Celtics Life

There's still a "10% chance" Doc might not come back

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Vandeusen) — Sat, 25 May 2013 19:00:00 +0000

A week ago Gary Washburn reported that Doc Rivers would definitely return as the C's coach next year, but in recent days we've wondered why Doc hasn't just said that himself. Then we found out that the Nets asked for permission to speak with him, and were denied. This morning the Boston Herald's Steve Bulpett wrote that there is still a 10% chance Rivers might leave:

There is still the possibility — stress possibility — Rivers will choose to walk away from his contract to coach the Celts. A source close to the situation, however, insists it remains far more likely he will return. 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.

A "source close to the situation" can mean just about anything. It could even be Danny Ainge himself giving his opinion anonymously. The fact that Boston won't let other clubs speak with him seems to make it fairly clear Doc won't be coaching anywhere else.

Follow Mark on twitter @LucidSportsFan

Video: Terrence Williams discusses moving on after arrest

noreply@blogger.com (JR) — Sat, 25 May 2013 17:22:00 +0000

Terrence Williams is back in town working out at the Celtics facility. He seems cautiously optimistic that he will remain with the team. He did use the term "as of now" more than once. Williams says there's two sides to every story and reiterates that he didn't do anything wrong.

Video courtesy of Chris Forsberg.

Video: Rajon Rondo on Joan Rivers' Fashion Police show

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

I can think of a couple other things of Rondo's they could probably trash along with that zebra blazer. He's worn some weird things over the years. That zebra blazer's pretty famous for when Rondo was wearing it while going after that cameraman. As Charles Barkley joked at the time, he was probably just mad the cameraman was getting that outfit on film.

Via ESPNBoston
Video by OfficialCelticsHD

Video: Paul George threatens Miami with bird extinction

noreply@blogger.com (JR) — Sat, 25 May 2013 07:02:00 +0000

Game 2: Indiana Pacers 97, Miami Heat 93. Not the best night to be a mohawk wearing big man in Miami. Speaking of Birds, Larry sure did a fine job building the Pacers. Paul George is a star and Larry got him at #10 in the draft. Roy Hibbert was drafted at #17 (Yes I know Toronto technically drafted him, just like Boston technically drafted Jeff Green and the Suns technically drafted Rajon Rondo. I have to include this, because there's always that one guy in the comments section.) Bird stole David West from Danny Ainge. The list goes on and even though Bird is no longer the team's GM, these are all his players.

It's always been a disappointment to me that Larry didn't become the Celtics GM. Yes Danny has brought home 1 championship in his 10 years here (Back in the day winning just one title in a decade would be a failure for a Celtics GM, but Ainge is lauded for it), but I just think Bird would have done better. If you think it's hard for Boston to attract top free agents, trying be a small market like Indiana. As Indy's coach, Bird was able to get the Pacers to the Finals. Then he rebuilt the team and should of made the Finals again if not for the Detroit brawl. And now his slick moves of the past few years has the Pacers going toe to toe with the supposed unstoppable Heatles (without Danny Granger to boot).

So I kind of bogarted this post with Larry Legend stuff (my bad), but in summation, Chris "Birdman" Andersen you got ridiculously posterized and Larry Bird, you still the man.

p.s. Despite my best efforts, I'm told the vast majority of people love titles wrought with puns, so enjoy you vast majority you.

p.p.s. The TNT crew is the best in the business. Here's their take:

Rajon Rondo ends up on Joan Rivers' lap

noreply@blogger.com (JR) — Sat, 25 May 2013 04:31:00 +0000

We posted early yesterday afternoon that Rajon Rondo was going to be on Fashion Police on E! I went looking for the video just now with no luck, but did find this photo of Rondo dressed up for the show. Somehow he ended up sitting on ~~a plastic chair~~ Joan Rivers. We'll post the video when it comes available. Or if you find it first you can email it to me: jr@celticslife.com

Update: Thanks Enes for emailing the video to us. Our readers are the best.

Job well done by Rondo. A couple of the highlights were when Joan Rivers asks Rondo if Kris Humphries got mad at him because he hummed a Kanye song. Then on Rondo's famous postgame
jacket that we posted yesterday, Rivers quips, "It's a little too old, it's mostly black and not accomplishing anything. I'm surprised it doesn't play for the Lakers."

Video courtesy of Beyond The Buzzer.

Related: Rajon Rondo to be a guest on Joan Rivers' E! show Fashion Police
Rajon Rondo is interning at GQ
Photo Album: Rajon Rondo's GQ Internship
Video: Rajon Rondo at GQ

Free agent Pietrus wants to return to Celtics, expects visit from Doc

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Blaisdell) — Fri, 24 May 2013 22:57:00 +0000

Mickael Pietrus still wants to play for Boston.

Pietrus played on a one-year contract in Toronto last year where he averaged 5.3 ppg in 19 games with the Raptors. He was reportedly sidelined for most of season with knee tendinitis. Now he says he is 100 percent healthy and wants to return to Boston where he averaged 6.9 ppg and 3.1 rpg in 42 games.

In an interview with CLNS Radio, Pietrus talked about his love for Boston fans.

I haven't forgotten about the Celtics fans, I love them so much and I would love to be back next year with them and now I'm injury free, I'm 100% and I'm waiting to help the Celtics.

Here's another quote from Pietrus about the Celtics reputation.

As far as I know, once you play for the Celtics and you give your heart for the city and you always want to go back because I like the challenge and the fact that when you play teams want to beat you and I like that so hopefully if I go back Toronto I'm welcome but if I have to go back to the Celtics I'm welcome too. My main focus will be to go back to a contender and win a championship.

