A rivalry for the ages

Two of the best to ever do it.

The final chapter of the Shaq-Duncan rivalry could be the pair’s first Finals matchup. (Adrian Wojnarowski, Yahoo!)

Shaq was Duncan’s alter ego, the bigger-than-life cartoon character with peerless power and charisma. He was the comedian and chameleon, a force of nature and humanity. Duncan was the proud, private star full of fundamentals and free of flash.

What made O’Neal and Duncan so compelling, such an epic clash, were the ways they flourished in complete contrast.

“I imagine it was a little like what made Wilt and Russell such a great matchup,” Spurs general manager R.C. Buford said.

Together, they won eight championships and three MVP trophies and owned the NBA for more than a decade. Yes, it was all about them and now the clock’s ticking down and Duncan sighs, “We both realize there’s a lot of years behind us, and we don’t have a lot of years in front of us. We’re enjoying this time left, these situations we have here.”

Chances to be champions, again.

All-Star voting

Two Celtics would be All-Star starters if the voting ended today. (ESPN Boston)

Rajon Rondo, Kevin Garnett, and Shaquille O’Neal remain second at their respective positions, while Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are fourth at their spots. Rondo and Garnett are on pace to start for the Eastern Conference as fans vote for the five starters (two guards, two forwards, and one center).

Rondo is the team’s top vote-getter thus far at 929,781 votes, followed by Garnett (850,687), O’Neal (506,621), Allen (494,489), and Pierce (465,270).

Cover Boy

Rajon Rondo’s picture graces the most recent SLAM Magazine cover. In a brief anecdote describing the cover story, Rondo was quoted discussing the Celtics’ tightness.

“I don’t think you have to have great camaraderie to win a championship but it helps a lot to get along. You don’t have to do these things but we go out to eat together, we go to the mall together, just little things we do off the court. Every different city we go places together. We play cards together, we don’t gamble though (again we both but out laughing after his gambling clarification. He says everything with sort of a deadpan delivery, so for a microsecond you’re not sure he’s joking but then he laughs so it’s obvious. I get the sense that Rondo is aware of his quiet rep and though it doesn’t bother him, he wants people to know that he can be funny when he wants to be), we just do fun things on the plane. We all understand each other and we come from similar backgrounds. Its like being with your brothers.”

A Ray of sunshine

Sebastian Pruiti examines the following play the Celtics ran to get Ray Allen an open look. (NBA Playbook)

An impossible pair of free throw misses by Ray Allen left tonight’s Celtics-Spurs chess match in the hands of a balding, left-handed, Argentinian wizard. A late, nine-point Celtics lead had dwindled to two, and it was Ginobili’s opportunity to flip a certain defeat upside down.

But the Celtics, even if their 61.3% shooting percentage for the night could easily fool you, still pride themselves on defensive execution. Marquis Daniels shadowed Ginobili over two Antonio McDyess screens, and Paul Pierce joined Daniels in swarming the Spurs’ magician. Rather than swing a pass to his less-contested teammates, Ginobili let fly with an ill-advised jump shot, his toe on the three-point arc. Pierce’s arm reached up and knocked the shot away, Rajon Rondo picked up the loose ball, and the Celtics escaped with a 105-103 win against the team with the NBA’s best record.

Really, the win shouldn’t have been so difficult. The Celtics’ defense (wait, what defense?) was porous in the first half, and the Spurs got whatever shots they wanted. Yet Boston began getting stops in the second, utilizing a small unit that can best be described as “Paul Pierce played power forward.” Against certain teams, that lineup wouldn’t work. Against San Antonio, with DeJuan Blair firmly secure on Gregg Popovich’s shit list for below-average defense, the Celtics could get away with a smaller five. Matt Bonner, though a few inches taller than Paul Pierce, doesn’t exactly cause a mismatch.

