State Of The Celtics | Boston Celtics News and Commentary

Jason Terry: The Boston Celtics are "going to win again"

2012-08-17T11:29:00.001-04:00

Who am I to argue with Jason Terry, the man who got a tattoo of the Larry O'Brien Trophy on his biceps eight months before his team won the actual, real-life Larry O'Brien Trophy?

You could say that Terry got the tattoo back in 2010 as some sort of guarantee that Dallas was going to win the NBA championship that season. In hindsight, it looks pretty good. But I'd like to think of it more as Terry's sign of confidence about what his team had and what he thought they could do with that talent.

Fast forward to the present. Terry is now a member of the Boston Celtics and he has signified what he thinks of his new team by getting a tattoo of Lucky the Leprechaun holding the Larry O'Brien Trophy on his left biceps. According to Terry, he feels that this version of the Celtics is comparable to his title-winning Mavericks team of 2010-11. (Boston Herald)

“I started, well, what happened was, preseason, I felt like, two years ago, before (the Mavericks) won (the NBA title), in preseason I felt like we had the team,” said Terry, who bears a similar trophy tattoo on his right biceps. “I looked at our roster, looked at the players we had, and I just knew. I had the feeling.

“So this year it’s nothing different. After the conversation I had with KG (Kevin Garnett) after I signed with Boston, I felt something and I knew. I knew with the players we had, the roster that Danny Ainge put together, Doc Rivers guiding us, we’re going to win again.”

Terry could quite possibly be the most confident person on the planet, right next to the Dos Equis Most Interesting Man In The World, and it has so much more to do than getting tattoos and talking about how good his team is. You see it every time he steps onto the floor. The man is cold-blooded and without a pulse. He has no fear of taking or missing the big shot. He brings energy and consistency to Boston, a couple of things that Doc Rivers has never simultaneously had in a bench player.

Could the Celtics win another championship this season? Sure. Could Bill Gates knock at my front door later this afternoon and offer me $2 billion? Who knows? Maybe I'd feel a little better about the latter if Jason Terry got a tattoo of me swimming in a pile of cash, but that doesn't mean it's going to happen. I love JET's confidence. I love the personality that he brings to this team. More than anything, however, I love the skills and the intangibles that he brings to the court, which are the important things that will help the Celtics in their upcoming run at a title.

Jared Sullinger understands his role with the Boston Celtics

2012-08-16T14:01:00.000-04:00

Jared Sullinger decided to reward those of us who thought that watching the NBA Summer League for two weeks would be riveting television by revealing to us his full arsenal. He showed that his low-post moves and his ability to put the ball in the bucket were suited perfectly for the not-so-bright lights of the Summer League, a league that is notoriously filled with a few first round studs, some first-rounders from previous years that haven't seen enough time in actual NBA games to improve, a couple stiffs that never panned out but are looking to reclaim their "glory days" and a bunch of guys most people haven't heard of. In short, the Summer League is more D-League than NBA.

Sullinger knows this, which is why he isn't getting too high off the fact that he had a fantastic summer. He realizes that he will soon share the court with proven NBA players, players that have won MVP awards, been to All-Star games and won NBA championships. He realizes that his chances of showing off those smooth moves in the post this year will be few and far between, which is why he's already looking for other things to do to help out the Celtics this fall. (CSNNE)

While some rookies enter their first year determined to establish themselves as an offensive presence, the Boston Celtics forward is prepared to make the necessary adjustments to fit into the team’s system.

“As long as we get a number put on to the left side instead of the right side, I’m going to be happy,” Sullinger told CSNNE.com in a telephone interview on Wednesday.

“[The coaches] just said I played really well and there are certain things I’ve got to get better at,” Sullinger said. “Pick-and-roll defense, understanding the offense a little more, understanding that there’s a lot I’m not going to be getting due to having Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo out there on the floor, and obviously Jason Terry. There’s a lot of shots I won’t be normally taking, so I’ve got to get used to it ASAP.”

“I’ve got to find other opportunities to score,” said Sullinger. “Like I tell everybody, rebounding is one of my strong suits of basketball. I’ve got to get ready for rebounding. Hopefully you don’t miss a lot, but if you do, hopefully I’m there to clean it up.”

The Celtics now have a second unit that can actually put the ball in the hoop and aren't reliant on offensive monstrosities such as Ryan Hollins and Sasha Pavlovic to solely be the fourth and fifth guys out on the floor, which means that Sullinger will most definitely be deferring to guys like Jason Terry, Courtney Lee and Jeff Green. The good news for Sullinger is that Doc Rivers doesn't want his team to play "hero ball" and the chances of him actually getting some looks in the post should be pretty good. He just won't be the first or second option on his unit.

If Sullinger can prove that he can rebound at this level — something that was questioned due to his lack of height for a big man — he could be a vital member of the C's. Rebounding has been the Achilles' heel of this team since, what seems like, the post-McHale days. The Celtics are far from a big team and -- like I mentioned earlier — they were relying on Ryan Hollins off the bench, partly because they were hoping he could actually rebound.

Sullinger seems to understand his role and what he was brought in to do — initially, at least. He could be one of the centerpieces that this franchise builds around down the road, but for now he's a rookie who has a job to do. He knows that his job doesn't involve shooting repeatedly.

