CelticsBlog

Daily Links 3/13

2010-03-13T15:29:47Z

Herald Celtics set fast pace, rebound well at home
Nate Robinson removes all doubt
Talk says it all
Doc Rivers talkin’ practice . . . over games
Kendrick Perkins strives for stronger play in paint
Kevin Durant’s 32 sets franchise record
Trade has brought new attitude, and a winning streak, to Dallas Mavericks
Globe Globe 10.0 - Sports video with Bob Ryan
Celtics 122, Pacers 103
Moving forward
This LA story has really hit home
Second chance from revamped second unit
Celtics turn the switch

CelticsBlog    Feel Better Now?
Celtics Bounce Back with Blowout Win Over Pacers
Celtics Green    Comments from the Other Side - Pacers 3/12
Random Thoughts After a Much Needed Gino Night
Red's Army    Your Morning Dump... Where the fans get credit
Celtics Hub    Celtics Pregame Report: No Changes from Doc
Just What the Celts Needed: Celtics 122, Pacers 103
NESN    Celtics Throttle Pacers 122-103
Paul Pierce Scores 20 in Three Quarters as Celtics Coast to Win Over Pacers
Savvy Celtics Recoup as Sense of Urgency Draws Near
North Station Sports    The Celtics Can Still Play Basketball– Sigh of Relief
Celtics Town   Celtics erase Pacers, 122-103
Doc’s motivation: Lakers have same problems we do
Fan Blog: Why starting ‘Quis at the 2 would have worked
Red Claws Hold On Against Iowa
Morning Walkthrough: KG not feeling potential rest
Hardwood Houdini    Sorry Pacers, You Chose The Wrong Night To Face The Celtics
Lex Nihil Novi   Lakers Say They're Just Getting Warmed Up
Banner 18   Back on track...
CelticsLife     Doc: No Changes
NBA Plays of the Week
Celtics/Pacers Post Game Videos Celtics/Pacers Post Game Videos
Celtics get much needed win against Pacers Celtics get much needed win against Pacers
Celtics 122, Pacers 103 Highlights
Gino's Jungle    C's Gotta Keep Going At What Works
That Game Had A Different Feeling
Celtics Stuff Live   Gold Rarities Postgame Show: Celtics vs Pacers
Celtics 17   Slithering in Darkness: Where the Celtics Are Disgracefully Saying Hello to Goodbye
Hoopsnotes   Rivers Forced To Choose Offensive Focus
High School Hoop    Austin Rivers Diary: Championship Week & Big Decisions
WEEI    KG and Pierce 'not feeling' Doc's plan
Cleveland.com   The clock is ticking on Leon Powe's playing time
NBA.com    Knicks Storm Back Late But Fall in Memphis
Telegram   Rivers to try practicing more
Celts find pride, bop Pacers
Lack of practice makes C's fresh, but imperfect
MetroWest Daily News   Celtics 122, Pacers 103: Picking up the pace
JS Online    Bucks downplay significance of Cleveland, Boston, Utah wins
Yahoo   Stern: Jordan approval as Bobcats owner next week
Dimemag     Artest shoots balanced L.A. past Phoenix; LeBron returns to dunk all over Philly
Who’s More Clutch: Paul Pierce or Ray Allen?
Austin Rivers H.S. Hoop Diary: Championship Week & Big Decisions
Hoopshype    The Sports Guy can’t do it worse
CSN-NE   Celtics 122, Pacers 103: Live Blog
'Ball Don't Lie'
C's race past Pacers for easy win
Talking points: C's vs. Indiana
Robinson's energy and range lead the way for C's
ESPN   Celtics' Paul Pierce: Loss to Memphis Grizzlies left bad taste
Postgame notes: Sense of urgency from C's
Green Street    KG, Pierce get to heart of the matter
ProJo   Pierce is looking to break out of slump
Celtics rout Pacers, 122-103
Inside the mind of Rajon Rondo
Celtics Journal: Actions speak louder for Rondo
Bleacher Report   Boston Celtics: Extra Practice Worth It?
The LA Lakers Have the NBA's Most Talented Roster, But Is It the Best?
North Jersey   Memphis' Rudy Gay could be a Knick free agent target
Miami Herald   Austin Rivers featured at Ralei Sealey Spring Basketball Classic
NBA.com   Inside the Game: Celtics 122, Pacers 103
Walker Quickly Turning Heads in New York
With few exceptions, no shortcuts to winning a title
Was Celtics' choice to win quickly worth long-term payoff?
Courtside View    Doc Rivers changes tune on making changes
Green Street   Celtics trying to get in shape
Fast Break: Celtics 122, Pacers 103 Doc on Pierce, KG: C’s need them at ‘their peak’
Enterprise   CELTICS NOTEBOOK: Perkins looking to shake rebounding slump
Ohio.com   Leon Powe on Starting Against the 76ers
Fox News   Too old, too young, or just right in NBA?
RealGM    Rivers Motivates Celtics With L.A. Times Piece
Mass Live    Boston Celtic legends Sam Jones, Jo Jo White visiting Basketball Hall of Fame
SB Nation   NBA Talking Points: What If Larry Bird Was Black?
A Stern Warning Antoine Walker in Puerto Rico (video)

Celtics Bounce Back with Blowout Win Over Pacers

2010-03-13T04:17:51Z

Two days ago the Celtics ran off the court at halftime to a rain of boos from the fans. Tonight, as the buzzer sounded, the scene was quite different. The Celtics, up 67-47, left to a standing ovation.

"It really left a bad taste in my mouth the way we played last game," said Paul Pierce who finished with 20 points. "I mean, nobody wants to be booed at home by our home crowd, and seeing everybody leave early. And that really sat with me that night to be honest, you know I think it sat with everybody. Today we just came in, talked to each other, and you know, just played like a team that was on a mission tonight and hopefully it can carry over for the rest of the season."

Tonight at the TD Garden they shot 63% in the first half, scoring more than double what they scored in last game's first half. A Marquis Daniels jump shot, followed by a Nate Robinson inbounds steal that he turned into a three-pointer, gave the Celtics a six point cushion going into the second quarter. The bench built on that lead early on in the second, and the starters came in midway through to put the Celtics ahead by 20 at the half.

"The second unity, they've been redesigned a couple of times so they're all out there just going off of feel and just trying to get to know one another," said Kevin Garnett. "But as far as energy and effort, you always have to praise them for that and like Paul said we have to get off to better starts and let them feed off of that energy."

They would not relinquish that lead for the remainder of the game, as Gino made an appearance at the Garden with just over two minutes to go and the Celtics cruised to a 122-103 victory.

Let's forget for a second that this was the Indiana Pacers. After such a poor effort against the Grizzlies, it is at least encouraging to know that this team can bounce back the next game in the fashion that they did, and beat up on a poor team. One way to limit the Big Three's minutes is to build up a big enough lead in the first three quarters so they don't have to touch the floor in the fourth.

"We're supposed to be able to bounce back; that's the type of team we are," said Paul Pierce. "The important thing for us is to just play better. We want to start building these habits going into the playoffs and it's not too late. We're going to use these last 18 games to start to gather some momentum and start playing better basketball. We're going to try to win all of them. If we don't, regardless, the key is even if we lose some games to feel good about the way we play and what we left out there on the court."

Once again, it was Nate Robinson who provided that spark off the bench for the Celtics. He got the crowd going throughout the game, draining five three pointers on his way to 15 points, five assists, and four steals. He has more than fit into his role on this team as the backup point guard and offensive force off the bench.

"You know, listen, when Nate and the second unit, when they play like that, the tone of the game changes," said Coach Doc Rivers. "We've just got to keep him aggressive."

