News 3/12

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1079725&format=text

Kendrick perks up his game
Center becomes force underneath

By Steve Bulpett / Celtics Notebook | Wednesday, March 12, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by Stuart Cahill (file)
Paul Pierce [stats] was in the midst of a quiet discussion about Kendrick Perkins and his recent statistical surge. In the process of going over the numbers, Pierce stopped and offered a proclamation.

“If he plays like that, we won’t lose. I promise you that,” Pierce said.

Certainly there are others who have been played major roles in the Celtics [team stats]’ current nine-game winning streak, but when Pierce says, “like that,” he’s talking about some fairly impressive stuff. Over his last six games, Perkins is averaging 11.5 points (on 68.3 percent shooting), 12.2 rebounds and 3.83 blocked shots. He’s had double-figure boards in each of his last five games after hitting that mark just twice prior this season.

Since returning from his left shoulder strain, Perk has hit 71.7 percent from the floor, and as a measure of his proficiency at the other end, his block average of late is slightly above what league leader Marcus Camby is averaging for the season.

“You’re starting to see what Perk can mean to this team,” said Pierce. “He’s starting to see it, too.”

And while Perkins is helped immensely by playing alongside Kevin Garnett, KG has consistently dished praise back in the other direction.

“I’ve been telling you all year about how good he is and how hard he works,” Garnett said.

Coming back from the shoulder problem, Perkins has clearly buckled down.

“It seems like I’ve got a new energy or something,” he said. “I don’t know what it is. It seems like a new start for some reason. I’ve just been attacking the glass. I’ve been going hard. It’s getting close to the playoffs and my individual goal is to go and get at least 10 boards a night. As long as I keep doing that, we’ll be all right.”

C’s coach Doc Rivers has said repeatedly that Perkins is fine when he stays within his role, but that’s easier now as his confidence has grown.

“He’s just doing his job,” said Rivers. “I know that sounds simple, but he is. He’s keeping his game simple. I just think he’s got great focus right now. We need him to keep that.”

Rivers then brought up Garnett, adding, “He missed a bunch of games (nine), and the bigs realized it’s tough with him not here. I think when you have all three of those guys (Pierce and Ray Allen, as well) on the floor the other guys are better. KG clearly makes everyone better. The other guys are going to get all the attention, on the glass, on everything.

“And if you do your job, you can have a field day playing with these guys.”

High praise


Pierce has shot 50 percent or better in each of his last five games, checking in at a warm 15-for-30 on treys. Over the last four games, he has 17 assists and just four turnovers.

Rivers said he got a phone call from a very good coach in our league, “one of the best, and all he talked about was Paul Pierce and how he’s changed his game in front of everybody’s eyes, doing everything, doing all the little things, being a passer, being a great teammate. Just everything. That, for me to hear from somebody else, was really special. That was nice. He’s been great.”

You don’t have to convince Garnett.

“I’ve got Paul for MVP this year,” he said. “You know, he does a lot of things, little small things, that people don’t see. There’s only three people I really like to watch on offense and he’s one of them. He makes scoring look easy. He has this uncanny confidence about himself that I love. It’s not cockiness. It’s self-assurance and it’s beautiful. I told you he’s one of the reasons why I came here.”

Rondo rolls on


Rajon Rondo [stats] has scored just three and six points in the last two games, but that hasn’t disturbed him. Rondo had 17 assists and two turnovers in the trip to Memphis and Philadelphia. . . .

The Celtics took yesterday off from practice and will hold a shootaround this morning before facing Seattle tonight. It’s likely they will work out tomorrow. Sam Cassell has thus had very little time to study with his new teammates. It was suggested this is rather like getting a degree through correspondence classes. . . .

The first 5,000 fans at tonight’s game will get Garnett bobblehead dolls.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/03/12/pierce_at_the_top_of_his_game?mode=PF

Pierce at the top of his game
By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | March 12, 2008

Celtics forward Kevin Garnett was viewed by many as the leading candidate to be NBA MVP prior to the abdominal injury that caused him to miss nine games. But if the 2004 NBA MVP had a vote, it would go to Garnett's teammate, Paul Pierce.

