News 1/4

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1142962&format=text

Celtics pine for lift by bench

By Mark Murphy | Sunday, January 4, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Matt Stone
Doc Rivers set one goal this season that may be out of reach, no matter how much everyone tries to make it possible.

The Celtics [team stats] coach said two months ago that since there is no way to replace James Posey with another individual, his bench would have to fill the order by committee.

“Record-wise they are,” Rivers said. “For a while the guys on the bench were even carrying our starters. But I think we have to improve in that area.”

Like last year, the Celtics are again looking for a way to improve the reserve unit. Perhaps help will come once a big man - Joe Smith (Oklahoma City) or Brad Miller (Sacramento) are likely candidates - is bought out of his contract. Perhaps president of basketball operations Danny Ainge really is intrigued by Stephon Marbury despite the forlorn guard’s reputation as a chemistry killer.

But until then, improvement is expected to come from within.

Brian Scalabrine, who is playing a much larger role this season, can see where all of these elements are coming together, and also where some of them aren’t.

“I don’t know if we’re all replacing him because we’re all different than him,” he said. “His on-the-ball defense and his help defense - his ability to take a charge - was very special.

“(Posey) gave us that deep 3-pointer. But we also have guys who are better in other areas. ‘Pose’ couldn’t crack you off the dribble the way that Tony (Allen) can, so there are other things we can all do to get better.”

But many of these efforts - especially when Allen is part of the discussion - have been hindered by inconsistency.

The Celtics’ 1-3 western road swing against the Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento, Golden State and Portland caught Allen struggling at both ends of the floor. The swingman made defensive mistakes and had trouble finishing at the end of that powerful move.

Overall, the bench often was unable to hold leads after being set up by the starters.

So there is much work to be done.

“I would like to check our plus-minus for the bench,” Scalabrine said. “Last year I know it was pretty good with the starters out, but for most of the time the (reserves) were also out there with one or two starters on the floor.

“One thing the bench did last year was that it always defended well. This year, we’ve also pushed leads up, so I think our plus-minus should be better. But it’s hard to get that consistency. Because of the schedule, we haven’t been getting a lot of practice time to work on things, and that’s one way that we’ve always been able to get better.

“We’ve always been able to get ready for anyone by playing against the starters in practice.”

The Celtics have received a rare treat in that sense.

Yesterday marked their second practice in three days. They are also scheduled to practice tomorrow in Charlotte, N.C., following tonight’s game in New York, in preparation for a Tuesday night game against the Bobcats.

But perhaps the bench already is helping in another way as well.

The Celtics, in the process of blowing out the Wizards by 25 points Friday night, earned the starting unit a much-needed rest. Only Ray Allen (31 minutes) broke the 30-minute mark.

Scalabrine considered this a winning formula.

“Just take a look at those 72-10 Bulls,” Scalabrine said of the winningest team in NBA history. “In an awful lot of those games, (Michael Jordan) was able to sit out the entire fourth quarter.”

That will only work here if the Celtics bench develops a little staying power.

Celtics notes

The Knicks may be locked in waiting-for-LeBron-James-in-2010 mode, but there is always something special about a game in New York.

Scalabrine plans to take it all in again tonight.

“One of my favorite places to play is Madison Square Garden,” he said. “It’s the air, the sound system, the constant buzz that is always going on there. The fans respect the game. Every time you go there it’s the same.” . . .

Four Trojans were in the house Friday night, with Patriots [team stats] quarterback Matt Cassel visiting a Celtics locker room that already had USC alumnus Scalabrine and Gabe Pruitt inside, as well as Pruitt’s former teammate Nick Young across the hall with the Wizards.

Cassel was a freshman at USC when Scalabrine was a senior. Pruitt met Cassel for the first time Friday.

“I remember hearing about Matt Cassel,” Pruitt said. “He never played, but you would hear about him.”

Pruitt was naturally in his glory following USC’s win against Penn State in the Rose Bowl on Thursday.

A scowling Sam Cassell, who had been talking up the merits of Big Ten football all week to Rivers - a bandwagon-jumping USC fan who grew up in the middle of Big Ten country - didn’t want to hear it following some needling from his coach.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/other_nba/view.bg?articleid=1142961&format=text
Cavaliers get best from Delonte West

By Mark Murphy / NBA Notes | Sunday, January 4, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | NBA Coverage

Photo by John Wilcox
Much of Cleveland’s success, with a run almost as good as that put together by the Celtics [team stats] over the past two months, has been overlooked by all except the true NBA fans in these parts.

A 19-game winning streak by the home team will do that. It may not obscure the MVP-level season being constructed by LeBron James, but the Cavs haven’t been a one-man circus for quite some time.

The reminder comes Friday, when the Celtics make their first visit of the season to Cleveland for what, after the C’s Christmas Day loss in Los Angeles, is one of the most anticipated dates on the NBA calendar.

One added reason is the immersion of Mo Williams in coach Mike Brown’s system. The Cavs appear to have finally filled their long-standing need at point guard. The former Buck has solved a lot of issues, from his playmaking and ability to create the right pace to his scoring.

And Delonte West has finally settled in. When last heard from in these parts, on the night of the Celtics’ season-opening win over the Cavs, West had just emerged after leaving the team for almost two weeks to deal with depression-related issues.

The former Celtic said that basketball, always his main source of joy, had never meant so much to him.

“I think the time away helped him,” Brown said last week. “Anytime a person can take some time to reflect, then sometimes this thought or that thought jog something in your head that makes you understand the way you have to go.

“I’m sure that the time he took off, and the support that we gave him, really helped.”

The result has been apparent ever since, but especially on the night of Dec. 30 in Miami.

West, after pressuring Shawn Marion all the way down the floor, poked the ball away from the Heat forward.

Both players rushed into the backcourt to retrieve the ball, with West diving to finally secure possession and feed James, who streaked down the other side of the floor for the fast-break dunk.

“A lot of guys would have given it a couple of tries, but (West) was like a piranha going after that ball,” said Brown. “He just smelled blood. He was going to get it, no matter what.”

