Post by DERRENMATTS on Feb 27, 2006 23:15:26 GMT -5
Hey everyone. Just thought I'd stop by and say hello to everyone. The place is looking great, and hey, a new banner!!! ;D
I've given up posting and also scouring the internet for Celtics and sports related stuff, so that I'd free up my time for the high priorities in my life, but I am still watching the Celtics games when I have the time. Here are some of my thoughts:
I really like the team we have now. Its got such a different vibe and attitude, which revolves around solid team play and unselfishness. The attitude is a ton better than what we had at any point in the last 10 years. It all has to do with guys like Delonte and Gomes being a big part of the team. Them two are blue collar workers who do what needs to be done. No glory, no limelight--its all about doing the little things to win games. They both have tremendous knowledge of the game and they have really made an impact, even though they aren't the focal point of the offense. Good teams are filled with players like them.
Getting rid of Blount was huge. There doesn't seem to be any negative energy on the team any more. There doesn't seem to be any more drama. Everyone just goes out and plays hard and sacrifices their own agenda for the team now.
Not only that, but players are now knowing their roles. The bench players are starting to know what Doc expects from them. Scala is playing under control and is not trying to be a playmaker by bulldozing over people in the paint or shooting every time he gets the ball.
Gomes is the garbage player we've been missing since E-Will. We've seriously been missing this part of the game. When healthy, Big Al provided this for us (offensive boards and putbacks). But as he develops, he's going to be more than just a garbage player, so we need someone else to fill this role. Gomes is the perfect guy because he has the personality for it and he's already good at it. I like Perkins' development as a rebounder and tough physical presence, but he's missing the soft touch and the quick ability to put shots back up in a hurry. I don't feel he'll be the garbage player that Gomes is developing into. But Perk's role on the team is very important.
This is leading me to think that we may be better off using a lineup of
C-Jefferson
PF- Gomes
SF- Pierce
SG- Wally
PG- Delonte
Phoenix runs a similar type of starting 5 (when Amare is healthy) and they are more than capable of battling the big boys. I like this lineup because Gomes is a terrific rebounder/garbage player and he's just good at being at the right spot on the court at the right time. He's undersized at PF, but he gets away with it because he's so fundamentally sound and because he knows how to box out, how to use his body, and how to use his long arms to his advantage. He's also very crafty with his scoring in the post. His pump fakes usually gets him good looks at the basket (though he's still not veteran enough to convert a lot of his opportunities). And his jumper is developing nicely. Just keep tabs on his FT shooting and you'll see when he'll use his jumper as a weapon.
I don't feel using Jefferson at C will be a detriment. He's got the physical abilities to be able to make the move. Plus, which Center in the NBA can keep up with his quickness?
Pierce has gained major brownie points in my book. I've had my reservations about him in the past, but he's definitely on my good side now. He's really become a team player and he's thriving in it now. He looks a ton better with scorers surrounding him, and he no longer looks to take the scoring load squarely on his shoulders. If this is the Pierce I can expect every game, I have no quarrels about him being a Celtic for life.
Wally has been a terrific addition. He gives us a terrific shooting presence and he's a very good teammate. I like that he gets to the line (where he shoots 90%) and also passes up the ball. I really liked Ricky Davis this year, but I like this team better with Wally on it. The chemistry seems to be better and we are more under control.
Orien is beginning to get comfortable. He still makes a lot of rookie mistakes, but I can see a lot of good things coming out of him once he starts learning how to succeed in the NBA. One thing he needs to work on is protecting the ball when dribbling (this also is Tony's problem too). He dribbles the ball close to his body (especially when dribbling with his right hand), and opposing PG's get their hands on the ball regularly. His jumper is getting better, which will benefit everyone when he becomes consistent. He and Delonte make a good PG combination, but I'm still wondering if we'd be better off with a stud PG.
Can't wait for Perkins and Jefferson to get back healthy. We've got such a solid group of core players who are team players and excellent character guys. Its just amazing how Ainge has assembled this team together. And we still have some high picks coming up, which could net us even more solid players.
I'd definitely like to get some frontcourt depth. Raef is solid, but ideally, he's more of the 4th of 5th guy on the depth chart. Scalabrine is nice too, but he's in back of Raef. So someone to take the backup role in front of Raef and Scala will be huge. I like Shelden Williams from Duke, or LaMarcus Aldridge from Texas and with the luck of the bounce, we may end up with one of them. If we get Shelden, I can see him moving ahead of Perk, simply because he's Perkins with more quickness, agility, and touch.
Our strength still remains at the wings (Pierce, Wally, Gomes) and we still have two more guys in development (Tony and Gerald). But our frontcourt is looking promising, especially if we can get another strong piece through the draft. And from early looks, Dwayne Jones doesn't seem that bad. Our PG situation is looking solid, and even if we don't make any upgrades over what we have (Delonte, Orien, Dickau), it will be more than serviceable. I feel that we can get far with those 3 guys.
This team is definitely laying its foundation. I can't wait for next year because that will be when we make our ascent to the top of the NBA. Baby steps at first, but we'll start making big strides.
Well, I don't plan on returning here very often, maybe once every couple of months. But I hope all goes well with everyone.