The other guard didn't have such a bad game himself. Rajon Rondo had another double-double tonight, scoring 16 points and dishing out 11 assists. Rondo and Robinson make a pretty good 1-2 punch at the PG position, and while their style of play is different, Robinson is learning a lot from Rondo playing with him in games and practices.

"He's a smart player, he's feisty, he knows how to play the game," said Robinson. "Just being along side of him, watching him play, watching the areas where I can pick up different traits off of him. When we're in there together it's kind of hard to guard. You just got to pick your poison when you're in there against us. With him in practice, me pushing him, him pushing me, it's definitely going to make our game better."

Celtics fans can sleep a little easier tonight, but Sunday's game in Cleveland will say a lot more about this team than tonight's game can.

Pierce and KG say the team had a "heart to heart" and open dialogue this morning. Say that loss to...

2010-03-13T03:27:55Z

Pierce and KG say the team had a "heart to heart" and open dialogue this morning. Say that loss to Memphis and boos at home stuck with team.

Celtics twitter

Feel Better Now?

2010-03-13T02:58:38Z

More photos » Charles Krupa - AP

If I squint real hard, that looks like a Laker uniform. I don't know what that means.

Browse more photos »

Championship 18 here we come!!! Sorry, I couldn't help but start off with a little sarcasm. In truth though, that was a relief. Needed that.

On the other hand, it is hard to get too high about this game given the recent up and down games. We're just as likely to play the Cavs down to the final possession as we are to get blown out by the Pistons. This team talks about "flipping the switch" but I feel like my 16 month old is in charge of the switch because there's no rhyme or reason to the lights going off and on.

Nice to see an offensive outpouring like this. They reached 100 points with more than 10 minutes left. It always helps when Nate hits 5 three pointers.

Not much else to review here. They looked good against a bad team. See you Sunday.

Pacers Come To Boston For Another One of Those Non-Playoff Thingys

2010-03-12T20:13:42Z

Darron Cummings - AP

Basketball Breakdance Fighting. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

View full size photo »

Indiana Pacers (21-43) @ Boston Celtics (40-23)
Time: March 12th, 7:30 PM EST
TV: CSNNE, FS-Indiana Radio: WEEI, WFNI
Venue: TD Garden
The Line: Celtics are 1-1 vs Indiana this season.
Celtics Look to avoid thier first 3 game losing streak since Jan.

CHAT ROOM | GAME THREAD

If you need a quick opinion on the state of the team right now, feel to scroll down. Needless to say, most of us here in Celtics Land are a little bit bummed. Just a smidge. Okay, a bit. Well okay, we're quite a bit. A lot. Like, a ton bummed. Yes.

But, c'est la vie. You can't win every game. Sometimes, your team isn't what you expected it to be. Sometimes, you drop games to the Nets and sometimes you get destroyed by the Grizzlies. It's a box of chocolates. The important thing is that you put down the one filled with mayonnaise and hope the next one is filled with the dark chocolate nougat type filling. Or cherries, if you're cordial. (ha-ha!)

Our candy du jour tonight is the Indiana Pacers. More A#1 Good Job! analysis after the jump.

We've seen this same scenario quite a bit recently. Chippy, yet under-talented/under-developed team with a sub .500 record strolls into the Garden. The faithful pray for a good ol fashioned 2007-2008 blowout. The skeptics say 'it'll be close, but we're going to pull this out.' Randy Quiad yells obscenities from the bleachers

It's all the same every game we face the traditional underdog team.

Well I say we forget all that. All of it. No more can the Celtics pencil ANNY team in the win column. Not the Nets, Not the Grizzlies, Not the Paces...NOBODY.

Tonight I will just be happy with a win. I'm not asking for blowouts anymore, or even a full 48 minutes of consistent play. I just want wins.

If this team was 'going to grow' or 'gel' or 'froth over' or whatever, it would have happened by now. We've no longer got the luxury of hoping that one game it is just going to be turned on. Well, actually we can hope whatever we want, we're fans. We can hope Sheldon Williams will finally learn to fly, or that KG will become a noble laureate for his poetry. But, it is better to be realistic.

So tonight, I say cast your lofty unrealistic expectations aside, and get ready to watch a tough, slow, messy basketball game that is probably going to be a lot closer than you would expect. I still fully expect a win, but it will not be a pretty one.

Probable Starting Lineups:

Boston Celtics


.	POSITION	NAME	MIN	PTS	REB	AST
.	PG	Rajon Rondo	36.8	14.2	4.4	9.8
.	SG	Ray Allen	36.1	16.2	3.4	2.6
.	SF	Paul Pierce	34.8	17.5	4.3	3.2
.	PF	Kevin Garnett	30.2	14.2	7.5	2.8
.	C	Kendrick Perkins	28.1	10.6	7.7	1
.	6	Rasheed Wallace	23.3	9.6	4.1	1.1
.	7	Marquis Daniels	20.9	6.4	2.1	1.6
.	8	Michael Finley	11	7.5	2	0
.	9	Nate Robinson	16	7.2	1.8	2
.	10	Tony Allen	17.8	6.4	2.8	1.4

Injuries and Stuff: Marcus Landry (D-League)

Indiana Pacers


.	POSITION	NAME	MIN	PTS	REB	AST
.	PG	T.J. Ford	25.8	10.5	3.2	3.9
.	SG	Luther Head	17.8	7.8	1.7	1.5
.	SF	Danny Granger	36.6	23.1	5.7	2.6
.	PF	Troy Murphy	31.7	13.9	9.7	2
.	C	Roy Hibbert	24	11.1	5.9	1.8
.	6	Earl Watson	28.1	7.4	3.1	4.6
.	7	Mike Dunleavy	22.9	10.3	3.6	1.5
.	8	Brandon Rush	29.3	9.1	4.4	1.2
.	9	Dahntay Jones	25.9	10.9	3.1	2
.	10	Josh McRoberts	10.6	3.7	2.4	0.8

Injuries and Stuff: Jeff Foster (OUT), Tyler Hansborough (OUT, because he's a Psycho and he tried to beat up his mirror for staring at him wrong), Mike Dunleavy (DTD, because he's Mike Dunleavy)

Matchup Of the Evening: Paul "I'm not Injured, I Swear!" Pierce V Danny "I don't really have nickname yet, sorry" Granger

Everytime the Pacers play anyone this is the Matchup to watch. Heading into the season Danny Granger was a half-step behind Brandon Roy and a full step behind Kevin Durant as a projected player. He was that good last year. This year, while he hasn't taken a step back, he hasn't improved his stock either. Anyway you slice the pie though, Danny Granger is still the best offensive player on the floor.

Paul Pierce on the other hand has been quite the enigma. He's still called Paul Pierce by people who recognize his face, and he wears Paul Pierce's number. Heck, he even went to the All-Star game under the guise of our beloved Paul Pierce. But the man that has been on the floor for the Celtics since Christmas has NOT been Paul Pierce. He shoots a better 3, but has all the explosion of one of those dinosaurs you buy at the museum of natural history, the tiny little ones in the airtight packages, and they're supposed to expand when you put them in water, but really, they only turn out to be some crappy sponge/soap hybrid that expands to about 2x its side, which was honestly pretty small to begin with, so no big whoop. That's how much explosion and punch Paul Pierce has had.

While it is a bit unrealistic to imagine the team suddenly 'clicking', but I do not think it is unrealistic to see Paul Pierce suddenly become a much more efficient player. Lets see if the real deal shows up tonight.

Other Important Match-up: Rajon Rondo V TJ Ford

A famous CB forum member once said that TJ Ford is the ONLY player who can consistently 'out rondo' Rajon Rondo. Ford is quicker, and undoubtedly playing more aggressive. Rondo is going to have to work tonight.