Forgive me for looking ahead, but the small lineup was a good example why the Celtics will be so tough to beat come playoff time. They possess the depth and personnel to force other teams to match up with them. Oh, you guys are going to play Matt Bonner? Then we’ll go small and abuse him. Oh, nobody on your team can chase Ray Allen around screens? We’ll run your players ragged all day, and feed the beast. Oh, you don’t have anyone to slow down Rajon Rondo? Don’t worry, no other teams do either.

The late near-collapse almost overshadowed what had been spectacular late-game execution. There was the one play when Glen Davis switched onto Tony Parker, and somehow — by the grace of God, or at least the grace of Red Auerbach (RIP) — stayed in front of Parker. Davis forced Parker to pass to the corner, where Richard Jefferson caught the ball looking to make a move. He swept through to the baseline, where he expected daylight. What Jefferson failed to realize was that Glen Davis, Mr. Charge himself, was in the vicinity. Two seconds after miraculously hounding Parker into a harmless pass, Davis shuffled his feet to the baseline and took a charge. I half expected Tommy Heinsohn to offer Davis the season’s Tommy Award on the spot.

That play wasn’t the only example of solid late-game execution. There was the pretty Rondo floater, the beautiful Rondo-to-Davis-to-Daniels passing sequence, and (corny joke alert) Ray’s learning Oliver Twist’s “Got to pick a pocket or two.” The Celtics buckled down in the fourth quarter, and should have won handily had it not been for a near-choke job at the end.

Paul Pierce dribbled into a double team and got ripped. Nate Robinson threw a lazy, left-handed pass in traffic, and it was (obviously) picked off. Within the next few days, I hope Nate will have his head surgically removed from his ass. Somewhere in that span of nonsense, the C’s nine-point lead was cut to two and Ray ended at the line ready to seal it — err, I mean to brick two shots and give Ginobili one last chance.

The Celtics still badly miss Kevin Garnett, the only Boston big man dedicated to grabbing rebounds. While the Celtics only lost the rebounding battle by one, their three centers (Davis and the O’Neal brothers) played a combined 76 minutes. They grabbed a combined eight rebounds. And no, that’s not good.

The Spurs tried to isolate Shaq’s pick-and-roll defense early and often, but, barring a short span in the second quarter where Tony Parker made moves, Shaq wasn’t half bad. Glen Davis shot the basketball 18 times, which seems like a lot, but he made ten of them and very few were forced. Actually, I don’t remember a single force. I could be wrong.

The Harangody-Bonner matchup was one I live for, I liked Von Wafer’s contributions despite a line that showed mostly zeros (his defense on Ginobili was actually quite rugged), and at one point I actually thought Ray forgot how to miss. Then he stepped to the line and showed me he still remembered. Paul Pierce shot 7-10, including two free throw line isolations that were vintage Pierce. The methodical killer. Also, when I described the Haranody-Bonner matchup in my notes, I wrote, “The Harangody-Scal matchup is one to die for.” I suppose I just don’t want to let go.

At one point, according to the Comcast broadcast, Doc Rivers asked his team, “What are we running on offense? What are we running on offense?” Raise your hand if you’re surprised Nate Robinson was point guard at that time. (*Nobody raises hand.*) There was also a three-second violation called on Nate, which made me wonder A) what, exactly, Nate was doing in the lane for so long, and B) how Doc Rivers felt about the play of his backup “point guard.”

And no, I have not done Rajon Rondo his justice. Nor will I do Rondo his justice, mostly because it’s impossible for a write of my average-at-best caliber to do a “12 points, 22 assists, 10 rebounds, six steals” line justice. The point guard Rondo played tonight wasn’t minced liver, either. It was Tony freaking Parker. But Rondo just does his thing, holds such control over every game he plays, and continues to amaze me even on nights I expect to be amazed. Rondo even showed confidence in his jumper, a confidence that seemingly grows by the day.

Watching Rondo is like the first time I watched Good Will Hunting. I was late to watching the movie, so I knew Good Will Hunting would be incredible. Everybody and their mothers told me it was incredible, and so I expected nothing short of the best movie I’d ever seen. My expectations were that high, and STILL that movie blew me away. I bowed down to Gus Van Sant, Matt Damon and Ben Affleck that night, just as I now bow down to Rajon Rondo. When expectations are THAT high and you still find ways to raise the bar, that’s when you know you’re special.

