Celtics Central

In analyzing the Celtics and what ever troubles they experienced in this post season, one must keep in mind that, with few exceptions, when Boston is right, no one has really shown that they can stop them. In an almost perfect season, Boston has largely been their own worst enemy this season.

Against the Hawks, Boston did appear to have lost a bit of their edge. Perhaps they thought they would just show up and roll over the Hawks. A young, athletic but inexperienced Atlanta Hawks team had given them far too much trouble before going down for the count in game 7 of that series.

Some feel that Hawk athleticism exposed the Celtics’ age and their own lack of the same. Some feel Danny Ainge had that in mind when he drafted the 2 players he drafted in JR Giddens and Bill Walker. The uncertainty of signing Posey and Tony Allen’s future (at that time) might have had more to do with that, I think.

A 68 free throw Hawk advantage (220-152) was the single biggest culprit for the Celtics’ troubles with the Hawks. A 10 foul shot per game handicap in the play-offs is big enough to make any team question its approach to the game, when they aren’t questioning the refs themselves. During the season, Boston was a league leader (4th) in fouling, averaging 15 plus fouls per game. But they broke even in foul shooting with their opponents at 26-26 per game. The Hawks had a huge 31.4 to 21.7 advantage in their first round series.

Other than not winning a single road game and having to play through ‘foul adversity’, the Celtics were, in fact, playing pretty well. You have to know that to understand why Cleveland should get credit for putting the Celtics through a wringer.

In the Hawks series, the Celtics shot 46% from the field and 38% from 3 beyond the arc, and averaged 5 more shot per game than they did during the regular season (81-76). Just how much of a funk were the Celtics in?

Ray Allen

On top of that, it’s been said Ray Allen wasn’t himself going into the Cavalier series either. That is true, Ray wasn’t playing as well as he could. His confidence in his outside shot wasn’t quite what it normally was. But it is the Cavalier defense that kicked Ray down and kept him down. And the Cavs didn’t just give Ray problems. Paul Pierce was experiencing difficulty shooting as well.

Here are Ray Allen’s 3 point shooting pcts in the play-offs – series by series:

3 pt FG%
Atlanta = 40%
Clev = 16.7%
Detroit = 39%
LA.= 52%

He actually shot a very high percentage…. except against the Cavs. The difference is dramatic. Was that simply Ray being “off’” ? I highly doubt it.

Whenever Ray shook free from Wally Szczerbiak there was another Cavalier (or two) to meet him. That was the game plan. Ray did miss some open shots, but they were few, and he appeared to be feeling rushed even when open. Good defense will do that to you. It got so bad for Ray, that at one point he uncharacteristically publicly said that Rondo had to get him the ball in the right spots more. The problem was that Cleveland’s defense was clicking and the ‘right spots’ were often being taken away.

This number is the most telling. 16.7% over seven games for the 2nd best 3 pointer in the history of the game? The Cavs were intent on cutting him off right on the arc.They didn’t let him drive either. If he did, the Cavalier front line was equal to the task and was the best that the Celtics faced in the entire play-offs. Ray either had to shoot very difficult shots or give the ball up. Ray’s shot attempt totals will tell you what he did.

Need further proof?

Ray Allen was shut out from the arc in four Cleveland games. He made 3 point shots in every single Atlanta game and in 17 straight games ending the season. His last ‘ofer’ was Mar 5 against Detroit. Detroit shut him out from three point land in 2 games in the play-offs. He did not shoot over 40% in a single Cavs game. Not one.

More Ray Allen shooting stats:

Ray’s Shot Attempts (3 pters in parentheses) average/game
Atlanta 81 (45) 11.57
Cleveland 61 (24) 8.71
Detroit 77 (28) 12.83
LA 73 (42) 12.17

Average attempts of other series total = 12.16
Difference = 40% less attempts against the Cavaliers

Ray’s Points
Atlanta = 16.3
Clev. = 9.3
Detroit = 17.5
LA = 20.3

The next part of the ‘Cleveland gets no credit’ theory says that when Ray doesn’t get his shot going he picks it up in other areas. He had his lowest assists per game and lowest rebounds per game for the play-offs all in the same Cleveland series. All the important stats were his play-off lows against the Cavs. More important, as you can see, it wasn’t even close.

