News 4/13

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1086823&format=text

C’s have plenty in reserve
Bench leaves lasting impression on Hawks

By Steve Bulpett | Sunday, April 13, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics

Photo by AP
ATLANTA - Necessity is a powerful mother, but she wasn’t strong enough to get the Hawks a victory over the Celtics [team stats] last night.

With the Pacers losing at home to Charlotte, the Hawks needed a win to make it to the postseason for the first time since 1999, the NBA’s longest playoff drought. But the Bostonians hit them over the head with their bench.

Sam Cassell scored 15 of his 20 points in the final quarter as the Celts came back for a 99-89 triumph.

Ray Allen played the first 48 seconds of the last period. The rest was a Pine People Production.

“They were outworking us,” said coach Doc Rivers, who called a timeout at that juncture to insert Tony Allen and give his lads some heat. “The first play out of the quarter, there was a loose ball - we call them 50-50s; anybody can get it. Three of our guys were standing there and (the Hawks) got it, and that’s why I called timeout. I just said, ‘Listen, guys. I don’t know if we’re going to win or lose, but we’re not going to play this way.’ ”

They didn’t. With the starters cheering them on from the sideline, Sam and the subs provided the energy that had been missing.

“It’s funny,” Rivers said. “At halftime, I told our coaches I thought we honestly had a better chance to win with our second unit than our starters. You could just see it in the third quarter that their energy was low. And you can’t fault them. They’ve earned the right to rest in some ways. So we went with the bench and we played loose. I thought that was to our advantage in the fourth quarter. When you’re trying to get in (the playoffs) like Atlanta is, that’s more difficult than for us with our bench. They were relaxed and just playing.”

With the Hawks still just one win (or one more Indiana loss) away from a first-round playoff matchup with the Celts, they can’t feel good about this one. The Celtics reserves were able to score 13 straight points in the last quarter to overcome a six-point deficit. By the end, Cassell was throwing in 3-pointers and pointing to Kevin Garnett (24 points in 29 minutes), Paul Pierce [stats] (14 in 27) and the rest of the starters.

“Doc put the ball in my hand a lot,” Cassell said. “He told me if I didn’t have a shot to just make a play for the guys. The guys set some good screens for me and sprung me open. I did the rest. I made some shots.”

After a Mike Bibby trey gave Atlanta an 84-78 lead with 8:23 left, the Celtics dug in. They outscored the Hawks, 21-5, the rest of the way and didn’t allow the home team another bucket until an Al Horford hook with 1:36 to go.

That was the same Al Horford who had gone for 12 points in the third quarter - looking very much like a rookie of the year - and had given the Hawks a reason to believe they could celebrate a playoff invitation.

But the Celtics clearly don’t want any stray thoughts creeping into the Atlanta heads with a return matchup just about a lock.

“When you’ve got a team that you’re possibly going to see in the first round, it’s like we wanted to win this game,” Pierce said. “You don’t want to give a team like that any confidence, especially going into the playoffs. If they get a win, they could feel like they could beat you. So hopefully we erased that. You don’t want them to think they can beat you.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/celtics/view.bg?articleid=1086850&format=text
Hot-lanta no cool ‘W’

By Steve Bulpett / Celtics notebook | Sunday, April 13, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | Boston Celtics
ATLANTA - Despite what the records may say, the Celtics [team stats] would be very wary of a first-round playoff series with the Hawks.

Although Atlanta still is trying to lock down the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot, they’re young and lively bodies, coupled with an experienced point guard in Mike Bibby, are reasons why the Celts won’t be looking past them if they do reach the postseason.

“It wouldn’t be an easy series,” coach Doc Rivers said before last night’s 99-89 win here. “They’re athletic as heck. We’ve struggled with athletic teams - Charlotte, Philadelphia, Washington. So it would be absolutely a tough matchup.

“But it’s what I told our guys. With what we’re trying to achieve, it should be tough and it will be tough. We just have to get ready for that.”

And be ready, too, for a Hawks group that has a good measure of confidence.

Rivers used to say of his former Atlanta teams that “they were just dumb enough to win.”

But Hawks guard Josh Childress went to Stanford, and he seems to have a pretty good grasp of the matter.

“I think in that situation we’re a team that has nothing to lose,” he said. “We’re going to go out there and just fight. No one expects us to win. No one expects us to be in this position to begin with. So when the time comes and if we do match up with them, I think it’s going to be great on our end. We just have to go out there and play.

“There is no high expectation. You know, (the Celtics) are the ones with the pressure on them.”

Hawks coach Mike Woodson didn’t want to put the cart before the horse prior to tipoff last night, but he did say, “If we are matched up against them, we’ll try to make it a great series.”

Take a seat

Leon Powe (sore right foot) and Eddie House (strained groin) missed their second straight games, and Rivers said the latter isn’t a lock for tomorrow night’s contest against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden.

“Eddie will be fine by playoffs, but I don’t know if he’ll be fine by the next two games,” the coach said.

Powe said a problem with his shoe insert led to his injury.

