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

The final was 89-84. It was that close.

Some final scores aren’t as close as they appear.

A family week-end wedding (my son’s) keeps me from seeing this game.

So here is the NBA recap:

Here is the boxscore:

Stats of note:
Celtic Kendrick Perkins double double 15 points, 12 rebounds

Bobcat Raymond Felton had more turnovers (6) than points (4)

Enjoy!

The Celtics just keep getting better.

I did not see this one and wasn’t able to tape it so this recap is from the play-by-play and the boxscore.

Rajon Rondo started things early, assisting on 3 of the first four baskets the Celtics made. A Garnett jump shot, a Pierce lay-up and a Perkins dunk. He finished with 6 points, but had 12 assists, 6 rebounds, and 3 steals. They won going away.

The lead got as high as 30 points at 79-49 with 10:09 left in the game. It seems the starters as well as the bench were both just too much for the uncertain Sixers.

Ray Allen led the Cs with 23 points and continued his torrid three point shooting with 3 of 5 from the arc, giving him 13 of 19 from downtown in the last three games. Ray hit three straight threes in 1:18 minutes at one point late in the third quarter as part of 11 straight points in a 2:30 burst.

Kevin Garnett followed with 16 points on 6 of 12 shooting, but a season low 2 rebounds in 28 minutes. he has also had just 4 boards twice in the last 5 games.

Paul Pierce had a subdued 6 points in in 26 minutes on 1 of 6 shooting, while Kendrick Perkins provided 8 points, 7 boards and 4 blocks in 28 plus minutes.

Elton Brand led Philadelphia with 18 points on 8 of 14 shooting and 8 rebounds.

The Celtic bench was rolling with 43 points on the night, led by Tony Allen and Leon Powe with 10 each, followed by Glen Davis with 9 points and Eddie House with 8. Davis was 4 of 6 shooting with 5 rebounds, a steal, and an assist. After working inside more last game, Glen delivered three jump shots tonight.

The Celtics held the Sixers to 28 points for the first half as Philly finished with just 78 points on the night. Philly shot .413 on the night as the Celtics were over .500 at .513 and had only 10 turnovers a rarity for the Green. They lead the league in TOs.

So the Celtics keep rolling over people, and it seems they are getting better offensively with a 3rd straight game over 100. They assisted 30 times on 39 baskets as they are feeling the love of sharing that Rondo sets the pace on.

Let the good times roll.

Next up: Charlotte Bobcats tonight at 7:00 pm

The Celtcs are 14-2 and riding a 6 game winning streak, while the 7-8 Sixers are losers of their last two.

The Sixers are having a hard time adjusting their style to fit their high profile off season acquisition, power forward Elton Brand.

High expectations are dampered at the moment for Philly as scoring is a problem. They are in the bottom 7 teams with 95.1 points per game, though their defense is allowing only 93.2.

Adding a half court component, playing to Brand’s strengths, to their high flying fastbreak style is proving to be problematic at the moment. They need better, more consistent outside shooting to make it all work better.

In the process, Andre Iguodala’s game has taken a big hit, going from 19.9 points last season to just 13.6 this. Rebounder Reggie Evans has largely been removed from the equation as he averages just 10 minutes a game this seeason.

Rondo, Rondo, Rondo

Rajon Rondo is really bringing it of late, and that just makes things that much more difficult to game plan the Celtics. His recent average of 16 points per game puts that much more pressure on defenses that already had three tough choices to make on who to guard.

Rondo is 4th in the league in steals at 2.19 per 48 minutes.

Ray Allen has caught fire of late, with 10 of 14 from downtown, but has had a solid season generally.

The Celtics are starting to play with more dominance and could possibly have a similar regular season as last year when they had 66 wins. That would be an incredible accomplishment.

What is still working itself out is the bench, and the unknown is how much they can be counted on in larger roles in the play-offs. Continued improved play by Glen Davis and growth by Leon Powe will go far in determining the severity of the need for a taller back big as the year rolls on.

