CelticsBlog

Oklahoma City 102, Orlando 74

2009-11-09T02:32:45Z

Oklahoma City 102, Orlando 74

OKC pushed the Lakers to overtime and just rolled over the Magic. Watch out for Durant and company this year.

Celtics Stuff Live 11/8

2009-11-08T22:35:29Z

Celtics Stuff Live took to the airwaves Sunday night at its customary 9pm start time with Justin, Jon, Kevin Henkin, and without a stunning big name guest to draw in the masses. But, oh the people came Ray. A little bit of concern dotted the map as fans, callers, emailers, etc began to see areas of weakness in what was the Good Shop Lollypop just one week ago. Nevertheless, Justin compared Kevin's writing to the unmistakably bitter Maine beverage creation "Moxie" and Jon did a Scooby Doo impression. All in all, just another night in the neighborhood.

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Marquis Daniels: Good Vibrations

2009-11-08T17:00:29Z

"….when I come in, I try to be a positive vibe."

With the dreadlocks, he’s got that laid back, island look going on. His soft voice reinforces the laid back image. His outlook, demeanor and even verbology slants that way.

Who Marquis Daniels Isn’t

It was second or third game of the season. I don’t really remember which. Marquis Daniels was open at the top for the three point shot.

He clanged it and the guy in front of me loudly said, "Bleepin Marquis Daniels! I hate him already!"

To know Marquis Daniels is to know that three point shooting isn’t why he is in the NBA. A career .238 three point shooter, he wouldn’t be here if it was his raison d’etre. Maybe he shouldn’t be taking them at all with a percentage like that. Even Josh Smith, who shouldn’t shoot threes either, hits a better rate than that.

In a recent game, Marquis was scoreless. Paul Pierce was about to line up a three pointer when he saw Marquis open in the left corner. He dropped it down to Marquis who took the ball to the hoop for his first points of the game. How important was that to Marquis? Apparently, not important at all. The following is the phrase of the ultimate, confident, ego-less role player.

If I need to score, I’ll score. I’m not really worried about that.

I’m just going out there doing whatever needs to be done. Just taking advantage of every situation trying to make sure guys get their proper rest when I get in the game and they come out and hopefully the team don’t miss a beat. That’s just my main focus right now. Just trying to keep things going.

When your unit comes in it has been holding or extending the lead.

Yeah, that’s our main goal. We want to be better than any other unit when we get out there on the floor. Our starters may not have it going there tonight but we have to make sure we (the subs) have it going every night regardless of the situation. That’s one of our key focuses. Go out there and play hard every night.

Whether it’s Paul or Ray, just give them a little break here and there. So that when they get back in they can be fresh and keep things going.

But I didn’t really know what Marquis’ game was, except for brief encounters against whatever team he was on when the Celtics played them. He has a little mid range game, but mostly takes it to the hoop with great effect (.619 in close shots). He seemed to play decent defense.

Energy guy?
A soft spoken individual whenever I’ve talked with him, it is even hard to make out what he is saying on the recorder when I play it later. Speak up young man. Watching him on the court, one thing you’ll see is that there is no wasted energy. He anticipates well, and knows where to be at both ends of the court.

Who Marquis Daniels Is
I decided to break down a game and just watch Daniels’ every move. Even on the court, there is little wasted energy. But I learned to appreciate the basketball player who left a million or two on the table to play for the Boston Celtics.

One of the team needs going into this season was a player or two to do the dirty work and the unglamorous stuff. Stuff like James Posey did. What young studs like Bill Walker and J.R Giddens are learning is that the primary scorer positions on this team are all filled. Role players needed.

With Daniels, the Celtics found such a player. With the mindset they were seeking and the game to help fill in at multiple positions, Daniels knows how to play. He knows where to go and what to do on both ends of the floor.

Here is a day in the life of Marquis Daniels, Celtic role player.

From the recent Timberwolves game call it the ABCs of Marquis…

A) Marquis had the ball inside the upper left arc area. Being on the weakside, he saw an opening to the hoop and drove past Corey Brewer for a quick, uncontested, left handed running lay up.

B) A few plays later, he gets out on the break, receives the ball above the foul line and drives the middle between two defenders who couldn’t quite set up for a lay–up in traffic.

C) Later, he deflects a pass that goes to teammate Rasheed Wallace. I don’t know who got the steal but they should have split it. It turns into another fastbreak.

D) Marquis drives the middle, draws the defensive attention and splits the defenders with a great pass underneath to the right to Shelden Williams moving in for a lay up behind the defenders.

E) Later Marquis drives the middle again, drawing three defenders and kicks it back out to a wide open Rasheed Wallace at the top for a three point shot.

F) Marquis gets the ball at the top and picks his man and gets fouled by center Ryan Hollins trying to pick him up and divert him from heading inside where Marquis is dangerous.

G) Al Jefferson has the ball on the right side elbow, and is guarded by Perkins. Marquis is stationed slightly above the foul line protecting the middle while watching his man Cory Brewer who is not a threat to shoot above the top of the key. Jefferson thinks he can take Perkins with a shake and bake move heading toward the hoop.

As he moves on Perkins, Daniels comes over and Eddie House comes from under the hoop. They make a perfect Jefferson sandwich around each side Perkins. Kendrick makes the block and gets the ball to start a fast break.

H) Ryan Gomes comes in and Marquis now switches to him. Gomes makes cuts through the middle and Daniels immediately puts his body on him and moves with him every time he cuts through. On a post up to the left of the key, he body locks Gomes off a spot. Gomes now covered, the pass goes elsewhere.

I) 4th quarter, Daniels and House are in again and Daniels is playing point. Marquis has the ball at the top and drives the middle where he is dangerous, drawing multiple defenders and sees Shelden Williams now open on the left side. He immediately hits him with the pass. Short Jumper. Two points.

J) Daniels, playing a sort of zone, stays near the paint and picks off a Pavlovic pass as Sasha drives the middle and takes it the length of the court. Marquis takes in against the taller Pecherov where he misses but gets fouled.

What Marquis is…is a floor spreader with good anticipation. Much of the time he plays the weakside (away from the ball) of the court on both sides of floor. But on defense, he knows who he can cheat off, to help inside more, and anticipates passing lanes pretty well.

