Celtics Central

Not Ashford and Simpson but Cassell and Brown.

Personally, I thought both coming in were great moves. Great moves – not just good.

But it hasn’t quite happened to turn out that way so far. There are turning out to be a couple of problems with the moves.

1) It happened late in the season.

The team has spent all season developing a special team oriented chemistry with each other. it is late to drop not one but two significant players into the mix – veterans or not.

2) Doc’s running a very disciplined system that has been wildly successful and Rondo has adapted very well.

Cassell will have more problems because he plays PG and he plays a laissez-faire point guard at that. Point guards are supposed to know and do more, as they direct the offense. Doc has simplified the play calls for Sam to exactly four (with variations, I’m sure). By nature that limits the offense.

PJ Brow will adapt easier. He has less to adapt to. Just run the patterns, set picks, play D, rebound.

3) Doc’s compromise with Sam.

It helps and hurts at the same time. Cassell has been given somewhat of a green light to shoot. Sam, who is a shooter, feels he has to shoot even more with the limited minutes he’s been getting. Even if he is hitting, it takes away from the offensive rhythm of the team.

Cassell is clearly struggling with the whole thing as he thought he was going to come in and get 20 minutes a game. It hasn’t happened and I can’t blame Doc. Doc is in a difficult position with Rondo and Sam. But it is going to be Rondo over Sam all day long, unless Rondo’s game falls down badly.

So, I have to say that I still love Sam ,but it hasn’t been like I thought it might be – so far. Maybe it won’t be. Yet, I’m hoping that Sam drops in a few crunch time foul shots or jumpers to help win a few games along the way.

PJ Brown has the been consummate professional.

There were no guarantees. There were no promises when I came. You know, Doc said to be ready, be prepared and be professional. When you number’s called, be ready to play and I try to do that.

There hasn’t been a lot of minutes in this series, but we’re a deep team. There might be a lot of minutes in the next series. We don’t know.

PJ suggests a possible opportunity for himself. The Cavs center Zydrunas Ilguaskas has given Perkins trouble. Glen Davis and Leon Powe may not have the height to contend with ‘Z’ as Brown might, though Davis has the girth. It might be an opportunity for PJ to get a few more minutes each game.

The Right Attitude

We have a lot of guys who can go out there as you can see from Leon, Glen, Perk, KG. Just got to be ready and when you’re not on the floor you (have) to support. Help be an extra pair of eyes and ears and give some extra help when needed. Then when your number’s called, whether it’s 4 minutes, 3 minutes, or 10 minutes – be ready.

Brown’s minutes were 4:05, 9:28, 6:12, DNP-CD, 7:31, 4:17, and 13:11.

PJ made his very first basket of the play-offs on Sunday, a mid range face up jump shot after just 4 missed attempts in 5 previous games. PJ Brown: The anti-Cassell.

We’re not in there to shoot, We got guys that can do that. I’m in there for the glass and to defend. That’s our main job and we try to focus on (that).

PJ was on fire (1-2) on the night. But you can still hit that open jumper.

It’s still there. You saw it. (smiles) But it takes rhythm though. You don’t get just one shot [and expect to make it]. It felt good. If I get a couple of open looks, I’m going to take it. That’s my bread and butter for sure.

PJ Brown. You can only hope to contain him. Maybe he will get a chance to use it a little more this series. Either way, we know he will be ready to play and do whatever the team needs when he goes in.

And yes, I still like Sam Cassell, complaints notwithstanding. He just may not play the role that I hoped he would. If Rondo’s doing well, who can argue? Even Sam said that Rondo’s playing so well, that he can’t get in.

Rondo took that three pointer at the buzzer the other night. It could have been Sam or Eddie House, and my bet is that Cassell would have had the best chance to make it. Maybe there would have finally been a win in Atlanta. Just maybe.

It hasn’t been happening as I thought. But it’s still good to me.

It was an unusual post game victory scene.

The Celtics’ 34 point thrashing of the Hawks (99-65) was another, 21st century, basketball style, revenge-filled burning of Atlanta, only this time in Boston.

The locker room was a cacophonous, bustling mad house of a media frenzy. Like piranha, ‘gang attacking’ large prey, they were nipping with ubiquitous digital recorders, microphones, and TV cameras at various Celtic players as they expounded on the ‘this and that’ of a crushing Celtic win. Each interviewer took turns nibbling off a piece of a player with their question. Yet, it was a joyous feast….with plenty for all.

