I’ve got to admit, this is the one time I could have broken news before Chris Forsberg. I’ve been playing pickup basketball with some kids who play for my old high school team, and one of them was stuttering a couple weeks ago: “I… I… I just p-p-played p-p-pickup with P-P-Paul H-H-Harris.”

I responded, “Okay, now calm down. He’s not THAT good. You don’t have to stutter like you just saw Michael Jordan. I mean, you’re blessed with ’the privilege’ of playing pickup against me twice a week and I haven’t seen you go gaga like that yet.”

The kid took three (very) deep breaths, took himself down a couple notches, and started speaking regular English.

“I just played against Paul Harris, man,” he said. “He’s been working out at L.A. Fitness for weeks now. He signed with the Red Claws.”

I nodded, replied “oh, I see,” and wondered to myself, why in the world did seeing Paul Harris, of all people, make this kid drool? Then I remembered myself in high school, the one time I played pickup basketball against someone noteworthy. And I use the word “noteworthy” loosely.

Long story short, Kenyon Martin’s half brother Richard Roby (or at least someone who claimed to be Kenyon Martin’s half brother Richard Roby, and I can’t imagine anyone who isn’t Roby would do that) came to my local park. We played a couple games. He was playing at Colorado at the time and was considered a first-round prospect, so he was pretty damn good. Good enough to murder me, at least. But I finished playing the games, walked home, and immediately called everyone I knew.

“Guess what I did today?”

“What?”

“Played basketball against Richardy Roby at Bliss Park!”

“Who the hell is Richard Roby?”

“Oh.”

Anyway, I remembered why this kid was so hyped about playing Paul Harris. As for the Red Claws? Lasme could be a Celtic within a month, whenever the Celtics get rid of Von Wafer. (I kid, I kid… but seriously.) Harris and Tiny Gallon are both intriguing prospects for the future. Harris is only a 6’2″ (or so) bruiser with limited guard skills, but he’s tough and super-athletic. And Gallon has a lot of talent, to go with his soft shooting touch in a big man’s body. If he can work himself into good shape, Gallon could become a real player.

I don’t see Mario West as a future Celtics call-up (even though I’d hate to have him defend me), and I know very little about Lamonte Ulmer (6’6″, 215-lb. wing from URI; averaged 12.1 ppg and 7.4 rpg in senior season) or Jamar Smith (6’3″ shooting guard from the University of Southern Indiana; D2 Player of the Year by at least one publication, averaging 21.6 ppg).

But damn it!, I could have broken news before Chris Forsberg. If only my stuttering, salivating source had been a little more reliable.

The Morning Walkthrough is a set of links to Boston Celtics articles throughout the internet, designed to get your day started the right way.

Did everyone know that's Mario West?

Jessica Camerato, CSNNE – “The Celtics trimmed their roster Wednesday by waiving training camp invitees Stephane Lasme and Mario West. … The Red Claws still have the rights to West, a guard who played the last three years in the Atlanta Hawks organization. In the meantime, West will return home to Georgia and work on improving his offensive game. He sees himself developing into a player like Bruce Bowen or Raja Bell, one who focuses on defense first and then finds his niche offensively. ‘I have things I need to work on but I think they were, overall, pleased with the effort I gave,’ West told CSNNE.com. ‘I was just grateful for the opportunity, to be honest. Any time you get an opportunity to come in with a championship-caliber team, I took a lot of pride in putting on that jersey and practicing with those guys. I feel like I made life-long brothers in this locker room.’”

Julian Benbow/Gary Washburn, Boston Globe – “Still, he scored 12 points last night on 4-of-5 shooting, and has fit in nicely with the Celtics’ static starters while injuries have nagged at Jermaine O’Neal, keeping him out of half of the exhibition games, including last night’s. ‘He’s been great,’ Paul Pierce said of Shaquille O’Neal. ‘He’s obviously been a huge presence for us down there. You saw today when we got him the ball, they tried to double-team him and we skipped it to open shooters. That’s going to be a big factor going in, a guy who can draw double teams. When you’ve got two or three guys in your starting five who can do that it just makes things easier on the offensive end. He’s a big plus for us.’”