Report: Boston Celtics showing interest in Jared Sullinger

2012-06-19T21:25:00.000-04:00

When news broke on Monday that Ohio State power forward Jared Sullinger had been medically red-flagged with a back issue, you could pretty much hear the footsteps of numerous NBA executives running away from drafting him. At the same time, you could only imagine the smiles of other team execs sitting outside of the lottery hoping that the All-American falls to them. According to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, the Boston Celtics are one of those teams licking their chops for Sullinger.

Jared Sullinger has been red-flagged by NBA doctors, who cited concerns with his back, and most GMs feel that it will, in fact, cause his draft stock to slide. Sullinger’s lack of overall athleticism already had created some doubts, and perceived medical issues certainly won’t help. That said, the Celtics reportedly wouldn’t mind giving him a shot, and might look to trade up (if necessary) to do so. Right now, they own the Nos. 21 and 22 picks in the first round.

Amico mentions that the last player to get red-flagged before the draft like this was San Antonio's DeJuan Blair, who dropped to the second round, has had little to no issues and has been a contributor to one of the best teams in the NBA since entering the league. I'm not saying that Sullinger is going to end up the same way, but it's just something to think about.

Regardless, Sullinger is someone that Danny Ainge should be looking at and doing so very closely. He's a strong, smart player that has an extremely good post game and has improved his game outside of the paint. He's a good rebounder and a decent defender. He might lack the explosiveness and ridiculous athleticism that guys like Anthony Davis or Thomas Robinson possess, but Sullinger still finds ways to get the job done.

Just about every mock draft had Sullinger going in the top ten before news of his medical issue came out. It's now likely that he'll fall to the second half of the first round, which is exactly what the Celtics would love should Ainge feel that the injury issue isn't that serious and that Sullinger's game would fit with what the Celtics are trying to do. If they wanted to package both the 21st and 22nd picks to move up a few spots and ensure they got him, I'd be okay with that. Although Doc Rivers doesn't normally play rookies significant minutes, Sullinger could be a guy that could come in and make an immediate impact.

(h/t to Celtics Life)

Boston Celtics work out Joey Dorsey

2012-06-19T13:42:00.000-04:00

According to a report from the Greek website Red Planet, the Boston Celtics brought in power forward Joey Dorsey for a workout. If you love the Greek language and speak/read it consistently, you can go ahead and click on the link to see for yourself. Otherwise, you'll have to take my word for it.

For those of you who forgot, Dorsey was a key contributor to the 2008 Memphis Tigers team, which included the likes of Derrick Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts, that destroyed their extraordinarily weak conference competition and glided to a National Championship appearance before the entire team started missing a ton of free throws and eventually lost to Kansas. Then again, it's not that big of a deal if you forgot about it because Memphis has since vacated all of their accomplishments from that season due to Rose's ineligibility, so you really didn't miss anything.

Anyway, that was pretty much the greatest basketball success in the not-so-storied career of Joey Dorsey. Since then, he's played in a grand total of 61 career NBA games with Houston, Sacramento and Toronto — where he accomplished pretty much nothing — and spent this past season in Greece playing for Olympiacos.

If the Celtics decide to bring Dorsey aboard, it will probably only be for insurance purposes. Yes, the guy can rebound, which is the major weakness of this team. Sure, he has a body that I can only dream of having. But he hasn't proven that he can hang with the big boys in the NBA. He's only 6'8", so he'd just be the next undersized big man that Doc Rivers would have to utilize.

Still, he probably wouldn't garner anything more than the league minimum and with Boston's salary cap situation in limbo, it isn't a horrible idea to bring him in and see what he can do.

Report: Boston Celtics considering "strong offer" to Bulls center Omer Asik

2012-06-18T13:01:00.000-04:00

With the Boston Celtics looking to add size and improve their rebounding this offseason, Sam Smith of Bulls.com is reporting that the C's are going to strongly pursue Chicago's backup center, Omer Asik.

The Celtics are one the teams said to be considering a strong offer to Bulls center Asik. The thinking is it might help them retain Kevin Garnett, who though playing very well at center the second half of the season doesn’t want to return as a center.

While it sounds intriguing, just remember that Asik is a restricted free agent, meaning that the Bulls have the ability to match any offer from any other team in order to retain his services. We also don't know how much money the Celtics will have to play with since the salaries of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen from this season are being held against the salary cap until they sign new deals, retire, etc. Asik is a good defensive center who knows how to grab rebounds, block shots and isn't afraid to get his nose dirty, which is exactly what Boston is looking for from their big men.

Also, I'm not buying Smith's second sentence. I don't think KG's decision will have anything to do with whether or not he gets to go back to playing power forward. Instead, it will have everything to do with whether or not he feels he can compete at the same level he's been used to and his desire to get another ring.

Flip Saunders is "positive" that Kevin Garnett will return to the Boston Celtics

2012-06-18T12:34:00.000-04:00

Former Timberwolves and Wizards coach Flip Saunders, who spent this postseason as a consultant for Doc Rivers and the Boston Celtics, seems fairly convinced that Kevin Garnett will be back in Boston next season. (Minneapolis Star-Tribune)

One reason Rivers brought in Saunders was his great relationship with Kevin Garnett. And Saunders said that KG played like he did with the Wolves in 2003-04, when he was named league MVP.