Juxtapose this celebratory chaos with a completely opposite image. Right near the door, James Posey sat alone facing his locker, completely still….with a towel wrapped around him. I ventured near and looked at his face to see if he was ….awake, believe it or not.

It was a surreal image. He was awake, almost hypnotically staring straight ahead at nothing, or something not in the room, but available only deep in his mind. His body and mind were regrouping after the most pressure packed win of the Celtic season – by far.

After a while, he slowly ‘rejoined the room’ as he began to get up and get dressed. Once dressed, the piranhas, sniffing fresh food, now gathered around James, and I joined the pack. Already the talk was about the Celtic’s next opponent, the Cavaliers….

They’re a good team. LeBron’s their leader. They have other guys, in a trade, that’s been helping them out. Tomorrow we’ll see what we have to do to try to get a win

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Did you play as you thought you might today?

We played better than I thought we would, actually. It was exciting and we got the job done today. It was game 7 and you win and keep going or you lose and you go home. Today, our will power was a little bit stronger, so you saw that sense of urgency. You saw every thing happening. Guys were just getting down to it. That’s what helped us win.

Kevin Garnett’s comment that he couldn’t sleep at all, led to some media to poll the rest of the Cs, including James.

I slept good. Like I said, I was looking forward to it.

Was this a series a blessing in disguise, as some have said?

I agree (with that). For some, it was their first time in a play-off experience. For some guys, it’s been awhile since they been back in the play-offs. Just to get a little rhythm. Just to get that whole mental part right, and just the style of play and things like that. Just to get in that groove, so I think it was a little bit of a blessing.

The entire season hung in the balance. The players and the coaches reputations, all hung on an unexpected game seven against the 37 win, make that 40 win Hawks.

More predators delayed
It was time to exhale for everyone; team members, coaches, media, and fans. JB of Celticsblog mentioned the ‘one game only media’ in attendance as vultures. Yes, besides the Hawks, outside media vultures were circling the arena waiting for the kill – the biggest upset in recent play off history, perhaps all time. But the blood turned out to be red, not green and the story many were there for was became a Boston ‘D’ Party, leaving nothing for the vultures to devour.

From the Blood, Sweat and Tears posters that were handed out, to the myriad fans of all ages that were wearing Celtic jerseys from Bird to Pierce to Garnett, to the pre-game video that used a scene from a sci-fi move talking about a species (Hawks) arriving that could finally cause human (Celtic) extinction, the Garden was abuzz with the understanding of what the Hawks had brought about – a single, winner take all contest – and the Celtics could possibly lose in a surprise performance by the surprising Hawks.

It Didn’t Take Long
The Hawks didn’t know what hit them. It was a case of …Did you get the license number of that truck?”

The Celtics rolled over the them like a tractor trailer carrying a heavy load. It wasn’t pretty unless you were a Celtic fan. The heavy load lightened quickly. A 26 point Hawks first half was a mugging from pent up frustration for a Celtic team that expected to be a game or 2 deep into the 2nd round already. It was a Celtic opponent record low.

The Celtics had a double….. double double. KG had 18 and 11, while Kendrick Perkins had 10 and 10. Paul Pierce was once again the early driver and point leader with 9 in the 1st. Perkins also dominated early with 8 of his points and 6 first quarter boards.

The Hawks were completely taken out of any semblance of a game plan. Horford had zero and Smith 3 points on a combined 1- 8 shooting, while the Cs relentlessly out rebounded them 17-8. The Atlanta team would never recover as the Celtic put a vice grip on them. Tthey would only let up in the 4th quarter after being up 30 plus points. The Hawks were held to an unbelievable 43 points through 3 quarters. That was to punish an upstart team that thought they could play with a 66 win team that prided itself on defense.

Every Celtic starter had a strong game, save Ray Allen whose shooting woes continued over from the last game. Leon Powe was big again with 12 points. PJ Brown contributed in his 13 minutes.

Glen Davis had exceptional fun in 4th quarter garbage time minutes with 6 points, including a thunder dunk, 3 assists, including a semi-no look to a cutting Posey for a lay-up and 2 boards.

Are you going to be the new point forward for the team?

Yep. (laughing.)

The no look to Posey?

Yeah. The big fella can do a lot of things!

But you didn’t hit the 3 pointer.

Aww. That’s coming soon..to a theater near you

Seriously, what do you think now going forward? This is your first NBA play-offs

Unbelievable man. I’m just happy I’m on this team, and having the opportunity to play for the championship and to advance to the 2nd round. The guys on this team are veterans. They’ve been in this position before, and it showed today. Taking advantage of the opportunities and we did a great job playing together as a team.