That much remains the same. West would alternately electrify and frighten Celtics coach Doc Rivers with his essentially reckless, hell-bent approach - his willingness to risk any kind of injury if it meant making a play.

As much as it bothered West when some saddled him with the tag of being injury-prone, that’s exactly how his first three seasons in the NBA shaped up.

Brown laughed.

“Oh, he’s one guy who will never give up on a play, and you like to see that,” said the coach. “The rest of your team feeds off plays like that. One possession can change the flow of a game, and that’s something that Delonte understands as well as anyone.”

But West has also come to grips with his game. Though he now starts opposite Williams at shooting guard, he swings over to the point when Williams is replaced by Daniel Gibson.

West often seemed caught in the debate of whether he was a pure point guard or a pure shooter during his first three seasons, when in fact he turned out to be like the majority of guards in the league - a combo platter.

His acceptance of that role, according to Brown, may be a simple matter of maturity.

“Understanding who he is is helping him,” said Brown. “But you also have to remember that the Celtics had him when he was real young.

“Not only was the team trying to find out what was best for this young man,” he said, “(West) was trying to figure out things like, ‘How am I going to fit in,’ and ‘How am I going to do things in my off-time? How am I going to guard a guy like Jason Kidd tomorrow night?’

“But now he’s getting a feel for the league and what we all can do together. And of course everyone knows about his shooting, but it’s not just the catch-and-shoot stuff now. He’s hitting the pull-up, and he’s so calm and collected about making that shot. It surprised me.”

That said, West’s development was only part of the enlightenment that has taken place since the Cavs received West, Wally Szczerbiak, Ben Wallace and Joe Smith in a huge three-team trade that also included Seattle and Chicago last March.

Add last summer’s three-team deal that netted Williams from the Bucks, and the result is an improved version of the team that took the Celtics to seven games in last year’s conference semifinals.

“Last year Delonte, because of the trade, was just thrown into it, and we had to feel our way along,” said Brown, who, when asked if these Cavs are better now that the new and old cast have meshed, quickly answers in the affirmative.

“We’re better for a lot of different reasons,” he said. “The trade last March brought a new team to the table. I didn’t know what I had with that trade. We had to do a lot of things on the fly.”

Not now. The team that is about to welcome the Celtics back to Cleveland has its boots firmly on the ground.

Drop down for ex-Eagle

It’s always been this way for Sean Williams. This shot-blocking prodigy was known to drift between inspired play good enough to dominate in the ACC and Al Skinner’s doghouse at Boston College.

Now, after a promising rookie year with the Nets, Williams has been packed off for the NBDL. At least this time discipline and team rules aren’t the problem.

His role is.

With Yi Jianlian and rookie center Brook Lopez now on the same roster, Williams is being asked to develop his skills away from the basket, as a small forward. That development program wasn’t going to happen on the mother team. The Colorado 14ers have inherited the task.

His playing time had dropped to 11 minutes per game - a huge difference from his career 16.4-minutes average. He hadn’t played since Dec. 12.

“I want him to play significant minutes,” said Nets coach Lawrence Frank, who hasn’t been particularly impressed with Williams’ sophomore start. “He’ll get an opportunity to play some perimeter. The good thing, because the D-League has a lot of mid-sized to smaller players, is that he can guard those guys and just get an opportunity to play. I think it will be really good for Sean to just play games and compete, so he doesn’t lose that feel for playing.”

O’B: I erred on J.J.

Jim O’Brien has been known to change his mind.

And though his greatest moment as a Celtics coach - taking his first C’s roster to the 2002 conference finals - would not have been possible without the trade that sent Joe Johnson to Phoenix for Tony Delk and Rodney Rodgers, the Pacers coach is having some extremely late buyers’ remorse.

Perhaps that’s because he can now see the difference Johnson might have made in those ensuing years when the Celtics truly hit bottom.

“It was a good move in the short run,” O’Brien said last week. “The people we ended up bringing in helped us get to the Eastern Conference finals. It was a horrible move for the long run.

“He’s one of the smoothest players in the NBA from the standpoint it almost seems like he glides. If there’s any such thing as as playing basketball on ice skates, that’s what it would be like. He’s very long. He has a shot that he gets off very, very high. He is a terrific passer.”

And who knows what Johnson would have been like as a seasoned Celtic.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1142959&format=text

LaMarcus Aldridge has a court retort for Kevin Garnett’s banter

By Mark Murphy | Sunday, January 4, 2009 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by AP
Doc Rivers has a theory for why Kevin Garnett receives technical fouls.

For all of his cursing and other talk, referees recognize that Garnett is usually talking to himself. Or his teammates.

But that hasn’t stopped opponents -- most of whom consider the Celtics [team stats] the most boastful, foul-mouthed outfit in the NBA -- from feeding off KG’s toxic on-court rage.

Add LaMarcus Aldridge to that list. The young Blazers big man is attempting to shake off the belief that he is soft. He absolutely hates the thought that anyone considers him a pushover.

But Aldridge earned some important self-esteem points when he butted chests with Garnett early in the Celtics’ 91-86 loss in Portland Tuesday night.

“I was going to hit first,” Aldridge told The Oregonian. “I was going to come out physical and let it be known I wasn’t going to be pushed around.”

That’s apparently how Aldridge believes the entire Blazers team was treated during a 93-78 loss in Boston on Dec. 5.

After his 20-point performance Tuesday night, Aldridge talked of drawing the line on what he considers Garnett’s excessive flurry of elbows.

“You can only take so much,” he said of the Garnett treatment, and of both players earning a double-technical after Aldridge responded to a KG elbow with a slap to the back of Garnett’s head at the start of a timeout.

“Just two competitive players going at it,” Aldridge said of the evening’s result. “He goes his way, I go mine.”

Until they meet again -- if not in the Finals, then next year. Rest assured that neither player has a short memory.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/01/04/celtics_waiting_to_see_whether_knicks_will_drop_their_guard?mode=PF

Celtics waiting to see whether Knicks will drop their guard
By Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff | January 4, 2009

WALTHAM - Stephon Marbury is still a New York Knick, but if he becomes a Celtic, Ray Allen would be among those willing to accept him.