"I remember when we drafted KG [in 1995], we said to him his first year, we played him as a small forward and I told him you're going to be an All-Pro player as a power forward but you're probably going to end your career as a center," Saunders said. "And with Garnett playing center, the Celtics after the All-Star break had the third-best record in the NBA."

Garnett really showed great strength at center in the postseason, averaging 19.2 points -- his highest playoff average since 2007-08 -- and 10.3 rebounds per game.

Saunders is positive Garnett, who is a free agent, will sign for another year with the Celtics, who have some rebuilding to do.

This is the first hint we've heard from anyone who was with the the Celtics recently about what Garnett might do. It just so happens that the person revealing it has been close to KG since he entered the league and seems to have his love and respect.

Still, this is just another case of the "Boston or bust" mentality that anyone and everyone believes is going through Garnett's head. He's not going to San Antonio or Miami or Los Angeles to play basketball. He might go to Los Angeles to lounge on the beach or play shuffleboard or something if he decides to hang them up, but if he wants to continue playing basketball, he's going to play basketball for Doc Rivers and the Celtics. The more I hear people talk about it, the more I think that KG will be back next season, which differs from my thoughts last week when I was thinking that he was done. So I pretty much have no idea what he's going to do.

By the way, for anyone who thought that the Celtics might try to lure Saunders onto their staff as an assistant coach for next season, he said that he has no interest doing so. Sorry, don't kill the messenger.

Bob Ryan says the Celtics want to trade up and draft Harrison Barnes

2012-06-15T20:00:00.000-04:00

There are a number of issues that I have with this. First off, Harrison Barnes is projected to be drafted in the top five overall. The Boston Celtics currently have picks No. 21 and 22, which if packaged together would get you nowhere near the top five. Secondly, Barnes was a good player at North Carolina. Good, not great or spectacular or downright filthy. He was a good, solid swingman, not a guy I would trade two current draft picks, some future draft picks and maybe a young guy or two for.

The third — and maybe most important — reason as to why I might be a little hesitant on Barnes is the dreaded "P" word: Potential. Harrison Barnes has had an infinite amount of potential for about three years now and he's turned all of that potential into average results and more talk about potential. The kid has skill. I've watched a good number of UNC games over the last couple of years and have seen flashes that made it easy to see why the scouts have been drooling over him for quite a while now. I've also seen him have games where he wouldn't have been able to throw a rock in the ocean if he was standing in the ocean.

I like Barnes. I'm just not sure I like him enough to give up a bunch of pieces that the Celtics could use to build a pretty good team for the present.

Ryan Hollins looking to return to the Celtics

2012-06-15T19:28:00.000-04:00

You can now add Ryan Hollins to the long list of players that are looking to come back to the Boston Celtics next season. (CSN New England)

Ryan Hollins played less than three months with the Boston Celtics this season. It was more than enough time for him to know he wants to return to the team again.

“Of course,” he told CSNNE.com. “I would love to be here next season.”

“[They pushed me] incredibly hard,” he said. “It’s not just being hard and yelling -- it’s by example. The small things, talking here and there, it’s rubbed off.“

He added, “[I’m] dedicated. I’ve always taken my job seriously and loved the game, but the dedication (on the Celtics), eat sleep drink basketball, every day, every day, every day.”

I have to be honest with you. Ryan Hollins terrified me every time he stepped foot on the court. Yes, he brought a ton of energy and you could tell that he was giving the team everything that he had when he was out there, which is all you can really ask of a role player. Unfortunately, the guy just looked lost on both ends of the floor except for when he was on the receiving end of a Rajon Rondo alley-oop. He was kind of like a chicken with his head cut off and I was always worried that he'd run into one of his teammates and cause an injury or decapitate an opposing player.

The fact that Doc Rivers had to use him in the Eastern Conference Finals should tell you everything you need to know about what the Celtics need this offseason. If they want to bring Hollins back for insurance purposes during the regular season, then I guess that's okay. However, they need to bring in a solid big man over the summer so that Doc isn't resorting to a possible safety hazard in a must-win game next spring/summer.

Brandon Bass will opt out of contract, become free agent

2012-06-15T00:56:00.000-04:00

In a move that shouldn't have surprised anyone that watched at least seven seconds of Boston Celtics basketball this season, Brandon Bass has decided to opt out of the final year of his contract, which would have been worth $4.25 million, and will become an unrestricted free agent. According to his agent, however, the Celtics are at the top of Bass' wishlist. (CSN New England)

"Oh absolutely," his agent Tony Dutt said when asked if Boston was his client's first choice. "Without question, he would love to go back."

The decision to not pick up the final year of his contract, worth $4.25 million, is driven by Bass' desire to sign a long-term deal with the C's.

Following Boston's Game 7 loss to Miami, he told reporters about his desire to return next season to Boston.

"I would love to be back here," he said at the time. "The fans here are unbelievable. For any player, this organization is the organization that you want to play for."

The Celtics want Brandon Bass back. Brandon Bass wants to be back in Boston. Expect Bass to get his pay raise, a long-term deal and suit up in green for the foreseeable future. Both sides should make this work. In the immortal words of one Kevin Garnett, anything is possible. Still, I'd be shocked if Bass landed anywhere else.