He knows how to be just physical enough to cause the offensive player difficulty in the middle, but not get the foul. His game is not high energy. It is just enough energy.

The undrafted, versatile swingman plays the point for the Celtics in an ‘interchangeable point guard’ offense with Eddie House. He did the same with the Dallas Mavericks, before going to Indiana and playing mostly shooting guard, and small forward, with just a tad of power forward in one of Pacer’s coach Jim O’Brien’s small ball line ups. He mainly plays shooting guard and small forward and does both well.

With the Celtics, he knows he is not needed to score right now and he is absolutely okay with that. He just wants to play a part in getting a NBA championship.

As Jeff Clark said in a recent article, Marquis is like the utility infielder that every baseball team needs. He is all that and more for the Celtics. The only number that matters is a letter….a W… at the end of the game. His personal numbers don’t really reflect his contributions.

I’m out here, like I said to help guys get better. If I could take a load off them by giving Paul a break on the defensive end then…I mean Ray’s a type of guy… if he don’t have to guard the better player out there, that’s gotta help him a lot at the offensive end. But it’s the same with Ray, I’m just out there to help.

Do they ever want you to score more?

I just take what the defense gives me. There’s sometimes…it’s not gonna be….every night it’s not going to be that way. So you have to go out there and play basketball, and just try to be a factor. Like I say, I try to be positive whenever I get in the game and when I come in, I try to be a positive vibe for whatever the situation may be, just make sure my group goes out there and continues.

Offensively and defensively we have a lot of great talent and things to look forward to if we keep everything together.

Marquis is one of the guys keeping it together. Keeping it positive and bringing the good vibrations. He’s not going to give you the excitations... but he’ll give you solid basketball.

Daily Links 11/8

2009-11-08T18:10:36Z

Herald Celtics drag it out in NJ
Rajon Rondo pointed right way
Cavaliers, LeBron James need an assist
Tyreke Evans ascends to lead with Kings
Globe Celtics postgame analysis Celtics postgame analysis
Celtics wait out Nets, 86-76 Celtics wait out Nets, 86-76
Bird-Johnson book reveals binding friendship
Hawks rebound against Nuggets N.J. youth movement impresses Celtics’ Rivers
Weary Celtics hold off Nets
Market for ticket resales booming

CelticsBlog   Avert Your Eyes
Marquis Daniels: Good Vibrations
Finally, Some Rest for the Weary
Loy's Place     Comments from the Other Side - Nets 11/7
Celtics.com    Keys to the Game: Celtics 86, Nets 76
NBA.com    Lakers big men Gasol, Bynum sit out game vs. Grizzlies
Celtics back on winning track after bouncing winless Nets
ESPN     Allen Iverson leaves Grizzlies for personal reasons
Three-point percentage tells story of tired team
Weary Celtics pull away in fourth
Moral victory for winless Nets in loss to Celtics?
For Boston Celtics' Glen Davis, injury doesn't dampen wit
Bright Side of the Sun   Boston, MA: Where the Suns Bench Happened (to kick the C's in the teeth)
Red's Army    Video evidence of a defensive lapse, starring Rajon Rondo \
Well THAT was horrible to watch
Your Morning Dump... featuring some love for Scal
Wicked Local    Friday night pregame Celtics update: Scalabrine out; Walker says he’ll be back Monday
Comcast SportsNet   Survival test: Celtics defeat Nets Survival test: Celtics defeat Nets
Celtics Hub     Delete from DVR Immediately: C’s 86, Nyets 76
A Note on Iverson and a Sunday Notebook
North Station Sports    NSS Live Game Chat: Celtics vs Nets
Celtics End Tough Stretch with Squeaker in New Jersey
CT News     Worn Out Celtics Wear Out Depleted Nets: 86-76
Celtics Town   Running Diary: Celtics struggle past Nets in ugly game
Lex Nihil Novi    Celtics Subdue Pacers (83-84)
Remember Steve Stipanovich? (83-84)
Unspoken Lethargy
Celtics Life    What the Hell Happened to...Chris Carr?
Today's Video: Paul Pierce-The Turning Point
Gino's Jungle    Amare, Beasts Aren't Suppose To Have Fun
Celtics Fans, This Season Is For You
Celtics Grind One Out - Stand at 7-1
Boston Sports Pulse    Kendrick Perkins: Physical, aggressive, & mean?
Celtics Pull Away In Fourth To Beat Winless Nets
Nets Daily    Hassell, Scalabrine Prove Meaning of "Professional"
North Jersey.com   Nets still winless; forward has H1N1
WEEI     The Three-Pointer: Celtics Win Ugly
Star Tribune     Garnett says, 'I've never looked back'
Slam Online    A Third Dose of the Dime
The Ledger   Rondo, Pierce Help Celtics Bounce Back as Nets Remain Winless
Telegram    Phoenix proving to be better off without Shaq
Dimemag    No Answer
Cleveland.com    Wally Szczerbiak rehabbing knee, doesn't know if he will play in NBA again
NESN   Celtics Keep Producing Wins Despite Difficult Schedule
Live Blog: Celtics at Nets
Live Blog: Celtics at Nets
Celtics Rebound From Loss, Take Down Nets 86-76
NJ.com     Banged-up NJ Nets give Boston Celtics a fight but lose, 86-76
Green Street    Fast break: Celtics-Nets Fast break: Celtics-Nets
LA Times     Referee Tim Donaghy lacks not just integrity, but credibility too
Nets Are Scorching     Quick Recap: Boston Celtics 86, New Jersey Nets 76
Bloggers Talk: Boston Cecltics
Newsday   Hornets frustrating Paul's intense desire to win
NY Daily News     Magic Johnson & Larry Bird long for NBA rivalries, but without handshakes

Will Iverson Retire?

2009-11-08T16:12:59Z

Will Iverson Retire?

Unhappy with his role, Iverson has left the Griz indefinitely and some are speculating that his career may be over.

Finally, Some Rest for the Weary

2009-11-08T12:50:30Z

More photos » by Jesse D. Garrabrant - NBAE/Getty Images

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I think I once heard that the NBA season is a marathon and not a sprint, but I'd be inclined to argue that statement based on the Celtics' schedule thus far. Fortunately, the pace of this season will drop off somewhat over the course of the next week and the C's will finally be able to catch their breath. Eight games in 12 nights might be fun for us as fans, but between the pace of play, the travel, and the late nights, I can only imagine how grueling it must be for the players.

