*Searching my brain for a way to relate Antoine Walker to tonight’s game preview, and thus continue over-covering Walker’s D-League return.*

*Still searching.*

*Searching one last time.*

Fortunately for you guys, I can’t figure out a way to tie Antoine Walker into a Celtics-Nuggets game preview. As such, I will actually have to discuss the current Celtics, rather than a D-Leaguer who played his last Celtic game in 2005.

Tonight’s game has a bajillion different storylines. There is George Karl’s quest for his 1,000th win (he’s one short); Shelden Williams’s return to Boston (I doubt he’ll receive a video tribute); the Paul Pierce vs. Carmelo Anthony career trajectory comparison (their career paths are actually quite similar); and the simple matter of whether the Celtics will actually be able to field a team of five healthy players. Okay, so that isn’t quite a bajillion. But it’s four, and I’m probably forgetting quite a bit more. Also, I assume Shaq will address the Turkey rumor. So that makes five.

Quite frankly, I have no idea who will or will not play for the Celtics tonight. But I can still find three keys to the game:

1. Pound the ball inside

Umm, Shelden Williams (yes, the guy you might remember from last year) starts for the Denver Nuggets. If that doesn’t make Kevin Garnett’s eyes light up, I don’t know what would. Garnett should spend the night being defended by a combination of Williams and Al Harrington. That would be bad enough if Garnett was entirely unmotivated, but let’s not forget: on the day Garnett sank a buzzer-beater to defeat the Knicks, he saw far too much of the word “Harrington.” That is to say, he was looking at the back of Harrington’s jersey all day. Harrington scored 30 on a hobbled Garnett that day and encouraged a wave of “the demise of Kevin Garnett” talk. Methinks Garnett doesn’t forget.

2. Stop J.R. Smith

No, Smith is not the Nuggets’ best player. He certainly isn’t their most consistent. But when J.R. Swish gets hot, the Nuggets are tough to stop. It’s no coincidence the Nuggets have won all three games in which Smith scored at least 20 points. He’s like Denver’s Nate Robinson, or a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get, but sometimes it can be quite delightful.

Why is a key to stop Smith, rather than Carmelo? Well, I’m not entirely sure stopping Carmelo is possible.

3. The potential of Rondo vs. Billups

Yup. Another storyline I forgot. Billups was another player who won gold with Team USA, while Rondo went home (for whatever reason). If Rondo does play, this matchup should be a good one. The two play the position quite differently, but both are effective in their own ways.

While I’m discussing Billups, Mr. Big Shot is a very undeserved nickname. Has Billups hit some clutch shots in his life? Sure, but so has Vince Carter. That doesn’t make either of them the best options come crunch time. Mr. Big Shot’s latest crunch-time failure came last night, when he 1) decided not to call a timeout after a rebound, with 6.3 seconds remaining, and 2) almost lost possession, then missed a jumper that would have tied the game.

One last thought: I don’t want Karl to win his 1,000th NBA game tonight. I’d rather he wait at least one more game. But I love that when we talk about Karl, we are now talking about basketball. As long as we keep talking about basketball, that means everything is going according to plan.

Yes, I have confirmed it. That’s actually Shelden Williams. The highlight wasn’t even doctored or anything. That dunk was real life.

Williams is averaging 6.6 points and 7.5 rebounds in a starting role with the Denver Nuggets. And before you guys spout off about how miserable Williams was for the Celtics, just remember one thing: when Glen Davis was out, Williams was very useful. Good, even. And I’m not even kidding.

Of course, his NBA Finals was a nightmare. But still, the Shelden Williams Era wasn’t all bad.

One more thing: Ronny Turiaf, feel shame. I can defend Williams’s time with the Celtics, but that doesn’t mean it’s okay to let him dunk on your head.

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

Julian Benbow, Boston Globe – “First, there was the most anticipated season opener in NBA history, against the Heat, followed by a trip to Cleveland for the biggest trap game. The Celtics got a day of rest yesterday before they host the new-look Knicks tonight. There are back-to-back games Tuesday and Wednesday at Detroit and in Boston against the Bucks. After a home game against the Bulls next Friday, the Celtics go on the road for four straight against Oklahoma City, Dallas, Miami, and Memphis. ‘When you read the list of teams we’re playing our first 10 games, it’s a brutal list,’ Rivers said. Fast starts have been the Celtics’ signature the past three seasons, but this time it may be more difficult. The schedule isn’t on their side, and neither are the circumstances. They’ll have to go through that tough 10-game stretch without Delonte West, the floor general of their second unit, because of his 10-game league suspension stemming from gun charges last year. ‘That’s a big concern, how we’re going to get through that stretch,’ Rivers said.”

