News 11/23

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1134305&format=text
Rajon Rondo still developing

By Mark Murphy | Sunday, November 23, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Matthew West
MINNEAPOLIS - It was hard to tell if Rajon Rondo [stats] was being serious.

The question involved respect, and whether the young Celtics [team stats] point guard felt he was getting his share from his three Hall of Fame-bound teammates.

“Well, I think so,” he said. “I mean, I guess so. Nobody has asked to bring someone else in, I don’t think.”

He’s got to be kidding, right?

Rondo shrugged.

“Yeah,” he said. “What I’m saying is that if I wasn’t getting the job done, they’d ask to bring in a replacement.”

Understand that Rondo, at least on the surface, isn’t the insecure type. As his teammates quickly discovered once the Celtics jelled last season, Rondo isn’t shy about exerting his will.

But he still needs work, which is why his point-guard-turned-coach, Doc Rivers, wants so much more, even if Rondo is getting the job done on a 12-2 team that plays the Raptors this afternoon.

Friday night’s 95-78 win over the Timberwolves - perhaps the C’s most uneven victory of the season - offered the best illustration to date of the contradiction in Rondo’s game.

Beyond his numbers - a two-point, 1-for-6 shooting, two-assist, one-steal first half followed by an 11-point, 4-for-7 shooting, three-assist, two-steal second half - Rondo’s willingness to attack during the last 24 minutes keyed a 35-10 third-quarter explosion.

Rivers simply wants to see that aggression take full control.

When the C’s coach says he wants his point guard to stop passing up shots and to make opponents defend him honestly, Rivers is really talking about taking advantage of an abundance of opportunity.

As during the playoffs, teams are daring Rondo to do something with the ball.

“The difference (against Minnesota) from the first half to the second half in the way he played was night and day,” Rivers said. “It’s just a learning process for him. But you also have to understand the situation he’s in.

“You have Kevin (Garnett), Ray (Allen) and Paul (Pierce) on the floor. But with those three guys out there, I’m still telling you as a point guard to run the offense.”

Rondo agrees that even with his early success, he still needs work.

Even though he got the better end of a nationally televised matchup with Detroit’s Allen Iverson [stats], Rondo isn’t playing on an even keel.

“I know there are things I have to get better at,” he said.

That often means being more selfish.

“You could say that,” Rondo said. “But more than anything it’s about learning the game. (Rivers) is talking about laying the ball up and going with my floater as much as taking the jumper. I’ve had a lot of points in batches.”

He now has spread out those batches.

“I just want him to stay aggressive,” Rivers said. “It doesn’t always have to be with a shot at the basket. It can involve creating a shot for someone else.”

The message has been delivered often enough. Now it has to be absorbed by the 22-year-old point guard running this high-performance offense.

“It’s never bothered me, honestly,” he said of directing traffic on a veteran team. “Everyone is going to tell me, ‘I’m open, I’m open.’ But I have to learn to make the right decisions.”

Even when it means taking the shot himself.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1134307&format=text

No need for Celtics to to cease control

By Steve Bulpett / NBA Notes | Sunday, November 23, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by AP
Before people get too deep on their rant about these Celtics [team stats] being off and last year’s edition being unbeatable, can we get a 20-second timeout?

The Celts have begun the season with the proper amount of winning, but for some pundits, the product isn’t as pretty as they’d like. They can point with good measure of evidence to the way the club has played in spurts and has been forced to come back to triumph after digging large holes.

The pundits look back at the championship squad and this pales a bit in comparison. The loss of James Posey is bigger that people realize, they say. The team still needs a true point guard to back up Rajon Rondo [stats], they say. Last season’s team just steamrolled over any minor inconsistencies, they say.

But does the larger perception match reality?

The Celtics were, indeed, very good last year, but it’s important to recall the fragile nature of all of this. The final image of 2007-08 was the utter destruction of the Lakers in Game 6, but it helps to remember that was the Celts’ 26th postseason game. It helps to remember they were taken to seven (count ’em, seven) games by the Atlanta Hawks.

