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Fiddlin' and Diddlin' Celtics Daily Links - 5/25

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Sat, 25 May 2013 17:34:00 +0000

Herald Source: Doc Rivers no sure thing
Dave Hyde: Pacers trump LeBron in Game 2
Globe Brandon Bass posts up at fundraiser for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital
Celtics, Sullinger celebrate 22nd year of 'Stay in School' initiative
Celtics Green In Spite of Danny's Assurances Doc's Return Not 100% Certain
More on the Draft Workouts - Player Profiles
In Spite of Uncertainty, Terrence Williams Ready to Move On Past His Arrest
Words Can Not Do Craig Sager's Suit Justice
Comments from the Other Side - Miami Meltdown Game 2
Rajon Rondo Guest Stars on Fashion Police Along with His Zebra Jacket from Last Year's Playoffs
CelticsBlog   Report: Doc Rivers' return to Celtics not certain
Lex Nihil Novi 1980-81 NBA: Ranking the Teams at Mid-Year
Russell v. Chamberlain: Game 3
Cousy Called Him "Arnold"

Red's Army Mock draft: Gorgui Dieng has a defensive reputation
What do we do with… the non-guaranteed guys
Your Morning Dump… There’s a 10 percent chance Doc leaves?
Paul George dunks all over Chris Andersen
NESN Report: Doc Rivers’ Future With the Celtics ‘Has Still Not Been Decided’
Celtics Hub Jason Terry’s 2012-13 Final Grade
Mass Live Doc Rivers still hasn't fully decided to return for another season
ESPN   Tony Allen is at the heart of the Memphis Grizzlies 'Grit and Grind' attitude
Lake Show Life Time For Rivals to Talk
SB Nation The Nets' coaching search and the power of insane cash
Kyrie Irving, John Wall among invitees for Team USA Basketball mini-camp
Cincinnati.com Jordan Crawford hosting hoops expo
NY Times No Glamour but Many Scouts for Potential Second-Round N.B.A. Picks
Yahoo   The Boston Celtics Need to Stick with Courtney Lee
Ray Allen’s shooting struggles against the Indiana Pacers continue
Bleacher Report   5 Free Agents the Boston Celtics Must Avoid
Courant.com On The Fly: Desperate NBA Teams Eyeing Celtics' Rivers
NY Post Report: Celtics rebuff Nets attempt to interview Rivers
TV By the Numbers E!’s ‘Fashion Police’ to Feature NBA Star Rajon Rondo
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In Spite of Uncertainty, Terrence Williams Ready to Move On Past His Arrest

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Sat, 25 May 2013 17:27:00 +0000

Thanks to Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston for the video.

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Rajon Rondo Guest Stars on Fashion Police Along with His Zebra Jacket from Last Year's Playoffs

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Sat, 25 May 2013 16:30:00 +0000

Rondo is fully into fashion as we saw from last year's internship with GQ in the off season and last night he guest starred on the Fashion Police with Joan Rivers. He is surprisingly good on these shows. He was asked about the fight with Kris Humphries this past season and he said he was just sticking up for his teammate after a dirty play by Humphries and he has nothing against the Nets forward. He laughed when they asked him if he got under Humprhies skin by humming a Kanye West song.

One feature on the show is where the guest brings an item from their closet that others on the show decide to stash or trash. Rondo brought his zebra Rondo wore that jacket in an infamous incident after a loss to the Hawks last season. The incident was described on The Sports Session.

With less than 15 seconds to go Rondo made a great defensive play and stole the ball on a pass, and immediately started pushing the ball the other way. With the final seconds ticking away Rondo decided to make a baseline move to hopefully kick out a pass for the winning shot, but the Hawks Al Horford was to quick and Rondo lost control of the ball as time ran off the clock.

Rondo was upset, but it was difficult to see how upset until a post game incident with a reporter showed what frame of mind he was in. Rondo was getting ready for his postgame news conference when he noticed out of the corner of his eye that he was being recorded. The Celtics point guard pointed at the camera, and then took it upon himself to confront the cameraman.

“I told you to quit filming,” Rondo said while being restrained. “Do not film me. I’m not doing an interview right now.”

Rondo briefly accosted the cameraman before being pulled away be a security staff member who was asking Rondo to keep his cool the entire time. It appeared that Rondo was also talking to some family members or friends when he felt stalked by the camera man, and maybe that is what set him off to the extent that it did.

The comedy of it all is that Rondo was wearing a Zebra/Prison striped jacket that did not make the best of fashion statements. The TNT Inside the NBA Crew of Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson, and Shaquille O’Neal had some fun at the expense of Rondo and his fashion choice. They did say that Rondo was upset about the play and just lost his cool, but there is probably a very good chance we won’t be seeing Rondo wear that jacket anytime soon.

The verdict on The Fashion Police was to trash the jacket. Happily we won't be seeing that one again. Although I'm pretty sure he never wears the same outfit twice anyway. Rondo couldn't bring himself to toss it in the trash and so got one of the other guests to do it for him. My favorite comment on the show came from Joan Rivers as she was describing the jacket:

"It's too old and not accomplishing anything. I'm surprised it doesn't play for the Lakers!"

I love it! We get to see Rondo and hear the Lakers trashed on the same show. Good stuff!!

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Comments from the Other Side - Miami Meltdown Game 2

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Sat, 25 May 2013 15:58:00 +0000

I wouldn't be a good Celtics fan if I didn't take immense pleasure in the Heat losing or in the misery of their bandwagon fans. It's interesting to see after all the "We got Ray" chants to begin the year they seem to be having some buyer's remorse. Excuse me if I chuckle a bit. And I love how they end up trashing all their players. It's one thing to be upset when players don't play well, but it's another to call them total garbage. It's also hilarious to see Heat fans complaining about the officiating when they have gotten the benefit of the officiating more than any team in the league. Also funny to see them call any player dirty when they have Dwyane Wade on their team. Enough of my rant.... Enjoy today's comments .....

We played bad in the first game, to many turnovers, didn't make our ft, Battier and Ray missed to many wide-open 3p shots and ......and refs tried in all ways to help Idiana Pacers, but but we won!

Think we blowout them out now..

If you guys think the officiating has been bad already, buckle your seatbelts because it will only get worse in Indiana.

Indy was a terrible road team so lets hope that comes out tonight.

Go Heat, beat this big mouthed, talkative team badly!!!

I really get tired of seeing battier on the floor... Every possession

David west makes you want to punch him

Stop letting ray Allen f***ing shoot hes off with EVERYTHING

Allen, straight up sucks

Ray Allen needs to be benched.

**** making Hibbert look like Kareem

I'm already tired of Chalmers

Can Chalmers just sit down please? He's a net negative at this point. Hasn't had a good game offensively or defensively in a long long time

Chalmers and halsem do not deserve to start...

I rather go without a pg, than have Rio out there

Here comes Battier - Get ready for a run!!!

Name another PF who gets more touch calls than David West

Chalmers and Battier are complete SH#T right now

Omg, lebron NEVER **** FOULS, HE'S GONE 2-3 game stretches without a foul, suddenly against the pacers, he's gonna average 4 fouls a game

Man we suck.

Mario, Ray, Shane, UD kills this team

Did wade just trip over NOTHING?

If I had a dollar for everytime Shane misses a shot AND falls on the floor

Everything is a foul... Ft disparity?

IND 18-21 MIA 13-20

We need a substitution/rotation coach.

How about a substitution on coach Spo?!?

Hibbert got 19 points We need more of Battier hitting Hubert’s “mid section”

It seems like every player on the pacers is over 6'6"

I want the ball in lebron's hands every time down

Besides LeBron, team playing like a bunch of idiots.