Three Keys to the Game for the Good Guys:

1) Don't Play With Too Much Emotion: This team has often been looked at as the trash talking bad boys of the NBA. Well, bad boys in a very liberal and not true sense. But with Garnett on the team, attitude was never the problem. I think now, that attitude has sapped the fun out of the game for these guys. They're not only not the team they once were, they' can't even be the team they could be. The Celtics need to stop worrying about how they're NOT playing, and start concentrating on how the ARE playing, and make the best of it.

2) Stop Looking at the Floor: Man, did anyone see a timeout recently in a Celtics loss? it's like the guys are walking over to the bench with 50 lb weights on each arm, shoulders slumped like some kind of archaic proletariat parodying the USSR. Have some spine Celtics. God helps those ~~that don't quit when the other team doesn't just run away~~ that help themselves!

3) O Perkins, Perkins, wherefore art thou Perkins? The bare bones of it is basically, we need Perkins. Gotta have him. We can't win without Kendrick Perkins, N'est pas possible. In the first 39 games of the season, he had 13 double doubles. That's exactly 1 dbl-dbl ever 3 games. Since then, over the past 24 games, he's had exactly 1 double double. It's not much of a coincidence that the Celtics have gone 13-11 over those 24 games.

Have Faith Celtics Fans. Tonight Brings us a Win.

Daily Links 3/12

2010-03-12T15:05:32Z

Herald Celtics must step up
Vince Carter, Magic rip Bulls
Blazers rally to beat Warriors
Gilbert Arenas submits paperwork to change jersey number
Protests mar groundbreaking for US arena
Scouting report: Pacers at Celtics
Globe Pierce and Allen just trying to do their share

CelticsBlog   Let's See How Far We've Come...Or Not
Understanding Rebounds and the Celtics
Can You Spare Some Change?
One Fan's Thoughts on the Celts
Live And Die By KG and Pierce
Celtics Green   How Bad Was It?
Red's Army    Bad defense starts at the top
Celtics/Pacers Game Preview
Enemy Chatter: The Celtics are not-so-gracious losers
Your Morning Dump... Where the Celtics deserved the boos
CSN-NE    Celtics notes: C's running out of time
Truth hurts: Pierce falters, and so do Celts|
Celtics Hub     Doc Talks About Making Changes: What Could He Be Referring To?
Nate’s Slow Start
The "Start Daniels" Movement Gains Steam
Loscy     Celt-loft: the perfect cure
North Station Sports   Celtics Vs. Pacers Preview 3/12/10
Celtics Town    Highlight Reel: Justin Darlington soars
Doc, Perk: Boos were deserved
Maine vs. Iowa Preview
Morning Walkthrough: Rivers might rest KG, Pierce?
Hardwood Houdini    A Time Of Digust In Celtics Nation
Celtics Fans Show Anger With Chorus of Boo’s – Daily Poll
Lex Nihil Novi   The Lakers Sure Don't Play Eastern Conference Basketball
Celtics Life     Step it up Doc!
Optimism till there's no other option.
Gino's Jungle     As Barack Obama Says, It's Time For Change
ESPN   A change of heart
Celtics 17   Donny Boozeface's Coaching Strategy- Pickup Ball, Basically
Fire Danny Ainge    Red Sox stay classy with Nomar. Celtics will never be that classy with Toine
Celtics Stuff Live   Gang Green 3-20 With Justin Poulin
Celtics Fans Come to Grief
Grab A Couple of Pints At The Fours Instead
NESN    Rasheed Wallace Likes Celtics' Playoff Chances Despite Recent Struggles
New Celtic Michael Finley Thriving in Role Off Bench
News Herald    Cavaliers: Spring break allowed James to recharge
The Black Hour    Leon Powe's mentoring program gives Oakland youth Fresh Start
SI.com    Phil Jackson, other NBA coaches hold toughest jobs in sports
JS Online   Bucks expect Jazz to be tougher test than Cavs and Celtics
Metro West Daily News    Celtics still slumping in second half
NY Post   Dunleavy learns of firing online
North Coast Now     LeBron to play tonight against Philadelphia
In n Out NBA    Basketball Debates: Kevin Garnett vs. Tim Duncan
Inside Hoops     NBA Rumors: Friday, March 12
Yahoo   Protests mar groundbreaking for NJ Nets' NYC arena
Box Scores Sports     Memphis Grizzlies Win Raises Questions About Boston Celtics’ Future
Fox Sports   Charley Rosen answers your NBA questions
Sporting News   Pacers-Celtics Preview -
Bleacher Report    Is an Early Postseason Exit in the Boston Celtics' Future?
The NBA's Best Defensive Centers
Rajon Rondo Must Become More Of a Leader
ESPN   Celtics coach Doc Rivers may have to change his ways with the Boston Celtics
WEEI    Is it the end for the Celtics? on WEEI
Dueling Couches   Celtics Changes That Need To Happen
Hoopsworld    NBA PM: Celtics Optimistic
Green Street    Hollins: C’s still ‘one of top 3 in East’
Rivers on D&C: ‘We deserved’ boos
Perkins on D&H: C’s need ’sense of urgency’
Ball Don't Lie    Antoine Walker shimmied his way to Puerto Rico
Slam Online    Paul Pierce and the Celtics Hearing Boos
Ridiculous Upside   Michael Sweetney Continuing His Comeback in the NBA ... D-League
Basketbawful     Worst of the Night: March 10, 2010

Live And Die By KG and Pierce

2010-03-12T11:00:31Z

Steve Bulpett of the Herald

The fact remains the Celts must count on their more senior citizens to get them through this. Specifically, if Paul Pierce [stats] and Kevin Garnett don't begin playing better, then every other discussion is moot.

Considering these two have had physical issues this season, this is where the talk of Celtics problems veers into the "unable." Garnett and his right knee have looked much better since the All-Star break, but Pierce has been wildly inconsistent dealing with multiple maladies.

Rivers said late Wednesday night he's deciding whether to rest them more or let them play themselves back to their needed levels. And the coach knows he has to get this one right or the Celtics will be a snowball when the playoffs get warm.

Peter May offers his own (perhaps harsh) two cents as well.

It also makes it difficult when the two players on whom you most depend, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, are mere shells of themselves right now. The company line is that they will get better as the season winds down and the playoffs begin. Watching them play night in and night out, particularly Garnett, one wonders how that is ever going to be the case.

KG has been back for almost two months and still looks hobbled. Guys blow past him -- and over him -- with impunity. In Milwaukee on Tuesday night, he bit on an upfake from Bucks forward Ersan Ilyasova, came down on his back and tumbled to the ground as Ilyasova made the basket (and the free throw). You can be sure a photo of that play is on every storefront in Istanbul.

Garnett has to be right for it all to work. It may be too severe to say he has irretrievably broken down, but he looks old and tired and, well, broken down out there. Pierce gets a little slack because he is still working his way back from his most recent injury (sprained right thumb).

I think that these guys have a point. We can talk all day long about rotations and rebounds and the finer points of the game, but it boils down to how far the Big 3 can take us. Ray Allen has stepped up as of late. Pierce and Garnett have been inconsistent. Some days they are there, some days not so much.

Here's hoping that they can get back on track soon. If they can somehow "get right" on the court, I still believe in this team. If they can't, ...well, not so much.

One Fan's Thoughts on the Celts

2010-03-12T02:28:28Z

From our very own Master Po, with a little help from lon3lytoaster and Ltimecfan

2nd after the jump

Can You Spare Some Change?

