Morning Walkthrough: One half of defense enough

Jay King | February 6, 2010 at 8:56 am | 0 Comments

The Celtics have gotten rid of their morning walkthrough, but that doesn’t mean we have to. Here are a few Celtics links, and maybe even an NBA link or two, to help wake you up and get you focused for the day.

Jimmy Toscano, CelticsBlog – “‘I didn’t say much- very little- at halftime, if anything,’ said Coach Doc Rivers. ‘I basically said, ‘I don’t think I need to talk. We’re a defensive team and tonight we want to outscore them.’ And I said, ‘Good luck.’ And that was about it.’ Well, as short as the message was, it was loud and clear to the team as they came out in the second half with a little more energy and tenacity. After shooting at 63% clip in the first half, the Nets were held to a measly 29% from the field in the second half, scoring a total of 32 points. ‘I think it was just one of those games where we weren’t getting stops defensively, weren’t talking, weren’t communicating; we just weren’t doing our jobs individually and collectively as a team on the defensive end,’ said Eddie House. ‘I think when we came in and saw they were shooting 63%, we made a conscious effort to make it a little harder for them and everybody was just taking care of their man and just rebounding the basketball.’”

Frank Dell’Apa, Boston Globe – “With Celtics coach Doc Rivers limiting Allen’s minutes, the Celtics relied on House to provide a perimeter threat. That did not happen in the first half, as House missed all four of his shots and went scoreless. It did in the final quarter, as House scored 10 points. ‘First half, I think I was kind of rushing shots,’ House said. ‘I took some quick ones, I just tried to let the game come to me in the second half – when I get my shot, made sure it was in rhythm, wasn’t rushed, took my time with it, and knocked it down. It’s like the shots I’ve been getting all season. I’m just sticking with it – never lose confidence and keep shooting the basketball. As long as we win, all I’m trying to do is help the team win. So, if you get looks in the fourth, or you get them in the first, I try to make all my shots. When you get shots in the fourth you definitely want to make them.’”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “‘Eddie making shots bailed us out,” Rivers said. And as House continued to make one shot after another, the C’s kept doing all they could to get him the ball. ‘Feed the pig, whoever has it going,’ said Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo.”

Dave D’Alessandro, New Jersey Star Ledger – “They played aggressively, they made their own breaks, they actually attacked Kevin Garnett at their best moments, and they went punch-for-punch with a title contender. Basically, the Nets went into TD Garden and played like they belonged in the building. Then the fourth quarter started. You know the rest. The Boston Celtics, who take defense pretty seriously, loafed through their assignments for three quarters before strangling the Nets over the last 12 minutes to register a 96-87 victory Friday night.”

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – Doc Rivers: “‘I told them before the game that we should win the game; I’m not going to blow smoke and create some illusion that’s not there. I said, having said that, the only way you can do that is you have to execute our system. And if we don’t, then anybody can win the game. It’s called basketball. It’s a competition. And I thought from the middle of the third quarter on, we did that.’”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “‘Lackluster,’ Wallace said of last night’s defensive effort. ‘We didn’t pick it up probably until the six- or seven-(minute) mark in the fourth. But what my high school coach once said was true – winners find a way to win. We dug it out, they kept it close the whole game, and we just pulled it out in the last minute.’ That, right now, is the problem. A Celtics opponent shot better than 60 percent in the first half for the second straight game, but this time that opponent didn’t have Miami star Dwyane Wade. Instead, players like Brook Lopez (19 points) and Devin Harris (17) made the biggest threats. The Nets, despite the supposed drop in frontcourt talent, outscored the Celtics in the paint, 34-32.”

Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston – “‘Tonight, we didn’t come out with that that killer mentality to destroy them in the the first half,’ said Garnett. ‘I thought that, collectively, as the quarters went on, we increased the intensity defensively… When we started the game, we didn’t come out with that energy to just get them out of here. You look at the game in New Jersey, the tone was set right away. Defensively, guys’ hands were active. You could see the energy there, but tonight it wasn’t the same.’ Rondo stressed that New Jersey’s 4-44 record had nothing to do with underestimating them or not bringing the necessary energy. ‘Last time, we did a great job coming out there early and attacking them,’ said Rondo. ‘We were setting the tone, and our guys got to sit in the fourth. That is not an excuse. We just didn’t come out with the right energy or right effort tonight.’”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “The man who is expected to make this ride a long one couldn’t elevate to convert a third-quarter alley-oop pass from Rajon Rondo. This Hall of Fame-caliber defender was taken to the hole by Kris Humphries – yes, Kris Humphries. But Garnett, despite continuing to favor his right leg, wrote his problems off to a one-night brain cramp. ‘I was OK – I made some misreads,’ he said. ‘Kris Humphries made a couple of baskets on me and I wasn’t too happy about that. Defensively you have to know what you are going to do when picks come, talking for guys like Rondo and Ray (Allen). I messed up a couple of times. I am human. I will get better at that, but right now my focus is on rebounding better and continuing to talk,’ said Garnett. ‘I did miss some assignments tonight, which is something I don’t usually do.’”

Have a link I might want to look at? Send it my way by email (jayking@celticstown.com) or Twitter.

Tonight’s Celtics-Nets game might not be scintillating

Jay King | February 5, 2010 at 3:08 pm | 4 Comments

I had to put a wager on tonight’s Celtics-Nets game with my friend. I just had to.

Otherwise, it might have been brutally boring to watch. Frankly, I’m sure it will still be boring to watch.

I can already tell you right now, there are two ways the game could go. Either 1) Boston plays well and blows the Nets out like they did last time, or 2) Boston plays indifferently, allowing New Jersey to hang around for far longer than Doc Rivers would enjoy. No matter what happens, the game probably won’t be very scintillating. Either a blowout, or a slopfest. Yuck.

Thus, my bet. If I’m going to watch a bad game of basketball, I might as well have a friendly wager on it. If Boston’s winning by a lot, I’ll be happy; my bet will be won. If they’re mired in a game too close to call and too ugly to watch, I’ll be pissed at the Green Team for doing their best to screw me out of some money, and all wired up to see whether I win. Either way, watching the game will be less excruciating with some money on the line.

Still, let’s just say I’m not as excited for tonight’s game as I am for Sunday’s rematch with Orlando. Sorry, but watching a 4-44 team halfheartedly pretend to try to win isn’t my idea of a perfect Friday night. I’d rather complete my emasculation — which began when I knowingly looked at Greg Oden’s nude pictures — by attending the premier of Dear John.

Okay, maybe Dear John is pushing it. The second coming of The Notebook doesn’t exactly sound like my cup of tea. But watching Kris Humphries and Jarvis Hayes play a combined 50 minutes doesn’t exactly suit me either. Neither does Devin Harris mailing in yet another game. Or seeing Chris Quinn on an NBA court.

You want to know just how bad it’s gotten for New Jersey? Assistant coach Del Harris packed up his bags and left. Quit. During the middle of a season. Yahoo! Sports “claims” he left because he was told he wouldn’t be considered for the head coaching job this offseason, but I know the real reason…

You couldn’t pay Harris enough to continue watching the Nets play basketball from the front row.

Unlike Harris, I can be paid enough to watch New Jersey. If everything goes according to plan, the Celtics will win tonight and I’ll rake in 20 bucks.

If the plan goes awry? I will be down 100 banjos, and the Celts will have the most embarrassing loss of the season.

Can you believe my friend was dumb enough to take the Nets with 5-1 odds?

Top ten worst calls in NBA history

Jay King | January 16, 2010 at 12:00 pm | 3 Comments

So I was surfing YouTube in an attempt to find a Highlight Reel of the Day, and I decided to choose the single worst officiating call I could find.

Long story short, I couldn’t pick just one. So here is a compilation of the top ten worst calls in NBA history, or at least the one I could find a tape of on the internet.  I had only one guideline; I chose these calls based on how egregious the call, NOT on how much the call affected the outcome of a game.  If they all seem recent, you try to find tape of a bad call that existed before the 90′s.  I dare you.

They’re unranked because, well, because it’s tough to differentiate between such atrociousness.