Dan Duggan, Boston Herald – “‘Just making the team is not enough for me,’ said Wafer, who had eight points last night. “I’ve been playing in the NBA five years and I’ve been sitting on the bench for four. You just can’t get better sitting on the bench. I want to play, bottom line.’ Wafer might get a chance while West is out, but the minutes he covets don’t figure to exist here. ‘It looks real sketchy because we have so much talent,’ Wafer said. ‘We got a lot of talent, I don’t know. I’m just going to go into it thinking positive.’”

Jessica Camerato, CSNNE – “Wafer felt more comfortable with his game after “finding his legs” and felt that the pace of the game seemed to slow down after doing so. ‘I think I showed them that I can get better, that I’m willing to just play defense,’ he said. ‘I feel like I got a lot better defensively, but hopefully I can continue to play. Just making the team is not enough for me. I want to play. I’ve been playing in the NBA five years and I’ve been sitting on the bench for four. You just can’t get better sitting on the bench. I want to play, bottom line.’ The bottom line on the Celtics, though, is that minutes are not readily available. The team added depth to its bench this summer, making it even more difficult for a player — especially one who has been out of the league for over a year — to get on to the court. ‘I would rather be out there,’ he said. ‘But I’ve got to take what’s given to me.’”

Gary Washburn, Boston Globe – “Lasme, a former UMass standout, was disappointed but said he felt he made a positive impression. ‘It was actually longer than I thought it was going to be,’ Lasme said. ‘They actually liked me a lot. It came down to the end. (Doc Rivers) said I was an NBA player and not to worry about anything.’ Lasme said he is open to playing the NBDL. ‘It is basically my decision if I want to go,’ he said. ‘I’m sure somebody’s going to call. I’ll wait for the phone call and make my decision from there.’”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “Celtics starters have lobbied coach Doc Rivers to play extended minutes throughout the preseason, often disappointed with their efforts in the first half and seeking to immediately atone for sloppy play. With no other games standing between Wednesday’s preseason finale against the Nets and Tuesday’s much-ballyhooed showdown with the Miami Heat, the Celtics’ veterans wanted to showcase their potential one last time. Ray Allen fueled a feverish third-quarter outburst by scoring all 14 of his points in the period, connecting on four shots, including a pair of trifectas, as the Celtics embarked on a pair of 13-2 runs to erase a double-digit deficit and build a comfortable cushion that carried them to a lopsided win. ‘We came out lackadaisical,’ said Shaquille O’Neal. ‘But we picked it up. When our guys turn it on, usually the outcome will be like this.’”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “From his left hamstring to his left wrist and now to his back, it’s been difficult to keep track of every injury that has nagged Jermaine O’Neal during training camp. The difficult part about the center’s plight now, according to Rivers, is that more down time may call into question just how much O’Neal can contribute once the Celtics open their season. ‘Yeah, there is (concern),’ Rivers said before the game. ‘(O’Neal) hasn’t been able to get on the floor, obviously. It’s not going to happen tonight and maybe not for the first couple of practices, so there is some concern about opening night and what he can do for us. JO and I were just talking, and it was, after the first day of training camp, you’re never healthy again. You have to get something. But how much can you function? It’s what you’re going through the rest of the year.’”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “Halftime had arrived, and Ray Allen had as many points as the scribes detailing his struggles. But if there’s one thing Celtics Nation has learned about Ray Allen, it’s that regardless of how bad he may be shooting, he can get it going at any time, against any team. The New Jersey Nets were reminded of this on Wednesday as Allen scored all of his 14 points in the third quarter to help propel the Celtics to a 107-92 win to close out their preseason. ‘I always say when Ray’s going, we’re a tough team to beat,’ said Paul Pierce who had 11 points on 3-for-6 shooting. ‘Every game we try to establish him early.’”