“I just let my orthotics get worn out,” he said. “When I don’t have them, my foot gets real sore. My foot’s really flat, so when I don’t have the orthotics, it feel like I’m walking on concrete.” . . .

Rivers was feeling fairly loose, even when the Celts were down in the fourth quarter. Responding to some fans who were saying the Hawks were getting the short end of the calls, he said, “I didn’t get ’em when I was here either. . . . That guy doing the TV, ’Nique (Dominique Wilkins)? He got all the calls.” . . .

The Celts didn’t seem too worried about Scot Pollard working last night’s game for Comcast SportsNet. Pollard is out for the season after undergoing ankle surgery.

“No, that’s good,” Kendrick Perkins [stats] said. “Me and Scot are boys, so I know he’s going to be all right with me.”

[FLCeltsFan]

www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/other_nba/view.bg?articleid=1086849&format=text
One vote, so many candidates

By Steve Bulpett / NBA Notes | Sunday, April 13, 2008 | www.bostonherald.com | NBA Coverage
Robert Frost once said that liberals were people too open-minded to take their own side in an argument. He could have said the same thing about those who must fill out the NBA awards ballots. Or at least about this voter.

You can make strong arguments for Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett and LeBron James, and I’d probably agree with you. Each has major merits, and, in the end, it all comes down to how you choose to look at the process. (It’s the same issue I have with midseason and postseason report cards - and why I don’t believe I do them well.)

Should the MVP simply be the best player on the best team? Or the player with the best numbers? Or the player who is “most valuable” to his team? The last definition always loses me - the “where would his team be without him?” qualification. Using that logic, the Celtics [team stats] would have been in the D-League without Paul Pierce [stats] a couple of years ago, so why didn’t get any votes?

If you simply say the MVP is the best player in the league, then you might want to listen to a few general managers who say unequivocally that if all the players’ names were tossed into a hat and they were picking new teams from scratch to start the playoffs, they would take Tim Duncan No. 1.

Therein lies the fallacy of the MVP award. It is an individual honor, and basketball done right is not an individual game. Sure, great artists can step away from the orchestra at times for a soaring solo, but winning is about making the whole greater than the sum of its parts.

In other words, are you taking Wilt Chamberlain or Bill Russell?

We wrote here recently - and Doc Rivers agreed - that the Celtics wouldn’t have had the best record in the league had Garnett, Pierce and Ray Allen played in a manner that attracts MVP votes. The award is almost antithetical to the way the Celtics approach the game both now and in their glory years.cw0cw0

But none of this is getting my ballot filled out, now is it? So with the caveat that my mind is open to change, here’s how we’re looking at things with a few days left to decide:

1. Chris Paul, New Orleans. He is on pace to be the first player in 15 years to average 20 points and 10 assists, but the greater reason we’re leaning in his direction is that he simply had to do more to get his team where it is.
2. Kevin Garnett, Celtics. He’s not going to win it, and the team’s success is reflective of the fact he hasn’t gone for it. But Garnett has to get credit for the Celtics’ defense (a general non-factor to MVP voters) and his impact on the younger players. It’s not just the opportunity to play next to him; teammates like Kendrick Perkins [stats] and Rajon Rondo [stats] are helped, too, but Garnett’s inclusive nature off the court. Much of what he does is hard to quantify . . . unless you want to look at the Celts’ record.

3. LeBron James, Cleveland. The kid’s a colossus, and the belief here is that he’ll do an even better job down the line drawing more from his teammates.

4. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers. Nice of him to finally come around on Andrew Bynum, huh? No one can deny his talent, but the yearly drama is getting a bit tired.

5. Tim Duncan, San Antonio. There has to be room for The Big Fundamental.


Deke and his cheek

Elsewhere on the 2007-08 campaign trail . . .

While Garnett may get the Defensive Player of the Year nod as almost a consolation prize, Dikembe Mutombo is pushing for Rocket mate Shane Battier.

“People are talking about KG,” Mutombo said. “That’s good. I don’t know why Shane’s name never gets mentioned. Maybe the little man doesn’t get much credit. Gary Payton and I went head-to-head as Defensive Player of the Year back in the day. He was a point guard. Mookie Blalock was a point guard. Shane is a small forward. I don’t see why he can’t be Defensive Player of the Year.”

Interesting to note that Battier finished fourth for the award last season and wasn’t first-team All-Defense.

“If he doesn’t make the first team,” Mutombo said, “I think the committee can kiss my (butt).” . . .

Rivers may well win his second Coach of the Year award, but his candidate remains Utah’s Jerry Sloan.

Just four years ago, Sloan finished second to Hubie Brown in the balloting. Milwaukee’s Terry Porter and Miami’s Stan Van Gundy were third and fourth, respectively.

It’s a measure of the profession’s nature that Sloan’s the only guy still in the same job.

Time for a recount

Danny Ainge isn’t the only one whose job approval rating has made a Jordanesque leap.

Back in 2005, the Lakers began inviting their season ticket-holders to a forum (not The Forum) where they could share their thoughts. That first year, one customer took the opportunity to ask Mitch Kupchak to resign.

