News 2/10

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1072519&format=text

C’s finally out of Spurs’ grip

By Steve Bulpett | Sunday, February 10, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by AP (file)
The Celtics [team stats] will try to add to their winning streak over the Spurs this afternoon. They will seek to continue their dominance of Tim Duncan.

A quick look back shows that the streak currently stands at . . . let’s see . . . one.

But after suffering losses in the previous 18 games against San Antonio, the Celts will take it. They had grown weary of the biannual stories about how the franchise hadn’t beaten the Spurs since Jan. 8, 1997 - when Duncan was playing for Wake Forest and the Celtics were playing for Duncan.

“It was like, oh, here comes San Antonio again and we have to talk about the streak and how we’d never beaten Duncan,” said Paul Pierce [stats], who was around for 15 of the losses. “We knew we had to get that monkey off our back, and we were just trying to sneak out one win so we could end that. So it was definitely good to get that out of the way. Now we can work on other more positive records.”

The Celtics needed the karma of a St. Patrick’s Day in San Antonio to beat the Spurs last year. Pierce went for 30 points as the C’s won, 91-85.

“Yeah, that was great,” said Pierce. “We put all that streak stuff behind us last year.”

So today the Celtics will take the parquet feeling pretty good, having won four of six games without Kevin Garnett . . . and armed with a one-game streak over the Spurs.

“I guess it’s important that we finally beat them, but I didn’t pay too much attention to it,” said Doc Rivers. “But now that it’s over at least we don’t have to go into the game talking about it.”

Asked if the holdovers on his team could take a good feeling into the matchup, the coach said, “Yeah, but, hell, it’s still going to be a tough game. This is when they have their push every year. They go on a long trip because of the rodeo and they make their push.”

After losing the first two games of their nine-city journey so the cowboys can hang at their home gym, the Spurs have won four straight.

Rivers knows this. He is well versed in Spurs history, having played there two years and worked the team’s games as a color commentator for two more.

He repeatedly holds San Antonio up as an example for the Celts to follow. When trying to get a former C’s squad to act calmly in the face of a cheap shot, he showed video of Manu Ginobili getting hammered and simply walking to the free throw line.

“This is a team that we’re trying to catch,” he said. “They’re the champs, and they’re the best team in the NBA over the last five years. Everything they do is right - the coaching, the players - it’s just a model organization.”

But right now the Celtics have the best record in the NBA - seven games ahead of San Antonio in the loss column.

“We feel like we can win against anybody with whoever we put on the court,” Pierce said. “That’s just the way we’re feeling. I think we’re finding ways to win, finding different guys to step up.”

After watching Leon Powe beat Minnesota on a last-second putback Friday, Pierce has evidence to back his point.

Celtics notes

Kendrick Perkins [stats] was seen by team physician Dr. Brian McKeon yesterday, and an MRI was taken at New England Baptist Hospital. Tests confirmed the initial diagnosis of a strained left shoulder, and Perkins is being listed as day-to-day.

Perkins suffered the injury late in the third quarter of the win over Minnesota.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/other_nba/view.bg?articleid=1072520&format=text

Power tilts more to left
Shaq adds to Western superiority

By Mark Murphy / NBA Notes | Sunday, February 10, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | NBA Coverage
As your typically good Western Conference player, Marcus Camby has worked hard to gain recognition in the toughest half of the NBA.

The Denver big man and former UMass star took an important step — at least in terms of recognition — when he was named the league’s defensive player of the year last season.

And still Camby didn’t make next weekend’s All-Star roster. So it’s not difficult to imagine what was running through Camby’s head with last week’s news that Shaquille O’Neal had just been traded to Phoenix.

‘‘I guess that means it’s going to be even tougher to

make the All-Star team,’’

said Camby.

Individual agendas aside,

there are also larger reasons

why the neighborhood just

got a lot more crowded out

west.

The New Orleans Hornets,

before they were

passed in the conference

standings by Phoenix and

tied by Dallas last week for

the lead in the toughest division

in basketball, the Southwest,

had become the bubble

poppers for a lot of

borderline Western Conference

contenders.

But now, with eight Western

teams playing over .600

basketball — the exact number

that will make the playoffs

— the last thing the

Hornets needed were upgrades

by the competition.

First the Lakers added Pau

Gasol, and now this: all due

respect to Dwyane Wade, but

O’Neal will now be fed by

Steve Nash, the best pure

point guard he has ever encountered.

For all of the talk about

general manager Steve Kerr

forcing this trade on coach

Mike D’Antoni — the transition

purist who may have

been fine keeping the Suns’

dynamic unchanged —

O’Neal should have enough

left in his truck-sized tank to

give Phoenix the ultimate

combination.

There apparently is a workable

solution when the

NBA’s most mobile team

meets its most immovable

object.

‘‘You can still run with

only four guys,’’ Celtics [team stats] forward

Brian Scalabrine said.

Sacramento coach Reggie

Theus was thinking along

the same lines when he harkened

back to Magic Johnson’s

first Lakers teams and

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s last

for reference.

‘‘I’ve heard people say,

‘How is Shaq going to play

with those guys?’ ’’ Theus

said. ‘‘Well, Kareem played

with (the) ‘Showtime’

(Lakers), and there were

many times he never made it

past halfcourt.’’

And yet the Lakers were

known as the most explosive

team of their age.

And just as they could

have it their way in both

styles back then, it now appears

that the Suns can now

do the same with O’Neal

bearing much less of the

load that he was forced to

face in Miami.

‘‘There’s part of me that

thinks it’s good (for Phoenix)

and part of me that

thinks it might slow them

down,’’ Denver coach

George Karl said it’s a piece

of the puzzle. ‘‘When you

get into a playoff series you

have to win four games.

‘‘If you win three of them

by running and one of them

with Shaq, you win the series.

It’s a piece that’s a dangerous

piece. I don’t care

what you say, he’s still difficult

to cover and scout.’’

In this regard, O’Neal’s

old teammates may know

best.

‘‘People think he’s done,’’

said Cleveland’s Damon

Jones, a member of Miami’s

2006 championship team.

‘‘But I’ve seen this guy in adverse

situations do things

that a normal human being

wouldn’t do.