Mark Murphy, Boston Herald – “Rondo wouldn’t be the first poor free throw shooter (63.0 percent career, 62.1 last season) to shy away from trips to the line. Antoine Walker, who shot 55.7 percent from the line in his last half-season with the C’s in the spring of 2005, had become almost exclusively a perimeter player. Some theorized that part of the reason was a fear of going to the line. Rondo lives at the rim. And yet that ability to split the lane doesn’t always produce contact. ‘I don’t know,’ Rivers said of whether Rondo is hesitant to draw fouls. ‘I just know he has to get there. Why he’s doing it, I’m not inside of that brain. I’m not even sure I want to go there. But the fact is, with his speed at point guard – point guards with the rules, where you can’t touch a guy above the free throw line, should end up on the free throw line.’”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “Danny Ainge is as much relieved as he is excited that the roster had shaped up this well. ‘If you’d have told me we could have had this team we have now after Game 7 of the Finals, I could have gotten a lot more sleep,’ the director of basketball operations said.”

Got a tip? An article you think should be included? Send an email to jayking@celticstown.com or hit me up on Twitter @CelticsTown.

Get that weak stuff out of here. Oops, I just picked up a technical foul.

The Boston Celtics starters weren’t supposed to play in the second half. They were supposed to be granted some rest. But when a hapless first half ended with the Celtics trailing the Nets 55-48, plans changed. Eleven minutes later, the Celtics led 80-69 when the starters were substituted out after stunning an overwhelmed Nets team with a barrage of quick and powerful jabs. A 107-92 victory was well underway.

As the cheers rained down from an abnormally loud preseason crowd at the TD Garden, the message had been sent:

Miami Heat, the Celtics are ready for opening night.

• Game Notes:
  • Shaq continues to fit in. The Great Wall of Massachusetts solidified his hold on the starting role, and keeps working to change the perception that his presence held Cleveland back. The Diesel has been nothing but helpful in Boston, where his rebounding, outlet passes and paint presence have been a welcome addition. Tonight, he even hedged a screen-and-roll and forced a turnover. I pinched myself to make sure I wasn’t dreaming.
  • Contrary to what most folks thought, Shaq’s presence doesn’t clog the lane for the Celtics — it opens lanes. On one play, Ray Allen came off a curl with a head of steam towards the hoop. Even though Allen was wide open and headed straight for a layup, the Nets’ center didn’t fully commit to helping out. Why? It could have been that the Nets are awful defensively. That makes sense. But more likely, the Nets’ center was afraid to leave Shaq because Shaq’s a bigger threat than Kendrick Perkins ever was. Well, that and the Nets are awful defensively.
  • A couple plays into the third quarter, Paul Pierce sneaked around Kris Humphries and stole the ball. Pierce outlet passed the ball to Rajon Rondo, igniting the fast break. Rondo dumped it back to Pierce, who finished the play with a vicious dunk close enough to Johan Petro to make the Nets’ center blush. You can’t tell me Pierce had that type of rise in last year’s playoffs. You can’t.
  • I’ll be shocked if Von Wafer isn’t chosen as the Celtics’ 15th player. He found his sea legs (C legs?), and for the past three games has provided the offensive boost the Celtics expected when they signed him. Stephane Lasme will remain an inspiration and a great story, but the Celtics will likely assign him to the Maine Red Claws — if Lasme agrees.
  • Semih Erden isn’t your normal rookie. He makes at least two or three plays per game that scream “VETERAN!!!!” Today, he had two nice post moves around Derrick Favors. The second was a beautiful drop-step that was reminiscent of Kevin McHale. Okay, maybe not that veteran-esque.
  • For what it’s worth, Tommy Heinsohn salivated when he first saw Rajon Rondo play for the Celtics. He had the same feeling the other night watching Avery Bradley.
  • As Ray Allen tends to do, he got hot. The lesson, as usual: the only thing smoother than Ray Allen’s jumper is his bald dome piece.
  • Tiny Gallon’s new number? 63. He said it made him feel like an offensive linemen. I bet looking in the mirror gives him that same feeling.
  • Doc Rivers missed the game after having throat surgery. He couldn’t scream, he said. Lawrence Frank coached in his place. Frank has at least one thing he does better than Tom Thibodeau — unlike Thibs when filling in for Doc, Frank actually made substitutions.
  • One of the subs he made was matching Glen Davis and Kevin Garnett together in the same frontcourt. That gives the Celtics an interesting lineup full of shooters. Something to keep an eye on.
  • Mario West won’t make the Celtics, and he doesn’t deserve to. But if he ever defended me at the Y, I’d fake an injury.
  • Rajon Rondo’s last on my list of notes, but not least. Every day, I marvel at the way he dominates games without scoring points.
  • Kevin Garnett was aggressive. He was also whistled for a technical foul when he made an elbowing motion in the vicinity of Kris Humphries’ head. Even though the replay showed no malicious intent, I can’t fault the ref for calling a technical. When I saw the play live, I thought KG had plans to decapitate Humphries.

