Blogging the NBA’s Most Storied Franchise

Has the NBA turned into the NFL? Has Roger Goodell been whispering in the ear of David Stern?

What other explanation can there be for this head-scratching one-game suspension handed to Kevin Garnett for an incident with Milwaukee’s Andrew Bogut on Saturday night?

From the replay, it is clear that Bogut was the aggressor, and Garnett was merely instinctively reacting to the contact from Bogut.

Double technicals were assessed for the incident, and since Bogut had already received a technical earlier in the game, he was ejected. Bogut did have his foul was upgraded to a “flagrant foul penalty one” by the NBA. Big whoop. Does the league feel that since Bogut had to leave the game he was punished enough?

Garnett will now miss tonight’s game against the New York Knicks, and will end up forfeiting $225,000 worth of salary (according to Steve Bulpett)

Losing Garnett tonight against the Knicks isn’t the end of the world for the Celtics, and getting the high-energy Garnett a night off might not be the worst thing either, coming off that brutal 8-games-in-12-days stretch, but we still can’t figure out what the league is thinking. Especially when you compare what Garnett did with Shaq’s takedown of Rodney Stuckey, which has not resulted in suspension. That wasn’t a case of Stuckey running into Shaq and bouncing off (as O’Neal tries to make it out to be) Shaq took both hands and tossed Stuckey to the ground.

Apparently that’s OK in the NBA. Shaq was fined $25,000, but not for the hit, the fine was for his “verbal abuse” of the officials and his failure to leave the court in a timely fashion.

{ CommentsGarnett+Suspension+Weak+Move+By+NBA2008-11-18+15%3A52%3A39Bruce+Allen }

By Jeremy Gottlieb

(Editor’s note: This is the first of a regular series of submissions from new staff writer Jeremy Gottlieb, who you may also know from his work at Cold Hard Football Facts, various zone editions of the Boston Globe, the Metro-West Daily News and North Shore Golf Magazine. Please give Jeremy a warm welcome. We’re glad to have him here.)

Hard to believe the season is in full swing and the Celtics have already made their first semi-extended road trip of the year, but that’s indeed where we are and the Green have a 4-1 record to show for it. No, it’s not last season’s 8-0 start, but there have been flashes thus far to be sure. So, with the schedule getting slightly more dense in the coming days/weeks (six games in the next eight days), here are five observations on what we can gather from the first five games on the docket.

The Celtics Can Win Any Way They Want

Take a look at the results. Opening night was a grueling, playoff-style battle in which the Celtics needed a big fourth quarter and a lot of the same defensive intensity seen last season to dispatch LeBron and the Cavs. Even though they led big at one point against the Rockets and got a huge game from Ray Allen (more on him later), the Celtics needed a similar effort to put away Houston. The Bulls game showed that they know what they need to do against far inferior opponents, hence the blowout. And Wednesday night’s game against Oklahoma State, um, I mean the Thunder, was a classic case of barely showing up on the road, allowing the opponent to think it had a chance thanks to an energized first quarter, then flipping the switch when needed in order to coast to victory. Let’s hope that style of win doesn’t become a habit as the Celts try to repeat, but at least they showed that they still know when and how to summon the proper intensity when needed. We already knew these guys, as constituted, could win in a variety of ways. But it’s been nice to be reminded over the course of the past week and a half.

Ray Allen Doesn’t Look Washed Up Anymore

It was tough to watch last spring, remember? Ray Allen looked as done as dirt against Cleveland and Detroit before picking himself up off the mat as the Pistons series progressed and in the Finals against the Lakers. Well, it looks so far like the Ray we all know and love benefited not just from the summer, short as it was, but from the doubters as well. He scored 29 and shot 11-of-15 with five boards and five dimes against Houston before fouling out, then submitted a nifty 18-9-4 line against the Cowboys, er, Thunder, draining a couple patented Ray-style threes and even showing some pretty impressive hops for a washed up guy (his fourth quarter drive, explosion and dunk on ex-teammate/stiff Nick Collison was sweet). Look, it’s very early and there’s no telling what another full season plus playoffs will do to his 33-year old body or ankles after 100+ games last year. But with the Doc Rivers pledging to monitor the overall minutes of the Big Three and without James Posey as a long range threat, it sure is nice to see Ray playing like, well, Ray.

Posey Hasn’t Been Missed…Yet

Granted, an early season game in the middle of nowhere certainly isn’t an indicator, but the Celtics are holding their own without Posey, whose contributions last year may as well have expanded the term to the Big Four. It obviously remains to be seen what his absence will mean as the season wears on, and particularly in the playoffs. And there doesn’t seem to be anyone on the roster who can duplicate what he represented (sorry, Donny Marshall, but your boy Tony Allen hasn’t got a prayer and if you don’t believe that, just watch his mind-boggling foul on Tracy McGrady as T-Mac went up for a three in the late stages of the Houston game – eerily reminiscent of the head fake and foul of Chauncey Billups in the first Pistons game last fall). The combo platter of smarts, defensive tenacity, versatility, heart and onions that Posey contributed will be sorely missed at some juncture. Let’s just hope it’s later rather than sooner.