Game Time: 7:30

Call him the Pace Setter.

Four Celtics scored more than 20 points in defeating the Golden State Warriors 119-111.

Corey Maggette and Stephen Jackson led the Warriors with 32 and 30 points each. New comer Jamal Crawford added 18 but bore the speed and wrath of newly aggressive Rajon Rondo.

Point guard Rajon Rondo continues his climb to that proverbial “next level” of play. He is pushing the ball with gusto and the team benefits from it in many ways. Their last 5 games have been solid wins with a 13.8 point margin of victory. Clearly, he is a major reason why.

Just as important, Rondo is driving more, scoring much more, yet is maintaining a well rounded game with killer rebounding and strong assist numbers.

His line score for this game: 22 pts on 9 of 15 shooting, 4-4 foul shooting, 8 rebounds (4 offensive), 7 assists and 2 steals. His +18 was the team’s best.

Rajon is averaging 16.6 points over the last 5 games, tripling his scoring production. If he continues at this pace, he will soon be considered one of the Big Four and as Paul Pierce says, “We will be unbeatable.”

One thing to keep in mind is that much of this aggressiveness has come at the hands of a series of weak defending adversarial point guards. That does not diminish the strides Rondo is making. Merely noting the level of competition. There are few point guards in the league with his speed, and none with a game quite like his.

Ray Allen continues his torrid three point barrage with a second straight game hitting 5 of 7
shots from the arc, and his second straight 20 plus game with a team high 25 points. He is 18 of 29 (62%) from the field as well.

No doubt Rondo’s drives make the other team guard him, keeping the other team honest and opening up room for Ray, Paul, and Kevin.

That is evidenced by Kevin Garnett’s 21 points on 9 of 23 shooting, and 13 rebounds. KG added 4 blocks on the night.

Paul Pierce chipped in with 21 of his own on 6 of 14 shooting, while going 9-9 from the line. Paul rounded out his night with 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 5 turnovers.

Kendrick Perkins added 9 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks. it was “technical foul free’ night for KP and the Celtics, who both lead the league in technical fouls.

Though the Celtic bench was generally outplayed, Tony Allen and Glen Davis contirbuted 9 points each.

The Celtics started strong, jumping out to a 35-28 first quarter lead on the strength of Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo. The Warriors over took the Celtics with a 25 point swing to lead at the half by
67-54.

Boston finally clamped down in the second, allowing Golden State just 44 more points to regain the lead and pull away.

Boston is now pretty much on pace with last season’s incredible run at 14-2 and are starting to play like they really can. Rondo’s emergence will only exascerbate opponents’ headaches trying to defend this team.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Next up: The Sixers in Philly on Friday.

The Celtics don’t posterize players. They posterize opposing coaches.

It doesn’t happen on a single play. It is a game changing stretch that renders opposing teams and coaches helpless. They have done it three times in a row now.

Raptor coach ‘Subtle Sam’ Mitchell can be a very funny guy, in his own sarcastic way.

He wasn’t laughing or being sarcastic in the second half of today’s game against the re-emerging Celtic Machine. Was he looking up and down the bench for an answer? Definitely. Forlorn? At times. Astonished? Often.

Posterized? Absolutely.

The Celtic final numbers were preposterous. 118 points (from the 11th lowest scoring team in the league) .616% shooting from the field. .588 from the three point line. 48 points in the paint. And it was a team wide affair. Seven Celtics were in double figures. It easily could have been nine.

Ray Allen carved up the Rapts for a team leading 21 points on 8 of 12 from the floor and 5 of 7 three pointers in a team high 31:29 minutes.

The Celtics never trailed in the game. They led by as many as 24 points.

Sam’s astonishment was at the complete lack of competitiveness his team was displaying. His team was just a few more defensive lapses up and down the court from a 3-7 collapse, after a 3-0 season start to the season.