At the latest session, Kupchak, who drafted Bynum and traded for Pau Gasol, got a standing ovation. . . .

Not that he’s going to keep his job anyway, but Isiah Thomas didn’t make any new friends in New York when the Pistons honored him as part of their 50th anniversary team.

“I’m a Piston who happens to work for the New York Knicks,” Thomas said, perhaps getting that on record just in time.

By the way, there were three former Celts on the 30-man team - Bailey Howell, Chris Ford and Dave Bing. And if you want to get technical, Lindsey Hunter was a Celtic for a moment as part of that whole Rasheed Wallace maneuver. . . .

Digressing further, it’ll be fun when Piston owner William Davidson and former coach !!!GREENIAC!!! Vitale meet up again at the Hall of Fame induction. Davidson once called the hiring of Vitale one of his worst mistakes. . . .

Gregg Popovich after the Spurs scored nine points in the last quarter of a loss to the Jazz: “It’s the NBA and there are 82 games and it was the fourth quarter and (the Jazz) played their (butt) off. I don’t want to say anything for fear of making an excuse, and there are no excuses in the NBA. They kicked our (butt). Can you say that in Utah? I apologize.” . . .

Nobody wins unless everybody wins.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/04/13/celtics_play_prevent_d?mode=PF
Celtics play prevent D
With loss, Hawks kept from clinching playoffs
By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | April 13, 2008

ATLANTA - The Celtics kept the Hawks from partying like it was 1999 last night.

Even with its reserves playing most of the fourth quarter, Boston defeated Atlanta, 99-89, at a sold-out Philips Arena in a likely first-round playoff preview. Guard Sam Cassell scored 15 of his 20 points in the fourth to spark the Celtics.

The Hawks could have clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 1999 with a win over the Celtics after Indiana lost to Charlotte last night.

"The guys set some good screens for me, spun me open, and I did the rest," Cassell said. "I made some shots. It was fun because [coach Doc Rivers] told us at the beginning of the fourth quarter that either we are going to win it or lose it, because he wasn't going back with his starters. So the guys looked at each other and we didn't want to hear his mouth if we had lost today."

The Celtics (64-16), the top seeds in the Eastern Conference playoffs, won all three meetings with Atlanta this season. The Hawks (37-43) have a magic number of 1 to land the eighth and final East playoff spot with two games remaining. Atlanta hosts Orlando Tuesday and plays its regular-season finale at Miami Wednesday. Ninth-place Indiana plays at Washington tomorrow and hosts New York Wednesday.

"We have to take care of business on Tuesday here at home," said Hawks rookie forward Al Horford, who had 17 points and 11 rebounds.

While the Pacers are mathematically alive, the Celtics expect to play the Hawks in the first round.

"When you've got a team that you possibly are going to see in the first round, you want to win this game," said Celtics forward Paul Pierce, who had 14 points in 27 minutes. "You don't want to give a team like that any confidence, especially going into the playoffs. If they get a win going into the playoffs, they'll feel psychologically like they can beat you.

"We erased that. We have a psychological edge going into the first round if we see them."

The Celtics owned a 55-44 halftime lead, with Kevin Garnett scoring 18 of his game-high 24 points. Boston, however, was outscored, 30-19, in the third quarter, as Atlanta shot 52 percent.

With 11:12 remaining and the Hawks leading, 76-74, the last Celtics starter still on the floor, Ray Allen (14 points), was replaced by Tony Allen. No Boston starter played more than Allen's 30 minutes.

"It's good to get them seasoning and get them ready," said Pierce of the reserves. "Get out there and get them some extended minutes. There's confidence going with that unit."

The Hawks went up, 81-76, on a 3-pointer by Mike Bibby with 9:26 remaining. Cassell's 17-foot jumper tied the game at 84 with 5:06 left. His 16-foot jumper gave Boston a 91-84 lead 1:48 remaining. Cassell then nailed back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Celtics a 97-89 advantage and seal the game.

"You have to tip your hat to [the Celtics'] second unit because they played unbelievable," said Hawks coach Mike Woodson. "Sam Cassell down the stretch, he's made big plays his whole career, he's won a couple of titles, so he knows what it's like when it's on the line."

Cassell scored 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting while playing the entire fourth quarter. And after making the back-to-back 3-pointers, the 38-year-old broke out in a dance, basically saying he has the confidence to take big shots.

"Sam was huge and he made big shots," said Rivers. "That's what he does for us."

Celtics guard Eddie House (right abductor strain) and forward-center Leon Powe (sore right foot) missed their second straight games. House and Powe said their injuries aren't serious and both hoped to play tomorrow in New York. Rivers said Powe would likely return against the Knicks, but not House . . . Glen Davis said he did away with his Mohawk hairstyle because "I didn't like it. I was just trying it out." . . . Rivers said that with all due respect to Seattle's Kevin Durant, Horford should be the Rookie of the Year.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/articles/2008/04/13/deserving_of_honorable_mention?mode=PF
Deserving of honorable mention
By Peter May, Globe Staff | April 13, 2008

The ballots are due into the central office by Thursday at 3 p.m., which reminds me - I'd better get cracking. But unless something unforeseen occurs in the next four days, here are my choices for the annual NBA postseason awards.