There was the rush in the aftermath of the title to judge this team’s place in the franchise pantheon, but do we even have that discussion if P.J. Brown doesn’t hit that 20-footer in Game 7 against Cleveland?

The point is that even with the exact same roster as last season, the Celtics would not be a lock to repeat. Would they be considered the best team in the NBA? Yes. But many things have to fall into place for a club to win it all. (And it didn’t hurt that Manu Ginobili’s injury kept San Antonio from the Finals and what could have been an epic set with the C’s.)

Sitting here a bit less than five months from the start of the 2009 playoffs, it does appear the Celtics are a bit thin behind Paul Pierce [stats] at small forward, and it’s clear from their pursuit of Antonio McDyess that Danny Ainge & Co. understand the need for someone taller behind Kendrick Perkins [stats]. And while they will admit Eddie House is not a true point guard, they are unwilling to give up what he gives them (the willingness to fire up treys in crunch time and the ability to hit them).

It’s also true that even without roster tweaks, this club could be reasonably better by April if only for the improvement of its children. Leon Powe and Glen Davis are better, and, while he was the key in the finale against the Lakers, Rondo served further notice by outplaying Allen Iverson [stats] Thursday.

As much as people don’t want to hear it - nor should they, considering the price of a ticket - the regular season is, for the elite teams, a prolonged training camp. The only caveat is the need to secure homecourt advantage, a little perk that may have been the difference in the weaving of Banner 17.

The success of the first 82 games will be measured largely in how well the Celtics can prepare their role players for the postseason. And though Ainge says he’s perfectly happy with the roster as it stands, he’s still making and answering phone calls in search of improvement.

A real Hornets nest

New Orleans was a popular pick among prognosticators this season. The Hornets took a giant step last year before a heartbreaking seven-game loss to the Spurs in the Western Conference semifinals. And they got Posey.

Yet the Crescent City Crew was just a .500 team (5-5) heading into a weekend back-to-back series with Oklahoma City. The nine-point loss to Sacramento last week - at home, no less - was particularly galling.

So, like, what up?

“I’m more (angry) than anything,” coach Byron Scott told reporters afterward. “Even when we came back, I think we were down seven or eight, to tie it as the fourth quarter started, I told them that was my initials - B.S. - because of the fact that we allowed them to come out and play real hard, get some easy buckets, then we decide we’ve got to start playing harder.

“If we’re going to play in spurts like that, we’re going to win 41, 42 games. It’s going to be that type of season. We’re going to be so up and down. You can’t play in this Western Conference like that. If you don’t give 110 percent effort every single night, you’re going to be behind the eight ball.

“I don’t know what we’re waiting on, but if we want (to lose) 10 or 15 more games in this conference, we’re going to be out of it. That’s the bottom line.”

Chris Paul stepped up and added, “We’re losing games that we feel like we should have won. It’s enough of us saying it’s early in the season, but now we’ve got to play.”

A market crash?

More and more we get the impression that if the big name free agents stay home in 2010, certain heads of basketball operations will be fighting each other for space on a tall bridge.

Say LeBron James decides that Cleveland rocks and Dwyane Wade doesn’t want to buy a cold-weather wardrobe and Chris Bosh says he can’t lose the honor of playing in the same building as the Maple Leafs. Say these guys and the rest of the Class of the Century come to believe that the money isn’t greener on the other side.

What will the teams building cap space do?

The latest move for the future came Friday when the Knicks sent a better player with a longer contract to Golden State for someone who can help some now but is even more valuable because he’s over and out in 2010. By jettisoning Jamal Crawford for Al Harrington, New York is probably doing the right thing as it tries to get out from under the contractual calamity of the Isiah Thomas era.

But what if none of the big names want to play Broadway?

Hey Brian Scalabrine will be a free agent, too.