The Celtics jumped on the Ruptures with an uncharacteristically fast start. Four different Celtics scored as the Celtics ran off ten straight points to start the game. The Green Machine went up 22-6 before the Raptors recovered. Toronto fought back with a 10-2 run of their own.

Rajo Rondo and Kevin Garnett each had 9 points in opening quarter. Toronto point guard Jose Calderone was having difficulty keeping up with the fleet, aggressive, driving Rondo and the help defense was slow to react. Rondo finished with 15 points. KG even hit a rare three point shot for more preposterousness.

Rondo’s Run
Over the last four games, all blow outs, Rajon Rondo is averaging 15 points a game on 57% shooting and 71% from the foul line. Previously, he was averaging 7 points per game and 51% from the line. It’s not a coincidence that the games have been easier wins.

Tony Allen’s Run
He is averaging 14 points over three games, on a red hot 70% (16 of 23), most of them slashes to the hoop. He added 6 rebounds for the second time in three games

Toronto fought back to within four points at 36-32 on a Jermaine O’Neal jump shot. O’Neal left the game for good shortly after, re-aggravating his surgically repaired knee. Boston went on a 17-3 run that put the game out of reach for the rest of the contest, and I use the term ‘contest’ loosely.

The helpless look on Raptor Coach Sam Mitchell’s face for much of the second half is as close to one coach posterizing another as you will get. Doc Rivers’ team has now done it three times in a row – Detroit’s Michael Curry, Minnesota’s Randy Wittman and now Subtle Sam Mitchell of that previous pre-season contendor – the Toronto Ruptures – all had the same bewildered looks.

Those long stretches when the Celtics dissect a team at both ends of a court to take a game over are amazing to watch coagulate, seemingly, from out of nowhere. The stunned look on the opposing team’s coach’s face tells a story all by itself.

When Doc Rivers’ team plays that well, and your own team looks that bad, no matter what you try to do to change things – the resulting look on your traumatized face for long minutes of absolutely futile play by your team – well, hey….you’ve been posterized for all intents and purposes, Sam.

The Raptors Rupture = Celtic Rapture
It was all about defense and the lack of it by the Raptors.

With 15 points of his own, on 5 of 7 shooting, slashing Tony Allen joined Rondo on the international highway to the hole. It was easier than it should have been against a team as talented as this one. With O’Neal, they are not a particularly stout team. With O’Neal out, they are a small team. Today you could add ‘slow’ to that description.

Even the home town fans began to boo after yet another easy penetration by the Celtics. After one more easy lay-up, where Toronto star Chris Bosh arrived a step too late, he slammed the ball down hard in frustration.

Toronto’s marshmallow defense allowed Kendrick Perkins to score on 6 of 8 inside shots for 12 points to go with his 8 rebounds and his now customary technical foul (league leading 8th).

Doc has spoken to the club about playing instead of talking, and refs are taking notice after complaints about the verbosity of Kevin Garnett and the Celtics by other teams. Paul Pierce was also assessed a technical for the category leading Celtics.

More Numbers
Leon Powe was 3-4 and 8 points. Kevin Garnett finished with 15 points on 7 of 10 shooting, 6 rebounds 5 assists, a steal and a blocked shot. All in a relatively easy 29 minutes.

In the last three easy wins, Pierce has been happy to lay low offensively. He scored 11 points on just 6 shots in 24 minutes. This, after scoring 12 and 9 previously. He added 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists and 4 turnovers.

Glen Davis added 7 points, and 5 rebounds in 25 minutes of action. Brian Scalabrine is making it a habit. He is now 6 of 8 in three point shots and has made one in 5 straight games now.

It was a case of the Irresistable Force meeting the Moveable Object. The Rapts gave up 60 points in the paint to the Nets in OT in their previous game.

Still, the Celtics have completely disarmed 3 straight teams now and they look like they are starting to find some rhythm offensively. They are already solid defensively. They are able to rest the Big Three as a result, because the bench is responding with strong performances.

Unusual Stat of the Game
Defensively challenged, league leading three point shooter, Jason Kapono play 11 minutes without taking a shot, and the Raptors were ‘plus eleven’ while he was in.