I flipped the channel from the Celtics-Raptors game to HGTV after the third quarter. The Celtics were winning 101-73 and looked absolutely dominant. Did I miss anything?

Only a furious rally that eventually brought the Raptors within three points, led by the one and only Marcus Banks.

Wait, Marcus Banks led a rally? Good joke.

No, seriously. Banks ended up with 10 clutch points, a +19 plus-minus and two late steals of Nate Robinson that almost won the Raptors the game.

I love how you actually think I’m that gullible. This is Marcus Banks we’re taking about. And the lead was 28 points. There’s no way Toronto almost won the game.

Think what you want. But the Raptors clawed all the way back, and Banks was dynamite in the fourth.

Okay, whatever. I’m not listening to your lying ass anymore. Rajon Rondo was dominating the game. He had Toronto in his back pocket, scoring 21 points to go with 5 assists. He had 16 points in the third quarter, leading a 41-point Celtics barrage in that frame.

And then…

Shut up! Von Wafer looked great too. He finally showed me something. It was too bad that Stephane Lasme missed the game due to visa issues (no, not the credit card), because his spot on the Celtics’ roster might just have been snatched while he was in another country. And poor Mario West, bless his hustle, is a goner. Wafer got his jumper working, and he didn’t look so damn shaky going to the hoop. He actually had a few nice passes, too.

But he…

I said shut up! Marquis Daniels did his thing. Maybe I should shoot 1,000 jumpers a day next summer like ‘Quisy did, and then my three-ball will start dropping left and right. Daniels is acting like he’s a shooter all of a sudden, and a damn good one. He looked strong going to the hoop, too, and that turnaround jumper he hit out of the post was pretty. And when he made that 35-footer to end the first quarter, then reacted like he was reading a book in the library? Classic ‘Quisy.

But don’t you want to…

Stop talking, you Goddamn liar! I was impressed by Semih Erden too. That Turk just never stops working. He’s got one hell of a motor on him, and he knows how to play. Ray Allen was his usual self, and Paul Pierce, Delonte West and Shaq took a night of rest. And KG looked as athletic as he has all preseason. He beat the Raps down the court a couple times (not that beating those lazy schmucks is too tough, but still), and that alley-oop from Rondo was a thing of beauty. Speaking of dunks, DeMar DeRozan had a perfect ten somewhere in the vicinity of Glen Davis. Not exactly on Davis’s head, but close enough that Davis will probably hear about it from his teammates.

Do you even want to hear about the fourth quarter? How the Raptors dominated the C’s bottom five? How Marcus Banks looked like an All-Star? How Julian Wright and Joey Dorsey joined Banks with +19 plus-minuses, and somebody named Solomon Alabi had a +11?

Lies, all lies! Stop with the malarkey already!

But here’s the box score.

Oh. At least they still won.

The name's Vakeaton.

Brendan Jackson of Celtics Hub did a nice job on a recent post detailing why Von Wafer could still be the best choice for 15th man. Jackson’s points are all valid: Wafer draws fouls at a high rate, shoots well from outside, and generally has far more tools than Lasme. Especially when Delonte West misses the season’s first 10 games, Wafer’s offensive skills would be valuable. West’s shooting and offensive presence would be missed, but Wafer is a backup capable of fireworks.  

