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11 hours ago

Jason Terry’s 2012-13 Final Grade

  Acquiring any player, whether it’s via trade, free agency, or the draft, comes with an air of uncertainty. The NBA has no guaranteed covenant and all sales are final, no matter how talented, proven, or productive the player may have been in year’s past. But these memories—especially recent ones—often clouds the judgment of a [...]

3
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
10 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
11 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 [...]

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Game 14/66: Suns (5-9) @ Celtics (5-8) Open Thread

Phoenix at Boston
7:30 PM
TD Garden
CSNNE

Offensive Efficiency:
Boston: 99.1 points/100 possessions (16th)
Phoenix: 101.4 points/100 possessions (11th)

Defensive Efficiency:
Boston: 100.6 points/100 possessions (17th)  
Phoenix: 103.5 points/100 possessions (25th)

Probable Phoenix Starters: Stephen John Nash (PG), Jared Dudley (SG), Grant Henry Hill (SF),  Channing Frye (PF), Marcin Gortat (C)

Injury Report:
Phoenix: None.
Boston: Rajon Rondo is not in the building, so Avery Bradley will start. Keyon Dooling and Chris Wilcox are out. Jermaine O’Neal is permanently day-to-day.

View From The Opposing Bench: Valley of the Suns

THUMBNAIL

I only just remembered today that Kevin Garnett flicked Channing Frye in the clementines last season. What a treat that rivalry is. The next and last time the Celtics faced the Suns, Garnett added insult to Frye’s actual injury by burning him for 28 points on 12 of 14 shooting. That was a simpler time: Vince Carter and Nenad Krstic started. Mickael Pietrus was on the other team. Aaron Brooks was in the United States. The only Celtics bench player still with the team was Avery Bradley, who shot 1-4. The more things change, man. The more things change.

This season, both teams are old and struggling with the young talent that has disrespectfully taken over their divisions without permission. The once high-powered Phoenix offense has fallen out of the top ten, making them a great matchup for the declining Celtics defense. Only one will emerge tonight with the coveted sixth win.

PREGAME ANALYSIS

Avery Bradley is somehow starting tonight, but at least he’ll be matched up with Steve Nash, the most offensively lopsided player in history. Bradley, possibly the most defensively lopsided player in history, will have his hands full with Nash on one end, and they’ll both basically check out of the game on the other end. It would be great, though, to see Bradley drive past Nash’s cardboard cutout to the rim on several occasions tonight. Other players will also enjoy favorable matchups: Pierce will go up against Grant Hill, possibly the only time he’ll get someone older than he is. Garnett will face Frye, and already knows his weak spots. Ray Allen’s struggles, on the other hand, could continue: the Suns have upgraded on defense from VC to Jared Dudley, who shines at overpowering smaller guards and looking like Jim Jones.

PREDICTION
C’s 94, Suns 88

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