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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
9 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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Game 35: Suns (12-24) @ Celtics (17-17) Open Thread

Phoenix at Boston
7:30 P.M. ET
TDGarden
CSNNE

Offensive Efficiency:
Boston: 100.6 points/100 possessions (T-19th)
Phoenix: 100.6 points/100 possessions (T-19th)

Defensive Efficiency:
Boston: 101.2 points allowed/100 possessions (11th)
Phoenix: 105.5 points allowed/100 possessions (26th)

Probable Suns Starters:
Goran Dragic (PG), P.J. Tucker (SG), Jared Dudley (SF), Luis Scola (C), and Marcin Gortat (C)

View From The Opposing Bench: Valley of the Suns

THUMBNAIL

The Celtics return to TDGarden tonight in hopes of extending their current three game winning streak.  It appears they have a head start in this endeavor as they welcome the 12-24 Suns to Boston.  By no means is this game a given however.   Last week, I all but called the game in Sacramento for the C’s and we all know what happened then.  Unlike the game against the Kings, the Celtics are playing well, they’re at home, and Isaiah Thomas has not been traded to the Suns.  Things are already looking up for the C’s.  To make the situation even rosier, Rajon Rondo will be back tonight after serving his one game suspension.  Let’s get this game started already!

Wait, not so fast.  There’s still a little matter to address.  In case you missed BRobb’s post earlier or the picture accompanying this post, Celtic legend Jermaine O’Neal makes his triumphant return to the friendly confines of TDGarden.   I can only speculate what the Celtics might include in his tribute video but my educated guesses include: a charge taken, a block made, some labored running, a still of his empty locker after he was bounced out of town, and a clip from an interview where he explained how he wasn’t happy with his role in Boston.  There won’t be a dry eye in the 300s.

Another reason to be confident in this game: the Suns are on the second night of a back-to-back and JO had 4 points and 5 boards and was an overall -13.  There’s no way he can duplicate that effort (maybe the -13).

In all seriousness, Celtics will get another chance to watch Marcin Gortat play; a player who is constantly being brought up in trade rumors.  Enjoy the Polish hammer and I welcome your evaluation in the comments section.

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