Fiddlin’ and diddlin’

On top of the fact Seattle is sorely missed as a road stop, it still seems terribly odd every time Doc Rivers references “the Oklahoma game.” Does anyone hear that and think Thunder basketball and not Sooners football.

“Yeah, it is strange,” said Rivers. “But I guess we’re going to have to get used to it.” . . .

After all that preseason talk of wanting Andrea Bargnani to play inside, the Raptors have moved him into the starting lineup at small forward. . . .

Fans in Cleveland booed a recent Cavs win. That’s because it was a 99-93 decision over the Bucks and ticket holders get a free chalupa when the team scores 100. Coach Mike Brown had James dribble out the clock and even get a turnover with two seconds left.

“I can’t believe people who buy season tickets get worked up over a (expletive) $1 (expletive) taco,” James said.

Yeah, ’Bron, but it was a chalupa. . . .

Nobody wins unless everybody wins.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/11/23/rondo_scoring_points_with_play?mode=PF
Rondo scoring points with play
By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff | November 23, 2008

TORONTO - Rajon Rondo has a point guard's sensibilities - pass first, set up teammates, get everyone involved, shoot as a last resort. And since the Celtics are allowed to play with only one ball at a time, Rondo's task becomes complicated as he attempts to distribute the wealth among Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce.

But Rondo has been breaking through recently after an inconsistent start to the season - by shooting first and asking questions later. He has averaged 15.3 points in the last three games; he shot 3 for 17 and totaled 9 points in the previous three contests.

On Thursday, Rondo outscored Allen Iverson (18-14) as the Celtics took a 98-80 win over Detroit. Less than 24 hours later, he sparked the Celtics to a 95-78 victory at Minnesota, Rondo himself outscoring the Timberwolves (11-10) in the decisive third quarter.

Now Rondo is preparing for another test, this time against Jose Calderon as the Celtics meet the Toronto Raptors this afternoon.

"We came out with a different intensity in the third quarter," Rondo said of the Celtics' 35-10 wipeout of the Timberwolves. "We converted on easy baskets and kept the defensive intensity up. They shot [27 percent] in the first half but I didn't play like I wanted in the first half. I missed lot easy baskets. But then we had a great run in the third quarter."

By building comfortable leads, the Celtic starters have been able to sit out the final quarter in the last two games.

"That's big for us," Rondo said. "We had a great start to the third quarter and that gave us a chance to rest again - even if we didn't play good the whole time."

Rondo's perimeter shooting also has improved. He was scoreless from 3-point range until sinking one against the Pistons. He converted two against Minnesota, including an uncontested shot from about 25 feet at the third-quarter buzzer.

"They were still shot-clock threes, but I stepped in and took them with confidence," Rondo said.

Coach Doc Rivers has been encouraging Rondo to be more assertive.

"His speed has to be a factor," Rivers said. "The last two games are what we see him doing every night. Obviously, he's young, so he's inconsistent a little bit. But I just like the way he was attacking and not letting guards that were guarding him off the hook, making them guard him. Because when he becomes an offensive factor, he takes our offense to a different level.

"I just want him to be aggressive and make plays. It doesn't have to always be a shot at the basket, but create a shot at the basket, and he's doing that. He's getting better and better at it.

"It's also very difficult to do, with Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett out there. At some point he says to himself, 'Wait a minute, I'm the guy with the ball?' And I always say, 'Yeah, you're the guy with the ball - and keep it. If they aren't going to guard you, keep it and make things happen.' "

The Celtics remain vulnerable against point guards with a size advantage over Rondo, though. The point guard matchup against Detroit in the Eastern Conference finals last season illustrated a Celtic weakness. This season, though, the Pistons traded Chauncey Billups to Denver; the Celtics have twice dominated Detroit but were defeated by Denver (94-85), their only home loss.