2010-03-12T01:02:36Z

Frustrated Doc Rivers mulls changes - BostonHerald.com

"We’ve been reluctant to make many changes with our rotations and stuff like that," he said after last night’s 111-91 loss to Memphis. "Maybe we have to think about that. Maybe not, but we have to think about it, because right now we’re just sketchy. We’re not playing consistent." This constitutes a significant step for Rivers and is a measure of his own frustration with the Celts. "Yeah, but, you know, I’m slow to change," he said. "I think consistency is better, but I think at times you do have to think about it. I’m not a big believer in change for change. If it’s not going to be a long change, I think that’s a waste of time personally." The coach will have ample time to consider the possibilities. Coming off a back-to-back, the Celts will not practice today.

So, what changes would you make? More Shelden Williams? Smallball? Big lineups?

It would have sounded crazy 3 months ago, but what about making a change to the starting lineup? Maybe bring Ray off the bench (with Daniels starting)?

The trade deadline is gone and there's no more help coming off the waiver wire. If this team hopes to right the ship, the answers will have to come from within.

I'm sure several of the responses on this will be of the "nothing you can do, we're doomed" variety, but what fun is that? Put yourself in Doc's shoes and see if you can suggest something (anything) that would snap this team out of its funk. Feel free to be creative.

Understanding Rebounds and the Celtics

2010-03-12T00:16:10Z

Lately there has been much call and cry about how the Celtic's problems are because they can't rebound.

People look at the raw rebound totals ranking every team in the NBA and see the Celtic's at the bottom and jump to the conclusion that we must be a poor rebounding team.

That is a mistaken conclusion, but working from that point, they then conclude that if we are a poor rebounding team, and we struggle, our struggles MUST be because we are a poor rebounding team.

This is a case of starting with false premise (that raw rebound totals are comparable between teams) and leading on to another (the Celtics are a poor rebounding team) to then reach a third (poor rebounding is the source of our woes).

After the jump, I will try to explain why the raw rebound totals are misleading. Further, I'll try to show how rebound rates lead to the basic philosophy behind the Celtic's strategy of play. Finally, I'll end with pointing out how deviating from their strategy just killed them in their loss to Memphis (as well as a few other games).

The rebound totals are a bit misleading for several reasons.

First, let's summarize the Celtic's philosophy about rebounds. This is straight from Doc's public statements and is easily confirmed by simply watching the team:

The C's do NOT, as a rule, go aggressively after offensive rebounds. The C's prefer to instead have players hustle back down court on defense once the shot is up. They DO fight hard for defensive rebounds.

That's been the strategy for the last few years and worked well in getting us a championship. In fact most really good teams put only token effort towards offensive rebounds.

Now, lets talk about rebounds, and specifically lets start with total rebound rankings. Very often I read statements about how we rank against other teams in rebounding ("bottom of the league") which are simply missing context.

Yes, we are at the bottom of the league in total rebounds. But that number is a product of several things. First, it is the sum of both offensive and defensive rebounds. We are dead last in offensive rebounds and 25th in defensive rebounds - reflecting the difference I talked about above.

But beyond that, you still have to look further. A rebound itself is the product of two things :

a missed shot and
how good we are at grabbing that rebound.

In order to gather a lot of rebounds, BOTH numbers have to be high.

So before we can go comparing rebound totals, we have to look at how those two things compare.

Let's look first at offensive rebounds.

To miss a lot of shots you have to take a lot of shots and miss them.

The Celtics rank dead LAST in TAKEN shots (4794).   (Right off the bat that should get your attention more than anything else, but lets skip past that...)

We rank 4th in FG percentage (48.1%) and have often lead that category most of the year. So our MISS rate is 51.9%.

So we end up having MISSED only 2488 shots, of which we grabbed 537 for offensive rebounds, a rate of ~22% (the true rate is a little higher because I'm not accounting for dead ball after the (missed) shot due to the whistle being blown. I.E.the number of actual opportunities is actually slightly less than the miss count. But for simplicity lets just go with this simple ratio).

For comparison, the #1 team in terms of total OFFENSIVE Rebounds is Detroit. They shot 5182 attempts, missing 55.9%, or 2897 shots. So they took 400 more shots and missed nearly every one of them! They grabbed 852 of those misses, or `30%.

Finally, lets look at our opponents - that is, how other teams did when playing us. Our opponents shot 4902 FGAs (28th), missing 55.3% (8th worst) or a total of 2713 missed shots. They grabbed 661 (22nd) at a rate of ~24%. So as we <em>expected </em>our opponents ARE out-rebounding us on the offensive boards ... barely.

Let's next look at Defensive Rebounds.

Our opponents, as mentioned above, shot 4902 shots, and missed 2713 of them. WE grabbed 1892 (25th) of them for a simple rate of ~70%. Again, the true rate is actually higher for the reasons given above.

Again, for comparision, the top defensive rebounding team by raw count is the Orlando Magic. Their opponents took 5356 shots and missed 3019 (56.4%) of them. The Magic grabbed 2182 of them for a simple rate of ~72%. WOAH - not that different!

Finally, lets look at our opponents. How well did other teams do when playing us. We shot a league low 4794 shots and missed just 2488. Our opponents grabbed 1847 of those misses for a rate of ~74%.   Again, as expected (because we are not fighting hard for offensive rebounds) our opponents are also slightly out-rebounding us for defensive boards.

Now do you see how each of these totals is off of a different pool of rebound opportunities?   OUR defensive boards come from THEIR misses, and vice versa. Our DRBs came from a pool of 2713 misses. The Magic's got theirs from a pool of over 3000 misses (because they allowed 454 more shots by their opponents!). Our opponents grabbed their DRBs from a pool of 2488 - but were barely contested for them by us.

So the raw totals are vastly different and thus comparing rebound totals from team to team is meaningless.

Celtic's Basketball

Finally, one last comment about rebounds before we move on. Looking at the above, you start to realize that when any rebound is in the air, the fact is that the defense is going to grab it 70-75% of the time. *Period.*

Next you can probably accept without me posting a lot of proof that when a team starts a possession with a defensive rebound, their chance of scoring is WAY higher than if they start by siding it in after a made basket. The reason is simple: A defensive rebound leads to a transition offense while the opponent still hasn't setup its defense.

So everytime you miss on offense, there is simply a very high chance that not only will the other team get the ball, but they will be able to convert that into points.

So you have two jobs:

Miss less.
And when you miss, get your butt back on defense.

THAT is Celtic's basketball.

And this is not new. I posted this in another thread, but it bears repeating here:

Correcting for some of the things I ignored (dead ball after shot), this year's Celtics have a defensive rebounding efficiency of 74.1%.

In 2007-2008, this same starting personnel won the Championship with a defensive rebounding percentage of 74.7%

In 85-86, the Bird, McHale, Parrish Celtics (67-15, NBA Champs) were 17th out of 23 teams in Offensive Rebounding Percentage (31.3%). They were first in defensive rebound percentage at 71.7%.

I hope this provides a bit of perspective on the relative importance of the two rates.

Moving on: Shot Attempts and Points.

If you look closely, what are the most important numbers up in all that? Its not the rebound totals. We've shown how they are not really comparable to each other. Its not even the rebound percentages - those don't really show much difference (the defenses grab them at about 70-75% of the time) and also are against different pools of opportunity.

The most important numbers are how many shots we take and make and how many shots our opponents take and make!

THOSE are what get converted into points.

In a given game, each team has the ball basically the same number of times. The possession total never varies by more than 2 and is usually identical. So each team has the same number of possessions with which to convert into points. The total NUMBER of possessions has mostly to do with the pace of play of the two teams. A fast break team like the Suns will typically have over 100 possessions for each team each game. The Celtics on average have about 91 possessions for each team.

Yet, if we and our opponents had the same number of possessions, how come we only shot 4794 FGAs, while our opponents shot 4902 FGAs? That's 106 fewer shots than our opponents, or roughly 2 shots per game.