I've just posted a message in the Off Topic section, so please check it out.
celticsgreen.proboards18.com/index.cgi?board=faker&action=display&thread=1141100067
I've given up posting and also scouring the internet for Celtics and sports related stuff, so that I'd free up my time for the high priorities in my life, but I am still watching the Celtics games when I have the time. Here are some of my thoughts:
I really like the team we have now. Its got such a different vibe and attitude, which revolves around solid team play and unselfishness. The attitude is a ton better than what we had at any point in the last 10 years. It all has to do with guys like Delonte and Gomes being a big part of the team. Them two are blue collar workers who do what needs to be done. No glory, no limelight--its all about doing the little things to win games. They both have tremendous knowledge of the game and they have really made an impact, even though they aren't the focal point of the offense. Good teams are filled with players like them.
Getting rid of Blount was huge. There doesn't seem to be any negative energy on the team any more. There doesn't seem to be any more drama. Everyone just goes out and plays hard and sacrifices their own agenda for the team now.
Not only that, but players are now knowing their roles. The bench players are starting to know what Doc expects from them. Scala is playing under control and is not trying to be a playmaker by bulldozing over people in the paint or shooting every time he gets the ball.
Gomes is the garbage player we've been missing since E-Will. We've seriously been missing this part of the game. When healthy, Big Al provided this for us (offensive boards and putbacks). But as he develops, he's going to be more than just a garbage player, so we need someone else to fill this role. Gomes is the perfect guy because he has the personality for it and he's already good at it. I like Perkins' development as a rebounder and tough physical presence, but he's missing the soft touch and the quick ability to put shots back up in a hurry. I don't feel he'll be the garbage player that Gomes is developing into. But Perk's role on the team is very important.
This is leading me to think that we may be better off using a lineup of
C-Jefferson
PF- Gomes
SF- Pierce
SG- Wally
PG- Delonte
Phoenix runs a similar type of starting 5 (when Amare is healthy) and they are more than capable of battling the big boys. I like this lineup because Gomes is a terrific rebounder/garbage player and he's just good at being at the right spot on the court at the right time. He's undersized at PF, but he gets away with it because he's so fundamentally sound and because he knows how to box out, how to use his body, and how to use his long arms to his advantage. He's also very crafty with his scoring in the post. His pump fakes usually gets him good looks at the basket (though he's still not veteran enough to convert a lot of his opportunities). And his jumper is developing nicely. Just keep tabs on his FT shooting and you'll see when he'll use his jumper as a weapon.
I don't feel using Jefferson at C will be a detriment. He's got the physical abilities to be able to make the move. Plus, which Center in the NBA can keep up with his quickness?
Pierce has gained major brownie points in my book. I've had my reservations about him in the past, but he's definitely on my good side now. He's really become a team player and he's thriving in it now. He looks a ton better with scorers surrounding him, and he no longer looks to take the scoring load squarely on his shoulders. If this is the Pierce I can expect every game, I have no quarrels about him being a Celtic for life.
Wally has been a terrific addition. He gives us a terrific shooting presence and he's a very good teammate. I like that he gets to the line (where he shoots 90%) and also passes up the ball. I really liked Ricky Davis this year, but I like this team better with Wally on it. The chemistry seems to be better and we are more under control.
Orien is beginning to get comfortable. He still makes a lot of rookie mistakes, but I can see a lot of good things coming out of him once he starts learning how to succeed in the NBA. One thing he needs to work on is protecting the ball when dribbling (this also is Tony's problem too). He dribbles the ball close to his body (especially when dribbling with his right hand), and opposing PG's get their hands on the ball regularly. His jumper is getting better, which will benefit everyone when he becomes consistent. He and Delonte make a good PG combination, but I'm still wondering if we'd be better off with a stud PG.
Can't wait for Perkins and Jefferson to get back healthy. We've got such a solid group of core players who are team players and excellent character guys. Its just amazing how Ainge has assembled this team together. And we still have some high picks coming up, which could net us even more solid players.
I'd definitely like to get some frontcourt depth. Raef is solid, but ideally, he's more of the 4th of 5th guy on the depth chart. Scalabrine is nice too, but he's in back of Raef. So someone to take the backup role in front of Raef and Scala will be huge. I like Shelden Williams from Duke, or LaMarcus Aldridge from Texas and with the luck of the bounce, we may end up with one of them. If we get Shelden, I can see him moving ahead of Perk, simply because he's Perkins with more quickness, agility, and touch.
Our strength still remains at the wings (Pierce, Wally, Gomes) and we still have two more guys in development (Tony and Gerald). But our frontcourt is looking promising, especially if we can get another strong piece through the draft. And from early looks, Dwayne Jones doesn't seem that bad. Our PG situation is looking solid, and even if we don't make any upgrades over what we have (Delonte, Orien, Dickau), it will be more than serviceable. I feel that we can get far with those 3 guys.
This team is definitely laying its foundation. I can't wait for next year because that will be when we make our ascent to the top of the NBA. Baby steps at first, but we'll start making big strides.
Well, I don't plan on returning here very often, maybe once every couple of months. But I hope all goes well with everyone.
I've just posted a message in the Off Topic section, so please check it out.
celticsgreen.proboards18.com/index.cgi?board=faker&action=display&thread=1141100067