived up to expectations since arriving in Beantown but he has been a good solider to this team and has been busting his butt trying to find ways to contribute. As a Celtics fan, I appreciate that effort. I believe that Marbury still has enough confidence in himself to help this team despite his 29% shooting percentage in this series and we saw flashes of that in 13 point 5 assist performance in game 3.

During the final minute of game 5, Doc had him in there for Big Baby at that point for a reason and that was to spread the floor more than Big Baby would have been able to. Marbury did what he was suppose to do in that respect, he just wasn’t able to catch a pass cleanly. So criticize him for having butterfingers if you want, but let’s give the guy the benefit of the doubt before calling him scared.

Like Doc said before the playoffs started, the C’s will need Stephon to win of these games for us. I’m not quite sure if that’s going to happen but if this team wants to get back to the promise land, they are going to need him to come through more. In order for that to happen, the point guard needs C’s fans support rather than dread when he’s out there in crunch time.

So shake off the case of dropsies Starbury, and know that the Celtic Faithful still have your back.

1 Comment »

Posted in Features, Playoffs 2009