The good news is we escaped that eight game stretch with a 7-1 record and we won't take the court again until Wednesday when the Utah Jazz visit the Garden. The fatigue was clearly visible last night, as we needed all four quarters to vanquish a win-less and maimed Nets squad that managed to dress only eight players. We were fortunate, in my opinion, as I think a healthier and more polished opponent might have gotten the better of us after we fell to Phoenix on Friday.

"I didn't think we had a lot in the tank," Doc Rivers said afterwards. "I could see that. That's why I sat our starters for long stretches today and I was just trying to milk the game as long as I could get it and then pray at the end that we had enough to win."

The point is the guys dug in and survived and can now exhale, as they have the next three days to catch up on some much needed rest and practice. I expect Doc to give the guys Sunday off completely and I'm tempted to say the players will take advantage of it. Danny Ainge recently remarked on Paul Pierce's work ethic this season, but I don't think anyone's going to argue with Paul or anyone else sitting down for a day.

There were some steady signs of fatigue setting in over the past three games, particularly the team's performance from three-point land.

In the past three contests we've made just 10 of 47 three-point attempts (21.3 percent), which to me suggests tired legs, plain and simple. Rasheed Wallace in particular has struggled from deep in the same stretch as he's made only two of his last 17 attempts from three (11.8 percent).

Besides rest, this team also values practice time and will be able to get back to Waltham on Monday and Tuesday to clean up a few small issues. Pick and roll defense has given us fits the past two games, as both Steve Nash and Rafer Alston exploited our weaknesses there. Fortunately, Doc's on top of it.

"Some of our defensive rotations," said Doc when asked about what the team would work on at practice Monday and Tuesday. "We absolutely have to get back to that. Offensively, more movement. I thought we were just standing around a lot (against the Nets)."

I read some other comments expressing concern about this team being so spent after only eight games, but let's not forget that it's been eight games in twelve days. Let it be known that the next eight games will be played over the course of 17 days, which is obviously a colossal difference. Sure the Celtics have some older players, but I think it's fair to say that any team in the NBA would experience fatigue and a drop in its play after playing eight games in twelve nights.

Also, I think the Celtics just kind of got caught in a tough stretch these past three games. They flat out played poorly on Minnesota on Wednesday and I credit that to just being "one of those games". Then, they followed that up with a hard fought loss to Phoenix, which fatigued them for Saturday's game against the Nets.

Fortunately, the bench has been phenomenal thus far and a big part of our 7-1 record goes to the pine guys and their stellar play. Here's to a successful first eight games and an admirable showing in the season's first rough stretch. For the next few weeks, the schedule will be a little kinder to us.

Avert Your Eyes

2009-11-08T03:03:06Z

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

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How did the Celtics respond to their first loss of the season? They threw up a stinker in New Jersey. Thankfully for the Celtics, the Nets can barely dress eight players and had to start Trenton Hassell. I know, I was surprised he's still in the league too!

This was just a bizarre and awful game. It was played a snail's pace, and while it seemed like the Celtics couldn't shoot - mainly Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen (up until Ray made a couple late to ice it), the Nets had lineups out there that probably haven't even practiced together. The Celtics were fortunate that these unfamiliar Net lineups turned the ball over 23 times - 20 of those TOs were actually Celtics steals. Marv Albert (I had the Nets broadcast) informed me that is a league high so far this year. The turnovers really were the key to the victory tonight.

The Celtics have now played three sub-par games in a row. Hopefully they get some much needed rest and practice time before the Jazz come to town.

Celtics Look to Bounce Back vs Nets

2009-11-07T20:30:26Z

(6-1) at (0-6)

Boston Celtics (6-1) at New Jersey Nets (0-6)
Saturday, November 7
7:30 PM ET
Game #8 Away Game #4
TV: CSN HD, YES HD, LP 751, 752
Izod Center
Referees:   Mark Wunderlich, Joe Forte, Eli Roe

Game Thread    l     Chat

The Nets are traditional rivals of the Celtics as we think back to the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals where the Nets defeated the Celtics in a hotly contested 6 game series. The Nets have fallen on hard times and this season are just marking time until they can make a play for LeBron or some other big free agent in 2010. Their ownership and even location are up in the air at this point and that can't make for a very stable club.

Both teams are playing in the second of back to back games and both teams had to travel the night before. New Jersey played at Philly and Boston played the Suns at home. However, older legs have a harder time in back to back games. If the Wolves game was any indication, this may be closer than it should be. The Nets, however have been depleted by injuries and so have just 9 players available.

The Nets are still winless after a 3 point loss to Philly on Friday. The Celtics are no longer undefeated after their loss to Phoenix and now they can get on with the rest of the season without worrying about staying undefeated. . The Celtics defense has slipped in the last two games, allowing both the Wolves and Suns to shoot over 50%. They need to get back to their commitment to defense. and the winless Nets are an ideal team to get them back on track.

ProbableStarting Matchups
Point Guard
vs
Rajon Rondo vs Rafer Alston

Shooting Guard
vs
Ray Allen vs Courtney Lee

Small Forward
vs
Paul Pierce vs Chris Douglas Roberts

Power Forward
vs
Kevin Garnett vs Eduardo Najera

Center
vs
Kendrick Perkins vs Brook Lopez

Reserves
Eddie House
Rasheed Wallace
Marquis Daniels
Shelden Williams
Brian Scalabrine
Lester Hudson

Injuries:
Bill Walker (knee) out
Tony Allen (ankle) out
Big Baby Davis (thumb) out

Reserves
Josh Boone
Sean Williams
Bobby Simmons
Trenton Hassell

Injuries
Keyon Dooling (hip) out
Tony Battie (knee) out
Devin Harris (groin) questionable
Jarvis Hayes (hamstring) out
Yi Jianlian (MCL) out
Courtney Lee (leg) questionable
And the bad news keeps coming for the Nets. Chris Mannix just reported that Chris Douglas Roberts has tested positive for swine flu.

