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7 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
8 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
8 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 [...]

93
9 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
12 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
13 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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One Step Back: Cavs 88 Celtics 87

Cleveland Cavaliers 88 Final
Recap | Box Score
87 Boston Celtics
Paul Pierce, SF 35 MIN | 8-12 FG | 1-2 FT | 6 REB | 5 AST | 18 PTS | -1

On the surface, Pierce’s game looked similar to his previous week’s efforts. But he turned the ball over a whopping 7 times, and like his teammates, couldn’t score down the stretch.

Brandon Bass, PF 38 MIN | 5-11 FG | 3-4 FT | 4 REB | 2 AST | 13 PTS | -6

His limitations are more clear – like 4 rebounds in 38 minutes against length – but his effort is rarely less than passable. His defensive acumen is improving, the irony being he was the big defending the Irving pick and roll on the final Cavs play of the game.

Kevin Garnett, PF 30 MIN | 5-10 FG | 4-4 FT | 7 REB | 3 AST | 14 PTS | -3

Soft numbers for Garnett today. KG had a crucial late turnover where he claimed an offensive rebound and then instead of going back up with it, traveled in his search for an open man. Not only that, he should have been the focal point of the offense with Jamison covering him. This team takes its cues from him as much as Pierce and he wasn’t totally locked in out there.

Ray Allen, SG 36 MIN | 9-14 FG | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 3 AST | 22 PTS | +2

A sharp return for Allen on the offensive end. Gave Boston all they could have expected given he was no sure thing to play when he woke up this morning.

Avery Bradley, SG 28 MIN | 2-5 FG | 2-2 FT | 1 REB | 2 AST | 6 PTS | -4

Benefiting from the fact that teams leave him wide open on the weakside, but his entire offensive game, from ball handling to passing to shooting, is entirely controllable if you put pressure on him. On the long steep learning curve, then.

Chris Wilcox, PF 23 MIN | 2-3 FG | 0-2 FT | 6 REB | 1 AST | 4 PTS | +15

Would have liked to have seen more of Wilcox, who has played better the last few games and whose rebounding efficiency may eventually challenge KG for the team lead.

Sasha Pavlovic, SF 8 MIN | 2-3 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 0 AST | 4 PTS | -1

Pavlovic is playing with an edge on both sides of the ball, which is something the Celtics desperately need on a regular basis. Had a nice forceful drive emblematic of his mindset lately.

Mickael Pietrus, SF 15 MIN | 1-5 FG | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 1 AST | 2 PTS | 0

Off-target shooting tonight, which, aside from transition play, is his main function on offense.

Greg Stiemsma, C 5 MIN | 0-1 FG | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 1 AST | 0 PTS | -8

Seems almost embarrassed to be on the court.

E’Twaun Moore, G 20 MIN | 2-5 FG | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 3 AST | 4 PTS | +3

Better handle than Bradley, more offensive capability and is proving consistently willing to work on defense. Why not run a few things for him?

Three Things We Saw

  1. A return to the lackluster defense that marred the first three weeks of the season. The Cavs managed to hang around the game long enough to steal it because they outworked Boston. The C’s were far too content to trade baskets for long stretches of the game. That’s reflected in everyone’s grades above; simply not enough intensity tonight.
  2. An offense that generated nothing the last four minutes of the game.
  3. A poised, controlled Kyrie Irving who seemed the most mature player on the court at times, despite being only 19. Also, got the winning layup on what was a difficult finish and led a feisty Cavs team to a well-earned win.

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