"I got Paul for MVP this year," said Garnett, who won the award four years ago with Minnesota. "He does a lot of things, just little small things that people don't see. There are only three people I like to watch on offense, and he's one of them, man. He makes scoring look easy. He has an uncanny confidence about him that I love, cockiness and self-assurance.

"I told you, there is a reason why I came here. He's one of the reasons."

Pierce is also one of the main reasons the Celtics have the NBA's best record at 50-12.

On a team with three All-Stars and lots of scoring, Pierce is averaging a team-best 20.3 points in 37.2 minutes. He is shooting 45 percent from the field, a career-best 84.4 percent from the line, and his 3-point percentage of 39.5 is his best since the 2001-02 season. He averages 5.3 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.3 steals, and is also the only Celtic who has played in all 62 games (after playing in only 47 last season because of injuries).

"This is probably one of my better seasons overall," said the 10-year veteran. "Maybe not numbers-wise, but with the team's success and everything we've got going on, I'm shooting a career best from the free throw line. I want to take advantage of the opportunities that are out there.

"Numbers-wise, I can't say it, but this is one of the better years that I've had."

After the Celtics acquired Garnett and sharpshooter Ray Allen last offseason, a big question was how Pierce would adapt to playing with two fellow perennial All-Stars. The transition has been smooth from the beginning for Pierce, who has maintained his ability to be a dangerous scorer within the framework of the redesigned offense.

"I don't know if I've really adjusted my game," Pierce said. "Shoot, this is the way I've wanted to play if we had players around me. I was a victim of young teams, lesser-talented teams, so I had to do more. I had to do a more overall game and do things to help my ball club win. I don't have to take all the shots.

"I know what I'm capable of, a more well-rounded game. I can play at a different pace, know when to turn it up, when not to, because of the guys they have around me."

Pierce's play even prompted an NBA coach to call Doc Rivers Monday to express his admiration.

"He's just been solid," Rivers said. "I'm not going to tell you the coach. But I got a call from a coach, who is a very good coach in our league, one of the best. All he talked about was Paul Pierce and how he changed his game in front of everybody's eyes by doing everything, all the little things. Playing defense, being a passer, being a great teammate, just everything.

"For me to hear that from someone else was special. That was nice. He's been that - he's been great."

A year ago, Pierce was upset and confused about the direction of the Celtics, who finished with only 24 wins. He begged executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge to get him some help and wondered if he would be traded. Ainge more than lived up to his end of the bargain by adding Garnett, Allen, James Posey, Eddie House, Sam Cassell, P.J. Brown, and Glen Davis this season.

After the Celtics became the first team to reach the 50-win mark with Monday's 100-86 victory at Philadelphia, they downplayed the accomplishment, citing their focus on winning a title. But considering the struggles of just a year ago, Pierce appreciates everything that is happening.

"I appreciate every moment I get to be around these guys," Pierce said. "When I look back, I don't want to say I didn't take advantage of the guys around me. Each and every day I try to enjoy it."

With a win tonight against Seattle, Rivers would reach the .500 mark for his NBA coaching career (324-324). Rivers is 152-156 with the Celtics . . . The Celtics took yesterday off after returning from Philadelphia late Monday night . . . The first 5,000 fans to enter TD Banknorth Garden tonight will receive a limited-edition Garnett bobble-head.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/extras/green_room/2008/03/rajon_his_game.html
Raj-on his game
Email|Link|Comments (0) Posted by Matt Hafele March 11, 2008 12:39 PM
As I searched the roster for somebody to focus this post on, I found myself at a loss. There were so many different options, most notably Scal and his suave, freshly shaven head. Then in the third quarter of the Pistons’ game it hit me (and Jason Maxiell) right in the face -- Rajon Rondo.