And I’ll be damned if I finished this recap without mentioning how Rondo blocked George Hill. George, you’ve been served.

Perkins manhandling the man-child. With a fist-full of jersey...

Watching Kendrick Perkins dominate Dwight Howard defensively in Game 1 got me thinking, “How did Perk NOT make the NBA’s All-Defensive 2nd team?”

Clearly, Howard deserved the nod as the center on the 1st team– he’s a defensive rebounding and shot-blocking machine who forces tough, altered shots from anybody brave enough to visit him in the paint. But, after watching Perkins manhandle the man-child once more, I was curious to see who beat out Perkins for the center spot on the second team.

The answer: Tim Duncan.

I’m a huge Duncan fan, and he’s been a great defender his whole career, but this award was clearly based on reputation more than production. Duncan is on the back-side of a Hall of Fame career, and he’s  not the defender he used to be. Duncan was never the best leaper or the most athletic big man, but with recent injuries to his feet and knees, Duncan’s mobility has taken a serious hit. Nowadays, Duncan relies solely on his intelligence and grit to be a successful defender. This season Duncan averaged 1.5 bpg, almost a full block below his career average of 2.3 bpg.

Compare that to Perkins, who averaged 1.7 blocks–while playing 5 less minutes per game than Duncan. Also, Perkins has to share the load–both rebounding and shot-blocking–playing alongside Kevin Garnett, a fantastic defender and a good shot blocker as well, while Duncan is the sole shot-blocker on his team.  I can recall many times when both Perkins and Garnett jumped up together to block a shot, before Garnett “steals” the block from Perkins, or vice versa. On the other hand, I don’t think I’ve ever seen the same thing happen with Duncan and Matt Bonner, or ACL-less Dajuan Blair. Hell, Dajuan Blair would have a tough time beating Glen Davis in a jumping contest. Actually, so would Tim Duncan at this stage of his career.

And Perkins’ shot-blocking is not even his biggest strength as defender. Dwight Howard would be the first to tell you that Perkins is hands-down the best post-defender in the league. He just spent Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals proving that much. I don’t even think there is an argument. Perkins is the ONLY post-defender who can guard EVERY center one-on-one. Even Dwight Howard  receives help in the post occasionally. When was the last time you saw Doc Rivers send a double-team on Perkins’ man?

On the other hand, Duncan is once again past his prime as a one-on-one defender. He routinely receives double-teams and extra help from his teammates while guarding the elite centers in the NBA. For most of the season, the San Antonio Spurs struggled to be the elite defensive team they have been for the past decade. Most of the blame was heaped on newcomer Richard Jefferson unfairly. Not to say Jefferson is an all-world defender–he most certainly is not– but the extra help Duncan now needs in the post makes the perimeter defensive rotations much harder.

Simply put, Duncan won this award because of the reputation he deservedly established over his career as an elite defender. But this year? There’s no chance he was the second best defensive center in the league. And that’s why I have such a problem with the media voting on the defensive teams. Most of the voters vote strictly based on reputation: How often do you think media members focus on each player’s individual defense when they are watching games? I’ll tell you how often– it’s never.

Just look at the 1st team all-defense. Kobe Bryant made the 1st team over Josh Smith. In almost every game this season, Kobe guards the worst perimeter player on the other team for at least three quarters, then sometimes switches onto a better player in the fourth-quarter to satisfy his ego.  Bryant hasn’t fought over a pick-and-roll ONCE in any Lakers game I’ve watched over the past three seasons, while  Smith is a one-man wrecking crew defensively for the Hawks.

Yet, Kobe gets the nod for first team all-defense, while Smith is relegated to the second team. But there is an easy way to fix these injustices: let the players vote for the defensive awards. Because only after you are guarded by someone can you really tell how good of a defender someone is. Throw reputations out the window and let’s see who the players think is the best defender, the guy who makes who you cringe when you realize he’s matched up against you.

