POST GAME DETROIT

GAME STATS

SCORE – CELTICS - 98 / DET - 93
REBOUNDS - CELTICS 34 /DET 52.....Offensive - CELTICS 4 /DET 25 ......Defensive - CELTICS 30 /DET 27
POINTS IN THE PAINT - CELTICS 28 /DET 58
FAST BREAK POINTS - CELTICS 4 / DET 7
FG - CELTICS - 36/71 ( 50.7 %) DET 34/93 ( 36.6 % )
3PM - CELTICS - 7/20 ( 35%) DET 4/24 ( 16.7 %)
FTM - CELTICS - 19/22 ( 86.4 %) DET 21/30 ( 70 %)
TO - CELTICS 15 / DET 15
ASSISTS - CELTICS 20 /DET 20
STL - CELTICS 7 / DET 10
BLK - CELTICS 9 / DET 1
PF - CELTICS 26 / DET 20
BENCH POINTS - CELTICS 17 / DET 25
TOTAL TEAM TURNOVERS (Points off turnovers) – CELTICS 16 (20) /DET 17 (20)

NEXT GAME HOME - FRIDAY - CLEVELAND - 7:30PM - CSNE/NBA LEAGUE PASS

POST GAME RECAP

ESPNBOSTON.COM

Rapid Reaction: Celtics 98, Pistons 93

By Chris Forsberg | ESPNBoston.com

BOSTON -- Rapid reaction after the Boston Celtics defeated the Detroit Pistons 98-93 on Wednesday night at TD Garden:

THE NITTY GRITTY
Celtics forward Jeff Green scored a game-high 34 points on 13-of-19 shooting to go along with six rebounds, four blocks, an assist, and a steal, while Brandon Bass added 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting with a team-high seven rebounds and three blocks. Paul Pierce, back after a one-game absence due to personal reasons, chipped in 17 points despite 5-of-14 shooting (missing five of six attempts beyond the 3-point arc). Greg Monroe hauled in 17 rebounds and utilized an endless stream of second-chance opportunities to post a team-high 24 points, while Rodney Stuckey lived at the free throw line (11 of 15 at the stripe) and added 22 points after Jose Calderon was a late scratch. Charlie Villanueva might have been Boston's best weapon: He missed 15 of the 17 shots he put up, including some key late-game 3-pointers to help the Celtics escape.

TURNING POINT
The Celtics led by as much as 18 with 5:37 to play in the third quarter, but the Pistons embarked on an 18-4 run to knock Boston's lead to 74-70 with 11:16 to play in the fourth frame. Boston simply couldn't put Detroit away and the Pistons surged within two with 1:43 to play. Villanueva missed a triple that would have put Detroit out front with 64 seconds to go and Green answered with a 3-pointer of his own for a 96-91 lead with 45 seconds to play, helping Boston escape with the victory.

DOWNRIGHT OFFENSIVE
The Pistons hauled in a staggering 25 offensive rebounds -- nearly matching their total of defensive rebounds (27) -- and turned that into 26 second-chance points. Monroe had nine offensive rebounds alone, while Andre Drummond grabbed seven more. The Celtics had four offensive rebounds as a team (for seven second-chance points).

WHAT IT MEANS
The Celtics (39-36) snapped a two-game losing streak and, coupled with Philadelphia's loss to Charlotte, clinched a postseason berth. Their next goal should be locking up the seventh seed and Boston has three more games on this homestand, including a pair of sub-.500 opponents on tap in Cleveland (Friday) and Washington (Sunday). This extended homestand also affords Boston the opportunity to get back on the practice court, which it is expected to do on Thursday.
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CSNE

Rondo takes shots before game against Pistons

BOSTON -- Rajon Rondo sat in the Boston Celtics locker room wearing warmup clothes for the first time since preparing to play the Miami Heat on January 27.

That day he learned his season was over with a torn ACL. On Wednesday, he was preparing to get back out on the court.