The Rest of the East Doesn’t Seem Too Scary

Other than Cleveland, is there any team in the Eastern Conference that will really challenge the Celtics? Despite their blockbuster trade, I’m not convinced the Pistons are all that much better. Allen Iverson is reaching the stage of his career in which he may be thinking about subjugating his own interests in favor of winning a title and Detroit may be the place to do that. There will surely be some element of a “last dance” type of mentality there with Billups already gone and Rasheed Wallace on his way out. But beyond an initial surge, I just can’t see guys like Rodney Stuckey, Jason Maxiell and Amir Johnson ready to play the types of roles they’d need to play in order for the Pistons to beat the Celtics or the Cavs. As far as teams like Philly, Miami, Orlando and Atlanta, all have loads of potential but all are too young, too inexperienced or too inferior defensively to make a team like Celtics really worry. Plus, I have a feeling that Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, not to mention Allen, will be constantly reminding the younger guys that no one thinks they have the discipline to give the same kind of effort they gave all year last year and stay on anyone (Tony Allen, Big Baby Davis) who may stray. I’m not predicting another title (yet). And a lot can happen between now and May in terms of injuries and other teams improving themselves. But right now, I can’t really see anyone but the Celtics representing the East in the Finals again.

There Should Not Be an NBA Team in Oklahoma City

Really now – the Thunder? I understand the game against the Celtics was just the third home game on the docket and they are still getting acclimated down there in Stillwater, er, Oklahoma City. But everything about that game felt so un-NBA like. Two delays because of lousy netting around the rims? Another because of condensation on the floor from the ice underneath (and furthermore, there’s a hockey team in Oklahoma City???). All the good players on the Thunder (Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook) should still be in college while all the better role players (Collison, Chris Wilcox, Earl Watson, Joe Smith) haven’t been any good since college and the coach (P.J. Carlesimo) had his best coaching days in college. And those colors; yellow and that old NBA standby, teal. I thought I was watching the Celtics scrimmage against a CBA team until I remembered that Isiah Thomas bankrupted the CBA. Look, some day the Oklahoma City Thunder will feel more like a real NBA franchise and less like Oklahoma State. But now, they look like they should still be playing in Seattle.

{ CommentsThe+Five-Pack%3A+What+We%E2%80%99ve+Seen+So+Far2008-11-07+11%3A32%3A54Kevin }

In perusing the various NBA predictions for the 2008-2009 season, it seems that the Lakers are the trendy pick to make it back to the NBA finals and knock off the Celtics as World Champions.

Why?

The experts have their reasons. Lets take a sampling of the ESPN experts, (yes, the same group who picked 9-1 in favor of the Lakers in last year’s NBA finals) to see why they feel so strongly.

Chris Broussard of ESPN the Magazine says: The combination of Kobe Bryant, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol is just too much. Too much for what, I say? I still think the Celtics top three and the rest of their roster is better. Ric Bucher, also of ESPN The Mag says: Bynum’s finishing at the rim and patrolling the paint changes everything. Mark Jackson of ESPN, and the ABC broadcasting team says: The Celtics lost James Posey, but the Lakers got Bynum back.

So apparently the just-turned 21 Bynum is the piece that will push the Lakers back through the tough Western conference and over the Celtics in June. (Assuming of course, the Celtic get there.) Andrew Bynum is a good looking young player with a ton of potential. In 35 games last season he averaged 13 points a game before getting hurt and missing the rest of the season with a dislocated kneecap. He brings size and muscle to the Lakers frontcourt , something that we saw firsthand last June that the Lakers sorely lack. Is he enough to guarantee a championship for Los Angeles? Bynum still has a lot of improvement to make and needs to be able to stay healthy this season. I just don’t see how his presence is such a convincing factor for these people making these predictions.

But wait, there are a few more experts still to weigh in, and they have different reasons.

Chad Ford of ESPN.com states: This is the year Kobe finally will take home an NBA title without Shaq. Chris Palmer of ESPN The Magazine says it a little more strongly: There is still no single player in the league who has a greater drive or desire to win than Kobe Bryant. No way will he get denied two years in a row. Really? That’s the type of statement that is so ridiculous that it drives me nuts. Just how do you measure such qualities as “drive or desire to win?” Last time I checked, the Celtics had a few guys who were pretty driven, notably Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. You’re telling me that Kobe Bryant has a greater drive than Kevin Garnett? Again, how in the world can you make such a statement? As for the last part of that statement, Kobe has now actually been denied six years in a row. But no way will he be denied two years in a row. Go figure.

I’m still puzzled over the hold that Kobe Bryant has on the national media. What is it with this guy? He’s clearly patterned everything about himself after Michael Jordan. His game, the way he talks, walks even dressed. It’s bizarre. But one thing is clear, Kobe has proven to be no MJ when it comes to leading a champion. He can’t even yell at and motivate his teammates the same way Jordan could. Yet, the national media fawn over his every move. You don’t hear much about the case in Colorado anymore, do you? If that were anyone else, would they be allowed to move on from such an incident like it never even happened? Just remember, THIS is the year Kobe finally puts it all together and wins a title without Shaq. The experts say so.

The last statement about the Lakers championship hopes comes from old friend Jackie MacMullan, formerly of the Boston Globe, and now with ESPN. Jackie tells us that the reason that the Lakers will win the championship is GM Mitch Kupchak will make another midseason deal to put them over the top. So Jackie is telling us that a player that is not currently on the Lakers roster will be the difference in putting the Lakers over the top.