"Luke, I am your father. It's nice to meet you."

The New York Times has a piece about Bill Walton’s recovery from back surgery.  Walton’s back pain had gotten so bad that he pondered suicide, and is just now starting to “climb back into the game of life.”

Walton climbing back into the game of life means that he’s back to kicking knowledge — and hyperbole — about basketball.  He shows that he still knows his stuff… well, kinda.

When the subject was his health, Walton was generally solemn and measured. When the conversation turned to basketball, he was as energetic and opinionated as ever.

Walton predicted that the Boston Celtics would beat Cleveland and Orlando to make the finals. He called the Celtics’ Rajon Rondo the best point guard in the East, and said the Lakers’ Pau Gasol was “the best big man in basketball today.” He said LeBron James should play for free, to allow his team to surround him with better talent.

So, how right was Walton?

Rajon Rondo the best point guard in the East:

Check.  I don’t think this can even be argued at this point.  How could you, when Rondo can be utterly dominant offensively (especially in the playoffs) and is also on the NBA’s First Team All-Defense? Some nitwits might say Derrick Rose, but Rose can’t hold a candle to Rondo’s impact on the defensive end.

The Boston Celtics will beat Cleveland and Orlando to make the finals:

I hope.  During the regular season, you would have had to be mentally deficient to make this argument.  But now, as the Celtics turn on the after-burners in the playoffs, it is seeming more and more like a legitimate possibility.

Pau Gasol is “the best big man in basketball today”:

Well yeah, he’s the best big man in basketball… if you don’t consider Dwight Howard to be a big man.  Additionally, one could make the argument that Pau isn’t as good as Tim Duncan, Amare Stoudemire, or Brian Scalabrine (just kidding with Scal.)  Dirk Nowitzki, either, if you consider him a big man.  And Chris Bosh is no slouch.  Even if you think Gasol is better than all those other guys (and he might be — he’s damn good), no way he can touch Howard.  Howard is too dominant defensively.

Lebron James should play for free:

In a perfect world, you’d like to think superstars making in excess of $90 million in endorsements alone should think about playing for free — or at least less than the max — to help their teams build around them.  Of course, it will never happen.  Not in a million years.  I’m not saying it should happen, either: It’s tough to leave $20 million or so per year on the table.

As for the rest of the NY Times piece about Walton, continue reading at your own risk.  If you keep reading the rest, you might actually start to like Luke Walton, and  I know none of you want that.

Well done, Rajon. Well done.

Not only was Rajon Rondo named to the NBA’s First Team All-Defense, but he also received the second-most votes for the team behind Dwight Howard.

Rondo absolutely, 100%, no doubt about it, deserved the recognition.  Yeah Rondo sometimes gambles too often, but he is a more disruptive  defender than any other guard in the league.  He covers an incredible amount of ground in a matter of split-seconds and can take a team entirely out of its offense with his propensity for steals.  He’s as fast as point guards come, has defensive instincts normal humans could only dream of, and the best part about all those steals he picks up is that they turn into points going the other way.

Here’s the rest of the All-Defensive Teams:

First Team:

Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics (50 points — two points for First-Team vote, one for Second-Team vote)

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers (34)

Lebron James, Cleveland Cavaliers (45)

Gerald Wallace, Charlotte Bobcats (30)

Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic (57)

Second Team:

Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat (20)

Thabo Sefolosha, Oklahoma City Thunder (14)

Josh Smith, Atlanta (20)

Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs (21)

Anderson Varejao, Cleveland Cavaliers (15)

I’ve got a serious problem with Varejao on the Second Team.  He’s a very good defender, don’t get me wrong, but he plays only 28 minutes a game! That’s barely more than half a game.  Really, he was a better defensive player than Andrew Bogut, who anchored one of the league’s top defenses while playing 35 minutes a game?  I know Varejao is a great flopper, very good rebounder and has an Energizer Bunny motor, but he doesn’t deserve to be on the Second Team All-Defense.  Not at all.