Wade gets fouled, no call... Hibbert gets touched foul..

Foul!?!??! Every time we gain momemtum its a foul!!

I give the Pacers credit, they don't back down. Everytime Miami throws a punch they hit back. But eventually, the Pacers will regress to who they are. The quicker the better

How in the world did we blew out this team on our last regular season meeting lol...?

God I hate Ray Allen isos

We basically need lebron to do everything. Everyone else sucks

Remember when Shane Battier was an NBA player?

**** you Ray

Lebron totally trolled Shaw into that tech

Ray Allen can't do anything right anymore.

All right, get UD in there to punk Tyler.

Let Andersen shoot free throws. Not Allen..

Atleast Battier isn't in... But Ray.... BIRDMAN CAN ATLEAST MAKE HIS FT'S

Bench ray Allen He is done

Ray Allen forgot how to play basketball

Ray Allen is singlehandedly costing us this game

Allen has money on the Pacers tonight

Stephenson looks like a mix between bosh and westbrook...

And we look like **** again.

We don't deserve to win, because we have a clown running this team

We play better with 4 players in line up then 5 if ray Allen is part of the 5. Get that **** off my team now

What is the point on keepin Allen and Wade? If they cant score they're useless.

Ray Allen is useless out there. I rather see James Jones or Mike Miller than Allen. Bench Allen for the rest of the game and put in Miller. ****.

Wade's jumper needs to be worked on this summer like 1000 shots a day

A forced jumper by Ray leads to an open corner three in transition by Hill. I hate how Ray tries to score 90% of the time he puts the ball on the floor. It kills any kind of ball movement we have offensively. If it's a good open shot or he's got it going I don't care, but the dude is ice cold and took a contested pullup j.

Ray Allen is looking like 2011 post season Mile Bibby out there. Yeah I just said it.

Now you see why Boston wanted to get rid of him? Sure he can hit an occasional 3, but who can't? People are in love with the "greatest three point shooter of all time narrarative, but fail to look at the present.

I just wish that Spoelstra would adjust for once in his lifetime but I guess Spobot doesn't not compute.

It's lebron or bust I'm convinced. Spo won't even play MM

Oh wow you finally put miller in

Miller time!

OMG MIKE MILLER WTF

I don't understand this team, they were so strong in the regular season, especially the 27 win streak, everybody was hot on the floor, and now all the magic seems lost

Honestly we need a loss, or else guys will think that they just can turn it on at free will, which they weren't able to do for a long long time.

Is Spo just throwing crap at the wall hoping that it sticks? Wow.

"Lebron plzz carry us, pretty plzzzz" that should be the words of spo in the locker room, honestly

They NEED to get Hibbert in foul trouble. And Ray Allen and Shane Battier need to go f--- off.

1) not gonna happen with these refs 2) not gonna happen with Allen or battier

Ray Rio Shane all garbage!!!!! Where's the focus and sense of urgency??? Veteran-Team my a..!!! It's Miami Cleveland all over again!

Chalmers and Haslem are wastes of space

I still don't understand how Spo or if hes to much of a coward our godfather Pat publicly rips the refs. We can take the fine but force the issue. Wade is like a pinata out there getting wacked left and right yet no calls....

Lebron's D has been freaking awful

Ray killing our d

Chalmers u bumbling idiot

God LeBron we are not worthy bro...

LeBron playing like Superman right now.

Chalmers gtfo please. I hate his face

Bosh hits more 3's than Ray and Battier, amazing LOL

Bosh is the best PF in the game. Is not even close. He's missued by Spoelstra and this team.

#Boshface

Ray can't shoot anymore

Ray Allen sucks...

What is Wade doing?

We really have zero IQ Above all mario chalmers..and wade

Lebron is god

INB4 ANOTHER DWYANE WADE IS DIRTY THREAD.

LeBron is the only one on our team who can get calls and you can bet your a** people will even complain about those.

Refs seem to have a target on Wade

Why is ray in?

Wade is a cancer man His decision making is terrible

****. You. Allen.

Wade and mario has been terrible

Final minute and Wade didnt give the ball to LeBron? seriously?

Why is Wade so selfish? He needs to realize he's done If he doesn't, Miami needs to trade his ass

The Heat would be better in crunch time without Wade.

Its time to start blaming Wade for not losing weight and working on go to moves. The knee is his stupid excuse for being lazy.

The knee is also no excuse for the stupid plays he's made in the playoffs the past 3 seasons.

LeBron are you serious? Epic choke

Lebron is killing me

Damnit Now we get to hear how lebron is a choker

LeBron 2 TO's in a row, just wow He blew it.

Barkley was right; Pacers in 6.

win by the bron, lose by the bron

If we lose this game with lebron having such a huge game.. I am seriously worried for this series

Game over. And likely the series. I'm gonna go throw up. **** you lebron.

Hate to say this, but Pacers are a better team with Bosh and Wade being super passive.

Ray has been awful this series, he cant score and his defense sucks.

Sorry, no superstar should be slapping hands with opponenets, especially ones that just dunked on your boy. MJ and Kobe never did that. LeBron didn’t have the mentality of a star. That’s why he’ll never be GOAT, not even close.

[Discuss on CG Forums!]

Words Can Not Do Craig Sager's Suit Justice

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Sat, 25 May 2013 03:48:00 +0000

For a man who is known for his outrageous suits, Craig Sager may have just outdone himself with this one. Here are a few of the comments about it from Twitter.

Whoever makes Craig Sager's suits should be sued
— Trip Lee (@TripLee116) May 25, 2013

Craig Sager has some really bad suits, but this Neapolitan ice cream looking one is the worst.
— Danielle Hobeika (@dhobeika) May 25, 2013

Craig Sager's jacket tonight appears to have been selected from the Patch Adams collection. Whoa.
— Matt Winer (@matt_winer) May 25, 2013

"@enjoyy0self: RT @king_omar_: Lmaoo Craig sager don't give a f*ck" lookin like a big piece of peppermint ribbon candy
— Truth4Life (@CGLoyalist) May 25, 2013

When TNT executives told Craig Sager to go H.A.M. on the sidelines, I don't think they meant for him to dress like he's at an Easter pageant
— Not Bill Walton (@NotBillWalton) May 25, 2013

Craig Sager looks like one of those backgammon tables in casinos.
— Rey-Rey (@TheNoLookPass) May 25, 2013

And now a word from KG:
[Discuss on CG Forums!]

More on the Draft Workouts - Player Profiles

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Sat, 25 May 2013 02:24:00 +0000

It has been widely reported that the Celtics are working out possible draft picks this week. The workouts scheduled for Friday and Saturday feature mostly point guards and centers, two positions the Celtics could use some help. The Celtics never really had a back up point guard for Rondo last season and after he went down, it was point guard by committee of assorted shooting guards. Doc and Danny both expressed hopes that Terrence Williams could be that back up point guard that they were lacking, but his legal problems this off season will definitely put his status for next season into question.

The Celtics have just one pick in this draft, the 16th pick in the first round. However, Danny has said that he's open to all options including trading up, trading down and trading out. He's also been known to buy picks like when the Celtics got Rondo and Bill Walker. So, it's not surprising that he has interviewed players like Nerlens Noel who will be one of the top picks and that he is working out players who aren't expected to go in the first round. Here's a look at some of the players reported to be working out for the Celtics this week.

Point Guards

Myck Kabongo
Point Guard
6'-3", 180 lbs
College: Texas
Age: 20
Hometown: Toronto, Canada
Class: Sophomore

Reach: 8'-2"
Wingspan: 6'-6
Max Vert: 33.5

Chad Ford has Kabongo at #48 on his big board and projects that he will go late second round to undrafted. According to Draft Express, Kabongo is first and foremost a pass first point guard. He has very good natural point guard instincts, displays a consistently high basketball IQ, and is extremely unselfish. Combine that with his excellent court vision and these are extremely promising qualities for a point guard prospect to have, particularly one at such a young age.

