The Case For Kendrick Perkins

Before the 2003 NBA draft I did my usual review of potential draftees by the Celtics and could not help come across a kid that was about to graduate from Clifton J. Ozen High School in Beaumont, Texas. His name was Kendrick Perkins and his numbers were off the charts.

A draft day trade brought him to the Celtics as the 27th pick thanks to a deal with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Since 2003 we have watched this young man develop into a solid defensive player and rebounder and now in his 7th year with the Celtics (time sure flies) he has developed into a very good offensive option in the low post.

This did not just happen. Perk came to the Celtics as an over weight kid who was used to dominating smaller players due to his size. But the NBA would require a much larger commitment from him if he would seek to make a name for himself.

So it began. Year after year we have watched his transformation. It became a project of immense proportion like the work that goes into sculpturing a hunk of rock into a well-defined work of art. The hours and days and years of work that goes into discovering what may be inside.

The weight began to drop and the muscle tone began to take shape before our very eyes. Year after year a new feature has been added. The drop step, the weak side defensive play, the jump hook in the lane, the big offensive rebound, the pass from the elbow down low to a cutting player, and now the in the lane in your face jumper while fading away.

If there is one player that exemplifies willingness to work hard and buy in 110% to the Celtics mystique it is none other than Kendrick Perkins, our starting center and perhaps the most underrated big man in the NBA.

dboss

It will be really great when Perk can hit that little jump hook or that fade away jumper at crunch time showing a bit of touch. I do get antsy (and want to rush things a bit) when Perks got the ball down low and I suspect that I am not alone... but I never get antsy with his commitment to defense.

KP is all about the benefits of hard work and the rewards that it can bring. My sense is that he is becoming a no nonsense leader in the locker room too. A real plus!

Best description of Perk I've heard..... 280 pounds with a very bad attitude!

'Nuff said!

GC

I am surprised the officials dare to call fouls on him the way he gives them the "evil eye"

gacracker wrote:It will be really great when Perk can hit that little jump hook or that fade away jumper at crunch time showing a bit of touch. I do get antsy (and want to rush things a bit) when Perks got the ball down low and I suspect that I am not alone... but I never get antsy with his commitment to defense.

KP is all about the benefits of hard work and the rewards that it can bring. My sense is that he is becoming a no nonsense leader in the locker room too. A real plus!

Best description of Perk I've heard..... 280 pounds with a very bad attitude!

'Nuff said!

GC

gacracker

Do you live in Georgia?

dboss

dboss

Just looking at Perks stats the key stats have climbed almost every year he's played. Now instead of a passing thought as an option. his number is called frequently. When left alone one on one on the block he usually gets off a high percentage shot.

I hope he never looses that scowl.

I hope he never looses that threat of being a bit mean.

And really for our team as it is composed right now how many centers would we want over him. Betcha can't count them on one hand!

beat

Sheed said something interesting about Perk. When he doesn't try to do things too quickly, he's a much better player. I think he meant things like grasping the ball or sizing up the situation before trying to make a move.

Last night, Perk received a pass down low, waited for an opponent to sail by, and calmly laid up a little bunny. In years past, he might have tried to go up immediately, and the guy who sailed by would have had himself a nice block. Perk's letting the game come to him much better than he used to.

He's never going to morph into a gazelle, and the first two passes to him last night resulted in turnovers on his part...the kinds of things that may always be present to some degree. But his toughness adds a dimension otherwise not present; and his steadily improving offensive arsenal is moving him beyond the "opportunistic option" category and into a real threat for creating his own shot.

I couldn't care less about his technicals. I learned long ago that many traits people have are two-sided, and you take the bad with the good. He probably wouldn't be so tough if he didn't have the personality that begets an occasional tech.