"It's speculation, I don't really have to think about it," Allen said after practice yesterday. "I learned a long time ago to deal with everything and everyone we have here, that's where our focus has to be."

But Marbury is in Allen's thoughts as the Celtics and Knicks prepare to meet in New York tonight.

"I think it is somewhat disappointing watching what has happened with Stephon," Allen said. "It's disappointing, because whatever is going on with the Knicks, I thought he could still help that team. It's not like he's a guy who can't play basketball anymore."

Marbury, responding to a report that he could join the Celtics, said he would be interested in doing so, if a buyout of his contract with the Knicks is settled.

Allen talked briefly with Marbury when the teams met in a preseason contest, but not since. But Allen said Marbury is likely gaining extra motivation.

"It's speculation, but if he has a reason for coming here," Allen said, "I'm sure he's taking care of himself.

"I haven't seen him play since we played him last, in the preseason. But, how he played against us, it wasn't like he was going down. I know how I feel and he's somewhat younger than me."

Allen and Marbury competed against each other as teenagers.

"He and I grew up playing together and against each other in high school, we were drafted together, and got traded for each other," Allen said. "I always followed his career."

Allen compared Marbury's situation to that of Sam Cassell and P.J. Brown, who joined the Celtics midway through last season, and said he trusted the decision-making of president of basketball operations Danny Ainge.

"I know there was speculation about Sam being bought out and P.J. was at home, and we needed them down the stretch," Allen said, "and Danny was the guy who made those decisions. Danny is the guy who has to make those decisions and he is very qualified to make them.

"We have to focus on what to do on the floor. And, if it does happen, we'll move forward.

"Coming here, you get to fit in and be a cog in the wheel. You've got other players here who have won championships, All-Star players. We welcome the help. We are pretty selfless when it comes to sharing the basketball, and players we play against sense that.

"We beat teams together, we lose together, everything is together, and teams see that, players and coaches see that."

Marbury teamed with the Celtics' Kevin Garnett in Minnesota before being traded to New Jersey.

"Reuniting with Kevin is something that I would love," Marbury said in a recent interview in Minneapolis, where he attended a Timberwolves game. "Going to Boston would be great for basketball and for fans to see Kevin and I reunited, like when we were younger. There is some hope, if I can get out of my contract and they're interested in me. How can you deny the chance?"

Marbury also told the New York Post: "I would be honored to put on the white and green. The team that I am on has said they don't want me. I want to move on with my career. And they should want to move on."

Marbury, though, may prefer going to a team in need of a starting point guard. And the Knicks have been unwilling to settle his contract to allow him to play for an Eastern Conference foe, especially a team such as Miami, a likely rival for a playoff spot.

Knicks president Donnie Walsh plans to resume buyout talks with Marbury this week.

Asked about Marbury moving to the Celtics, Walsh said, "Boston? No, I really don't mind Boston." Miami, though, "would be different," Walsh said.

NBA Players Association attorney Hal Biagas has been given permission by the Knicks to talk to teams regarding Marbury. Biagas has contacted the Celtics.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2009/01/04/help_wanted_but_theres_no_big_hurry?mode=PF

Help wanted, but there's no big hurry
By Marc J. Spears | January 4, 2009

While Dikembe Mutombo said he wanted to come to Boston, the Celtics weren't quite ready to commit to him.

The four-time Defensive Player of the Year listed the Celtics among the teams he was interested in signing with for his last NBA season. While the Celtics had mild interest, they expected Mutombo to re-sign with Houston all along, and he did.

Mutombo told the Globe last Thursday that the Celtics didn't make an offer because they are still weighing their big man options.

"I wanted to play about 40-something games," said Mutombo. "The only money that was on the table for me was San Antonio and Houston. Yao Ming talked to me about coming back.

"Boston talked to me about being interested, but never made an offer. I believe they also had interest in P.J. Brown, Alonzo Mourning, and Joe Smith, who might be released by Oklahoma City.

"I wasn't going to sit at home for days to pass by while they make a decision. It left me to decide to go to San Antonio or come back here [to Houston].

"Boston wasn't ready. I think they will want to do something at the end of January. I think they're interested in four guys and then will pick one."

With Mutombo signed and Brown telling the New Orleans Times-Picayune last week that he plans on staying retired, the only free agents left that could intrigue the Celtics are Mourning and Robert Horry. Horry, however, doesn't seem interested in playing again.

Since Brown's departure, the Celtics have been in need of a veteran big man who can add length off the bench. Leon Powe and Glen Davis are both talented but undersized.

The 7-foot-2-inch, 260-pound Mutombo averaged 3 points and 5.1 rebounds in 39 games for Houston last season, and the Celtics seemed concerned about what he could contribute.

"I wanted to come," said Mutombo, who will be in town Wednesday with the Rockets. "My question was, how long would it be till they make a decision? They didn't have an answer."

The Celtics may not have an answer for a while.

Despite their recent losses, the sky hasn't fallen. The Celtics won't make a kneejerk move to add a veteran big man or a veteran guard with scoring skills off the bench. As they did with Brown and Sam Cassell late last season, expect them to take their time to make sure they get the right piece to their puzzle.

The Celtics will keep an eye on what big men are waived by Saturday, when contracts become guaranteed for the rest of the season. Potential candidates include Memphis's Darius Miles, Chicago's Michael Ruffin, the Lakers' Josh Powell, Miami's Jamal Magliore, Milwaukee's Austin Croshere, New Orleans's Sean Marks, and Toronto's Jake Voskuhl.

One NBA source said the Celtics seem interested only in players that are free agents or are bought out. But stay tuned. Don't be surprised if Celtics president Danny Ainge has something up his sleeve.

As Mutombo said, the Celtics are still trying to find out exactly what they want to do. Championship teams with elite records can take their time.

"I like our team," Ainge said. "Nothing at all is going on right now."


For Rivers, it's all about the Gators
Celtics coach Doc Rivers, whose home is in Florida, has a growing relationship with the University of Florida's football team and coach Urban Meyer. Rivers spoke to the team during the offseason, often communicates with Meyer via e-mail, and tries to use football to motivate the Celtics at times.