He started with a goose egg. This is Ray Allen we are talking about. 0-4 shooting in 37 minutes – with zero foul shots? The last 2 games he scored 9 points, then 4 points. In three games of the Cavs series, Ray contributed a total of 13 points. Let me say that again, 3 out of 7 games, Ray scored a total 13 points. 109 minutes. Zero 3 pointers. Ray may have been off, the Celtics could have tried to get him open more, but the Cavalier defense must get credit for a lock down job on the Celtic assassin.

Looking at Ray’s Atlanta series will tell you that his shot was not in a slump statistically.. What slump? He had two 5-8 games from downtown and two 20 plus point games in the Atlanta series. Then came Cleveland.

Paul Pierce found shooting difficult as well, his unbelievable game 7 performance being the exception. Until that game for the ages, Paul Pierce was shooting 36% from the field and a Josh Smith-like 26% from the arc. So two of the game’s top shooters were having slumps at the same time? If it walks like a duck…..

Delving into some other stats tells the same story:

The Celtics shot 46% and took 81 shots a game against the Hawks . They only shot 41% and took only 71 shots a game against the Cavaliers. They shot 46% against the Pistons.

The foul shooting attempts (205-176 -Cavs), turnovers (92-89), and rebounding (273-263) were all about equal in this series.

Boston shot 28% from the arc as a team against the Cavs. They shot .356% from the arc for the whole play-offs. Take out the Cavs series 3 pt. point % and the gap is even wider.

There is just too much evidence to suggest it was just the Celtics ‘not being themselves’ that the series went as it did.

While the parts surrounding LeBron don’t seem like championship material, the fact that the team is built around defense keeps this club in the hunt. If only they had a solid number two scoring option when the Celtics turn Lebron into a jump shooter, they would be dangerous indeed. Remember, in that now famous game 7, LeBron was 3-11 from the arc. The Celtics know that LeBron shooting jumpshots is something they would rather have anytime than the James Express driving into the paint.

There were too many times in that series when, almost curiously, LeBron would go and stand at the three point line (unguarded) while the rest of the team would run an offensive rotation that looked like a Chinese Fire Drill near the paint on the other side of the court. The Celtics never fell for it and it never resulted in the Cavs getting a decent shot out of it. It looked like a 4 on 5 game to allow LeBron some rest, outside of the play entirely.

Is there an offensive coaching version of Tom Thibodeau out there somewhere? Please call Mike Brown. He needs you. But I digress….

After slogging through the tough Cavs series, the Celtics were better prepared for Detroit. Even Mark Jackson’s opening comments of game one of the Detroit series were that “the Celtics wouldn’t be seeing the same tough interior defense from the Pistons they had seen in the Cavaliers’ series”. It turned out to be true.

The Celtics shot their play-off low of .520 (91-175) immediately around the hoop against the Cavs. They shredded the Pistons for a devastating .578 (89-154), by far their play-off high in the inner paint. Points in the entire painted area were scored at a higher pct. against the Pistons. Props to ManchvegasBob for alerting me to the NBA Hotspots shot charting on the NBA.com site, for an earlier discussion we had. Check it all out here NBA.com hotspots.

While not worth his huge contract, perhaps Ben Wallace is still worth something. The tandem of Verajeo, Wallace and Ilguaskas are very physical and will keep most teams out of the middle. It is Cleveland’s offense that is in need of a solid revamp. Only Delonte West continually tried to attack the Celtic defensive middle as the series wore on.

The Great Wall of Boston kept Lebron on the outside looking in for the most part. When he did manage to get inside, he missed a number of shots he would normally make. PJ Brown blossomed as a Celtic and had a fine offensive series, going 4-4 twice including game 7 and hitting that big jumper. But in truth, both he and James Posey had some difficult assignments. Both had moments when they struggled defensively.

After letting Ilgauskas get off to a hot start offensively in the series, Kendrick Perkins settled down and was great defensively there after. Paul Pierce did a very credible job on James defensively when he was on him.

This series was very hard fought and Cleveland should never be taken lightly as long as LeBron James is on the team.