A lot of opponents have been left in the dust by Rondo this season (AP Photo)
I’ve always been drawn to point guards in the NBA because of their role as floor generals. There’s something additionally special about Rondo though. It’s just his second year in the league, and he gets it. He pulls back on fast breaks when there’s no clear lane to the hoop, he knows how much defensive pressure to apply without getting the ticky-tack fouls, he hustles for every loose ball, and he keeps the pace of the game at an ideal level for the Celtics. What he lacks in size he makes up for in speed. He has improved every facet of his game during his sophomore season.

I know I probably sound like an intoxicated Paula Abdul crushing on an American Idol contestant, but Rondo has emerged as a star and my new favorite player (sorry Mark “Mad Dog” Madsen).

Razzle-Dazzle

Rondo has been providing at least one “Did you see that?!” play per game all season long. I, like most cameramen in the NBA, still follow where the ball should go during his fake behind-the-back passes.

When he threw it down on Detroit's Jason Maxiell, I leaped off of my couch and immediately grabbed my phone to call my friend; only my phone started ringing before I could dial. It was my manic friend, who ended up sounding like Ron Burgundy in the phone booth scene from Anchor Man, but I understood everything he said. Too scatterbrained for words, I played it back on my DVR continuously for a good five minutes. Even now, while searching for the above YouTube link, I couldn’t help but watch it a handful of times before getting back to writing.

Rondo has exceeded all expectations this year and he continues to improve with each game under his belt. The Celtics brought in Cassell to back up Rondo and provide some veteran leadership, but the fact remains that Rondo is our floor general and we’ll go as far as he can lead us.

Gang Green

I’ve recently realized how absolutely in love with this roster I am. There isn’t one player on the team that I truly dislike. Even the benchwarmers add a bit of comical must to the season. Their starting five consists of three future Hall of Famers (at least in my eyes), a blue-collar type down low and a young flashy point guard tying everybody together.

Next is the bench, which was continuously blasted in the preseason as being non-existent on this team. Only now are people finally realizing that this bench isn’t a weak spot, in fact it’s pretty darn good -- it’s even got me using words like "darn". James Posey, the sixth man, has been phenomenal. I had no idea he was this good. He’s the type of player that needs to be on your team for you to fully understand all of the things he does and how well he does them. As Sam Cassell becomes familiar with the offense, he should provide some structure on the court while Rondo is taking a breather. Eddie House and Tony Allen, the two players who gained the most from the Cassell signing, add multiple backcourt scoring options off the bench. Big Baby, Leon Powe and now P.J. Brown deliver the low-post bodies.

Some quick hits

How incredible has Posey been shooting threes lately? He is near the top on the Celtics’ roster at nearly 40 percent. In this past weekend’s game at Memphis he couldn’t miss. After making one of his heat-check threes he just froze in place and sent the Celtics’ bench into complete hysteria. That’s just one of the hundreds of moments that has been making this season so special.

Garnett has been unstoppable hitting those 20 footers since coming back from his injury. You have to figure teams will get clued in soon and start playing him tighter but that will just open up the low-post and give Perkins a few more easy dunks.


Sam Cassell’s debut didn’t go so hot but that had to be expected since he has been out for nearly a month and has only been with the team for a week. He looked totally lost on the court, especially on defense. His postgame interview got a little odd as well when he just started laughing crazily. Welcome to the team, Sammy.


The Celts got their 50th win on Monday night. Coming into this season I figured they’d get 50 wins, I just didn’t expect to get there after 62 games.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.celticsblog.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2591&Itemid=189
Daily Babble: Propping the 'Tude of One Intangibles-Oriented Celtic
Written by Steve Weinman
Wednesday, 12 March 2008
Generally speaking, there isn't going to be much love found in this space for the basketball-playing abilities of the player whose 'intangible' value seems to be most hotly debated across Celtics Nation.

I would like to think (or at least I tell myself) that I remain somewhat moderate on this issue -- especially because as a fan, I refuse to ever completely turn on a player on a favorite team of mine -- but the fact of the matter is that it would be an untruth to call me a Brian Scalabrine booster.

