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8 days ago

Painful Reminders (Part I): The Celtics Drafted JaJuan Johnson Instead of Jimmy Butler

On June 23rd, 2011, Brian Robb and I stood around a high top bar table in Tommy Doyle’s in Kendall Square.  Before us lay one of the biggest mounds of buffalo chicken wings I had ever endeavor to make disappear.  These 25 cent flappers- one of the few indulgences afforded to the participants of our [...]

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8 days ago

Chris Wilcox: 2012-13 Final Grade

There are a number of contextually-appropriate ways to craft this post. One would be to forgo words entirely, and represent Chris Wilcox’s entire season with a series of videos. That would involve one part of this: For every eight parts of this: Note the headline on that second clip. Someone was so amused/enraged by Wilcox’s [...]

12
9 days ago

Rajon Rondo’s 2012-13 Final Grade

Here’s a sweeping general statement involving super specific statistics that may or may not mean anything: In the 1423 minutes Rajon Rondo played this season, the Boston Celtics were outscored by 1.3 points per 100 possessions. When he sat (including all contests after he tore his ACL), Boston was better than their opponents by 1.8 [...]

93
10 days ago

Avery Bradley Elected to NBA All-Defense Second Team

Avery Bradley has been a standout defender for the past couple seasons…in the regular season anyway. Now he has a trophy to prove it. The NBA announced this afternoon that the third-year guard has been elected by coaches around the league to the second-team all-NBA defensive team for the first time in his career. Bradley [...]

13
13 days ago

Paul Pierce’s Contract: Dispelling The Myths and Stating The Facts

The first domino to fall this offseason is Paul Pierce’s contract. Until Danny Ainge figures out what he’s doing there, little else matters. As we wait for this decision, we also must face the rest of the offseason, which means it is also rumor season. With that time of year, comes plenty of information floating [...]

42
13 days ago

Final Grade: Avery Bradley (C+)

In his third year in the league, in which promising players often make brash leaps from benchwarmer to starter, from starter to star, Avery Bradley took a big step back. But his regression might be deceptive. When he returned to the Celtics’ lineup on January the 2nd after two in-season months recovering from offseason shoulder [...]

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Finding A Way: Game 6 Open Thread

I don’t have anything witty to say, so I’ll just toss up some links if you want some pre-game reading:

(7:55 p.m. update)
Just got out of the locker room. Everyone is dressing for tonight with the exception of Marquis Daniels, who Doc says could be out for awhile. Brian Scalabrine will take his place on the active roster. Glen Davis also fielded questions by reporters, noting he did not lose a tooth in his collision with Dwight Howard’s elbow.

Rasheed Wallace also worked up a full sweat in the team’s pregame walk through and appeared to be moving well as he served himself in the dining room pregame. Feel free to insert joke here.

All in all, felt like a fairly loose but focused locker room tonight. A full recap to follow in just hours. —B Robb

• Here’s an ESPN roundtable where seven experts answer various questions about tonight’s game, including whether an Orlando series win would be better characterized as a Boston collapse or a Magic comeback. Four of the seven experts pick Boston to win the series. 

• In that ESPN roundtable, Marc Stein says that Rajon Rondo has “curiously lost some zip,” making Stein the latest NBA watcher to wonder if Rajon is hurting. Other that have mentioned it include SI’s Ian Thomsen, yours truly, and Sebastian Pruiti at NBA Playbook, who notes that the Magic are punishing Rondo when he tries—and fails—to be a factor on the offensive glass. 

To my eyes, Rondo appeared to be having trouble changing directions in Game 5. Jameer Nelson had great success getting Rajon moving one way and then darting the other way around a screen. 

But Rajon continues to insist he is fine, and Danny Ainge went on WEEI earlier today and said (among other things) that he is not aware of any cramps or spasms bothering Rondo. 

I will close my eyes and believe. 

Not just in Rondo, but in the team, and in the idea that they can limp to one more win against Orlando, tonight. 

Do you still believe? Consider this your open thread. Tell us what you’re seeing. How’s Rondo look? How is Doc dealing with a (potentially) much thinner big man rotation? Is Glen Davis OK? Any defensive adjustments on Orlando’s screen/roll attack? 

Have at it.

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