‘‘So, if he has the will to do

it, hopefully he can get that

fire back.’’

It shouldn’t take much.

Celtics forward James Posey,

another alumnus from

that 2006 Miami team, had a

simple answer: ‘‘If (the

Suns) win a championship

then it’s for the best, and if

not then I guess it’s for the

worse. I know it’s been frustrating

for him not to be

healthy, and to not compete

at a high level.’’

It’s also surprising how often

a change of scenery can

change that problem.

Dissipating Heat

Just as Kevin Garnett has

often said that most of his

old friends from Minnesota

are now on other teams, the

same feeling settles in on

Posey when he watches

Miami.

Jones, Eddie Jones, Keyon

Dooling, Antoine Walker

and now the biggest piece,

O’Neal, have been scattered

across the league.

Heat coach Pat Riley,

when talking about Posey

earlier this season, referred

to the dilemma as a tax

problem, as in the luxury

tax.

With this latest move,

many are asking the same

question.

What is Riley thinking?

Posey, asked that question

last week, shrugged

and tried hard not to say

much.

‘‘I don’t know,’’ he said.

‘‘That (2006) team really

has been gutted. I’m surprised.

It started before the

season with some of the

trades they made. It’s just

the nature of the business,

man.’’

The addition of Shawn

Marion, who is giving serious

thought to opting out

of his contract at the end of

this season — and had become

a high maintenance

problem in the Phoenix

locker room — doesn’t help

to solidify the picture in

Miami.

It’s hard to imagine Riley

having the patience to

coach his current group.

But he also has the luxury

of not having to walk away

from this mess.

‘‘I don’t know what he’ll

do,’’ Posey said. ‘‘But he’d

probably just move back

upstairs, anyway.’’

Memphis movers

Many are scratching

their heads over the thinking

behind Memphis’ willingness

to move Gasol to

Los Angeles in exchange

for what is essentially financial

flexibility.

Highly regarded wingman

Mike Miller is the latest

hearing his name in the

rumor mill, and general

manager Chris Wallace admits

that teams may now

have the wrong impression

of what he is attempting to

accomplish.

In addition to the Gasol

trade, the Grizzlies also

sent Stromile Swift to New

Jersey for Jason Collins in a

swap that was a truly minor

sidelight compared to the

blockbuster deals of the

last week.

‘‘I’ve never had more

calls from people checking

in and registering interest

like they have since we

(traded) Pau,’’ said the former

Celtics general manager.

‘‘They think we’re in a

deal mode. Some teams

have made an erroneous assumption

that we’re just

dropping money.

‘‘People have interest in

our players. So I told these

guys we’re not trying to

dump players. But it is our

responsibility as a franchise

to look at opportunities.

I’ll never tell a player

he can’t be traded. Shaquille

O’Neal just got traded.’’

As a result, Wallace

made sure to make Miller

feel wanted.

‘‘I told Mike that we value

him,’’ Wallace said.

‘‘He’s been a terrific asset

in the community. He’s

having a great season. No

one is looking to dump him

for the sake of dumping.

‘‘But I also told him that

people are calling, and I

can’t guarantee that he

won’t be traded,’’ he said.

‘‘It would be disingenuous

if I did.’’

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/02/10/a_game_of_what_if?mode=PF

A game of 'what if?'
Stoudamire with Spurs, not Celtics
By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | February 10, 2008

When Damon Stoudamire walks on the parquet floor at TD Banknorth Garden today wearing silver and black, he won't be surprised if he briefly ponders what it would be like to wear green for the home team.

In search of a veteran point guard, the Celtics recently had conversations with the 13-year NBA veteran after he was waived by the Grizzlies. Boston, however, wasn't in a rush to make an offer. Instead, the reigning NBA champion Spurs quickly signed Stoudamire. Today, he is expected to start for them against the Celtics in a nationally televised showdown of NBA elites.

"I might think about 'what if' for one hot second when I get on the floor," said Stoudamire. "But as soon as I get into the game, that's about it. After getting into the game, I'm looking forward to helping the team win.

"I'm with San Antonio. I like the guys. I like the atmosphere. Once we get to Boston, it will be a big game for us and a big game for them."

Celtics executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge has said he is on the lookout for the right veteran to back up Rajon Rondo. With Boston's NBA-best record in mind, the likes of Stoudamire, Clippers guard Sam Cassell, and ex-NBA players Gary Payton, Travis Best, and Randy Livingston all have expressed interest in being that player. It has been speculated that the Celtics have interest in Cassell, but a buyout likely would have to occur for him to be acquired.

Stoudamire has 850 regular-season games under his belt with Toronto, Portland, Memphis, and San Antonio. The sharpshooting 5-foot-10-inch, 174-pounder has career averages of 13.7 points, 6.3 assists, and 1.1 steals as well as a .359 3-point percentage. The 1996 NBA Rookie of the Year also has played in 46 playoff games.

Stoudamire averaged 7.3 points, 3.9 assists, and shot .383 from 3-point range for Memphis in 29 games this season. With the Grizzlies preferring to groom their young point guards, their captain went to the sidelines at the start of the New Year and agreed to a buyout Jan. 28.

Stoudamire said he received feelers from Boston, Phoenix, Toronto, and San Antonio. While he never expressed a clear favorite, he professed strong interest in playing for the Celtics, with their star trio of Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and Kevin Garnett.

"Obviously, they had the best record in the league, 'The Big Three,' " Stoudamire said. "That was a lot to entice a veteran to want to go there with the success that they've had."

Stoudamire said he received calls from Ainge and coach Doc Rivers about coming to Boston. While intrigued by Stoudamire, the Celtics told him they were not in a rush to make an offer.

"I learned through all my years in this business that nothing is guaranteed," Stoudamire said. "I respect both of those guys. I respect Danny in a number of ways. I respect Doc as a player and as a coach a whole lot. Now he has a chance to be successful as a coach.

"I respect what they are doing right now. But sometimes the timing isn't right and maybe the timing wasn't right for me to be in Boston at that time."

Said Rivers, "He's a great guy. I've always liked him as a player. We just decided to wait, but I clearly would have loved to have him on our team and I told him that."