Most Valuable Player
We'll start with the award di tutti awards. I have maintained all season that Kevin Garnett should win, and I have seen nothing to change my mind. There are, really, three serious candidates: Garnett, Kobe Bryant, and Chris Paul. I know Cavaliers fans are going to wonder what I'm smoking, but I find it hard to give it to LeBron James, because his team isn't doing anything. He's still No. 4 on my list; I don't think he's worthy of the top three. Not this year, anyway. And there is plenty of debate on those other three.

The argument for Paul is legit. He is the catalyst and perhaps the best player on the team that likely will end up with the best record in the cutthroat Western Conference, the Hornets. That makes him an obvious candidate, and I can't fault anyone who votes for him based on what he has done for them. He's a lock for first-team All-NBA, or he should be.

The argument for Bryant is similarly legit. He is, in the minds of most people, the best player in the NBA - which does not constitute a news bulletin - and has carried the Lakers, through ups and downs, to the point where they may well win their division and be a definite threat to make it to the Finals. There also is some "It's his time/turn" talk going on.

But let's take a closer look at Garnett, and some of the arguments against him.


His numbers are down: Well, duh. Have you seen what his team is doing to other teams? It has been a season-long objective of Doc Rivers to keep Garnett's minutes down so he will be as fresh as possible for the playoffs. He has been able to do that because the Celtics (a) started 29-3 and basically had the division wrapped up by New Year's and (b) have had so many lopsided victories. The sight of Garnett in warm-ups in the fourth quarter has not been a rare one. This is a case where the team numbers are what should count. The Celtics have been the best team, record-wise, all season and the best defensive team, statistics-wise, all season. There's one main reason: Garnett. As Kenny Smith told his TNT audience last Thursday, "Kevin Garnett has changed the culture of the Boston Celtics. Last year, you could get layup after layup after jump shot after anything you wanted [against the Celtics]. He's a guy that will guard your point guard and he's a guy that will guard your center. I think Kevin Garnett is the best defensive player in the NBA."


The team's 8-2 record in the 10 games he missed: The two losses, both close ones on the road, were to Cleveland and Orlando, two of the better teams in the East. Both also beat the Celtics with KG. Two of the big home wins (San Antonio, Dallas) came with the opponent also missing key player(s). How about this: The Celtics are 55-14 in the games Garnett has played. That's still a better winning percentage than any team in the league. And do you know how many times the Celtics have lost by 10 or more points? Three. That's the same number of double-digit losses the last Celtics title team (1985-86) had.


He plays in the Eastern Conference: There's been only one Eastern Conference MVP since Michael Jordan retired (Allen Iverson, 2001) although Jason Kidd ('02) and Shaquille O'Neal ('05) probably should have won. But the Celtics demolished Western Conference teams, winning 25 of 30 games, including sweeps of the Lakers, Spurs, Mavericks, and Rockets. And three of those losses came in February, when Garnett was rusty after returning from his injury.


He has too many good teammates: This might be the most ludicrous argument of all. I never heard anyone quibble about Larry Bird's MVP worthiness because of who played with him. Or Magic Johnson's. Or Jordan's. Or Tim Duncan's. Or Bill Russell's. Or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's. What if the Garnett deal had not gone down and we had Al Jefferson et al along with Ray Allen and Paul Pierce? How good do you think the Celtics would be?

Garnett has been the best player on the best team and has totally transformed that team in the process. In most years, that's argument enough.

1. Kevin Garnett. 2. Chris Paul. 3. Kobe Bryant. 4. LeBron James. 5. Dwight Howard.

Coach of the Year


Much like the MVP award, there are more than a few deserving candidates. Here's one who should get some recognition but won't: Maurice Cheeks. Did anyone think Philadelphia would be around .500 and a playoff team to boot?

Big Chief Triangle himself, Phil Jackson, will get some love, as will Rick Adelman, especially for what Houston has done since Yao Ming went down. No one mentions Stan Van Gundy, but how many pegged Orlando for 50 wins? I didn't. But the two guys who should get the most juice are Doc Rivers and Byron Scott. Either one is a solid pick.

Rivers has managed the Celtics brilliantly, quieting all the lugheads who thought he was the reincarnation of Roy Rubin. It started with "ubuntu" in Europe and has continued to this day. He made defense a priority and he could finally realize that because of the personnel. But methinks Scott has it over Doc by just a tad because of where his Hornets came from, with essentially the same people as last year (although a healthier crew).

The only significant addition, Morris Peterson, has been an occasional contributor. Paul has been off the charts. David West turned himself into an All-Star. Tyson Chandler may well be anchoring Uncle Sam's team in China. And Peja Stojakovic came back from back surgery. To top it off, the Hornets went from the lottery to the very top of the brutally tough Western Conference without a dramatic overhaul and while playing in not always the best conditions at home.

1. Byron Scott. 2. Doc Rivers. 3. Rick Adelman.

Rookie of the Year
Kevin Durant seemingly had this one wrapped up from the moment it was announced that Greg Oden would miss the season after knee surgery. (Some thought he'd win it whether Oden played or not.)