Rivers, whose daughter plays on the Florida volleyball team, is rooting for the Gators to beat Oklahoma in the BCS Championship Game Thursday.

"[Basketball coach] Billy [ Donovan] I know," said Rivers. "But really, with Urban it's been really good. I spent some time with him this summer. We created a video during the playoffs that has been one of their themes this year. 'Keep punching,' the whole Muhammad Ali thing.

"It's funny. When I went to the first game, they actually had it up on the screen at the stadium - not the same one, but that theme.

"He had me come in and speak to the team. They had a 'Champions Day' every year and I spoke to the team. It was neat.

"I love football because of the execution. Football, you have to have precise execution every day down the field. If I say, 'In and out,' and you go the other way, it's a turnover. If I say, 'On three,' and you go on two, the whole team is penalized.

"I tried to get these guys to understand if we can get that same mentality in basketball, we could be the best-executing team in the world on defense and offense."

Rivers was asked to speak to the Gators again before the BCS Championship, but time didn't permit it. He plans on watching the game while the Celtics are in Cleveland, where they play the Cavaliers Friday.

Asked for a prediction, Rivers said, "Florida. All SEC."


Etc.


Joe? It probably ain't so
Unless the Celtics can work out some trade magic, don't expect to see Joe Smith in a Boston uniform. While the Celtics would likely be interested in signing the veteran power forward, an NBA source said Oklahoma City has no interest in buying him out of his $4.7 million contract. Because the Celtics have three players with max contracts, it would be extremely difficult to make a trade for Smith. The reason teams are interested in adding the 6-foot-10-inch, 225-pounder is the same reason the struggling Thunder wouldn't be interested in buying him out. Smith has a solid inside and outside offensive game, is a decent defender, is very professional, and has 14 years of experience. Even so, don't be surprised if teams make a run at the likes of Oklahoma City players such as Smith, guard Earl Watson, forward Damien Wilkins, and big men Nick Collison and Chris Wilcox via trade.


Showtime for Showcase
There is more than one reason why the NBA Development League's premier event is called the "Showcase." The annual Showcase is Tuesday through Thursday, with 16 teams playing two games each in Orem, Utah. There have been 67 credentials issued for NBA executives and scouts from every team, including one for Celtics president Danny Ainge. Six players have been assigned to the D-League from NBA teams since Christmas. Nine members of the 2008 NBA Draft class will be taking part, including Celtics rookies J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker of the Utah Flash, as well as seven members of the 2007 class, including Nets forward Sean Williams (Colorado) of Boston College. Forty-one players with NBA experience are expected to play, including Kedrick Brown, Mateen Cleaves, Frank Williams, Blake Ahearn, Derrick Dial, Eddie Gill, and Coby Karl. Patrick Ewing Jr. (Reno), son of the Hall of Famer, and ex-University of Massachusetts star Gary Forbes (Sioux Falls) will also be participating. All 16 games will be streamed on NBA.com. Celtics fans can watch Giddens and Walker as the Flash play Tuesday against Anaheim and Thursday against Los Angeles at 9:15 p.m.


Northwest territory
With the Seattle SuperSonics now extinct, the Portland Trail Blazers are quietly becoming the NBA's Team of the Northwest. Their 55-game cable package is being broadcast in Seattle for the first time this season. Getting Seattle basketball fans to make the trek to Portland might be a little trickier, though, since it is a three-hour drive. But the Blazers have several Seattle ties that add to the attraction. Team owner and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is a Seattle native and owner of the Seattle Seahawks and MLS Seattle Sounders FC. Allen is considering bringing co-branded Blazers-Seahawks-Sounders sports camps to Seattle. Portland coach Nate McMillan is an ex-Sonics star and guards Brandon Roy and Martell Webster are Seattle natives. "We had a little bit of that conversation at the beginning of the [season]," McMillan said about Seattle. "Our focus has been on us. I feel that if we do what we've been doing here, which is change everything about the organization, which we've done, and if we start to play good basketball and win some games, we are not just trying to capture the Northwest, we'll capture the country. That's our approach." Meanwhile, the News Tribune (a Tacoma, Wash., newspaper) reported last week that the city of Seattle is seeking $75 million to complete a $300 million finance package to remodel Key Arena in hopes of attracting another NBA team.


Free throws
Asked when Stephon Marbury was expected to get bought out of his contract, one NBA general manager said, "Who knows? It wouldn't surprise me if he didn't get bought out at all." . . . Asked about the possibility of him and teammate Caron Butler returning to the All-Star Game despite the Wizards' poor record, Antawn Jamison said, "The numbers are right, but you still got the team performance. It just depends on the situation. Joe [ Johnson] made it with a bad record [in Atlanta]. You got some guys playing well. [Danny] Granger is playing pretty well in Indiana. It will be tough, but that's the least of our problems."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/celtics_blog/

Marbury in Ray Allen's thoughts
Link|Comments (1) Posted by Frank Dell'Apa, Globe Staff January 3, 2009 02:28 PM
Celtics guard Ray Allen has followed Stephon Marbury’s career since they were teenagers. And Marbury’s situation as a New York Knicks’ outcast and potential Celtic recruit is in Allen’s thoughts as the teams prepare to meet at Madison Square Garden Sunday.

“It’s speculation, I don’t really have to think about it,” Allen said after the Celtics’ practice in Waltham Saturday. “I learned a long time ago to deal with everything and everyone we have here, that’s where our focus has to be.”

Marbury said he would be interested in joining the Celtics, if his contract with the Knicks is bought out.

“I think it is somewhat disappointing watching what has happened with Stephon,” Allen said. It’s disappointing, because whatever is going on with the Knicks, I thought he could still help that team. It’s not like he’s a guy who can’t play basketball anymore.”

Allen said Marbury is likely gaining extra motivation.

“It’s speculation, but if he has a reason for coming here,” Allen said, “I’m sure he’s taking care of himself.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.commercialappeal.com/news/2009/jan/04/energetic-miles-eligible-to-compete/?printer=1/

Energetic Miles eligible to compete with Grizzlies
Forward shines in practice, may not be in game shape
By Ronald Tillery

Sunday, January 4, 2009

Friday was more than a good day.