Marc Berman, New York Post – “If Stoudemire steers the Knicks to the eighth playoff seed, he expects the Celtics waiting for them as the East’s top dog. ‘Absolutely, for the simple fact they were in the Finals last year,’ said Stoudemire when asked if the Celtics were the team to beat in the East. ‘You can’t undercut that. And they got stonger. They got better.’ … ’Boston is good, man,’ Stoudemire said. ‘They got All-Star-caliber players at every position in their starting lineup. They’re a team to be reckoned with and Coach [Doc] Rivers is a great coach.’”

Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald – “The Celtics are hoping the way they played Wednesday night in Cleveland can be a scared-straight moment. After committing repeated acts of self-abuse during the 2009-10 regular season before getting their shots together in the playoffs, they ran away from running their offense against the Cavaliers, abandoning their defensive principles for long stretches, as well. It was a reminder of last season, when things got testy on and off the court during a run that was uneven at best. The game video from Wednesday is roughly akin to seeing a picture of what you wore to the eighth grade dance. The Celtics simply don’t want to put themselves through that again. This time around, they want to maintain their focus and pay attention to the details that allow their many talents to come through. They want to play by-the-numbers basketball, with 1. being to get the rock to the paint. ‘Last year was tough in the regular season, but I don’t think that’s going to happen with this team,’ captain Paul Pierce said. ‘We’ve got to understand that teams are going to compete hard, and I think on a night-in, night-out basis we’ve got to do a better job of taking advantage of our strengths. I think we should have gotten the ball inside more (vs. the Cavs). When we’ve got (Shaquille O’Neal) and (Kevin Garnett) and I look up and they’re taking four and eight shots (respectively), that’s not enough. That’s where we’re going to have an advantage every night, and I think we have to thrive on that. So that’s something we’ve got to fix. We’ve got to get the ball in to them. But I don’t think this team is going to lose focus like we did last year. Yeah, that was definitely frustrating. But this team is highly motivated. I don’t think that’s going to happen this year.’”

A. Sherrod Blakely, CSNNE – “The Boston Celtics aren’t in flip-the-switch mode right now. Like most NBA teams this time of year, the Celtics are working towards developing a consistent rhythm. That’s why there’s no increased concern or added urgency following Wednesday’s 95-87 loss at Cleveland, a game in which the C’s led by as many as 11 points in the second half before being outscored 13-3 to close out the game. If anything, the first two games reaffirmed coach Doc Rivers’ belief that, on paper at least, the Celtics are good enough to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy at the end of the season. ‘We’re going to be really good,’ Rivers said following the loss at Cleveland.”

Chris Forsberg, ESPN Boston – “The mid-range shot (16 to 23 feet) isn’t one of Boston’s biggest weapons as the team averaged only 16.6 attempts per game from that distance last season (third least in the NBA, ahead of only Houston and Orlando). But the Celtics were fifth best in the NBA at that distance, shooting a solid 40.8 percent, meaning its nice to have in the toolbox. Through the first two games of the 2010-11 season, the Celtics haven’t harnessed the full power of their mid-range game, connecting on a mere 9 of 27 attempts (33 percent) from 16 to 23 feet.”

Chris Tomasson, NBA Fanhouse – “Already, Williams said [Al] Jefferson gives the Jazz a type of ‘low-post scorer we’ve never had” who will ‘command double teams.” Of course, even Jefferson admits that, when those double teams come, he sometimes must pass. Jefferson, though, overall is excited about coming to Utah. He shrugs off there being any pressure to replace Boozer since he’s already been through that by taking over for Kevin Garnett when he went from Minnesota to Boston in the July 2007 deal that landed Jefferson. ‘I love it, man,’ Jefferson said of being with the Jazz. ‘It’s the best thing that could have happened to me. I think it’s the beginning of something special, a chance to show the league what I can do on another level.’ It sure beats growing old during Minnesota’s seemingly endless rebuilding process.”