It's hard not to marvel at this kid and what he has done all season for a terrible Seattle team trying to get out of the Pacific Northwest for the wavin' wheat of Oklahoma. (We can't hold him accountable for that, however.) Despite what the Sonics have done this year, which isn't much, he's pretty hard to overlook for the award.

The one guy who could get some votes because he has had the biggest impact for a rookie as far as improving his team is the Rockets' Luis Scola. Was it a coincidence that Houston started off on its epic 22-game winning streak after Scola was put into the starting lineup (something, by the way, that Rockets general manager Daryl Morey thought would be the case in Game 1).

Yet, it's always weird to consider a seasoned pro such as Scola a rookie. But he at least has to be in the discussion. Houston didn't put a 41-cent stamp on its season when Yao went down, and it will be in the playoffs, which, when Yao did go down, was no mortal lock.

The other semi-worthy candidate is Atlanta's Al Horford. The Hawks will likely be in the playoffs, ending their eight-year drought. But they also will post a losing record for the ninth straight year.

Those three should be on the All-Rookie first team, along with Al Thornton of the Clippers and probably Thaddeus Young of the Sixers.

1. Kevin Durant. 2. Luis Scola. 3. Al Horford.

Most Improved Player
This is the award that has the broadest guidelines and elicits the most candidates. There are a slew of guys who could win this one, starting with one right in our own backyard in Rajon Rondo. The Pacers are making the case for Mike Dunleavy Jr., and the Timberwolves went the bobblehead/piggy bank route in trying to muster support for old friend Jefferson, who probably was a better candidate last year. Atlanta wants Josh Smith to be recognized, and you can certainly make a case for David West of the Hornets or even Rudy Gay in Memphis. But the play this season of Hedo Turkoglu for the Magic has to be recognized. He probably should have been on the Eastern Conference All-Star team and he has been a huge reason the Magic enjoyed the season they did.

1. Hedo Turkoglu.

Defensive Player of the Year
This, of course, goes to Garnett. There shouldn't be anyone else in the discussion. Amazingly, Garnett, while being an annual on the league's All-Defensive Team (and now we know why), has never won this award. That has to stop this season. You almost get the feeling that Garnett would want this award over any other (assuming he cares about any of them, which he probably doesn't). Last year's winner, Marcus Camby, will get some support, as will Bruce Bowen and Shane Battier. Bryant said earlier this year that this was the one award he was shooting for. Sorry, Kobester.

1. Kevin Garnett.

Sixth Man
This is also, in my mind anyway, a no-brainer. The Spurs' Manu Ginobili has been a constant all season, mostly coming off the bench, but also as a starter. And the fact that he started a number of games does not disqualify him; that is what a good sixth man is supposed to do every now and then.

1. Manu Ginobili.

All-NBA teams
This can also be a little dicey, especially when you get down to the second and third teams. This year's first team has four locks: Garnett and James at forward and Bryant and Paul at guard. And, I think, over the course of the season, there hasn't been a better center than Orlando's Dwight Howard. The numbers that Amare Stoudemire is putting up are staggering, but most of those have come since the Shaquille O'Neal trade. So Howard gets the nod.

As for the second team, Stoudemire gets the center spot because he technically played more games there than at power forward. Tim Duncan has not been a first-teamer only once (2006), but he is due for a second appearance on the second team as he gets a forward spot along with Utah's double-double machine, Carlos Boozer. Steve Nash and Ginobili make this an All-Western Conference five.

As for the third team, here's where it gets fun, because some quality people are going to be left off. Camby should get the center nod, but only if you think Yao is undeserving because of all the time he's missed. Camby, by the way, has already played a career-high 76 games after averaging 56 a year for the first 11 years of his career. The forwards should be Pierce, who has had a terrific season, and Dirk Nowitzki, a first-teamer the last three years. We're leaving out Carmelo Anthony and Rasheed Wallace, among others. As for the guards, the choices here are Tracy McGrady and Chauncey Billups.

Basically, someone from Houston and someone from Detroit have to make one of these teams, even though the Pistons like to think of themselves as a team of non-stars. We know better. At the same time, we're omitting some pretty good players who undoubtedly will get votes, among them Deron Williams, Iverson, and Baron Davis.


Somehow, Fame voters don’t remember these names
The Hall of Fame voters got it mostly right with the announcement of the inductees for 2008. But it's still hard to conceive how Dennis Johnson and Don Nelson remain on the outside looking in.

Both were nominated this year, and they each have pretty good cases for inclusion. But, once again, the mystery voters denied both men a place while including Adrian Dantley (a gifted player, but, really, was he any better than DJ?).

Among the players and coaches with NBA tie-ins, Patrick Ewing, Pat Riley, and Hakeem Olajuwon were automatics. It won't get any easier for DJ, whose résumé seems somehow to diminish year by year. This was the fourth time he has been a finalist. Next year, the automatics are Michael Jordan, John Stockton, and David Robinson.

