Celtics Rumors / Trade Rumors + News + Blog + Draft 2012: Celtics Mix

Celtics Trade Rumors - No David West?

noreply@blogger.com (topofstep) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 02:23:00 +0000

It is being reported that the heavy Celtics trade rumors that had David West coming here will not happen and instead he will be headed to the Pacers after he signs a two year 20 million dollar contract. The Celtics trade rumor was that he was coming to the Celtics after a sign and trade with the Hornets. It sounds like the Celtics ended the trade talks and David West went with the next best offer on the table, you wonder who asked for to much to make it happen. If the Hornets weren't in heavy conversations about trades for Chris Paul maybe this trade gets done, we will never know now. The question is where do we go now, another shooter would be nice and we think we could use another big man even though we actually think that journeyman Greg Stiemsma can play a solid role on the Celtics as he is finally healthy after early nagging injuries in his life?

Master Debating

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Being Eric) — Fri, 25 Mar 2011 00:56:00 +0000

By Eric Schlesinger

With the NBA season winding down and the Celtics seeming as effective as a Jimmer Fredette beer cozy, this seems as good a time as any for Fairly Reasonable Eric to have a debate with Panicked Eric about the C's chances in the post-season. Let's see how many times I can agree with myself:

Fairly Reasonable Eric: Hey friend, you're looking a little nervous these days.

Panicked Eric: A little nervous!? Have you been watching this team? They can't win at home. They can't win against terrible teams. Ainge really screwed this thing up.

FRE: Alright, I understand your concern. The Celts are 9-6 since the Perkins trade with some pretty bad losses in there (such as the beat down they received in Houston or losing last night to a Gay-less Memphis team at home). Putting aside how funny the term "Gay-less" is, these are pretty trying times for our guys in green. I can see how the trade could be viewed as a disaster, but here are some reasons why I still believe Ainge made the right move:

1. The Celtics were never going to sign Kendrick Perkins. The Thunder just locked up Perkins for $36 million over the next four years, almost twice as much as Boston was willing to offer the center. One of the most interesting things about this trade has been how it has turned Kendrick Perkins into one of the most overrated players in the NBA. Don't get me wrong, I love Perk. I loved the way he played and would have been plenty happy to keep him in Boston for his whole career. I believe he will be an excellent contributor to the Thunder this season and in the long run. With that being said, we're talking about a center with no semblance of an offensive game and career averages of 6.4 PPG and 6.1 RPG.

2. The hole created by the Perk trade is not actually that big of a deal. Sure we traded our best interior defender and are putting an awful lot of pressure on Shaquille O'Neal (36 games played out of a possible 70), but take a look at the other contenders from the East (Miami and Chicago). Which of those teams are going to exploit that weakness? Joakim Noah has less of an offensive game then my mom (but probably the same level of estrogen) and I have it on good authority that Chris Bosh often wakes up in a cold sweat thinking about Kevin Garnett.

PE: And what about Orlando? Dwight Howard will kill us!

FRE: First of all, I don't consider any team who's success depends on Gilbert Arenas and Hedo Turkoglu being competent a contender. Secondly, I think Big Baby can hold his own with Howard (Ainge cited this as one of this reasons for being comfortable with the trade).

PE: Fine, Orlando may be garbage (and watching them grow their awful playoff beards will be almost reason enough to root for them) but you're still missing the big picture here. We had the top seed in the East and now we're going to have to beat the Bulls in a Game 7 in Chicago. Clearly you weren't paying attention last year.

FRE: It's true we may have sacrificed the 1 seed with the trade but I would argue the Celts don't care about winning the top seed this year (or you would have seen Shaq playing by now). Either way, you're still missing the biggest point of all for why the trade was a good one:

3. The Celtics weren't going to win the title with the team they had. Sure that Celtics team could beat any team on any given night, but a problem the team has had all year (and only amplified after Marquis Daniels went down with an injury) is that Pierce and Allen don't have anyone who can spell them and defend a tough wing player. While Pierce and Allen can get amped to guard LeBron and Wade for one game, at their age they'd never be able to do it over a playoff series. This would have been the end of the 2010-11 Celtics. We needed a wing player capable of carrying our second team and guarding the games top players more than we needed a center to stop Erick Dampier.

PE: But what about team chemistry? Our team seemed to have an easier time playing together then any other team in the league.

FRE: This is probably the best argument against the trade. The Celtics genuinely liked one another and enjoyed playing together, but this is why the trade makes sense in February as opposed to making it in April. You can already see the second unit starting to gel and we still have 12 games to go (or 15% of the NBA season). We're going to see a different team come playoff time then we see today. Hopefully it'll be a team we're ready to go to war with.

PE: This all sounds reasonable, but what if you're wrong?

FRE: Hey, did you hear the Red Sox made some big acquisitions this off-season?

Death of a Sports Term

noreply@blogger.com (Eric Being Eric) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 00:45:00 +0000

By Eric Schlesinger

The Big Three, longtime phrase which identified three superstars coming together on one team, died Friday in New York City. It was 30 years old.

The phrase was born during the 1980-81 NBA season as a label for Boston's Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish, three future hall-of-famers assembled to wreak havoc on the league. The phrase grew quite popular in the Greater Boston area, and even after the Big Three retired, its meaning was still understood by every Celtic fan.

The phrase gained new life in the summer before the 2007-08 season when the Celtics acquired Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett (both future hall-of-famers) to team up with their own superstar Paul Pierce. Conflicted fans didn't know whether the phrase should be used for this trio. These conflicts were short-lived as the New Big Three won a title (and the hearts of many Celtics fans) in their first year.

Celtics fans were too excited at the time to realize that the phrase was slowly being killed. The phrase started being used more frequently throughout the league to describe a team's top three talents. Duncan-Ginobli-Parker. Bryant-Gasol-Odom. Novak-Mobley-Kaman.

The phrase reached critical condition this season after the Miami Heat surrounded Dwayne Wade with LeBron James and Chris Bosh. Chris Bosh who has played in 11 career playoff games. Chris Bosh who has done exactly zero important things in his NBA career (unless you include braiding his hair to further the belief that he is indeed from the movie Predator. The fatal blow was delivered on Friday when Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire, and Chauncey Billups were referred to as the Big Three before losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers for the third time this season. The phrase had officially been killed in front of a full house at Madison Square Garden.

While the term has technically died it is not expected that the phrase will be retired from use. The phrase will be making an appearance at tonight's marquee match-up when Philadelphia's Big Three of Iguodala-Holiday-Brand take on Golden State's Big Three of Curry-Ellis-Radmanovic.