Genius! Now who will that player be? LeBron James? Tim Duncan? Steve Nash? After all, Kupchak stole Pau Gasol from the Grizzlies last season, so some dimwitted GM is sure to hand over their franchise player to the Lakers for flotsam and jetsam. Right? That’s how it works.

It’s destined to happen because the Lakers are going to be NBA champions this season. Everybody says so.

What do you think?

{ CommentsWhy+The+Lakers%3F+2008-10-29+16%3A02%3A15Bruce+Allen }

By Kevin Henkin

Even a king, I suppose, is prone to uttering foolish words on occasion.

Such as when LeBron James said about a three point shot made by Gabe Pruitt in a game against Cleveland last week, “Even a trash can gets a steak every once in a while.”

A trash can? Strong words. Especially during preseason, and especially from a young player who usually knows well enough to take the high road whenever discussing opponents. Even so, it got me wondering whether LeBron’s low view of Pruitt’s shooting had any merit. Curious, I did some digging into the matter. Here’s what I found:

In general, Pruitt has always been a pretty good shooter from deep waters, and he appears to be improving.

At USC, his 131 three-pointers were the most ever by a Trojan in his first two seasons. His three point shooting percentage during those seasons was 41% (and was 39% during his college career overall). For the sake of comparison, teammates Paul Pierce and Eddie House shot 35.5% and 36.6% respectively in college.

In his limited time spent with the Celtics during his rookie season, Pruitt shot 3-12 from three point land in 95 minutes sprinkled across 15 games. Of course, most of those minutes were spent in certified garbage time, which has never been much of a useful indicator of a player’s future contributions.

Perhaps its better to look instead at the 18 games that Pruitt also spent with Utah in the NBA Development League last year. In those 18 games, Pruitt hit 39 of 108 three pointers for a 36.1% shooting percentage. Additionally, in his 8 games during this current preseason, Pruitt has connected on 8 of his 21 trey attempts (38%), which is right in line with Paul Pierce’s 8-22 and Ray Allen’s 9-24 preseason three point shooting. Beyond the numbers, Pruitt during this preseason has clearly been more aggressive and more comfortable in looking for his own perimeter offense.

Look, we’re not talking about Ray Allen here. The upcoming Celtics’ season will not be made or lost on the play of Gabe Pruitt. Nonetheless, assuming he sticks on the active 12-man roster, his recent emergence can only be seen as a meaningful positive for the team. Above all else, he adds some necessary flexibility to the new roster.

Follow my logic here: Especially with the off-season loss of James Posey and in the wake of the release of Darius Miles, the team’s most notable depth weakness remains at the small forward position. Paul Pierce is obviously terrific at the three spot but when the starters take their rests, it potentially gets a bit dicey. However, with Pruitt as a viable back up point guard, Eddie House and Tony Allen are able to shift over to the shooting guard and small forward slots respectively. If you believe that Tony Allen is the best small forward option for the second unit (which I do), then it’s the combination of Pruitt and Eddie House in the backcourt that makes that option possible. It also offers a nifty switch sceanrio that protects Eddie House on defense against bigger shooting and combo guard matchups.

On the topic of Tazmanian Devil-man Bill Walker, the rookie appears to bring energy, nerve and offensive verve to the table but until he gains more seasoning in his all-around game at the professional level, his role should be relegated to human spark plug. If it’s about winning games, based on what we’ve seen to date, the Celtics are simply better with the combination of Pruitt, House and Tony Allen in the back three than with anyone else.

So while Gabe Pruitt will probably never be comparable to LeBron James, he’s no trash receptacle either. And while James is watching the Celtics hoist their 17th banner into the rafters and hand out their bling rings next week, he might wish to reflect further upon the high value of role players on a championship-caliber team.

{ CommentsPruitt+Deserves+Respect+of+King+James2008-10-23+00%3A07%3A33Kevin }

By Kevin Henkin

Remember all that anxiety at the beginning of last season? All those questions floating about, still left unanswered? For example: Could The Big Three set their egos aside and mesh as a unit? Could Rajon Rondo step up his game and command the new offense of star veterans? Could the team of mostly new players find the right chemistry? Could they actually play high-level team defense? Could Doc Rivers be capable of bringing them to the Promised Land? Could crotchety Bob Ryan be more wrong?

Hah. It all seems so silly now in the wake of that epic playoff run during which the Celtics rid themselves of the pesky upstart Atlanta Hawks, survived LeBron James and his merry band of generally lousy surrounding players, out-toughed the Bad Boys from Detroit and then steamrolled Kobe Bryant and the hated Los Angeles Lakers on their way to Banner 17. Boom. Paid in Full. Storybook ending complete.

Today, a mere year later, we’re left with an entirely different attitude toward all things Celtics as well as a far smaller and less anxious set of questions. For example, can the duo of Tony Allen and Darius Miles fill the large empty shoes of James Posey? Can the core of veterans remain generally healthy for another year? Is the team still hungry enough to fend off all the teams gunning for them and repeat?