No one will say they are a better team than Detroit or the Lakers, though I will say they appear to be under rated by most. Was the Cavs success simply due to the Celtics being out of sync? Or did the Cavs knock the Celtics out of sync when the Celtics thought they finally had gotten it together against the Hawks in the Hawks’ series final game? The stats suggest it was more of the latter.

Neither Detroit nor LA could offer the kind of defensive obstacles that Cleveland did. Detroit’s rebounding and interior D were exposed against the Celtics. East coasters knew that LA’s interior D wouldn’t stand up to the Celtics. While board work was about even for the Hawks and Cavs series, the Cavaliers out rebounded the Celtics 3 times. The Hawks outrebounded the Cs 4 times. Boston was not out rebounded by Detroit in a single game in that series. They enjoyed a 238-191 advantage.

Kevin Garnett’s consistently solid play, consistently solid Celtic team defense and a performance for the ages by Paul Pierce in game 7 put away a team few thought would provide the Celtics their toughest series.

The Cavaliers are certainly not the most exciting team to watch. Rather the opposite. Last year’s TV ratings for the Finals proved that. This year’s team is no different. But of all NBA teams that faced this year’s green team of destiny in the play-offs, it is only the Cleveland Cavaliers can say they were within 6 points of knocking off the future NBA Champion Boston Celtics. 6 points.

No other team came that close. It is time to give them credit for that.

To be sure, the Celtics were not at the top of their game but….

It was the toughest series of the play-offs for the Celtics.

It will be forgotten under the glaring lights of the superhyped NBA Finals and the league’s golden glitter boy MVP. The Detroit series is marked as where the Celtics ‘got their groove back’. The upstart Hawks and their new found fans received notoriety in going the distance against the league’s regular season ‘champs’ before being knocked out in the last round. Mike Woodson played Mickey to the Hawks athletic version of Rocky Balboa.

But it was the Cleveland Cavaliers that gave Boston its toughest series. Doubts started to creep in when things had not gone as expected in the first round against the Hawk.

In the glow of the Finals victory, we forget how grim it was looking. The back page of the Boston Herald from April 30th read:

C’s in Choke Hold
Will go down as biggest collapse in Hub history if they fail to oust Hawks

You would think game 7 was going down that night. It was game 5. The Celtics had surprised and shocked everyone by how ordinary they looked against a sub .500 team. They were 39-1 demolishing those teams in the regular season. Then 2-2 went to 3-3. But the possibility of a choke became a fleeting memory as the Celtics went on to pummel and thrash the Hawks in a game seven, 34 point beat down at home, just for being so belligerent.

Whew. Glad that’s over.

After finally appearing to find their selves in game 7, they would be ready to take down the solid but still beatable Cleveland. True, the Celtics hadn’t won a road game yet. True, the Cavs played them tough this season. True, Cleveland center “Z” gives Perk and the Cs trouble.True, LeBron James might just be the best player in the whole league. True, this team went to the Finals last season.

But the Cavs made a trade that looked like a sideways trade at best. Some thought they got worse with an aging Ben Wallace, aged Joe Smith, former Celtics’ Wally Szczerbiak and Delonte West, a combo guard of unfulfilled potential who had been buried on a terrible Seattle team’s bench. The newly comprised team hadn’t gelled during the short time they had together. Post trade was team was just 14-13 and the hoped for chemistry just wasn’t there.

To make things worse, the Cavs best starting line up that season was 11-2 with Larry Hughes, Sasha Pavlovic, LeBron James, Drew Gooden and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Minus that line-up, the Cavs were just 34-35, another sub .500 team.

The disappointing and unhappy Hughes was moved while bringing in some other big salaries as Danny Ferry tried to strengthen the bench and give Coach Brown more options. He added outside shooting in West and Szczerbiak, defense with Wallace, a little of both with Joe Smith.

The Cavs lost a decent power forward who could rebound, play D, and step out and hit the mid range jumper in Drew Gooden. Drew had played well against the Celtics this season. The Cavs were 2-1 against Boston before the trade. They were 0-1 to Boston after the trade. The only teams that outright won the season series against the Cs were the Washington Wizards (3-1), a team the Cavaliers just dispatched by 4-2, and the Orlando Magic (2-1). The Cavs had already shown that they could give Boston trouble.