As for Nellie, he was a finalist for the second time. As was his onetime player and now boss, Chris Mullin. Assuming Jordan, Robinson, and Stockton get in, that leaves Mullin, Karl Malone (eligible in 2009), and Scottie Pippen (eligible in 2009) as the only NBA members of the original Dream Team still not enshrined.

The lone collegian, Christian Laettner, should be in the discussion, as one of the greatest and winningest college players ever.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2008/04/13/parish_holds_off_any_comparisons?mode=PF
Parish holds off any comparisons
By Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff | April 13, 2008

NBA Hall of Famer Robert Parish won three NBA titles with the Celtics as part of the original "Big Three": himself, Larry Bird, and Kevin McHale. The Chief also played on the Bulls' 1997 championship team, led by a star trio of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman.

So how would Parish compare his champion teammates with Boston's current All-Star trio of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Ray Allen?

"There is no comparison until they win something," said Parish. "Another point is it would be unfair for those guys to compare them to us because our careers are over. Their careers are not over with yet. And they are different ballplayers. It wouldn't be fair to compare, anyway.

"Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett are great players. Larry, Kevin, and Robert were great players. I'll just leave it like that."

Parish will be in Boston Tuesday to promote the 1985-86 NBA Champions DVD set at Borders on School Street from 1-3 p.m. He will sign autographs for those buying the set, which includes all six 1986 Finals games against the Rockets as well as a highlight DVD.

"I definitely have fond memories of that '85-86 season," Parish said. "Any time you are part of something special when you win a championship, I was definitely proud of that.

"It gives you a sense of accomplishment. It was all memorable playing with my teammates - Larry, Kevin, Danny Ainge, Bill Walton, and Dennis Johnson - against a very formidable opponent in the Houston Rockets with Hakeem Olajuwon and Ralph Sampson."

Parish has yet to attend a Celtics game in Boston this season. He did, however, attend the Celtics' win at Charlotte April 5, although Garnett, Pierce, and Allen all had that night off. Parish isn't a fan of watching NBA regular-season games, but is definitely watching come playoff time.

"I always feel like the regular season is a six-month test to see who deserves to be in the NBA championship," he said. "You get rid of all the pretenders and the real basketball teams have been left standing."

Parish has been very impressed by the current Big Three's ability to put their egos aside to make a legitimate title run. As for players "4 through 12," he isn't sold on them yet.

"You know that Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Allen are great ballplayers," Parish said. "[Rajon] Rondo, [Kendrick] Perkins, and those other guys, how are they going to stand up to the pressure?

"Everything changes when the playoffs start. It's no more up and down. It's pretty much half-court. There is a lot more at stake, more pressure to perform night in and night out. It's going to be a true test of what this ball club is. What kind of production and what kind of consistency are they going to bring to the table each game?

"You know what the Big Three is going to bring. The Big Three is going to be as good as their supporting cast. The same thing applies to the last . We wouldn't have been nearly as good from a won-loss standpoint if the bench didn't get it done."

Parish cited the deaths of draft pick Len Bias and forward Reggie Lewis as the main reasons why the Celtics haven't won a title since 1986.

Parish also mentioned that he is upset that the late Dennis Johnson, his former teammate, again was not elected to the Hall of Fame.

"I thought it was an injustice," Parish said. "What people fail to realize is how great Dennis Johnson was."

"When he was at Seattle and Phoenix, people forget that. I think people are primarily judging him on his production when he was a Boston Celtic, when he was in a lesser role. He wasn't one of the premier players on the team. Everything wasn't revolved around him like it was in Phoenix and Seattle. People forget that. Dennis Johnson was one of the best guards to play the game, in my opinion."

[FLCeltsFan]

www.metrowestdailynews.com/sports/x489862154

Courtside View: Garnett a worthy candidate
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By Scott Souza/Daily News Staff
GHS
Posted Apr 12, 2008 @ 11:34 PM

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The table in the middle of the TD Banknorth Garden pressroom becomes a cluttered place in the few minutes following a Celtics game. Added to the assortment of media guides, game notes and office supplies left over from before the game are printouts of box scores, statistics and play-by-play accounts of the four quarters.

Following Friday night's victory over the Bucks, the stacks of largely soon-to-be-recycled material had some regal company in the form of the Arnold "Red" Auerbach Award presented to Kevin Garnett prior to the game a little more than two hours earlier.

Presumably, the award didn't spend the night unattended. The public relations staff brought it down to the interview room during Garnett's postgame press conference and reunited him with his prize. But if we have learned anything about Garnett since he became a Celtic last July 31, it's that while he will surely cherish the the award because of the name associated with it, the statue itself means little.

From all indications, the only prize that really means anything to Garnett these days is the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy awarded to the one team left standing in the middle of June.

Of course, that exact attitude is what made Garnett the obvious and quintessential choice for the Auerbach Award as the player who most embodies Celtic spirit and pride.

"If anybody symbolizes team it's him," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers. "I don't want to get into the MVP thing, so I won't go there strong. But he has sacrificed so many numbers for this team - sitting out a few games, getting more rest, (us) not wanting (him) to stay in (games). He is always making the extra pass - sometimes to a fault. He is exactly what that award is all about."