Pietrus said he expects Doc Rivers to pay him a visit after the french player becomes a free agent July 1.

This would make the second year in a row that Pietrus has openly asked Danny Ainge to bring him back. Pietrus is a great locker room guy and can be productive on the court when healthy. But he does have injury issues and whether or not Paul Pierce is a Celtic next year, a wing player isn't high on the Celtics' needs list. It's nice to know that if they do need a SG/SF who can give great quotes, Pietrus will be there.

Follow Eric
@ericblaisdell13

Tony Allen fined $5000 for supposed flop

noreply@blogger.com (JR) — Fri, 24 May 2013 22:36:00 +0000

CBS Sports

Tony Allen, guard for the Memphis Grizzlies, most definitely got fouled. Flagrantly fouled, actually.

But he still flopped. And the league is nailing him for the move against the San Antonio Spurs in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals on Tuesday night.

The league announced Friday that Allen has been fined $5,000 for violating the anti-flopping policy. There are no warnings in the postseason, with the first offense being a $5,000 fine.

In the fourth quarter in San Antonio, Allen was about to lay the ball in, but Manu Ginobili grabbed his arm and pulled him to the floor -- a fairly dangerous play that was called a Flagrant 1 and upheld after video review.

The league defines flopping as "any physical act that appears to have been intended to cause the referees to call a foul on another player." Allen didn't flop on the contact, though. Where Allen flopped was in his selling of the foul. He pretended to have fallen on his head, immediately grabbing it and writhing on the floor in apparent pain. With sports leagues taking such a careful approach with head injuries, Allen's acting job was an obvious attempt to draw the flagrant call at a very critical stage of the game.

I'm a big Tony Allen fan so my opinion might be a bit biased (I'm also a big Manu fan for what it's worth), but I think this fine is BS. The idea that you need to fall on your head to hurt your head is not true first of all. Secondly, the whole fine a guy for flopping thing is basically a way to cover shoddy NBA officiating. "Oh no, the poor 3 blind mice were tricked and bamboozled!" Then you have Jeff Van Gundy and his flopping soap box that he's been getting on for years now. I feel like if he doesn't go on one of his flopping tangents the NBA doesn't fine TA here. Lastly, Manu is a fantastic, seasoned flopper. The greats respect one another. Switch places and I'm sure Manu does the same thing.

Want to be a Celtics Dancer?

noreply@blogger.com (JR) — Fri, 24 May 2013 20:45:00 +0000

If you're interested in becoming a Celtics Dancer, the team has three auditions coming up: May 29th in Los Angeles to steal some Cali girls, June 18th in New York to rescue some city girls and June 22nd in Boston for the local talent. You can find out more info here. Not 100% sure why I'm posting this, but I sort of feel like I deserve a free Celtics calendar for the trouble.

Any Celtics dancer hopefuls out there that we should promote?

There's a strong possibility that Ashley is my favorite

Celtics to host four centers for pre-draft workouts; which is the best fit?

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Dyer) — Fri, 24 May 2013 17:57:00 +0000

Yesterday we talked a bit about the six point guards the Celtics were going to have in for a visit, as Danny Ainge and the C's are clearly targeting backup guard to help spell Rajon Rondo. However, point guard isn't the only position the Celts are looking at, as the team will also host four big men for visits this weekend. From the Boston Globe's Baxter Holmes.

Beginning on Friday, the Celtics will host up to 12 draft prospects for workouts over two days, NBA sources said

...

Centers Jeff Withey of Kansas, Steven Adams of Pittsburgh, Colton Iverson of Colorado State, and Greg Echenique of Creighton are also scheduled to attend. The Celtics have the No. 16 pick in the first round on June 27. They do not have a second-round selection

Considering the team's current big man situation, this makes all the sense in the world. Kevin Garnett's future with the team is up in the air, and if he doesn't return, the C's would be down to Brandon Bass, Jared Sullinger (coming off back surgery), Fab Melo and the non-guaranteed deals of Shavlik Randolph and D.J. White at the 4/5. Not exactly murderers row.

The Celts are in a good spot in this draft (16th selection), as many experts have declared this years class to be very deep, but with few elite prospects. Therefore the Celtics should be able to get pretty good value in the middle of the first round. We've already broken down some of the potential fits for Boston on the site, and now let's take a closer look at the four big men Ainge is bringing in for a visit.

Jeff Withey (Link to ESPN draft profile), H: 7'0", W: 222 lbs, Wingspan: 7'2", Age: 23

College: Kansas

For those who watched the NCAA tournament, you know Withey's name. He played fantastic for the Jayhawks in their three tournament games, averaging 15 points, 10 boards and 5.7 blocks per game before Trey Burke and Michigan ended their season. According to ESPN's draft profile, Withey is the #26 prospect in the draft (#8 center), and is expected to go in the mid to late 1st round. He definitely needs to add some weight (222 pounds is dangerously skinny for a 7 footer) if he's going to bang with NBA 7 footers, but he has great shot blocking instincts and is very mobile. According to ESPN he needs to "work on his post moves" but every time I watched him he was very nimble around the basket, and never looked uncomfortable.