Positives:
Pure point guard
Excellent floor vision/leadership
Makes very few mistakes
Good athlete with quick first step
Great first step to the basket
Good shooter with range out to the 3-point line
Committed defender
Great kid

Negatives:
A bit undersized
Sat out most of the year because of NCAA sanctions

Shane Larkin
Point Guard
6'-0", 171 lbs
College: Miami
Age: 20
Hometown: Orlando, FL
Class: Sophomore

Reach: 7'-6"
Wingspan: 5'-11"
Max Vert: 44
Larkin is ranked #19 by Chad Ford and projected to go in the mid first round. Larkin's claim to fame in the combine was the fact that he came in with the second highest max vertical leap in the history of the combine. He goes #21 to the Jazz on Ford's mock draft 3.0.

Positives:
Super quick point guard
Excellent shooter with range
Pesky defender who racks up steals
Sees the floor well
Aggressive

Negatives:
Undersized for his position
Rarely gets to the free throw line
Struggles as a finisher

Phil Pressey Point Guard
6'-0", 177 lbs
College: Missouri
Age: 22
Hometown: Dallas, TX
Class: Junior

Reach: 7'-8"
Wingspan: 6'-2"
Max Vert: 38.5
Ranked #46 on Ford's Big Board and projected to go late second round to undrafted.

Positives:
Pass first point guard
Very quick
Super high motor
Very confident
Excellent leader

Negatives:
Undersized for his position
Needs to improve his jump shot

Pierre Jackson
Point Guard
5'-11", 176 lbs
College: Baylor
Age: 21
Hometown: Las Vegas, NV
Class: Senior

Reach: 7'-6"
Wingspan: 5'-10"
Max Vert: 42
Jackson is ranked #30 on Ford's Big Board and is a projected late first round pick. Jackson was the best player at the recent New Jersey workouts. Not only did he show off his elite quickness and athletic ability, but he also showed off his floor general skills. He goes #25 to the Clippers on Ford's mock draft 3.0

Positives:
Quick, speedy guard
Good scoring instincts
Explosive leaper, 44-inch vertical
Solid shooter, with 3-point range
Pesky defender

Negatives:
Can be prone to turnovers
Undersized for his position
Is he a true PG?

Peyton Siva
Point Guard
6'-1", 181 lbs
College: Louisville
Age: 22
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Class: Senior

Reach: 7'-9"
Wingspan: 6'-3
Max Vert: 41.5
Siva is ranked #70 overall on the Big Board. He is projected as a second round pick or undrafted.

Positives:
Quick, athletic guard
Explosive athlete
Excellent, lock down defender
A blur in the open court
Good passer, sees the floor well

Negatives:
Lacks ideal size for the position
Shaky from the perimeter
Questionable shot selection

Erick Green
Point Guard
6'-3", 178 lbs
College: Virginia Tech
Age: 22
Hometown: Winchester, VA
Class: Senior
Reac: h8'-2"
Wingspan: 6'-6"
Max Vert: N/A
Green is ranked #39 on Ford's big board. Projected to be a late first round pick. Just what the Celtics need, another player named Green.

Positives:
Athletic combo guard
Can really score the basketball
Good shooter with 3-point range
Is excellent in transition
Quick first step

Negatives:
Is he a tweener?
More of a scorer than a PG
Needs to add strength

Centers

Jeff Withey
Center
7'-0", 222 lbs
College: Kansas
Age: 23
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Class: Senior
Reach: 9'-3"
Wingspan: 7'-2"
Max Vert: 29.0
Withey is ranked #26 on Ford's big board. He is projected as a mid first round pick and on Ford's mock draft 3.0, he goes to the Nets with the 22nd pick.

Positives:
Long, mobile big man
Can convert shots around the basket
Good shot-blocker

Negatives:
Needs to add strength
Lacks experience
Needs to improve post moves

Colton Iverson
Center
7'-0", 263 lbs
College: Colorado State
Age: 23
Hometown: Yankton, SD
Class: Senior
Reach: 9'-2"
Wingspan: 7'-2"
Max Vert: N/A
Iverson is ranked #51 on Ford's big board and is projected second round to undrafted.

Positives:
Big space eater (emphasis on BIG)
Solid scorer in the post
Good rebounder

Negatives:
Not an elite athlete
Old for his class

Greg Echenique
Center
6'8", 265 lbs
College: Creighton
Age: 22
Hometown: Newark, NJ
Class: Senior
Reach: N/A
Wingspan: N/A
Max Vert: N/A
Echenique is not ranked in Ford's top 100 players.

Positives:
Powerfully built
Extremely strong physical interior presence
Can carve out space in the post
Great finisher around the basket
Terrific area rebounder
Overall very active big man

Negatives:
Doesn't have a big wingspan so is undersized
Turnover prone
Limited somewhat offensively

Steven Adams
Center
7'-0", 255 lbs
College: Pittsburgh
Age: 19
Hometown: Rotorua, New Zealand
Class: Freshman
Reach: 9'-2"
Wingspan: 7'-5"
Max Vert: 33
Adams is ranked #13 overall on Ford's big board. He is a projected lottery pick. On Ford's mock draft 3.0, Stevens is projected to go to the Thunder with the 12th pick.

Positives:
Long, athletic big man
NBA body with huge hands
Very physical player
Terrific rebounder
Excellent motor

Negatives:
Needs to add experience/polish
Looks completely lost on offense
Very young for a NBA prospect

[Discuss on CG Forums!]

In Spite of Danny's Assurances Doc's Return Not 100% Certain

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Sat, 25 May 2013 00:22:00 +0000

Much of the Celtics talk this off season so far has been centered on whether Doc will return. As he does every year, he left the question open after the Celtics were eliminated from the playoffs so that he could take time off to unwind and consider his options.

Doc's absence at the draft combine last week caused a stir and led to more than a few rumors. Danny explained to those asking that Doc had injured his hamstring and so was unable to come to the combine. As the questions continued, Danny finally said outright that Doc was coming back. Speaking to Gary Washburn of the Globe, Danny confirmed that Doc would return for his 10th season as Celtics coach.

"Yeah (he'll be back), Doc and I are talking about our team next year," Ainge said. "(No suspense) from my perspective. We've got a great coach. We've got a coach everybody would love to have and he's got three years left on his contract and I think Doc likes Boston, too.Coaches get tired, though. It's a hard job.

"You guys are the only one (who made it an issue)."

Danny wasn't kidding that everyone would love to have Doc. There were the rumors early that the Clippers were making a play to get him. This week, the rumor was that the Nets asked for permission to talk to Doc and were refused permission according to Jackie MacMullan on ESPN Boston. In the same article Danny also reiterated his belief that Doc was returning to coach the Celtics.

Boston Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge denied the Brooklyn Nets permission to speak to Doc Rivers about their vacant coaching position, team and league sources confirmed to ESPNBoston.com.

Reached late Thursday, Ainge refused to comment on the Nets' interest in Rivers and reiterated that he expects him back on the Celtics' bench next season.

"Doc has told me he's coming back," Ainge said bluntly. "I talk to him almost every day about our team and what we are going to do moving forward."

Jackie Mac's article also mentioned an offer that Doc received last season that he briefly considered for obvious reasons. Doc started his coaching career with the Magic. His home is in Orlando and that had to be tempting. But, again, he chose to remain with the Celtics as their coach.