The first time I noticed this I assumed it was free throws or turnovers. Maybe we were getting fouled more before the shot and a lot of them were shooting fouls. But we've gone to the line 1591 times to our opponents 1602 times - virtually a tie in that category.

Also, while we ARE turning the ball over a ton (higher than most 'good' teams by 2-4 per game) we are also CAUSING our opponents to turn the ball over at a slightly higher rate. Mostly that accounts for just about a half a possession per game in OUR favor - so we still need to find out how they are taking 106 more total shots.

Well, most of the extra shots go back to offensive rebounds. They grabbed 661 of their misses to our 537 - so 124 extra chances to take a shot on their existing possessions.

Wow - this must be killing us, right? Well, not really.

This is where turnovers kicked in - we only allowed them to take 106 shots on those 124 extended possessions - even though most were probably close to the basket.

And this is where defense kicks in - even though our opponents shot at the basket 106 MORE times, they actually MADE 119 FEWER shots overall.

The original reason they are even GETTING a CHANCE at those extra 124 offensive rebounds is because we made them take poor shots and MISS the shot prior to each opportunity!

THIS is what the payoff is for NOT CONTENDING for offensive rebounds and instead getting back on defense and making the opponent work for their shot. I.E. eliminate easy, high-percentage shots.

Conversely, our offense is predicated on creating high-percentage shots. We do this two ways

by using our defense to create missed shots and thus defensive rebounds as well as turnovers to fuel our own transition offense and
in our half-court offense using our perimeter threats (Ray, Paul) to create floor spacing and then attacking the hoop for high-percentage shots. We take a huge chunk of our shots in the paint and that is why we have the high FG%.

Is it working?

Most of the last few years as well as this year, this has worked. Even in the Milwaukee loss, we only gave up 86 points. But in that game, our offense stalled. Pierce, Perk & Ray all collectively shot horribly. The thing is, as dissapointing as that was, sometimes that's going to happen. We still played the correct style of basketball - the shots just didn't fall.

It did not work in the Memphis game for a much worse reason. Why? Because in the first period we did NOT play Celtic's basketball. First, we did NOT work to create high-percentage shots on offense and instead tossed up first-opportunity lazy shots which missed and of course were grabbed (70% of the time!) by Memphis and then - to compound it - we did not hustle back on defense when we did miss and thus committed the cardinal sin of letting the Grizzlies have easy easy easy access to the basket and uncontested 3s. The Grizzlies shot at a ridiculous high % both overall and from 3PT land.

We were missing shots. We were not in defensive position. We were not contesting shots. All that happened in about the first 12-15 minutes of the game and primarily with our starting 5 on the floor.

Somewhere shortly into the 2nd period, with the bench in there, we finally started playing 'normal' Celtic's basketball. From that point on we played even with them, and slightly better in the second half. But the damage was swift and deep and we couldn't begin to come back from it.

Again and again this year, we get into these funks where we can't seem to make a shot. That by itself wouldn't be so bad - so long as we immediately get our butts back on defense. But for some reason we have these 10 minute stretches where we let our offensive woes interfere with our defense - instead of letting our defense trigger our offense.

And when we do that, we get murdered.

Let's See How Far We've Come...Or Not

2010-03-11T19:32:01Z

More photos » Elsa - Getty Images

A spitting image of the team we saw two weeks ago. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

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Exactly two weeks have passed since the Celtics collapsed in the second half at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers on February 25. Unfortunately for the C's - with the glaring loss to the Memphis Grizzlies last night still clear in our minds - they have not seemed to improve at all since that loss to the Cavs. Unfortunately, that same lackluster and uninspired play that defined that second half against Cleveland has been present in nearly every game since then, with the possible exception being the March 3 win against the Charlotte Bobcats.

Here's what Kevin Garnett said after that loss to Cleveland (courtesy of CSNNE.com):

He found himself uttering that all too familiar 'we need to play 48 minutes' tune that he and his teammates have been talking about oh, all season.

"I know you guys are tired of writing it in your columns; I apologize for that," Garnett said. "At some point there has to be some action."

And here's what Garnett said after the Celtics fell to the NBA's worst team, the New Jersey Nets, the following game (courtesy of ESPN Boston):

"I'm not going to sit up here and give a bunch of excuses, that's not my style," said Garnett. "You lose, you lose. They kicked our [butts] tonight. Period. Point blank. Players have to do more, including myself, we all have to dig deep and see what we're made of as a team. Seriously."

"We're a team that takes a lot of pride in getting stops, we have to get back to that. Hearing it is starting to make my ears ring, but that's what it is, and we will, we have no choice."

A week and a half later, after suffering another bitter home defeat at the hands of the young and athletic Memphis Grizzlies, Garnett was muttering a similar tune (courtesy of CSNNE.com):

"It's not about coming in here and talking to (the media) about it. It's about actually going out there and doing it."

"You've got to come out here and put an effort out that's worthy. That's just what it is. I'm not going to come out and give a whole bunch of excuses about it. It's about not talking and doing."

Today, two weeks after falling to the Cavs by 20 points, two rational conclusions can be drawn:

A) The Celtics have not improved over the past two weeks: If two weeks later we're still hearing the same post-game speeches about 'needing to be better' and turning all of the talk into action, with just a few words changed around, then clearly the Celtics haven't progressed as a team. One would hope that the Celtics today would be better than the Celtics of two weeks ago. But can we honestly say that? If LeBron and co. marched back into Boston tomorrow, would we have reason to believe that the outcome would be any different than what it was three weeks ago, even with Paul Pierce back in the lineup?

This conclusion also means we have to forget about the four-game winning streak we were riding last week. What was once a brief glimpse of hope that maybe, just maybe, things were starting to turn around, is now nothing more than a small collection of meaningless wins. We really wanted to harp on the good, so we accepted less than stellar wins over the Pistons, 76ers, and Wizards, and a fairly convincing win over the Bobcats. We chose to focus on the comeback against the Wizards, rather than the first three inept quarters, which were eerily similar to all four quarters of last night's game. And weren't we saying that the first three quarters of that Washington game were eerily similar to the four quarters of the New Jersey game (which took place, you know, a week and a day earlier)? Hmm...I see a pattern forming...

B) The Celtics did improve against the Bobcats, only to regress the very next game: Was it actually improvement, or just an anomaly? Even the latest of the birds gets the worm once in a while. Personally, I'm not convinced it was a sign of improvement, but regardless, it's irrelevant at this point. The Celtics could not maintain that measure of defense or overall play, as they barely managed to scrape by the 76ers (it was a five-point game with two minutes left), and crawled past the Wizards in the waning seconds in the following two games. Even if the win over Charlotte was an improvement, the C's couldn't build off of it, so it might as well have never happened, because they now appear to be back to square one. These four most recent wins were phantom wins - playful teases that masqueraded the larger problems still looming beneath the surface.

If asked to vote, I'd choose option A. If this were a court of law and the Celtics were charged with three counts of not improving, they would not be able to supply any sufficient evidence to argue against the claim. If this were a trial for burglary, the win over Charlotte would be the day when the thief seriously considered walking back to the house he stole from, handing everything back, and vowing to turn his life around - only to do just the opposite the very next day. Optimism is typically a good thing, and believe it or not, in the wake of everything, I still have plenty of it. But if two more weeks pass and we're still in the same spot we are right now, we might be in some serious trouble.