Ray Allen, Mickael Pietrus have their surgeries

2012-06-14T00:27:00.000-04:00

It was announced on Monday that Ray Allen would be getting his arthroscopic surgery done on Wednesday for the bone spurs in his ankle. Wednesday, the Boston Celtics announced that Allen's surgery was completed. They also announced that Mickael Pietrus had arthroscopic surgery done on his knee on Wednesday as well.

The Boston Celtics announced today that guard Ray Allen and guard/forward Mickael Pietrus both underwent successful surgery at New England Baptist Hospital this morning. Both surgeries were completed by Celtics Team Physician Dr. Brian McKeon and were assisted by Dr. Mark Slovenkai.

Not much else to say here except I'm glad to hear that everything went well.

Video: Boston Celtics thank their fans

2012-06-13T13:23:00.000-04:00

The Boston Celtics released this video yesterday, thanking their fans for sticking with them throughout the season. I love and hate these videos. I love them because they're usually very thoughtful, yet cheery at the same time. I hate them because it means the season's over, basketball is still being played and none of the teams currently playing are named the Boston Celtics. I hope you enjoy/cry to this as much as I did.

Greg Stiemsma: "Boston is definitely my No. 1 choice"

2012-06-12T14:26:00.003-04:00

Celtics center Greg Stiemsma, who spent the last half of the season dealing with a foot injury that limited his minutes, his production and required him to wear a massive walking boot when not playing basketball, will head into free agency this summer. However, he made it no secret that he'd love to be back in Boston next season. (Boston Herald)

Stiemsma will be taking a wait-and see approach with everything this summer.

“Obviously, I have to do what’s best financially for me and my family. But at the same time, to come back to this system where I think I fit in pretty well, that will play a factor, too,” Stiemsma said. “The fans in Boston have been unbelievable. To come back to play for Doc (Rivers), hopefully we can make that work out. Boston is definitely my No. 1 choice.”

So you can put Stiemsma down as the third potential Celtics free agent to make it known that they want to return to the team next year. Both Brandon Bass and Mickael Pietrus have already expressed their desire to come back. Stiemsma proved himself this season as a big man who can be a force defensively in the paint and alter shots. This was something that the Celtics had lost when they traded Perk last year and were desperately searching for.

Yes, he was inconsistent. Yes, he was extremely foul-happy at times. But that was to be expected from a guy who hadn't played in an NBA game before this season. With Ryan Hollins as the only other true center on the roster and a weak free agent class this summer, the Celtics are going to need Stiemsma, regardless of what happpens to Kevin Garnett.

Besides, why wouldn't you want to re-sign the next Bill Russell?

Sam Cassell trying to talk Kevin Garnett out of retiring

2012-06-11T19:24:00.000-04:00

It appears that Sam Cassell is attempting to make his greatest contribution to the Boston Celtics four years after last playing — or riding the bench — for them.

Jackie MacMullan, who just so happens to be one of the greatest writers in the history of writing, wrote a piece today on Doc Rivers and the Celtics moving forward. In it, MacMullan talks a little bit about Kevin Garnett and reveals a little inside information given to her from one of Garnett's closest friends. (ESPN Boston)

The coach will make a major push to retain Garnett, who was the architect of Boston's Renaissance period. KG has told friends for the past two seasons that he would retire when his contract was up. The injury to his knee robbed him of some of his lift, and he often left the arena in considerable pain after games.

Garnett's trusted friend Sam Cassell said KG was still talking about retiring as recently as 10 days ago, but Cassell was trying to persuade him otherwise. Cassell's advice: Play as long as you can.

"KG is a loyal guy," Cassell said. "I can't see him playing for anyone else except Doc at this point."

I'm pretty sure that it would be an overstatement to say that it all comes down to Sam Cassell. Still, Cassell is a guy who rode his NBA career as long as it would take him. I'm not sure how much of a wordsmith Sam is, but if he can convince KG to come back for another year or two, Celtics fans will have no choice but to forgive him for all of the terrible jump shots he took back in 2008.

In all seriousness, the fact that Garnett was talking about retirement just a week and a half ago — at a time when he was playing as well as he had ever played in a Celtics uniform — makes me think that he won't want to endure another 82-game season. The hard work and intensity that KG puts in and shells out on a nightly basis takes its toll and he's going to be 37 years old by the time next year's postseason gets going. He can still play and he can obviously get the job done, but I'm starting to come to the conclusion that he isn't going to want to go through the six months of meaningless, regular-season games just to make another playoff run.

Come on, Sam! Prove me wrong.

P.S. - Read the entire piece by Jackie Mac. It's outstanding.

Ray Allen set to have ankle surgery on Wednesday

2012-06-11T16:28:00.000-04:00

Ray Allen is getting a head start on making himself desirable to teams looking to sign him when free agency begins in July.

According to the Boston Herald, Allen will have surgery on Wednesday morning to have the infamous bone spurs removed from his infamous right ankle. The ankle, which has been operated on in the past, gave him issues for the last two and a half months as he missed games, three-pointers and a lot of free throws.

Allen found a little extra in reserve over the final six games of the Eastern Conference Finals, but with his contract expiring and his next basketball venture unknown, now is the time to get this done. For those of you who don't remember, Ray was as hot as he'd ever been in the first half of the season and was one of the few bright spots for the Celtics before the All-Star break. The man can still shoot. He hasn't forgotten how to do that.

He'll get offers. He'll probably get one from the Celtics. Will it be a good one that he feels like he has to accept? Probably not. But he'll make some time very happy and very dangerous from the perimeter.