"Playing against Chauncey in the playoffs, there isn't a better guy to hone your skills playing against, a bigger guy than him, unless Magic [Johnson] is still around," Rivers said. "[Rondo] has definitely improved."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/articles/2008/11/22/raptors_oneal_day_to_day_with_sprained_left_knee/

Raptors O'Neal day-to-day with sprained left knee
November 22, 2008
Email| Print| Single Page| Yahoo! Buzz| ShareThisText size – + TORONTO—Raptors forward Jermaine O'Neal did not practice Saturday and was listed as day-to-day after straining his surgically repaired left knee against New Jersey on Friday night.

O'Neal was scheduled to receive treatment twice Saturday and could play Sunday when Toronto hosts defending NBA-champion Boston.

"We've already made contingency plans if he can't go," Raptors coach Sam Mitchell said.

New Jersey forward Sean Williams was assessed a flagrant foul for pulling O'Neal down by the jersey as he went up for a shot under the basket in the fourth quarter of an overtime loss to the Nets.

O'Neal stayed down for a minute, then walked gingerly to the bench. He returned after a timeout but missed both free throws before hobbling to the locker room and going to a local hospital for tests.

"First and foremost, you're worried," Toronto forward Chris Bosh said. "It was awkward. We're fortunate it wasn't as bad as it looked."

O'Neal is averaging 12.9 points and 9.3 rebounds. He missed 40 games last season because of lingering pain from a torn ligament in his left knee that was surgically repaired the previous summer. He joined Toronto in an offseason trade that sent guard T.J. Ford to Indiana.

A Raptors spokesman said Toronto general manager Bryan Colangelo had asked the NBA office to review the play, but all flagrant fouls are automatically reviewed by the league.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/articles/2008/11/23/brand_fairly_bland_so_far?mode=PF
Brand fairly bland so far
By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | November 23, 2008

With the Celtics already sailing far ahead in the Atlantic Division, Elton Brand blames himself for not making the divisional race more competitive.

The Philadelphia 76ers signed the two-time All-Star away from the Clippers with a five-year, $82 million deal in the offseason. With an intriguing roster that includes two talented guards named Andre (Miller and Iguodala), budding star forward Thaddeus Young, and swatting center Samuel Dalembert, the Sixers expected that the addition of Brand in the post would make them a formidable team that could challenge Boston.

But as of yesterday morning, the Celtics (12-2) already owned a five-game lead in the Atlantic over Philadelphia, Toronto, and New York, who were all a mere 6-6.

"A lot is on me," said Brand. "We started off pretty bad and it was all on me. Other guys got deals and stuff. But I don't look at it that way. I look at it as it's all on me.

"I might not have the biggest contract. But I just felt that's what my job was, to come to this team and stabilize it and definitely make it a high-level contender."

Brand is fully recovered from a ruptured left Achilles' tendon that limited him to eight games last season with the Clippers. Even so, the 6-foot-9-inch, 254-pounder is averaging career worsts of 15.9 points, 3.1 turnovers, and a .428 shooting percentage thus far.

While Brand is very familiar with Miller, an ex-teammate in Los Angeles, he is slowly getting used to the other Sixers. So his numbers should improve, as he and his teammates get more comfortable with one another.

"We just came together," Brand said. "I just came to this team. These guys are young. It's going to take a while."

Said Miller, "He's fine. He brings a lot to the table. Defense, rebounding, blocked shots. We're just trying to adjust to him right now."

Like Brand, the Sixers as a whole are trying to figure things out. Philadelphia has beaten Sacramento by 34 points and won tough games at Toronto and Indiana. But they also lost to a doormat, Minnesota, were beaten by 23 points by Miami, and defeated the struggling Clippers by a slim 89-88 score at home Friday thanks to a game-winning Brand jumper.

"The pieces seem there, we just have to get it going," Brand said. "You can't say, 'Oh, two weeks.' It's a growth period we have to go through. We're improving every day and we're working at it. But we really can't give a timetable. I'm pretty sure it will come; I'm positive it will come eventually."