But a look at Gooden’s play-off performance in 2007 would shed some light on why they would be willing to trade him.

Gooden’s scoring in the 2007 play-offs:

Wizards 10,24,14,10
Nets 14,10,12,8,4,16
Pistons 6,4,12,19,7,7
Spurs 14,13,13,11

Just how much are they missing that outside shot of his? He had 4 single digit scoring games against the Pistons. While more consistent against the Spurs, Drew didn’t score more than 14, even when Larry Hughes went out with injury. A more productive showing last season might possibly have led the Cavs to view him as part of the core in any future plans.

In the 2008 play-offs, the Wizards, led by Deshawn Stevenson, woke up a sleeping giant in Lebron James, with comments of ‘over rated’, that were picked up and chanted by Wizard fans. The Cavs took out the Washington club in 6 games. LeBron closed things out in Washington 105-88, with a 13/13/27 triple double, supported by 26 points from Wally Szczerbiak, and 7 assists from West while the previously middling Cavs defense had suddenly found itself.

Part two up soon.

We all really should have seen this coming. It was screaming “Danny Ainge”.

Not a 3rd return of Antoine Walker.

Not a Reggie Miller resuscitation.

Not Diana Taurasi becoming the first WNBA player to play in the NBA and for the Celtics.

Not finding an 8 foot Bigfoot, and teaching him to play this game.

No. This is not anywhere that dramatic. But it is a patented surprise Danny Ainge move.

The Portland Trailblazer media guide says Darius Miles ‘patterns his game’ after Kevin Garnett. We’ll see just how close their games are as Kevin gets Darius for a team mate. He has immense talent, but Darius could be considered the exact opposite of intense, driven Kevin Garnett, another high school to pros story altogether.

One thing I’ve learned this past season of watching players up close and personal and interviewing them is that sometimes the accepted ‘media image’ is completely different from what I’m experiencing myself.

The Roll of the Dice
As announced by the Boston Globe, the Celtics just signed controversial 26 year old, 6′ 9″ 225 lbs., forward Darius Miles to a non-guaranteed contract. Darius will be 27 on October 9. Celtic GM Danny Ainge is going to give him a few months to see if he can make the team. This is the same Darius Miles that was long rumored to not even really like playing basketball, even when he was healthy. It was just a job for him, not a passion, not even a career.

As infamous for off court histrionics, as he was for enormous on court talent, Darius is ‘medically retired’ from the Portland Trailblazers due to what was considered a career ending injury involving cartilage damage to his right knee requiring microsurgery in late 2006. If he makes any NBA team and plays more than 10 games, he becomes ‘unretired’ from the Portland ledger and his $9 mil. salary is added back onto the books. Either way he gets paid.

Danny too is playing on house money…until and unless he gives him a roster spot and commits a certain amount of precious Celtic salary as the new season embarks.

Miles of History

MacDonald’s All American, 19 year old Darius was the 3rd pick overall in the 2000 draft by the Clippers. Back before the Celtics, Atlanta and a few other teams went with youth, the Clippers fielded a team of 4 drafted rookies. Miles (3rd), Keyon Dooling (10th), Quentin Richardson(18th), and Marko Jaric (31st) were all plucked and played their first NBA seasons together along with NBA sophomores Lamar Odom and Corey Maggette.

Going from 31-51 in 2000-01 to 39-43 in 2001-02 with the Clips, Darius was traded with Harold Jamison to Cleveland for Andre Miller and Bryan Stith. The Cavs were a dreadful 17- 65 in 2002-03 with Miles, Ricky Davis, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and Carlos Boozer.

Darius played just 37 games with rookie phenom LeBron James the next season, when he was traded to Portland because it was believed he would be a negative influence on James’ career. He was traded to Portland for Ruben Boumjte-Boumtje and Jeff McInnis on Jan 21, 2004.

Joining the Portland team in the notorious Jailblazer era, Portland went from 41-41 in his partial first season to 27-55 in 2004-05 and then 21-61 in 2005-06 when he played in just 40 games in his last season, averaging 14 points, a career high. Looking at the records of teams he has been on, one thing Darius would never be praised for is making his team mates better.