Report: San Antonio to recruit Kevin Garnett

2012-06-11T13:57:00.000-04:00

Fans of the Boston Celtics better be prepared to hear stories like this for the next few months.

While we await word of whether or not Kevin Garnett will return for his 18th season, we are already hearing that a team not named the Boston Celtics is interested in his services should he decide to lace up his ANTA kicks next year. The interested team is the San Antonio Spurs. (San Antonio Express-News)

The Spurs will consider everything and everyone this summer when free agency begins. But one option tossed out this weekend by one in the Spurs organization is not just another name.

Kevin Garnett.

Garnett could retire. He could sign another contract with the Celtics. Or the Celtics might not want to sign him so they can begin rebuilding.

Some will have more money to offer than the Spurs will. Some might have more young talent to put around him. All the Spurs could give Garnett is the closest thing to what he had in Boston, a veteran core with a chance to contend.

The Spurs and the Celtics are pretty much cut from the same cloth. A couple of veteran teams who play together, play the game the right way and are led by amazing head coaches. If there's one jersey that I could see KG playing in next season that isn't green, it's the black and silver of the Spurs.

That being said, I don't think there's any way he leaves Boston to play in another city next year. Garnett almost needed to be pried out of Minnesota and he refused to leave the Wolves unless the perfect situation played itself out. The man is as loyal as they come. I'm sure he respects the heck out of Gregg Popovich and everything that the Spurs have built over the last 15 years, but KG's the kind of guy that would want to stick it out with Doc Rivers, Paul Pierce and the other guys that he's gone through battles with.

In my opinion, Garnett's two choices are Boston or retirement. That's it.

How the 'Big Three' era should be remembered

2012-06-11T12:55:00.000-04:00

Before I start, I need to apologize for the long absence. Since I'm currently writing this, it's obvious I'm not dead. I didn't lose interest or my faith in the Celtics or writing. I guess the easiest way to describe it is to say that life got in the way.

Just because I wasn't writing about the Celtics didn't mean I wasn't watching every game religiously (some games I watched more than once) and popping aspirins like they were Pez in order to save myself from the heart attacks that this team would give me every other night. I paid attention to every detail, from the harder-than-it-needed-to-be series against the Sixers to Rajon Rondo's unbelievable performance in Game 2 against Miami to the gut-check victory in Game 5 and the unbelievable Garden crowd in Game 6 that stood behind this team when they were down by 20 points in the fourth quarter and spent four minutes on their feet, showing their support for a group of guys that you couldn't help but love.

I saw it out until after the buzzer sounded at the end of Game 7, my heart crushed and my spirit killed. It certainly looked like the end for this group. The images of Doc Rivers desperately trying to hold back the tears as he pulled his starters off the floor, Paul Pierce walking to the bench with a heartbroken look on his face and Kevin Garnett giving every teammate daps, a hug and a mini-speech in a way that only he can gave me chills. I didn't want it to end. Not that game, not this postseason, not this year and not this run. I wanted everything to keep going. I wanted to see them take the floor tomorrow night in Oklahoma City and see if they could shock the world one more time.

Unfortunately, I'm here writing about "what-ifs" and dreaming about the possibilities. The season is over. The run could quite possibly be over too. Ray Allen seems to be as good as gone. Garnett could be riding off into the sunset. Rondo and Pierce are both under contract, but nothing's guaranteed when Danny Ainge is your general manager.

So now is as good of a time as ever to think about the last five years, to think about whether this experiment was a success or a failure, to think about whether this group was a success or a failure.

In any other city, winning a championship automatically qualifies you as being successful. In Boston, all of the basketball success stories and the most adored teams are talked about because they won multiple titles. We're spoiled here. That's just the way it is. This group only won one championship. The fact that I used the word "only" in that statement should show you how spoiled we feel.

Does the fact that they couldn't get another title make them any less successful? It shouldn't.

We should look at what this team accomplished in their five years together. Five division titles, five first-round series victories in the playoffs, three trips to the Eastern Conference Finals, two trips to the NBA Finals and that lone championship in 2008. They were also 12 minutes and a healthy Kendrick Perkins away from winning a second title in 2010 and about eight minutes away from getting to the Finals this season.

Those are the thing that you'll see in the record books and the sports almanacs. What you won't find is how this group changed the culture of basketball in Boston. They turned the Celtics from a group of young guys with a singular superstar who needed to score just about every basket into a team in every sense of the word. They were everything that you'd want from a team. They were an unselfish, cohesive group with the same goal that fought for each other until the end. They willingly played defense, which in turn made other teams copy their blueprint and make defense a priority. Everyone knew their role and played it to the best of their ability.

You can focus on the fact that they only raised one banner if you want. I will choose to focus on the fact that they made basketball relevant around here once again. I will focus on the fact that they made their fans proud to root for a bunch of fighters who refused to quit and made their living off of attempting to shock the world. And they almost did it again on Saturday night. They just ran out of gas. Their age caught up with them. I guess you could say that life got in the way.

If this truly is the end of the road for this group, what a fun ride it's been. This is a team that nobody around here will forget anytime soon.

Celtics clamp down late, take Game 2 87-80

2012-05-01T22:48:00.000-04:00

No Rajon Rondo? No Ray Allen? Eh, whatever.

