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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 [...]

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
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
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 [...]

9
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Same Problems, Same Results: Bulls 88 Celtics 79

Chicago Bulls 88 Final

Recap | Box Score

79 Boston Celtics
Kevin Garnett, PF 34 MIN | 4-11 FG | 0-0 FT | 7 REB | 0 AST | 8 PTS | -15
KG is hard to grade right now as the tyranny of diminishing expectations renders a 7 rebound night ostensibly passable. It’s not, of course, and his offensive assertiveness… doesn’t exist, even when he’s got a clear matchup advantage. But he’s still a great team defender, and one of the last vestiges of the arrogant, sneering Celtics that did so much damage to the NBA as recently as last year. The move to center is sabotage but you’ll never hear Garnett complain.
Paul Pierce, SF 36 MIN | 3-12 FG | 5-5 FT | 1 REB | 5 AST | 13 PTS | -18
Another godawful night for Pierce, who was humiliated by Luol Deng (21 points, 16 rebounds). In case that grade seems too harsh, he had 1 rebound in 36 minutes and his fourth quarter takeover of the offense effectively killed the C’s comeback. He’s not ready to play right now and it shows.
Brandon Bass, PF 33 MIN | 5-12 FG | 0-0 FT | 9 REB | 0 AST | 10 PTS | -17
If there’s a defensive rotation to be missed or a pick and roll coverage to misplay, Bass is your guy. But his offense remains sharp and aggressive and right now he’s the only guy on the team besides Rondo who can create something out of nothing in the half-court.
Ray Allen, SG 41 MIN | 6-13 FG | 2-2 FT | 3 REB | 3 AST | 16 PTS | -5
Chicago did a great job denying Ray good looks tonight, but he still managed to find 16 points and create a couple of looks for others over 41 long minutes (which he’s probably going to feel tomorrow night at Indiana). He’s playing well consistently, unlike the other two guys in the Formerly Big Three.
Rajon Rondo, PG 40 MIN | 5-10 FG | 4-6 FT | 7 REB | 11 AST | 14 PTS | -10
In the end he was outplayed by Derrick Rose, but unlike Rose, Rondo is working with a roster of broken-down parts. And nobody achieves in a vacuum. Without Rondo, the Celtics lose this game by 35 points. His energy, defense, and shot creation kept the Celtics alive in the first half and brought them back in the second — until the offense suddenly became all about Paul Pierce and bad shot selection.
Jermaine O’Neal, C 22 MIN | 2-6 FG | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 1 AST | 4 PTS | +6
His jumpshot is wearing out the fronts of rims, but he showed a little life in the second half tonight. Again though – 3 rebounds in 22 minutes. I fear it’s very close to over for JO.
Chris Wilcox, PF 5 MIN | 2-2 FG | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 0 AST | 4 PTS | 0
It’s alive! Wilcox emerged from hibernation to throw down a couple of dunks in transition. He’s still standing around in halfcourt sets but the mere indication of a pulse is good news. Lingering question – how out of shape is he? Doesn’t look good to me.
Mickael Pietrus, SF 17 MIN | 2-5 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 0 AST | 6 PTS | -3
He’s still figuring it all out in Boston but his energy and shooting and defense were enough to bury ‘Quis on the bench (possibly for good) after a single game. The more of Pietrus we see, the better. There’s an argument to be made that he should start for Pierce right now.
Avery Bradley, SG 8 MIN | 0-1 FG | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 0 AST | 0 PTS | +1
Still gives you nothing at all on offense but he gave Rondo a decent break at the start of the fourth quarter. Would have preferred Moore out there, in part because he outscored Bradley in a single minute of action.

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