Key Matchups
vs
Rajon Rondo 9.2 PPG   9.7 APG   2.8 SPG
Rafer Alston 7.8 PPG4.6 APG    ,4 SPG
Alston probably has a chip on his shoulder against the Celtics for the suspension he got after batting Eddie House in the head in the playoffs. This should be a good matchup and hopefully Rondo will get the better of it.

vs
Kendrick Perkins 9.2 PPG 5.5 RPG     2.3 BPG
Brook Lopez 16.2 PPG     7.2 RPG    2.2 BPG
Lopez is one of the bright spots for the Nets and Perk needs to keep him away from the basket.

Honorable Mention
Ray Allen 15 PPG 2.7 APG     .357 3P%
Courtney Lee 12.6 PP 2APG .143 3P%
Courtney Lee is a talented young player. He played very well against the Celtics in the playoffs. Although, Lee left last night's game with a leg injury so it isn't sure if he will start or play in this one.

Game Notes
• Celtics swept the season series 4-0 against New Jersey in 2008-09
• Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 19.0 points per game last season
• Devin Harris averaged 16.3 points per game against the Celtics last season in four games
• The Celtics are currently on a nine game winning streak against the Nets which marks their longest winning streak against the Nets since an 11
game winning streak that spanned the 1980-81 and 1981-82 season
• The Celtics are leading the all-time series 103-54 with the Celtics 55-24 at home

Keys to the Game
Defense, Defense, Defense!!!
Defense will be the key to every game this season and also to winning another championship. They have let their defense slip the past two games and need to get back to that commitment to playing lock down team defense or even the Nets will challenge them.

Bench Play
The second unit has slipped since their strong start. The Celtics have a very deep and talented bench. They need to get back to playing like it.

Intensity and Desire
I know the team is tired from the recent stretch of games, but they need to get their fire back. They have been playing without the swagger that made them so tough through their first 5 games.

Amare Questions Perk's Maturity

2009-11-07T17:07:13Z

Stoudemire questions Perkins' maturity - Globe

Phoenix's Amar'e Stoudemire was asked about Perkins' maturity in his sixth NBA season. The Suns forward was quite candid.

"He''s a solid player out there, he loves to get physical. He's aggressive," Stoudemire said. "He keeps a lot of confrontation going. We try to play smart basketball from our standpoint. We try to stay out of the confrontation, really and just execute our plays offensively and defensively. But seeing sometimes he wants to keep it up, always mean, always mad. He don't even have fun out there. He needs to learn to have fun on the basketball court and enjoy his life, enjoy the game."

Don't listen to him Perk. You be you.

Daily Links 11/7

2009-11-07T16:11:13Z

Herald Everybody loves Jared
Suns coach Alvin Gentry: C’s defense among the best ever
Grant Hill ponders what might have been in Boston
Celtics ‘D’ gets burned from too much Suns
Jared Dudley an above-par sub
Cracks in armor create imperfection
Grant Hill too tough to move
LeBron James, Cavaliers jump all over Knicks
Scouting report: Celtics at Nets
Globe Video: Rivers on Perkins
Final: Suns 110, Celtics 103
Stoudemire questions Perkins' maturity
Celtics Postgame Analysis
A long way to go
Rivers: 'We're tired right now'
Quick fix is to show more patience on offense
Stoudemire stating his case
Sunburned

CelticsBlog   No D, No Win
Living by the Three and Dying by the Three
Suns deal Celtics their first loss
Kevin Garnett Can Still Score
Loy's Place     Comments from the Other Side - Suns 11/6
Random Thoughts on the First Loss
Celtics.com    Keys to the Game: Suns 110. Celtics 103
Red's Army    The C's have 3 MVP Candidates
Well... there goes the 82-0 season
Comcast SportsNet    Celtics Now: Wallace and Some Ducks
Phoenix 110, Boston 103
Celtics Hub     Sometimes You Lose: Suns 110, C’s 103
NESN   Celtics Look to Rebound Against Hapless Nets
Celtics Look Like They Could Make History This Season
Celtics' Glen Davis Expects to Return by Dec. 1
Live Blog: Suns at Celtics
Celtics' Dream of Undefeated Season Crashes to Halt With Loss to Suns
Rajon Rondo, Celtics Promote Read to Achieve With Event on Nov. 10
LOSCY     6-0 and still not perfect: ways for the Celtics to play even better.
Examiner    Another fumble by Big Baby as he declares interest in NFL
Athletes respond to New Mexico's Elizabeth Lambert
North Station Sports     The Suns were too Hot in the Garden - C's lose 110-103
NSS Flix: Celtics Lose to Suns 110-103
Celtics Town   Jason Richardson too much for Boston Celtics in first loss
Behind Enemy Lines: 'The Suns shocked the world'
Fernsten's Follies    Doc Rivers Still Coaching Well, Even When Team Plays Poorly
Lex Nihil Novi    Celtics Out to Improve on 33-8 Home Record (83-84)
The Quest for 70
Rondo v. Nash and Hill v. Daniels
Celtics Life   The Thunder don't seem to get along well do they?
Nasty Nash vs. Rondo
Suns/Celtics Post Game Videos
Suns 110, Celtics 103 Highlights
Gino's Jungle    Sun's to Hot for Celtics
Celtics Stuff Live    Gold Rarities Postgame Show 11/6: Celtics v. Suns
Enterprise CELTICS NOTEBOOK: Hill passed on Boston to stay with Suns last summer
NY Times   N.B.A. Roundup - At 0-6, Nets Are Off to Worst Start in Franchise History
NBA.com    Suns lure Celtics into their game and pull off big win
Newsday    TD gets Delonte T'd off
Sporting News    Celtics-Nets Preview
Court Lessons: The Celtics Won The Offseason
Telegram    Davis thumbs nose at injury
Suns set on C's streak
Delco Times     Sixers Scoop: Stefanski knows Celtics’ Wallace would have helped
NY Post   Big stage a big lure for LeBron
CT News    Suns Shred Celtics Defense for C’s First Loss: 110-103
Patriot Ledger   Celts hit with first loss
MetroWest Daily    Celtics Notebook: Hill content staying with Suns
Suns 110, Celtics 103: Dark night for the C's
ESPN    Davis on NFL talk: Basketball's my focus
Boston Celtics Blog - Rivers, Gentry praise Perkins
For Boston Celtics, loss to Phoenix Suns can be used as learning tool
Celtics take court amid grueling stretch
Dimemag    24 Hundred Thousand Trillion
Inside Hoops    NBA Rumors - Saturday Nov 7
Valley of the Suns     Suns stun Celtics
Game Thread: Suns (4-1) at Celtics (6-0)|
WEEI    Perkins Leaving All Kinds of Impressions
Green Street    Doc on Shaq: ‘I was obviously wrong’
Doc on Nash: ‘He’s Brady and Manning’
Fast break: Celtics-Suns
Baby: ‘No football for me’
Doc: Suns are not just run and gun
ProJo    Celtics journal: Davis says he’ll be ready to practice Dec. 1
Hoopsworld    NBA At 2:�Early MIP Favorite?
No Guts No Glory    The Imagination Of A 'Big Baby'
Yahoo   Iverson Q&A: Free agency was 'horrible'
Dueling Couches    Celtics vs Suns Preview