Paul Pierce turned into the 2002 version of Paul Pierce and carried the Celtics offensively. 36 points, 14 rebounds and one massive, backbreaking shot after another down the stretch more than made up for the Celtics' firepower that was relegated to viewership status. Calling his performance a thing of beauty would be an insult to Pierce's performance. It was heroic, something that you'd expect from one of the greatest players to ever suit up for the greatest franchise in NBA history.

Of course, Pierce's heroics would have been nullified had the defense not gone all 2008 on Atlanta in the fourth quarter. Trailing by five entering the final period, the Celtics allowed the Hawks to score a whopping 14 points on 4-19 shooting in the fourth while forcing six turnovers. In wonderful Celtics fashion, the defense jump-started the offense and turned the entire game around.

Avery Bradley overcame his Game 1 jitters, didn't overthink things and had a nice game offensively. Kevin Garnett was magnificent in the fourth quarter on the defensive end. Mickael Pietrus recovered from his three early fouls to make a difference with his defensive pressure and energy. Keyon Dooling gets a shout-out for hitting the first two three-pointers for the Celtics in the series.

The Celtics now have home-court advantage and an angry All-Star point guard with something to prove returning to the starting lineup on Friday night. Rondo can thank Pierce and company for bailing him out by coming out like gangbusters in Game 3 and stepping on Atlanta's throat.

Mickael Pietrus to start in Game 2; Ray Allen will be a game-time decision

2012-05-01T13:31:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, I wrote that the best option for the Rondo-less Celtics would be to have Paul Pierce play the point forward and let Bradley and the backup of Doc Rivers' choice play in more off-the-ball scenarios, which wouldn't put a ton of added pressure on them. Apparently, Doc feels that Pietrus' game best suits that scenario.

Maybe Doc feels that Pietrus can bring some defensive intensity to the game right out of the gate so that Atlanta doesn't come out like they did on Sunday and shoot lights out, burying the Celtics in the process. The issue with Pietrus is that he's as streaky as they come. If he's on, then it's fantastic. If he's off, then forget about it. Then again, the problem with Doc's other options (Dooling, Pavlovic, Daniels, Moore) is that they're just as streaky.

As for Ray Allen, you can probably take "game-time decision" to translate as "you have a better chance of seeing Larry Bird walk through that door than you have of seeing Ray Allen take the floor tonight." My faith in seeing Ray suit up at some point during this postseason is dwindling with each passing moment. There doesn't seem to be a ton of confidence coming out of the Celtics camp that he's nearing a return, so I'm just assuming that Boston's planning on playing without him for the rest of the season. If Ray does manage to come back, it'll be an added bonus.

What the suspension of Rajon Rondo means for the Boston Celtics

2012-04-30T19:13:00.001-04:00

In a move that stunned absolutely nobody, it was announced this afternoon that Rajon Rondo will be suspended for Game 2 of the Boston Celtics' first-round series against Atlanta.

The loss of Rondo, coupled with the continued questionable status of Ray Allen, makes the already-thin Celtics even thinner. Boston's bench accounted for a grand total of four points in Game 1 and Rondo's absence means that one of those guys that did a whole bunch of nothing last night will now be inserted into the starting lineup. The likely candidates to jump into the starting rotation would be Keyon Dooling or Mickael Pietrus.

There are a few ways that Doc Rivers can play this situation, only one of which I have some sort of confidence about. One scenario would see Dooling start and run the point while Avery Bradley stays at the shooting guard. This would give the Celtics a veteran guy who has playoff experience and a cool demeanor the chance to run the show and it would allow Bradley, who struggled mightily in his first career playoff start and may have froze under the postseason pressure, to stay in his familiar role and give him some sort of comfort level. Another scenario would be reversing those roles and changing some things up for Bradley to get his game going while all Dooling has to do is hit jumpers. A third scenario would be to replace Dooling with Pietrus, possibly for defensive purposes and a little more of a spark to start the game.

Then there's the scenario which I think Doc will actually do, and is probably the best choice: Have Paul Pierce play point forward. The Celtics would team Bradley up with the reserve of Doc's choice in the backcourt — which would probably be Dooling — and let Pierce run the show. Bradley and/or Dooling will be listed in the "point guard" position but that doesn't mean that those guys have to do all of the duties that the position entails. Pierce could then play a two- or three-man game with Brandon Bass and/or Kevin Garnett, which could then open cutting lanes for Bradley and open corner threes for Dooling, Pietrus or Pavlovic.

Remember, the Celtics were without Rajon Rondo for eight games when he injured his wrist early in the season and they went 6-2. Of course, they also had Ray Allen at the time and Avery Bradley wasn't blinded by the lights, but they proved that they can win without Rondo. Stealing Game 2 — a game that the Celtics would absolutely love to have — would have been much easier with Rondo, but Boston has done nothing but overcome adversity all season long.

They should be used to it by now. So in all honesty, what's one more adversity-filled playoff game for this group of Celtics?

Celtics can't overcome poor start, drop Game 1 to Atlanta; Rajon Rondo ejected

2012-04-29T22:19:00.002-04:00

I'm not really sure what happened to the Boston Celtics that we saw during the second half of the regular season, but somebody should find them and fly them down to Atlanta.