Steven Adams, H: 7'2", W: 255 lbs, Wingspan: 7'5", Age: 19 (turns 20 in July)

College: Pittsburgh

Scouting report: killer smile

If you like high risk, high reward picks, Adams is your guy. He is huge, athletic and long (NBA draft has got to be the only time where one dude calling another dude "huge and long" is totally cool..right?), and has an NBA body right now. He is also incredibly raw. As a freshman he averaged 7.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2 blocks for the Pitt Panthers, hitting double figures in scoring just six times in 32 games. Of course that doesn't mean he's not an elite NBA prospect, as ESPN ranks him the #13 prospect (#3 center) and projects him to be a late lottery pick. One potential red flag for Adams? This Pittsburgh Post Gazette article in which a teammate calls him "a cool guy that doesn't know what's going on", and Adams himself talks about his laid back attitude. At 19 he may grow out of that mentality, but it's not exactly an attribute most teams look for in their paint protector.

Colton Iverson, H: 7'0", W: 262 lbs, Wingspan: 7'2", Age: 23 (turns 24 next month)

College: Colorado State

This one surprised me a bit. Iverson had a good senior season for Colorado State, averaging 14 points and nearly 10 boards a game, but he is an average athlete who doesn't run all that well and turns 24 shortly. ESPN calls him the 51st best player in the draft (#10 center) and projects him as a 2nd round pick who may go undrafted. So why is he visiting? Well the C's don't have a 2nd round pick this year, so I'd imagine Iverson is a guy that Ainge liked on tape and that the Green would be interested in if he goes undrafted. His high motor is definitely an attractive attribute for an end of the bench guy, and if he doesn't get selected next month, he would be a good choice to push White and Randolph for a spot on the bench. Just don't expect to hear his name at #16.

Greg Echenique, H: 6'8", W: 265 lbs, Wingspan: 6'8", Age 22

College: Creighton

If Iverson's name surprised me, Echenique's flat out confused me. I remember him from Creighton's tournament games, but I have to admit I don't know his game all that well. He averaged 9 points and 6 boards for the Blue Jays as a 5th year senior, and ESPN doesn't even have him listed as a top-100 prospect. Since I only saw him play a few times, I'll let draft express give you a break down of his skillzzz.

Standing 6'8 with a powerfully built frame, Echenique remains the same extremely physical interior presence we described in our last report, only now he's imposing his will on college big men. He doesn't have a big wingspan, which, at 6'8, renders him undersized from a NBA perspective, but the St. Benedict's product has re-shaped his 265-pound frame in recent years, looking significantly more trim that he did as a freshman and appearing a bit more explosive because of it.

Despite his perceived weight loss, Echenique is as strong as ever. He may not be the quickest or most explosive big man, and certainly isn't going to beat anyone up the floor in transition, but he can carve out position in the post, keep defenders on his back, and finish plays at the rim with dunks when he can gather himself.

So he's a banger, who in five years of college ball shot all of one three pointer (he missed), which shows you that he's not really a guy that leaves the paint all that often. Like Iverson, Echenique is not someone in the running to be drafted with the 16th pick, and is probably someone that Ainge likes as an undrafted free agent/summer league addition. His body type, energy level and ability to "carve out position" in the paint kind of reminds me of a poor mans Big Baby, which would be one hell of a pick up as an off the street free agent.

Ok so of the four, two are not realistic options to be drafted at #16, but Adams and Withey most certainly are. Which of those is the best fit? To be honest, it kind of depends on what your looking for. Withey is more of a sure thing, he projects to be an NBA rotation quality big and carve out a nice little career. Whenever I watched him at Kansas he reminded me of Jeff Foster, who played 13 solid seasons with the Pacers, never doing anything flashy, but always producing.

If this were 2008, and the Celtics were looking for a piece to help them contend for a title next season, Withey would surely be the guy. But they're not. And in the middle of a rebuild Adams is the guy with the potential to develop into an All-Star quality big who can protect the paint and run the floor. If he's sitting there when the Celts draft, I'd expect Ainge to take a shot. While Adams has a higher chance of busting, the C's have to swing for the fences if they're going to contend again any time soon. And without the benefit of a lottery pick or cap space, Adams gives them the best chance to do that out of the four guys the C's are hosting this weekend.

Related:

Celtics to have six point guards in for workouts

2013 NBA Draft: Who should Boston not "pass" over

2013 NBA Draft: Who could be the next "big" thing for Boston

Follow Mike on twitter - Mike_Dyer13

Rajon Rondo to be a guest on Joan Rivers' E! show "Fashion Police" tonight

noreply@blogger.com (JR) — Fri, 24 May 2013 17:27:00 +0000

Rajon Rondo has said he loves his Summers (His reason for not wanting to play Olympics basketball), and one of his favorite hobbies is fashion. Last Summer Rajon interned for GQ. Tonight Rondo will be a guest on Joan Rivers' E! show "Fashion Police."

SPRING FEVER is in full effect this week on the set of “Fashion Police.” Basketball star and Boston Celtic team member, Rajon Rondo, and “Arrested Development” actress Jessica Walter stop by to visit with Joan and her panel of style experts—Kelly Osbourne, Giuliana Rancic and George Kotsiopoulos—for a Friday night of fashion fun. The stylish pro athlete talks about his personal fashion sense and plays “Stash It or Trash It” with a much beloved coat pulled straight out of his closet, while Jessica plays everyone’s favorite “Man Candy” game. Check out Rajon, Jessica, and the stylish bunch on Friday, May 24, 2013 at 10 PM ET/PT only on E!

We'll see if Rondo gets called out for some of his fashion choices. I doubt it. I expect Rondo to do a good job on this as his dry humor should play well on this show.

Related: Rajon Rondo is interning at GQ
Photo Album: Rajon Rondo's GQ Internship
Video: Rajon Rondo at GQ

Report: Nets asked for permission to speak with Doc Rivers, C's rejected them

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

It's been 20 days since the Celtics season ended, but coach Doc Rivers has yet to give a final answer on whether he will return next season.