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich quickly showed Stoudamire how strong his interest was. On an offday between Spurs games at Seattle and Phoenix, Popovich came to Memphis to make an offer face-to-face Jan. 30. The Spurs were desperately in need of Stoudamire with Tony Parker out indefinitely with left ankle inflammation.

Eager to get back on the floor, an impressed Stoudamire signed with San Antonio a week ago.

"He made a big impression," Stoudamire said. "He really didn't have to do that for me to make my decision. At that time, I started to lean toward them. But when he came out, that was really big of him and he showed me he wanted me to be a part of this team and organization.

"That sealed the deal for me in wanting to be a Spur. He went all the way and it was pretty much a done deal after that."

Stoudamire is averaging 7.7 points and 2 assists in 21 minutes in three games for San Antonio while making 5 of 9 3-pointers. And even as talented and deep as the Western Conference is, Stoudamire likes his chances of winning his first championship ring.

"We're below the limelight and radar, and that's fine," Stoudamire said. "That's fine with them. They've been there. They know what it takes.

"It would be a culmination of my basketball career to get a ring. Getting back on the stage I am right now is big for me so I can show people I can still play on the big stage after being away for a little bit. Winning a championship would be icing on the cake, and I have a good chance with these guys right now."

Celtics center Kendrick Perkins left Friday night's win against Minnesota with one minute left in the third quarter with a strained left shoulder. While Rivers expressed concern after the game, Perkins didn't appear to be in serious pain when he left the locker room. An MRI yesterday confirmed the injury was a strain and Perkins is listed as day-to-day . . . The Celtics are 15-0 against the Western Conference. The Spurs are 13-3 against the Eastern Conference . . . Rivers said Garnett is expected to miss his seventh straight game today with an abdominal strain . . . The Spurs are in the midst of their annual rodeo road trip and will be playing in the seventh of nine games over 17 days on a trip that will cover 8,182 miles. San Antonio is 4-2 so far, having won the last four . . . Over the past 10 seasons, San Antonio's 591-245 record is the best in the NBA.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/x1094528883

Courtside View: Unexpected benefits to KG injury

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By Scott Souza/Daily News staff
GHS
Sat Feb 09, 2008, 10:04 PM EST

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Story Tools: Email This | Print This
It was the nightmare scenario coming into the season. Relying on three stars all on the long-in-the-tooth side of 30, the Celtics figured to be hard to beat as long as all three stayed healthy.

But what was the likelihood of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen all making it through a season of pounding unscathed? Pierce had missed more than half the previous season with a stress reaction in his foot. Allen was coming off double-ankle surgery in April. Garnett, while largely healthy throughout his career, brought such an intensity that it seemed just a matter of time before his effort and abandon would catch up to him.

Then, six games ago, it did with an abdominal strain that has sidelined him ever since. Yet during Garnett's hiatus, the potential nightmare scenario has turned into something that could very much help the Celtics over the next few months.

The Celtics are 4-2 sans Garnett entering today's matinee at the Garden against the defending NBA champion Spurs. While you would hardly expect any extended playoff success if Boston had to go without its MVP candidate, what it has done without him in the middle of the season may ultimately prove quite beneficial to that cause.

Here are five things that have shown up without Garnett that could put the Celtics in even a better position to contend for the NBA crown once he returns.

The Consistency of Leon Powe

While Powe began to emerge before Garnett's injury, that Celtics coach Doc Rivers has needed to keep feeding him minutes without Garnett has helped the second-year power forward carve out a role as likely a solid rotation guy the rest of the way.

In the six games without Garnett, Powe has averaged 12.5 points and 7.3 rebounds and has developed a knack for being in the right place at the end of games - never more apparent than his game-winning, buzzer-beating put-back in Minnesota on Friday night.

Had Garnett not missed any time, and Powe been getting 10 to 12 minutes a game instead of the 20 to 25 he's mostly had recently, the consistency and lasting impression would have been harder to develop.

The Offense of Rajon Rondo

The second-year point guard's responsibility early in the season was to get the ball across halfcourt and get the team into its offense as quickly as possible. With Garnett on the floor, that offense often started with sending the ball through him in the high post. Though teammates and coaches claim that Rondo was always encouraged to shoot when open, his fledgling jumper usually made him less of a kickout option when the team began its regular sets.

Without Garnett, Rondo has had to take charge of the offense more and has responded brilliantly. Over the past six games, he has averaged 18.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists a game while shooting 55 percent.

His increased comfort level should only make the Celtics more difficult to defend when Garnett returns.

The Shooting of Ray Allen

In this space last week, Allen admitted that his recovery from ankle surgery was a longer process than he let on and that he was far from full strength for the first few months of the season.

But another ongoing issue for Allen has been how he finds the shots to shake out of his prolonged shooting slump in an offense with so many options, and one not designed for a volume outside shooter.

With Garnett out, the offense has gone through Allen more and he has responded with a 20.6 points-per-game average in five games without Garnett (he missed one with the flu) after averaging 18.2 heading into last weekend. His rhythm from the outside also appears to be returning as he's hit on 44.8 percent of 3-pointers during that stretch after a shaky 37.2 as of last Sunday.

Allen has said he was reluctant to try and shoot himself out of his slumps with so many other options on the court. But forced to do that recently, the hope is that he has found his shot in the system for good.

The Importance of James Posey

Posey won't fill out the stat sheet every game, but at the beginning of the year he was the team's "closer" with his fourth-quarter defense and outside shooting.

He has resumed that role in Garnett's absence with big late efforts against Orlando (despite a loss), Dallas and Friday night against Minnesota. His ability to come up big at the end of important games has helped him garner the nickname "Big Game James" - also a reference to the Ohio native's bowling prowess - and reminds what a daunting combination he and Garnett will make on the defensive end for opponents in the playoffs.

The Confidence Factor

When asked two weeks ago if there were some benefit to seeing how his team responded without Garnett for a few games, Rivers shrugged off the notion as marginal at best. But after the Celtics beat the Mavericks on TNT without the Big Ticket, Pierce spoke of how it showed the team was more than just three players and Posey remarked how he was not surprised the way players stepped up their games in Garnett's absence finally given the chance.