How do you grade yourself for the year?

I’m always going to be hard on myself. I give myself a C. It was really unexpected for me to come in here and be a contributor and in some big ball games at that. But there’s a lot of work that needs to be done. There was a lot of up and down (for me) this year. But that’s what it’s all about, being a rookie. My job is to set picks, get rebounds, and play defense. We have a lot of other guys who can score. I’ll just keep working on my game.

So the Celtics finally get out of the 1st round, but do it in emphatic fashion. Doc Rivers was given the game ball by Wyc Grousbeck for winning his first play-off series ever.

Now they must prepare for royalty, as King James comes to town with the Cavaliers and former Celtics Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West. The teams have split the season series.

As JB from CelticsBlog mentioned as we left the floor tonight, the entire arena stayed in their seats watching the post game celebration on the floor and the interviews. That is unheard of in recent Celtic memory. They did not want the good time to end.

Hopefully it is just the beginning.

Woodson Part II

Let me start by saying that sometimes coaches and players can use the media to make a point.

I have no idea how Atlanta media has treated Mr. Woodson. From his answers, it suggests that they haven’t always been kind. That is not surprising. Many had high expectations for this talented young team. Even from a distance, you could see there was a gathering of intriguing young athletes.

Coach Woodson has at least found an open mind with me. Bear in mind, I sought him out. While he was clearly making his case to be brought back, at least some of his thoughts were directly solicited. The fact that his team is going toe to toe with an extremely talented 66 win team indicates that he deserves to be heard.

There is no doubt that things are coming together just in time for him. Ahh, sweet timing. To those who haven’t read my previous piece about Woodson, he has no contract for next year. Will this incredible showing of the Hawks be enough to get one?

They are upsetting, upstaging, and upbraiding a Celtic team that has to look deep inside itself to discover if they have what it takes to win this first round series, let alone an NBA title. The Celtics home court advantage looms large right now. It wasn’t supposed to in the first round. If any team fails, the coach gets the blame. When the team succeeds, the coach should get some credit. In this case, it seems clear to me.

I haven’t followed Atlanta ball close enough to make a definitive decision about the players, the system and the coach – in regards to whether Mike Woodson should be retained. From my perspective, he has earned it. Though I expected solid improvement, I did not expect the Hawks to play .500 ball as some did. The play-off performance is off the charts.

What about these Atlanta fans’ support?

That’s the best! I mean seriously. It’s taken us four years to get to this point and I think our fans appreciate me and my staff and what we’ve done here, in Atlanta, in terms of putting a team on the floor that competes.

Hey we only won 37 games and I understand that. But….there are a lot of games that we thought we should have won, and there were a lot of games that we got blown out of so…that means our team is getting better and we’re very competitive.

What about Josh Smith the past few games?

Josh Smith has been phenomenal. He’s been great all year for us, I mean….he’s made a major step. I’m talking about his individual play, his team play. He’s gotten so much better from where he’s started to where he is today. And I think he’s still going to continue to grow as a player. He’s 22-23 years old. He’s still a baby.

Perish the thought. Josh has been huge for much of the series. He is a defensive force. But he was also a turnover machine last night with 6. Yet, he was only one of 2 starters (Bibby was the other) that had a plus/minus for the evening. The Hawks outscored the Celtics with mostly bench players- especially Childress and Pachulia.

What does he need to grow in?

Game situations, time scoring situations I think.

Shot selection?

That’s part of time scoring situations. But he’s learning. Again, expectations for young players in our league…it’s overwhelming at times, I think. You know, media, the fans, they tend to think these guys are going to just tear it up. You look at the great ones that have come in our league, that have come and gone, man, they’ve struggled at times too when they first got started.

So I look at Marvin , I look at Childress, I look at Josh . Childress and Josh Smith particularly, they’ve been with me the longest. They’ve made major strides. I couldn’t be more proud of a group of guys. But those two guys in particular, I’m so proud of those two guys. I really am.

I can’t praise Josh Smith and Josh Childress enough. They’ve probably caught more hell than anybody on this team – you know, being there the longest. But they’ve hung in there with me. They’ve worked.

They took a lot of the things I’ve thrown at ‘em and they’ve thrown some back at me and I’ve taken it. But at the end of the day, we’re all in the same room, trying to get the same thing accomplished. That’s playing play-off basketball and giving ourselves a chance to possibly win a title.