Kevin Garnett Can Still Score

2009-11-07T13:45:01Z

More photos » by Brian Babineau - NBAE/Getty Images

Kevin Garnett scored a season-high 26 points last night. (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

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Kevin Garnett doesn't want to be asked any more questions about his surgically repaired right knee, but he did manage to provide some further answers last night for any remaining pundits.

Garnett posted a season-high 26 points against Phoenix on 13-20 shooting, but it wasn't enough as the Celtics fell 110-103. Still, in weighing the positives and the negatives, a big night from Garnett certainly holds some significant weight. I think the questions and uncertainties with Garnett will quietly remain for some time, but nights like last night will eventually bridge the gap so we can all move forward for good.

Because against Phoenix, he brought out the majority of the tools in his toolbox against the defense of Amare Stoudemire and Channing Frye. He established the jump shot early on, but much to the approval of this writer, he worked his way inside as the night went on. It wasn't long before Garnett was dipping, ducking and drop stepping his way through the paint, putting in some hanging hook shots and up and unders. He also threw down a steady collection of tip-in alley-oops that came from a variety of distributors.

Last night was also the first night where I truly saw KG's energy back on full display. Granted, in 30-point blow outs it isn't always needed. But we saw his raw emotion come out on some of the calls that didn't go his way, he was up in the face of smaller defenders when he switched on to them, and most importantly, he was back conducting the crowd in the midst of a wannabe Celtics comeback with 5:38 remaining in the fourth. Clearly Garnett was in a good groove last night and that resonated to the box score, but the emotion that came with the numbers was just as important.

The only thing I can really harp on - and this isn't Garnett's fault directly - was that the Celtics failed to keep working Garnett down on the block late in the fourth quarter. I felt that after Ray Allen buried a three with 5:24 remaining, which made it 96-92 Phoenix, we kept looking for the home run shot that would ignite the crowd and demoralize the Suns. Unfortunately, that just wasn't in the cards in this one, as the Celtics finished the night a mere 4-18 from three-point nation.

Garnett's only scored two buckets late in the fourth: One came on a tip-in off of a Rasheed Wallace missed three-pointer with 2:57 left and the other was a smooth up and under with 2:29 remaining. I can't necessarily fault the Celtics for shooting those threes, because they have been dropping this season, but since the Garnett formula was working, we probably should have tried to utilize his offensive well until it was all but dried up.

But either way, loss and all, Garnett appeared to take a nice personal step last night. I'm curious to see what he'll follow it up with tonight against the likes of Yi Jianlian and Brook Lopez.

Suns deal Celtics their first loss

2009-11-07T04:46:57Z

More photos » by Winslow Townson - AP

It was that kind of night for Sheed and Celts. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

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You didn't actually think they could go 82-0, did you?

The Boston Celtics lost for the first time this season to the Phoenix Suns, 110-103. In a game that featured fast pace offense and poor defense, the Suns were able to come into the TD Garden and play their style of basketball.

"The game was fast, I will admit that," Kevin Garnett said. "Overall, I thought when it came down to it, they made shots and we didn't."

The Celtics were playing from behind for the majority of the game, and although hung around to make a game out of it, could never go on a long enough run to take the lead in the second half. Every time the Celtics would try to get something going, Phoenix would come back on the other end and hit a shot to take the wind out of the Celtics' sail.

While the Celtics went 4-18 from three-point territory, the Phoenix Suns shot a whopping 13-24 from the same distance. That was ultimately the difference in the game.

"They really put you in a position when they have four three-point shooters out there," Paul Pierce said. "They spread the court well, a lot of pick and rolls in the rotation and when they skip the ball we're a step slower. I thought all night to the three point shooters instead of running them off the line we stopped short and allowed them to shoot the three, even knowing that they are a three-point shooting team."

On top of that, the Celtics missed some easy shots and went 9-18 from the charity stripe, with Rajon Rondo going 0-3 and Kendrick Perkins going 4-8.

"We go 9-18 against a good offensive team; you're going to lose games... And in the NBA if you miss a layup it usually leads to a three because in transition," Doc Rivers said.

Often times it takes a loss before a team really starts to figure out what it needs to improve on. Obviously there are a lot of things working well for this team, but it's clear now that they aren't indestructible. That being said, there hasn't been enough time to work out these issues in practice.

"It's easier for them to believe you after an ‘L'," Rivers explained. "You know, I don't know if they believe you after a win. But we have a pretty mature team. They know that because of the amount of games that we've had, it's impossible to practice. They can see the slippage. We've showed it on film. We talked about it; the last three games it's all we've been talking about. But it's tough to do something about it until you can get some real practice time."

While it appeared that the Celtics looked lazy on defense, there were also some possessions where they settled for jumpers instead of working the ball around and finding the open man.

"We could have took our time on offense more," admitted Rasheed Wallace. "There was a couple possessions, myself included, where we shot it real quick. We didn't make them play any defense I think it was like one, two passes if that. The times we did make good passes and share the ball real well with at least three or four passes they were running all over the place and we hit the majority of the shots."

Sheed went 0-6 from beyond the arc tonight, and the bench only combined to score 19 points. Kevin Garnett had his best offensive game of the season, scoring 26 points on 13-20 shooting while grabbing eight boards. Steve Nash and Rajon Rondo put up similar stat lines with Nash putting up 16 points and dishing out 12 assists and Rondo right behind him with 14 and 11.

