Celtics Central

Boston took apart the Knicks 101-61 when they met in Boston last week.

There were physical moments in the game especially between Eddie Curry and Kendrick Perkins. There were lots of good plays by the Celtics and lots bad shooting by the Knicks. Still, the Knicks did have less TOs (13 to 17) than the Cs in that blow out.

There was little positive from the Knicks after the game except some tough talk from Quentin Richardson.

There was even some murmurs that Isaiah Thomas might want to try someone else besides Marbury as his starting PG. Nate Robinson and Jamal Crawford came up as possible options. To me, Marbury’s style of play is part of the problem in Knickland, but perhaps Mardy Collins or someone ‘not on the team’ yet, would be better choices.

So far, neither the Knicks nor Celtics are much more than half court teams. The Knicks are expected to remain so. The Celtics have talked about uptempo basketball. Last night with uptempo guard Rajon Rondo playing serious minutes, the Celtics were outscored in fastbreaks by the 76ers by 18-8.

Admittedly, Doc Rivers and the team itself have been more interested in getting ‘BTS’ (Boston’s Three Stars) to play together. There have been some ‘quick break’ moments, to be sure. But pace and style of play are still being worked out. So far, lots of ‘pop outs’ from picks, double picks, and screens from underneath the basket and around the paint have been the MO.

Garnett has been at the high post a lot to start things and draw the best big defender away from the basket to free things up for the pop outs and cutters underneath.

I think that Ray Allen will sit this game out while Paul Pierce and/or Kevin Garnett play after sitting out the Philly game. The Celtics will need Kendrick Perkins again against the tall, talented frontline of Curry and Randolph.

The Knicks have something to prove after the last game. The Celtics do not. Yet if both KG and PP play, it should be a good game.

Some people think that the Knicks could have enough assets to be in the running for the Kobe Bryant Sweepstakes. Ken Beger of Newsday is one of them….

Isiah may not have a team that makes much basketball sense, but he’s cornered the market on assets that the Lakers could use to prepare for a major free-agent score: decent young players on rookie contracts; players whose contracts expire by 2010, when LeBron James and Dwyane Wade will be free agents; first-round picks, cash and an assortment of garbage to make the salaries match under the league’s 125 percent rule.

I’ve thought the same thing if nothing can be worked out with the Bulls or Mavericks. But clearly the Knicks would be somewhere ‘down the line’ on teams the Lakers would want to trade with.

After the Knicks game the Celtics play New Jersey on Tuesday. This time it will be in New Jersey.

Doc Rivers has said he will won’t make any further roster cuts until the end of preseason on Friday, at home against Cleveland.