While Doc has given cryptic answers ("I'm coming back until I say I'm not coming back"), he has yet to make things official. Tonight we get a new detail to why he may be holding out.

Jackie MacMullan of ESPN Boston published an article on Rivers today, and claims that the Brooklyn Nets made a run at Rivers, only to be rejected by Danny Ainge. From the article.

If Rivers were a free agent, he would be one of the most sought after coaches in the league.

In fact, team and league sources confirmed to ESPNBoston.com that Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge was contacted by the Brooklyn Nets, who wanted to speak to Rivers about their vacant coaching position. Ainge, according to those sources, denied the Nets permission to talk with his coach, who has three years and $21 million remaining on his contract.

Now on the surface this doesn't mean much, as MacMullan notes, Rivers is one of the best coaches in the league so it's only natural that he'd be sought after. With that said, if Rivers wasn't at least intrigued by other teams, why wouldn't he just say he's coming back? He's under contract here for three more years at fantastic money, but is it possible that he just doesn't want to go through what could become another rebuilding project? He's already been through that both in Orlando and early in his Boston tenure, and going through it a 3rd time at this stage of his career may not be appealing. Even if Boston retains both Pierce and Garnett, they're only delaying the rebuild by one year, and then Rivers would be in the same position next summer.

MacMullan also talked about how the Magic offered Rivers a "godfather" type role last summer, which Doc considered before rejecting.

That will not stop the offers from coming. 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.

For those confused about why Doc was allowed to talk to Orlando, Rivers was free to take the job because it is a promotion, not a lateral move like it would be to become coach of the Nets.

With news of the Nets interest trickling in, now you have to imagine Rivers will be pressed to give an answer shortly. There's already rumors that he and Danny Ainge are sick of one another, and with the draft now just a month away, the off-season retooling process is about to get under way.

I'm a huge fan of Rivers, but it's time for an answer. Three weeks is plenty of time to unwind and refresh yourself before making a decision, and it's time for Doc to decided whether he's in or out for next season.

Related:

Should Doc Rivers be the highest paid coach in the NBA?

Why hasn't Doc confirmed his return next season?

Follow Mike - Mike_Dyer13

One Day FREE Fantasy Contest – $300 in cash prizes

noreply@blogger.com (JR) — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:45:00 +0000

If you haven’t heard yet, there’s a new way to play fantasy baseball that turns the season long grind into quick one night leagues. And the best part is that you can win cash every single day. You draft a team for one night and get paid out as soon as the games end that night. DraftStreet is at the forefront of this new trend in the fantasy world and is giving us a great promotion: a FREE one-day fantasy league with $300 in prizes.

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This free contest will be Pick 'em style drafting. The way Pick 'Em leagues work is you have 8 tiers of players and each tier will have players to choose from. All you have to do is select 1 player from each tier. There’s absolutely nothing to lose and it takes 5 minutes to build a team. You can adjust your roster up until the contest starts on Friday May 24th at 7:05 ET at which time your rosters will lock and the Live Scoreboard will be available.

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Wyc Grousbeck on Paul Pierce: "I want him to keep playing for us"

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Saver) — Thu, 23 May 2013 23:36:00 +0000

A lot of attention has been put on Doc Rivers recently. While rumors that he might leave are basically just a bunch of speculation, the situation with Paul Pierce is very very real.

Pierce will be the first domino to fall in the craziest off-season the Celtics are facing since perhaps 2007. With one decision, Ainge could decide to break up the core of the last five years and move on to rebuild, or he could bring everyone back for one last run.

Apparently if it were up to Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck, it would be the latter. Grousbeck joined Felger and Mazz's show on 98.5 the sports hub earlier today.

Via Chris Forsberg on twitter:

"I want to retire Paul’s number, but I don’t want to do it any time soon because I want him to keep playing for us, to be honest. I want KG back. I want Doc back. I’d love to have Rondo back. I just want to get them more help, that’s my going-in assumption."

Our Mike Dyer wrote a fantastic piece breaking down the scenarios the Celtics have in front of them. Essentialy, if Pierce stays, the Celtics are stuck with the team that they have. A team that Danny Ainge flat out acknowledged wasn't good enough to win a championship and wasn't close.

Still, Grousbeck echoes the sentiment of most Celtics fans. Nobody wants to see Paul Pierce playing in a different uniform, no matter what the facts are.

Cheers Skematik in the shoutbox!

A Pair of 9s: The Parallel Paths of Rajon Rondo and Tony Parker

noreply@blogger.com (Jacob Zweiback) — Thu, 23 May 2013 22:01:00 +0000

As a nineteen year-old Frenchman with no college experience, Tony Parker was not a highly touted prospect in the 2001 draft. At little more than 6 feet, 175 pounds, he was short, skinny, and a poor shooter, nearly falling into the second round before San Antonio snagged him with the 28th pick.

After an up-and-down rookie year, many considered Parker to be the Spurs' weak link the next season, but he silenced the doubters with electric play on the way too his first NBA championship. 4 years later, Rajon Rondo would go through a similar trial by fire when experts said Doc Rivers' Big 3 couldn't win without a "legitimate point guard." In the closeout game 6 of the 2008 Finals, Rondo exploded for 21 points, 8 assists, 7 rebounds, and 6 steals, showing the world just how legit he could be.

While Rondo grew to dominate the spotlight with awe-inspiring plays, Parker never seemed to be included in "Who's the best point guard" debates - first it was all about CP3, Steve Nash, or D-Wil, and lately Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, and Rajon Rondo seemed to each take the crown before being dethroned by injuries. Parker has been the most consistent of all these players, and after a superstar playoff run, the basketball world is starting to appreciate just how good he really is.