My own respect for Childress has gone up two levels after watching him play this series. In many ways, he is the unsung Hawk. He gets the junk plays and junk points. He gets little to nothing run for him. He defends well and goes after it at both ends of the court.

He had 15 points on 6-8 shooting last night and the Hawks beat the Celtics by In Atlanta’s 4th game with 97-92, they were leading the Celtics by 18 when he was on the floor, though he only scored 4 points , he was 2nd on the Hawks with 9 boards.

In game one, while the Hawks starters had huge double digit minuses, he played starters minutes (31) and was only minus 2 when he was in there. He would be a great role player for many teams.

Horford?

I’ve had so many rookies, and all of them has hit a wall during some period of the season and this young man never hit a wall, which is amazing to me. He’s been a double double guy. He’s anchored our defense. He’s helped us get into the play-offs. You can’t exclude Al Horford(from Rookie of the Year consideration). They should have shared it, I think, if not Al getting it.

Is this team still in development mode?

Well we still have to add pieces. We only won 37 games guys. We had our problems on the road like a lot of teams did. That’s the next step and in doing that we have to add a few more pieces. Bring Josh Childress and Josh Smith back. Add some pieces.

What are the pieces you think you need?

That’s what, at the end of season, if I’m the coach, we’ll all sit down to evaluate. We’re not far away, but we are a ways from getting 50 wins, 55 wins, in that neighborhood, and move up in the standings where possibly we can have home court advantage to start the play-offs.

Do you think there is any question that you won’t be the coach?

Well, I mean, again… I get paid right now to coach this team. My contract ends the end of June and we’ll see where we are at that particular time.

Did this series make a statement?

I don’t even think this series has anything to do with it. The bottom line is this team has gotten better every year. You know, you guys are the ones who think that this team is the greatest thing since sliced bread. But I don’t see it that way. I think, we’re young and we’re headed in the right direction and the individual talent has gotten better. Now we’re learning as a team how to win. Every year we’ve gotten better.

Is there any indication that you will be the coach?

Don’t know. I don’t know.

Is winning on the road the last step?

Sure it is. if you’re winning half your games on the road, then you’re winning 50 games a year.

If the Hawks can win just their next road game, it will be their biggest step of all this season. The odds and the two teams make up, the Hawks play poorly on the road, the Celtics play great at home, suggest that is still an impossibility.

But there are a whole lot of nervous Boston fans right, as anything can happen in a single basketball game on any given night, or in this case – afternoon.

Shock and Awwww …..Shhh…..ucks

The Atlanta Hawks have done what no one thought was possible and won their third game of the series against the Celtics, the most dominant team in the NBA this season.

They did it by playing like a veteran team. The veteran Celtics? They played like…let’s say….a young, inexperienced team in the 4th quarter. They were ahead most of the night. It was their game to lose, even with a foul call differential that would have done in a lesser team.

Un-Real
They were the definition of unclutch – a word derivitive for Webster that will be referenced by – see Celtics: 4th quarter game 6 Celtics/Hawks 2008. You will find it between unbelievable and unthinkable. The Hawks were unflappable – the crowd noise unrelenting. The Hawks will now go for the unattainable, as the Celtics try to avoid the unforgivable.

‘Un’ for All
Celtic fans everywhere are uncontrollable, unhappy and unquestionably unsure of what game 7 may bring. It was an undone night. An entire year’s work was undone. Salvation or “Oh My Go…odness!” is one game away.

Ray Allen shot 1-8, and 0-4 in the 4th. Yes, that Ray Allen, the same Ray Allen who is second all time in three point shots. (There is my three pointer). He was rushing his shot when it mattered most, though he was open enough to plausibly hit them. It didn’t seem like he got his feet quite under him. It is not like he hasn’t done it enough before. Pierce, Posey, Cassell – you can run down the line-up. No one stepped up to make big shots and finish the Hawks off. I must say that Posey did make 2 big threes after missing 2 threes earlier in the quarter. It wasn’t enough.

Kevin Garnett was 2-3 in the 4th, breathing new life into the supposition that KG doesn’t like to take those big shots at the end of games.

The Celtic who seems to not be able to catch a break from the referees in this series is Paul Pierce. There were 2 rather dubious fouls on him tonight and he fouled out when the team needed him most, though I must add that he missed his last shot before fouling out. He was the most likely Celtic to get the Celtics over the hump, even with things going badly. He can go to the hoop as no one else can on this team. Did the refs do that intentionally? Where is ‘the truth’ in all this? He is on the bench.