Corey Maggette walks halfway to China

There are a lot of no-calls on switched pivot feet floating around on YouTube. I chose Maggette’s as the worst, partially because it was arguably the worst but mostly because I can’t stand watching the way he plays basketball. (Catch the basketball. Drive the basketball. Avoid open teammates at all costs. Create contact. Shoot free throws. Repeat from step one.)

By my count, Maggette only switched his pivot foot five times. Then had the audacity to argue with the ref about a foul no-call.

Joey Crawford gives Tim Duncan a good chuckle

No bad NBA calls list would be complete without a Joey Crawford quick-trigger technical foul. Can you really get thrown out of a game for laughing?

Carlos Boozer refrains from touching Lamar Odom

… but is called for a foul anyway. On first glance, it actually looks like Boozer might have shoved Odom in the back. On second glance, that was air that he was shoving.

As close as Boozer gets to touching Odom? That’s about as close as I’d ever want to get to touching Odom’s wife Khloe Kardashian. Her sisters, though…

And the Academy Award goes to…

Robert Horry, for his performance in this NBA game. Jeff Van Gundy, announcing the game, said, “He didn’t throw him. Robert Horry — every time he comes up to set a screen — if there’s any contact he’s going to fall to the ground.”

Jeff, you’re wrong. It doesn’t take contact.

Chauncey Billups called for ref’s foul

So a ref trucks Damon Jones, who falls out of bounds and loses the basketball; what does the ref call? A foul on Chauncey Billups, of course.

Devin Harris’ pirouette

In the NBA, it often works to up-fake, lean in and shoot. It’s a great way to draw a foul…

Even when there isn’t even any contact.

Sean Marks hits the “E”!

Sometimes, an out of bounds call can be impossible to miss. On second thought, never say never.

Lebron does double duty

Lebron not only manages to travel twice on the same play, but he also lets me put a Jiri Welsch highlight (okay, lowlight) on the site. Plus, the Master of the Crab Dribble took about five steps before even thinking about dribbling.

Keyon Dooling runs into a brick wall

When you run into your own teammate, it’s never a good thing. Unless, that is, the ref mistakes him for your opponent.

Player goes Mike Tyson on ref

This isn’t in the NBA and isn’t even that bad of a call. It’s actually a pretty decent no-call. But it had to be on the list because this player certainly reacted like it was the worst call ever.

The Morning Walkthrough: How have the Nets won even three games?

Jay King | January 14, 2010 at 8:00 am | 1 Comment

The Celtics have gotten rid of their morning walkthrough, but that doesn’t mean we have to. Here are a few Celtics links, and maybe even an NBA link or two, to help wake you up and get you focused for the day.

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald - “In what was very likely the Celts’ last visit to the Meadowlands, the final snapshot was a surgical strike that kept New Jersey on the turnpike to the worst record in NBA history. The 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers [team stats] (9-73) are about to be taken off the hook. The Celts were ahead by 21 in the first quarter when a Nets writer turned to a Boston counterpart and said, ‘This is the point where you’re supposed to tap me on the shoulder and ask how they’ve been able to win three games.’”

Mike Fine, Patriot Ledger -”Kevin Garnett is out again, and now, so too is Rasheed Wallace. Marquis Daniels is on an extended recovery break and Glen Davis has already been there. The Celtics have been unable to find a rhythm, and you have to wonder if there are some parallels that trace to the 1986-87 season. ‘You certainly hope not, because that’s out of everybody’s hands,’ McHale said from his Minnesota home Wednesday. ‘That’s just a tough thing. It’s hard. One thing about the NBA is that if you’re lucky enough and blessed enough to have the talent to play in the NBA, playing basketball is really fun and enjoyable and actually fairly easy. But when you’re out there playing hurt, it’s hard, it’s drudgery, it’s not fun. It steals the fun from you so you hate to see a guy like Garnett, who loves to play, go through that. So I’m hoping they have good health, but that’s something that is kind of out of your control.’”

Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston – “He’s been absolutely great, and you can see now that they’re allowing him to work out, you’re seeing (Garnett’s intensity) creep back up a little more, which is good. You want him to want to play,” Rivers said. “I don’t think he’s been more down in his life than he was sitting on the bench during the playoffs last year, and I think he would do anything to not ever be in that position again.’ And as for the overall state of his team, which improved to 27-10 — only two games off the pace they were on at this point a year ago — this was Rivers’ State of the Celtics’ sermon: ‘I love our team. I’d love to see ‘em. I don’t think we’ve had our team intact one game yet this year, our main nine, eight guys, so I’m looking forward to actually seeing that group, and I think we will eventually,’ Rivers said. ‘I’m hoping after the All-Star break we’re whole. I like our team as it is now. Obviously if you can improve it, you will. But I like our chemistry, I like our mindset, who we are as a group, and when you get that you want to hold onto it.’”

A. Sherrod Blakely – “Boston made 10 of its first 11 shots and barely slowed up from there, building a 36-point lead during its highest-scoring first half of the season and cruising to its 11th straight victory over the Nets (3-35). Yi Jianlian scored 19 points and Brook Lopez had 18 points and 10 rebounds for the Nets, who lost their sixth straight and were as far away from the Celtics on the court as they are in the standings.”

Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston – “Limited action for the top of the rotation meant extended minutes for little-used reserves like J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker. Both second-year players showcased their athleticism, while registering six points apiece. Walker, who played six minutes after logging just six minutes all year, posterized Nets center Josh Boone with an emphatic one-handed jam, then assisted on a pair of Giddens buckets. ‘Big time,’ Ray Allen said when asked how much the Celtics needed an easy win. ‘Just seeing the young guys coming in and playing and be able to run up and down the floor. It continues to make them — or allow them — to work harder if they’re not getting a lot of minutes. And then getting a lot of rest for the starters.’”

Julian Garcia, NY Daily News – “Someone was bound to snap. And while Devin Harris may not have broken anything or singled out a teammate at halftime of Wednesday night’s game against the Celtics, it could be a good sign that the Nets’ de facto captain finally ripped into the team during one of its most dreadful performances yet. Maybe the Nets needed to hear it from their usually understated leader during an embarrassing 111-87 loss to the shorthanded Celtics. Maybe his message will finally wake the Nets up from a season-long slumber that has resulted in a 3-35 record.”

Marc Spears, Yahoo! Sports – “The biggest struggles among the Magic’s core players have come in adjusting to playing with [Vince] Carter. Though Carter is averaging a team-high 17.4 points, he’s also shooting a team-worst 39.2 percent. The Magic also have won five of the six games in which he hasn’t played. Carter, Van Gundy said, has ‘made a lot of bad decisions in terms of shot selection.’ Struggling to find his All-Star form in Orlando, Vince Carter is shooting a team-worst 39.2 percent this season. ‘He’s predetermined of what he’s doing offensively,’ Van Gundy said. ‘Vince is thinking too much. He’s very conscientious. He wants to fit in, make the right play. I think he’s thinking ahead of time, like, ‘I’m not being aggressive enough, I have to drive at this time. If I’m going under the screen, I got to shoot it or I got to get Dwight a shot,’ instead of just making plays and trusting his instincts.’ Lewis and Howard miss playing with Turkoglu, who often looked to get them the ball and was patient enough to let his own offense come in the flow of the game.”

Have a link I might want to look at? Send it my way by email (jayking@celticstown.com) or Twitter.

Celtics play Nets, or… a version of their old selves?

Jay King | January 13, 2010 at 5:16 pm | 0 Comments

Three years ago, the Boston Celtics’ roster consisted of a bunch of young, talented players who didn’t at all know how to play winning basketball. They were a lost group of players, a team pointed without a compass. At one point, the Celtics lost 18 straight games, leaving their fans hoping for nothing but Doc Rivers to be fired and winning the draft lottery… and maybe, perhaps, a win or two. But wins were certainly secondary to making severe changes for the future.

Does that sounds like any team in the NBA right now? A team the Celtics play tonight, perhaps?
Read more >>

The Morning Walkthrough: When you play Boston, it’s war

Jay King | at 8:27 am | 1 Comment

The Celtics have gotten rid of their morning walkthrough, but that doesn’t mean we have to. Here are a few Celtics links, and maybe even an NBA link or two, to help wake you up and get you focused for the day.