As Rajon Rondo rehabs his knee, he can learn a lot by studying Parker's game. TP shot 67% from the line as a rookie and continued to struggle for 5 seasons before making real improvement. This year, the San Antonio star shattered his season records with an excellent 84.5% mark. Not only has Rondo's foul shooting been his biggest blemish, but it has also made him less aggressive late in games when he worries about missing free throws. And please, don't give me that "his hands are too big" argument, Kevin Durant and Dirk Nowitzki seem to be doing just fine.

Rondo showed signs of improved mid-range shooting before tearing his ACL, and if he continues to work on his form, he'll be a much bigger pick and roll threat in the clutch. Parker used to be mainly a drive-floater type of guy, but his improved shooting has made him a deadly all-around scorer, particularly late in games.

For all his shooting improvements, the most impressive part of Parker's game is his consistency. Much like Rondo, the guy runs hard all night without tiring, constantly coming around screens and leading the break. However, Parker is also very good at maintaining his poise throughout the game whereas all too often, Rondo zones out on defense, takes offensive possessions off, and loses his cool with the referees. No one can realistically expect Rondo to do what he does in the playoffs throughout the regular season, but even when he's conserving his energy, he still has to focus on giving the Celtics a chance to win.

As much as we like to say that seeding doesn't matter, just imagine how much better Boston's playoff runs could have been if they'd won 4 more games to take on Brooklyn in the first round or played Game 7 at home against the Heat last year (After losing 17 of their first 32, the C's still only finished 7 games back from Miami!) Rondo's lackadaisical stinkers have been one of the biggest reasons for Celtic slumps over the years - he scored 8 points or fewer in 11 of 38 games this season (in which Boston went 5 and 6), not to mention the numerous times when he let the opposing PG run wild.

Even if Rondo doesn't come back with fully renewed athleticism, his length, strength, and creativity are more than enough to become the complete player we've been waiting for. He is already a bona fide star with more memorable playoff performances than any of his rival point guards, but if he takes a few pages from the other #9's book, he'll take a mighty step towards cementing his legacy.

Follow Jacob on Twitter @TheReelJZ

Chris Wilcox gives back

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

Chris Wilcox with our girl

Last week, I wrote an article about Chris Wilcox and how basically he was a disappointment for this team. Even though he didn't play well on the court, he is still grateful to the Boston community. Last month, he decided to give his time to the American Heart Association's Heart Ball last month in auctioning off a free basketball clinic on Monday that was awarded to 10 children from Oak Hill Middle School in Newton.

CSNNE.com reported that Chris Wilcox was eternally grateful for what the Boston Celtics and the city has done for him.

"At the end of the day, Boston gave me a second chance on life, a second chance on my career, 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 gong through what I was going through."

According to the AHA website, the Boston Heart Ball campaign raised more than $51 million nation-wide, "allowing them to fund more $123 million of research and programs."

That is pretty awesome, even though I don't think the Boston Celtics should bring him back, Wilcox is definitely a good person and definitely appreciates the opportunity he had of being a Celtic. Either if he comes back to the Boston Celtics or not, I respect Chris Wilcox, because he came back from a major heart surgery and played the game he loves, mad respect.

Follow Terry P here

Celtics to have six point guards in for workouts

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Saver) — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:43:00 +0000

You think Danny Ainge is looking to draft a backup point guard?

The writing has really been on the wall for a while. The Celtics have struggled to find a point guard to back up Rajon Rondo. Terrance Williams could've filled that role a bit but his future with the team remains unclear after a recent arrest.

Not having a true point guard behind Rondo was a glaring issue that the team was able to get away with, by just barely ever taking Rondo off of the floor. They got by with Keyon Dooling filling the role at times in the 2011-12 season, but really haven't had a true point guard behind Rondo since probably Sam Cassell.

It finally came back to haunt them this past season when Rondo tore his ACL.

The team succeeded for a bit in his absence, but as the season dragged on they started to truly miss having a person to run their offense on the floor. The absence of a legitimate point guard was never more poignant than in their 6 game loss to the New York Knicks in which the team was down 0-3 at one point.

That coupled with the fact that the Celtics were linked to Clippers' back up point guard Eric Bledsoe several times, you have to be thinking that's going to be a priority. It could even be addressed in the draft.

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

That's a pretty strong hint right there. Also, dialed-in ESPN draft expert Chad Ford recently pegged point guard Dennis Schroeder to the Celtics in a mock draft. Who has Schroeder been most compared to? Rajon Rondo.

Most Celtics fans are clamoring for the Celtics to draft a big man, and with good reason. Finding some size in indisputably the Celtics biggest need, it's also the biggest need of about 20 other teams. The reason being, there aren't a lot of quality big men out there. We saw the Celtics draft Fab Melo based on his size, should they continue to ignore other needs and just draft big guys in the middle to late rounds hoping that one catches? I don't think that's the wisest strategy.

The Celtics are working out some bigs as well (4 to be exact), so don't worry, but do not be surprised if they draft a point guard because that is another huge need on this team as well.

Jared Sullinger updates his rehab, says he played on one leg last year due to injury

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Dyer) — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:28:00 +0000

It's been three and a half months since Jared Sullinger underwent season ending surgery for a lumbar disc issue in his back, and the soon to be 2nd year forward is progressing in his rehab.

ESPN Boston's Chris Forsberg caught up with Sully at a charity event, and among other things he discussed the notion that back troubles will continue to bother him. He says that's just not true.