Conspiracy theories are flowering….. like dandelions throughout New England as you read this. Hear them popping up? They all have pictures of David Stern and his supposed agents, the referees, tattooed on the petals.

You have heard of game theory. Welcome to Blame Theory. It is more fun. It is easy to do. It happens after losses in sports that aren’t supposed to happen. It relieves frustration. It assigns blame – accuracy not required. I hope you signed up early because class is in session and the auditorium is full.

Let me say this. There is no league war room where the command comes down from Commandant Stern to ‘manage’ a game or a series to a certain end. Der Fuerher is not to blame. Stop it. Stop the madness. Please…just stop it.

Bury those thoughts with your Roswell Arizona Area 51 Reunion pennant, your I Swam with Nessie t-shirt, your I Ate at Sasquatch’s coffee mug, and your magic crystal. The year’s magic died tonight.

Are there individual biases by referees? Absolutely. Are there bad calls? Affirmative. Can they affect the outcome of a game? Of course they can. Did they tonight? Hmm……

Let’s say that they did – for argument’s sake. Did the Celtics play well enough to win otherwise? No. Flat out – no. While I don’t discount the ref argument out of hand in all instances, it only masks and forgives the poor choices and missed shots by the Celtics in the 4th quarter on this evening. That is why they lost the game.

The beauty of this Celtic team was that they were supposed to have 3 end-of-game answers. Not one go-to guy, but three. So even with Paul Pierce tucked away in a corner under a towel, they had 2 of the game’s best in the Big Ticket and Sugar Ray on the floor. They simply did not do what was necessary to win an away game in a hostile environment. They were rattled. They will tell you they weren’t. They will be fronting, understandably misguided and wrong.

Nothing would be better for the league than a Celtic return to glory, especially with the way this Celtic team was formed and who is on the team. Are you kidding me? It’s ratings would soar. That alone should stop the sinister Stern theories.

The Hawks had a balanced attack with 6 players in double figures, led by Marvin Williams with 18, fed by Joe Johnson double teams. While the Celtics bench scored 19 points led by Leon Powe’s 9, they did not provide the boost the Celtics needed.

The plus/minus says that Cassell was more effective than Rajon Rondo. But I think that is somewhat misleading. Rondo did not have a good game. I didn’t think that Cassell did either. Was Doc responding to Cassell’s public request for more time or did he deserve those extra minutes?

The offense feels and runs completely different with Cassell in there. I think Cassell is pressing as well, due to the lack of minutes Doc allows him. Doc has obviously made a deal with the devil and a compromise with Sam regarding point guard duties and a green light to shoot. At this point, It is not turning out as well as I had hoped it would. Both guards were disappointing, but my man Sam, was more so, as he was (un)guarded by one the league’s worst defenders at the point. He went 2-8 including a few poor shot choices.

Needless to say, the Celtics defense was not its usual self. The Celtics offense generally had the right idea. I said generally. The Celtics attacked Josh Smith, giving him 5 fouls, and had 50 points in the paint. Good strategy. But they didn’t make the Hawks defense work as hard it they could with smarter passing and they missed too many open threes, including 2-10 in the critical 4th quarter.

Joe Johnson made Atlanta’s only three pointer when it mattered most, with 1:07 left, when Boston was within two points at 97-95. It was a back breaker, after holding Johnson in check for most of the game. Joe finished with 15 points and was blocked three times – all in the first half, by three different Celtics, including a rare Ray Allen block.

The refs kept the game close. The Hawks won the game and the Celtics lost the game with the way they played, particularly in the 4th quarter. The Hawks held the Celtics scoreless for a long period and won the quarter 24-18. It was just enough.

Game 7 is in Boston on Sunday. The statistics say that Boston will win and move on. The statistics also suggested that Boston should beat the Hawks in 5 games or less. The Hawks are on the verge of one of the biggest upsets in play-off history. But to do that they must become something they are not – a strong road team. Boston has never lost a play-off series after leading 3-2.

The Boston Celtics will try to win the first road game of the series tonight. Closing it out on enemy territory takes a special commitment and focus to over come some built-in speed bumps that inherently come with road victories. Even against a team that won 37 games regular season games.

Danny Ainge, when asked if he expected this team to be 2-2 at this point….

You know, I know that that’s a possibility. I have a great deal of respect for Atlanta. I know those players are terrific young players that are playing with a great deal of confidence right now so looking at what I see now…I’m not surprised. I would have hoped that we would have won one in Atlanta, but they had something to say about it.