There are all levels of commitment when it comes to NBA players. But only a rare few have ever been rumored to ‘not even like playing the game’. Now…to be fair, those were rumors. But there is usually something that gets a rumor going. Huge money for a very young man can do strange things to personal motivation. Heck, it can do strange things to any man’s motivation.

Maybe it had something to do with this quote I found in a very good article by ManchVegasBob on Celtics17…..

In a February 26, 2005 game, Miles had five turnovers in 21 minutes, including three in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter, leading coach Maurice Cheeks to bench him. Post-game, Miles said, ”I look at it as a job; it ain’t fun no more. It’s work.”

It is a classic Danny Ainge move, if there ever was one. If Danny used the Brain Doctor on himself, I wonder what would turn up. Risk taker or low risk gambler?

If he was at the casino, once he steps up to the table, the croupier would announce “Ainge in action”. Time to watch the former baseball player roll the dice. Eyes gravitate to the man with the dice. Danny blows on the dice, shakes them up his hand and lets ‘em roll. The question is how much is bet each time he rolls. This time it looks like a lottery ticket was purchased or a long shot bet was placed. Low Risk/high reward.

Beyond what is already stated, the reason Darius gets this shot is because the Celtics are missing a long small forward. He won’t play Posey defense, but he could surprise if he commits to that end of the court. Not a 3 point shooter at all, Miles works best inside the arc and around the hoop.

Why take the risk?
After having folks like Mark Blount, Marcus Banks and Ricky Davis, Danny talked about respect for each other, the coach and the game.

With the powerful troika of discipline he has in the thoroughbreds in his stable, he knows he can afford to try to add a maverick…or two. JR Giddens and now Miles are players with questionable attitudes and behavior who have the chance of their lives to turn things around.

From RealGM, here is Danny’s take on the whole situation…

“Darius has been in twice for workouts with us and has impressed us with his progress, health, and attitude;” said Danny Ainge, Celtics Executive Director of Basketball Operations/General Manager. “Darius will have the next couple of months to prove to myself and Coach Rivers that he can help us win.”

Last year Danny’s unusual idea was to try to get Reggie Miller to unretire. This year, he going against previous stated philosophy, with talented players with questionable pasts, hoping that the total opportunity that the Celtics offer, coupled with the discipline that Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce would require might give the Celtics something for nothing again – just as it did with James Posey, Sam Cassell, and PJ Brown last season.

While the things I’ve read about Darius disturb me, Danny hasn’t committed anything to Miles but a chance. The Celtics get a free look before they buy. The need at that position and his talent merit a look.

As I mentioned things aren’t always exactly as the media portrays them. Here is his explanation to Jason Quick of the Oregonian in 2006, of an oft reported clash with coaching good guy Maurice Cheeks…

“Cheeks was so frustrated with folks upstairs, and I was frustrated with the folks upstairs too, but Cheeks started bring it down on all the players. But everyone loved Cheeks and we still love Cheeks to this day. We knew what type of person Cheeks was and what he was going through.

When all said and done, everybody made it like I’m such this bad person, we’re beefing, but me and Cheeks laughing and joking every practice. He could see it was weighing on me, the pressure was so much on my shoulders, that he had to come out himself, I didn’t ask him to say that. He said it wasn’t all my fault.”

Remember, people can change, kids grow up, and injuries heal. I’m not saying that is what has happened here. But it’s worth the look.

I’m really uninspired to write about the Celtics at the moment. Call it decompression. Call it ‘no news is good news.’

Few changes means little news.

I’m in the camp that says the team gets even better this season, due to being together for a whole season. They probably don’t win as many games though. The maniacal sense of urgency won’t be there. Last year they won games they should have lost. This season, they will probably lose a few they should have won. But maybe not. I underestimated them last season.

I say that knowing full well how huge home court came to be after all. They will still go for it…and get home court advantage. But whoever is number two will be right there with them. Detroit? Cleveland? Toronto? Philly? Orlando? We’ll talk about that in a future set of columns.

What I’ve been reading about the popularity of basketball and Kobe Bryant in China has caused some forward thinking. Wrap your mind around the following…….

China – Basketball’s World Champions 2028

Maybe even sooner?

David Stern talks about working with the Chinese government to erect 800,000 baskets in Chinese villages and creating an NBA affiliated, but independent Chinese league. 800,000 baskets? ummm…wow.