Celtics return home after west coast trip

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Hannable) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 10:42:00 +0000

By Ryan Hannable

The Celtics will return home tonight as the face the Dallas Mavericks at the TD Garden. They are coming off of their first west coast trip of the season. They have another one in February. The Celtics went 3-1 on the trip, with their only loss coming to the Phoenix Suns. That game the Celtics really were never in from the start and Doc Rivers as well as Kevin Garnett were ejected.

The biggest win on the trip came last Sunday as the Celtics defeated the Lakers by a convincing 13 points. Kobe Bryant went off and scored 41, but the Celtics showed why basketball is a team game and not just how one teams star player performed. It was the Celtics first trip back to the Staples Center after last seasons game seven loss of the NBA Finals. The Celtics got the win, but the real revenge would come if the Celtics were to beat the Lakers in the finals this year. For now it was just a nice regular season win.

The Celtics have six games remaining before the all-star break, and it is a pretty tough six. The good news is that five of the six are at home. The Celtics face the Mavericks and Magic at home, before going on the road to play the Bobcats. They then come home and finish the first half of the regular season at home against the Lakers, Heat and Nets. This will be a tough way to end the first half as five of these six teams are playoff teams, but these are the games that get the Celtics veterans going and excited. This stretch of the next two weeks could be some of the best basketball the team has played all season.

Check back next week for my weekly Celtics column. Feel free to email me at ryanhannable@yahoo.com with any questions/comments. Follow me on Twitter at Hannable84.

When 100 percent healthy this team is scary

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Hannable) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 02:46:00 +0000

By Ryan Hannable

The Boston Celtics have a 31-9 record going into tomorrow nights matchup at home vs. the Pistons. 31-9 is a pretty solid record, but it could be even better if the team had every player available in every game. This team is scary good with it's full complement of players.

In only two of their losses did they have their full complement of players dressing and playing. The first was the second game of the season, in the second of a back to back when they traveled to Cleveland. They were coming off of an emotional win at home in Lebron's first game with the Heat. The second was a Nov. 19 game at home vs. the Thunder. The Celtics fell 89-84.

The Celtics lost four games when Kevin Garnett was out with his muscle strain. When the team fell to the Magic on Christmas they were without Rajon Rondo. They were also without Rondo in a one point loss to Toronto on Nov. 21. Shaq sat out in the Nov. 8 two point loss at Dallas.

Clearly, health is the most important thing with the 2010-2011 Celtics. It is pretty difficult to find a team that can beat the Celtics in a playoff series if the team is fully healthy. This is something that Doc Rivers will need to monitor like he has in the past. His main goal in the final month or two in the season is not to win games, but to get his team ready for the playoffs and this means getting everyone healthy. He has done it in the past, and there is no reason why he can't do it again.

Oh yeah, did I mention that Kendrick Perkins will be coming back in a few weeks, and the starting five of Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Garnett and Perkins has yet to lose a playoff series. Quoting "El Pres" from Barstool Sports, "Cue the duck boats".

Check back next week for my weekly column on the Celtics. Feel free to email me at ryanhannable@yahoo.com with any comments or questions. Follow me on twitter at Hannable84.

Celtics keep on rolling despite injuries

noreply@blogger.com (Ryan Hannable) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 20:36:00 +0000

By Ryan Hannable

Going into tomorrow nights matchup with the league leading San Antonio Spurs the Celtics have a 26-7 record. They are first in the Eastern Conference-a half game ahead of the Miami Heat, and have the second best record in the entire NBA. This all despite of playing all of the 33 games without their full complement of players, and been effected by injuries all season long.

The Celtics have been without center Kendrick Perkins since he tore his ACL in game six of the NBA Finals last June. Reports have said that he is set to return after the all-star break. In the off-season the Celtics acquired guard Delonte West to help the depth in the back court, but he missed the beginning of the season due to a suspension and then after only playing in five games he broke his wrist. They also acquired forwards Jermaine O'Neal and Shaquille O'Neal to help the front court, especially with Perkins being out for most of the season. Jermaine has battled injuries from the beginning and has only played in 13 games all season. Shaq, who is now 38 years old has sat out nine games thus far. Point guard Rajon Rondo has also been battling lingering injuries all season long and has missed 11 games. Most recently, Kevin Garnett suffered a scary muscle injury last week in Detroit. He has missed the past three games. The injury looked much more severe when it happened, but according to GM Danny Ainge KG is set to return in about two weeks.

If you knew that the Celtics would have all of these injuries most people would never have imagined that the Celtics would be in possession of the second to best record in the league. The Celtics have got valuable contributions from players that were expected to ride the pine most of the season, and only play in garbage time. Back up point guard Nate Robinson has been spectacular starting in 11 games in place of Rondo. His aggressive style of defense and hustle plays has energized the team. He averages eight points a game. Guard Marquis Daniels, who was brought in as a defensive specialist has contributed offensively as well averaging five points a game and doing a fine job giving the team quality minutes when Robinson has had to sit. Forward Glen "Big Baby" Davis, who has been a role player the past few seasons has been forced to start three games and play big minutes that he has not had to do in the past. Davis has responded by averaging over 12 points a game and just over five rebounds. Guard Von Wafer has been a pleasant surprise as well. Rookies Luke Harangody and Avery Bradley, who were expected to the last guys off the bench have been forced into playing in 15 and 12 games respectively and have adjusted to the NBA very nicely playing very well considering their youth.

You cannot talk about the Celtics without mentioning the "Big 3". With all of the injuries to role players the "Big 3" have had to play increased minutes and increase their production. Ray Allen has led the three in minutes, averaging over 36 per game. He has averaged 17.1 points per game, and has continued to provide big shots for the Celtics down the stretch of games. Paul Pierce has played in just over 35 minutes per game and has been outstanding for the team in all facets of the game. Pierce averages 19 points per game, just over five rebounds and just under four assists. KG who has missed the last three games, has still played an increased number of minutes this year (31.6 per game). Finally playing on a knee that is 100 percent healthy Garnett has been a beast on the boards, grabbing just under 10 a game. KG has also averaged 15 points. While Doc Rivers probably did not want to play these guys this many minutes so early into the season, it has been his only option in order to keep the team playing well and winning.