Darius Miles finally broke through the skepticism with skill and the domination of a sequence that made a believer of his Grizzlies teammates.

The 6-9 forward, who is trying to resurrect his NBA career after signing a nonguaranteed contract with Memphis Dec. 12, took over practice at the end of last week.

Playing with the second unit and trailing 12-6, Miles turned the game around with a pair of clutch shots. He then got a steal and ran a fast-break that led to a dunk.

"He had a (heckuva) practice," Griz forward Rudy Gay said. "He was getting up and down the court, knocking down shots and he even caught an alley oop. If anything, playing basketball will be easy for him. It's just getting his rhythm back."

Griz fans may or may not see what kind of groove Miles is in this afternoon when the team hosts the Dallas Mavericks. Today marks the first game Miles is eligible to play after serving a 10-game suspension for violating the NBA's drug policy.

Griz coach Marc Iavaroni was noncommittal as to whether Miles would be granted time.

"If the situation arises, yes. If we feel he's ready, yes," Iavaroni said when asked if Miles will play. "I don't rule it out. He's made progress. He's been somewhat surprising to me, which is a good sign. I'm optimistic."

Some of the Grizzlies' veteran players doubt Miles is in enough NBA shape to contribute right away even though he has worked out every day, even when the Griz took time off.

"He's been working out but he's not in game shape so he has to get there," guard Greg Buckner said.

Forward Hakim Warrick said Miles has met expectations, however tempered those are.

"Of course, he's not going to be the same high-flying guy you've seen," Warrick said. "But he definitely brings some experience and veteran leadership we can definitely use."

Miles underwent microfracture surgery on his right knee in November 2006. He hasn't played in an NBA regular-season game since April 15, 2006. The Blazers waived him in April after an independent doctor appointed by the league and players' union ruled that his knee troubles were career-ending.

The Griz signed Miles after he went through the Boston Celtics training camp and was waived before the regular season began.

"He might not be as athletic as he once was but he still knows the game," point guard Mike Conley said. "He's been a great leader. He's had a lot of input. I'm looking forward to seeing him in the games because I know what he can do. He's an energy guy and hopefully he can contribute that on the court."

Memphis' gamble will last at least until Wednesday, when the team must decide whether to guarantee Miles' contract for the rest of the season. Miles is eligible to appear in two games before then, and would cost the Griz only about $500,000 if he remains on the roster through April.

And as long as Miles plays in 10 regular-season games, his $9 million salary will be reinstated to the Portland Trail Blazers' payroll. That development would make the Blazers a taxpayer this season. Miles resuming his career for at least 10 games would also lower Portland's room under the salary cap by $9 million for the 2010 free-agent period.

Griz general manager Chris Wallace continues to deny that the motivation for acquiring Miles was to adversely affect Portland's salary cap.

"He came to us not in game shape," Wallace said. "He's in the process of building himself up after suffering the injuries. But he's shown an ability to help as a weak-side shot blocker and someone who will make the extra pass."

Miles is making a favorable impression despite his physical limitations.

"He's been grounded a little bit," Gay said, "but he can still play."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.nytimes.com/2009/01/04/sports/basketball/04celtics.html?pagewanted=print

Dancing to Own Beat, Rondo Directs Celtics
By HOWARD BECK
BOSTON — Rajon Rondo’s everyday pace falls somewhere between blur and tornado. His quick steps and quick decisions fuel the Boston Celtics’ relentless offense. When the time comes to relax, Rondo accelerates.

Between N.B.A. championship drives, Rondo can be found roller skating at Robben’s Roost, a rink in Louisville, Ky., his hometown. The music blares, the lights flash and Rondo takes flight.

“He loves to release, get by himself — he’s listening to music and he’s going his own speed,” said Doug Bibby, Rondo’s coach at Louisville Central High School and longtime friend. “No one can stop him, no one can talk to him and he can just dance to his own beat.”

Bibby was talking about the roller skating, but the same could be said of Rondo’s game, a rare blend of speed, strength and well-timed flash that has helped the Celtics (29-5) maintain their dominance this season.

Boston lost two key members of its championship squad last summer, when P. J. Brown retired and James Posey left as a free agent. The Celtics’ only choice was to improve from within, and Rondo, their 22-year-old point guard, has answered the call.

He is scoring more often and more efficiently, asserting himself with an authority that belies his age and his standing. Being a Celtic means deferring glory to three decorated veteran stars, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Rondo played that role to perfection last season as the Celtics rolled to the championship.

Now he is nudging his way into the spotlight and, for the first time in a young career, is being considered a star in his own right — perhaps even an All-Star. Rondo is averaging 7.7 assists, ranking him eighth in the league (third in the East). His scoring average seems modest (11.1 points), but then the Celtics rarely need much more from him. When they do, Rondo has delivered in style.

Last month, he buried the Knicks with a career-high 26 points, putting the game away with a 9-for-9 third quarter — mostly on blinding drives to the rim. He had 25 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists in a victory over Utah, against the Jazz’s All-Star point guard, Deron Williams.

There was a 22-point outburst against Golden State and three straight 16-point games (against Orlando, Indiana and Portland), all of them contributing to the Celtics’ franchise-record 19-game winning streak, which ended on Dec. 25 against the Lakers.

“I think he’s going to start getting recognized as one of the premier point guards in the N.B.A. with his play if he can continue to do it and we continue to win,” Pierce told reporters after Rondo blitzed the Jazz. “There’s no reason he shouldn’t make the All-Star team.”

Rondo hardly seemed destined for stardom when he entered the league in 2006. He was drafted 21st over all by the Phoenix Suns, then shipped to Boston, where he joined Sebastian Telfair and Delonte West in a crowded and unspectacular point guard rotation. The Celtics won 24 games.

His fate changed when the Celtics acquired Garnett and Allen before last season. His job description seemed relatively simple: get the ball to one of the Big Three and get out of the way. If it looked easy, it is because Rondo laid the groundwork off the court.

“He went to them and basically tried to find out independently, on his own, where each of them wanted to get the ball and how they wanted to score,” Bibby said. “He said, ‘Doug, I want to learn their games better than they know their own games.’ It tells you a lot about the kid and the maturity.”