It’s almost as if we’ve come full circle. A year ago, in my season preview column I took the approach of posing an irrationally exuberant point of view of wild-eyed optimists against the more tempered “realistic” perspective. This year, since everyone is feeling so damned calm and happy about the upcoming season, I’ll instead present the alternative doom and gloom outlook so favored by our central bankers Henry Paulson and Ben Bernanke (otherwise known as “The Sunshine Boys”). Anyway, without further fuss or bother, I present you with the Full Court Press Celtics season preview as broken down by position:

Point Guard

The Paulson/Bernanke Outlook

It is acknowledged that Rajon Rondo progressed nicely last year and demonstrated some poise throughout the playoffs. However, his inability (until proven otherwise) to hit an open jumper may still pose a grave danger to the half-court offense if opposing defenses are allowed to effectively play in a 5-on-4 scheme. In addition, although Eddie House provides offensive spark off the bench, he must overcome aggressive on-ball pressure while advancing the ball up-court or there will be dire consequences while Rondo is on the bench. In addition, the uneven play of Sam Cassell at the end of last season and in the playoffs may also pose a direct threat to the team’s chances of recovery in the event of a point deficit.

Reality Check

Even when he’s shying off open jumpers or missing them with some frequency, Rondo still brings far more to the table than he takes away from it. His offense is also enhanced by his ability to sneak it to the hole whenever daylight appears. And although Eddie House will never be a true point guard, it’s well known that the coaching staff has been focused on improving House’s ball handling in the face of defensive pressure. As for Sam Cassell, let’s put it this way: if the fates of the team actually become directly tied to the play of gabby old Sam, then something else somewhere along the way has gone very, very wrong.

Shooting Guard

The Paulson/Bernanke Outlook

We’ll acknowledge that Ray Allen had a strong year last season, with the exception of his series against Cleveland, which was akin to stagflation in terms of his negative impact on the team. Regardless, it should be noted that the Celtics’ offense continues to rely heavily on the shooting of Ray Allen, who according to studies is now officially one year older than he was a year ago today. Therefore, if Allen’s historically risky ankles falter, the team offense will likely fall into abject chaos unless a massive scale bailout is provided by either Danny Ainge via trade or by replacement starter Tony Allen. In the event of injury to either Ray or Tony Allen, the Celtics appear ill-prepared for disaster recovery.

Reality Check

Thus far in the preseason, Ray Allen appears as healthy as ever and his stroke is a sweet as milk and honey. As for Tony Allen, although it’s perhaps still too early to officially proclaim it, TA appears fully recovered for the first time since his ACL injury, both physically and mentally. After the Allen boys, the depth issue does get interesting. Unless something changes, due to roster limitations, it seems clear that J.R. Giddens is headed for some seasoning in the D-League. If either of the Allens falls to extended injury, it seems likely that Eddie House would slide over to the 2 while Sam Cassell and Gabe Pruitt would move up one slot on the depth chart at PG. Obviously, cross your fingers that this all stays hypothetical.

Small Forward

The Paulson/Bernanke Outlook

Paul Pierce is an established and valued commodity. Otherwise, the position is weakened by a severe lack of depth and uncertainty. The off-season loss of James Posey in particular has left the small forward position fraught with peril and there is now a widespread panic based on the perceived diluted quality and value of other players at the 3 spot. The quality of defense at the swing position remains susceptible to disaster.

Reality Check

Paul Pierce averaged 35.9 minutes per game during the 2007-08 regular season and 38.1 minutes throughout the playoffs (about identical to Ray Allen on both counts). Therefore, unless he falls to injury, the role of his backup will remain a relatively minor concern. Nonetheless, here Tony Allen’s name pops up again, as he is likely to split his time backing up both Pierce and Ray Allen. And as is noted above, far bigger things are expected from Tony Allen this season than last. Either TA becomes what is expected of him now or it will never happen and he’ll probably end up eventually playing for Kevin McHale. Of note, this expected step-up also includes TA’s defense. Although Tony Allen isn’t likely to replace what James Posey brought to the table, he has the physical tools to at least come close on defense.

Otherwise, we’re left to examine the other possibilities of Bill Walker and Darius Miles. If he sticks with the active roster, Bill Walker appears to bring some real energy and offensive spark to the bench. Picture a smaller, friskier, more athletic Leon Powe from his first season a couple years back. In other words, some surprisingly good stretches mixed in with a near equal sprinkling of bad rookie moments. As for Darius Miles, at this point, I won’t even bother with the crystal ball analysis. Anything meaningful the Celtics get from him is upside. Even so, I remain fixated on whether he’ll recover during the season to his former lithe athleticism or somehow adapt into a power forward role more befitting of his new bulkier frame and injury-limited hops.

Power Forward

The Paulson/Bernanke Outlook

Kevin Garnett remains the guiding light both at this position and of the team in general. Therefore, his absence from the lineup for any extended period of time represents a colossal threat to the safety and soundness of the Boston Celtics. The concept of replacing Garnett with Brian Scalabrine or Glen Davis would send a ripple effect of nightmarish proportions through the rest of the team, especially in the second quarter of 2009 when collapse would be imminent and unavoidable.