The Celtics found themselves down 15 points in the first quarter and were never able to recover. The Hawks came out of the locker room and were hitting baskets like they were throwing stones in the ocean. Josh Smith had a double-double in the first half and was a factor all night. Jeff Teague was a pest and made some big shots late. Kirk Hinrich nailed four massive three-pointers. Joe Johnson pretty much did nothing except miss shots all game and the Hawks brushed his poor performance off like it was nothing more than a mosquito buzzing around their faces.

Kevin Garnett was pretty much the lone bright spot for the Celtics as he came alive in the second half and finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds. Avery Bradley played like an young, inexperienced reserve and looked like a deer in the headlights. Brandon Bass was a non-factor just about the entire night, so much so that I forgot that he was on the floor at times. Paul Pierce was 5-19 from the field and did a whole bunch of nothing on the offensive end. The Celtics — as a team — hit as many three-pointers tonight as I did. That wouldn't have been a problem if they hadn't taken any. Boston took 11, making it a problem.

Then there's Rajon Rondo. He was the offense early and was the sole reason why the Celtics were actually scoring for the first quarter and a half. In the final minute of the game, however, Rondo reacted to a controversial call by referee Marc Davis by screaming at him and bumping him. Rondo was abruptly tossed and he could be suspended for Game 2 due to making contact with an official. Losing Rondo would be a crushing blow to Boston's hopes of stealing home-court advantage on Tuesday, but we'll have to wait and hear what the league has to say about it.

With everything that went wrong for the Celtics, they still made it a game down the stretch. Unfortunately, small moral victories and silver linings don't win you playoff games. The C's are going to have to actually show up and play basketball if they expect to head back to Boston tied up, especially if they don't have their All-Star point guard.

Doc Rivers calls Ray Allen "probable" for playoff return

2012-04-27T11:49:00.000-04:00

Ray Allen missed the final nine games of the regular season for the Celtics due to a bothersome ankle. This came after missing six games in March and early April due to, well, a bothersome ankle. There seemed to be some worry about whether or not Allen would see the floor again, but Doc Rivers believes that his sharpshooter will be there. (ESPN Boston)

“It’s a concern,’’ Rivers said. “I think he’s probable. Isn’t that what they say in football, when there’s a chance more than 50 percent that he’ll play? Let’s put him at probable.”

Remember a couple of few years ago when Kevin Garnett injured his knee and the Celtics told everyone that he'd be back in a couple of weeks? He was a couple of weeks away for about three months before Doc revealed that he would be gone for the year. I'm not saying that this is what's happening with Ray Allen. I'm just cautioning you to take this with a grain of salt.

The Celtics are going to need Ray Allen at some point in the playoffs. And I'm not talking about the Ray Allen that misses 10 of his 12 shots each game, which is what we've seen on a number of occasions since his arrival in Boston. I'm talking about the Ray Allen that can come in and hit big shot after big shot when the team needs them most. With Avery Bradley now in the starting lineup, bench scoring is at an absolute premium. Mickael Pietrus is as streaky as a dead bug on a windshield after you try to wipe him away with your windshield wipers, but he's lethal when he gets going. Besides that, the bench scoring without Allen would have to come from Keyon Dooling and the rejuvenated Sasha Pavlovic. I don't know about you, but my faith in those two guys going nuts in the playoffs is quite low.

Sure, Allen hasn't played in an NBA game in over two weeks. His conditioning will be questionable at best. But he's someone that Atlanta and any other possible opponent will have to keep a body on.

UPDATE: Scott Souza of the MetroWest Daily News tweeted out that Allen will not practice today, but will try to practice tomorrow. Souza also reports that Rivers calls Allen "50-50" for Game 1.

Boston Celtics playoff schedule set for Atlanta series

2012-04-27T11:07:00.001-04:00

The fourth-seeded Celtics will open their first-round playoff series on the road against the fifth-seeded Atlanta Hawks, mostly due to the fact that the Celtics couldn't have cared less about earning home-court advantage for one round and preferred rest and health over one extra home game. That was clearly evident with the starting lineups that Doc Rivers threw out onto the floor over the last week with the chance of earning home-court still in the balance. Regardless, here's the full schedule for the first-round series that was released by the NBA last night.

Game 1 - Sun. April 29, Boston at Atlanta, 7 p.m., TNT
Game 2 - Tue. May 1, Boston at Atlanta, 7:30 p.m., NBA TV
Game 3 - Fri. May 4, Atlanta at Boston, 7:30 p.m., ESPN2
Game 4 - Sun May 6, Atlanta at Boston, 7 p.m., TNT
Game 5 * Tue. May 8, Boston at Atlanta, TBD
Game 6 * Thu. May 10, Atlanta at Boston, TBD
Game 7 * Sat. May 12, Boston at Atlanta, TBD, TNT

Ray Allen doubtful to return to the Celtics on Saturday against New Jersey

2012-04-13T13:25:00.000-04:00

This news comes on the heels of hearing that Allen didn't make the trip to Toronto for tonight's game against the Raptors. Some thought that this might have been Doc Rivers' way of resting some of his veterans during this brutal back-to-back-to-back. Let Ray have the first game off, rest up and throw him out there for a normal back-to-back scenario.