Of the Olympic things I’ve read about, it has struck me how quickly basketball has been embraced in the world’s most populace country – China.

Or is India the world’s most populace? I get confused. They run pretty close to each other population-wise (China 1.3 bil/ India 1.1 bil.) – which reminds me…when is India getting basketball fever?

Their favorite game is cricket. Other than the game is British, and you use a stick to hit something, I have no idea what cricket is. And oh yeah…are there any groups/castes/regions of very tall Indians? Or has Karma determined that Indians will not be tall nor leap very well? When was the last (first?) time we saw an Indian high jumper in the Olympics? I just don’t know the answer to those questions.

But wait. By sheer coincidence, there is a quote from NBA commissar David Stern about that very country from Boston.com….

India could be next on the NBA’s radar. Stern said NBA officials have met in Beijing with Indian authorities, and the league staged its first Basketball Without Borders events in India this summer. “We think that that’s a very promising market,” said Stern.

Wow. I was just kidding. Holy schnikees. We already have trouble with the Greek, Russian and some eastern European player names. Remember back when Coach K was calling the Greek players by their numbers?

If India gets even halfway interested in basketball, that would mean the world’s two most populace countries could both eventually field teams that could beat the NBA’s…oops…I mean the U.S.’s best in, say about….. 20 years. The sheer weight of talent of the player pool could make it so, if they get top competitive leagues going.

Remember when Taiwan was winning all those Little League World Series back a while ago? Little League officials finally figured out that one team comprised of the best of a nation of less than 20 million (23 mil. currently) were being assembled from far larger districts than American little league teams were. Our teams are small town teams for the most part. That created an innately built in advantage for the Taiwanese. If all other things are equal, the talent pool to draw from is larger, therefore …unfair.

The rule governing the area from which a Taiwan team could be assembled was changed to make a more level playing field. Since then, Taiwan’s Little League dominance was waned.

The same concept would apply here, except in the Olympics, it is all fair. The smallest countries compete against the largest without any allowances, handicaps, or dispensations at all. Tough toenails. That is why teams from Greece, Argentina, Spain and perhaps a few other countries are even more impressive, considering the smaller populations they are drawn from.

Except for the area of China that Yao Ming hails from, much of the Chinese population tends toward shorter heights. Does that negate much of the ‘population’ advantage?

Would the many poor areas of India be a fertile ground for dirt court ballin’ ?

Can you imagine the possibility of an Indian version of Kobe Bryant? How about an Indian Shaq?

China is an infant in the world of basketball and already has a unique player in Yao Ming.

Can you envision a world where the U.S team basketball, fielding its very best, and playing its best, would consistently finish ….3rd?

Neither can I, but it is quite possible.

Heck, we finished 3rd (Bronze) twice in the last few years to much smaller countries. But we always had excuses for that. Can the game one day simply rise above America and out of its reach?

I’ve always said that one day basketball would capture the world’s attention. I believe it will surpass soccer (football to the rest of the world) one day. That possibility gets more real every year. It is that good of a game.

Time…and 1/3 of the world’s population will tell.

I was going back over my interview tapes from the past season and thought NBA fans might like to hear Josh Smith’s thoughts on a few topics – in light of his recent re-signing with Atlanta.

I asked him if he wanted Mike Woodson to return. His answer was fairly neutral. It could be read either way. He didn’t outright endorse Woodson’s return, which could be construed by some as, de facto, not supportive. But his answer was somewhat positive about Woodson as well. The ambivalence may typify the reality of the situation.

But then he mentions the day Coach Woodson got his NBA Championship Ring (with the Pistons), playing against the Pistons as the day he knew he belonged in the NBA. It would be hard not to see at least a little fondness for his coach in that recollection.

Anyway, here it is. The conversation was from pre-game 5 in Boston.

You went to Rajon Rondo’s house for dinner?

Josh Smith: “Yeah, I did.”

You blocked a few of his shots later. Has he said anything to you?

“No, he hasn’t said anything yet. But we talk a little trash, so it’s still fun.”

You’ve come a long way since you started in the league. Do you think it is harder coming from high school or easier by not doing the college thing?