"Everybody says back with a question mark, you might as well put an X through that," Sullinger said on Thursday morning at a Stay in School assembly at Northeastern’s Matthews Arena in which the Celtics honored 1,000 local middle school students. "Because I had surgery and I’m taking my time getting back right, it won’t be a recurring injury."

When the Sullinger fell to the Celtics in the 2012 draft, it was because of red flags that popped up regarding his back. Throughout his solid rookie season, in which he averaged 6 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, it appeared as though the C's got an absolute steal with the #21 pick. The back surgery obviously cut his campaign short, but according to Sullinger, he was playing injured throughout the season. The back issue was causing him to drag one leg, and effecting how he moved.

"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."

If the back issues are truly behind him (no matter what he says, back injuries are tricky), the above is great news for the Celts. While Sullinger was solid as a rookie, the C's need him to be even better if they're going to compete next season.

For one, his 20 minutes played per game will likely increase, especially if KG is gone, to somewhere in the 25-30 minute range. Sullinger's rebounding rates were fantastic as a rookie as he grabbed 22.1% of all available rebounds while on the floor (16th in the NBA), and 12.6% of all available offensive rebounds (12th in the NBA), and once he went out, the Celts rebounding numbers plummeted. For a team that struggles on the glass, Sully plays a vital role as one of two elite rebounders on the team (along with KG). If the back injury really impacted him as much as he says, I'd expect those numbers to spike, and wouldn't be surprised to see him as more of a 10 and 10 guy next year. Considering the C's lack of big men, that would be a huge development.

As for whether Sullinger will be ready come opening night, the big man told Forsberg that he plans on it.

Maybe by September or October I’ll be 100 percent -- full go

With all of the question marks the Celtics have this summer, it would be nice to be able to cross Sullinger's health off that list. After all, while he may be the youngest player on the team, he plays a huge role and the C's need him at full strength as they begin to turn towards the future.

Follow Mike on twitter - Mike_Dyer13

Phil Jackson would take Bill Russell over Michael Jordan

noreply@blogger.com (Mike Saver) — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:22:00 +0000

Phil Jackson, while not actively in the NBA, hasn't really left the news since he retired. He's recently been appearing in headlines talking about coaching offers, the Lakers and his new book eleven rings. Recently, Jackson was interviewed by TIME and asked who he would chose to start a team with.

Phil Jackson would take Bill Russell, not Michael Jordan, as first player to start team wp.me/p16NvV-bqc
— SI NBA (@si_nba) May 23, 2013

A compliment paid from one guy with eleven championship rings to another. Of course, Russell led the dominant Celtics of the '50s and '60s to 11 championships including eight straight. Russell is the most successful player in sports history in that regard, something Jackson who holds that honor as a coach, clearly respects.

SI:

“In my estimation, the guy that has to be there would be Bill Russell. He has won 11 championships as a player,” Jackson said in an interview with Time. “That’s really the idea of what excellence is, when you win championships.”

Should Doc Rivers be the highest paid coach in the NBA?

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Vandeusen) — Thu, 23 May 2013 17:47:00 +0000

Forbes Magazine released an article this week entitled "The Highest-Paid Coaches in U.S. Sports." Eight of the first nine are all from the NFL, with the lone exception being the Celtics Doc Rivers. At $7 million per season, Rivers is the highest salaried coach in the NBA (the Spurs Greg Popovich is second at $6 million a year). In terms of experience and titles, Popovich is obviously the most deserving of being the top earner (although Phil Jackson would have a good argument if he decided to return). After that it gets fairly difficult to make a case for anyone else to be paid more than Doc.

There are only 6 coaches in the league with 10+ years experience leading a team. Rivers (13), Popovich (16), George Karl (24), Rick Adelman (21), Mike D'Antoni (10), and Rick Carlisle (10). Karl has had a lot of success in Denver (and Seattle in the mid '90s), but he's never won a title. Adelman is in the same boat (had very good teams in Sacramento in the early 2000's and Portland in the early '90s) as Karl, however he hasn't even been to the playoffs in 4 years. Carlisle won it all with Dallas in 2011, but his resume doesn't really include anything more than Doc's. D'Antoni isn't even worth making an argument.

Beyond those guys the next most deserving may actually be the Bulls Tom Thibodeau, who has just two seasons under his belt as a head coach. So while Popovich is probably due for a raise, I don't have any issue with Rivers making what he does.

Follow Mark on twitter @LucidSportsFan

Why hasn’t Doc confirmed his return next season?

noreply@blogger.com (Matty Mackay) — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:52:00 +0000

Now let me preface this by saying this is all speculation on my part, and Felger and Mazz briefly touching upon this in yesterday afternoons program really got me thinking about it. Danny Ainge told the media a week ago that:

“Doc is coaching next year. As far as everything I know, he’s going to be our coach.

“I haven’t heard anything other than Doc’s coaching next year.”

Both Mike Dyer and Mark Vandeusen covered this topic for CelticsLife here and here, check it out for some other good insights. Now it’s all well and good that Ainge said this, but why hasn’t Doc confirmed it? Read between the lines… ‘as far as I know.’ Interesting... conspiracy theorists align! Also apparently all the media outlets in Boston have reached out to Doc to talk to him about it, but he hasn’t answered anyone. Usually Ainge and Doc are on the same page and when one says something, the other isn’t too far behind to back them up. So why? I have two theories:

One: He’s coming back or he’s planning on coming back and he just wants time to recoup before making it public.