With a heavy brace on his right knee, Rondo was coy when asked about his recovery.

"I'm able to walk," he said.

Upon being asked what he is able to do on the basketball court, he replied, "I'm able to walk."

Rondo is able to do more than just walk, though. He took shots on the parquet before the Celtics game against the Detroit Pistons dressed in a long-sleeve shirt, shorts, and a pair of Nike low tops.

The point guard first took one-handed shots with his right hand, jumping just slightly but never putting pressure on his right foot upon landing. He then took two-handed shots without elevating.

With eyes constantly watching Rondo during his rehab, he brushed off his appearance at the TD Garden.

"There are eight guys in here that are playing basketball tonight," he said. "I'm not playing basketball."

The attention will still be on him until he is.
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CSNE

Celtics outshoot pesky Pistons, 98-93

A.SHERROD BLAKLEY

BOSTON — The Detroit Pistons opened the game by punishing the Boston Celtics inside with their 1-2 inside punch of Greg Monroe and former UConn standout Andre Drummond.

They spent a good chunk of the fourth quarter beating up the C's around the basket as well, with the number of bullies on the boards for Detroit increasing.

And the Celtics kept shooting ... and shooting ... and eventually, shot their way towards a much-needed 98-93 win.

Boston led by as many as 18 points, only to see its lead cut to as little as three points in the fourth quarter.

But as the Pistons closed in on a potential sweep of the regular season series with a win on Wednesday, the Celtics responded with a series of clutch baskets and free throws to withstand the late-game rally by Detroit.

Few shots were bigger than Jeff Green's 3-pointer with less than a minute to play that put the Celtics ahead, 96-91.

But the pesky Pistons countered with a quick bucket seconds later, making it a one-possession game with 44 seconds to play.

Detroit had a chance to tie the game, but Charlie Villanueva's 3-point attempt with seconds remaining was no different than the previous six he took -- off the mark.

Terry put the game away with a pair of free throws with 9.9 seconds to play.

With the win, Boston is now officially in the playoffs with their victory along with Philadelphia's 88-83 loss at Charlotte on Wednesday.

Boston picked a good night to knock down shots because they truly had no answer for Detroit's inside players who controlled the action around the glass f

The Pistons punished the Celtics on the inside with a dominant 1-2 punch of Greg Monroe and former UConn standout Andre Drummond.

Detroit's dynamic frontcourt duo combined for 12 points in the first quarter on 6-for-11 shooting.

Even more important was how their play around the basket set the tone for Boston's interior struggles which included a decisive 18-6 advantage on points in the paint in just the first quarter.

That, combined with some strong shooting by Detroit's guards, had the Celtics looking up at a five-point deficit (30-25) after the first.

But Boston's second unit brought them back in the second quarter with a 7-0 run capped off by a pair of free throws by Jeff Green that put the C's ahead 32-30.

From there, it became a back and fourth affair with neither team showing any signs of pulling away anytime soon until the C's reeled off nine straight to take a 44-35 lead following a pair of free throws by Brandon Bass with 5:39 to play in the half.

The biggest part of Boston's second quarter surge was their ability to keep the beefier Pistons frontcourt from dominating the paint either on the boards or with their scoring.

In the first quarter, Boston was outscored 18-6 on points in the paint and were out-rebounded 13-6.

The second quarter was an entirely different game, with the Celtics actually edging the Pistons 11-10 on the boards and cutting Detroit's edge on points in the paint in the second quarter to just 10-8.

Holding their own on the boards, strong defense and balanced scoring -- five different Celtics players had three or more points in the second quarter -- allowed the Celtics to start pulling away with a 54-44 lead at the half.

Boston led by as many as 18 points in the third quarter before taking a seven-point lead into the fourth.
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WEEI 93.7 FM

FAST BREAK: JEFF GREEN DRIVES CELTICS OVER PISTONS

By Ben Rohrbach

Jeff Green scored a game-high 34 points — including a dagger 3-pointer with 45 seconds left — Paul Pierce and Brandon Bass each added 17, and the Kevin Garnett-less Celtics beat the Pistons, 98-93. A 76ers loss locked the C’s into the playoffs, and a Bucks loss gave them a 2.5-game cushion over the eight seed.