The Celtics hope it is a scenario they won't have to face at the end of the season and in the playoffs. But what they have gained through having to face in the middle of the season - and how they have kept winning in spite of it - can only help when they get there.

[FLCeltsFan]

ledger.southofboston.com/articles/2008/02/09/sports/sports03.txt


Mob mentality: NBA ref’s story a great read



By MIKE FINE
The Patriot Ledger

Alone with time to kill on a cold January day, Bob Delaney decided to attend a 5 p.m. Mass in New York City. He sensed something wasn’t quite right, which was understandable in light of his nearly three years as a Mob infiltrator for the New Jersey State Police in the mid-1970s, some 20 years earlier.

‘‘I felt a hand from behind grab my left elbow and squeeze tightly,’’ Delaney wrote years later. ‘‘I felt a rush of fear as the thought ran through my head: ‘Is this it? Am I about to get clipped in St. Patrick’s Cathedral?’’’

Delaney can laugh about it now. The ‘‘perp’’ was Mike Dunleavy, then coach of the Milwaukee Bucks. ‘‘I don’t who the hell you’re praying for,’’ Dunleavy said, ‘‘but I’m prayin’ you get some calls right tomorrow.’’

By this time, Delaney had established himself as an NBA referee, working before thousands of people every night, in stark contract to his years on the force, when his work as an undercover agent had him dealing with sewer rats and back-alley thugs, murderers, extortionists, petty criminals, arm-breakers, you name it. The NBA was like Ding Dong School compared to the hell he endured, as outlined in his fascinating new book, ‘‘Covert: My Years Infiltrating the Mob,’’ co-written with Dave Scheiber.

Following the footsteps of his father, Delaney became a trooper at the age of 21, and at 23 was told he was being considered for a special assignment. ‘‘I got a call from Sergeant First Class Jack Liddy,’’ said Delaney from Florida the other day. ‘‘He said, we’ll get back to you and if you tell anybody about this you’re out of the running. And he walked away. I was standing there in amazement that this is not the way it’s supposed to be. I’m supposed to be jumping up and high-fiving somebody at this kind of an assignment.’’

He wouldn’t have considered the high-fives had he known what was to come. ‘‘It was explained to me that it was a six-month project. I didn’t know it was going to end up as long as it did, nor did they at the time.’’

The ‘‘six-month project’’ began after months of preliminary work to formulate ‘‘Project Alpha,’’ an operation that would expose the New Jersey Mob. Delaney worked with one other New Jersey trooper and three FBI agents, but was tabbed the head of FBI-financed Alamo Trucking, which served as his base of operations.

Meet Bobby Covert

First, he was given an alias, ‘‘Bobby Covert,’’ which was the name of a person who had died at birth in 1949, two years before Delaney’s birth date. Each agent was given an alias that began with his own given first name. ‘‘You’re going to lie about so many things when you’re undercover,’’ Delaney said, ‘‘that your first name should be your regular name because when you’re walking down the street and somebody yells out ‘Bob’ or ‘Bobby’ or ‘Rob’ or ‘Robert’ that you respond, you don’t have to think about it.’’

And the name ‘‘Covert?’’ ‘‘Catchy, huh?’’ Delaney says, explaining that the term didn’t really come into vogue until much later, after Watergate.

Delaney had to do a lot of quick thinking. Alamo was quickly infiltrated by mobsters who got their hooks into the operation. He was expected to make payments here, payments there. At one time one mobster, Jackie DeNorscio, had him take a $500 payment to his mother because she was a bit down in the dumps. Criminals always take care of their mothers, Delaney explained.

Project Alpha worked because of the inclusion of Pat Kelley, a Mob consigliore turned informant, with whom Delaney even shared an apartment. ‘‘Informants are not people that can fully trust at all times so you have to be monitoring them,’’ Delaney said. ‘‘Well, I got thrown in full force with Pat Kelly and living the life with him, so I was not comfortable with him for quite some time.’’

Eventually, they clicked, although Kelly kept forcing schemes and ideas on Delaney, who was never far from being discovered by mobsters such as Tino Fiumara, the DiGilio family and the DeNorscios, all of whom were angling for a piece of whatever pie they could slice.

Wired 24/7

Delaney was wired every day, a constant fear. He would stick the unit in his crotch, run wires up to microphones in his armpits and press an on/off button in his pants. Eventually, the hours of tapes proved invaluable.

‘‘Now, they wouldn’t come up to you and pat you down because that was a sign of disrespect ... But they would come up to you and say things like, ‘Hey, you’re putting on a little weight,’ hit your stomach or rub you long on your back. When people were doing that you knew they were checking but they had to do it discreetly because they had their own rules and regulations, if you will, within the Mob.’’

Project Alpha was going very well, but it also began to stretch into a year, two years, and it was taking a toll on Delaney. He was beginning to turn into a mobster-type himself, with the speech inflections, the crudeness, the hardness, the irritability, the impatience. When the operation finally ended in 1977, he thought he’d breathe a sign of relief. ‘‘I thought the greatest day in my life was going to be the day that the raid came,’’ he said, ‘‘because what I thought was going to be a six-month job ended up being close to three years and I get out from undercover and I think, ‘OK, we’re going to arrest these guys and everything’s going to be good.’’’

On the day of the raid that busted dozens of criminals for everything from extortion to loan sharking to unlawful sale of handguns to illegal toxic dumping to RICO cases, Sept. 28, 1977, Delaney was standing at parade rest as they were brought into a New Jersey armory for booking. Ronnie Sardella, one of the mobsters whom Delaney had befriended, looked at him, his hands behind his back and said, ‘‘Bobby, what’d they pinch you for? Before Delaney could respond, fellow trooper Barry Lardiere said, ‘‘Pinch? What are you talking about? He’s with us. He’s a trooper.’’

‘‘The look that went between Ronnie Sardella and myself was one that was not anger,’’ Delaney said. ‘‘It was hurt and disappointment because he said to me, ‘Bobby, how could you do that to us? How could you do it to me? I’m your friend.’’’

Target on his back

Friends like that make enemies, and Delaney figured to have a target on his back because the operation had positive repercussions on law enforcement for years to come, yet Delaney, still dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, never hid. He remained in the state police for 11 more years, serving much of his time as an instructor assigned to the Organized Crime Unit at the New Jersey State Police Academy.