Sam

Sam

I heard Sheed say that. I sense a nice bond between Sheed and Perk. We all talk about it but if Sheed is willing to do what he did for us last night inregards to inside play we are very very hard to beat. I wonder if some of Perk aint rubbing off on Sheed. Sheed is paying attention and an astute student of the game and Ronnie Milsap could see how hard Perk is working night after night.

Sam

The game has slowed down for Perk and as a result he is making better decisions.

I do not know how good Perk will be. He is still relatively young and I believe there is still more upside.

As he has gained confidence in his ability to impact the game his teammates rely on him to make plays and they have a genuine respect for what he brings to the table.

I think Perkins is a great basketball story!

dboss

Dboss,

My main concern with Perk is the beating that shoulder takes. So far so good. (I'm knocking on my head as I write that.)

Sam

Sam

The shoulder has been problematic if not an ongoing concern. So far this year he seems to be stronger but one hard hit could send him to the bench.

dboss

Considering what he started out with, Kendrick Perkins is a heartwarming story for all time. To begin, all he had was a big strong body, the heart of a champion, and some basic basketball instincts. Much of Perk's success is due to his ability to recognize his deficiencies and rectify them. His dedication to the team and eagerness to learn and to work hard to improve are as admirable as any Celtic ever, and bring to mind names such as Bird, Jones and Russell.

Perk may never get the recognition he deserves. Everybody loves beauty, nobody loves the beast. Until the game is on the line, that is.

Perk certainly doesn't get the remuneration he deserves. He's the best bargain in basketball. And even though he's quite outspoken, you likely will never hear a word about that. It certainly makes Perk one of the hungriest players on the team. The Hungry Beast - that may be the real storyline this season.

One thing Perk was doing in the preseason that we haven't seen since is the sneakaway play. When you think about fast breaks, usually you picture the playmaker in the middle with a couple of wings and a trailer. But there are many ways to break, such as off steals (Rondo being a one-man fast break off steals), off quick rebounds and long outlet passes, off forced turnovers, blocks, etc. Perk's sneakaway was in the fast break family.

One big part of the game that can't be measured is mental toughness. It comes into play most dramatically late in games when everyone is tired and searching for answers. Watch Perk in the fourth quarter of close games: he seems to get taller. Remember before Game 6 of the Finals when there was a question whether Perk would be able to play? Even the people who don't like Perk - especially the people who don't like Perk - were adjusting their jockstraps.

dboss wrote:Sam

The game has slowed down for Perk and as a result he is making better decisions.

I do not know how good Perk will be. He is still relatively young and I believe there is still more upside.

As he has gained confidence in his ability to impact the game his teammates rely on him to make plays and they have a genuine respect for what he brings to the table.

I think Perkins is a great basketball story!

dboss

dboss-
Great observation....Not only has he slowed down to focus more, act more, react less...but you can't put it any better...His mind has speeded up so the game has slowed down by his perspective. He's going to it more than it's coming at him. Certain things are coming more automatic to him so he can pay more attention to other stuff...like guys flying by him....

Perkins is one of the more underrated centers in the league to say the least.

Dwight Howard has said on numerous occasions that Perk is the toughest defender he has to play against. There's not much better praise than that.

I like Perkins a lot too....it has been nice to see him develop. He delivers blocks, boards, and almost 11 points a game on a team of scorers every night.

I too, don't mind his technicals, it is part of his persona. However, arguing every call sure doesn't help buy him any future foul calls! And you would think he would have figured out the moving picks by now that he gets called for game after game!

Keep that shoulder in tact Perk!

dboss wrote:

gacracker wrote:It will be really great when Perk can hit that little jump hook or that fade away jumper at crunch time showing a bit of touch. I do get antsy (and want to rush things a bit) when Perks got the ball down low and I suspect that I am not alone... but I never get antsy with his commitment to defense.

KP is all about the benefits of hard work and the rewards that it can bring. My sense is that he is becoming a no nonsense leader in the locker room too. A real plus!

Best description of Perk I've heard..... 280 pounds with a very bad attitude!

'Nuff said!