There is a lot of basketball still to be played. But with Jermaine O'Neal ailing in Toronto, the Sixers trying to find their identity, the Knicks caring more about salary-cap space than wins, and the Nets too young to make a run, the Celtics could finish the season with a lead similar to the 25-game cushion they had at the end of last season in the Atlantic.

Brand conceded that catching the Celtics is a task likely too difficult. So he thinks the best thing for his team to do is learn from the champs.

"They're just that good and that battle-tested right now," said Brand, whose Sixers play at Boston Friday. "That's what we aspire to get to.

"We're much younger than those guys. That's the measuring stick right now for us. I think eventually we can compete with them. But right now, they just got it going.

"They got the intensity. They got the hunger. They got the knowledge because they've been to the Finals all the way as a team. They have the unity."

Watching and waiting
Ex-NBA coach Flip Saunders is staying close to the game.

Saunders has attended college practices at Minnesota, Michigan State, Illinois, and Villanova. The former TNT analyst could return to doing games again this season.

But for now, having been fired by the Pistons four days after they were eliminated by the Celtics in last spring's playoffs, he seems to be enjoying his time off from coaching while living in Minneapolis.

"I'm an expert now," joked Saunders. "I sit back, watch some games. I'm trying to figure everything out. I'm going to watch a lot of college games and practices, speak at clinics. I'm watching some NBA games. I'm a basketball junkie. I have no agenda about who wins. It is unique."

While Saunders says he'd prefer to sit out this season, his name and that of ex-Mavericks coach Avery Johnson will surely come up if any jobs become open.

In nine-plus seasons with Minnesota, Saunders posted a 411-326 record, became the winningest coach in franchise history, and led the team to its first Western Conference finals in 2004. The Pistons averaged nearly 59 victories and compiled a 30-21 playoff record in three seasons under Saunders.

"I'm going to want to wait this season out, but you never say never," Saunders said. "If the right situation presents itself, fine. But I'm looking at waiting at the same time.

"I've been keeping myself busy by staying involved in the game. There is that inclination that you want to have a team. But I don't want to right now."

Etc.
State of frustration
Al Harrington wasn't the only Warrior who wanted out of Golden State. Former University of Connecticut point guard Marcus Williams feels that way, too. Following two decent seasons in New Jersey, Williams was hoping for a fresh start and much more playing time after being dealt to the Warriors July 22 for a conditional first-round draft pick. With Monta Ellis out with an ankle injury and Baron Davis gone to the Clippers, Williams seemed in good position to get his wish. But through 11 games, he was scoreless with seven assists in 23 minutes and was behind undrafted rookies C.J. Watson and DeMarcus Nelson in the point guard rotation. Williams's agent, Bill Duffy, said he asked the Warriors to trade his client. "It appeared to be an ideal fit for him over the summer after Baron Davis's absence," Duffy said. "Marcus has not had sustained opportunities. It's not his intention to leave, but it's important that he plays." Harrington got his wish Friday when he was dealt to New York for guard Jamal Crawford. With Crawford expected to start, playing time should be even harder for Williams to get. Duffy acknowledged that the Warriors have been talking to teams about Williams. Golden State executive vice president Chris Mullin believes Williams can still make an impact this season. "To me, he just needs a chance," said Mullin. "We're going to put another scorer [Crawford], sooner or later, on the floor. So we'll need another passer. It's still early. We're just 10 games in. I understand his frustration. There is a lot of situations where it can click." The Warriors can play some interesting small ball with Crawford, Stephen Jackson, and Corey Maggette. Crawford was averaging 19.6 points and 4.4 assists in 35.6 minutes with New York and scored 25-plus five times. Imagine how intimidating Golden State will be offensively after the return of Ellis, who averaged 20.2 points last season. Mullin said Ellis is progressing, but he wasn't certain when he would play again. Crawford "is a good fit for us," Mullin said. "We like to play small anyways. He's an established NBA scorer. We really didn't have a third scorer."