Last season, the Orlando Magic offered Rivers the job of team president, which would have entailed everything from schmoozing with corporate sponsors to running the front office. Though he had previously insisted he had "little to no interest" in running a franchise, the financial windfall and unilateral power that would come with such a position (not to mention the proximity to his home base) gave him some brief pause. Ultimately, Rivers rebuffed the Magic and determined he wasn't done coaching.

This week, Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck was on with Felger and Mazz and he also expressed his thoughts that he expects Doc to return for this season.

"Our indications are that Doc's coming back," Grousbeck said. "Everybody gets time to unwind and decompress," Grousbeck said. "And I expect Doc is gonna help Danny with draft workouts, I expect he'll be in the war room June 27 when all the draft and trades, if any, are made, and the over the free agency period a week after that."

Ok, Danny and Wyc seem certain that Doc is coming back, but there is one problem. We haven't heard it from Doc and that leaves some questions. And, it brings us to the article in today's Herald where they quote sources saying that Doc's return isn't a sure thing.

Despite the Celtics’ strong desire to put the matter behind them, Doc Rivers’ immediate future with the club has still not been decided. The word as expressed to us is that it is “90-10” that Rivers will continue on a contract that has three years and $21 million remaining. If he leaves the Celtics, it will not be with the intent of coaching another team.

Doc is now in Boston. Hopefully he puts an end to all the speculation that is swirling around whether or not he will return. Until we hear it from Doc's own mouth, the speculation will remain. Come on Doc, put us all out of our misery.

[Discuss on CG Forums!]

Fiddlin' and Diddlin' Celtics Daily Links - 5/24

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Fri, 24 May 2013 15:03:00 +0000

Herald Sullinger encouraged by taking his rehab slowly
Sullinger encouraged by taking his rehab slowly
Notebook: Rookie Jared Sullinger lets Doc Rivers and Co. ‘breathe’
Jared Sullinger’s a class act
Globe NBA Quick Hits: 5 questionable coaching decisions
Danny Ainge denies Brooklyn Nets permission to talk to Doc Rivers
Celtics Green All NBA Teams Announced - No Celtics
Chris Wilcox is One of the Good Guys
Jared Sullinger Rehab Update
Orlando Summer League Update: Teams, Schedule, Details
Celtics to Begin Player Workouts for Draft

Mercer Island Patch NBA's Jason Terry Puts $2.5M Mercer Island Mansion on Market
CelticsBlog Jared Sullinger on the comeback trail
Wyc Grousbeck: "I don't know what will happen"
Celtics deny Brooklyn Nets permission to speak to Doc Rivers
ESPN   Sullinger ready to work his way back
Grousbeck: 'I don't know what will happen'
Doc's not going anywhere -- right?
Report Card: The braintrust
Doc Rivers shows no signs of leaving Boston Celtics
Lex Nihil Novi 32-9 Celtics Ready to Start Second Half of Season
CLNS Radio Report Card: Brandon Bass
Exclusive: Mickael Pietrus Wants To Return To Boston
Celtics Life A Pair of 9s: The Parallel Paths of Rajon Rondo and Tony Parker
Red's Army Paul George’s outfit far worse than defense on final play
What do we do with… Fab Melo?
Sullinger ramping up rehab workouts
Your Morning Dump… Where Wyc doesn’t know what will happen
CSNNE    Report: Lue a candidate for job with Raptors
Let's play a game of Celtics 'Would You Rather?'
Grousbeck: 'Multi-year plan' for championship
Wyc: Indications are Doc's returning
Celtics Hub   Brooklyn Nets Denied Permission To Speak With Doc Rivers About Coaching Position
Why Is Doc Rivers Waiting to Confirm His Return to the Celtics Next Season? A Theory on The Wait
Celtics Town   Doc Rivers turned down an offer to be Orlando Magic team president
Green Street   Jared Sullinger: ‘I’ll be 100 percent’ by September
Report: Nets denied permission to speak to Doc Rivers
Mass Live Jared Sullinger injury update: Boston Celtics forward feels like he played on one leg last season
2013 All-NBA teams announced: Paul Pierce comes closest, but no Boston Celtics selected
Yahoo   Jared Sullinger Expects to Be Healthy for Boston Celtics by September
Boston Celtics Must Waive Jason Terry This Offseason
Oklahoma City Thunder Avoid Amnestying Kendrick Perkins
Terrence Williams and the Boston Celtics Need to Part Ways
SI.com   Phil Jackson would take Bill Russell, not Michael Jordan, as first player to start team
Bleacher Report   Biggest Questions and Answers for the Boston Celtics This Offseason
Paul Pierce: Top 5 Reasons the Boston Celtics Should Hang on to the Truth
Boston Celtics' Step-by-Step Guide to the Offseason
King James Gospel On This Date in NBA Playoffs: May 23, The Beat L.A. Chant was Born
Wicked Local PHOTO GALLERY / 'Lucky' the Celtics Mascot visits Cushing - Scituate

[Discuss on CG Forums!]

Celtics to Begin Player Workouts for Draft

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Thu, 23 May 2013 23:49:00 +0000

Am told Celtics are bringing in 12 draft prospects to workout over the next two days, 6 of them point guards.
— Baxter Holmes (@BaxterHolmes) May 23, 2013

Of the PGs 4 are, shall we say, small: Shane Larkin (5-11), Phil Pressey (5-11), Pierre Jackson (5-10) & Peyton Siva (6-0)
— Baxter Holmes (@BaxterHolmes) May 23, 2013

Total breakdown, as of now: 6 point guards (4 small, 2 normal size), a couple of shooting guards & four bigs.
— Baxter Holmes (@BaxterHolmes) May 23, 2013

Another draft prospect that the Celtics will be working out: Texas PG Myck Kabongo.
— Baxter Holmes (@BaxterHolmes) May 23, 2013

Ricardo Ledo will meet/workout with the Boston Celtics on Friday, Danny Ainge has the 16th pick in the First Round.
— RI Hoops (@RIHoops) May 22, 2013

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Orlando Summer League Update: Teams, Schedule, Details

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Thu, 23 May 2013 21:13:00 +0000

Last season, with 3 new rookies, a couple of second year players, and several spots to fill cheaply with free agents, the Celtics participated in both the Vegas and Orlando Summer Leagues.

This season, with just one second year player and one draft pick, along with the trio from China to evaluate, the Celtics have announced that they will participate in only the Orlando Summer League. It's cheaper than Vegas and also in Doc's home town, which makes it the logical choice.

Orlando Pinstriped Post has announced some details for this year's Summer League. The dates for the 2013 Orlando Summer League will be Sunday, July 7 through Friday July 12. The 10 teams participating this year will be: Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, Philadelphia 76ers, and Utah Jazz, and Orlando Magic.

The event will run from July 7th through the 12th. The games will be played on the Magic's practice court at Amway Center. As in years past, the games will be closed to the public due to space concerns. Following the Vegas Summer League's lead, there will be a new format for Orlando's Summer League. From Pinstriped Post:

Each of the 10 teams will play four games over the first five days of the event. July 12th, designated Championship Day, will crown a winner of the 2013 Orlando Pro Summer League. Championship Day is a new addition to the event.

To determine seeding for Championship Day, points will be awarded based on results from the first five days of Summer League play. Three points will be awarded for a win, with one point being awarded for each quarter won. In the event that teams tie in a quarter, then each team will receive 0.5 points.

The tiebreakers, for seeding purposes, are, in order: total point differential and total points allowed. A coin flip will serve as the third tiebreaker.