When his minutes increased this season -- particularly during the absence of Kevin Garnett -- I found myself increasingly identifying with the sentiments coming from the camp of Scal's detractors.

But one has to give credit where credit has been earned, and Scal's attitude surrounding his relegation to the inactive list couldn't be better.


Read More..

All of Steve's daily posts can be found in the CelticsBlog: NBA blog. Check him out!




It seems that there are two largely related connotations of intangibles in the basketball world. To one school of thought, intangibles are simply what doesn't show up in a player's stat line in the box score: Boxing out, screening, hustling for loose balls, passing that doesn't lead directly to a basket (the old adage is that the pass that leads to an assist is the most significant pass of any possession) and, of course, defense (particularly help). Intangibles are also defined as what a player brings to a team off the court, particularly in his attitude and general demeanor.

So far as the former goes, Brian Scalabrine has done little this season to change the contention here that his on-floor values are negligible at best. He does play hard when he is on the floor, but his physical limitations -- and the style he chooses to play -- are simply too great to overcome. Scalabrine doesn't move well and isn't a great defender, and it seems from here that his contributions in help are often overstated. On the offensive end, Scal is a complete liability. He is a 6-foot-9 big man who prefers hanging around the perimeter, where he has been at best a decent shooter over the breadth of his career (34.6 percent from deep) and a putrid one this season (31.7), albeit in limited opportunities during the current campaign. He offers nothing in the low post, isn't particularly effective in screen-and-roll sets and can't be trusted with the ball in his hands. While he is willing to hustle, he isn't one of these guys who seems to be always coming out of scrums fighting for his life for loose balls or jumping out of bounds to make saves to his teammates. In fairness to Scal, with the possible exception of the time during KG's absence, his minutes have been very limited this season (10.4 per game in 41 appearances, although he has started nine times), but he has clearly been ineffective when the chances have come on the court.

But to the man's credit, he got a chance to play that latter intangibles role on Monday, and it certainly appears that he handled it in the best manner imaginable.

With Sam Cassell and P.J. Brown both officially ready to play (rust notwithstanding) once and for all, it is Scalabrine who moves down to that thirteenth spot on the Celtics' depth chart, and the team can only dress twelve players every game. But as the Globe's Marc Spears reports, Scalabrine has been prepared for this reality and plans to deal with it as professionally as possible:

"I can understand why I am being put on the list right now," Scalabrine said. "I don't think I've played as well as I could've played.

"There are things I can improve on. I have to continue to try to do that."

"I just want to continue to work and get better," Scalabrine said. "I'll always know that if anything happens in the NBA, I'll be ready if a guy goes down. I'll just schedule my workouts and be ready to go."

"It's a lot bigger than Brian Scalabrine, this whole thing. It's about winning a championship for the Boston Celtics. If Danny and Doc believe it's best for me to be on the list, then that's my role."

Those are the words of a man who gets it.

Sure, the detractors will be ready to say that Scalabrine has no choice in the matter and that, for the money he is making, he had jolly well best take the role assigned to him and comply without complaint, but the fact remains that these players are humans. Prior to reaching the NBA level, virtually all of them have spent the vast majority of their basketball lives as stars wherever they have been. Almost without exception, all have egos, and they all have pride, no matter how long they have fallen into service as role players, as Scal has throughout his career. As the NBA -- and pro sports in general -- shows us all too often, all it can take is one dopey distraction to completely derail a team from reaching its goals. The best teams are typically the ones on which everybody knows and accepts his role such that the team can stay focused on the ultimate prize and avoid petty bumps in the road.

Glorified scrub or not -- and justified or not -- Brian Scalabrine could have made his move to the inactive list a lot more of a problem than it was. He could have made this a Brian Scalabrine issue.

But he didn't.

Because this is a team issue, simply a logical decision that needed to be made to help the Celtics keep traveling along the road toward a big run in the springtime.