Daily Links 3/11

2010-03-11T16:01:39Z

Herald Memphis claws up feeble Celtics
Frustrated Doc Rivers mulls changes
Hungry Grizzlies attack Celtics
Thunder home in on Hornets
New Clippers’ GM worked his way up from bit parts to leading role
Globe 'It speaks for itself' ... sort of
Video: Rivers unhappy with team's spirit
Pierce hears the boo birds
Wallace still upbeat
Celtics’ Allen tries to gently point guard Rondo in right direction
It’s grisly at Garden in Celtics’ latest home loss, to Memphis

Celtics.com Ford Keys to the Game: Grizzlies at Celtics
CelticsBlog    First Quarter FAIL
Mauled
Boston, We Have a Problem
Celtics Green   Comments from the Other Side - Grizzlies 3/11
WEEI     Rivers on D&C: Celtics 'gave in'
Chris Wallace, Grizzlies GM/VP on WEEI
The Three-Pointer: Celtics suffer early knockout
Red's Army    T-Mobile Recap: Epic Fail
Your Morning Dump... Where Doc finally hints at change
Celtics Hub    Mauled: Grizz 111, C’s 91
An Argument Against the Pierce Iso
My SouthEnd    A look at what could have been at the Garden
North Station Sports   Celtics Late Night Show: Sunday, March 14th-- Paul Flannery from WEEI
C's Field A Team Of Chumps in Boston Uniforms, Get Shellacked By The Griz 111-91
The Celtics Lack of Answers is as Discouraging as Their Lack of Effort
The Ugly Celtics: Boooooo Boooooo Booooo!
Celtics Town    Tonight’s pregame locker room scene
Boston cracked by Memphis, 111-91
Morning Walkthrough: Home losses piling up
Doc Rivers pondering lineup changes
Hardwood Houdini     Cuban’s Mavs Take Top Spot In NBA Power Rankings
Lex Nihil Novi    Celtics Pussy-Footed it in Game 1
The Scariest Thing Doc has Said All Year (plus an Ode to Baby!)
Huey Lewis and the Celtics New Theme Song
Paul Pierce is a Moron
CelticsLife     Celtics Mauled by Grizzlies
What the Hell Happened to...Frank Brickowski?
Grizzlies 111, Celtics 91 Highlights
Ouch! That one hurt...
Celtics 18    "We just didn't have the fight...."
Gino's Jungle    Finley Passed The First Test
NOT Just a Loss - Something to Worry About
ESPN    Pregame notes: Pacman returns
First impressions: Grizzlies 111, Celtics 91
Postgame notes: Grizzlies 'annihilated' C's
Boston Celtics can't keep up with athletic Memphis Grizzlies
Boston Celtics' spin, like their play, seems old and tired
Boston Celtics would be wise to avoid Milwaukee Bucks in NBA playoffs
Mailbag: Can Boston Celtics still contend? Mailbag: Can Boston Celtics still contend?
Celtics 17    Cs- Then And Now
4 Sport Boston    Is Rajon Rondo The NBA's Best Point Guard and Other Questions for the Celtics
Telegram    Finley in game early and often
Celts fall to Memphis, 111-91
Dimemag     Hungry Grizzlies Attack in Boston
Celtics Stuff Live     Gang Green Lombardigras!
Peace, I'm out
CSN-NE    C's home woes reach new low against the Grizzlies
Celtics notes: C's running out of time
Rich Levine: Celts' answers breed more questions
Grizzlies 111, Celtics 91: Live Blog
MetroWest Daily     Megliola: Uneven C's still searching for answers
3 Shades of Blue    Grizzlies Ruin Celtics' Day...With Malice.
NBA.com    Lackluster Celtics 'totally annihilated' by Grizzlies
Green Street    Doc Rivers Press Conference, 3/10
Rasheed Wallace Press Conference, 3/10
Ray Allen Press Conference, 3/10
Hollins: C’s still ‘one of top 3 in East’
Fast Break: Celtics vs. Grizzlies
Tuohy discusses Davis’ audition for ‘The Blindside’
Pacquiao fights for the Celtics
AJC     Hawks get help from the outside
Enterprise    CELTICS NOTEBOOK: Shots have been lacking for Pierce and Allen
Grizz Den   Boston's Going to Need the Luck of the Irish
Bleacher Report    The Boston Celtics Must Look in the Mirror To Find Redemption
Time to Rebuild: Boston Will Need to Start Over This Off-Season
Is Rajon Rondo the NBA's Best Point Guard and Other Boston Celtics Questions
Cavs Are Really Good! No Lebron, No Antawn, and No Shaq..Game Recap!
Nashua Telegraph Grizzlies beat C’s for first time since ’06
NY Post     Knicks set franchise mark for futility
Slam Online      Rafer Alston Skipped Town With Good Reason
NESN   Live Blog: Grizzlies at Celtics
Ray Allen Disappointed With UConn's Loss in Big East Tournament
Ohio.com     Five Cavs rest, heal wounds
Seattle Weekly    Nate Robinson Asks That You Not Buy This T-Shirt
Off the Dribble   Wizards Drama Continues - Off the Dribble Blog
News OK    Since hand-check rule change, NBA has become a perimeter player’s league
Front Office Fans     Is It Time For the Celtics to Rebuild?
Double Dribble    How The Bucks Beat The Celtics (And Why The Celtics Don’t Want to Face Them in the Playoffs)

Boston, We Have a Problem

2010-03-11T05:50:25Z

More photos » Elise Amendola - AP

We don't know what to think either.

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Anyone who says that there was no Celtics offense in tonight's loss to the Memphis Grizzlies clearly did not watch close enough. That game was downright offensive from start to finish.

Actually, to call this a game would be a disservice to every member of the Grizzlies. This was an onslaught from the get-go. The Celtics never lead in this game once. With 5:52 left in the first quarter, the Celtics trailed 11-7. That would be the closest they got the rest of the game, as the Grizzlies then went on 16-5 run and lead by 15 at the end of the first quarter. The Celtics never got closer than 14 points behind and trailed by as many as 29 points late in the fourth quarter.

"I think it speaks for itself," said Kevin Garnett who finished with a dismal six points and seven rebounds. "They came in and just totally annihilated us, nothing to it."

Perhaps that is the scariest part about it. There really was nothing to it. The Grizzlies came in and disrobed the Celtics on their home court. Fitting actually, because with the way the team has been performing lately no player deserves to wear that jersey.

Boos from the fans drained out the sound of the halftime buzzer. It was hard to tell if fans were getting out of their seats for halftime, or leaving the game altogether. Unlike Sunday's game against the Wizards, the earlier they got out of there, the luckier they were. With more than nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the remaining victims in the stands decided to head for the exits. If it wasn't for the fact that the arena was 90% empty by the time the game ended, the boos from the fans would have been much louder.

"It pisses me off," said Ray Allen who scored 17 points but went 0-6 from behind the arc. "I want to do the best job that I know how for anybody coming to watch. It's a lot of people's first time in the building. So performance wise you want to do everything you can to show people enjoyment."

"You come out on your home court and get this kind of loss and get booed by your home court," said Paul Pierce on a night where he went a meager 4-8 from the field . "I haven't been on a court where we've been booed; it's been a couple times this year. It's been about five or six years since I've seen that. We're still 17 games over .500. All the fans want is a constant effort night in and night out. I think we got to be more consistent with that regardless if we win or lose."

Consistent effort would be nice, yes. Where's the attitude? The swagger? Have we lost our mojo? And if so, how do we get it back? Can we get it back? Those are a lot of questions, but unfortunately when games like these are over we are left with more questions than after an episode of Lost.

This team has lost its identity, that's for sure. What started out as a team that some actually thought could challenge the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' 72-10 record has become a team that can, and has, lost to some of the worst teams in the league in convincing fashion. The "having a good road record" argument is weak when you consider the teams they have beaten on the road.

The obvious issue is one that has to do with age. This team is centered around seasoned veterans. While Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins are young, the utilization of their youth is hindered by the style of play that the Celtics implore when grouped with the veterans. That has been apparent all season, and was just as apparent tonight. The average age of the Celtics is 29 years old. No Grizzlies player, aside from Jamaal Tinsley who didn't play tonight, is 29 years old.