Meanwhile, he was returning to his roots gradually, which meant basketball. A high school and a college standout player, Delaney began reffing local high school games and then the New Jersey Summer Pro League when he caught the eye of NBA officiating chief Darrell Garretson, who invited him to work the LA Summer League. He was quickly signed to a contract with the Continental Basketball Association, even as he remained a state trooper.

‘‘When I got to the CBA and I worked at games up at Worcester Memorial Auditorium and Dave Cowens was coaching the Bay State Bombardiers against Phil Jackson and the Albany Patroons, I mean, then I knew that this was what I wanted to do because there was such a feeling on that floor of maybe it was the exact kind of adrenalin rush that I got when I was working undercover and something that I enjoyed doing. As strange as it sounds, that’s peaceful to me.’’

After four years in the CBA, Delaney was hired by the NBA in 1986, putting himself out there every night. He does take precautions, something about which he won’t talk at length, but he simply decided to live his life.

‘‘Now, I’m not being flip about it or being in a taunting way saying, ‘hey, look what I did’ and ‘I can get away with it’ or something like that,’’ he said. ‘‘What I’m saying is that what I did was an assignment that went all the way up to the top from the President’s Organized Crime Task Force to the Law Enforcement Assistance Organization to the FBI and the State Police, and I was assigned to do this job. It wasn’t like I decided to do this job on my own, so if they come after me they’re coming after the entire government. Not to say that that can’t happen, but there comes a point that I didn’t do anything wrong, so why I should I be the one in hiding?

‘‘We do have security. We don’t go into the security that’s around me but I do have security that’s built in around my personal life.’’

Delaney’s fellow refs know all about the life he led, about the danger, his continuing friendships with the New Jersey State Police, with former FBI director Louis Freeh, with Joe Pistone, aka Donnie Brasco, who conducted a similar operation. They know about his security precautions. Says fellow ref Bennett Salvatore, ‘‘If you notice, nobody stands next to Bobby during timeouts.’’

Delaney can only smile, something he never did during his dangerous years working alongside the New Jersey marshes.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.telegram.com/article/20080210/NEWS/802100611/1009/SPORTS

And the rich get richer ...Scalabrine isn’t a numbers guy ...

BILL DOYLE’S NBA NOTES





Rob Hennigan grew up a Celtics fan in Worcester, and now he’s director of basketball operations for the San Antonio Spurs.

Obviously, he’s rooting for a Celtics-Spurs NBA Finals.

“That would definitely be special,” Hennigan said, “and probably a pretty good series.”


Hennigan, 25, helped St. John’s High win a state basketball title in 2000, became the all-time leading scorer at Emerson College in Boston, then joined the Spurs as an intern 3-1/2 years ago.

Since his promotion to director of basketball operations in September, Hennigan has helped the team prepare for the draft by scouting college and international players and overseeing the team’s regional scouts.

Hennigan scouts three or four college games most weeks, but he travels overseas about four or five times a year. After spending eight days in Australia, he flew 14 hours from Melbourne to Los Angeles, then flew four more hours to Boston to attend a conference yesterday at MIT on the use of statistics in sports. Hennigan flew back to San Antonio this morning to attend staff scouting meetings so he won’t be able to attend the Spurs’ only regular-season appearance at the Garden against the Celtics at 1 p.m. today.

Hennigan attends only 10-15 of the Spurs’ 41 home games, but he does travel with the team in the playoffs. So if the Celtics play the Spurs in the finals, he’ll come to Boston.

Hennigan’s father, Bob, has also switched his allegiance to the Spurs.

“He definitely has more Spurs gear than anyone else in the state of Massachusetts,” his son said. “He’s probably up there for the state of Texas. My mom can’t stand it. That’s all he wears. They go out to a nice dinner, and he has a Spurs fleece on.”

Bob, an attorney, said he doesn’t wear his Spurs jacket to court.

“Just in case the judge is a Celtics fan, I have to be careful,” Bob said.

Rob Hennigan can appreciate what Danny Ainge did to turn the Celtics around.

“It’s proven that veterans win championships,” he said. “I think they have a legitimate chance to win the whole thing.”

Hennigan owns rings from San Antonio’s NBA championships in 2005 and 2007. Injuries, however, have slowed the Spurs after a 17-3 start this season.

“We’ve had a lot of health issues this year,” Hennigan said. “It’s been a little frustrating in that sense. We have a chance if everyone can get healthy, but I’m not sure we’re the team to beat at the moment.”

Over the past three years, Hennigan has scouted players in Australia, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, Poland, Finland, Russia, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Turkey and Brazil.

He survived dining on Baltic Sea fish pizza in Helsinski, but had a lot more trouble digesting a Turkish meat and bread dish that had him sick to his stomach throughout a 13-hour flight from Istanbul to New York.

“It was probably the worst day of my life,” Hennigan said.

For the most part, Hennigan enjoys the travel, even though it can get lonely because he does most of it by himself. His wife, Marissa, accompanies him only on occasion.

“It’s a lot of fun, no question about it,” he said. “I really do enjoy it. Getting a chance to travel to some great places, meet different people, learn more about the game and the way it’s played over there. I try to soak up as much culture and history of the places that I can.”

Interpreters aren’t usually necessary at games because coaches and players overseas speak at least some English. The language barrier becomes more of a problem away from the basketball court.

“I’ve had a few problems,” Hennigan said, “but I try to learn how to hail a taxi or order a sandwich before I go, and I can get by with that.”

Hennigan raved about the Australian beaches, prompting the question: “Is that where he did his scouting?”

“I try to find the most exotically beautiful location and hope that people play basketball there,” he joked.

The Spurs rely heavily on international scouting. The last four players that they drafted in the first round were from overseas, Tiago Splitter of Brazil, Ian Mahinmi of France, Beno Udrih of Slovenia and Tony Parker of France. Splitter is playing in Spain this season, but the Spurs hope he’ll join them next year. Manu Ginobili of Argentina was a second-round choice in 1999.