Gary Washburn, Boston Globe – “‘[Kendrick Perkins is] a load, he knows his role, he knows how to play the game,’’ Bosh said. “He’s not saying a lot. He’s not asking for the ball a lot. He’s a strong post player. He knows where to pick and choose his spots.’ Perkins had 11 points and nine rebounds against Horford and an Atlanta team that backed into a zone defense in the second half. ‘Every time you come in and play Boston, you know it’s going to be a war,’ said Horford, who had 9 points and 12 rebounds. ‘They may blow you out but you are not going to blow them out. It’s a war.’”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “Veterans aren’t the only players Boston needs to be concerned with logging too many minutes. Point guard Rajon Rondo missed one game with a left hamstring injury, and although he’s been fine since returning to action, the Celtics have to be careful not to wear down the 23-year-old. ‘He’s a really big part of their team,’ said Hawks guard Jamal Crawford. ‘He’s been one of the best point guards in the NBA this season.’ Because of his impact on the team, he will naturally play a lot, but the minutes he’s logged lately are just insane. In the four games since he sat out Boston’s Jan. 2 win over Toronto, Rondo has averaged 21 points and 9.5 assists while playing 45.3 minutes per game. That includes a 50-minute effort in an overtime win., but even if you look at the other three games, that still averages out to 43.7 minutes a night.”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “[Paul] Pierce is the same guy who watched Scalabrine going through extra drills after the shootaround in Memphis last month and said, ‘I love Brian Scalabrine. Look at him out there sweating. Young guys need to see what he’s doing and learn from that.’ Because Scalabrine shoots so rarely (nine shots is a quarter for Lakers star Kobe Bryant), coach Doc Rivers wasn’t bothered for the team by the recent drought. But he was concerned for Scalabrine.”

Chris Forsberg, ESPNBoston – “The Celtics are 26-10 nearing the midway point of the season. They’re still on pace for around 60 wins. Sure, it’s not the 72 victories that some had them pegged for after a blazing 20-4 start, but they’re on track to be one of the top two seeds in the Eastern Conference (currently second behind the Cavaliers). The real question is: Will the Celtics ever be free of the injury/illness bug? Is this a rash of bad luck that will fade before the postseason? Or, as many pundits openly wondered in the preseason, are the Celtics simply too old and fragile?”

Jessica Camerato, WEEI – “The chemistry on the court between Rondo and Kevin Garnett make alley-oops look effortless. But as Rondo explains, it takes a certain kind of player to pull off the dunk. ‘Everybody can’t do it. There are guys in the league that can do it, but it may be four or five things — you’ve got to have the athleticism, perceptiveness, the set up, knowing when to do it, you’ve got to be a good player. Part of the reason why [Garnett] gets so many lobs is because people fear him getting the ball. If he gets the ball, he’s going to score so they try to deny him the ball. He has great coordination, great timing. When he spins out, he loses track of the ball, so after he turns around he has to go up and find the ball and then find the rim. It’s not as easy as it looks. He does a great job at it.’”

Dave D’Alessandro, The Star-Ledger – “And rest assured, the Nets are disappointed enough to listen to offers for [Devin]  Harris — they just don’t expect to get anything done with any of their six core guys before the Feb. 18th deadline. But they’re not exactly considering him (sportswriter cliché alert) an untouchable anymore. Why should he be tenured, anyway? His jumper’s broken. His defense, by and large, is still poor. He’s injury prone. And he’s still young and talented enough to bring back a very good return, given his contract (at least if you pair it with one of the expiring deals). But even if the Nets think they could do better, we find it very hard to drop all the blame of this 3-34 nightmare on this kid’s head.”

Zach Lowe, CelticsHub – “In his last 11 games, Perk has turned the ball over 41 times. In his last 11 games, Rajon Rondo has turned the ball over 44 times. That’s eight turnovers per game between two players. And as well as these two guys have played, that’s just too many. Right now, there isn’t a more turnover prone center-point guard combo in the starting line-up of any NBA team.”

Have a link I might want to look at? Send it my way by email (jayking@celticstown.com) or Twitter.