Reality Check

Actually, I don’t disagree with the central bankers all that much in this case. As Garnett goes, so too go the Celtics’ chances at repeating. It’s not that simple, obviously, but it’s true enough to depend on. More than anyone else on the team, Garnett is simply irreplaceable. After him, Leon Powe provides a quality presence. That is, unless he’s alternating with Glen Davis in the official Doc Rivers Doghouse due to mishaps on defense (although Big Baby appears to have unpacked all his boxes and taken up permanent residence in the Doc Doghouse thus far this off-season). As for Brian Scalabrine, although he continues to be the consummate glue-guy and a good example for the younger players with his hard work and excellent attitude, it’s really just the size of his remaining contract that continues keeps him in a Celtics uniform.

Center

The Paulson/Bernanke Outlook

Injury-prone shoulders are to big men what weak capital and inadequate liquidity are to Wall Street investment banks. In other words, they represent almost certain disaster with a difficult and extended recovery period. Therefore, although Kendrick Perkins is considered a positive asset to the Celtics’ frontcourt, his ongoing shoulder condition represents a clear and present danger to the team’s interior defense and chances of success on the glass. Also, the lingering uncertainty of newcomer Patrick O’Bryant has not succeeded in calming the anxiety of the Celtics’ fan base.

Reality Check

As we all know, Perkins has been down this road before. Therefore, it’s reasonable to expect that he’ll be back in no time, glowering at opponents and restraining himself from killing them with his bare hands. As for O’Bryant, he thus far appears to represent sort of a Perkins-Lite: A big man of legitimate size and a physical player with a tendency to pick up too many quick silly fouls. But with a bit more time spent with big man magician Clifford Ray, the expectation is that those bad habits will diminish as the season progresses. Otherwise, the Leon Powe/Glen Davis frontcourt tandem appears to remain in favor with Doc Rivers in the event that O’Bryant falls into foul trouble or doesn’t continue to earn his minutes on the court.

{ CommentsDo+Grave+Danger+and+Dire+Consequences+Face+the+Celtics%3F2008-10-17+00%3A17%3A36Kevin }

By Kevin Henkin

Okay, we’re live from Providence to cover the second game of the preseason and, again, we’re pretending that the game is meaningful (see previous article) to add some spice to things. Onto the game summary:

Pregame

Before the game. Leon Powe is given a microphone and addresses the crowd for about 8 seconds, most of it unintelligible. It’s not exactly the stuff of “I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth…” but in Leon’s defense, he was a social welfare rather than a fancypants public speaking major in college.

The Dunkin Donuts Center in Providence, the venue of the game, has just recently reopened after extensive renovations. Of note, the huge new scoreboard hangs precariously low over the center of the floor. This might not be much of a factor for the Providence Bruins but for basketball, it doesn’t make much sense (My point is later driven home at the end of the first quarter when one of the Celtics heaves a desperation shot as time runs out and it clangs off the bottom of the scoreboard).

First Quarter

I love the first six minutes of preseason games because they closely approximate regular season games. All the starters are in and, because they know they won’t be seeing too many minutes in the game, they play hard. After that, though, all bets are off. For example, it was fun to watch Tom Thibodeau managing the end of the first pre-season game with a Vince Lombardi face while he had guys like Gabe Pruitt and Tony Allen running the crunch time offense. I’m sorry but, as much as I appreciate the effort by the coach, it’s sort of like taking break dancing lessons before your wedding. In other words, why bother?

Garnett does a touch pass behind the back to a driving Rajon Rondo, which is just about as sweet a move as you’ll ever see on a hardwood floor. KG says “NO, MOTHER&^%$#!!!” to preseason rust.

Apparently Joey Crawford hates Rajon Rondo, considering he sneezes into his whistle every time Rondo makes physical contact with an opposing player. I wonder if Rondo made the grave error of laughing in the presence of Crawford. Bad career move, podna.

Darius Miles in the game at 2:30. Launches 19 foot airball at 1:49. I still like the cut of his jib, though. He positively exudes those “I’ve finally grown up, gotten religion and now just want to win” vibes.

J.R. Giddens is a confirmed headband guy. Not that getting sweaty has been much of an issue for the rookie as of yet.

Second Quarter

Alright, I’ll say it. Tony Allen is BACK. The swagger is back. So is the aggression and the fearlessness of throwing his body into the play. It’s acknowledged that Tony Allen is no James Posey but he’ll at least help in filling those big empty Big Game James Posey shoes with a return to pre-injury form.

You honestly had to see this play to believe it: Bill Walker sneaks in for a Brian Scalabrine miss coming off the rim, stuffs it down with thunderous authority, hollers at the nearby Celtics bench and then proceeds to push LeBron James out of his way as he trots back up the court. This kid is about a mile away from a wide eyed doe rookie. It’s hilarious to watch, as long as he keeps playing well.

A rare J.R. Giddens appearance at the 4:37 mark! Because why would you want to use precious preseason minutes to assess your top draft choice? (Yes, I know, because they’re using those minutes to round Tony Allen back into form). Giddens airmails his first shot and looks forlorn on the other end of the court. A couple of plays later, he passes on an open look with the shot clock winding down. I think Giddens needs to borrow some confidence from Bill Walker.

Third Quarter

Cavaliers Coach Mike Brown is too far away, so I can’t tell if he’s wearing eye-glass frames that match his jacket and shoes. But I’m sure they do. Somewhere, Red Auerbach snickers.