While the Celtics won't have much time to practice before tomorrow night's game, it helps that they play the New Jersey Nets, the only winless team left in the league. While no win is a guarantee, tomorrow night's game against New Jersey is as close as it gets. The Celtics will do everything in their will to not lose two games in a row, and New Jersey just doesn't have the talent to match up to the Celtics.

Living by the Three and Dying by the Three

2009-11-07T13:54:26Z

More photos » by Matt Slocum - AP

5 days ago: Boston Celtics center Rasheed Wallace reacts after scoring a three-pointer in the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2009, in Philadelphia. Boston won 105-74. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

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Through the first six games of the season, the Celtics shot 57-126 from deep, good for 45.2 percent. The team reached something of a peak with their three-point shooting on Tuesday against the Philadelphia 76ers when the guys knocked down 14 of their 20 attempts in the midst of a 31-point blowout.

However, the following night against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Celtics' red hot shooting from deep grew as cold as the Minneapolis weather in the heart of winter. The Celtics made just five of their 19 three-point field goal attempts against the Wolves and barely managed to squeak by Al Jefferson and company, with a 92-20 victory.

Two days later against the offensive-minded Phoenix Suns, the game plan called for the ball to be pounded down low against the likes of Amare Stoudemire and Channing Frye. The Celtics ended up losing 110-103, but 60 of those 103 points were scored in the paint. Clearly, scoring in the paint was possible against the Suns. Unfortunately, Boston apparently forgot about this strategy in the game's final three minutes and they resorted to bombing away from deep, which played a key role in the team's first loss off the season.

The Celtics managed to top Wednesday's dreadful performance from three-point land, as they shot a truly feeble 4-18 (22.2 percent) from deep on Friday. To make matters worse, the Suns were draining three-pointers left and right and finished the game on 13-24 shooting from three-point land, good for 54.2 percent. Jason Richardson (6-7 on threes) and Steve Nash (3-6 on threes) in particular provided the crushing blows that sank the Celts.

But at what point should the C's have recognized the three-ball just wasn't dropping and continued to pound it in down low, particularly to Kevin Garnett, who was in the middle of scoring a season-high 26 points? It's very difficult to gauge when to scrap the three-point shot, especially when facing a deficit, but Doc Rivers apparently wishes they had stuck with the original game plan.

"Going into the game, the game plan was to go to the post (and) drive the basketball," said Rivers. "I thought we did that for a while and then we got away from it. The game turned into more of (the Suns') pace and their way.

"The only thing I didn't like (was) I thought with three and a half minutes left, instead of searching for wide open twos that we had, we went into three mode and I didn't think we had to do that. I thought several times we could have easily got to the basket for a quick two and we passed up twos to look for threes and that to me was uncharacteristic of us."

The Celtics are easily one of the best three-point shooting teams in the league and are even better at defending the three, with the exception of last night. Coming into last night's game against the Suns, opponents were shooting just 24.7 percent from three-point nation against the Celtics.

No one should want the Celtics to stop shooting threes, but I think based on last night's loss, the team can do a much better job of recognizing situations and matchups and if they can exploit an opposing defense inside, they should make that their first scoring priority. I wouldn't be surprised to see this topic be emphasized at Monday's practice and even after that I don't fully expect the Celtics' three-point attempts to drop all that much. The Suns game just proved that when the threes aren't falling and there's an easier scoring method available, the Celtics should utilize that option first.

No D, No Win

2009-11-07T03:03:28Z

More photos » by Winslow Townson - AP

No D means no win.

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Clearly both teams made a pact before the game to play pickup style no-defense in this one. The only problem is that the Suns don't have Shaq and Terry Porter to slow them down anymore, so they are back to being an offensive force.

Jason Richardson couldn't miss tonight (6-7 on threes), Nash looked like the 2 time MVP of old, and Amare chipped in with 22 of his own points.

KG had a good offensive game (his new signature move is the alley-oop-layup) and all the starters scored in double figures, but the story of the game was the lack of defense. You can't count on outscoring the Suns. Oh yeah, and shooting 50% from the line doesn't help either.

You can't win them all. Tip your hat to the Suns.

Undefeated Celtics Aim for 7-0 Against the Fast-Paced Phoenix Suns

2009-11-06T20:24:50Z

by Mark J. Terrill - AP

Steve Nash leads the NBA with 10.8 assists per game. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

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Boston Celtics (6-0) vs. Phoenix Suns (4-1)

Friday, November 6, 2009

7:30pm

TV: Comcast SportsNet; Radio: 850 AM WEEI

Venue: TD Garden

Game Thread | Chat Room

The Boston Celtics aim to stay perfect when the Phoenix Suns visit the TD Garden tonight at 7:30pm.

The Suns enter Boston fresh off their first loss of the season, as they fell 122-100 to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday. The Celtics barely managed to stay perfect on Wednesday night, as the Minnesota Timberwolves pushed them to the brink, before ultimately falling 92-90.

This game presents a formidable test for the Celtics' defense, which is ranked first in the NBA in points allowed at 81.5 per game. The Suns will have something to say about that number, as they've scored at least 100 points in each of their first five games. Steve Nash is currently leading the NBA in assists with 10.8 per game and is helping drive a still high-powered Phoenix offense that's averaging 15.2 fast break points per game. The Suns have six players that are currently averaging at least 12 points per game.

The top two assist leaders in the NBA square off in this one as Nash will go up against Rajon Rondo, whose 9.7 assist per game average is good for second in the league. Rondo scored a career-high 32 points to go along with 10 assists and six rebounds against Nash and the Suns last season on February 22.

Projected Starters:

Celtics: Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins

Suns: Steve Nash, Jason Richardson, Grant Hill, Amare Stoudemire, Channing Frye

Health Check: For the Celtics, guard Tony Allen (ankle), forward Bill Walker (knee) and forward Glen Davis (thumb) are all out.

For the Suns, center Robin Lopez (foot) is out and guard Leandro Barbosa (wristed) is listed as day-to-day.

Keep it in Mind: The Suns have not won in Boston since the 2006-2007 campaign.

Who's Hot: For the Celtics, Rajon Rondo shot 8-16 en route to 18 points against Minnesota on Wednesday.

For the Suns, Amare Stoudemire posted 25 points against the Magic on 10-21 shooting.