On a typical day of college scouting, Hennigan will wake up at 6 a.m. to catch a flight, check into a hotel, make background checks on players, exam box scores and other statistics, then scout the game. The next day, he’ll do it all over again.

“Scouting is a future business,” Hennigan said. “It’s about projection, it’s about forecasting a player’s talent and how it will evolve five or 10 years down the road. You really need to have your mind in fast-forward mode. You’ve got to be really focused and locked in when you watch these guys.”

Hennigan estimates he has compiled reports on about 1,000 prospects, some as long as a book, others merely a paragraph. The Spurs staff goes over the reports, but Gregg Popovich, Spurs executive vice president of basketball operations and head coach, has final say on all draft picks.

The Lakers acquired Pau Gasol. The Suns added Shaquille O’Neal. The Spurs picked up Damon Stoudamire. The top of the Western Conference suddenly became even tougher than it already was.

You’ve got to believe that the Dallas Mavericks will add someone before the Feb. 21 trading line. Celtics fans hope Jason Kidd ends up in Dallas, certainly not Cleveland.

Fortunately for the Celtics, they play in the Eastern Conference. They can face only one Western Conference team in the playoffs, and that’s only if they reach the finals.

Many wonder how Shaq will fit in with Steve Nash. The Suns point guard was born to run, Shaq wasn’t. Clippers guard Sam Cassell, who has played the point in the NBA for 15 years, thinks Nash will love playing with the big guy.

“There’s nothing like having the luxury,” Cassell said, “of being able to throw the ball inside and just relaxing. You don’t have to cut, you don’t have to do nothing. Just watch the big fella go to work. You’ve got to double-team him. If not, he’s going to score. And with those guys around the perimeter, whoa! I’m glad we don’t play them no more.”

The Clippers finished 1-3 against the Suns this season, but Cassell could play against them again if he agrees to a buyout of his contract and signs with the Celtics. The Celtics visit the Suns the night after the deadline and host them on March 26.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers made sure he didn’t upset Cassell by criticizing him for his Flagrant 2 foul against Rajon Rondo Wednesday. Rivers said when he played, no foul may even have been called. Rivers said players are coached to swing hard from behind to try to bat the ball away.

“Every once in a while you’d miss and hit the head,” Rivers said, “and it would look bad, and that is what I’m assuming he did.”

Cassell whacked Rondo hard, but Rondo never complained and remained in the game. Celtics captain Paul Pierce wasn’t surprised.

“I knew from day one,” Pierce said, “this guy was a tough character just the way he carried himself in practice, the way he gets up after going down on the ground. I know if Rondo’s hurt, he’s really hurt. He’s a competitor, and he wants to be out there every game.”

Cassell remains a close friend of Kevin Garnett, his former Minnesoa teammate.

“I think he’s the best all-around player in our game of basketball,” Cassell said.

Cassell said Garnett was a combination of great players he has played with.

“He’s relentless like (ex-Nets forward) Jason Williams going for a rebound,” Cassell said. “His desire is like (ex-Rocket) Clyde Drexler, and his emotion is like (ex-Rocket) Hakeem Olajuwon. The faces he makes, the yelling, it’s not a front. That’s him every day, practice, games, shoot-arounds.”

In Brian Scalabrine’s first five games as Kevin Garnett’s replacement in the starting lineup, he collected a total of 11 points and eight rebounds. That’s not even a good night for Garnett. Coach Doc Rivers doesn’t care.

“Scal’s been great,” Rivers insisted. “He does his thing. I’m never going to look at Scal’s numbers because he’s never been a numbers guy. He’s not going to wow you with scoring or rebounding, assists or forcing turnovers. He’s going to wow us with all the little things he does — setting the right pick, moving to the right spots, spacing the floor, hustle plays.”

Rivers pointed out that Scalabrine shadowed the ball up the floor against Dallas, not enabling the Mavs to start their offensive set until the 24-second clock had half expired.

“That’s not going to show up the next day in the stat sheet,” Rivers said. “No one is going to notice it, but we notice it because it allows us to pressure more and take teams out of their sets.”

Leon Powe has played more while Garnett has been out with an abdominal strain, and he has been so impressive, he has even taken away some of the minutes that used to go to Glen Davis.

“Leon’s definitely more consistent,” Rivers said. “You know every night what you’re going to get from Leon, so it’s safer to go with him. With Baby (Davis), he’s so up and down, and he will be for a while. He’s young.”

It took Powe a while to learn the Celtics plays.

“It’s almost like the light has gone on,” Rivers said. “He’s getting the stuff that we’re running, and it’s been great because that’s what’s been holding him back.”

[FLCeltsFan]

enterprise.southofboston.com/articles/2008/02/10/news/sports/sports06.txt


Big test may be lacking



By Jim Fenton, Enterprise staff writer

BOSTON — The two-week stretch was going to be a national television showcase for the new-look Boston Celtics.

Beginning Jan. 27 and concluding today, the team with the best record in the NBA will have had four TV dates on ABC, ESPN and TNT.

There was a game against the up-and-coming Orlando Magic; a matchup with the Dallas Mavericks, meaning Kevin Garnett vs. Dirk Nowitzki; the return of Garnett to Minnesota for the first time; and the capper this afternoon with Garnett facing Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs.

The absence of Garnett from the Celtics' lineup due to a strained abdominal muscle, though, has put a damper on the team's national TV showcase.

Garnett is expected to miss his seventh consecutive game today when the Spurs make their annual visit to the TD Banknorth Garden.

The Celtics have gone 4-2 without Garnett to improve their NBA-leading record to 38-9 with three games remaining before the All-Star break.

It is unknown whether the Celtics will hold Garnett out until next week when they begin a five-game trip out West as he continues to be listed day-to-day. There is also the matter of whether he starts for the Eastern Conference in the All-Star Game a week from tonight.

Without Garnett, some of the luster for the matchup with the Spurs will be taken away. In addition to Garnett, San Antonio point guard Tony Parker (left ankle inflammation) is not playing.

It has been a while since a marquee Sunday matinee game was played on Causeway Street, but such events were regular happenings when the Celtics were annually an elite team.

When the TV schedule was drawn up last summer, Celtics-Spurs looked like a winner, coming one week after the Super Bowl.