Two: He wants out, and Ainge is trying to force his hand and make a decision about it. The Clippers coaching vacancy might be pretty intriguing to Doc. I can almost guarantee you CP3 is trying to recruit Doc to come to LA and help him coach those young guys.

Like I said this is all speculation, but it’s just intriguing to me that Doc hasn’t confirmed it. Comment and let me hear your guy’s thoughts.

Follow me on Twitter: @MattyMackay

Frank Vogel: "I would say we'll probably have (Roy Hibbert) in next time."

noreply@blogger.com (DH) — Thu, 23 May 2013 04:43:00 +0000

Indiana Pacers coach Frank Vogel made the decision (twice) to take center Roy Hibbert out of the game on crucial plays towards the end of the Eastern Conference Finals game 1 against Miami. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear to have been the wisest decision, as LeBron James was able to easily drive to the basket with 2.2 seconds left in overtime to sink the game-winner.

In retrospect, Vogel and the Pacers realize that it probably wasn't the wisest decision:

Pacers Coach Frank Vogel on Roy Hibbert at the end of the game: "I would say we'll probably have him in next time."
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) May 23, 2013

George adds he wishes Hibbert had been on floor for final play. "100 percent he would have been there at the rim."
— Zak Keefer (@zkeefer) May 23, 2013

Hibbert's face says it all:

And so does Chris Paul's:

What the Hell Happened to...Jamel Thomas?

noreply@blogger.com (tb727) — Thu, 23 May 2013 01:41:00 +0000

For the fourth time (after Conley, Abdul-Aziz, Herren) but what won't be the last (Mike James has a book out there and Acie Earl has told me he has an Ebook so we'll see where they go) we remember a former-Celtic-turned author. For the second time (after this guy) but definitely not the last time, we remember someone whose cousin not only played for the Celtics (Stephon Marbury) but so did his brother as well (Sebastian Telfair). You definitely remember Jamel Thomas.

I remember first seeing Thomas play at Providence. The guy I thought of? Lamond Murray, no doubt. His ability to get to the basket and quick first step were impressive but he also had a sound fundamental aspect to his game which included strong perimeter shooting and a nice touch from the foul line. He was like Murray in that the game seemed to come easy to him.

Rewind back to Lincoln HS in Brooklyn's Head Coach Bobby Harsteins's gym with the usual 8th grade prospects there. Harstein knew Marbury for sure, highly heralded from a long-line of basketball lineage so he didn't bother to ask him to identify himself. Coach Harstein wanted to know about his taller friend with him:

“Who’s that?” Hartstein asked.

“My cousin Jamel,” Marbury answered.

“How does he do in school?”

“He doesn’t go to school, Coach.”

“What do you mean he doesn’t go to school?”

“Well, he doesn’t go every day.”

“Where does he think he’s going to high school?”

“Right here, Coach.”

“Well, he’s going to school every single day if he thinks he’s going to

play basketball for Lincoln.”

Jamel didn't wind up going to school every day but one particular day, in English class, when he refused to complete the essay portion of an exam, he made an indelible mark on teacher Lenore Braverman. Braverman asked Thomas if he wanted to live with her and her husband in their home in Rockaway Park away from all the crime, drugs, away from the "struggle". What do a middle-class Jewish family know about raising a black teenager? Coach Hartstein thought it was an outstanding idea but insisted on running it past the Marbury and Telfair families. They were skeptical at best thinking that the Braverman's were looking to cash in on Jamel someday. But ultimately Lenore was allowed to help. Thomas would stay with her during the week and return to his own home in Coney Island on the weekends. The Bravermans would help Jamel focus and ultimately win a scholarship to Providence College.

His time at Providence was a great success. During his sophomore season, along with Austin Croshere and God Shammgod, the Friars knocked off Duke and then it was Jamel's gutsy 3 pointer from the corner that tied he game against Arizona in the Elite 8. In case you forgot that:

Thomas finished his Providence career with 1,971 career points and made the First Team All-Big East selection as a senior. So certainly when it was draft time in 1999, I expected Jamel to be selected. But sometimes it doesn't happen that way (think Scotty Thurman). Jamel wasn't picked but latched onto Cleveland in October of that year. However before playing any regular season games, he was released. 2 months later and the Evil Emperor came calling in December of 1999. The Celtics would ink Jamel to a 10 day contract on December 13th. During that stretch he appeared in 3 games and average 6 minutes per game. Despite that his per-36 numbers were strong, 20 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. His Celtics career came to an end.

I asked Jamel on Twitter what his favorite moment with the Celtics was:

I thought Jamel was a hell of player at Providence. But ah yes, it seems to always come down to time and place (Bryant Stith can relate). Jamel never got a fair shake in the NBA and decided to focus overseas.

When I went undrafted it was very political. I never got the option to come back (and play in the States). There were some camps and summer leagues where I played well, like in Cleveland, but I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I played in Turkey, Italy and Greece and I led a couple of leagues in scoring in both Italy and Greece.

Hey if I could blame the Evil Emperor for not giving Dontae' Jones time to develop, can I blame him for Jamel Thomas too? I'll take the safe route and say "yes, I can and will."

As I mentioned at the start, since retiring, Jamel is a proud author. That's right, the same guy that struggled writing the essay in high school all those years ago in Mrs Braverman's class wrote his own book called The Beautiful Struggle.

If you check out the link to Amazon above you will see Jamel went by the pen name J.A.M.E.L. What does it stand for? Just Ask Michele Erica Lenore. Michele was Jamel's mother's name who was tragically murdered when he was 4. Erica was the aunt that took him in and Lenore was in reference to Lenore Braverman, the teacher who helped him get into Providence.

