On the back of a horrific game six performance, Gary Washburn of the Globe piled on with more bad news: Avery Bradley is almost certainly done for the season. Washburn: A source close to Bradley told the Globe that it’s in the “high 90s” percentile that Bradley will be shut down and will perhaps need [...]
After the Thunder finished up their series by routinely dismantling the Lakers last night to send them packing in five games, a time has been announced for the C’s-Sixers Game 6 on Wednesday night. It will tipoff shortly after 8pm on ESPN. Looking ahead in the postseason, if the C’s do win Game 6, and [...]
I love this decision-making from Rajon Rondo. While leading the break, you can see him eyeballing Ray Allen, who runs the wing and spots up on the arc. The Sixers have a 1-2 disadvantage but are mostly concerned about Allen’s three balls, which allows Mickael Pietrus to make an unmolested baseline cut behind the defense. [...]
A note to all you local C’s fans out there that may be attending the game tonight at TD Garden. The game will start just after 7pm and will be broadcast nationally on TNT. However, unlike most TNT regular season games during the season, the tip will not come 15-20 minutes after the scheduled start [...]
Rajon Rondo is a tremendous player, but he tends to have a little bit of an issue scoring the ball late in games. I won’t go as far as saying he is scared, but he does pass up shots and defer to teammates in crunch-time….well a lot. Last night though may have been his coming [...]
Garnett followed up his season-best effort against Atlanta in Game 6 with a new season-high in points and another sensational double-double, as well 60 percent shooting (12-of-20) from the field. Over his past two contests, Garnett is averaging 28.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, two steals and four blocks a game. After the game, KG was candid [...]
I hope everyone is having a very happy Friday. I, for one, am having a very nostalgic one. I have had a few musings kicking around my brainskull for a few weeks and I just had to let ‘em out.
In no particular order:
Remember when Wilson Chandlerpresumably could have been had for a first round pick? At least there was some speculation this offseason about the Knicks being desperate for a first round pick to either trade for Rudy Fernandez (dodged a bullet on that one Knickerbockers) or somehow be involved in the would-be midseason Carmelo Anthony Sweepstakes.During the offseason, NO ONE wanted Chandler and Portland refused to give Fernandez up for just a pick. Right now Fernandez is averaging a career low 34% from deep (per 36 minutes) meanwhile Chandler is tearing it up offensively. Chandler is averaging 38% from deep, 18.5 points, and 1.6 blocks per 36 minutes (all career highs). How many teams would give up a first round pick for that kind of production? To put it another way, how many teams would give up Avery Bradley for that kind of production? Avery Bradley and a first round pick? For any team that wants to win now, they might be shaking their heads at the thought of what could have been.Chandler is clearly benefiting from Mike D’Antoni’s loosey-goosey approach to offense but despite having his reins slackened, Chandler has still had to put the ball in the hole. And he has.
Remember when everyone was afraid of a Celtics-themed starting center controversy? When the Celtics spent last offseason’s full midlevel exception on Jermaine O’Neal the speculation was such that he would start until Perkins returned to form and Shaquille O’Neal would be an ancillary piece. Boy, do we all have egg on our faces. Obviously, no one could have predicted that Jermaine O’Neal would get injured (oh, you say you had that one?). Equally true, no one could have predicted how productive Shaq would be.I find it interesting that it was just a year ago where the Cavaliers traded for Shaq to “win a ring for the King” and people actually thought it would work. Now everyone knows better. Shaq is not a number two option at this stage in his career. He hasn’t been for quite some time. The beauty of Shaq being on the Celtics is that he doesn’t have to be any option. He can literally run back-and-forth from free throw line to free throw line and be exactly what the Celtics need him to be (don’t believe me? Watch the last three minutes of the San Antonio game post Jermaine O’Neal foul out).There are a lot of personalities in the Celtic locker room, but who could have predicted that poor health would ameliorate any tension as to whom should start? Apparently, Jermaine O’Neal is coping well with this reality:Julian Benbow, Boston Globe: “Since his return to the lineup on Christmas Day in Orlando, Fla., though, he’s embraced all the mop-and-bucket assignments.“It comes through time,’’ O’Neal said. “I’m learning on the go, and I think you guys know it, and they’re trying to put me in a position to be successful.’’…Buying in mostly means not deluding himself into believing that he’ll be putting up superstar numbers. “That’s the job handed to me,’’ O’Neal said. “I come in, rebound, block shots, help on the pick-and-roll, clog up the lane. We know who our key guys are.’’’
Who would have thought the Celtics’ inability to stay healthy would quash any starting lineup controversy. Each player now has the obvious fall back responses if and when they are asked about not starting and are irked by it. “My knee was acting up so Doc wanted to limit my minutes” or “I’ve just been banged up and playing a lot of minutes so Doc decided to go easy on me“. Perfect.
Remember when Glen Davis was concerned about his role and about the newbies usurping his playing time? Big Baby’s role is still to be determined but that’s just as much his fault as Doc Rivers’. Davis does not do any one thing particularly better than the other which is why he is going to be stuck in a revolving door of assignments for his whole career. As for his playing time concerns, how inconsequential do those look now? He’s far more important to the Celtics’ success than Shaq or JO. I understand the trepidation, especially being in a contract year, but it’s funny to now see that Davis had nothing to worry about from the start.
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