Having catalogued the preferences of Garnett, Allen and Pierce, Rondo is now using the full extent of his mental playbook. He is averaging 2.6 assists more than he did last season, and playing with increasing flair.

In a 108-83 rout of Washington on Friday, Rondo handed out 14 assists in 27 minutes 30 seconds, then sat out the fourth quarter. He threaded a perfect bounce pass between two defenders to hit Kendrick Perkins for an easy driving dunk. He flung the ball across his torso for a bullet pass to Pierce at the 3-point line. His final assist came after a drive into the paint and a nifty behind-the-back pass to Allen in the corner. Along the way, Rondo hit a rare 3-pointer and threw down a crowd-pleasing dunk. He repeatedly beat Mike James off the dribble and in transition.

“More confident, more experience,” the plain-spoken Rondo said. “I’m more comfortable in my role. Doc has given me a lot more confidence, more free will to call the plays on offense.”

Coach Doc Rivers, a former point guard, said Rondo had become more adept at balancing the needs of the Celtics’ three superstars, and smarter about when to attack the basket himself.

“He has a tough job,” Rivers said. “He has three guys that probably all want the ball every possession. And he has to be the ‘no’ guy: ‘No, not this time.’ ”

Defenses routinely play off of Rondo to double-team Garnett or Pierce. Although he is not a great jump shooter, Rondo is consistently making teams pay with quick drives and clever passes. His shooting percentage (.527) is rivaled only by Orlando’s Jameer Nelson among N.B.A. guards.

“You can’t back off him now,” an Eastern Conference scout said. “He is so quick, it’s ridiculous.”

Rondo also provides critical emotional balance to a hyperintense lineup. Garnett bellows and mutters. Perkins thumps his chest. Pierce talks trash. Eddie House skips and preens. Rondo just steadily gets the job done, without the histrionics.

“Never get too emotional about the game,” Rondo said. “Don’t let the opposing team see if things are going good, how excited I am; and then when I’m low they can either talk me out of my game or get me upset or frustrated. I try to always keep an even keel when I’m out there playing.”

In that sense, Rondo is most like Allen among the Celtics’ stars.

“He’s not an excitable person,” Allen said. “He doesn’t look at himself and get all warm and fuzzy about something that he did on the floor.”

Occasionally, a little bravado seeps out. When Usain Bolt, the gold-medal sprinter, attended a game this season, Rondo told reporters: “I challenged him. I told him I don’t think he wants it, though.”

The Celtics were pretty sure Rondo was joking. But then, it is hard to know just where his limits are anymore.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/x1794959785/Courtside-View-Celtics-cant-be-trapped?view=print

Courtside View: Celtics can't be trapped
By Scott Souza/Daily News staff
GateHouse News Service
Posted Jan 03, 2009 @ 11:30 PM


Over the past two weeks, the Celtics have proved that they can still wipe the floor with bad NBA teams.


Well, except Golden State.


While each victory during the team's franchise-record winning streak provided a bit of a charge based on its historical significance, the blowouts over the Kings last Sunday and Wizards on Friday felt more like beating up the sparring partner. It's better than getting beaten up by the sparring partner, but does little to indicate you are going to win the title fight.


From now until April, every Celtics game is going to be viewed through the lens of what it means to their chances of taking out the Cavaliers, Lake rs, or perhaps the Spurs, Hornets or Blazers, in a seven-game series. When the Wizards come in with a display like they on Friday night at the Garden, the goal is simply to rest the starters as much as possible, don't get anyone hurt, and move on to more important things.


The Rockets on Wednesday, for instance. The Cavs in Cleveland on Friday, most definitely.


The one problem for the team is that it can't afford to look strictly big picture. In the battle for homecourt advantage, one misstep against an also-ran like the Knicks tonight or the Bobcats on Tuesday could haunt the Celtics in May or June.


"It's very important," said Kendrick Perkins following Friday's 108-83 rout of the Wizards. "I don't think too many teams want to play a Game 7 here, or even the first two games here."


Lost in the excitement surrounding the winning streak was just how many of those games were at home. Nineteen of Boston's 34 games have been in the friendly confines this season, with 18 of its 29 wins coming here and four of their five losses coming on the road. To be fair, the same can be said about the Cavaliers, who are 17-0 at home and 10-5 on the road. The point is that the team that best translates its home domination to the road will likely be the one at home in a possible Easte rn Conference Finals deciding game.


Which brings us back to the first legitimate road trip of the season and Boston's 1-3 effort on the West Coast.


"We lost three out of four," reminded Eddie House. "If you don't have a bad taste out of that, I don't think you're a competitor. You're not a winner."


The consensus is that the first mistake the C's made in the three losses was allowing the home team to think it could be the winner against the defending champs.


"I didn't think we made every possession count," said Leon Powe, who made a spot start in the Golden State loss with Perkins nursing a shoulder strain. "We played to win the games, but when we got the leads I think we relaxed just a little bit. All it takes is a couple of shots for the other team when they're at their house to think they can hit every shot on us.


"They got hot," he said of the Lakers, Warriors and Blazers collectively. "And once they get hot, it's hard to turn them off and turn yourself back on. Sometimes we tend to relax and think it's going to come easy. We've got to continue to work and continue to figh t through the whole game no matter how much we're up."


At key moments late in all three games, breakdowns came on both ends of the floor.


"It's always a detriment to the team if we don't pass the ball and we are below 15 assists," said Ray Allen, whose squad has averaged 28.8 assists per game over its last five victories and 17.7 assists in the three losses. "It's important for us to pass the ball, and for the second unit to come in and pass the ball. Defense is our mainstay, and what holds us down, but there are times when we have to score. When we're not moving the ball, we're not making the other team play defense either, and that makes it easier for them to score on us."


In the trio of fourth-quarter stumbles, the opposition often seemed to score at will against a defense that is still the best in the NBA in opponents' shooting percentage (41.8 percent) and second to Cleveland in points allowed (90.6 per game).


"I don't think we lost focus," House said. "I just don't think we played good basketball. We didn't play our brand of basketball offensively or defensively. Defensively, we needed stops and we weren't getting them."