Chris Tomasson, NBA Fanhouse – “‘I felt early last year that he played better than I had seen him play (previously in his career),” Nuggets coach George Karl of [Shelden] Williams, who eventually had trouble getting minutes as the Celtics made it to the NBA Finals with Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, Rasheed Wallace and Davis as their primary post players. “That’s the kind of thing that stuck in my head. He didn’t play much the second half of the season. ‘But you’re searching for those guys who want playing time as much as they want a contract. I think Shelden realized our circumstance (with Martin and Andersen out). He was going to have an opportunity to play, and he used it very well. And he’s been on of our top players in training camp.’ Williams said he also got minimum contract offers from Chicago and Utah before signing with Denver. He impressed the Nuggets with averages of 12.6 points and 7.9 rebounds in the preseason before erupting in the opener. ‘I just tried to be aggressive on the glass and tried to take as much as I can,” Williams said. ‘Fortunately, it worked out well.’ It sure did. ‘It told him he played like Moses Malone as far as his rebounding,’ said Nuggets guard Anthony Carter.”

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

Shelden Williams, scoring threat?

There was one thing I never wanted Shelden Williams to do when he was a Celtic: shoot the basketball. But for some reason, that’s exactly what the Denver Nuggets are giving him the freedom to do. (Denver Post)

The offensive-minded Nuggets want Williams to tap back into his aggressive scoring talent, telling the 6-foot-9, 250-pounder not just to defend, rebound and set screens, but to look for his shot as well. It’s different, exciting and invigorating for Williams, who is very much looking forward and appreciative of the opportunity to be a part of the offense.

“I haven’t been in that position since college where the ball comes to me and they expect me to shoot it,” Williams said. “So I have to kind of get back to how I used to be and get comfortable with that and build confidence. I haven’t felt like this in a long time.”

It was just an intrasquad scrimmage, but Tuesday night at the FirstBank Center in Broomfield there were glimpses of what Williams should be able to do offensively this season. He scored 16 points and hit 7-of-7 shots, from layups and dunks to elbow jumpers. And he still didn’t sacrifice the intangibles that make him a valuable commodity on the court.

“He’s one of the best high-low players I’ve played with,” Nuggets guard J.R. Smith said.

Denver coach George Karl likes what he has seen out of Williams so far and has no issues with asking him to look for his shot.

“The way we play basketball, we want everybody to be attacking,” Karl said. “Reading and trying to attack. I don’t think you can have a player out there that can’t be aggressive. It helps us that everybody has the same attitude about reading build-outs, spacing the court, attacking gaps and passing the ball.

“He’s got a good handle and some good senses for a big guy. A lot of it starts with being able to make the 18-foot jump shot. But I think so much of offense is reads and your feel for the game as it is being able to make shots.”

I’m not sure this article is talking about the same Shelden Williams who played for the Celtics last year. “One of the best high-low players I’ve played with?” “A good handle and some good senses for a big guy?” 16 points on 7-for-7 shooting?

#23 for the Denver Nuggets: who are you and what have you done with Shelden Williams?

18 minutes made us forget everything Shelden Williams did well.

With the offseason news slower than a Jamie Moyer fastball, it’s time to get creative with what to write about. Player capsules are our attempt to summarize each player’s season. Shelden Williams gets the honor of being first.

I beg of you, don’t judge Shelden Williams’ entire season based on 18 minutes of play during the Series That Must Not Be Named. Even if it looked like that series was Williams’ first experience in professional basketball, or maybe even the first time he’d ever touched a basketball period, judging his whole season on that poor, ill-timed performance would be to forget every solid contribution Williams made throughout the season. And don’t get it twisted: Williams did a lot of good in Celtics green.

He did so much good, in fact, that early in the season a lot of fans clamored for him to take Glen Davis’ spot in the rotation. Don’t remember that? Read this article. It was true. Williams was playing so well that fans wondered if Davis, fresh off averaging 15 and 5 in last season’s playoffs, deserved any minutes when he came back from the injury he got while drunkenly snuffing his friend in the face. When Davis was down, in fact, the Celtics played their best regular season basketball. And Williams was doing his thang.