With the Celtics success so far this season despite all of the injuries, shows just how good this team is. They will get Perkins back in a few weeks, KG will be back in just over a week, Rondo will hopefully be able to regain his health and get back to being close to 100 percent. With all of this, it is going to be scary to see how this team comes together and plays. It should be noted that the starting five of Rondo, Allen, Pierce, Garnett and Perkins has yet to lose a playoff series. Could Banner 18 be coming to Boston in June? Barring injuries I would say that it is a very good possibility.

I will be writing a weekly column on the Boston Celtics appearing here each week. Feel free to send any comments and suggestions to me at ryanhannable@yahoo.com. Follow me on twitter at Hannable84.

noreply@blogger.com (topofstep) — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 03:45:00 +0000

Celts Win!

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Dhani) — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 04:44:00 +0000

C's top Mavs, 102-93!

Paul Pierce had 29 points, 3 REB, and 5 Assists in a BOS win

Time To Worry?

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Dhani) — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 00:16:00 +0000

By a Worried Josh Dhani on 2/2/10

Yes Celtics fans, indeed so. According to NBA.com, Paul Pierce's foot may likely be broken:

Already reeling from a spate of injuries to key players, the Boston Celtics may have lost All-Star forward Paul Pierce for a significant period of time to a broken left foot, according to a league source.

The team does not know for sure if Pierce’s foot is broken after X-rays taken Tuesday; more tests are scheduled. But it “looks that way,” the league source said.

The Celtics are hopeful that even if the foot is broken that Pierce won’t be out of the lineup for long. But they are not yet certain of that.

Pierce suffered the injury in the first half of Boston’s 99-88 victory over Washington Monday night when he got tangled up with the Wizards’ Caron Butler going for a loose ball. He said after the game that he thought he sprained the ankle but didn’t believe the injury was serious.

The 32-year-old was averaging 18.9 points this season on 47 percent shooting, and was named to his eighth All-Star team last month.

Celtics Take Control In Fourth, Stop Wizards 99-88

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Dhani) — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:39:00 +0000

By Josh Dhani on 2/1/10

I wasn't able to watch this game, but, THANK GOD THE CELTICS FINALLY WON!!! But I was scared, looking at the ESPN Scoreboard as it showed the Wizards were leading throughout the game. When the fourth quarter started, the Wizards were leading.

But somehow, the Celtics made a comeback and were probably thinking, "Hey, we lost to the Lakers, Hawks, and Magic. But no way we are going to lose to Wizards! Hell no!" And after that, they got Washington, by the score of 99-88 to go up towards a 30-16 record.

We need the C's to secure their record in their division. They need to be ahead of the Toronto Raptors at ALL TIMES. Kevin Garnett helped the team with his 19 points, including a defensive stand in the fourth—holding Boston 2-of-18 in shooting. Nice....

"You're playing against the Boston Celtics, so you're not going to get a lot of calls. KG's going to set illegal screens; they're not going to be called. That's just part of the game," Wizards center Brendan Haywood said. "You're going to go to the basket, and if it's not basically just a straight-up WWF body slam, you're not getting the call."

This game was also rough, with Washington getting called for 24 personal fouls. Boston had 23. Antwan Jamison also had a frustrating game, with five fouls in the fourth quarter alone, having only eight points, a hurt knee...it was all horrible for him. I thought the refereeing was inconsistent at times. I thought that 'Tawn got hit a few times. You don't go 2 for 17 in his situation and not get to the line more than six times," Washington coach Flip Saunders said. "The guys were just really frustrated, especially 'Tawn, because of a lot of no-calls," Saunders added.

Great win for the Celtics. Rajon Rondo had another great game, with 17 points, twelve assists, and four rebounds.

Next stop is Miami on Wednesday against the Miami Heat. Looks to be a good one.

C's Look To Put It Together Straight Versus Wizards

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Dhani) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:48:00 +0000

Written by Josh Dhani on 2/1/10

The Celtics have been struggling, we all know that. But no worries. It's not all bad, actually. Sure sure, they're on a three-game losing-streak. But last night's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers wasn't all bad. The Celtics played very tough defense and were aggressive actually. Tonight, against the Wizards, this a guaranteed win.

The struggling stops here. A 29-16 still dynamic team against a mediocre 16-30 team without their star player? Come on, give me a break. The Celtics have a win here. According to ESPN.com AccuScore, the Celtics have a 67% chance of winning this. Plus, they're 16-8 on road games, compared to the Wizards who are 9-15 at home.

What's to bother of writing a preview for this? Celtics got this!

Celtics Play Hard, But Kobe Shows Clutch: L.A. Tops Boston, 90-89

noreply@blogger.com (Josh Dhani) — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 21:36:00 +0000

By Josh Dhani on 1/31/10

During the first quarter of this classic rivalry between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers, it was all L.A. They were just unstoppable, ending the quarter with a 30-19 lead. This game would prove who is the team to beat, if you count out the Cavaliers and/or Hawks though. It was all Lakers right here.

But during the second quarter, it was a whole different story. Boston took control of this game, and Rajon Rondo was on fire. The Celtics outscored Los Angeles, 33-17, in the second quarter and took a 52-47 lead—having all the momentum. This game looked over. Rajon Rondo already had a double-double in his hands, with eleven points and ten assists.

The third quarter was no different. The Celtics had all the momentum and were still taking advantage of this whole thing. At the end of it, Boston was hanging in tight with a 73-67 lead.

But everything changed in the fourth quarter. The Lakers were either coming in by a very close margin, mostly trailing by two-to-six points at worst. With over a minute to go, the Lakers were stealing the momentum. It was now 89-88 with about 20 seconds to go. Lakers took the ball and Kobe Bryant had the ball.

Bryant was making a bunch of moves. Just dribbling around, almost about to travel for a second. But he kept control. At the right time, Bryant just lobbed the ball. The ball was in the air…spinning. SWISH. The Lakers had finally taken the lead. It seemed it was their first lead of the game since the second quarter. Kobe Bryant was showing clutch.

But the game wasn’t over. The fat lady hadn’t sung yet. Paul Pierce took the ball. He ran up to the free-throw-line, made a pass to Ray Allen—wide open for three. The ball went out of his hands and was going in…it didn’t. It fell of the right side of the rim and the clock ticked down to zero. It was all over.

The Celtics had everything, but the score was the only thing that wasn’t satisfying. Once again, Kobe Bryant showed something that makes him the best player in the NBA among the actives: Clutch. He knew how to win. He wasn’t playing his best tonight but he was valuable when it really mattered.

So always remember this NBA fans: Never say the game is over with the Lakers when Kobe is in the lineup. Never!