Shake up the Thunder
Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti will give interim head coach Scott Brooks the job for the remainder of the season, with a chance to win it permanently. Presti fired P.J. Carlesimo following Friday's loss to New Orleans, which dropped the Thunder to 1-12. If things don't work out with Brooks, keep an eye on ex-Dallas coach Avery Johnson, who has Spurs ties with Presti and played juco ball in Oklahoma. With young standouts Kevin Durant, Jeff Green, and Russell Westbrook, plus $25 million available in free agency and two first-round picks, the Thunder job will be an attractive one next summer. "Our focus is on the immediate, and [Brooks] has my full support," said Presti, a Boston native.

Changing of the guard
As soon as the Nuggets moved point guard Andre Miller to the 76ers in the blockbuster Allen Iverson trade on Dec. 19, 2006, Miller felt it would be just a matter of time before his old team would try to acquire a true point guard again. Miller was right as the Nuggets acquired Chauncey Billups in another Iverson trade this month. "I knew that was going to happen when I got traded," Miller said. "Probably the only difference between me and Chauncey Billups is he's a better 3-point shooter, he has more playoff games under him. I knew that was going to happen. [The Nuggets] need that stability at point guard to get the guys the ball and get Carmelo [Anthony] the ball when he wants it. The [Iverson] experiment didn't work. I think both sides are happy with the trade." When asked about being a point guard, Iverson said: "I've played 2-guard the majority of my career and I've played a lot of point guard as well when I needed to. I'm a basketball player. I'm not a true point guard so I can't tell you what a true point guard is. All I can do is play like Allen Iverson and play with the talent that God gave me."

The last word
Hey Celtics, Nuggets coach George Karl told the Denver Post last week, "Cleveland and LA have proven to be the best teams in the first 10 games."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/pros_and_colleges/x408979805/Courtside-View-Rondos-balancing-act
Courtside View: Rondo's balancing act
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Scott Souza/Daily News staff
The MetroWest Daily News
Posted Nov 23, 2008 @ 12:01 AM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amid all the fanfare, the championship and the seemingly programmed talking points, it's easy to forget some of these guys are only a few years out of high school. So when one of the Celtics drops his guard even for a second or two - especially one who doesn't exactly pour his heart into the microphones each day - it's worth noting the battles they sometimes fight with their game when they take a step forward after a stumble.

Such was the case with Rajon Rondo this week as he showed a rare touch of emotion when discussing his recent struggles.

"I don't know what happens sometimes," said the 22-year-old point guard like a high school sophomore trying to explain a failing grade on an algebra test. "I just love getting my teammates involved, and you know, making everyone happy. But, at times, I have to stay aggressive on the opposite end and keep the defense honest."

It's a line Rondo has walked and will likely continue to walk throughout his career. In an era where nearly every backcourt player comes out of the draft with the ambiguous "combo guard" label, Rondo has sought to establish himself as that elusive true point guard. His blazing speed, immense court vision and immaculate basketball IQ, as well as his limited long-range shooting ability, make it a good fit for him. But over the past two seasons, opponents have caught on to his routine, and sometimes use his unselfishness to his detriment.

He fought through it in the playoffs last year as he followed up some forgettable nights with his biggest games in Boston's biggest victories on the way to Banner 17. This year, he began to fall into the familiar trap as he struggled with his jumper against sagging defenses and his offensive game slowed to a drip.

During a recent five-game stretch, Rondo hit on just 5-of-25 shots. He crawled so far back into his shell that he took only one shot - a miss - in 36 minutes on the floor against the Bucks last Saturday.

"That's everybody," said Kendrick Perkins of Rondo's tentativeness. "That's nothing against Rajon. We know he can knock it down. We just have to make sure he is comfortable with taking that shot."