As Ray Allen said…

You want to excite the crowd at home and quiet the crowd on the road. We just get in the play-offs and everybody’s trying to play hard.

The Celtics have excited the crowd at home and….excited the crowd on the road. Oops.

With all the talking, taunting, hand signals, hard fouls, and milling around, Doc Rivers wishes they would just stop it and play ball. He says the fouls that the players are making out to be a big deal – really aren’t. Pick up the ball, throw it in and get moving. That goes for both teams

The Celtics have been fire starters in both arenas. At home for what they have done and away for what they haven’t done. Arsonists exceptionale. But it has been a good series.

The Hawks took the opening punch from the Cs in the last Atlanta game and turned it right around before the quarter was even over. The Celtics have settled for too many jump shots in Atlanta. We’ve seen it. Doc says it. They haven’t made the Hawks big work as hard as they should inside.

Did they take the Hawks for granted just a bit?

Ray says no….

If you watched games three and four, we didn’t come out sluggish. They played two really good games. You know, we tipped our hats to them. It was high intensity atmosphere. It was good. It was good for people to watch. It was two good games to participate in. We just came up short.

One reporter asked James Posey why the Celtics are having trouble winning on the road.

You can ask that of any team.

As simple as it seems, James is right. Even the very best teams have trouble winning on the road, sometimes even against inferior opponents. But I would add here that championship teams will find a way to win against ‘road adversity’ – the hostility of the fans, the home town calls, the comfort level of the home team notwithstanding. But the Hawks are a bit deceptive. They are a much better home team than any other team with near the same amount of wins this past season.

Coach Mike Woodson….

When we came into this season, my goal was to win at home. To try to win our fans, and I think we were 3rd or 4th in the east in terms of home wins.

So that was a major step, and I think when you’re talking about making the play-offs, you gotta win at home.

The Hawks regular season home record was indeed good. And Mike is right. Their 25-16 home record was tied for 4th best in the entire eastern conference. It was tied with 3 other play-off teams including a pretty good one – the Orlando Magic. The others were Washington and Toronto and were all over .500.

But, of course, that also means the Atlanta was exceptionally bad on the road. They were 12-29. A single game better than Charlotte for gosh sake, and one game less than New Jersey and Chicago, two deeply troubled teams this year. Does that help make any more sense out of this series for you?

I didn’t think so. But there is more.

This is a home court league as much as, or more than any of the other major sports. And not much has changed over the years.

The league’s all time play-off record is .660 for the home team and .340 for visitor. The advantage is enormous. You have twice as much chance of losing on the road and vice a versa. Even the very best of the best have not achieved even a .500 career road record for the play-offs. Not the Lakers (.436), not the Celtics (.435), not Chicago (.382). I don’t know if those numbers surprise you. They surprised me.

So, the karma of the league’s history and stats favor a Celtic series win. The team that wins the first game in a play-off series have gone on to win 284 out of 383, a daunting .782%. But it also favors a 7 game series.

The Celtics must dissect the Hawks middle earth defense. A half second and a half step defensively will make the difference between success and pulling the ball out of the net. They know what to do. They must do it. The Hawks must not throw a wrinkle out there that the Celtics and the coaching staff can’t solve and solve quickly.

Doc Rivers says that the Celtics must do what they’ve done all year. Ray Allen says it is about adjustments. Which ever one is right, Joe Johnson comes to my mind.

Whatever it is, it would seem critical that the Celtics make a big stride back to what they have built this season and end it in Atlanta. The league’s other teams only grudgingly gave them respect as they earned it game by game in what can only be described as a spectacular season. It is surprising to see their invincibility unmasked by a 37 win team, albeit one that plays better at home than their record indicates.

Their enemies and future opponents are watching. It’s about home and away. It’s about awareness. It’s about…a half step, a half second. It’s about hot and cold. Heat up and cool off the Hawks.

Atlanta Coach Mike Woodson’s contract is up in June. Will he be allowed to continue to direct the success of the team he has managed, and the players he has helped develop for 4 years?

With coaches dropping like flies, (Isiah Thomas, Jim Boylan, Sam Vincent, Avery Johnson) and others perhaps about to pack their bags, (Mike D’Antoni, Sam Mitchell) it is a relevant topic. In fact, even with the play-offs going on, it is a ‘topic du jour’.

With the strong regular season finish and surprising play-off success of the young Hawks, it is an intriguing question. Why? Because Coach Woodson has no promises from Atlanta management as I write this.