But for the Celtics, what has been wrong with them lately? A lot of questions have been pondering my mind about them. 29-16 now. I’m not entirely worried about them for this year. They’ll make the playoffs. They played hard, but it was Kobe who did the work. Spike Lee knows Kobe, because Bryant does all the work!

When I need a shot to win the game, I’ll always pick Kobe.

Kobe Bryant—NEVER EVER UNDERESTIMATE HIM OR LEAVE HIM OUT! EVER!

Anyone else worried?

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler and Rachel) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 07:47:00 +0000

By Tyler Mudrick 11/22/09

What's wrong with the Celtics? The season began with a great 6 - 0 streak where the team seemed brilliant and unstoppable. Since then the team has played .500 basketball going 4 - 4 to sit at 10 - 4. The last few games have showcased many problems and worries that we should have with the Celtics, allowing us all to continually ask the question....What the heck is going on?

Here are many things that are going wrong so far...

1) The team is playing awful on the offensive end in so many ways. The ball movement is awful. Rondo brings the ball up the floor, passes to someone, and after 15 seconds of dribbling, they take a jump shot more than 15 feet away from the basket. This is run repeatedly, time and time again down the floor. No ball movement, no slashing or cutting to the basket, no off the ball picks...Just a whole lot of standing around. Remember when our team painted a beautiful artistic scene on the floor with all the ball movement and passing? We now have no aggression. No one drives to the basket...Why who knows? We settle for long jumpers and three pointers despite our awful percentage.

2) When Rasheed Wallace has gone in the post and in the paint, he has been pretty darn decent...When he has stayed beyond the three point line, he has been pretty darn awful. The box score doesn't lie... 0 - 8, 2 - 7, 0 - 3...These shots add up and man is he in a slump. However his offense going to the basket has been impressive. He needs to get down in the paint to make the most of his talent until his slump wears off a bit.

3) Kevin Garnett is still hurting...This is obvious, and there are many examples we have seen this evident. One most notably was during the Magic game, White Chocolate was on a break, drove to the lane, and went straight to the basket for a wide open uncontested layup. He made it look way way to easy, as if I could have done the same play. Standing in his way was a timid Kevin Garnett. Not even an attempt to block the shot which should have been like stealing candy from a baby. It was sad. The missed dunk attempts, botched alley oops, and poor perimeter defense are also other causes of concern.

4) Why doesn't Rondo just drive to the basket every single play...This boggles my mind. When Rondo drives to the basket, things happen. When he doesn't. Things don't. Rondo is flat out quick, fast, speedy, whatever you want to call it. He can beat anyone in the league off his dribble, and when he does the lane is usually wide open for him. If the defense collapses, a man is wide open in the paint waiting. There were only 1 or 2 times in the Hawks game where he simply dribble up the floor, scorched Mike Bibby and went right to the rim for an easy lay up. Rondo could easily do this multiple times a game but for some reason doesn't.

5) No rebounding. This is also obvious. We flat out stink on the offensive glass. And defensive glass for that matter. We let up a ridiculous amount of second chance points, and we don't get any for ourselves. Garnett has always been a superior rebounder, this year, not so much. Perkins is bigger and more muscular than most centers in the league, there is no reason he shouldn't be getting more rebounds per game. Rasheed, well we don't need to go there again.

So far, one of the biggest bright spots of the year has been the surprise play of Sheldon Williams. He has been excellent in his limited minutes off the bench and has made the most of his time. Pierce has also been consistent as usual. But something seems off with the team. They seem lazy, the are sitting back on their heels. No quickness, no desire. They look like the don't care, play without passion. Something needs to happen or click soon, if not banner 18 will have to wait...Of course we have only played 14 games, but it's never to early to make a big change.

It's All Fun and Games Until Somebody Breaks a Thumb

noreply@blogger.com (SB) — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 22:17:00 +0000

By Sarah Barton

10/28/09

I thought that I had Glen Davis all figured out. I saw him make a name (and popularize a nickname) for himself last season. I saw how good he looked this preseason. I know that he worked hard in the off-season. Now, I am left wondering what the regular season has in store for him, despite the fact that it's already underway.

His team won without him last night. The show must go on. But still, what happened? I'm sure he had his reasons for his involvement in what was initially deemed an "off-court altercation" that resulted in a broken thumb. Glen takes great pride in himself, and is also a team-oriented guy. Or at least I thought he was when I thought I had him figured out. When you are getting paid three million dollars a year to use your hands to put a bouncy orange sphere into a firm orange hoop, why risk injury to those hands in something totally work-UNrelated?

The police report (or at least the report of the police report) is vague. I'm sure the scenario wasn't cut-and-dried. Most off-court altercations aren't. (Although this incident is now reported as less of an off-court altercation and more of a fight.) Was it worth it? My guess is no, but who knows. Maybe Davis sacrificed his thumb to save himself, or his girlfriend, from further harm.

The police report contains a few oddities. Davis and his girlfriend were returning home after her birthday celebration with one of her friends and Davis' high school teammate and long-time friend, Shawn Bridgewater. The punches, which were thrown (first by Bridgewater) sometime around 4 o'clock (4 o'clock?) Sunday morning, stemmed from a prior exchange between Bridgewater and Davis' girlfriend. Davis pulled the car over a quarter-mile from his house (a quarter mile?...couldn't this have been more amicably settled at home?), and the fight commenced. Detective William Stanton claimed that Davis was sober, but reports say that Bridgewater appeared intoxicated. Davis says he was defending himself, not fighting. He and his girlfriend walked (walked?) home after police left the scene.

A person who works in an office can get hurt in an out-of-office altercation, but that transgression will not make headlines, even if it affects his job. (Think of Edward Norton in Fight Club.) Unfortunately, Glen spent the greater part of his 2008-09 NBA campaign making a name for himself, then signed a two-year, $6.3 million contract this off-season, thereby making him a superstar. Unfortunately, superstardom does not come with a complimentary judgment enhancement pill, but instead with a high-powered magnifying glass which strictly amplifies bad (and even questionable) decisions.

Maybe Glen wanted to shed the Big Baby nickname. As far as Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck is concerned, he succeeded. To Wyc, Glen will be Glen from now on. No more of this Baby stuff. Babies don't have to take responsibility for their actions. Glens do.

