Archive for the ‘Features’ Category

Let’s be clear: This is a great deal for the Celtics. They are getting a league average player with major post-season experience, and they’re getting him for the minimum salary (about $1.1 million for West) and the same amount in luxury tax payments. While the Grizzlies ownership is nickel-and-diming the team’s first-round draft picks to save Rudy Gay’s beer money, the C’s ownership is throwing $2.2 million at a player with a shaky mental health history—even though the team already had 14 players under contract and one back-up (Von Wafer) playing the same position as West.

This is a good period to be a Celtics fan. Don’t forget that.

Again: This is a great deal, and it’s a great deal because the C’s aren’t giving up any basketball assets to make it happen. And that, to me, is the story of this off-season. » More: Delonte West, The End of the Offseason

In my breakdown of the Shaquisition, I mentioned the question of who Shaq could be paired with in the front court. If Perk returns healthy, the C’s post-season big man rotation will probably consist of: Shaq, Perk, KG, Big Baby, Jermaine O’Neal.

Shaq is immobile, and so in an ideal world, you’d pair him with mobile big man who can defend the screen/roll and otherwise cover a lot of ground. KG obviously works, and Perk just as obviously does not. That leaves Big Baby and Jermaine O’Neal, and I expressed doubts that Jermaine O’Neal could realistically play the power forward position on defense against most teams.

A lot of readers disagreed, and so did Chris Forsberg at ESPNBoston.com (to an extent). Here’s what Forsberg wrote in response to a question about the C’s front court rotation:

I actually see potential in an O’Neal-O’Neal frontcourt. Celtics GM Danny Ainge noted that he was eager to utilize Jermaine O’Neal at the 4 this season, and high-mileage legs aside, I don’t see why it can’t work against another team’s second unit. It’s not like they’re going to spend 20 minutes together on the court per game, so if you need to lean on that pairing for a sequence or two each game, I don’t see a problem.

In the end, I really like the flexibility O’Neal’s addition offers Boston. Although without ideal sets all the time, Boston can easily trot out a reserve-laden big lineup like O’Neal-O’Neal-Luke Harangody-Marquis Daniels-Rajon Rondo or go small with something like Jermaine O’Neal-Glen Davis-Daniels-Nate Robinson-Rondo. Go ahead and mix and match starters in those units. Again, it’s not something you trot out there every day, but it offers greater flexibility than was available last season.

Some thoughts: » More: Can Jermaine O’Neal Play The Four?

A few more observations about Boston’s 2011 schedule:

• The first 10 games are brutal. The C’s start with Miami, and after a three-game respite (@Cleveland, New York, @ Detroit), the next six games go like this: Milwaukee, Chicago, @Oklahoma City, @Dallas, @Miami, @Memphis. Those first 10 games include three back-to-backs, including the Thunder and Mavs games.

The C’s started 27-2 in ’09 and 23-5 last season. Don’t be shocked if they are 5-5 after their first 10 games in 2011.

• Even so, the schedule is mostly back-loaded. If the C’s want to fatten up their record, they should do so between games #10 and the halfway point of the season. After Boston’s first 10 games, the C’s will play 20 of 32 at home, and many of those games are against the mediocrity of the league.

After that? It gets much tougher. » More: Quirks of the C’s Schedule, Part II

The 2011 schedule is out. You can view Boston’s schedule here, and SB Nation has a handy list of all 30 NBA team schedules here. 

The first thing I look for when the schedule comes out is the number of back-to-backs Boston plays. The second end of a back-to-back is among the toughest games to win; several studies have shown that teams on the second night of a back-to-back have a winning percentage of about .430. That’s not good. 

Some good news: Boston has 19 back-to-backs next season, one more than last year and a number that places them in the bottom third of the league in back-to-backs. (The Bulls and Bucks have the most, with 23 each, and 14 teams have at least 21 back-to-backs, according to Basketball Prospectus. The Lakers have the fewest—just 15). 

Good news, right? An older team can use a few breaks from the schedule makers. 

But dig one level deeper, and the news isn’t quite as good. » More: Quirks of the C’s Schedule, Part I