Glen Davis almost puts Cavaliers point guard Mo Williams in a body cast after he crashes into him running a play on offense but when the whistle blows for a foul, he looks around as innocent as a kitten. Ah yes, gone are the rookie days and their rookie ways. Doc Rivers isn’t impressed, though. His expression is that of a man whose puppy has just messed on the new rug.

This needs to be mentioned. The Celtics bench has been deeply invested during the whole game. It may only be preseason but it seems to me that they are treating each of these contests as a valuable means to an end: As a live-action team building exercise. As a way to build chemistry with the new players. As a way to get better each game by facing real completion, even though these particular games don’t count. It seems obvious to say “Well, duh, that’s how it should be”, but it has not always been that way around here before last year and it certainly isn’t that way everywhere else around the NBA. Exhibit A: The New York Knicks.

Tony Allen sees an opening to shoot a 20 footer and drains it. He now has 19 points. Did I mention Tony Allen is back? Preseason or no, TA has clearly gotten his groove back.

Fourth Quarter

Glen Davis’s evening is over. His line: 6 points, 0 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 turnovers and 6 fouls in 16 minutes. His right knee is wrapped in ice. Of note, both of Paul Pierce’s knees are also wrapped in ice after 9 and half minutes of play.

Tony Allen just swished a 3. Not to belabor the point but last season, a swished 3 by Tony Allen was about as common as a sasquatch sighting or a good Dan Shaughnessy column.

Gabe Pruitt just took it end-to-end, weaved through the Cleveland defense and stuffed it down their throats. Nice work by the fourth string PG!

Doc Rivers rides a lineup of Giddens, Scalabrine, O’Bryant, TA and Pruitt throughout most of the fourth, then sends in Walker and Powe for Scalabrine and Giddens, down by one with about 2 minutes to go. Clearly, he’s going for the V without doing something so blatant and unnecessary as using his starters.

Boston pulls it out when Leon Powe corrals a rebound on the defensive end, draws an over the back foul with Cleveland in the penalty and sinks the freebies. Yay! Boston’s backups can beat Cleveland’s backups! The crowd files out in a hurry to catch the rest of the Sox Game 1 of the ALCS. Alas, it appears that the title defense campaign is back on track.

{ CommentsCeltics+Backups+Put+Title+Defense+Campaign+Back+on+Track%212008-10-11+02%3A07%3A44Kevin }

By Kevin Henkin

When last we left off in June, the Celtics were busy humiliating the Los Angeles Lakers in the Game 6 clincher of the NBA Finals. Last night, after a long near four months of glory basking, the Celtics finally returned back to game action. True, they’re only back in the form of preseason scrimmages, which aren’t much more than glorified pickup games. Nevertheless, you won’t find us here at Full Court Press using the preseason as a means to shake off our rust or slack off with our coverage. Instead, we’ll be bringing you the same level of intensity that we provided throughout the playoffs last spring. In short, our attitude is: Even preseason games can be exciting if you try hard enough to pretend that the games are meaningful. That’s how we roll here at FCP. Meaningful serious fun. Onto the recap:

The Celtics picked up exactly where they left off last June, starting out of the gate with a 9-0 run. It was the usual cast of characters except for Kendrick Perkins, who sat on the bench in natty street clothes while awaiting to be cleared from his shoulder woes. In his place was off-season addition Patrick O’Bryant, who did his best to imitate Perkins by offering a mix of active rebounding and occasional cleanup baskets with unnecessary overaggressive fouls. The Celtics kept on the pressure, eventually building the lead to 16-4 against a befuddled Philadelphia 76ers team before Mo Cheeks called a time out to regroup. Of note, Ray Allen hit his first three shots from deep waters. He then missed his next two as the wheels came off the Boston offense, which let Philadelphia back into the game with a mix of poor ball management, lousy shot selection and a shooting touch that only a mason could love. At the end of the first quarter, Boston’s lead was diminished to 30-24.

In the second quarter, Tom Thibodeau, who subbed in for an absent Doc Rivers, sat the starters throughout. In their place, blatantly shunning the idea of a rotation, he employed a revolving door of flurried substitutions that at one point had me thinking, “Uh oh, Bill Simmons isn’t going to like this…”

Four minutes into the quarter, Boston’s offense stalled again with a unit of Brian Scalabrine, Patrick O’Bryant, Tony Allen, Eddie House and Glen Davis, which was good news for fans who enjoy low-scoring and poorly executed games.

Darius Miles also played some minutes in the quarter and looked pretty good, making a few nifty moves on offense early (and later on a converted alley oop dunk in transition). On the flip side, during the occasional breaks in the game, he looked more winded than David Ortiz after legging out a triple. He’s also carrying more weight on his frame but you couldn’t go so far as to call him fat. It’s just that in his former playing days he was always a rail-thin high flyer who made his living off his potent athleticism so the change in body weight is clearly noticeable. Last night, Miles played primarily at small forward, used in tandem with Leon Powe and Glen Davis in the front court. It will be interesting to see how his game adjusts to his increased bulk and to his wings that have been clipped by injury and, bearing those factors in mind, if he might be better suited in the long term at power forward.