Glen's responsibility is going to come in the form of a lot of watching. Watching games, watching practices, watching his thumb heal for at least six weeks. Tack a suspension on top of that, and the watching continues. Davis is a competitor (see: the 2009 Playoffs), and this is going to kill him. What Davis accomplished last year is not lost, but to reach that level again this season, he must dig himself out of a hole. I imagine that digging with a busted thumb isn't easy; but for the time being, honesty, genuine apologies, and a good attitude can collectively serve as a decent hands-free shovel. Glen showed that he can hold his own in the NBA, but how he rebounds from the fallout from this incident will be far more telling about him as a player, and as a person, than any highlight reel, statistic, or contract.

Where does this leave the artist formerly known as Big Baby? Time will tell. Where does this leave the Celtics? A man down on an already injury-plagued roster (and yes, the season started yesterday). Most importantly, where does this leave me? Well, I'm back at square one in my eternal quest to figure this guy out.

Off-Season Offerings and Preseason Ponderings

noreply@blogger.com (SB) — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:06:00 +0000

By Sarah Barton

10/24/09

Off-Season Offerings

The time has come. It is mid-October, and I, just like every other NBA fan, am preparing to rise from the ashes of last season. OK, so maybe Lakers fans are still basking in their glory, but they also acquired Ron Artest. 'Nuff said, as a Celtic fan, there is much to look forward to for the 2009-10 season.

The Celtics went 62-20 last season and finished 21 games ahead of the next best team in the Atlantic Division. Unfortunately, it must be noted that the Atlantic Division contains the likes of Philly, Toronto, New Jersey, and New York. Regardless, 62-20 is good.

Baby is back, Rondo is back, and Sheldon Williams and some guy named Rasheed Wallace will be suiting up for the C’s. Shaq in Cleveland has arguably had just as much of an impact on the Celtics as the Cavs. Now that Boston has to deal with Superman 1 and 2 in the Eastern Conference, they have bolstered their frontcourt accordingly. Or at least somewhat accordingly. Even with KG back, plus Williams and Wallace, there is still not a real great matchup for Shaq or Howard. These new big guys will, however, take some of the pressure off Kendrick Perkins on both ends of the floor, giving him more room for error on both ends of the floor.

Now, about Garnett. Does he live under a rock in the off-season? Does he live under a rock in the regular season? He missed all those games last year, and no one (publicly, anyways) knew exactly what was wrong with him. Tom Brady’s knee gets infected and it’s front page news. Tom Brady's flower pots get stolen and it's front page news. KG missed half a season, and was forgotten quicker than Tom Brady's relationship with Bridget Moynahan.

But fear no more. KG lives! In early August, he spoke publicly for the first time since March 25. He was vaguer than vague in describing his surgical exploits, but just seeing him upright was comforting in and of itself. And how could he not be vague about the complications of his surgery, considering that no one knew what was going on in the first place? Well, after seven months of sleepless nights, we can rest assured that KG is still a part of the Celtics franchise.

I like the new face of the Celtics. I really do. Bye bye Marbury and Moore, hello Marquis Daniels and Rasheed Wallace. This could be the front and back court help that was lacking in last year's hot and cold season. Then again, I believe there was a point last season when I thought that Marbury and Moore would be those panaceas. This time, I really think that the Celtics woes are fixed. There, I said it.

I refuse to make a steadfast prediction, but right now I can tentatively see Boston winning it all in 2010, in six games over the Lakers. There, I said it.

Preseason Ponderings:

Marquis Daniels is GOOD.

Kendrick Perkins and Glen Davis look svelte.

Michael Sweetney did not. (Mike, you were great while you lasted.)

Is it just me, or does KG seem to be favoring his knee, just a little bit?

The new rule defining a traveling violation is the first step toward making traveling extinct in the NBA. Somewhere, LeBron perfects the crab dribble.

The real reason for the NBA referee lockout is that refs feel as though their ability to uphold the integrity of the game is being compromised. (See: above.) That, and they apparently don't get paid enough to deal with hotheaded players (that's you, Rasheed), coaches (that's you, Doc), and management (that's not you, Ainge), on a daily basis.

Rondo has something to prove this season. Whether it's to himself, his critics, his team, or any team that could potentially be courting him as a free agent next summer...that's for him to decide.

Since the Celtics starters played sparingly this preseason and they still won seven of nine games, shouldn't they run away with the league? They easily handled the Cavs with KG, Ray Allen, and Big Baby all on the bench! NBA Finals, here we come!

...Wait, every team noticeably rests its starters in the preseason? And the Celtics played the Knicks, Nets, and Raptors each twice? That's like warming up for 18 holes of golf with a bucket of balls at the driving range followed by a round of putt putt. How do these games predict anything?!

Is it too soon to say that the Celtics' season opener will be a preview of the Eastern Conference Finals?

Is it too soon to be worried that I will be eating my words in the not-so-distant future?

Finally, just as a refresher course: ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. Bring on the 2009-10 season, baby!

Fan Mail

noreply@blogger.com (SB) — Thu, 14 May 2009 01:18:00 +0000

By Sarah Barton

05/14/09

Dear Mr. Ronald Glen "Big Baby" Davis,

I would like to officially welcome you to the big show. You have done more than your fair share in keeping the Celtics' playoff hopes alive, and you have done it when it counts. I may not be your biggest fan (yet), but gosh darn it do I respect what you have done for Boston in the 2009 Playoffs.

You obediently played your role during the regular season when KG was healthy. You only cried once, and that was because you were upset with your performance, not your lack of playing time. My, how the tables have turned! Now you are the one making Celtic haters cry and bringing tears of joy to Celtics fans' eyes. In the midst of celebrating your Game 4 game-winner, you accidentally knocked the hat off a Magic fan's head, thus prompting his father to run crying to the NBA Front Office. You know you're something when you can make people cry at the drop of a hat.

In the regular season you averaged seven points, four rebounds, and 21 minutes per game. In the playoffs you're averaging almost 17 points and pulling down six boards in just under 38 minutes. You have become a force to be reckoned with, and you have done so while carrying a load of this Celtics team on your shoulders. You also know you're something when people recognize you as a legitimate stand-in for KG.

A month and a half ago I wrote that I like, but don't love, you as a player. That statement is still valid, but over the past few weeks, the extent to which I like you has increased tenfold. I think I may be falling in like with you. I don't fall in love easily, Glen, but keep this up and you just may become the player of my dreams.

In that same article from a month and a half ago, I wrote that you are capable of doing big things. I couldn't have been more correct. I'm tempted to forecast more about your future right now, but I don't want to jinx anything. I'll just stick with my "big things" prophecy and assume that you have a lot more left in the tank.