Prologue
When I first talked to Coach Woodson, when the Hawks came to Boston during the regular season, there were rumors that Coach Woodson’s job might be in jeopardy.

At that time, he would not comment on the rumors. But, at that time, as we discussed the recent acquisition of Mike Bibby ( he had been with the Hawks about 6-7 games) he said it was the first time he has had an NBA point guard who could run the team. A valid statement and yes, feel free to read between the lines.

As Coach Woodson predicted then, Mike Bibby did become a more and more valuable addition to the team as the year went on. He would learn the system. He would learn his team mates strengths.They would start to play as a team. It is fair to say that has happened.

Last Night
Pre-game, I was interviewing Coach Woodson in the side room next to the Hawks locker room that ended up drawing a small contingent of media, as people saw us there talking, as is the norm in most locker room Q&As with players.

I sought out Coach Woodson to follow up on the discussion we had the last time, during the regular season. He was fair, articulate and gracious then. This time Coach Woodson stopped studying a pad with a set of plays hand drawn on it, before the biggest game of his season, to answer questions.

Bibby first
You said that getting Mike Bibby was big for you just 6-7 games after you got him. You’re now 2-2 with the Celtics. Can you elaborate a little more on that now?

“Well, when we even made the push to get into the play-offs, in the last 22 games, we went 14-15 out of our last 22 games. That was because of Mike and (Joe) Johnson taking a leadership role and…really putting these guys on their backs. Our supporting cast have all been huge to even get in the play-offs. But I think Mike Bibby has played a major role in how we play now.

From a coaching standpoint, I feel good turning the ball over to him and he’s responded. It took him a little in the beginning because he had to learn what we were doing and he wasn’t in great shape from missing time.”

His Own Position
The rumor at that time was that your job might not be totally on solid ground. How do you feel now and do you think you’ve earned more time with this team?

“Don’t even think about it. And I’m serious when I say that. I think that all the negativity that surrounds me and this team and our organization is ridiculous. Because..I think when you gut a team…reality is, when you go young, it takes a while to win. And every year we’ve improved as a basketball team. Our young individual talent has gotten much better…and they’re starting to play like team. And that’s reality.

So all the negative guys and negative media and people that are out there that are talking about my job…I think I’ve done my job, in terms of being able to develop these young guys, and put them in a direction where we’re winning.

We’re in the playoffs. That’s what I vowed when I took the job 4 years ago and seems like every year, my job’s on the hot seat and for what? But the bottom line is I’m still here ticking. We’re in the play-offs. We’re in a great series with this Celtic team, and we’ll see what we’re made of tonight.”

So, do you think Mike Woodson deserves another contract? I never put it in print but I didn’t think so earlier in the year. I do now.

As Winston Churchill has said…”When the facts change, I change my opinions. What do you do?”

His comments about young talent needing time to develop hits home to any follower of the Celtics these past few years. But the fact that he has had a number of lottery picks to develop makes the Celtic comparison a bit skewed.

I felt it was time to start to see solid progress in the win department. Though some sought a .500 season for these Hawks, I feel they have accomplished ‘realistic’ progress (as Mike Woodson would say). The two wins against the Celtics strengthens that feeling.

As Coach Woodson noted, fans and media can be impatient. Ridiculously so. I think I have fallen into that category in the past. Last season and this one as a Celtic fan and writer have wizen me up. Not all coaches are good. Not are all good guys. I don’t know all the bloody details, but from where I sit Mike Woodson looks like he is both.

Will Atlanta Management see it that way with a few top candidates seeming to be available?

Even Josh Smith, who has said that Coach Woodson has been a big part of their success won’t venture an opinion or prediction that Woodson will be back.

Are coaches like the cat on a hot tin roof? As Maggie says, are they just trying to stay on as long as they can?

Four have fallen off the roof so far, and more are on their way out it appears. Will Coach Woodson get to stay on the roof and take this team to the next step?

What is the next step? There are two steps according to Mike….

“To add a few more pieces” “To learn how to win on the road.”

My hope is yes, he gets that chance. Lack of a contract is not promising at this point. We will find out shortly.

Special note:
In another entity’s report it was incorrectly found as noteworthy that Woodson would talk about the team’s future, though that was the specific question posed to him, and not the night’s game at hand.

What that individual didn’t know was that Coach Woodson already specifically addressed that evening’s game, before the reporter joined the group. Coach Woodson did not have a ‘weird’ sort of press conference, as reported. That report was even carried by Hoopshype.com.