Even later in the season (in the playoffs!), with Rasheed Wallace playing like a lethargic seven foot zombie, fans figured Shelden would do a better job. And the fans weren’t alone: Doc Rivers admitted, “”[Williams] enters the discussion  [for playing time] every day. He’s definitely in the discussion, there’s no doubt about that.” As late as the playoffs people were wishing Williams would play a bigger role, but people still forget how solid Williams was for most of the season. That forgetfulness is easy to explain: A few kamikaze minutes wiped out all the good memories and left a lasting impression, mostly because those disastrous minutes were in the NBA Finals but also partially because those goddamn minutes were so pitifully bad that Williams looked like he could have been blackout drunk.

Still, despite the incredible depth of bad that those minutes reached, I implore you to remember the whole package, the whole season, when you remember Shelden Williams. Remember his time filling in for Davis, back when you wouldn’t have been considered crazy for saying Williams deserved more minutes. Remember later in the season, when Rivers considered throwing Williams into the playoff rotation, mostly because he had been solid all season but also because Williams always assured 100% effort. Remember the playoffs too, that ever so brief stretch of playing time when Williams was so mind-bogglingly bad he drew the disdain of Celtic fans everywhere. Remember the good, the bad, and the ugly and you’ll inevitably come to the same conclusion I did when I looked back on Williams’ season: He definitely outperformed expectations.

When the Celtics signed Williams to a minimum deal last offseason, my first thought was, “Huh?”, my second was, “Wait, he’s still alive?”, and my third was, “Well, that’s a waste of money.” It was only a minimum deal, but I couldn’t help but think that there was someone out there who would have been better than Williams, that there was someone out there who was available and could have been more helpful than an undersized draft bust with minimal offensive skill. And there probably was. Some other player available for the minimum probably would have done a better job. But that doesn’t change that fact that Williams was good. He was solid. He earned his money. He really did. Yet a lot of us will fail to remember that, because of Williams’ 18-minute bout with a devastating case of basketball jitters.

In the middle of the season, before a game against the Dallas Mavericks, I sat down for an interview with Williams. By that time he had already been sent back to the bench when Glen Davis returned from injury, but Williams still said all the right things. He was happy to finally play for a winning organization. He understood why he wasn’t getting playing time (“It’s the situation I’m in, playing behind All-Star caliber guys,” he told me. “You’ve got to understand the situation I’m in, who I’m playing behind and the team that we have, what we’re trying to accomplish.”). He stayed ready, even with no promise that he’d step foot on the court. He said everything you’d want him to say, yet I guessed from his tone that he was a bit disappointed, if not with his season than with the way his entire career has played out. Williams, the number five pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, probably never expected to one day discuss how he dealt with being almost permanently stapled to the bench.

But he shouldn’t be so disappointed. He should just be proud. Shelden Williams has failed to live up to the lofty expectations that come with being a lottery pick, but it’s not his fault he was weighed down by expectations he was unworthy of. He’ll never be confused for an All-Star, but Williams has carved himself a niche in the NBA and will have a long career. He works hard. He prepares to play everygame as if he was a starter. He keeps the right mentality, even when things aren’t going well. He’s a team player. A hell of a rebounder. A hustler. And 18 minutes, as bad as they were, could never change all that.

If Rasheed Wallace does end up retiring, it could really harm the Boston Celtics next year. (ESPN)

On the surface, it appears that if Wallace does decide to retire, the Celtics could negotiate a buyout of his contract, freeing up money for the team to spend elsewhere. The caveat: The team doesn’t get an extra mid-level exemption, and would likely need to use this year’s MLE simply to replace Wallace.

With Kendrick Perkins potentially sidelined for the start of the season as he will need surgery to repair two torn ligaments in his right knee, the Celtics could be in desperate need of front-court help.

If Sheed retires and Paul Pierce doesn’t opt out of his contract, the Celtics would still have no cap space for next year. As such, they’ll only be able to use veteran’s minimum contracts and the mid-level exception to sign players for whom they do not have “Bird rights.” (Ray Allen and Tony Allen have Bird Rights, and I believe the Celtics are free to re-sign them for any amount of money, regardless of whether the contracts take the C’s over the salary cap.)

If the C’s are forced to use the mid-level to replace Sheed, that leaves them with only veteran minimum contracts to offer any other free agents. On the other hand, if Sheed retires and the C’s DON’T replace him with a mid-level player, they will be forced to replace him using only the veteran’s minimum as bait. For perspective, the Celtics used the veteran’s minimum to sign Shelden Williams last summer.

Sheed’s potential retirement could thus affect the Celtics far more than merely losing his playoff prowess.