Check out the complete schedule after the jump:

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Jared Sullinger Rehab Update

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Thu, 23 May 2013 20:45:00 +0000

When the draft workouts started last year, Jared Sullinger was considered a definite lottery pick, most likely in the top 10, with some people putting him as high as #5. Then came the medical red flag. He had a bulging disc in his back and that scared most of the GM's off. But Danny Ainge has never been afraid to take a chance and when Jared was still available at 21, there was no question that he would be a Celtic.

That gamble paid off early as Sully became the Celtics best rebounder and, even as a rookie, was making a difference with his play. He showed a maturity beyond his years and even impressed Kevin Garnett who immediately became his mentor. He even cracked the starting lineup for Doc Rivers, who has never been one to play rookies without their earning the honor.

But 45 games into the season he couldn't continue and needed back surgery, which should alleviate any further concerns about the back issue that caused him to slip in the draft. His play in his rookie season becomes even more impressive with this admission to ESPN Boston's Chris Forsberg:

"Honestly, when I was playing, I was playing on one leg," said Sullinger. "My right leg was pretty much dead. I couldn’t push off, didn’t have any strength behind it. With the right leg being the way it was, and still being able to produce the way I did, I guess it sets a bit of a foundation, but mentally I know I can play better."

Sullinger said doctors gave him the OK to resume light workouts about two weeks ago after being virtually immobile -- outside of walking -- since the surgery. Team doctors and strength coach Bryan Doo have constructed a 10-week program that will see his activity ramped up about 10 percent every two weeks.

Sully has been rehabbing with fellow Celtic Rajon Rondo and the two have drawn inspiration and motivation from each other. Rondo is also on track to be ready for training camp. Sully won't be in Summer League, but after his play in his rookie season, he has proved that he can play and missing summer league isn't a big deal. Personally, I can't wait to see the new and improved Sully when training camp starts.

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Chris Wilcox is One of the Good Guys

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Thu, 23 May 2013 20:15:00 +0000

We don't know if Chris Wilcox will return next year or not. He didn't really get a fair shake this past season, considering that he had heart surgery on March 29 and was back playing in training camp in October. Jeff Green's surgery was on January 9, almost 3 months earlier and it still took him until after the All Star game to finally start feeling almost normal again.

I think Chris came back too quickly because he was hampered early by injuries. He wasn't able to get back to where he was before the surgery. Chris's strength was his ability to run with Rajon Rondo and finish at the basket. By the time he finally was getting his conditioning and timing back, Rondo went down with the knee injury. I'd really like to see him get another chance with the Celtics next season.

Along with what he can bring on the court, Chris is making a difference off the court. He tweeted the following about his upcoming charity golf game to benefit The Lupus Foundation and the American Heart Association.

@sherrodbcsn Save the date for my #golfouting on Sept 9th. Hope you can make it. twitter.com/ChrisWilcox44/…
— Chris Wilcox (@ChrisWilcox44) May 23, 2013

"At the end of the day, Boston gave me a second chance on life, a second chance on my career," Wilcox told CSNNE.com."I owe everything to them for giving me that opportunity. But at the same time, I want to give back to the community and show the fans that I appreciate the support they gave me when I was going through what I was going through."

On May 13th, Chris hosted 10 students from Oak Hill Middle School for a basketball clinic. He gave them basketball tips as well as stressing the importance of living a healthy lifestyle. After the basketball clinic, Chris was able to share his story with the kids and he encouraged them to make every day count. He also took them on a special tour of the Celtics locker room and training room. I'll always pull for Chris, whether he's back with the Celtics or not. Personally, I'd love to have him back.

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All NBA Teams Announced - No Celtics

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:24:00 +0000

The All NBA Teams have been announced and to no one's surprise, there are no Celtics on them. Also to no one's surprise, LeBron James and Kevin Durant led the voting.

Paul Pierce received 24 votes. Kevin Garnett received 8 votes. Rajon Rondo received 1 vote. As I said, it isn't a big surprise. One thing I would add is that at this point in his career, I think Kobe Bryant made the team more on reputation than on his level of play this past season. Also, I don't believe that Dwight Howard deserved a spot, even on the 3rd team. There were centers this season who were better. But, that's just my opinion.

History shows that the Celtics haven't been voted to the All NBA Teams all that often anyway. After the jump, see a chart of all the All past Celtics selections courtesy of RealGM. (Hint: thank goodness for Larry Bird.)

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Fiddlin' and Diddlin' Celtics Daily Links - 5/23

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Thu, 23 May 2013 15:27:00 +0000

Herald   NBA draft order set, so who goes No. 1?
Delay in case vs. Celtics’ Terrence Williams
Globe A blessing for the Celtics? Minority owner gives jersey to Pope
Prosecutors delay bringing assault charges against Terrence Williams
Celtics Green No Team USA for Doc and an Olympic Anecdote
Celtics Owner Presents Team Jersey to Pope Francis
May 22, 1988: Larry vs Dominique - A Duel for the Ages
Doc Rivers is the Highest Paid NBA Coach
SB Nation NBA Mock Draft 2013 roundup: Nerlens Noel likely to go No. 1 overall to Cleveland

ESPN Charges delayed against Williams
Lex Nihil Novi Walton Wants Out of Portland: Sixers on his Short List
Russell v. Chamberlain: Game 2
CLNS Radio   Report Card: Jason Terry
Report Card: Brandon Bass
Red's Army Doc Rivers won’t be coaching Team USA in 2016
Your Morning Dump… Where a papal blessing can’t hurt
NESN   Bill Belichick Drops to No. 2 on Forbes’ Highest-Paid Coaches List
Boston Celtics Co-Owner James Pallotta Presents Team Jersey to Pope at Vatican
Mass Live 2013 NBA Draft: Boston Celtics met with projected No. 1 pick Nerlens Noel at combine
Terrence Williams' case still being reviewed; prosecution needs more time for investigation of Boston Celtics guard
Bleacher Report   It's Been Real, Paul Pierce: A History of the 'Truth' as We Knew Him
Boston's Paul Pierce for Indiana's Danny Granger Makes Sense for Both Teams
Ranking the Boston Celtics' Most Likely NBA Free Agency Moves
Where Tim Duncan's Big Three Ranks with Greatest NBA Playoff Trios
Potential Trade Packages and Scenarios to Shake Up Boston Celtics' Future
Celtics Life What the Hell Happened to...Jamel Thomas?
Dime Mag D.J. Stephens Sets NBA Draft Combine Vertical Leap Record: Watch His 12 Best Dunks
Boston Celtics Corner   Drumroll Please..
Fox Sports NBA Epic Celtics fail at the Vatican?
Sports World Report   Boston Celtics Rumors: Paul Pierce Traded for Josh Smith?
Forbes The Highest-Paid Coaches In American Sports 2013
USA Today   NBA legend raffling off championship ring for charity
Sports Jerks   After Disappointing 2013 Playoff Run, Boston Celtics Look Ahead
Slam Online   Final Call

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Doc Rivers is the Highest Paid NBA Coach

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Thu, 23 May 2013 01:40:00 +0000

Forbes has posted their The Highest-Paid Coaches In American Sports 2013 list. NFL coaches dominate the top 10 with only 2 NBA coaches breaking into the list. Doc Rivers is in a 4 way tie with 3 football coaches for the 3rd highest paid coach this year and is tops in the NBA. The only other NBA coach to break into the top 10 is Gregg Popovich. The Patriot's Bill Belichek is 2nd on the list behind Sean Payton. Here is the list of the 10 highest paid coaches in the US, according to Forbes.