I can see, however, why your tank might be running a bit dry. In Game 5, you logged more minutes than anyone on either team. The Celtics are starting to ride you a bit, and rightfully so. That places you under a lot of scrutiny, Glen. Now that you've put together consecutive stellar performances, people are awaiting your downfall. They're waiting to deem you a fluke, a two-hit wonder. Not that you need me to tell you this, but I hope you prove them wrong.

You have three qualities that I love in a basketball player. 1) You're very talented without demanding a lot of attention. 2) You're confident. 3) You're humble. I have the potential to maybe someday become your biggest fan. You're going to have to earn my undying fandom, but you're well on your way to doing so. Keep up the good work, Baby.

Sincerely,

Sarah

PS - I would be honored if you knocked off my hat in the midst of a game-winning celebration, or in any context for that matter.

PPS - What is the deal with your playoff faux-hawk?

Here's Depending On You, Kid

noreply@blogger.com (SB) — Fri, 08 May 2009 00:54:00 +0000

By Sarah Barton

05/07/09

Rondo (playing well) + Eddie House (playing out of his mind) = Crucial Game 2 Victory.

Guard play propelled the Celtics to a Game 2 victory over Orlando. My guess is that Rondo was in diapers when Boston last depended so much on its guards.

In the middle of the season, the Celtics were worried about their depth at the guard position. In came Marbury, whose overall contributions to the team have been mediocre at best. Now that Marbury has provided an extra body, the main concern is consistency. Rondo holds Boston's consistency key.

Offensively, everything runs through Rondo. If Rondo doesn't bring his A-game, the C's are likely in for a long night. That has become very clear thus far in the playoffs.

Sure, Rondo ran the offense when the Celtics won it all last year. This time around, however, KG's absence places far more pressure on the young guard. When Garnett is on the floor, Boston has more room for error on a nightly basis, thus taking some of the stress off Rondo. Garnett is the Celtics' emotional floor general, but there's only so much he can do from the bench. Presently, a bulk of that responsibility falls on Rondo's skinny little shoulders.

Rondo is responsible for leading a handful of veterans into battle. The veterans have been around the block a few times before and can get the job done, but the spunky 23-year-old general has to light the fire under their butts.

Despite the experience that Rondo gained during last year's championship run, there is still a ton of room for maturation. Sometimes that is blatantly obvious (Game 1 vs. the Magic), and sometimes he plays like a first-ballot Hall of Fame candidate (Game 2 vs. the Magic). What gives?

Given the pressure and the injuries and the high tensions that have plagued (and will continue to plague) the Celtics so far during the playoffs, it is not fair or possible to expect Rondo to put together Hall of Fame games every night. The good thing about Rondo is that he can score, pass, rebound, and defend. The bad thing is that when he has an off-night, all of those things go down the toilet for the Celtics.

It is unlikely that Eddie House will play out of his mind and drop 30 again anytime soon. It is not unlikely, however, that Rondo will continue to put up triple-double type numbers for the remainder of the playoffs. If he does, great. The Celtics will be in the best possible position to be successful. If he doesn't, Boston is in trouble.

Rondo (playing well) + (insert Celtic whose turn it is to step up) = Game 3 Victory.

Notice that Rondo (playing well) is the constant in the equation.

No pressure, kid.

Where Will Amazing Happen This Year? Define "Amazing."

noreply@blogger.com (SB) — Sat, 02 May 2009 13:04:00 +0000

By Sarah Barton

05/02/09

I didn't post on Thursday because I wanted to wait until Game 6 was over and the Celtics had won the series so I could write up a nice little series summary and ponder what would happen to the C's in Round Two.

I didn't post on Friday because my Thursday dreams were shattered.

I am posting now, on Saturday, because I am now finally almost able to coherently put together my thoughts about this series. I can actually sum up my sentiments in four words: I.Hate.This.Series.

On Wednesday, I generated a bunch of questions based on the first five games of the series, ranging from "What does Rondo eat for breakfast and where can I get some?" to "Mikki who?" to "Does Boston have some sort of post-season agreement with David Stern and NBA marketing execs which states that the Celtics must make their playoff series as dramatic and drawn out and 'entertaining' as possible?". Since I can't really answer my first two questions, I will focus on the last one.

All over ESPN yesterday people were debating whether this is the best first-round series of all-time. My vote: absolutely not. Can I come up with a better first-round series? No, not offhand, but I just really despise how this series has played out. Seven overtimes (counting double and triple) in six games? How is that even possible? Sure, I enjoy a flare for the dramatic, but not on a nightly basis.

The results of my dear friend the ESPN.com SportsNation poll from Friday show that nearly 40% of 307,032 voters think that Game 7 will go into overtime. Four of 10 people are expecting the game to go into overtime! That just doesn't seem right.

I was up late last night doing some calculations*, and I figured that the odds that there have been seven overtimes in the six first-round games are about one-in-10,000. Why would 40% of sports fans so eagerly bet against those odds? There is only one answer: The series is rigged.

(Dramatic pause.)

OK, I don't really think that the series is rigged. I honestly don't think it's possible to have rigged it so that four games went into overtime. Regardless, David Stern has to be smitten with the way things have transpired. Cha-ching! The NBA is making bank off this. All eyes on the Celtics and Bulls! We are all witnesses to the best first-round NBA playoff series in history!

The problem is that I hate this series so much that I have to watch Game 7. It's like watching The Hills: it's so annoying and overdone that once you start watching, you can't help but watch the finale, and when it's over you're secretly a little sad. I was watching Game 6 with a friend on Thursday, and I was so frustrated that I left to go home after the first overtime, planning to check the score before bed, only to get home to see that there were two minutes left in the third overtime. Silly me, assuming that two overtimes would be enough.

Overall, the level of play in this series has been sub-par, but the drama has been through the roof. I truly respect the game of basketball, which is why I am having such a difficult time digesting this Celtics/Bulls series. Amazing is happening in Boston and Chicago, but it's more of a Hills amazing than an NBA amazing. I have a feeling that a fair amount of people would disagree with that, which leaves me questioning the integrity of the game.

At this point, I think there is more pressure on Game 7 itself to be wildly entertaining than there is on either team to win the game. As a Celtics fan, would you feel a bit let down if the Celtics blow Chicago out of the water in Game 7? Will you be left thinking "We went through all that...for this?!?" Hopefully not, but if you do, feel free to occupy yourself with a season of The Hills until Round Two tips off.

* Actually, I spent about 30 seconds finding this article via Google.