"We are in a close race and we have to make every game count," Perkins concluded. "We have to start noticing that and taking every game seriously, and come out with the same intensity, the same defensive energy."


That will be the charge as the Celtics look to avoid a Golden State-like trap in New York and Charlotte over the next three days.


Come Friday night in Cleveland, a glance at the Eastern Conference standings and look back at the three playoff losses from last year should provide all the motivation needed away from the parquet.


(Scott Souza is a Daily News staff writer. He can be reached at 781-398-8006 or [e-mail]. For updates and analysis, check out the "Courtside View" blog at blogs.metrowestdailynews.com/Celtics/.)

[FLCeltsFan]

Numbers aren't adding up for Celtics
www.latimes.com/sports/printedition/la-sp-nbacoast4-2009jan04,0,7863343.story

Portland scored a basket with six men on the court against Boston, and referees allowed it. Also, the Celtics have too few quality reserves.

By Mark Heisler
January 4, 2009
How you know it isn't your week . . .

After losing to the Lakers and being upset by the Warriors, the Celtics ended the West Coast Trip From Hell, falling in Portland, 91-86, giving them more losses (three) in six days than they'd had all season (two).


Making it perfect, the Trail Blazers' Travis Outlaw scored on an inbounds play with six players on the floor to end the first half. Portland was given a technical foul, which Ray Allen made, but the referees counted the basket.

NBA Vice President Ron Johnson, a retired Army general named to succeed the bumbling Stu Jackson despite having no experience, agreed the mistake wasn't correctable.

There's no truth to the rumor Johnson assembled an independent committee of Phil Jackson, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, who voted, 3-0, to count the hoop.


Or your year?

Unfortunately for the Celtics, they have real problems, like not enough players. While their bench was getting outscored, 69-38, in their three losses, Dikembe Mutombo, whom they wanted, signed with Houston, and P.J. Brown, whom they hoped would come out of retirement again, said he wouldn't.

Showing they need help, Kevin Garnett came up empty the night after the Lakers game, scoring 14 points with four rebounds against the Warriors.

"I told Paul [Pierce] and Ray that I could have stayed at the hotel after the performance I gave," Garnett said.

Grieving process

Celtics fans aren't actually different (i.e., more irrational, in greater need of lives) than anyone else's fans, but they are more visible.

From his always-entertaining, Boston-as-center-of-the-universe perspective, ESPN's Bill Simmons attributed the Christmas loss "to Kobe Bryant and a gritty 15-man Lakers team (I'm including the refs)."

In reply, ESPN fantasy expert Matthew Berry noted Boston's 38-10 free-throw edge in Game 2 of last spring's Finals, compared to the Lakers' 15-8 edge in this game.

Wrote Berry: "Bill and every other Celtics fan . . . are all banned from whining about ref calls in any Lakers-Celtics game from here 'til the end of time."

That should stop them.

Another country heard from

The NBA is close to a situation with Chinese voters making New Jersey's Yi Jianlian No. 3 among East forwards in All-Star balloting.

With 959,324 votes, Yi trails James (1,521,272) and Garnett (101,541) and is far ahead of Chris Bosh (601,204) and Pierce (387,105).

Happily, Yi is averaging just 9.7 points. If he gets to 12 next season, the coaches may have to put KG on the team.

There's a place for us

Golden State's Stephen Jackson wants the Clippers' Baron Davis back but the Warriors have issues, too.

The power shift that led them to withdraw their offer to Davis continues, with General Manager Chris Mullin on his way out.

Coach Don Nelson recently told Jackson, who just got a $28-million extension, to pick it up. Jackson, who'd been playing hurt, sat out the next four games, telling teammates he'd welcome a trade.

"I was frustrated," Jackson told ESPN's Ric Bucher. "I am frustrated. But I don't want to be one of those guys who just gets his money and then wants out when things go bad. . . .

"Coach and I don't agree on everything, but I appreciate what he's done, making me a captain and everything."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.telegram.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?Date=20090104&Category=COLUMN08&ArtNo=901040476&SectionCat=rss01&Template=printart


Celtics’ real test coming at Cavs

Fun and games...League of his own...

Bill Doyle NBA
[e-mail]




While winning a franchise-record 19 games in a row, the Celtics kept saying the streak meant nothing to them.

Paul Pierce wanted to know if the Celtics won a car or something for the streak. If not, then who cares?

They cared far more about repeating as NBA champions.


Now, after dropping three out of four out west, the Celtics need to regain their swagger and reestablish themselves as the team to beat.

Whipping woeful Washington at home Friday didn’t do the trick and neither will knocking off the Knicks in New York today. Regaining respect throughout the NBA will come only after beating one of the league’s elite and the Celtics will get their chance to do that Friday at Cleveland.

Entering this weekend, the Celtics, Cavaliers and Lakers each had a league-low five losses. Despite what you may hear out of Orlando, they have been clearly the NBA’s Big Three thus far. Of the trio, Cleveland has been the league’s best home team. The Cavs are the only team that has yet to lose at home this season. The Celtics and Lakers have lost once each at home.

By winning at Cleveland, the Celtics would accomplish something they couldn’t last season en route to capturing their 17th NBA championship. The Celtics were 0-5 in Cleveland last year including three playoff defeats. They’ve lost their last nine games overall at Quicken Loans Arena near Lake Erie.

More importantly, a win on Friday would help the Celtics in their quest to earn homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs. They don’t want to play a Game 7 against the Cavs in Cleveland this spring. The Celtics are only 3-2 on the road against teams with winning records.

Eastern Conference homecourt may not be decided until the Celtics visit the Cavs on the final Sunday of the regular season, April 12. The two teams also meet in Boston on March 6. Cleveland visits the Lakers on Jan. 19. The Lakers will have their best chance to make a statement when they visit Boston and Cleveland in back-to-back games next month, Boston on Feb. 5 and Cleveland on Feb. 8.

During their winning streak, the Celtics masked their weaknesses, but during their western road trip their height-challenged bench, shortage of 3-point shooting and overconfidence became exposed.