Next up: Golden State Warriors in Boston, Wednesday 7:30

The Boston Celtics jumped out of the Minnesota mud in the second half to soundly thrash an undersized and inept Timberwolve team, 95-78.

It was another team sharing of the wealth night as Kevin Garnett led 6 players in double figures with a mere 17 points. Rajon Rondo complemented that with another solid game with 13 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and made two long distance shots.

Al Jefferson led the Wolves with 23 points. Only one other Wolf (Sebastian Telfair with 13) made double digits.

Tony Allen was second on the team in scoring with 14 points and made his first three pointer of the year in the run and Rajon Rondo made two, yes two, three point shots on the night. His second one came from deep at the buzzer was sounding to end the quarter, emphatically destroying any hope that Minnesota had left. The quarter ended 71-49, Celtics.

Paul Pierce and Powe each had double doubles as Paul tied Leon for team lead with 11 rebounds, while Pierce scored 12 points on just 4 of 8 shooting. Powe added 10 points on 4 of 6 shooting and 5 of his rebounds were offensive.

The Wolves led at half time with a mutually inept 39-36 score. The Wolves kept within 4 points of the Cs until midway of the 3rd quarter. Then the roof fell in as the Celtics took control with a crushing 35-10 third quarter.

The game actually stayed close until Glen Davis went out with his 5th foul with 6:11 left in the 3rd, and Leon Powe entered as Kevin Love made a free throw to draw Minnesota within four at 46-50. From there the Celtics went on 21-3 run to close the quarter. Game over.

Paul Piece contributed 4 free throws, Powe had 4 rebounds and 3 points, while Garnett, Tony Allen and Rondo all added to the total during the 3rd quarter run.

In the first half the ball wasn’t going in for anyone. It continued that way for the Wolves in the second half as they finished shooting .313% and were at a dismal .230 after three.

The Celts had 20 assists to the Wolves 14 for the game. Surprisingly, Minnesota has the second best ‘assisted basket’ average in the league with 24 assists on 37 makes so far this the year. The Celtics’ defense put a stop to that tonight.

The problem is that they are not a good rebounding team, they don’t have a solid point guard, and they need some height. Al Jefferson isn’t the best passer and is stuck trying to do it all himself.

When I See These Two Teams Play
It will forever be known as The Trade. The Celtics, Kevin Garnett, and Al Jefferson revisit the “What Was, What Is, and What Might have Beens” each time the two teams meet.

Tonight we saw little progress by the young Wolves, as the Celtics finally clamped down on them to win going away.

Yet, looking at the two teams together and watch them play each other, you can’t help but reflect on the whole big deal.

Minnesota started last season 3-15 and 5-34 before putting together a decent record of 17-26 to finish the season.

They are 2-9 now and don’t seem to have the toughness to improve much this season. Things could easily change. But I thought from the outset this season that they did not have enough height to help Jefferson.

I know the league is going small, but Craig Smith can’t be your power forward if Jefferson is your center.

Coach Randy Wittman apparently sees that as well. He has been trying to incorporate Jason Collins into the starting line-up recently. That moves Jefferson to power forward, but that isn’t the long term answer either. Jefferson operates best at the center position.

Al Jefferson is still primarily an offensive player. Who knows if that ever changes.

Mike Miller, was a good addition. But they are not using his three point shot and passing ability as much as they should. Only he and Gomes have outside range, yet they aren’t establishing the outside game as much as you think they might. And certainly 4 shot attempts by Miller isn’t going to do it.

Whether it is a question of not having the tough minded difference maker on the Wolves team, or needing a better coach to get the most out of this group is up for debate. My opinion is that Wittman is not the disciplined coach that this group needs.

Yet, I remember Doc Rivers struggling with a similar situation just 2 years ago. Am I wrong?

Either way, this Timberwolves team is not playing up to the talent they do have at the moment.

It is still truly a very different tale of two cities.