1. Sean Payton $8 Million
2. Bill Belichek $7.5 Million
3. Andy Reid $7.5 Million
3. Pete Carroll $7 Million
3. Jeff Fisher $7 Million
3. Doc Rivers $7 Million
3. Mike Shanahan $7 Million
4. Tom Coughlin $6.67 Million
5. Chip Kelly $6.5 Million
6. Gregg Popovich $6 Million

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May 22, 1988: Larry vs Dominique - A Duel for the Ages

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Thu, 23 May 2013 00:25:00 +0000

Twenty-five years ago today, on May 22, 1988, the Celtics played the Hawks in game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. Little did they know as that game began that this would be a game for the ages with a shooting duel between two of the greatest small forwards in NBA history. It was Larry Legend versus the Human Highlight Reel in an epic showdown destined to become one of the most memorable games in NBA playoff history. In an interesting side note, the point guard for the Hawks in this game was one Glenn "Doc" Rivers, who is now the coach of the Celtics.

Dominique scored 16 of his 47 points in the 4th quarter duel while Bird scored 20 of his 34 points in that final quarter and, more importantly, Bird's Celtics got the 118-116 victory, and a 4-3 win in the series. The Hawks have posted Nique vs. Bird: An Oral History of the NBA's Greatest Playoff Duel on their website and it is a great read to take you back to this iconic game. The one and only Tommy Heinsohn was calling the game for CBS that day.

"It’s a duel. Who’s going to blink first?" -- CBS analyst Tommy Heinsohn

I doubt we will ever see a display of pure basketball greatness like this ever again. As Magic Johnson said, "There will never, ever, ever be another Larry Bird."

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Celtics Owner Presents Team Jersey to Pope Francis

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:33:00 +0000

photo courtesy @Celtics instagram

Photo via Instagram/@celtics

Read more at: http://nesn.com/2013/05/boston-celtics-co-owner-presents-team-jersey-to-pope-at-vatican-photo/

According to NESN, Celtics minority owner James Pallotta was at the Vatican on Wednesday and presented Pope Francis with a Celtics Jersey with "The Pope" and #1 on the back. That is just too awesome. Mr Pallotta, the president of AS Roma soccer team, was in Italy for the Italian Cup final and was part of a visit by AS Roma and Lazio, the two teams in the finals. Each soccer team presented Pope Francis with their team jersey and the Celtics jersey from Pallotta was a bonus.

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No Team USA for Doc and an Olympic Anecdote

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:09:00 +0000

After the Olympics, it was reported that Team USA coach, Mike Krzyzewski was thinking of retiring and that Doc Rivers, along with Gregg Popovich and Doug Collins, was a frontrunner to replace him. Doc had said that he would be honored to coach the US Olympic team. Now, it seems that none of the 3 will take over the job as according to SI's Pete Thamel, Krzyzewski will return as the coach of Team USA.

Under Krzyzewski Team USA has won gold medals in both the 2008 Beijing Olympics and the 2012 London Olympics. He has an incredible 62-1 record as coach of Team USA. After returning from London, he said that he was retiring and maintained for months that he would not return. However, he reversed his decision in an interview with SI.com on Saturday. He will will remain Team USA coach for the 2014 FIBA World Championship in Madrid and the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Doc will have to wait a bit longer for another chance at the gold medal that eluded him in 1982 when the USA team won the silver in the World Championships.

Between the United States' Moscow Olympics boycott in 1980 and a Los Angeles basketball gold medal in '84, Rivers staggered off the floor at the 1982 world championships, devastated over the defeat. (Getty Images)

"We had to stand in line for our medals, and I wanted to throw the thing in the garbage," Rivers said Tuesday morning over breakfast on the city's Canary Wharf.

"Silver [expletive] medal."

After the public-address announcer in Cali, Colombia, summoned Rivers to accept his MVP trophy, 10, perhaps 20, seconds passed, and United States coach Bob Weltlich implored him: "Doc, you have to go get that trophy. YOU HAVE TO GET IT!"

Hours later, Rivers tried to leave the trophy in the hotel lobby as the Americans departed for the airport, only to have some coaches or staff scoop it up and run the award back to him. "Bobby Knight [the '84 Olympic coach] was on the trip," Rivers says, "and I remember him telling me right afterward: 'You're on the Olympic team. Just stay in school, and you're on the team.' "

However, Doc didn't stay in school and pros didn't play in the Olympics back then. He was given a promise from a team to take him in the first round but was once again disappointed when the team didn't honor the promise and he slipped into the second round. But, he still had no regrets and had a solid 13 year career in the NBA and now is one of the best and most respected broadcasters and coaches in the league. Maybe Doc's chance at Olympic redemption will finally come in 2020.

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Fiddlin' and Diddlin' Celtics Daily Links - 5/22

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Wed, 22 May 2013 16:18:00 +0000

Herald   Thunder star Kevin Durant makes $1M tornado pledge
Danny Ainge evaluates all options
Globe   Whom would you rather have: Bradley or Shumpert?
Celtics: Keep or replace him?
Celtics Green Ford: With the 16th Pick, The Boston Celtics Pick Dennis Schroeder
Sweet 16 - A Look at the History of the 16th Pick
Some Paul Pierce Trade Rumblings
Celtics Blog   2013 NBA Draft Prospect Profile: Mason Plumlee
Mock draft watch: Who the experts say the Boston Celtics will pick in the NBA Draft

Atlanta Daily World Atlanta Hawks Create Oral History of 1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 7
ESPN   Summer romance: A Gordon swap?
Report Card: The Injured
Lex Nihil Novi Russell v. Chamberlain: Game 1
1980-81 Celtics Starting to Make Some Noise
Celtics Life 2013 Free Agency: Could J.J. Redick become a Celtic?
CLNS Radio Ray Allen: EC Finals no different with Miami Heat then with Boston Celtics
Red's Army   What do we do with… Jared Sullinger?
Your Morning Dump…where the NBA is trying real hard to make it up to Cleveland
Toronto trying to lure Tyronn Lue off C’s bench
Mock draft: Dennis Schroeder is a young Rondo
CSNNE   Wakeup Call: A great escape for the Spurs
Mass Live Boston Celtics rumors 2013: Team could promote Tyronn Lue to bench assistant to keep Toronto Raptors from luring him
Bleacher Report Tony Allen Sells Key 4th-Quarter Flagrant with Phantom Head Injury in Game 2
Burning Unanswered Questions Boston Celtics Are Facing During 2013 Offseason
Biz Journals Celtics management makes paperless ticketing available for all season ticket holders
Yahoo Boston Celtics Need to Cut Paul Pierce
SB Nation   Small markets, smart decisons and the new collective bargaining agreement
Rant Sports Ranking the Top 5 Single-Game Comebacks in Boston Playoff History
Boston Super Blog   NBA Draft Lottery: 5 Biggest Game Changers To Come From NBA Draft Lottery Conspiracies and Bad Luck

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Ford: With the 16th Pick, The Boston Celtics Pick Dennis Schroeder

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:55:00 +0000

As I posted earlier, there is a huge difference among mock drafts as to who the Celtics (and everyone else) are going to pick. Of the 38 mock drafts I checked out at the time, there were 17 different players projected as the Celtics pick at 16. With the lottery in the books and teams holding workouts and players moving up and down in scouts' opinions, things will more than likely settle out and there will be a bit more consensus among the mock drafts.

It seems these days that every blog has their own mock draft but among all the mocks, there are a couple that have more credence than the others. Chad Ford's mock draft on ESPN Insider is the big daddy of all the drafts and the one that most people consult. He's not always right (not even close) but he is knowledgeable and has sources and so he comes as close as any. His mock draft 1.0 had the Celtics taking Kelly Olynyk who has moved out of the first round on his current mock. in his mock draft 2.0, he projected the Celtics' pick to be Michael Carter-Williams, whose stock has risen to the point that Ford has him going 7th to the Kings in his current mock.