Want a voting oddity?  Dwight Howard was named to the Second Team on one ballot.  Whoever didn’t put him on the First Team should be given the Old Yeller treatment.  Want another voting oddity?  Earl Watson received a vote for Second Team.  Since it’s the coaches who vote for the teams, I can only assume there’s some coach in the league having an affair with Earl Watson.

Back to Rondo now, congrats sir.  You are officially the Celtics’ best player on both ends of the floor.

If Manu was as old as someone with his immense bald spot should be, the Celtics might have won tonight. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)

Trailing by 17 points early in the fourth quarter, the Boston Celtics needed every stop they could get. Just as the doctor ordered, the San Antonio Spurs went cold, tallying five successive missed field goals. The only problem? They snatched their own rebound on every single miss.

The parade of San Antonio offensive rebounds was one of the many warning signs that flashed like a neon light in a midnight sky: the Celtics weren’t playing their hardest.

To be fair to San Antonio, the Celtics started the game with great purpose and energy. Manu Ginobili and the rest of the Spurs simply beat it out of them, one well-executed possession at a time. Ginobili was nothing short of magical. He seems to have regained the bravado, creativity, and explosiveness that make him one of the league’s most-feared crunch-time killers, and nobody the Celtics put in his way could stop him, or even slow him down. He finished with 28 points and 7 assists, but not even those gaudy stats could describe his impact on the game. Were it not for a few rare misses of wide open three-pointers, Ginobili might have gone for 35 or 36. He did what he pleased, when he pleased, and banked home a 27-foot, running, one-handed floater to beat the third quarter buzzer and firmly secure the final nail in the Celtics’ coffin.

Ginobili’s exploits helped to slow down a Celtics attack that, for the game’s opening minutes, looked poised for another respectable win. Paul Pierce was attacking the rim, Kevin Garnett was active, and the ball was hopping from one Celtic to another like a hot potato. But a troublesome second quarter left Boston down one point heading into the halftime breather, and the third quarter would get no better. Actually, it would get far worse. By the time Ginobili pumped his fist in celebration of his banked runner, the Spurs led by 17 and the Celtics might as well have headed home.

Even from the shoddy defeat, the Celtics could take a few positives. Captain Paul Pierce led the way with 18 points, and a quick scare — by what ESPN announcers deemed a stinger to a nerve somewhere between his neck and right shoulder — did not stop Pierce from being aggressive in getting to the rim, early and often. He seems to have fully regained his confidence and explosion, and looks ready to be the C’s go-to guy for the remainder of the season. Kevin Garnett had his third straight double-double, notching 12 points and 10 rebounds. Shelden Williams played his best minutes in months, finishing with 11 points and an unofficial count of 137 compliments from ESPN announcer Hubie Brown.

But, for the Celtics, there was a lot more to frown upon than there was to be proud of. Not to name names, but Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Glen Davis, Michael Finley, and Nate Robinson a few Celtics might as well have stayed home. The game served as a reminder that, while the C’s have come a long way from the team that struggled to a 18-19 record during a 37-game midseason stretch, they still have a ways to go until they are capable of raising another banner.

*****

Game Notes:

• George Hill has quickly become far better than I ever thought he’d be.  He possesses an impressive blend of length, athleticism, and skill, and is certainly a player to watch in the coming years.  He still needs to learn not to send nude pics to any girlfriends.
• Can the Celtics travel back in time and sign Antonio McDyess instead of Rasheed Wallace?
• Tim Duncan didn’t do much, but he’s such a team-oriented player that he hardly cared.  As much as he and Garnett are polar opposites, they’re very similar in the way they would sacrifice every single statistic for a win.
• Finley didn’t do much to prove Gregg Popovich wrong.
• Can someone amputate my ACL’s so I can become an unbelievable offensive rebounder?
• Kendrick Perkins, nursing a sore left knee due to tendinitis, did not play.  Doc Rivers said he is likely for Wednesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.