Because Scal understands that the team's goals come first right now.

Because, regardless of the flaws in his play, Brian Scalabrine is a professional. And this is what professionals do.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.enterprisenews.com/sports/x1611441486?view=print
Celtics look to stretch streak to 10
In tonight’s game against Seattle, the Celtics go for their first double-digit winning streak since the 1985-86 season.
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By Jim Fenton
ENTERPRISE STAFF WRITER
Posted Mar 12, 2008 @ 02:47 AM

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BOSTON — Twice this season, they have been on the verge of a double-digit winning streak, only to be denied.

Tonight, the Boston Celtics have a third chance to put together 10 straight victories for the first time in 22 years when they open a quick two-game homestand.

If the Celtics can take care of the sub-.500 Seattle SuperSonics at the TD Banknorth Garden (7:35, TV: Comcast SportsNet; radio: WEEI-850 AM), it will mark their first double-digit winning streak since late in the 1985-1986 season.

The Celtics had nine straight wins early this season, going from Nov. 29-Dec. 16 without a loss. That streak was snapped when Boston suffered its first home loss to the Detroit Pistons, 87-85, on a pair of last-second Chauncey Billups foul shots.

Following that defeat, the Celtics won nine more games in a row from Dec. 21-Jan. 5, capping the run off with an emotional victory on the road against the Pistons.

Four nights later, the Celtics were stunned by the Charlotte Bobcats to prevent them from a 10-game winning streak.

The current nine-game ride began after the Celtics opened a West Coast trip with three consecutive losses at Denver, Golden State and Phoenix.

Following a miserable performance against the Suns, the Celtics have been unbeatable, closing out the trip with wins over the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers, going 5-0 on a homestand, and winning back-to-back road games against the Memphis Grizzlies and Philadelphia 76ers.

The last time the Celtics had a double-digit winning streak came in the final weeks of the 1985-86 season, which turned out to be Boston’s last championship year.

That streak lasted 14 games, beginning with a road win over the Houston Rockets on March 11 and concluding on April 6 with a 95-94 loss in Philadelphia.

During that stretch, the Celtics won by an average of 15.3 points, swept an eight-game homestand (that included a trip to Hartford) and the smallest margin of victory was five points.

The Celtics also had a 13-game winning streak that season from Jan. 8-Feb. 5, ending with a 105-100 loss in Sacramento.

The current Celtics became the first NBA team to reach 50 wins this season, doing so in 62 games. That ties for the second-quickest amount a time it took a Celtics team to win 50 games, surpassed only by the 1964-65 and 1985-86 teams that were 50-11.

Tonight’s game marks the Garden debut of the league’s top rookie of the year candidate, Kevin Durant, who played just one season at Texas.

Durant was on the Celtics’ radar as they struggled through last season, hoping to get one of the top two picks in the NBA Draft.

When that didn’t work out and Boston fell to No. 5, executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge made wholesale changes, sending the pick along with Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West for Ray Allen and a second-round pick, which turned out to be Glen Davis.

With Portland Trail Blazers center Greg Oden out for the season due to knee surgery, Durant has had the rookie spotlight to himself. Through 61 games, he was averaging 19.4 points and 4.2 rebounds.

The young Sonics were 16-47, including 6-26 on the road, with a four-game losing streak prior to playing in Indiana Tuesday night.

In their first meeting this season, the Celtics were 104-96 winners on Dec. 27, but Allen struggled in his homecoming. Allen made just 4 of 13 shots and had 10 points in 38 minutes.

West teams ahead:
The Celtics play six of their next seven games against Western Conference teams, the only Eastern Conference team being the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night. The Celtics host the Utah Jazz Friday, then have a five-game road swing that includes three stops in Texas and one in New Orleans … With wins over the Sonics and Jazz this week, the Celtics will reach 30 home victories since the 1991-92 season … The Celtics (22-8) will finish with a winning road mark for only the second time in 17 years.

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