Rajon Rondo: Welcome to Super Stardom

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler and Rachel) — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 13:18:00 +0000

Written by: Tyler Mudrick 4/27/09

The Celtics and Bulls are tied at two games a piece. Aside from the game three blow out these have been three games filled with nail biting over times, clutch three point shots, heart attacks, pain killers you name it. Game four was an instant classic, unfortunately the Bulls have the bragging rights. But aside from the up tempo game play, the high scoring, the Noah hating, the elbows and pushes, hard fouls, and big shots, there has been one thing more exciting than the rest...

That is the emergence of Rajon Rondo as a Superstar. Over the first four game of the series we have watched Rajon Rondo make another leap like many said he did this season. He went from sophomore often mistake making leader to 4th star on an all star cast that can control the game and take over when he needs to. He made the jump this regular season and is now recognized as a flashy fun to watch point guard and also one of the leagues best. By the end of the season he had become a star. After the first four games of round one, we have the liberty of watching Rondo turn into an elite player.

In the first four games of the series Rondo has 2 triple doubles, a double double along with 6 assists, and a 29 point game with 9 boards and 7 dimes. That is just silly. Rondo has taken control of these game and is involved in just about every play. Rondo is all over the court, getting his hands in everything. Hes controlling the tempo when he is in the game, and when he is on the bench the Celtics have not been up to par. Rondo usually leaves the game with a lead and when he comes back in, the Celts are either losing or the Bulls have gotten significantly closer.

Here are Rondo's playoff averages per game so far this series:
Points: 23.3
Rebounds: 10.8
Assists: 10.0
Steals: 3.5
FG %: 50%
Turnovers: 1.8

These are just incredible numbers, absolutely mind boggling. These numbers put Rondo among the likes of Magic Johnson and Oscar Robinson... Aside from Lebron James avering 32 points, Rondo's numbers are better almost all the way across the board.

So Rondo is playing his part, and he is even going beyond that. He is exciting, flashy, smart, confident, and is playing some of the best basketball I have ever seen anybody play. His numbers across the stat sheet are just simply incredible and he deserves to be recognized as one of the leagues best, and by the number he might be the best, point guard in the league. (I feel he has the title of Point Guard of the East all locked up.) It is great seeing this only 23 year old take his game to the next level in these first four games, now all we need is his supporting cast to start helping him out. These numbers are way too good to grant a first round exit.

Is Leon's Injury Dis-POWE-sable?

noreply@blogger.com (SB) — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 00:36:00 +0000

By Sarah Barton

04/23/09

Note: What you are about to read is not a knock to Leon Powe in any way, shape, or form. (Leon, if you're reading, I sincerely hope you don't take it as such.) Powe has been a significant part of the Celtics' roster all season, and has stepped up big time in KG's absence. I'm not just saying that to be POWE-lite. He has put up some solid numbers this season.

That being said, do the Celtics need Leon in order to beat the Bulls? Let's check out two ESPN.com SportsNation polls.

POLL #1 (from April 20, the evening of Game 2 of the series)

"Which team will win the first-round series between the Celtics and Bulls? (Bulls lead 1-0)."

Bulls: 47%

Celtics: 53%

(108,200 votes)

POWE-LL #2 (from April 21, the day after Game 2)

"Which team will win the Bulls-Celtics series now that Leon Powe is out for the playoffs?"

Bulls: 63%

Celtics: 37%

(215,237 votes)

The discrepancy between these percentages still blows my mind. The Celtics won Game 2 to tie the series at one, but since Powe went down, so did everyone's faith in the C's POWE-tential to get out of the first round. I was unaware that Leon carried so much weight in Bean Town (and beyond). Also, how come in the first poll, the Celtics were listed first, then suddenly it became the "Bulls-Celtics series"? But I digress...

The Celtics can win without Leon, and have done so very recently. Powe missed 13 of the Celtics' last 15 regular season games with a knee injury (unrelated to Monday's injury), and no one seemed too concerned about the Celtics' ability to win games during that span. Boston went 10-3 during the games Powe missed, and their three losses came to the Magic, Cavs, and, well, the Bulls. But again I digress...

Leon's regular season averages were 7.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 17.5 minutes per game. In the first game of this series he had 8 points and 8 rebounds in 17 minutes. It's not like he was deviating from his norm. He played his usual role. Boston can compensate for that role. Not that Boston needs Scal either, but he was cleared to practice yesterday after a lengthy battle with head trauma. Who knows if Scal will suit up for Game 3, but he could POWE-tentially provide another body off the bench. He's no James POWE-sy, but at this point, anything will help.

Although Leon may not be the most im-POWE-sing Celtic, he will certainly be missed. Even so, I must disagree with the 63% of SportsNation who think the Celts won't get past the Bulls solely because Leon is injured. All season, the Celtics have shown that they are more than any one player; now they must prove that they are more than any two.

Bad news comes in threes...

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler and Rachel) — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:20:00 +0000

Written by: Tyler Mudrick

Well they've always said bad news travels in threes. I was hoping it wouldn't be the case for the Celtics in this postseason. First we heard that Garnett was probably out for the entire postseason and will likely need surgery. That hurt the teams physical approach to the game, as well as their mental states.

Next, Danny Ainge's heart attack news shuffled up the team emotions. Thank fully he is making an ok recovery and is doing well.

Now comes bad news number three. We've been hit with dagger to the bench which needs a much needed booster after the poor performances in the first two games of the postseason. Yes ladies and gentlemen, Leon Powe is also out for the post season.

Last night Powe left the game with some sort of knee injury. After an MRI, today, he was diagnosed with a torn ACL and meniscus. Not good folks, not good. Just when we thought the bench couldn't perform any worse, possibly our biggest spark plug is now out for the rest of the year. This leaves us with a huge gap in the big man department. Will a rotation of Perkins, Mikki Moore, and Big Baby be enough to ride us through the post season? What happens when we get hit into foul trouble? Will Scal be put back onto the bench or is his injury to severe too?

Its going to be a tough ride for the C's without Garnett and Powe. Let's see if they have the heart to compete and defend their title.

And the bad news continues...

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler and Rachel) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 22:32:00 +0000

Written by: Tyler Mudrick

So we started off the morning that the Celtics might be without KG for the entire postseason...Just extra rest because they think they can beat the Bulls without him? Or is the injury really incredibly serious? Well since it is KG I would like to think that he is really hurt because he is crazy enough to play through any injury.

So that hurt the team's chances physically... Afternoon news might effect the team emotionally.