That Garnett's name is even so widely involved "in the MVP thing" is another testament to how many people understand just how much he has brought to the Celtics in his one season in green. If you look at the straight statistics, he shouldn't even be in the running. LeBron James is averaging 30.3 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game through Friday, while consensus favorite Kobe Bryant is at 28.5, 6.4 and 5.4, respectively, and Chris Paul is at 21.1, 4.0 and 11.6.

Just considering the numbers, Garnett's totals of 18.9 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists - all his lowest marks in more than a decade - might not even make him an All-Star. Former Celtic Al Jefferson, for instance, didn't make the Western Conference squad this season despite averaging 21.0 points and 11.2 rebounds.

But anyone who follows the league knows the numbers that best measure Garnett's impact this season are the ones 24 and 58, and 63 and 16 - the wins and losses, respectively, of the Celtics the years before and since his arrival entering last night's game.

Plenty of nights this season the Celtics, as well as Garnett, could have easily padded those other numbers. But, like Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, there was an acceptance that victory totals - specifically in the playoffs - were more important than point, rebound and assist totals.

"Keeping him to 35 minutes a night was a major chore just for him to accept and he did that," Rives said. "Part of the reason we canceled practices was because Kevin wouldn't sit during the practices, so you cancel them for the whole team."

As those days of extra time off and limited minutes are finally coming to a close with the playoffs to start next weekend, Garnett appears ready to pursue that most meaningful prize.

"Postseason is so different," he said. "You can tell that from the moment you start preparing to the moment you step on the court. The energy, not only around a city, but around the gym. One play, one mistake, can determine a whole series. The energy level goes from one notch to two notches up, and you feel it right when you come through the door."

Perhaps more important than how Garnett feels that energy is how he radiates it through to his teammates in a way that makes everyone feel like they are marching together into a battle straight out of a superhero comic book or epic movie.

"He's the same guy," said two-time teammate Sam Cassell, who marched with Garnett to the Western Conference finals in Minnesota. "He enjoys his teammates. He loves his teammates. He loves his coaching staff. He loves everybody involved with the everyday operations of the Celtics. He would do anything for you.

"He's Kevin, it's that simple."

On the night of Garnett's initial press conference alongside Pierce and Allen during a warm and surreal summer evening at the Garden, he created the first of what would be a series of elaborate, and often curious, images to describe his emotional state this season: "It's like being in a Lamborghini going 200 miles per hour with your head stuck out the window."

Friday night, he updated the scene for the road that lies imminently ahead.

"A perfect analogy," he said of the playoffs, "is getting doused with cold water in 50-below weather and then sticking your head out the window while you drive.

"I don't recommend anybody do that, but that's what it's like."

After what fans of this franchise have been through in recent years, they will be happy to go along for the ride with Garnett wherever - and however - he takes them.

[FLCeltsFan]

www.telegram.com/article/20080413/COLUMN08/804130625/1009

If best record is important, Garnett deserves award

Bill Doyle’s picks for the other NBA awards

AND THE ENVELOPES, PLEASE...

Bill Doyle NBA
[e-mail]





Enlarge photo


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Lakers coach Phil Jackson believes Kobe Bryant or Chris Paul should be the NBA’s Most Valuable Player with the determining factor being whichever player’s team finishes with the best record in the Western Conference.

If finishing with the best record is so important, then Kevin Garnett deserves to be MVP ahead of Bryant or Paul. Garnett’s Celtics own the best record in the Eastern Conference, as well as the entire NBA.

The East certainly isn’t as deep as the West, but the Celtics finished 25-5 against the West, better than any Western Conference team fared against the weaker East. Phoenix beat up on the East more than any other Western team, finishing 24-6.


The Celtics also went 3-1 against the Lakers and Hornets, and 13-5 against the nine teams battling for the eight Western Conference playoff berths. The Celtics have clearly been the NBA’s best team during the regular season.

Taking Jackson’s line of logic a step further, Garnett’s chief competition for MVP should be teammate Paul Pierce, not Bryant or Paul. That’s one of the reasons why Garnett has fallen in the MVP race in the minds of some of the NBA’s sports writers and broadcasters who vote for the honor. They believe Pierce and Ray Allen provide Garnett too much help while Bryant and Paul are the unquestioned leaders of their teams.

Pierce disagrees, insisting Garnett deserves the MVP because of the way he has revived the entire culture of the franchise in his first year with the team. When the Celtics traded for Allen on draft night, no one predicted them to win an NBA title. In fact, the deal drew a mixed reaction.

Allen was about to turn 32, coming off surgery on both ankles and had never won anything in the NBA. Expectations didn’t soar until Garnett came on board. His intensity not only in games, but in practices, revived Pierce. His mere presence on the court created more open looks for Allen and more dunks for Kendrick Perkins.

With Garnett leading the way, the Celtics eclipsed San Antonio’s NBA record for greatest one-year jump in victories. They sold out all 41 regular-season home games for the first time in their 13 seasons at the new Garden and recorded more home sellouts than in the previous three years combined. Their TV ratings on Comcast Sports Net doubled and they became the darling of national television a year after they failed to appear on national TV even once.

