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9 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 [...]

19
9 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
10 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 [...]

94
11 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
14 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
14 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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Game 79/82: Wizards (21-57) @ Celtics (54-24) Open Thread

Washington at Boston
TD Garden
7:30 PM EST
CSNNE

Offensive Efficiency:
Boston: 104.3 points/100 possessions (t-15th)
Washington 99.6 points/100 possessions (28th)

Defensive Efficiency:
Boston: 97.8 points allowed/100 possessions (2nd)
Washington: 107.8 points allowed/100 possessions (t-26th)

Probable Wizards starters: John Wall (PG), Jordan Crawford (SG), Maurice Evans (SF), Andray Blatche (PF), JaVale McGee (C)

View from the opposing bench: Truth About It

Thumbnail: After being humbled by the Bulls last night on national TV, the Celtics have to deal with a second game less than 24 hours later. The prognosis for this kind of thing is not good, as we all know, but at least this is the second last back-to-back of the season. But Boston has to have this game if they want the second seed.

On the dead legs front, Boston’s big four played fewer minutes than you might think against Chicago. Ray Allen went for 38, in what I assume was an attempt to get him back in rhythm (fail) but Rajon Rondo (31), Paul Pierce (32) and Kevin Garnett (30) should have enough to pull this game out.

Or if they don’t, perhaps the Wizards will lose it on their own. Washington is 3-36 on the road.

Of course… you may remember this non-classic from earlier in the season.

WHAT THE WIZARDS DO WELL:

Scoop up some opportunistic wins against bad teams playing out the stretch. Washington has won three of its last four games, taking down Charlotte, Cleveland and Detroit. Although the Pacers pulverized them 136-112 on Wednesday.

WHAT THE WIZARDS DO POORLY:

Most other things. The Wiz are 26th in the league in defensive efficiency. If the Celtics move the ball the way they did last night, they’ll score easily against this team. They Wiz are also 28th in the league in offensive efficiency. Boston’s effort against Chicago was woefully insufficient but Washington’s predilection to take bad shots might bail them out.

It’s kind of depressing. A decent effort should easily shut down this Wizards team. No idea if that’s coming tonight or not.

PLAYERS WHO MAKE ME WORRY:

Blatche has put up some big numbers recently. He’s averaging 24.8 points and 12.8 rebounds over his last five games. But it’s Andray Blatche, you say. Of course, he’s going off in meaningless games. That won’t happen against the Celtics. Will it?

Boston’s shorthanded and softened frontline is actually a perfect target for him. It wouldn’t be a surprise if he kept up his box-score stuffing ways. Sadly enough, it’s now reasonable to ask if Boston’s bigs will be able to match his aggression inside.

Wall. Rondo failed against Derrick Rose last night and now he’s gotta dial it up for another difficult cover in Wall. Let’s see if Doc Rivers splits the coverage between Rondo and Delonte West, who has been quietly ramping up his game for the playoffs.

PLAYERS WHO DO NOT MAKE ME WORRY:

Pierce. It was a subpar game for the captain last night after a number of excellent ones in a row. I expect a bounce back. Particularly on the defensive end and in taking care of the ball.

WHAT WE WANT TO SEE FROM BOSTON TONIGHT:

Try hard. Win easy.

(NOT THAT CONFIDENT) PREDICTION:

Boston 101 Washington 93

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