The teams GM, the man who brought KG here and put this whole thing together, Danny Ainge, suffered a heart attack today. Ainge, 50 years old, is now reportedly resting after he suffered the attack Thursday morning.

According to the AP, Ainge woke up in the morning complaining of chest pains and was taken to the hospital where Doctors found an artery 100% clogged. The medical staff inserted a stint to unclog the damage.

So Ainge won't be attending the first few games of the playoffs but is expected to make a full recovery. We wish you well Danny Ainge, hope the recovery treats you kindly.

Ode to the Regular Season

noreply@blogger.com (SB) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 21:10:00 +0000

By Sarah Barton

04/16/09

Before last night's regular season finale against the Wizards, Celtics announcer Mike Gorman stated that the Celtics' 2008-09 regular season was better than their 66-win, NBA Championship prerequisite 2007-08 regular season.

All things considered, the man has a point. It is quite impressive that Boston won 62 games this season. Not only have the Celts had to bear the defending NBA Champs bullseye on their backs for 82 games, but they've done it with an inconsistent roster. Sixty-two wins is really kinda good.

When we woke up this morning, the regular season was over. Eighty-two games were reduced to eight seeds. Boston earned a two-seed. Most teams would kill for that. Now it starts all over again, but in the form of a playoff series, or in the best-case scenario, a series of playoff series.

Right now, 27 teams would love to trade records with the Celtics, yet the overall morale in Boston would lead one to believe that the C's snuck into the playoffs with a seventh or eighth seed.

So while Boston may have put together a pretty darn good record in 2008-09, it all comes down to whether it can be applied, with some improvements, over the coming weeks.

This season may have been more dramatic than Celtics fans would have liked, but Gorman is right, the Celtics were still very good. I know that and a couple dollars will buy you a cup of coffee, but can Boston fans really complain? The Celtics have been entertaining and successful (as opposed to entertaining and not successful...See: the Knicks) for two straight years now. It could be a lot worse.

I guess I want to kiss the regular season goodbye by thanking the Celtics for giving us something to watch without inducing unbearable frustration and suicidal thoughts. The highs were high and the lows weren't that low. There was always something to complain about, but nothing serious enough to deter any fan. If anything, the regular season "crises" were just reasons to follow the C's.

Now that the KG crisis has culminated, we have yet another reason to pay attention to this year's Celtics saga. Until further notice, the Celtics are still the defending champs. Whether they win the NBA Finals or just one playoff game, they're going to do it by putting up a fight. If they lose, they're going to go down swinging. Either way, don't write off the 2008-09 season as a loss.

Such a Lonely Day

noreply@blogger.com (centorer) — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 16:32:00 +0000

Rob Centore
4.16.2009

“Such a lonely day,
And it's mine,
The most loneliest day in my life,

Such a lonely day,
Should be banned,
It's a day that I can't stand,

The most loneliest day of my life,
The most loneliest day of my life.”

The System of a Down lyrics have been playing all day long even though I haven’t heard the song in years. It is official that Kevin Garnett will most likely miss the entire post season and the Celtics chances at Banner 18 and dropping faster then the stock market. In the back of all our minds we had a feeling that this could happen, but we never wanted to believe it. My concern on the whole situation is was it managed properly?

Andrew Bynum went down on January 31 with a MAJOR knee injury having a torn medial collateral ligament. In just over 2 months later and having missed 32 games, Bynum is back playing in time for the playoffs and is giving Lakers fans tremendous confidence heading in. Kevin Garnett on the other hand suffered a MINOR injury a couple of weeks later and was diagnosed with a strained knee and was only expected to be out 1-3 weeks. They played the safe way and let rest work its wonders and now days before their title defense, the Celtics and their fans find out that Garnett is done.

Should surgery have been considered from the get go? Was KG more injured originally then they led on? How much did playing those 4 games set him back? Is the knee injury more of a head injury for KG? Those and many more questions have been running through my mind. Garnett has never really been injured throughout his career and we have to wonder how much of a head game KG is playing with himself. The playoffs start in days and we have to focus on that, it is going to be hard, but you never know what is going to happen.

One thing I do know is that Garnett should be on the bench cheering and coaching his team throughout the playoffs, no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

In the first round the Chicago Bulls don’t have the All-Pro caliber studs to match-up with Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. The Celtics have been playing long enough without KG that there shouldn’t be a mental block of focus and with Leon Powe back on the bench, the bigs should be able to hold their own. Let’s look forward to a potential second round match-up with the Orland Magic.

This series would be a long and draining one, but it is not out of the question that the Celtics wouldn’t win. Kendrick Perkins would and will have to be the one to stop Dwight Howard so the big question is who is going to stop Rashard Lewis in this series. Brian Scalabrine returning to the bench would be a huge boost because he is the type of player we need to defend Lewis.

I still think that the Celtics will be able to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals and face the Cavs, but saying that I am going to stop typing because I don’t want to think what could happen there. Like the commercials say the NBA is “Where Amazing Happens,” and of course in the words of the man they will be missing this playoffs, “ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!”

Celtics Clinch Number 2 Seed

noreply@blogger.com (Tyler and Rachel) — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 02:45:00 +0000

Written by: Tyler Mudrick 4/11/09

A big game in Cleveland tomorrow? Or will the Stars be getting some celebratory rest?

Tonight the Orlando Magic lost, again, this time to the Nets. This results in the Celtics clinching the number two seed in the playoffs and getting home court advantage for the first two rounds of the tourney. If the playoffs started today the Celtics would match up with the number 7 Bulls.

So now that we've clinched the second seed, Garnettless I might like to add, do we call it quits on the last few games of the season? Or do we play hard right til the end? This is a hard question to answer, especially with Cleveland on the schedule for tomorrow, on prime time TV. If the Celtics can win the game tomorrow, this turns a lot of things around. The Cavs have only one loss at home. I'm sure they aren't going to be taking this home game easy. They want to make a stand that not only can they a) have one loss at home the whole year but b) rub it in the defending champ's faces with a win.

The Celtics win this game and they throw the Cavs self - esteem and a little bit of confidence down the drain. The Celtics gain the upper edge going into the playoffs. They might settle for the second seed but they can also end the season being only one of two teams that beat the Cavs at home this year. This will take a lot of pressure off their shoulders when the Celt's roll into Clevland again for the Eastern Conference championship. They might not need anymore wins on the season, and they can shut it down if they want the rest, but tomorrows game might be the most important game of the season from a psyche and motivational perspective.