San Antonio is the defending NBA champion and has won four titles in the Tim Duncan era. The Celtics, who jumped out to a 29-3 start, have cemented themselves as a favorite to win the East.

It is not out of the realm of possibilities that the Spurs and Celtics will be getting together in June to play for the crown, but today can't be considered a preview without Garnett or Parker around.

While the Celtics have lost only a pair of close games in Orlando and Cleveland during Garnett's absence, the Spurs (32-16, third in the bunched-up Southeast Division) are 4-1 without Parker, who has not played since Jan. 28.

In need of a point guard, the Spurs recently signed Damon Stoudamire, who was waived by the Memphis Grizzlies after accepting a buyout. Stoudamire, who was interested in joining the Celtics as a backup to Rajon Rondo, is averaging 7.7 points and two assists in 21 minutes in three games.

The Spurs have dominated the Celtics since winning the draft rights to Duncan in the 1997 NBA Draft Lottery.

Boston had lost 18 straight games to San Antonio before pulling off a shocking upset in Texas last St. Patrick's Day.

The Spurs have won nine consecutive games in Boston and 12 of their last 13 road games against the Celtics.

The only time Boston won a home game over San Antonio in that stretch was Jan. 8, 1997, when Duncan was a senior at Wake Forest.

The Celtics prevailed that night, 107-83, with Rick Fox (19), Todd Day and Antoine Walker (17 each), Greg Minor (16), David Wesley (11) and Dee Brown (10) all hitting for double figures against a team that included Avery Johnson, Will Perdue and Vernon Maxwell.

As if having Garnett on the sideline is not difficult enough for the Celtics in their quest to slow Duncan (19.7 points, 11.3 rebounds), center Kendrick Perkins is ailing.

Perkins injured his left shoulder in the third quarter against the Timberwolves on Friday night and did not return. Perkins was bothered a left shoulder injury during the 2005-06 season and missed 13 games.

The Celtics will be putting their 15-0 record against Western Conference teams on the line.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.berkshireeagle.com/sports/ci_8221284

Celts' good times make Ainge smile
Sports
Article Last Updated: 02/10/2008 03:24:36 AM EST


Sunday, February 10
It's pretty good being Danny Ainge these days. He has taken the slings and arrows of New England's NBA fans since being named executive director of Basketball Operations for the Boston Celtics in 2003.
The Celtics, who haven't won an NBA title since 1986 and haven't been in an NBA Finals since 1987, have once again become relevant.

That relevancy translates into autographs, which Ainge had to sign Thursday night when he and scouting director Leo Papile took in the UMass-Rhode Island game at the Mullins Center.

"There are a lot of people that love watching the Celtics be successful," Ainge said. "It's been a long time.

"There are a lot of fans that have stuck with us through the bad times that are diehard fans," he continued. "But the fence-sitting fans are back watching basketball — and the diehard fans are having a lot more fun."

The Celtics are leading the Atlantic Division, are being considered a possible NBA Finals team and coach Doc Rivers earned the right to coach the East in next week's All-Star Game — a reward that comes with having the top team in the conference.

"I thought when the season started, our team would be as


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good as our team is right now. I don't know if our record would be exactly what it is," Ainge said. "I thought our team would be this good."
The chance to ask questions of the Celtics boss doesn't come around very often to reporters who aren't regulars at the Garden. While sitting just to the side of the UMass pep band didn't make it easy to conduct a conversation, Ainge was gracious with some of his time.

The Celtics' Big Three: Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and of course Kevin Garnett have been the talk of the NBA all season. They have all contributed in putting the Green back on the New England sporting radar.

"I think K.G. has been the most consistent, because he's the leader of our defense. We've gone from being a poor defensive team to being the best defensive team in the league," Ainge said. "You have to give him a lot of credit for that. He's obviously shooting the ball at a great percentage, as good as he's ever shot in his career.

"Paul, on most nights, is our best offensive player and he carries a pretty heavy load on the boards as well," the former Celtic guard added. "I think Ray hasn't shot the ball as well (this year). I don't think Ray has been 100 percent healthy all year. I think he's starting to get that way right now. In about 8 or 10 of our games, he's been our best player.

"I think they're all happy to have each other, so the burden is a little bit lighter for each of them."

Several hoopophiles wondered if there would be enough basketballs for each of the Big Three to get enough shots. That hasn't been a problem in Ainge's eyes. The basketball boss of the Green said he had more concerns if point guard Rajon Rondo could handle the job or if Kendrick Perkins and James Posey would fit into the rotation.

"I think Rajon has always been a good player. It's just taken time to get his confidence, and I think for our coaches to gain confidence in him," he said. "With all young players, you never know how good they're going to be until they do it. Everybody knew he had potential, but consistency has always been an issue with young players. Right now, I think right now, he's playing as good basketball as he's ever played in his life. His consistency is getting there. It's rare where he has a bad game now, and he's giving his team some energy every night.

"I don't think anybody in our organization could be happier the way he's been playing — especially in the last five to 10 games."

This has to make it much easier being Danny Ainge than it used to be. It certainly has to be better coming to work after your team wins than when it loses.

"My job is coming to watch college basketball games and watching NBA players practice," he said. "Obviously, winning is what everybody loves. But my job doesn't change really. My job is still the same. We're still trying to get better."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.mysanantonio.com/sports/basketball/nba/spurs/stories/MYSA021008.SpursAdv_0210.en.37cc0d6.html

NBA: Spurs ready for big test from Celtics

Reborn Boston team temporarily without Garnett

Web Posted: 02/09/2008 11:18 PM CST

Jeff McDonald
Express-News Staff Writer

BOSTON — For Matt Bonner, pride of Concord, N.H., a trip to play a game in Boston was always good for a couple of things.
Dinner with family, a reunion with high school buddies, and a long list of ticket requests that was simple enough to fill.

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That is, until Bonner joined the Spurs, the Celtics improved dramatically and ticket demand at TD Banknorth Garden began to outstrip supply.

"A lot of people are complaining they can't get tickets this year," Bonner said. "When I was with the Raptors, that wasn't much of a problem."

Of course, the joke is on the ticket-buying public, as well as the folks at ABC, which opted to pick up this afternoon's Spurs-Celtics tilt for national broadcast.

