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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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Celtics (3-0) at Knicks (0-3) Game Four Open Thread

Boston @ New York
Madison Square Garden
3:30 PM EST
ABC

Offensive Efficiency:
Boston: 104.0 points/100 possessions (t-17th)
New York: 108.3 points/100 possessions (5th)

Defensive Efficiency:
Boston: 97.8 points allowed/100 possessions (2nd)
New York: 106.9 points allowed/100 possessions (21st)

Probable NYK starters: Toney Douglas(PG), Landry Fields (SG), Carmelo Anthony (SF), Amare Stoudemire/Shawne Williams (PF), Ronny Turiaf (C)

Probable BOS starters: Rajon Rondo (PG), Ray Allen (SG), Paul Pierce (SF), Kevin Garnett(PF), Jermaine O’Neal (C)

View from the opposing benchKnickerblogger

Thumbnail: After game three, where the Celtics brutalized the Knicks into quitting, it’ll be interesting to see if Mike D’Antoni’s team brings any energy to the (Madison Square) Garden this afternoon. If they do, it’ll be interesting to see if they’ll maintain their effort if the Celtics start knocking down shots and applying defensive pressure. If you were the Knicks, would you want to go back up to Boston where elimination almost surely awaits or would you rather just get it over with? They may not have any fire left now that Chauncey Billups is done and Amar’e Stoudemire is doubtful after laboring through 33 ineffective minutes on Friday night.

The Celtics’ staggering game 3 blitzkrieg (a 122.1 0ffensive rating) was a great sign for the offense but Boston won’t get those kinds of open shots in round two. Still, from a rhythm and confidence standpoint, game three was the perfect tonic for the two shaky efforts in Boston. And with the chance to close New York out this afternoon, Boston sets itself up to head down to South Beach with its talents rested and well-practiced.

Will the Celtics be able to bring out the brooms for the first time in The Big Three era? Today’s certainly the best opportunity they’ll have for it.

UPDATE: Stoudemire is expected to try and play today.

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