Celtics Central

Just thinking about the Lakers and whether Celtic fans should be more worried. Here is what runs through my mind…

1) Count me as believing that the Lakers are better than last year. How could they not be?

Yes, The Celtics beat them with Bynum last season.. I think the Cs can/will still beat them. But, they will have a much harder time this year. Why?

a) LA now has a defensive mind set. That is the number one reason.

b) Jackson is using Ariza to his optimum – a solid, active defensive presence.

c) Bynum is getting better and is more defensively minded than Gasol.

d) Gasol will be there for a full year and will play PF this year. That mostly helps him.

e) Jordan Farmer is a solid role player in the making.

f) Odom has bought into the team thing, so he’s not making a fuss about coming off the bench

g) Fisher seems to still be playing well.

h) Kobe is truly taking a reduced role in the offense and playing less minutes.That does
nothing but help come play-off time.

So why should the Celtics still beat them?

1) They still don’t have a top three compared to the Cs top three.

2) The Celtics will be better than last year by then, if they aren’t already.

3) The Celtics are tougher and ultimately better defenders, though that margin has narrowed
considerably.

4) Match ups will be more of a problem for LA than for Boston – not just trying to stop the Big
Three, but stopping Rondo, too.
a) They have no one to defend Garnett. Garnett can stop Pau.
b) They have no one to defend Paul Pierce. Boston’s team defense does better against
Kobe.
c) Putting Kobe on Rondo won’t be the cakewalk it was last season.
d) Ray Allen could be the surprise dagger once again.

5) Lamar Odom is still a Laker.

6) Kobe might not be as effective in a reduced role. His three point shooting is down
considerably right now. Pierce learned how to be more effective, but it is not an easy
thing to do.

7) Kendrick Perkins could be the anti-Bynum.

The Lakers have no one like Glen Davis.

9) The Lakers have no one like Leon Powe.

10) The Cs still have three guys who are experienced in carrying their team, to the Lakers
two. That can be a huge difference. I think I said that already.

This is playing out just a little too well at the moment. Both teams have taken up where they left off last season and are leading their divisions with near perfect records and dominating basketball.

The first big game is Christmas Day in LA, just like old times.
The second game is February 5 in Boston.
Then there are always the play-offs if they both make it through.

Fun time to be a fan.

The Big Three are becoming the Fantastic Four. Or is it Four Plus One. And they are starting to look every bit as formidible as last year.

The Celtics continue their dominant play over the last 7 games, averaging a heady winning margin of 14.71 points for the period. They are now 17-2 and are on a nine game winning streak.

Rajon Rondo continues his elevated play and the Celtics rise with him, as he scored 16 points to go with 12 well orchestrated assists.

Johnny Rondo is becoming Johnny Maestro, but in this case it’s the best that could happen…to the Celtics. They had 5 players in double figures last night as he reacted to the Orlando defense with precision.

He started the Celtics off strong with 8 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds and a steal in the Celtics 28-18 first quarter.

He was just too difficult of an assignment for the Orlando reserve guard, Anthony Johnson, as he was able to access the paint often and made lay-ups or drew the defense and passed for easy scores a number of times. The Magic were without the injured Jameer Nelson, Keith Bogans and Michael Pietrus. They used only 7 players in the game.

The Celtics’ second made shot of the game was a Paul Pierce turnaround jumper that hit nothing but net and signalled what was to come, belying a quiet 5 point first half for Paul.

Paul Pierce drove a two point half time lead (48-46) to an eleven point 3rd quarter lead (77-65)and led the team with 24 points.

He attacked the Magic with 17 assorted points in the decisive quarter. Hedo Turkoglu and later Rashard Lewis were unable to contain him as he delivered what can only be called a patented Paul Pierce scoring burst, demonstrating an efficient array of shot making skills. Pierce was 7 for 13 shooting, going 9 of 10 from the foul line, and adding 7 rebounds, and a block.

Tony Allen played a solid game, adding two spinning drives for lay-ups, alternating them between Rashard Lewis’s 2 baskets to start the 4th quarter. He also manufactured a crowd pleasing loop pass to Leon Powe for a dunk in the quarter. Sandwiched around that Powe dunk, Eddie House drained a jumper and three pointer, giving the Beantown Ballers a comfortable 92-75 lead heading down the stretch.

Kendrick Perkins is the Plus One as he played a strong defensive game against the league’s premiere young big man in Dwight Howard. Perkins had 13 rebounds and 8 points in 29 minutes, and did an excellent job stopping Howard from having a big game.

Howard finished with 14 points, 15 rebounds and 4 blocks, but began the game 0-4 with one first quarter point and shot just 5 of 12 for the game. He is third in the league with a 59% field goal pct.

Kevin Garnett played a big part in containing Howard, while adding 15 points on 7 of 11 shooting and 6 rebounds.

Lewis and Turkoglu are the type of long small forwards that can give the Celtics trouble, and they both did. Turkoglu played point forward for part of the game and Rashard had 18 first points, doing much of his scoring over Pierce and Tony Allen. Lewis led both teams with 30 points on 11 of 23 shots. Turkoglu tied point guard Johnson with 4 assists, adding 19 points and 7 rebounds.

The Celtics ran out to a 15 point second quarter lead before Orlando regrouped and closed with a 24-11 run to get within two at half time. Lewis had 14 of his points in the second quarter. Ray Allen had 14 points by half time to offset Lewis. Ray finished with 21 points including 3 of 6 from the arc.

The Celtics shot 54% to the Magic’s 42% for the game and had 12 fast break points to none for the Magic.

While the Magic have a strong record at 13-5, and are a good road team, the weak opponents in their recent 9-1 run distort things a bit, as their one loss was to the only team that was over .500, the Rockets.

There were eight technical fouls in this game, including two and an ejection of Sam Cassell who was suited up, but hasn’t played a minute yet this season.

Kendrick Perkins got his league leading ninth technical. After 16, you get suspended every time you get one.

Next up: Indiana in Boston December 3