"It hurts us when you give them spirit; there's no doubt about that," said Coach Doc Rivers. "We're not going to get any quicker, and you know when you give an athletic team that's skilled- I mean, they're a skilled athletic team- when you give that team confidence, with the way we're constructed, it makes it difficult."

Rasheed Wallace made a puzzling statement after the loss to Memphis.

"We step up more on big games, but on teams where they're struggling or there might be some teams that are not making the playoffs, you know, I think some times we maybe have the tendency to disrespect them a little bit."

Um, what? Which big games is he talking about? Maybe he's talking about the wins over Atlanta this season. Or it could be the big wins at home against the Cavaliers, Magic, and Lakers. As far as disrespecting the non-contenders, that argument holds no water. If anything, teams are coming in here and disrespecting the Celtics.

"There's a lot of teams that haven't been there, Wallace continued. "This team has been there. No matter where we're coming from. Mike from San Antonio, me from Detroit, the guys here who won it already. I think once them big boy shots come we'll be ready."

The author is unknown, but there is a quote that states, "If you are still talking about what you did yesterday, you haven't done much today."

The Celtics can't simply rely on playoff or Finals "experience" to win another championship. It wasn't that experience that got them a ring two seasons ago. It was willingness to do whatever it took to win, by as many points as possible. To say that a lot of teams haven't been there is false. Been where? The playoffs? Last I checked many of the contenders this year were contenders last year- they've been there.

We do have the experience, we do have the skill, but do we have the will? Often times it is the team that wants it more, or needs it more, that takes it. That was evident in 2007-08, but has yet to be seen this season.

All we can do at this point is take them at their word. But if they want to be top dog they'll have to eventually stop barking and actually prove it on the court.

Mauled

2010-03-11T02:56:10Z

More photos » Elise Amendola - AP

Nope. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

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If you saw what just happened, I apologize. If you were fortunate enough to miss it, don't try and find the footage.

Final - 3.10.2010	1	2	3	4	Total
Memphis Grizzlies	27	28	27	29	111
Boston Celtics	12	21	30	28	91

Complete Coverage >

First Quarter FAIL

2010-03-11T01:25:52Z

Grizzlies at Celtics game updates - Celtics Blog - Boston.com

The home fans are frustrated by a Celtics offense that has mustered just 12 points (The Celtics' previous low for the first quarter this season was 12 against the Magic on Nov. 20). The Celtics are 5 of 20 from the field.

Celtics Look to Start New Win Streak Against Memphis

2010-03-10T20:30:33Z

Mark Weber - AP

(AP Photo/ Mark Weber)

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Boston Celtics (40-22) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (33-31)

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

7:30pm

TV: Comcast SportsNet; Radio: WEEI

Venue: TD Garden

Game Thread [] Chat Room

The Boston Celtics, fresh off a disappointing loss to the Milwaukee Bucks last night, look to get back to their winning ways against the Memphis Grizzlies tonight at 7:30pm.

The Celtics fell, 86-84, at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks last night, as Paul Pierce shot just 3-13 from the field and Ray Allen only managed to take three shots. The C's had been on a modest four-game winning streak, and will look to start a new one tonight against an upstart Memphis Grizzlies squad.

Memphis sports one of the best young rosters in the NBA, with proven guys like Rudy Gay, O.J. Mayo, and Marc Gasol all serving as integral parts to the team's fair amount of success this season. The Grizzlies were in the playoff picture the first time these two teams met in Memphis back on December 14 (remember Ray's three-pointer with 17.5 seconds left off the broken Pierce-Kevin Garnett pick-and-roll play?), but now reside four games behind eighth place Portland.

Nevertheless, if the Celtics are susceptible to any specific type of team, it's certainly the young, athletic, and feisty ones that pose the most problems. Unfortunately for Boston tonight, Memphis fits that bill practically better than anyone. While Memphis might not preach defense (the Grizz are allowing 102.81 points per game) they're more than capable of getting out on the break and creating easy transition buckets for guys like Gay and Mayo - their athletic wing players.

All-Star Zach Randolph is listed as questionable for tonight's game, after missing Monday's game against the Nets with "lower back tightness". If he does play, however, his bulk could prove troublesome for Kevin Garnett, who will also have to be extra aggressive on the boards, as Randolph rips down 11.8 rebounds per game - good for second in the entire league.

Projected Starters:

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

Grizzlies: Mike Conley Jr., O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay, Marc Gasol, Zach Randolph

Health Check: The Celtics are healthy.

For the Grizzlies, guard Ronnie Brewer (hamstring) is listed as doubtful, while center Steven Hunter (knee) and forward Zach Randolph (back) are listed as questionable.

Keep It In Mind: Kendrick Perkins has not recorded double-digit rebounds in a game since February 18.

Who's Hot: For the Celtics, Rajon Rondo scored 20 points on 6-10 shooting last night against the Bucks.

For the Grizzlies, Mike Conley scored 21 points on 9-18 shooting against the Nets on Monday.

Who's Not: For the Celtics, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen shot a combined 3-16 against the Bucks last night.

For the Grizzlies, O.J. Mayo shot just 2-8 and finished with eight points in 40 minutes against the Nets on Monday.

Key Matchup: Ray Allen vs. O.J. Mayo

Honorable Mention: Paul Pierce vs. Rudy Gay

Skinny: O.J. Mayo should get the defensive assignment on Ray Allen tonight, and he sticks to screens the way used gum sticks to the undersides of school desks. Ray should have no problem skirting around the court and finding openings for shots, meaning the Celtics' offense might flow primarily through him tonight. Paul Pierce's job starts on the defensive end tonight, as Rudy Gay's a 20-plus point kind of scorer who needs to be held in check. On the other end, despite Gay's lackluster defensive reputation, Pierce could struggle against his quickness and superior athleticism.

The starting five need to lock in on defense early, in an effort to slow down Memphis' fast-paced offense before it has the chance to shift into high gear. On top of that, both Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol need to be kept off the glass, particularly on the offensive end. Randolph and Gasol combine to average over seven offensive rebounds per game, and the C's need to be ready to match the energy Memphis' inside tandem are sure to bring.

Daily Links 3/10

2010-03-10T15:02:32Z

Herald Celtics buy into Bucks
Glen Davis draws Bucks’ ire
Ray Allen at home in Milwaukee
Clippers fire GM Mike Dunleavy
Dwight Howard, Magic rip Clippers
Scouting report: Grizzlies at Celtics
Globe Analysis of Celtics-Bucks Analysis of Celtics-Bucks
Allen moved to speak after very quiet night
Celtics misfire in fourth
Updates from Celtics-Bucks