In mock draft 3.0, he projects that the Celtics will take Dennis Schroeder from Germany with the 16th pick. It's possible that Terrence Williams' legal problems could be influencing Ford's thinking in this one. Danny seemed pretty certain that Williams would be a suitable back up for Rondo at the point. Now, no one is certain about Williams' future with the Celtics. This may figure into Ford's thoughts that the Celtics will pick a point guard at this position rather than a big.

Here is his blurb discussing the pick and a tweet suggesting that Schroeder has a promise from a team:

Analysis: With Rajon Rondo's future up in the air, could the Celtics take the guy who many scouts compare to a young Rondo? Both are quick, long and have huge hands. Both play a frantic style of basketball and both have swagger. The rumors flying around Chicago were that Schroeder had a promise from a team. The Celtics seem like just the sort of team that would try to lock him down.

Hearing first 2 promises of 2013 Draft: Dennis Schroeder & Giannis Antetokounmpo both given 1st round guarantees sources say.
— Chad Ford (@chadfordinsider) May 16, 2013

More on speculation on the promise from Sean Deveney of the Sporting News:

I was curious, so I asked Schroeder about it. “I got an infection in my tooth,” Schroeder explained, pointing to his right cheek. “My dentist said 10 days off, so I take a break. I have had it for a month, it is really bad, it really hurts.”

Whenever someone begs out of workouts because of something like a tooth problem, there is an immediate red flag—Schroeder has, perhaps, received a promise from a team in the first round, and decided it wasn’t necessary to go through the Chicago workouts. He also told me he is not going to the June Euro camp in Treviso, and will stay in the U.S. to work out for teams—which only further raises the suspicion that someone around the middle of the first round has told him he’s their pick.

Now, it’s only May 16, and we have not even had the draft lottery yet, so it is extremely early for teams to be giving out promises. But Schroeder—who has drawn comparisons to Rajon Rondo—has seen his stock soar in the wake of the Nike Hoop Summit, in which he scored 18 points, dished six assists and looked very much like a man among boys.

“I think that helped me a lot,” he told me. “Before the Hoop Summit, nobody knows me. But it helped me a lot, because I played good in the game now the scouts want me to work out.”

Well, they wanted him to work out in Chicago, at least until that toothache got in the way.

Schroeder's player card on ESPN lists his positives and negatives. He's being compared to Rajon Rondo because of his huge wingspan and ball handling and ability to penetrate. One of the negatives is that he is more of a scoring than passing point guard. that certainly doesn't sound like Rajon Rondo. But, it could be a very good balance between the two.

Positives:
Super quick guard
Great speed in the open court
Huge wingspan for a PG
Excellent ball handler
Lethal penetrator
Aggressive attacking the basket
Solid passer off penetration

Negatives:
Needs to add strength
Basketball IQ could use improvement
More of a scoring than passing PG

Danny has said that he will take the best player available and if Schroeder is it, that opens up some other questions, Does Danny plan on having 2 Rondo's on the team, with Schroeder backing up Rondo or vice versa. Or, will he be looking to trade the current Rondo and then replace him with Schroeder. It does lead to an interesting discussion.

And finally, here is a highlight video of Schroeder from the Nike Hoops Summit.

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Sweet 16 - A Look at the History of the 16th Pick

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Wed, 22 May 2013 03:19:00 +0000

With the draft lottery in the books and we now know the order of the top 14 picks, the mocks can start getting serious. We now know that Cleveland gets the top pick (AGAIN!) with Orlando #2 and Washington #3. An interesting note from the lottery is that the Raptors didn't move up and had the #12 pick. If their pick had been in the top 11, they would have kept the pick. But, since they have the 12th pick, the Thunder will now get that pick. This is a case of the rich getting richer.

The Celtics will have the 16th pick, just 2 outside the lottery picks. I thought it would be fun to take a look at the history of the 16th pick to see what illustrious players were chosen in that spot through the years. Here it is from 1982 through 2012.
1982 Terry Teagle (HOU)
1983 John Sunvold (SEA)
1984 John Stockton (UTA)
1985 Bill Wennington (DAL)
1986 Mo Martin (DEN)
1987 Christian Welp (PHI)
1988 Derrick Chievous (HOU)
1989 Dana Barros (SEA)
1990 Terry Mills (MIL)

Lots more after the Jump!

1991 Chris Gatling (GSW)
1992 Randy Woods (LAC)
1993 Rex Walters (NJN)
1994 Clifford Rozier (GSW)
1995 Alan Henderson (ATL)
1996 Tony Delk (CHH)
1997 Brevin Knight (CLE)
1998 Bryce Drew (HOU)
1999 Ron Artest (CHI)
2000 Hedo Turkoglu (SAC)
2001 Kirk Haston (CHH)
2002 Jiri Welsh (PHI)
2003 Troy Bell (BOS) (traded for Marcus Banks taken #13)
2004 Kirk Snyder (UTA)
2005 Joey Graham (TOR)
2006 Rodney Carney (CHI)
2007 Nick Young (WAS)
2008 Marreese Speights (PHI)
2009 James Johnson (CHI)
2010 Luke Babbitt (MIN)
2011 Nikola Vucevic (PHI)
2012 Royce White (HOU)

I'm sure your first thought in looking over this list is to wonder who in the world many of these guys are. There certainly seem to be quite a few who never made a mark in the league. Other than John Stockton, I wouldn't consider most of these guys stars. There are a few who have had nice careers as role players.

The Celtics have had the 16th pick one other time since 1982 and that was in 2003 when they picked Troy Bell and then traded him to Memphis for Marcus Banks, who was taken 13th. Three players who had been the #16 pick ended up with the Celtics later in their careers: Dana Barros, Tony Delk and Jiri Welsch.

Now, let's take a look at just a few players taken after the 16th pick that you might recognize .
Doc Rivers (31)
Mark Price (25)
Reggie Lewis (22)
Mark Jackson (18)
Brian Shaw (24)
Rick Barry (18)
Dino Raja (40)
Joe Dumars (18)
AC Green (23)
Stephen Jackson (42)
Ricky Davis (21)
Al Harrington (25)
Tyronn Lue (23)
Manu Ginobili (57)
Eddie House (37)
James Posey (18)
Andrei Kirilenko (24)
Manu Ginobili (57)
Zach Randolph (18)
Tony Parker (28)
Gilbert Arenas (30)
Tayshaun Prince (23)
Carlos Boozer (34)
David West (18)
Kendrick Perkins (27)
Anderson Varejao (30)
Tony Allen (25)
Delonte West (24)
Kevin Martin (26)
JR Smith (18)
Josh Smith (17)
Danny Granger (17)
David Lee (30)
Marcin Gortat (57)
Tiago Splitter (28)
Big Baby Davis (35)
Roy Hibbert (17)
Serge Ibaka (24)
Jrue Holliday (17)
Eric Bledsoe (18)
Avery Bradley (19)
Iman Shumpert (17)
Kenneth Faried (22)
Norris Cole (28)
Jimmy Butler (30)

Drafting is such an inexact science. Even some of the #1 picks have not been stars and many players that were passed over by every team in the first round like Manu Ginobili, Anderson Varejao, David Lee, and Doc Rivers ended up being very solid players. We can only hope that Danny does his due diligence and finds a gem at #16. Of course there is always the possibility of a trade - up, down, or out of the first round. Expect a lot of rumors and mock drafts between now and the draft.

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Some Paul Pierce Trade Rumblings

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:01:00 +0000

Just heard strange rumor from EC source: Celtics talking about possibility of Pierce and Bradley for Eric Gordon.
— Michael McNamara (@McNamara247) May 21, 2013

We knew the rumors would be coming. Other than Stephen A Smith's inane mumbling, this is the first legit rumor that I've heard. We know that Danny has to make the decision on Paul Pierce first so it would be logical that he is taking and making offers for the Captain.