“At times as a group we feel like we can turn it on and off and that has been our M.O. in the past. Forget the wins and losses, that has an effect on us as a group and we have to get back to what we were doing.”

The author of that quote was not Boston coach Doc Rivers, believe it or not, but Cleveland coach Mike Brown, who made it after a loss at Miami last week on LeBron James’ 24th birthday. In the locker room after the loss, ex-Celtic Delonte West told his Cleveland teammates they lacked the sense of urgency they had shown previously and they agreed with him. So the Celtics weren’t the only team that grew a bit full of themselves.

Nevertheless, the Cavs present a formidable foe — even without starting center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who could miss up to a month after suffering a small fracture when he twisted his left ankle last month.

This could be James’ best season so far and that’s saying a lot. His scoring is down slightly, but he’s shooting a career-high 50.8 percent and averaging a career-low 2.68 turnovers. Rest assured that James won’t hide in the locker room Friday during the pregame ceremonies like he did when the Celtics received their championship rings on opening night at the Garden. The Celtics went on to defeat the Cavs, 90-85, that night.

Acquired from Milwaukee last summer, Mo Williams has provided the Cavs with another scorer in the backcourt, averaging 16 points. West is dealing well with his depression and averaging 12.5 points and making nearly 40 percent of his 3-point shots.

While the Lakers are the NBA’s highest scoring team, the Celtics and Cavs win with defense. In scoring defense, the Cavs rank first, the Celtics second. In field-goal defense, the Celtics rank first, the Cavs second. So expect a low-scoring game on Friday. The Celtics don’t care if the score is 2-0 as long as they win.

In his 13 NBA seasons, Ray Allen has never had a coach who laughed as much as Rivers.

“Every coach I’ve had,” Allen said, “probably was going bald because they were pulling their hair out because they were so worried. Doc, he’s the type who will say something to you, he expects you to do it, but then he’ll move on from it. He enjoys what he does. He has fun with us and his coaching staff.”

Rivers gets his points with a smile on his face, during a 19-game winning streak or an 18-game losing streak.

“He’s not one of those coaches who’s going to nag, nag, nag, nag,” Allen said.

Allen said he’s also never had a coach who related as well to his players.

“Coaches have to find different ways to motivate us,” Allen said. “You end up saying the same stuff all the time, but Doc finds a lot of different ways. He’s used many examples, from Bill Belichick to Muhammad Ali, different stories he’s told that have nothing to do with basketball that really teach us about the principles he wants to get across to us. He’s definitely well-read.”

Rivers realizes there’s more to life than basketball.

“He makes sure we get better as men as well as basketball players,” Allen said.

Even though he’s only 32, Kevin Garnett has already played more regular-season NBA games than Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Kevin McHale or Bob Cousy.

On Halloween, Garnett became the youngest player to play in 1,000 regular-season NBA games. So Rivers is doing his best to keep the 6-foot-10 forward fresh by reducing his minutes.

Last season, Garnett played only 32.8 minutes a game, his fewest since his rookie season of 1995-96, and 6.6 less than in his final season with Minnesota two years ago. His scoring dipped to 18.8 ppg, his lowest in a decade, and his rebounding slipped to 9.2, his lowest in 11 years.

But Rivers accomplished his mission. Garnett was fresher. He shot a career-high 53.9 percent, was voted NBA Defensive Player of the Year and the Celtics won the NBA title despite playing in the most playoff games (27) of any NBA champ.

This year, Garnett’s scoring (16.7) and rebounding (8.8) are down even more, but he’s still shooting well (53.6 percent). Despite Garnett’s rebounding dip, the Celtics are actually out-rebounding their opponents by a wider margin this season, 42.9-37.4, than last, 42.0-38.9. Kendrick Perkins (8.6) and Rajon Rondo (5.0) are averaging career highs in rebounds.

Garnett is grabbing a career-low 1.3 offensive rebounds a game, indicating he’s not mixing it up under the basket as much, but he’s shown an effective jump shot to help draw defenders away from the basket.

The Celtics need help in creating space underneath because they don’t shoot 3-pointers as well without James Posey. Their 3-point percentage of 36.5 ranks 15th in the league. A year ago, they ranked fifth at 38.1 percent.

Garnett is playing the same amount as last season, but Rivers has announced that he doesn’t want to play him more than eight minutes at a stretch.

In his last season with Minnesota two years ago, Garnett averaged 22.4 points and 12.8 rebounds in 39.4 minutes, but the Timberwolves failed to make the playoffs. Less is more has proven to be an effective motto for Garnett.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.mysanantonio.com/sports/columnists/mike_monroe/37054314.html


NBA refs find spotlight for wrong reasonsMike Monroe - It was a bad week for the zebras.

NBA referees do a remarkable job of getting the calls right and maintaining professionalism in a heated environment, but there are exceptions. Last week produced two regrettable examples.

First, the Trail Blazers were allowed a basket when they had six men on the court.

Then, a veteran referee engaged in some ugly name-calling with a veteran player.

The league, which has promised greater transparency where its referees are concerned, was tepid in its response to both incidents.

Portland scored on a dunk with three seconds left in the first half of a Dec. 26 game, and no wonder Travis Outlaw was uncovered for the dunk. The Blazers had six players on the court after a 20-second timeout.

Hard to know which is more unbelievable: that play continued for 7.2 seconds without the extra player being detected (by the refs, at least; several Celtics were trying to bring it to their attention), or that the crew chief was Mike Callahan, a veteran of 18 seasons and 79 playoff games, including six Finals games.

Once detected, the unfair advantage in Portland resulted in a technical foul on the Blazers, but the basket by Outlaw was allowed to stand. The NBA insists the referees were right in stating they were not allowed to take away the basket because their error was not correctable.

Celtics guard Ray Allen called the whole situation “disgraceful.”

Hard to argue with Allen, which leaves us at a loss about what to call veteran ref Derrick Stafford’s use of the term “boy” in his run-in with the Nets’ Vince Carter. Stafford “expressed regret” about using the term, and no action was taken against Carter, who appeared to bump Stafford as he left the court.

Disgusting seems an appropriate way to characterize that incident.