GC

gacracker

Do you live in Georgia?

dboss

Indeed.

The blue oasis in a sea of red... called Athens.

Home of REM.

GC

GC

And the drive by truckers no? Pylon...porn orchard. The b-52s. Great music town. Much like Austin where I live.

jeb65 wrote:GC

And the drive by truckers no? Pylon...porn orchard. The b-52s. Great music town. Much like Austin where I live.

All those and a gazillon other bands. Quite a hotbed of musical innovation. People come from all over the world, literally, to get a taste of the energetic music scene.

Huge local recession-proof industry.

Puts Athens on the map in a creative, positive light.

GC

" Everybody loves beauty, nobody loves the beast. Until the game is on the line, that is." ... my favorite line in the thread ! so true, real well done, spikeD.

i am persuaded by popular opinion to open my mind more to Perk's contributions. must confess i'd short changed him some and been a bit myopic in my point of view. i do still wish that setting effective screens/picks weren't such a mystery for the big guy, and that fouls didn't sit him down so often, but given what you guys are saying i will be taking a more positive view of what he brings to the court.

Michael in Denver

bp

Maybe I tend to get a bit poetic when describing Perk, but I can't remember another player who made so much out of so little (okay, 6' 10" isn't exactly little), with the exceptions of Dennis Johnson and Dennis Rodman.

You haven't been myopic. When he first got here, Perk seemed like an uglier Acie Earl, if that's possible. That's what impresses me - how far he's come. And now, finally, he gets it.

Regarding the fouls on screens and picks, not to badmouth a player nicknamed the Beast, but lawyers could probably argue about intent to injure on some of those leg checks. That's not to say Perk's a dirty player: it may be that he's trying to push the limits of what he can get away with.

After re-reading some of the insights on this thread, it's looking as though last year's playoffs, where he had to be the Man in the Middle without KG, made Perk into more of a take charge kind of guy. But because he hadn't developed offensive skills, he couldn't be the leader he wanted to be.

That's another element of the whole chemistry thing. Rondo's not the only guy looking to assert himself when the game is on the line.

spikeD wrote:bp
Maybe I tend to get a bit poetic when describing Perk, but I can't remember another player who made so much out of so little (okay, 6' 10" isn't exactly little), with the exceptions of Dennis Johnson and Dennis Rodman.
You haven't been myopic. When he first got here, Perk seemed like an uglier Acie Earl, if that's possible. That's what impresses me - how far he's come. And now, finally, he gets it.
Regarding the fouls on screens and picks, not to badmouth a player nicknamed the Beast, but lawyers could probably argue about intent to injure on some of those leg checks. That's not to say Perk's a dirty player: it may be that he's trying to push the limits of what he can get away with.
After re-reading some of the insights on this thread, it's looking as though last year's playoffs, where he had to be the Man in the Middle without KG, made Perk into more of a take charge kind of guy. But because he hadn't developed offensive skills, he couldn't be the leader he wanted to be.
That's another element of the whole chemistry thing. Rondo's not the only guy looking to assert himself when the game is on the line.

leg checks is what they are when they go wrong, and for a professional, seems to me that learning "how to" (and what you can't get away with) doesn't seem like rocket science. but he is a load up front, he definitely has grown and developed a lot, and if he makes Dwight struggle and work because he can't just move Kendrick by putting his shoulder into him, terrific !!

Michael in Denver

GC

Vic Chesnut, The bbq killers olivia tremor control, Neutral milk hotel.

Jeb:

You still got Willie though.

Waylon gone home.

Sadness.

GC

GC

Did you ever see the Star Room Boys?

jeb65 wrote:GC

Did you ever see the Star Room Boys?

No. I was just reading bout them. Started in '95 and disbanded in 2002. I'll see what I can find at the itunes store or on ebay.

Are they something special to you?

gc

Best male country singer I have heard in a long while. My sister used to book them in nooga. Check them out you'll love em.