CelticsBlog     Beat By Bucks
Starting Five - 3/10 Starting Five - 3/10
Perkins Re-Adjusting on the Fly
Celtics Green    Comments from the Other Side - Bucks 3/9
Red's Army     Can Nash shed light on C's problems?
T-Mobile Recap: Did anyone see Paul Pierce or Ray Allen?
Your Morning Dump... Where now I'm concerned
CSN-NE    Celtics drop a nail-biter in Milwaukee
Celtics Hub   The Basketball Gods Will Remember the Effort (And Bogut is A Problem)
Playoff Preview? Bucks 86, C’s 84
North Station Sports      Celtics Let One Slip Away To Bucks 86-84 3/9/10
Celtics Town    For Celtics, Life After Death continues in Milwaukee
Celtics fall to Bucks at buzzer
Morning Walkthrough: ‘Should not have come to that’
Hardwood Houdini    Scary Thought: Big Baby Will Be A Daddy
Celtics Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda But Didn’t Win
Lex Nihil Novi     Cooper Stymies Bird in Game 1
CelticsLife    Celtics lose heartbreaker to Bucks
Celtics/Bucks Post Game Videos
Gino's Jungle    Eastern Playoffs - If It Started Today
Just A Loss - Nothing To Worry About
Not The Rondo The Celtics Want
Celtics 17   Bird & Magic: To See The Other Sides
WEEI     The Three-Pointer: No regrets
NBA.com    Bucks fight off Celtics for fourth straight victory
Hoopsworld    Perkins: Champs Showing Cracks
Cleveland.com Forty years of the Cavaliers: Ranking the top 40 antagonists
Sporting News    Grizzlies-Celtics Preview -
ESPN    Boston Celtics would be wise to avoid Milwaukee Bucks in NBA playoffs
Postgame notes: Pierce loved final look
First impressions: Bucks 86, Celtics 84 First impressions: Bucks 86, Celtics 84
Glen Davis diary: Mr. Kool-Aid and more
The odd man out?
Silversun Pickups root against Celts?
Hollinger: Best shooters ever
NBC Sports    Bucks make Celtics latest heavyweight victim
Commercial Appeal     Previewing today's Grizzlies-Celtics game
Brew Hoop    Recap: Bucks 86, Celtics 84
JS Online    Bucks' victory comes with emphasis
Tale of the Tape: Jennings vs. "Big Baby" Davis
Hardwood Paroxysm    Lion Face/Lemon Face 03.10.2010
Dimemag   Kobe hits another game-winner; Finley debuts with Boston
Quincy Cove     Michael Finley Connects with the Boston Celtics
Washington Post    Saunders explains his take on Blatche-Garnett 'wolfing' exchange
KSN 3    NBA suspends Granger, Frye
NESN Milwaukee Walks Over Celtics in Up-Tempo 86-84 Victory
Live Blog: Celtics at Bucks
Top 10 Athletes Who Should Be On 'Dancing With the Stars'
NY times    Hawks’ Johnson May Become the Unheralded Prize of Free Agency
Bleacher Report   Kobe Bryant Is Reason for Lakers Struggles
The Knicks Blog   Keeping Johnson May Cost Hawks in Long Run
WISN    Needles Notes: Ray Allen's NBA Career Tops Michael Finley's
American Chronicle    His time is coming ; Morris Almond is proving to the Red Claws he has NBA offensive skills
Chelsea Online    Five Of The Best (And Best Paid) Sports Coaches In The World

Perkins Re-Adjusting on the Fly

2010-03-10T11:08:26Z

More photos » Jim Mone - AP

What's wrong with Perk these days?

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I am not writing this because Andrew Bogut absolutely took Kendrick Perkins to school last night. That would be easy. Bogut goes off, so it's simple to call out the big guy who tried defending him.

Unfortunately, our big guy's in something of a funk these days. Plain and simple. Perk has looked very un-Perklike the last handful of games and people are starting to notice. Instead of transforming into The Beast - a.k.a. the brooding and bruising intimidator - when times get tough, he's looked much more like a passive and unsure average NBA center, who's quite capable of being pushed around.

Long gone are the days when critics of this season's Celtics were labeling Perk, along with Rondo, as our most consistent player. At one time, that label was more than warranted, as Perk held respectable averages of 11.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks in November; 12.7 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks in December; and 11.2 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks in January. His averages for the season (not including last night) now reside at: 10.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks.

However, over his final 11 games before the All-Star break, he managed just 6.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks. And things haven't been a whole lot better since. It does not appear to be illness or injury holding him back. It could, however, be his re-adjusting to playing with a healthier Kevin Garnett.

I went searching for a pattern to support my theory and I just might have found one.

Garnett missed 10 games from December 30 through January 20. In those 10 games, Perk averaged 13.7 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks. He stepped up when the team needed him to.

But when Garnett returned on January 22, Perk's stats took a full-on nosedive. More importantly, after the All-Star break, many of us noticed that Garnett appeared to turn some sort of corner physically against the Los Angeles Lakers on February 18.

Since that night (not including last night), Garnett has posted averages of 15.2 points and 7.9 rebounds. Over that same stretch, Perk's averages sank to 9.1 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks.

Obviously, Perk's game is going to change with Garnett back in the lineup. He'll take less shots and with Garnett beside him as opposed to Rasheed Wallace (because Rasheed, you know, doesn't rebound), he might not secure as many rebounds.

But his re-adjustment to being the Perk of old - the one more geared towards defense and rebounding as opposed to offense - has been a rocky one so far. His greatest value to this team comes in the forms of one-on-one defense, help defense, rebounding, blocking shots, and proper screen setting. And he has to get back to that. Even though his offensive game has developed tremendously, the majority of his points should come off of easy dunks and layups that stem from handoffs, simple passes, and dump offs from Rajon Rondo and anyone else who penetrates. Unless a favorable mismatch is in the works - meaning Perk's man is 6'8 or under, or is an overly pathetic defensive player - Perk should always be the fifth option in the Celtics' offense.

Whenever an important player leaves the lineup, the everyday games of the remaining players typically change to an extent. They need to accommodate for the production that will be missing from the other player. So they adapt as necessary. But once that missing player returns and works his way back towards being healthy, those other players need to revert back to the players they were before the injury occurred.

That's Perk's main challenge right now. He needs to work his way back towards being the player that gives the Celtics the highest chance of winning. He needs to be the bruising enforcer beside Garnett. He needs to get back to securing 9+ rebounds per game, blocking 2+ shots per game, and basically letting others create his own offense for him. Perk's an integral part of the puzzle, but only if he plays the role he was meant to play. He, for lack of a better term, needs to keep it simple. Until he fully re-commits himself in those areas, he, and the Celtics as a team, could continue to struggle.

Starting Five - 3/10

2010-03-10T11:05:30Z

More photos » Jeffrey Phelps - AP

Baby's hard foul.

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Starting off the day with links and quotes.

Celtics misfire in fourth - The Boston Globe

"The only thing I told my guys I was disappointed in was that we went through a game with Ray Allen and he only got three shots,’’ Rivers said. "I thought all of the little plays were going to be the difference in the game, loose balls and offensive rebounds. I thought they won that battle.’’

Allen moved to speak after very quiet night - The Boston Globe

"I didn’t think it was good,’’ Allen said about the ball movement. "It wasn’t consistent all night. We really didn’t score. We were down 8 so we had to score. I thought we did an OK job the last minute or two, but we didn’t score.’’

Glen Davis draws Bucks’ ire - BostonHerald.com

"No doubt about it," Jennings said. "Once that happened, I said, ‘Oh, yeah, it’s on now.’ " Said Celtics coach Doc Rivers: "I don’t think the foul was hard enough for a reaction. Honestly, I don’t think Jennings did enough for Baby to react. So it’s just two young guys acting up, but no big deal."

Green Street " Fast break: Celtics edged by Bucks

There’s probably no bigger fan of Andrew Bogut’s game than Doc Rivers. The Celtics coach has gone out of his way to praise the big man for his ability to shoot with both hands and use his body to create angles. Rivers may be a fan, but he couldn’t have liked what he saw Tuesday night as Bogut killed the Celtics with 25 points and 17 rebounds.

Game to pay attention to: Celtics vs. Bucks - Ball Don't Lie - NBA Blog - Yahoo! Sports

The Celtics and Bucks don't want your offense to run smoother. They want to beat you, defensively, because for all the famous and semi-famous that dot their respective rosters, the Bucks and Celtics can only win if they shut you down.

Beat By Bucks

2010-03-10T03:26:48Z

More photos » Jeffrey Phelps - AP

Not enough

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Paul's shot didn't fall, so the Celtics did.