The Herald got it right from Rondo’s agent. According to his agent, Bill Duffy, the Celtics point guard has been named to the Eastern Conference All-star roster, presumably to replace Joe Johnson, the injured Atlanta Hawks guard. This would be Rondo’s third all-star appearance. Nice birthday present for RR, who probably should have been selected [...]
We apologize if your comments are being deleted (provided that they are not offensive). We are looking into why this is happening. We also want to apologize for the lack of a game thread for last night’s game. We had a premonition that the Celtics would play that poorly and thought if we pretended the [...]
I talked with Detroit star forward Greg Monroe prior to the Celtics-Pistons game on Wednesday night. Here is what the 2nd year big man out of Georgetown, who is averaging 16.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists per game had to say. 1. Just your 2nd year in the league, but playing so well, were you disappointed [...]
Readers! Last week’s responses to the 5-on-5 questions were really, really great. We had way more qualified answers than we were able to use. So we’re going to keep doing it! FOREVER. Here are this week’s questions: 1. Are you concerned about Rondo’s media boycott this week? 2. The trade deadline is less than a [...]
I talked with Chicago starting guard Ronnie Brewer prior to the Celtics-Bulls game on Sunday. Here is what the 6th year man out of Arkansas who is averaging 7.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assists had to say. 1. You guys have a lot of the same players back from last year’s team which was [...]
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 [...]
The C’s beat the Bucks shorthanded just a week ago, but this is pretty obviously the more important game. A three-game losing streak would put the Celtics in a position to have to fight pretty hard for the number one seed, and the fight itself (and the extra minutes and inevitable injuries it would entail) could potentially cost them a playoff series. So this game is important because, if they lose, it might set the C’s off on a path where they’d deprioritize seeding in order to send out a healthier squad for the second season.
It’s honestly not obvious which of those scenarios you should be hoping for. Who would you rather face in the first round? The Pacers, sure, but after that? The 76ers or the Hawks? Or the Knicks? If the Celtics lose tonight, would you be that upset to watch them lose interest in finishing the regular season strong, thus falling to the 3rd seed and facing potentially a less dangerous team for them than Philadelphia? Is it wrong to write a paragraph with only questions and no declarative statements? Would you like to start the preview now?
PLAYERS WHO MAKE ME WORRY
Andrew Bogut. One unfortunate development is that the Bucks have Andrew Bogut back after he was out for last week’s game, and Bogut is the player best equipped to capitalize on the Celtics’ lack of frontcourt depth. He’s easily enough to make up the seven-point differential in last week’s game, albeit mostly on the defensive end, although with Krstic out there who knows. Big Baby, if we see him tonight, has never been a great matchup for Bogut, but he’ll help. (EDIT: Davis will not help. He’s out). (EDIT EDIT: Davis might help. He’s in).
PLAYERS WHO DO NOT MAKE ME WORRY
John Salmons. My theory is that John Hammond had an agenda to devalue the Executive of the Year Award by winning it and then proving himself to be as capable of incompetence as pretty much all other NBA GMs. Sort of a political statement to prove the meaninglessness of awards in general. So he went ahead and signed a 31-year-old volume shooter who depends on speed and athleticism and who’s always played with an eye on his next contract to a 5-year-deal.
This terrible contract got lost because it happened on the same day as Joe Johnson’s, which made the Salmons deal look like the Louisiana Purchase by comparison. But Salmons is playing horribly, so Hammond’s plan is playing out exactly as he intended.
WHAT THE BUCKS DO WELL
Defensive rebound. They do defensive everything pretty well, but they’re number four in the league in this category. The C’s, however, come with perhaps the most effective strategy against the Bucks rebounding attack, which is not to care about offensive boards in the first place.
WHAT THE BUCKS DO POORLY
Score at the rim. Score everywhere, really, because they’re still the league’s worst offense by a comfortable margin, but they’re confusingly awful around the basket, where they convert 57% of their attempts. The scrawny gentleman in the back with the sloping high-top cut can put his hand up here: Brandon Jennings takes four shots at the rim per game but only converts 50 percent of them. His penetration is somehow going the way of his shooting, instead of the other way around. And yet I guarantee you he still considers himself an elite offensive player. Ever wonder if his 55-point game might have been the worst possible thing for his career?
John Salmons is also having a terrible season at the rim, by the way.
WHAT WE WANT TO SEE TONIGHT
The most important person to keep an eye on in this game is Rajon Rondo. He’s going to be challenged by the Bucks defense, and if he quits and gives into his fatigue, he’s going to alter the trajectory of the 2010-2011 Celtics. The seeding, the development of the new players, the continued success of the Big Three in their waning years: it all depends on him. The greatest cost of the Perkins’s trade, in an absolute worst case scenario, might end up being Rajon Rondo’s love of basketball, and therefore his career. Is there anything in the world sadder than that? Watch Rondo tonight with interest.
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