Kevin Garnett, the revolutionary 6-foot-11 forward behind the Celtics' revival, is expected to miss the highly ballyhooed matchup between last year's NBA champions and this year's NBA darlings.

It appears the Big Show will have to go on without its Big Ticket.

Garnett has missed the past six games with an abdominal strain. Boston coach Doc Rivers told reporters after Boston's two-point victory at Minnesota on Friday night that there is a "99.9 percent chance" Garnett will sit again against the Spurs.

That means there is a 0.1 percent chance ticket-holders for today's game will get the matchup they paid for. Certainly, ABC didn't pick up the game hoping to showcase Brian Scalabrine.

"KG out will hurt them obviously, because he's kind of what makes them roll," said Tim Duncan, who battled Garnett the Timberwolf for 10 seasons. "But they're still a very formidable team without him. They've still got two All-Stars."

That would be Paul Pierce, the lifelong Celtic, and Ray Allen, the former Seattle shooting star who represents the other piece of Boston's extreme makeover.

Before he was injured, Garnett was as advertised for the Celtics. Pierce leads the team in scoring at 20.1 points per game, and Allen is throwing in 18.3.

But Garnett, averaging 19.2 points and 9.9 rebounds, has been credited as the Pied Piper behind Boston's turnaround — from 24 victories last season to an NBA-best 38-9 this year.

Bonner, whose earliest hoop dreams came coated in parquet, says he renounced his Celtics fandom when he joined the NBA three seasons ago in Toronto. But he admits the little boy inside him did backflips the day Boston acquired Garnett.

"Like everybody else, I was like, 'Wow, those guys improved tremendously,'" Bonner said. "If they stay healthy, they're going to be tough to beat."

But the Celtics aren't entirely healthy right now. Like the Spurs, who have been playing without injured point guard Tony Parker for five games now, the Celtics have seen their Big Three reduced by a third.

Without Garnett, the Celtics have still been winning — just not very prettily. Boston is 4-2 in Garnett's absence, including an 88-86 victory at lowly Minnesota.

The Spurs roll into Boston on a four-game winning streak, fresh off a 99-93 victory against the moribund New York Knicks in which they had to overcome an 18-point deficit just to force overtime.

Still, the Spurs have been finding ways to close out games, a skill that had eluded them for much of January. Coach Gregg Popovich says his team, as per tradition, is becoming more zeroed in at the midway point of its annual rodeo road trip.

"(The trip) is usually a focus thing, where we become more adamant about what our goals are and where we want to be at the end of the year," Popovich said. "For us, it's more of a mental kick in the pants, where players realize it's money time."

It is also money time for Bonner, still charged with rounding up a suddenly hot ticket for friends and family.

Tonight, he will walk into the Garden, where he's seen dozens of games in his life. He will gaze skyward to the retired jerseys of players he used to idolize. And, yes, he might pinch himself as he walks out on the parquet floor.

If life is this good for a former Celtics fan, imagine how sweet it is for the current crop of green-bleeding faithful.

"There were some tough times in the '90s for the Celtics," Bonner said. "But they're back."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3590864

D-Fenders Acquire Wallace from Energy
02/09/08 - NBA Development League (D-League) Los Angeles D-Fenders

• Discuss this story on the NBA Development League message board...
EL SEGUNDO, CA - The Los Angeles D-Fenders have acquired forward Brandon Wallace in a trade with the Iowa Energy. In exchange Iowa will receive center Darryl Watkins.

The 6-9 South Carolina native signed with the Celtics as a free agent on July 10 following a stint with the team during the 2007 NBA Summer League, where he averaged 4.2 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in 22.4 minutes per game. Before being waived on Dec. 18th, Wallace averaged 12.5 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals in 6 games on assignment with the Utah Flash. In 3 games with the Energy, Wallace averaged 3.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.7 blocks.


Los Angeles also reacquired Brian Morrison. Morrison, a 6-2 guard, was selected by the D-Fenders from their local player tryout and participated in L.A.'s training camp prior to suffering an injury. Morrison played at the University of North Carolina before transferring to UCLA where he played the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons. During his senior season as a Bruin, Morrison averaged 7.4 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 22.0 minutes in 29 games. He fills the roster opening created when Devin Green left the team

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonnow.com/sports/basketball/2008/02/08/rondo-another-hondo

Rondo another Hondo
J.A. Rice BostonNOW Correspondent

With the Big 3 ailing and out of the lineup, Rajon Rondo has come into his own as the Celtics' floor general. But the Celtics won't admit that playing without his superstar wingmen sharpens the 22-year-old point guard's leadership.

"He's actually better with KG, and he will be when KG comes back," coach Doc Rivers said after Rondo scored a career high 24 in a 111-100 victory Wednesday. "I think he's matured, he's gown up in front of our eyes."

Averaging 16.6 points per game since Kevin Garnett strained his abdomen six games ago, Rondo will lead the Celts into KG's old stomping ground tonight - once again, without the former Timberwolf.

Garnett has never missed more than six games in a season, and he's watched the past five from the locker room. Why?

"One, because I don't wear a sports jacket," Garnett said.

"Second, sitting on the bench and knowing that there are probably ten steps to the scorer's table to check in, wouldn't probably be the best thing for the NBA, especially with me."

The Celts are 4-2 since losing KG, but not even the usually candid Ray Allen would admit that span might've been good for the young Rondo.

"He's the point guard regardless of whose in the lineup," Allen said after scoring 19 points Wednesday. "He's gotta do his job, he's gotta run the offense and match up defensively regardless of whose in the lineup - whether all of us are or none of us are."

He said it
"I'm just trying to do what the system says," Celtics guard Rajon Rondo said after scoring a career-high 24 points Wednesday. "I'm just trying to stay within the system."


See it live
Who: Celtics (37-9) at Timberwolves (10-37)
When: Tonight, 8 p.m.
Where: Target Center (20,500)
TV/Radio/ CSN, ESPN, WEEI (850)

See it live
Who: San Antonio (31-16) at Celtics (37-9)
When: Sunday, 1 p.m.
Where: TD Banknorth Garden (18,624)
TV/Radio ABC, WEEI (850)