We know that Danny had to at least see what was out there for Pierce before making his decision. Pierce and Bradley for Gorden works in the trade checker. Personally, I don't think Pierce would play for the Pelicans. If Danny were to make this trade, I think the Pelicans do it to get Bradley and would buy out Pierce for cap space. That would leave Pierce free to sign with whatever team he chooses.

In Gordon, the Celtics would get a 6'3", 24 year old guard who can shoot the ball. He averaged 17.0 points, 1.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists in 30.1 minutes per game last season. He shot 44.3% from the field, 36.3% from beyond the arc and 81.3% from the line. The one big question about Gordon is that he seems injury prone. He has missed significant time in every season except his rookie year.

This wouldn't be the worst that Danny could do. But then again, he would be committing another 3 years to Gorden at $14.2, $14.9 and $15.5 million. That's a risky investment for a player who has the injury history of Gordon. According to McNamara, Danny is discussing a handful of scenarios regarding Pierce and that makes sense. The key is going to be whether any of those scenarios will net Danny a player he feels will help the team more than Paul Pierce will.

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Fiddlin' and Diddlin' Celtics Daily Links - 5/21

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Tue, 21 May 2013 16:24:00 +0000

Herald   Terrence Williams posts bail following arrest
Terrence Williams up on charges
Celtics Green A Possible Draft Target: Giannis Antetokunpo
Terrence Williams Update
CelticsBlog Level setting expectations for the 16th pick in the NBA Draft
NBA Draft Combine observations
CLNS Radio Celtics Draft Prospect: Gorgui Dieng
Report Card: Paul Pierce

ESPN Williams Tweets after posting bail
Report Card: Courtney Lee
Someone to lean on?
Jeff Green must show Boston Celtics he can deliver promise
Lex Nihil Novi   John Havlicek : Merchandiser Nonpareil
Was Bill Walton Overrated?
Red's Army Photo Gallery:The 2012-13 Boston Celtics
What do we do with… Jordan Crawford?
Your Morning Dump… Where Terrence Williams gives his side of the story
NESN   Syracuse Guard Michael Carter-Williams Wants to ‘Play Somewhere Else’ Than for Hometown Celtics
Tim Duncan Would Have Looked Surprisingly at Home in Celtics Jersey Without Draft Lottery
Pro Basketball Talk Durant, Thunder players tweet out support for Oklahoma City
CSNNE   The night Celtics landed fifth pick in NBA lottery
Celtics Hub   Update: Terrence Williams Out on Bail, Will Be in Court on Wednesday
Mass Live Terrence Williams tweets about gun-related arrest; in court, Boston Celtics guard disputes some details
Boston Celtics rumors 2013: Greg Oden still someone the Celtics will monitor
Bleacher Report   Kevin Garnett's Boston Celtics Future Hinges on Paul Pierce's Fate
What's Next for Paul Pierce Heading into Uncertain 2013 Offseason?
Yahoo Lakers Vs. Celtics Offseason 2013: Who's Got it Worse?

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A Possible Draft Target: Giannis Antetokunpo

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Tue, 21 May 2013 15:52:00 +0000

According to Sheridan Hoops, back in April, Danny took a trip to Greece to personally evaluate the 6'10" small forward/point guard Giannis Adetokunbo. But Danny wasn't the only GM traveling to Greece to watch this intriguing prospect, Bryan Colangelo of the Raptors and Masai Ujiri of the Nuggets, Sam Presti of OKC and Daryl Morey of the Rockets, among others, have been to Greece to watch him play. I'm sure all eyes will be on the Euro pre-draft camp in Treviso Italy June 8-10.

There are a couple of things to consider in drafting Antetokunpo. First, grew up as an undocumented immigrant of Nigerian ancestry living illegally in Greece so, a passport may be a bit difficult to obtain. However, both Greek and Nigerian federations are trying to secure him for their national teams and so he may have a passport in time for the Euro camp. Second, Adetokunbo recently signed contract with Zaragoza of Spain to play the next 4 years. However, the deal contains an affordable buyout that would allow him to make the jump to the NBA next season should he be drafted.

Now to what makes this kid so intriguing. At 6'10", Adetokunbo isn't particularly muscular (think Kevin Durant) but he makes up for the muscle with his mobility and agility. He is a natural small forward, but played point guard for his Greek team. He is very versatile with a 7'3" wingspan and he should be capable of playing multiple positions.

He is also very athletic. With his length and agility, he is a forward who can finish at the basket or who can bring the ball up the court and find the open man. He shot 31.3 percent from downtown this season and seemed comfortable pulling up for the outside shot. Defensively he's got the length and the ability to move laterally that should allow him to guard the opposing wing players and he also has the height to defend small and power forwards as well.

Antetokunpo just turned 18 in December, but he already possesses a mature and high-level understanding of the game. Like Rajon Rondo, he has gigantic hands for his size and since he grew 3 inches in the last year, could still be growing. He has the ability to play all five positions and has outstanding body control for a player of his size with the ability to maneuver through the lane and finish in traffic along with the ability to handle the ball and be a playmaker. He has the potential to make an impact on defensive end, using his outstanding physical tools and high motor to disrupt opposing offenses. He is a very good rebounder, averaging 8.9 rebounds per 40 minutes. And, as far as his attitude, he is very mature and is considered to be very coachable.

As for the drawbacks, there aren't many. He hasn't played against the toughest competition, playing in Greece's second division. His jump shot is decent, but he will need to work on it as it needs to be better in the NBA. And he is still a bit raw, which isn't surprising, considering his age. And he will need to put on some muscle and adjust to the physical play in the NBA. Also, Tommy would need to find a simple nickname for him. But, that's about it. Not a lot of downside with a huge upside.

I know that a lot of people feel that Danny will go with one of the intriguing 7 footers in the draft, but we already have a center project in Melo and picking at 16, any center we pick is likely to be a project as well. Danny could do a lot worse than take a chance on this kid.

Here is the Draft Express scouting report on him

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Terrence Williams Update

noreply@blogger.com (FLCeltsFan) — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:58:00 +0000

A Million Stories Not One Thats TRUE.....Thanks To Those That Continue To Support Through Devil Testing Times...Those Thats Negative..THANKS
— Terrence Williams (@TheRealTWill) May 21, 2013

Terrence Williams tweeted the above after his arrest on Monday after being accused of pulling a gun on the mother of his 10 year old son. Williams appeared in court yesterday and was released on $25,000 bail. His next appearance on the second-degree domestic assault charge will be on Wednesday.

As always in this type of dispute there is a lot of he said, she said in this story. Williams had driven to the apartment complex with his son for what has been described as a visitation exchange. He was approached by the boy’s mother and her boyfriend and it is here where the confrontation took place and where the stories differ. The facts seem to be that there was an argument, the boy's mother began beating on Williams' vehicle and Williams pulled a gun. His son reportedly stepped between them. The boy's mother said that Williams pointed the gun at her and Williams admits that he pulled the gun because he felt threatened. He denies pointing the gun at anyone. At that point, Williams drove away and was arrested later.

Danny Ainge has declined comment on the situtation and the Celtics, as always in these situations, are also investigating the incident. However, Ainge has not talked to Williams since being informed of the arrest. Williams had impressed the Celtics with his work ethic and seemed to have put his maturity troubles in the past. Now, Danny has to make a decision as to whether those problems truly are in the past and this is an isolated incident. For me, I'm still mulling over the fact that 25 year old Terrence Williams has a 10 year old son.

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