Who's Not: For the Celtics, Ray Allen was just 1 for 7 from three-point nation against the Timberwolves.

For the Suns, both Jason Richardson and Grant Hill were held scoreless against the Magic.

Key Matchup: Rajon Rondo vs. Steve Nash

Honorable Mention: Kevin Garnett vs. Amare Stoudemire

Skinny: The Celtics will have to make a concerted effort to not get caught up in Phoenix's run-and-gun style of play and it starts with Rajon Rondo at the top. If he can slow Steve Nash and force the Suns into the half court, Boston's defense should be able to take over from there.

The Celtics managed to employ a similar strategy against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday and it resulted in a 31-point victory. While Phoenix arguably has more talent than Philadelphia, Boston has seen an uptempo offense before and did an admirable job of forcing its own pace on the game. A similar strategy will be needed against the Suns tonight.

Watch the battle of the big men, as both Channing Frye and Amare Stoudemire are capable of pulling Kendrick Perkins and Kevin Garnett out of the paint, thus freeing up the lane for slashers like Jason Richardson. Also, see if Paul Pierce can exploit his matchup with Grant Hill, who's actually leading the Suns in rebounding with 8.8 per game.

Daily Links 11/6

2009-11-06T15:52:59Z

Herald Bulls ride high road past Cavaliers
Knicks set for LeBron James’ only visit this season
Scouting report: Suns at Celtics
Ontario to investigate Raptors’ swine flu shots
LeBron James left in a state of denial as final drive shut down at rim
Jazz rebound in 113-99 win over Spurs
Globe Suns thumbnails
Garnett blocks out nostalgia

CelticsBlog    Flash Forward
Red Claws Draft Results-Danny Ainge Makes a Cameo
The Most Hated Jumpshot
Loy's Place     Celtics Put Unbeaten Record On the Line Against the Suns
ESPN   Daily Dime: What's wrong with the Cavs?
Rajon Rondo has been at his best against the Phoenix Suns
Boston Celtics Blog - Don't doubt Big Baby's football skills
NBA will not take action against Rondo or Paul
Glen Davis of Boston Celtics wants to try NFL when basketball career is over
Boston Celtics Blog - Celtics off to historic start
Celtics 17   Notice anything different this season?
Red's Army    The NBA is OK with a racist owner
Dwight Howard Did What?
Doc: Paul Talked More Trash Than Rondo Doc: Paul Talked More Trash Than Rondo
Paul Pierce on Antoine, and what President Clinton did with his fiancee
Is that the Crazy Train I hear in the distance?
Is Wally World shutting down?
Your Morning Dump... Where Cleveland lost at home again
Celtics Hub    An Interesting and Possibly Even Relevant Fun Stat
Early Extremes: What Will Last and What Won’t?
Lex Nihil Novi    Not a Bad First Six Games for the Beast
C's Exact Some Measure of Revenge for Playoff Sweep (83-84)
Shelden is Fitting In
Best Defensive Teams
KG has Career Night in Loss (1995)
More from #13, More on #13
Celtics Life    Today's Video: More Len Bias
Mike Gorman on the Rondo deal & the NBA's financial future
Gino's Jungle    You Can Stop Talking About Rondo and CP3, For Now
Pierce is Human Afterall
Celtics stuff Live     Rondo’s Fast and Furious with $55M for 5
CBS Sports    Suns-Celtics Preview
Daily Cardinal      NBA offers exciting regular season storylines
Jazzbots An Argument for Prep-to-Pro Pt. 1
Hoopsvibe   Chris Paul versus Rajon Rondo feud
Ray Allen Denies Apologizing to Chris Paul for Rajon Rondo
Star Tribune    Celtics' Glen "Big Baby" Davis perhaps lacks focus
Bukisa    The Celtics have the Suns in their cross hairs
MetroWest Daily News    Celtics: Packed schedule hasn't hurt Boston
Patriot Ledger    Celtics couldn’t ask much more from their bench
CT News    Bynum Thinks Lakers Could Break Bulls Record
NBA D-League Drafts First High School Player Ever
Dimemag   An Inconvenient Truth
Slam Online    Win A Year of League Pass Broadband!
Green Street     Grousbeck refutes claims of Celtics financial troubles
NBA Power Rankings 11/5
NBA Power Rankings 11/5
Doc Rivers on D&C, 11/5
CMSB     Red Claws Draft Results
Danny Ainge Q+A From Red Claws Draft
Examiner    Why is Delonte West still on the court after his indictment?
ProJo     Celtics’ bench goes from weakness to strong point Celtics’ bench goes from weakness to strong point
WEEI    Paul Pierce, Celtics Forward on WEEI
The Three-Pointer: Celtics Send Another Message
Network World   Boston Celtics clamp down on spam
NESN     Shelden Williams Making Major, Unexpected Contribution
Newsday     Could a Big Baby make it in the NFL?
Awful Announcing Greg Dickerson Doesn't Appreciate Your Cursing Mr. Garnett
FanHouse    The Specialists: Perkins and Dampier Have Real Value
Sporting News    Suns-Celtics Preview
PBN    Power Rankings: Week 1 group jumbled after top tier
Twin Cities    Ghost of Kevin Garnett haunts Timberwolves with a late favorable call
Bostonist   Sports Redux: Celtics Escape Wolf Trap
City Pages Celtics, KG escape Minneapolis scathed
NBA.com    Links between Garnett, Wolves have faded over time
Frye, Anderson help fans forget about losing the big names
Boston Sports Pulse    Petey’s Corner: Williams is a Keeper
USA Today    Garnett is fully moved on from Timberwolves
Basketbawful    Worst of the night: November 4, 2009
Sports of Boston    Not Extending Ray Allen a Smart Move
Hartford Informer   Celtics Ready to Return to Form of Two Years Ago
LA Times    Magic-Bird, Lakers-Celtics rivalry, part 2
Dimemag     Big Baby Has Big Dreams To Play In the NFL

The Most Hated Jumpshot

2009-11-06T11:42:42Z

A topic of conversation since he joined the ballclub, Rajon Rondo's jumper has made Celtic fans all over the world lose their fillings (grinding your teeth does that.). This post is a quick look into the improvements our starting point has made.