Those who overlook Garnett for MVP grant that the Celtics are the NBA’s best team, but insist he isn’t the NBA’s best player. That’s true. Garnett doesn’t own the gaudy stats of Bryant, who is second in the league in scoring to LeBron James, or Paul, who leads the league in assists and steals. But remember that Bill Russell was voted MVP five times without ever leading the league in scoring. Garnett is the best player on the NBA’s best team and, most importantly, he’s the most valuable. Yes, the Celtics went 8-2 in the 10 games he missed, but six of those eight victories came against teams likely to miss the playoffs. The two most impressive wins, over Dallas and San Antonio, both came at home and both opponents were without their point guards, Devin Harris and Tony Parker. Rest assured that the Celtics would not be anywhere close to the NBA’s best team without Garnett over the entire season.

With Garnett manning the middle, the Celtics are on the verge of becoming the first team since the 1992-93 New York Knicks to lead the NBA in scoring defense, field-goal percentage defense and 3-point percentage defense. Garnett’s detractors credit associate head coach Tom Thibodeau for turning the Celtics into the league’s top defensive team, but Garnett makes Thibodeau’s schemes work.

Garnett was voted the 2004 MVP and Bryant has never won the honor. So as Celtics coach Doc Rivers pointed out, people probably think it’s Bryant’s turn. The Lakers have been campaigning hard for Bryant, sending bumper sticks, campaign buttons, red suspenders and a written plea from owner Jerry Buss to MVP voters. Garnett would prefer to win his first NBA championship than a second MVP. Beating Bryant in the NBA Finals would make the title even sweeter.

Coach of the Year
•Doc Rivers

Byron Scott enjoys a lot of support because no one expected his Hornets to battle for the top spot out West after finishing 39-43 a year ago. But that lack of expectations enabled Scott to coach under less pressure.

Expectations were high in Boston, on the other hand, and Rivers still exceeded them. He got the Big Three to sacrifice their personal stats in order to win and they won right away, jumping out to a 29-3 start and taking no time to learn to play together.

The Celtics continued to win even though Rivers kept the Big Three’s minutes down so they would be fresh for the playoffs.

Rivers benefited from the better-than-expected school of thought when he was voted Coach of the Year in 2000 even though his injury-riddled Orlando Magic finished only 41-41 and didn’t make the playoffs that year.

Rivers had never won more than 45 games in his first eight seasons as a head coach, but he never had this much talent. He was up to the challenge. If Paul ends up the MVP, then Rivers must earn the nod over Scott because he won despite not coaching an MVP.

Executive of the Year
•Danny Ainge

Instead of resting on his laurels after trading for Allen and Garnett, Ainge also signed veterans James Posey and Eddie House, who provided much needed depth. His signings of P.J. Brown and Sam Cassell haven’t paid off yet, but they could in the playoffs.

Defensive Player of the Year
•Kevin Garnett

Most Improved Player
•Rudy Gay

The Memphis forward is scoring nearly twice as many points as last season when he was a rookie (20.2 ppg compared to 10.8) and has improved his field-goal percentage, foul shooting and rebounding. Second-year point guard Rajon Rondo is the most improved Celtic, averaging 10.4 points and 5 assists while shooting 48.6 percent compared to 6.4, 3.8 and 41.8 percent a year ago. Unfortunately, Rondo’s foul shooting, never a strength, has grown even worse. He’s shooting only 60.7 percent compared to 64.7 last year. Teams will foul him late in close playoff games and force him to make his free throws.

All-NBA
•Kevin Garnett

•LeBron James

•Chris Paul

•Kobe Bryant

•Dwight Howard

Second-team
•Tim Duncan

•Amare Stoudemire

•Paul Pierce

•Steve Nash

•Allen Iverson

All-Injury Team
•Elton Brand

•Greg Oden

•Gilbert Arenas

•Jermaine O’Neal

•Andrew Bynum

Sixth Man
•Manu Ginobili

The Spurs guard averages a career-high and a team-high 19.6 points a game despite playing only 31.2 minutes a game, the fewest among the NBA’s top 50 scorers. He also averages 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists.

James Posey is the top player off the bench for the Celtics. Leon Powe and Eddie House score slightly more points, but Posey is a far better defender and much more versatile. He can also hit a big 3-pointer when needed.

Rookie of the Year
•Kevin Durant

Even though Durant plays for a bad Seattle team, he earns the nod because no one else comes close to his 20 points a game. Al Horford averages 10 points and nearly 10 rebounds for a mediocre Atlanta team.

Glen “Big Baby” Davis was the top Celtics rookie by default because the team’s only other first-year player, Gabe Pruitt, saw action in only 12 games.

Davis had his moments, including scoring a season-high 20 points in a win at Detroit on Jan. 5. He provided 4.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and a big smile every game.

All Rookie
•Kevin Durant

•Al Horford

•Juan Carlos Navarro

•Al Thornton

•Luis Scola