Yet Rondo knows he has to play with confidence or it hurts the team. If opponents are going to leave him open, he has to create something - whether it is through taking the outside shot or making the defense engage him on a drive to the basket to illicit a breakdown.

"It's all about getting the ball and making a play," he acknowledged. "If I have Kevin (Garnett) out there, Ray (Allen) and Paul (Pierce) spacing the floor, when (the defense does) help, I kick it out. If they don't, I have to take it in for an easy basket."

That's exactly what he has done the last three games - not surprisingly, three games in which the Celtics won convincingly. Against the Knicks on Tuesday, he scored 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting, and followed it up with 18 points on another 7-of-11 shooting night against the Pistons on Thursday. Though his percentage dipped Friday in Minnesota (5-for-13), his aggressiveness shredded the interior Timberwolves defense (what there is of it) and ignited a 35-10 third quarter blitz for an easy victory.

"When he is aggressive, man, it's like night and day," Perkins said. "We're hard to guard. We score more points. When he's doing his, we actually get it done. We have to make sure we keep encouraging him to be aggressive. Even when he's having bad games, because he's going to have them, we have to encourage him."

While he wreaks havoc in the lane, Rondo can shoot a bit from the outside as well. Three times in the past two games, he has knocked down 3-pointers either at the end of the shot clock or the end of a quarter. But it is when opponents dare him to take the jumper that it seems to get in his head, and that's something he has to find a way to get past.

"We know he can shoot," Perkins said. "He works on it every day. I think it's more a confidence thing than anything."

Like many young players, Rondo has a stubborn streak. Perhaps because he feels the game so well, his stubborn streak runs deeper than most and becomes his defense mechanism when talk turns to his offense.

"I wouldn't even say it was a bad week," he determined of the stretch of five games when he shot 20 percent, when he shot at all. "I was just playing unselfishly. I turned down a couple of shots tonight (Thursday vs. the Pistons) too. There was one where I threw a behind-the-back pass to Ray when I think I had the layup. That's just how I play. I keep my teammates involved. I like to keep everyone happy."

Of course, the thing that will really keep his teammates happy is an offense that will decimate opponents to match their stifling defense. That's what happens when Rondo attacks the basket and takes command of the court.

That he's done that in the past week has been the difference between all the close, come-from-behind victories of the early season and the 14.7-point margin of victory in the last three games.

That he continues to do it could be the difference between the Celtics merely being one of the best teams in the NBA and being the undisputed team to beat again this season.

[FLCeltsFan]

Utah Defeats Idaho 91-65 in Burley
November 22, 2008 - NBA Development League (D-League) Utah Flash

BURLEY, Idaho - Boston Celtics assignees Bill Walker and J.R. Giddens scored 16 points each as the Utah Flash cruised to a 91-65 victory in NBA Development League preseason action Saturday at Bobcat Gym.

After trailing early to the defending NBA D-League champions, the Flash jumped to a 20-point lead early in the second quarter and led 53-36 at the half. Idaho got as close as 11 twice in the second half before the Flash eventually put the game away.


"I was proud of our defensive effort," Flash head coach Brad Jones said. "Idaho is a good basketball team and we put together a pretty decent effort. It goes without saying the Walker and Giddens played well, but I was also proud of the effort by Bennet Davis."


Davis, a rookie from Northeastern via the Bahamas, chipped in 15 points and grabbed six rebounds for the Flash. Giddens had five boards while the Flash limited the Stampede to just 27-percent from the floor (19-of-69).


Jamaal Tatum was the lone Idaho player in double figures with 18 points. Jermareo Davidson led all rebounders with nine.


The Flash open the regular season Friday by visiting the Austin Toros on the first of a two-game swing to Texas. The home opener for Utah is Dec. 1 when the Bakersfield Jam visits the McKay Events Center.


• Discuss this story on the NBA Development League message board...
• Digg this story
• Add to Del.icio.us