We will not go into the exact details like amounts, percentages and spots, because we don't really need those to judge his shot. Rajon has been taking a few more of them at different times. His shot selection has improved a bit, and even though he's still hesitant every now and then, he's actually been more and more willing to pull up and fire. There's no real need to elaborate why it's imperative that he works on all of this, because by now everyone knows that our opponents seem willing to base their defense around forcing our quicksilver floor leader to take shots.

Luckily, he's improved a lot, though I'm not sure "luckily" is the right word for this. He has been training long and hard on this part of his game, and we're seeing the results. There's two major improvements that I've noticed, form and consistency.

First off, he doesn't look awkward anymore. Last season showed an embarrasing likeness to my little nephew when he took a jumpshot. Rajon's form was crooked, he was always off balance and the actual shot was some kind of spastic jerking motion, instead of a proper attempt at lobbing the ball through that iron loop. He's no Ray Allen -obviously- but at least right now he looks like he knows what he's doing when he hops and pulls the trigger.

Secondly, consistency. Since the start of the pre-season, it looks like he's shooting the same shot every single time. He used to have a whole repertoire of wacky, frog-like hops. Actually, some of the time he looked like a bunny, trying to avoid getting hit by a horde of stampeding rhinos (I'm sure this is a daily gig for bunnies around the globe.). But right now, he seems to have found a way to jump up straight, balanced and ready to shoot. If I'd have to carry on comparing to animals, I'd call him a grasshopper. He still has his arms at a slightly awkward angle, but it's identical every single time he pulls it off.

As I love to point out to the young guns at our basketball club, consistency is key to making buckets. Leave "inventing the wheel" time and time again to this league's Kobes, Anthonys and Iversons. If you become able to put up the same shot again and again, you will be shooting at a higher percentage. The infuriated infant (thanks Steve) is the living proof of this theory. We used to cringe when he took it, but by the end of last year he sank 'm as consistently as films sink the titanic.

So there ya go, Rondo; another compliment to boost that ego of yours.

Denied By Deng, LeBron Loses Again

2009-11-06T13:32:17Z

Denied By Deng, LeBron Loses Again

Luol Deng scored 15 points and helped to deny LeBron James on a last-second drive to the hoop as the Chicago Bulls edged Cleveland 86-85.

Red Claws Draft Results-Danny Ainge Makes a Cameo

2009-11-06T03:26:43Z

The Maine Red Claws, who earlier in the day announced the first player in team history, Billy Thomas from Kansas, took part in the D-League's draft, selecting 8 players from the available pool. Paul Harris, formerly of Syracuse was the first round selection (8th overall) of the team. The Red claws seemed to be looking for athletic shooters, as the tallest player they drafted was 6'8. Their Mr Irrelevant was Maine native Matt Clement (no, not the pitcher), who was most recently playing in Ireland. He played at Maine Maritime Academy, and in 2008 put his basketball career on hold for a bit when when he donated half of his liver to his ailing father. Danny Ainge was also on-site, and the audio from his interview is now posted for your listening pleasure, as he talks about the draft and the Celtics.

Flash Forward

2009-11-06T02:52:44Z

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

Perkins and Rondo might be the cornerstones of the next generation.

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Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. - Matthew 6:34

The Celtics are rightly focused on the present. They need to maximize this window of opportunity. However, they cannot completely sacrifice the future. Life beyond the Big 3 isn't all that far away. Rajon Rondo just signed a contract that won't end until 2015 so the subject of our future is on my mind.

Of course there's nothing we can do about tomorrow, so there's truly nothing worth worrying about. However, that doesn't mean we can't gaze at the horizon and speculate about it a bit.

There are far, far too many variables to make any sort of well defined predictions about who will be playing for the Celtics 2, 3, or 4 years from now. Barring unforseen circumstances, you can count on Rondo, Pierce, KG, Perkins, Sheed, and most likely Big Baby to be on the roster next year. Everyone else is a free agent.

The Celtics will have a good shot at bringing Ray Allen back with a short term extension. Assuming he doesn't opt out this summer, Paul Pierce will be eligible for an extension the next year. But at some point those two, along with Garnett, will transition to being support players. I expect Pierce to retire in Boston but KG, Ray, and Sheed could each eventually be moved near the end of their contracts.

At some point, the next generation (led in theory by Rondo) will have to take over the reins. Perkins is the other young cornerstone to build around, but he'll need to stay healthy and be resigned first. Having Rondo and Perkins takes care of the two hardest positions to fill, but we'll need more than that to compete for more championships.

Even though I'm a huge fan of Rondo, I just can't picture him as the alpha dog and face of the franchise. He's too introverted off the court and he seems to lack that charisma that natural leaders have that makes people gravitate toward them. (Put another way, I don't think Tom Brady's coach ever had to ask him if his teammates liked playing with him.) Perhaps as he grows and matures he'll be better at it. Remember that Paul Pierce had to work on his demeanor and image a bit. But right now, I don't see it.

Regardless, Rondo and Perkins will need at least a couple of dynamic scorers to round out the starting lineup. In an ideal world we'd find a way to bring Kevin Durant to town (but don't hold your breath). The challenge is how to bring in star-quality talent that is still young enough to hit their prime alongside Rondo and Perk.

One option of course is the draft. But the Celtics are going to continue to pick at the end of the first round and wind up with gambles like Gabe Pruitt and J.R. Giddens. We can count on Danny to find the occasional gem like Big Baby or Leon Powe, but it is really hard finding future stars that low in the draft.

Another option is to move tradeable assets for lottery picks. The C's have some expiring contracts this year and maybe they could convince a team to give us a bad contract and a good pick for our Scal and Tony, but don't count on it. For one thing, picks are like gold in this economy (cheap labor). For another thing, the Celtics will be way into luxury land as it is without taking on bad contracts. I don't know just how deep Wyc's pockets are, but I tend to think it would have to be a real lopsided deal for him to sign off on a move like that.

So perhaps the most realistic option is to use the MLE each year on guys in their early 20's (rather than thirtysomethings like Sheed). I believe Red had a philosophy of adding one very good player per year, which allowed him to sustain his dominance over the years.

Like I said, there's no shortage of paths this club can take to get into the next generation but I'm far from worried about it. It will be fun to see which approaches Danny takes. In the meantime we'll just have to bide our time watching an elite team fight for more championships.