The biggest thrills of the frame, however, came courtesy of rookie Bill Walker who provided a couple of thunderous Gerald Green-like circus dunks. In the aftermath of the slams, the Celtics’ bench momentarily transformed into a rowdy mosh pit befitting of a Ministry concert circa 1992. Thanks in part to Walker’s dunks, as well as the 76ers’ general apathy towards the sport of basketball, Boston carried a 54-44 lead into the half.

In the third quarter, the Celtics starters returned in full force and built the lead up to 14 before eventually relinquishing it entirely at a 67 all tie resulting from a combination of bad passing and extended fitful naps on defense. At the end of the quarter, Boston was holding onto a precarious 75-72 lead.

At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Celtics fielded a quintet of Eddie House, Leon Powe, Glen Davis, Darius Miles and Tony Allen, which predictably had the UMass crowd whipped into a frenzy. The two teams traded occasional baskets over the first eight minutes, during which Philadelphia mounted a very minor comeback to take a four point lead. Down the stretch, Gabe Pruitt took over at the point and Tony Allen led the charge as Boston temporarily retook the lead and extended it to 92-89. After that, however, despite a gritty effort (which included a bizarre 10 second stretch during which Brian Scalabrine gained the ball and lost the ball twice), the Celtics gave up 8 unanswered points to the 76ers and succumbed to a 97-92 defeat. It all felt a little too reminiscent of the days of the 18 game losing streak until you remembered that a healthy Paul Pierce was sitting alongside Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen yukking it up on the bench together as defending World Champions.

Patrick O’Bryant finished as “Player of the Game” with 10 points, 8 rebounds and 3 blocked shots in 25 minutes. Preseason or not, the Celtics will take that kind of production from their new backup big man seven days a week and twice on Fridays.

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By Kevin Henkin

In case you missed it, old friend Gerald Green has a job in the NBA again. Last month, the Dallas Mavericks signed him to a one-year minimum contract. Dallas represents Green’s third team since the Celtics shipped him away in the Garnett deal last summer. It’s also probably his last chance to make it happen in the NBA.

If you’re like me, you recall Gerald Green’s time as a Celtic with a sad shake of the head. You recall the immense athleticism. The 48 inch vertical leap. The superior release point on a jump shot that so often held the promise of a soft touch. The circus sideshow dunks. The kid certainly had, and still has, physical gifts aplenty.

But then, that was always his problem. Those same physical gifts that made him a highly touted prospect also consistently railroaded his maturity process and allowed him (and others) to think that his thunderous dunks and occasional bursts of loud scoring were enough to justify a career in the NBA. Never mind that he was utterly incapable of grasping the concept of team defense or that his shot selection never quite fit within the flow or parameters of his team’s offense. He was a smug kid stuck on a cloud and he never seemed to take personal responsibility in addressing his multiple glaring weaknesses.

As a quick aside, if you want some real insight into Gerald Green’s mindset during his early days in Boston, check out his original MySpace page, which is, well, frankly beyond description in terms of its comedy value. Here are some of the highlights:

Gerald’s favorite books: “I don’t read. That’s my agent’s job.”

Gerald’s heroes: “Michael Jordan and T-Mac cause that’s who they compare me 2.” (I particularly enjoy the channeling of Prince here)

Who Gerald would like to meet: “I can’t wait to play against LeBron James. Ima throw that boy around haha.”

Gerald’s job description: “I was the 18th draft pick of the NBA draft and I can’t believe I fell that far down I was supposed to be a lottery pick o well I will show everybody haha.”

Excuse me for a moment. My eyes are bleeding. It’s too bad Green’s agent didn’t also consider editing his client’s MySpace entries as one of his additional job responsibilities. It’s all fun and games until you start comparing yourself to Michael Jordan and LeBron James simply because you schooled a bunch of relative stiffs in high school and AAU ball.

To Green’s credit, these days it seems like he has finally turned the corner onto the road of maturity and in terms of taking real responsibility for his career. Before signing with Dallas, he spent much of the off-season working with John Lucas, who helped Green to focus more on developing his fundamental basketball skills. Afterward, Lucas told the Dallas News, “[Green] had to learn that there’s a big difference between being AAU famous and NBA famous.”

In a recent exclusive interview with DallasBasketball.com, after his signing with the Mavericks, Green said, “A lot of people think I’m limited to just being a dunker, like it’s all about highlights. I don’t blame fans for that, either. People tend to look at the highlights and judge me on that. I’m here to prove that I can do other things. I have the ability to shoot the ball and I’m trying to show the people at the Dallas Mavericks I can do other things. It’s really about me just working harder and having my game become more mature.”

In terms of targeted areas for self-improvement, he said, “I need to be a better ball-handler. I need to be better defensively. I have the physical ability to be good on defense, I think. And I need to learn exactly how the Mavs like to do things, and then execute those things. Oh, and I need to just slow everything down a bit.”

Sounds about right. Expanding on the topic, Coach Rick Carlisle recently said, “We know he can be a scorer. Gerald is starting to understand that there is a difference between being a sideshow performer and being a basketball player.”

My favorite part of the big Resurrection of Gerald Green’s Career story down in Dallas was a tidbit about how Green had given away his big collection of dogs to place more focus on basketball, explaining, “Right now, Spalding is my dog.”