In addition to writing, today, Jamel works as a trainer in the offseason with both NBA players (like Al Harrington) and prospects. He trains a lot of high school kids who are striving to compete at Division 1 colleges and beyond. One of his prized pupils has been Wolfgang Novogratz who attends Poly Prep now but one day aspires to be playing in the NBA himself.

And lastly I leave you with this from this final question from the excellent interview at Hoopist:

Hoopist: Is there anything else you have in the works that you’d like to share with us?
Jamel Thomas: Well, in February, my book will be a curriculum at Providence, so hopefully by next April, I’ll be going on tour for the book. We’re going to try and branch it out to inner city high schools after that. That’s my main focus right now.

Get ready for the Jamel Thomas book tour, coming soon to you! Kudos to Jamel for having the fortitude and toughness to make it through his struggle and ultimately, make a mark on the Celtics.

For a list of all the "What the Hell Happened To" Series please click here.

Boston Celtics newest fan: The Pope?

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Vandeusen) — Thu, 23 May 2013 00:18:00 +0000

From the Boston Globe's Gary Dzen:

James Pallotta, president of the soccer team AS Roma and a minority owner of the Celtics, presented a Celtics jersey to Pope Francis at the Vatican Wednesday. Pallotta was there to represent Roma in the Coppa Italia, a match pitting the team against city rival Lazio.

They better start selling "The Pope" #1 jerseys at the Garden pro shop. We've already seen what Celtics uniforms look like for 3 out of 4 of these 1996 Kentucky Wildcats; now there's a "Pope" one too.

Left to right: Walter McCarty, Mark Pope, Tony Delk, and Antoine Walker

Follow Mark on twitter @LucidSportsFan

Now is not the time to trade Rajon Rondo

noreply@blogger.com (Mark Vandeusen) — Wed, 22 May 2013 23:40:00 +0000

One of the many question marks facing the Celtics this offseason is the future of Rajon Rondo. While the trade rumor mill is seemingly always spinning when it comes to the Boston point guard, it makes very little sense for the C's to deal him this summer. According to the Boston Herald's Steve Bulpett, one NBA general manager had this to say about the situation:

“I haven’t heard his name being put out there like I have in the past. The thing is, with Rondo coming off an ACL (tear), teams will be looking to get a bargain, and Boston can’t go there. They’re better off letting him come back and show everyone what he can do again.”

Last week the Herald's Mark Murphy summed it up by saying "Rondo’s surgically repaired knee means Ainge will receive trash offers."

There's also the fact that Rondo's contract is still a relative bargain. He's going to make just under $12 million next year, which ranks him as the 40th highest paid player in the league; not bad for an All-Star regular in his prime who's led the NBA in assists per game the past two seasons. Emeka Okafor, Ben Gordon, Nene, Hedo Turkoglu, and Kris Humphries will all make more than him in 2013-2014, just to name a few.

Related: We need Rajon Rondo back in order to get the good Avery Bradley back

Follow Mark on twitter @LucidSportsFan

The Celtics "could be looking to move up" in the draft

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Blaisdell) — Wed, 22 May 2013 21:37:00 +0000

Trading up in the first round is not out of the question for the Celtics.

The Celtics hold the 16th pick in the 2013 NBA draft, but they may look to deal that pick and a player or a future pick to get into the top 10.

Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix seems to think Boston could be looking to improve their drafting position based on who they've interviewed.

An aside on Boston. C's met with Victor Oladipo, who will likely be gone in top-ten. Met with Kelly Olynyk, too. Could be looking to move up
— Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixSI) May 17, 2013

There's been some buzz that the Dallas Mavericks could be shopping their 13th overall pick to free up cap space for a run at free agent big man Dwight Howard. If the Celtics could snag that pick for a protected future first rounder and maybe a second rounder, then having picks number 13 and 16 should be more than enough to swap for a top 10 selection.

Potential trade partners would have to be teams that are more than one first-rounder away from starting to compete. The New Orleans Pelicans (6th) and Detroit Pistons (8th) fit that bill. The Washington Wizards (3rd) and Charlotte Bobcats (Hornets?) (4th), and Phoenix Suns (5th) are also in that category, but two picks outside the top 10 or the 16th pick and a player (unless it's Avery Bradley or Jared Sullinger) are not enough to snag a top five pick, even in this mediocre draft.

Fab Melo's name has reportedly come up many times recently from other teams looking at the Celtics roster, so he seems like the most likely to be dealt for a higher pick. From the Boston Herald:

He’s not the best Celtic. He played just 36 NBA minutes this past season, and there’s no guarantee he’ll find any playing time next season either. Yet most of the questions regarding an individual on the C’s roster from other clubs to a reporter at the pre-draft workouts were about Fab Melo.”

It's hard to justify trading away Melo when he was picked last year with the understanding that he's a project and will take time to before he is NBA ready. But if the Celtics are looking to stay competitive now and think a top 10 pick would help that along then the seven-foot Brazilian could be somebody else's project.

If the Celtics were to jump into the top 10, they could look to draft Maryland big man Alex Len, Michigan point guard Trey Burke, Indiana big man Cody Zeller or Las Vegas big man Anthony Bennett. While none project to be superstars, all are very skilled players that would make an impact the second they stepped on the court.

It all depends on how much Danny Ainge covets a guy who could be available in picks 6-10. Or Ainge could go another route and snag up the Mavericks' pick to use it to draft a backup point guard like Miami's Shane Larkin, Dennis Schroeder from Germany, or Syracuse's Michael Carter-Williams and keep the 16 pick for a big.

Follow Eric
@ericblaisdell13