I’m not going to argue any of Jackson’s points. They’re all correct. At times, I’ve thought to myself that Wafer makes more sense to keep around – even if Lasme has been far more impressive during the preseason. Wafer’s skill set fits in with the Celtics’ needs better than Stephane Lasme’s does. The Celtics need a player who can shoot and play the two/three positions, not a three/four hybrid who couldn’t score 20 points to save his mother’s life. But no matter how well Wafer hypothetically fits, I just can’t get over his shoddy preseason performance and — more than anything else – his indifferent attitude.

While Lasme scraps and works for every inch he can take, Wafer quietly shows an unwillingness to compete with Lasme’s intensity. In Wednesday’s game, Wafer was yanked after two minutes of play — Doc Rivers was fed up with Wafer’s defensive effort.  Being yanked from a game is bad enough, but being yanked from a preseason game? That’s almost impossible. Wafer could have missed every shot he’d taken, turned the ball over twenty times and worn his uniform inside out, and Doc Rivers probably still wouldn’t have pulled him so quickly. The only reason for being pulled from a preseason game after only two minutes is a lack of energy. For any player, such an overt lack of effort is inexcusable. For someone fighting to earn a roster spot like Wafer, it’s unfathomable.

Wafer should be diving on the floor after loose balls and taking charges at every opportunity: he has a coach-killing reputation to disprove. A player who was once kicked off the bench, in a playoff game, by his own coach, and who last year was released by the Greek team Olympiacos for clashing with another coach, should be desperate to earn his new boss’s trust. Yet Wafer continues to do all the things he’s known for – all the stupid, no-good things that remind you, despite all that talent, all that athleticism, Von Wafer still couldn’t find an NBA team to sign him for the second half of last season.

Before the Celtics-Knicks game, Wafer was quoted as saying, “I’m not just trying to make [the Celtics]; I’m trying to play, too. Just making it is not enough for me.” That quote initially seems harmless; every player wants to play minutes. But Doc Rivers doesn’t want his 15th man to be someone who believes that ”just making the team is not enough for me.” He wants his 15th man to be willing to play whatever role Rivers asks, whether that be playing a few games for the Red Claws in Maine or sitting on the end of the bench in a suit and tie. Should Wafer make the Celtics, he likely wouldn’t play many — or any – minutes most nights. And as he said, that’s not enough for him. That’s not what he wants. He wouldn’t be happy in that role. Especially when compared to Lasme, who seems like he’d be willing to rebuild the entire TD Garden if Doc Rivers wanted him to, Wafer’s poor attitude stands out.

And he’s not even playing well. It’d be one thing if Wafer was saying all the wrong things, giving half-assed effort, and then stepping on the court and immediately morphing into Mr. Buckets. But, well, he’s not. Actually, he reminds me of Tony Allen — as son as Wafer steps on the court, I immediately start counting the seconds until his first turnover, his first dumb play. He has a tendency to overdribble, hasn’t shown any confidence in his shot, and clearly doesn’t have an exquisite knowledge of what the Celtics are trying to do. His attitude gave Lasme a head start in the race for the 15th spot, and his play hasn’t made up the ground.

All of which sucks, because as I said earlier, Wafer’s skills are far more advanced than Lasme’s. If he was playing well, if his head was in the right place, Wafer would be a better fit.

But as Olympiacos coach Panagiotis Giannakis said when the team cut Wafer, “If somebody is not eager to try to change himself, then it is better for him and the club to part ways.”

Even if that somebody’s best is better than either Stephane Lasme’s or Mario West’s.

(Photo by Joe Murphy/NBAE/Getty Images)

Last night’s 103-92 loss by Boston’s JV team (or worse) wasn’t just a meaningless preseason game. It was also our first extended look at some of the guys who will make up the end of Boston’s bench. With that in mind, my first impressions of every Boston Celtics offseason addition. Read more »