In the meantime, Mavericks fans are left to speculate and dream about what could be with Gerald Green, which of course like a very familiar drill to Celtics fans. Upon the news release of Green’s signing, one reader gushed, “Green has been tearing it up in Utah in the summer league. Seems like with every game he gets a little better. I think he’s been humbled and wants to learn from his mistakes. It is going to be fun watching Kidd lob him the ball this season. I think the Mavs have gotten themselves a diamond in the rough for very little moolah.”

Upon which, another reader responded with, “As a Celtic fan to all Dallas fans out there: Think of him as the [draft pick] you didn’t have this year [but] with only two neurons: the dunking one and the lazy one.”

Only time will tell whether the grass will truly be greener in Dallas.

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By Kevin Henkin

During the off-season, the only time I want to see Paul Pierce’s face in the news is, well, never. When it comes to the Celtics’ Captain, no news is the best kind of news because when Pierce is off the radar, that means he isn’t involved in nearly fatal stabbing incidents or representing the face of USA Basketball during one of its lowest moments or denigrating his surrounding cast of teammates and making veiled demands to be traded a mere year after re-signing a very lucrative contract extension or senselessly comparing himself to Kobe Bryant. When Pierce stays out of the news, the hope is that he is off somewhere treating his body like a temple and doing everything within his power to fend off the process of aging that will soon rob him of his special gifts.

It’s important to consider Paul Pierce in terms of who he is and where he has been. By the time they unfurl Banner 17 and hand out the rings, Pierce will be 31 years old. He’s a 10-year veteran of the league and has nearly 800 regular season and playoff games under his belt. Ten years is a long period of time in this league. Hell, it’s an era. And it hasn’t been a quiet ten years either. During that time, there have been some powerful lessons personally delivered to the doorstep of Paul Pierce.

First and foremost, there was the stabbing attack that almost left him dead during the pre-season in 2000, his third pre-season as a professional. It seems hard to believe but the incident took place eight years ago this September. Still viewed as a minor miracle, Pierce was able to recover to the point of submitting a strong (and full) season and a significant step forward as a player and a premier scorer.

That recovery season is best viewed as a testament to Pierce’s toughness and intestinal fortitude. It was also the season, however, in which Pierce’s young team sufficiently quit on Rick Pitino, ultimately driving the pocket-tyrant out of town. Pitino left with his reputation left in tatters and with millions (about 27) of his dollars left on the table. It was a textbook case of NBA player empowerment and it would likely later impact Pierce’s attitude towards and relationship with Doc Rivers.

When Jim O’Brien took over, the first and best thing he did was to turn the team over to Pierce and Antoine Walker, made them part of the leadership, made them accountable. And it worked. Pierce (and Walker) quickly grew up as players and eventually led their team as far, perhaps farther, than it deserved to go in 2002.

Then that likeable (apologies to Bob Ryan) team was dismantled by a trifecta of Paul Gaston’s frugality, Chris Wallace’s incompetence and Danny Ainge’s alternate longer (and I mean longer)-term vision. And thus began Paul Pierce’s five year odyssey into the wilderness as a disgruntled star player.

There was the trading of Antoine Walker, the unloading of other close teammates like Tony Battie and Eric Williams, the huffy departure of Jim O’Brien, the subsequent banana republic of John Carroll, the seemingly endless carousel of unlovable loser teammates like Ricky Davis and Mark Blount. What was the official low point, the immature ejection and foolish press conference during in the 2005 playoff meltdown against the Pacers or the 18-game losing streak season that included Pierce’s first serious injury? Who knows? Better yet, who cares? The point is, those five years are clearly acknowledged as not a fun time to be Paul Pierce. But the wilderness at least had to give him some perspective, on just how bad it could be to live among the dregs and also-rans of the NBA, to feel hopeless against the ticking of a career clock.

Then, finally, Pierce experienced the sweetness of the flip-side scenario. He saw his hard work converted into the ultimate payoff, an NBA championship. The title came largely as a result of Pierce’s renewed dedication to the game and, some would say, a first-time dedication to real team defense. In short, Pierce (along with Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett) set aside personal glory for the benefit of his team and that sacrifice paid off. One would assume that such a powerful lesson would resonate and sink in deep, would carry over into his approach to his first off-season as a defending champion.

Which is why this Vegas incident is so puzzling. Is begs the specific question: Why is a 30-year old 10-year veteran player out at 3 in the morning in Las Vegas? Or, more to the point, why is this particular player out in the middle of the night in a dangerous city? Shouldn’t he simply know better by now, after all that he’s been through, both good and bad? If his own experiences haven’t been enough of a judgmental driver, what about the notable example set forth by Kevin Garnett? What about the continued need to serve as a leader to the younger players? How many times have you heard Doc Rivers caution his rookies: “Nothing good happens ever after midnight.” By doing what he’s done, Pierce negates that message. He drowns it out. “Hey, I hear what you’re saying, Coach, but look at the Captain…”

Is this the end of the world? Hardly. In terms of impact, it’s a relatively minor incident. The loss of James Posey is the far more disturbing development of the off-season thus far. But at least Posey’s flight was understandable. Business is business. It happens. With Pierce, however, these days of controversy were supposed to be over, as much a part of the past as Antoine’s wiggle or Dan Shaughnessy’s relevance. The time is now more than ever for Pierce to wear that “C” on his chest on a year-round basis.

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