‘I don’t think [it's harder]. Whether you come from college or high school, umm… you’re still not going to be prepared for what the NBA is going to throw at you. People have different perceptions of what it is. But when I first came in, I didn’t get playing time. But when I started to get the playing time, I made an immediate impact.”

Some players say there was a moment when they knew they ‘belonged’. Is there a moment that sticks out that you remember, that you knew you belonged in the league?

“I don’t know. I forget the first time I scored 20 points. It had to be that day. Just scoring the most points against a good team. It feels great.

Wait. Matter of fact…my first moment when I knew I belonged….I started my first game in Detroit. I was a rookie and I think it was ring ceremonies for Coach that day. When he won the ring (as an asst. coach with the Pistons the year before)…with the ring presentation and we actually won the game and I played well. That probably has to stand out more than anything.”

Coach Woodson has cited your development and how key you are with this team going forward.
But there are pieces the team needs, if he’s here next year. Do you want the coach to return next year?

‘That’s not up to me. You gotta ask the guys that make that decision. But wherever he goes, whether he is here or not here, he’s going to do pretty good wherever he goes.”

Do you think this team needs a few pieces?

“That’s not up to me. But this year we played as well as anybody. Even though we’re up and down, I have to say, just because we might be a little younger than people want, but if we keep the same guys together, we’ll be okay because we’ve been together a couple years and each knows what we like to do. That’s up to the GM and the owners.”

.
How about your own game? What do you think is an area you need to work on next year?

“Just be more consistent on the jumpshot. Being a leader on the court and assessing my role as a player.”

Shot selection? When to take it, when not to?

“Maybe so. Maybe so. I might need to work on that a little bit. But I think I’m doing a good job. Im satisfied with my progress right now, but I’m not satisfied with my progress from the stand point that I (know) I need to get better.”

A lot of your game is about your defense. Seeing KG and what he’s done. Is that something you’d like as a goal?

“Definitely. I definitely want to be on the (All- NBA) Defensive Team. Preferably the 1st Defensive Team because that would be a great accomplishment. Most players strive for offensive accolades, but I think that the game is won on the defensive end.”

Coach Woodson said that you guys came together over the last 22 games. But the you lost the first 2 games and came back to win the next two. What happened?

“From a confidence standpoint, our confidence rose.”

Why would it rise?

“Well, because we lost those first two games, I believe we started to question ourselves. Then after shootaround the day of game 3, Al (Horford) brought a tape around that meant a lot to us. Muhammed Ali (Rumble in the Jungle) against George Foreman.

It lifted us back up. It lifted our spirits back up and it brought excitement back to us and just being to see the atmosphere our arena had given us during the play-offs was big momentum for us.”

Part of that was the “Rope a Dope”. Did you guys feel that way, that you had to stand up to the bully?

(Laughing) ‘Nah, I don’t think so. Not for us. But game 4 they threw their best stuff at us and we had a counter punch for it. I think we can play with them at their highest level. We’ve shown it in game 4.”

What’s going to happen tonight?

“I think if we play together, the way we played games 3 and 4, we can win the game.”

Thanks, Josh.

“Okay.”

Well….we all know how that story turned out. Hopes springs eternal.

The defection of Josh Childress had put the team in a tough place, but they refused to up the ante for Josh Smith until he got a solid tender from a competitor. When J-Smoove got the offer from Memphis, they immediately matched, so as to show Smith they do indeed want him.

Some will say they paid too much. Others say it was smart. All in all, I sense a maturing of Josh Smith that will serve him well as he tries to take his game and floor impact to the next level. If Atlanta didn’t match, it would have been foolish indeed. If things don’t work out, a talent like Josh Smith is tradeable.

With a core of Joe Johnson, Al Horford, Josh Smith, Mike Bibby, and Marvin Williams, they are exciting to watch, but not contending material. While a better shooter and solid defender, Maurice Evans doesn’t bring the things that Josh Childress did off the bench. With Horford looking like a special player and Smith continuing to improve, the team’s movement should be forward this season, but incrementally so.

It’s official.

Kendrick Perkins is not only respected by team mates, and opponents. NBA scribes are admitting he can cause big problems. We’re not talking about defense here, either.