I’ll put up those game related comments tomorrow.

There. That’s better.

We aren’t living in a parallel dimension after all. This isn’t a world gone mad. GPS units, the satellites that guide them, geographers, and astronomers have confirmed that the earth has NOT shifted on its axis.

Actually, the Boston Celtics confirmed it themselves. The Celtics are back. Defense is king. In the NBA, home teams rule.

The Celtics were looking right and the Hawks were looking up – at the wrong end of a 20 plus point final score….. once again. The Celtics emphatically reasserted themselves and put the Hawks backs in their place with a solid thumping, 110-85.

What was wrong? Road rules vs. home rules. But more on that later.

The Boston Mad Ants (apologies to the college team) were busy rebuilding an arduous year-long body of work, 84 games to be exact, that 2 short games almost completely destroyed. Defense takes a lot of energy and awareness. A half step, a half second, and help defense mean the difference between being good and being bad on that end of the floor. Get that lid back on Pandora’s Box, will you please?

All the right numbers were there again.

Hawks:
low FG%: check – .406%
low 3 point %: check – .308%
low assists: check – 16
low point total: check – 85
low off. rebounds check – 8

Celtics:
high shooting pct: check – .536%
high 3 point %: check – .450%
high assist total: check – 28
low TOs: check – 10

out rebound opponent: check 39-28
slow game down: check

The Hawks, a team that thrives on acceleration had 4 fast break points. The Celtics had 10. The Celtics controlled the boards at both ends as their own 13 offensive rebounds and 18 2nd chance points will attest to. Getting 13 TOs is more in line with known Celtic defensive havoc this season.

Pre-game, the Celtic mood could best be described as serious. There was no more room for talk of any kind. Simply….let’s play the game.

In the Hawks’ locker room, you could detect just a slight sense of accomplishment. The Mike Woodson bulletin board message of two games ago, “Don’t Be Satisfied” was no longer omnipresent. A few Hawks themselves said they won 37 games this year and left it at that…meaning the 2 wins against the Celtics established a few things all by themselves – and no doubt, they did. The Hawks now know they can play with the best team in the league when they play well. Indeed, something to hang your hat on.

Early on and for important parts of the game, Paul Pierce was possessed. His game was so torqued, in the correct sense of the word, you would absorb damage if you got in his way. This was Paul Pierce, play-off version, at it’s best. He was a sight to behold. He led the Celtics with 22, many of them spectacular points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists in a well rounded game to go along with his now customary solid ‘D’.

As the 3rd quarter drew to a close, Pierce had a jaw dropping, 3 point play with a degree of difficulty of 11 on a scale of 1 to 10. Package it as “Play-Off Quality”. As he spun into the middle for a lay-up into the teeth of the defense, towards the body of the main defender, he was met full force, double clutched to avoid the block. While gravity and the Hawk defender did their jobs, sending Paul towards the floor, he snapped off the shot for the basket and the foul. He hit the foul shot giving the Cs a 78-64 lead. Even the Atlanta TV guy sitting next to me was unbelieving that Pierce got that to drop in.

Near his equal in the early going was Rajon Rondo. Like a cobra who’s tail was stepped up, Rajon was relentlessly aggressive. When Paul shot, Rondo was there trying to rebound from the weak side, in addition to scoring 7 points and dishing for 3 assists in the opening period.

But the surprise of the first half was Leon Powe. Kendrick Perkins got 2 quick fouls, bringing Powe in early. He was the x-factor this night. Whatever tone wasn’t set by Pierce, Rondo, Garnett’s energy, and the solid team defense, was set by Leon ‘the offensive charge machine’ Powe. He drew his first one at the 4:26 mark of the 1st quarter on Joe Johnson, and followed that up another on Al Horford with 2:51 left. Time out – Hawks.

At that point, the charge calls he wasn’t getting in Atlanta were rightly reinstated in TDBanknorth Garden. They were the type of calls that will change how a player and a team will play. Just ask the Hawks in Atlanta. This night, they would not get those calls as ‘blocking’ on Powe.

It shouldn’t, but those kinds of calls seem to energize one team and deflate the other. Leon became a determined, physical rebounder after that. He finished with 10 points, getting the feed from Garnett on double teams and on put backs, while adding 7 man-sized rebounds. His help defense was much improved as well.

The Celtics righted the ship and go to Atlanta up 3-2.

I’ll have a lot more later including player comments and a conversation with Mike Woodson.

Check back tonight and tomorrow.