That's not the case. Something is definitely wrong with Ray Allen. Allen initially rolled his ankle on March 12 against the Clippers. After playing in the next five games, he sat down for the following six. He's played decent minutes since returning to the team and really hasn't been stretched too thin, but the ankle is still giving him issues. Now he's going to miss at least two-thirds of the three-game stretch that the Celtics have been dreading all season long and a stretch where they'll need as many bodies as possible to keep their overall wear and tear to a minimum.

Nobody can escape Father Time. Not even Ray Allen, the guy who hasn't eaten a cheeseburger in 20 years. The older you get, the longer it takes to recover from injuries. So now the Celtics are forced to give Allen's minutes to Avery Bradley and the newly-recovered Mickael Pietrus. It might not be a bad idea for Doc to sit Ray as long as possible before the postseason starts. Allen won't be 100 percent going into the playoffs, but the Celtics will need to get all that they can out of him.

Boston Celtics earn a huge win over Miami 115-107

2012-04-10T22:17:00.001-04:00

The message has officially been sent. The Boston Celtics aren't going anywhere.

Two days after shooting 59 percent in their shellacking of Philadelphia, the Celtics went down to Miami and shot 61 percent en route to dropping 115 points on the fifth-best defensive team in the NBA in terms of opposing teams' shooting percentage and sixth-best in scoring defense. Kevin Garnett was a machine and then some, hitting 11 of his 14 shots, making Chris Bosh cower in fear and singlehandedly closing out the game as he put the Heat to bed, tucked them in and read them their bedtime story. Paul Pierce played efficiently and hit the kind of shots that will eventually send him to the Hall of Fame. Miami, once again, had no answer for Rajon Rondo, although tonight's dominance was much different than the dominance of April Fool's Day. Rondo was methodical, careful and patient in breaking down Miami's defense. He kept the tempo exactly where the Celtics wanted it. Avery Bradley jumpstarted the Celtics early with a couple of makes that finally got them going. The reserves — all three of them — were crucial and actually helped increase Boston's lead in the second quarter.

It was a beautiful offensive performance from the guys who were considered too old to contend just a month a a half ago. Every time Miami made a run and threatened to break through, the Celtics responded with some poised buckets and all-around composure. The defense left much to be desired, but you knew Miami was going to get theirs at some point and Boston was able to keep them in check just enough.

The rest of the league is now on notice. The Celtics have become the team that nobody wants to see in the playoffs. They're not the new favorites to come out of the East, but they've made a strong case that they deserve to be in the conversation with Chicago and Miami.

Portland trying to lure Danny Ainge away from Boston?

2012-03-28T12:09:00.001-04:00

After trading away anyone of substance from their roster at the deadline and firing their coach shortly after, the Portland Trail Blazers have reopened their search for a general manager.

I know what you're thinking. Big whoop. Good for them. They're 3,000 miles away. What does that have to do with the Celtics?

According to The Oregonian, one person that Portland may be looking to bring in is Celtics general manager Danny Ainge.

Is Danny Ainge going to stay in Boston? If not, the Eugene native has a track record of executing the exact move the Blazers need this summer: taking good draft picks and turning them into gold, like he did when he traded the No. 5 overall pick (Jeff Green) to Seattle for Ray Allen, then trading Al Jefferson and expiring contracts for Kevin Garnett. In one season, the Celtics went from the cellar to NBA champions.

Where the Blazers' target is, I don't know. But I get the sense their list is very short and their aim is big. I told Miller on Tuesday that Allen has a history of making a big splash: luring Nate McMillan away from Seattle. Landing Mike Holmgren, then Pete Carroll for his Seahawks.

I'll admit that I have no idea how much substance this rumor has. It appears that the only things connecting Ainge to Portland is that he's from Oregon and that Blazers owner Paul Allen is good at convincing people to work for him. Ainge has made no public inclination that he is considering leaving his position with the Celtics.

I know that there really isn't much middle ground when it comes to opinions on Ainge's time in Boston. You either love or hate what he's done. His supporters love him because he made the deals to bring the Celtics a championship, has done pretty well finding value in the draft — particularly in the second round, and he isn't afraid to listen to all offers if they could end up helping the team. His detractors tend to spend more time talking about the fact that he hasn't prepared for a future after the Big Three, his seemingly lack of loyalty and the Perk trade.

Like all GMs, you take the good with the bad. Personally, I'm a huge supporter of Ainge. He does what he thinks is best for the team. Sometimes he's right (see Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett in 2007) and sometimes, not so much (see the above trade of Kendrick Perkins). While the Perk trade is, and will always be, indefensible, there's another banner in the rafters because of the moves he made five years ago and the drafts that he conducted prior to then that gave Boston the ammunition it needed to pull the triggers on those deals. In the end, it's all about wins and losses. Danny Ainge has helped the Celtics win more games than they've lost.

This could be a case of "you don't know what you have 'til it's gone" for the Danny haters. Remember life before Ainge, when Rick Pitino, Chris Wallace and others were running the show and the Celtics were the habitual bottom-feeders of the Atlantic Division? It was a time when thoughts of championship banners were nowhere near the fronts of the minds of Celtics fans. Ainge had as much to do with the team's turnaround as KG, Ray or Doc Rivers did. Even in the depleted stage that they're in now, Ainge's team is a team that no Eastern Conference club is looking forward to playing in a seven-game series.

If Ainge were to leave, it would be a crushing blow for the Celtics. He has built one winner and he can build another. Hopefully, he builds that winner in Boston.