Perhaps it wasn’t the best choice of phrases when writing about the Pistons, but it was vivid enough to catch my eye and describes how that particular writer felt. Perhaps there are other spectators of the Conference Finals living in the Midwest who feel the same, but were unable to get the courage up to say it. Whatever. It is newsworthy.

Here is the quote. Chris McCosky, Detroit News….

Think back to the Boston series. The Pistons, focused on stopping Kevin Garnett, wound up getting punched in the gut by Kendrick Perkins. Neither Rasheed Wallace nor Antonio McDyess could handle his athleticism, and Jason Maxiell, at 6-7, couldn’t handle his size.

Kendrick Perkins, known for the silent, but smothering defensive presence working in tandem with Kevin Garnett, just received props for his….offense. Size, yes. But he said athleticism. I heard him. That is a adjective usually used for other players who soar through the air and make big money. Nice to see someone appreciate the dismantling that Kendrick did to his assigned defenders. KP did indeed punch the Pistons in the gut offensively – multiple times.

Usually, Kendrick won’t try to make moves if he is covered. Not so in a three game stretch in the biggest games of his career at that point. He shaked and baked his way to shooting a 6 for 7, 4 for 6 and finished with an 8 for 11 demolition in the critical game 5 win with the series tied at 2.

The scribe was talking about why the Pistons needed to sign Kwame Brown. They need someone to defend Perkins. As witnessed by all, but mentioned by none, they had no one who could handle him one on one. He aptly described how Kendrick went off for some very painful points against an exposed interior defense of one of the top 2-3 defensive teams in the league.

Garnett and Perkins worked wonderful defensive magic in keeping all comers out of the middle through the year and most of 26 additional play-off games on their way to the NBA title. The Celtic perimeter players job was to stop the shot from the arc and to funnel all drives towards the center of the paint, where KG or KP would take over. Cut off baseline. Make them go middle. Perkins will be there. He was there enough to be a vital cog in the league’s best defense. Anything he did at the other end of the court was largely an afterthought, and/or early in the game.

His offense has largely gone unnoticed. Early in the year, it was often hard to find. When you found it, it wasn’t always pretty. But darned if he didn’t quietly improve throughout the year. It culminated in a ’shut my mouth’ 16 rebound 18 point effort against the Pistons that was nothing short of spectacular. Perkins was huge that game.

Actually KP had 3 straight games of double digit scoring, which by itself is worth commenting on. the 18 points were preceded by 10 and 12. He had 2 double-doubles in the important three game spurt. I must not fail to mention a jaw dropping, turn around fadeaway he delivered as a body punch to further soften the Pistons up. Hit them in the body and the legs get weak.

If you talk to Kendrick he’ll talk about knowing his role and doing the best he can. His role is defense. But think what a center on the Celtics could do if he developed some offensive go-to moves. Kendrick opened eyes in that Detroit game. Let it be known that Kendrick played 41 plus minutes in the all important game 6 of the Conference Finals. That was his high for the play-offs and the year – by far. Early in the year, if fouls didn’t dictate his minutes, his conditioning and perhaps poor foul shooting did, resulting in fewer minutes as Doc played small ball in the 4th quarter.

He is young. You have to remember with ‘high school to pros’ players, he is still developing, in spite of playing for 4 years. He hardly played at all his first year. Now that he’s getting the defense down, could we possibly see a bit more from Perkins when the Celtics have the ball?

It will depend on game strategies and individual match ups. Tall, strong defenders like Ilguaskas will give him trouble. Perkins finished game 7 of the Hawks series with a double double (10/10 with 5 blocks), shooting 4-8, and was a crisp 5-5 with 14 points the game before. At that point, KP had made at least 12 straight foul shots. His nickname may never be K-Smoove, but Kendrick is still reaching his potential.

If Kendrick will develop a few sneaky ‘go to’ moves around the hoop, things he can use with a man on him, and perhaps a reliable mid range open jumper, it will do wonders for the sometimes struggling offense, when teams collapse on those other three guys.

It has now been written that one of the top teams in the league just signed a guy to stop Perkins. I’m not sure anyone would have believed they would be reading that, earlier in the season. Guard your gut. Perkins is in action and he is proving there are times when he can deliver the punch.