WHAT WENT RIGHT

Slump busting: In an attempt to emerge from his recent shooting struggles, Avery Bradley came out firing for the second straight game, and it’s working. He made 6-of-11 jumpers against the Timberwolves on Monday in his highest-scoring night since March 5. And he followed that up with a 5-of-6 night on jump shots against the Pistons. In his 13 previous games, Bradley made just 22-of-70 attempts (30 percent) from beyond 10 feet.

Green Day: Once again, Green shined in his seventh straight start for the injured Garnett. He entered Wednesday’s game averaging 21.4 points (55 FG%), 5.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.1 steals in 10 starts this season. He added six rebounds and four blocks to his 34 points on 13-of-19 shooting against the Pistons. Five-man Celtics units featuring Green were a combined plus-152, and all but one of them were in the black, according to 82games.com’s most recent updated on March 21.

(In a related note, Doc Rivers told Celtics sideline reporter Greg Dickerson “he is 100 percent confident that KG will be healthy and ready to go for the playoffs.)

Defending their honor: Somehow, the Celtics lost their two previous games to Detroit this season by a combined 35 points, allowing 103 points each time. This time around, sans Garnett, the C’s held the Pistons to 36.6 percent shooting (16.7 3P%), as pitbulls Bradley and Courtney Lee held Detroit’s starting backcourt to 7-of-26 from the field. Of course, Bass’s 17 points on eight shots and seven boards didn’t hurt, either.

WHAT WENT WRONG

Paint job: The Pistons scored their first 12 points in the paint. Here’s how it went down: Andre Drummond from 6 feet, Greg Monroe layup, Kyle Singler layup, Drummond layup, Monroe layup and Rodney Stuckney layup. Not good. Detroit out-rebounded the C’s 8-0 on the offensive glass (Drummond 5), scored 18-of-30 first-quarter points in the key and took a five-point edge on Monroe’s eight points, four rebounds and three assists. Also not good. When all was said and done, Detroit outscored the Celtics 58-28 in the paint.

Sloppy second half: With 3:49 left in the third quarter, the Celtics took a 74-56 lead on Chris Wilcox‘s one and only bucket. That’s the good news. The bad: The Pistons closed the third quarter on an 11-0 run thanks to nine points from Monroe and Jonas Jerebko. When Jerebko (19 points) converted a 3-point play to start the fourth quarter, the C’s 18-point lead was trimmed to four, and the teams had themselves a ballgame.

Extra chances: The Celtics shot 50.7 percent from the field. The Pistons shot 36.6 percent. So, how in the heck was it a three-point game midway through the fourth quarter? Turnovers, for one. The C’s committed 16 of them, leading to 20 Detroit points. And offensive rebounds. The Pistons grabbed almost as many offensive boards (25) as defensive (27), giving the visitors 22 more shots for the game.

112288

Wilcox and Bass just don't cut it defensively for the Celtics. The 2nd quarter surge occurred when Doc gave Randolph some PT. He should also have played White some minutes, but hell guys, Randolph and White aren't guards so what's the point of using them?

I mean, just because you're being eaten up in the paint and on the boards ---
what's to worry?

There is some reason why White is not being used. I just don't understand Doc at times. See what the guy has in real time game situation and if he's not cutting it, move on.

112288

you want to see something even more depressing, go look at Melos stats in the boxscore of the last 3 D-League games.....yikes, hes regressed. It looks like it was system, not Melo that made the Syracuse defense so good, as the year after hes gone they get to the Final Four on their 2-3 zone that destroyed Cody Zellar.....we should have never let Ryan Hollins or Jason Collins go cause seeing Jamal Crawford in green makes me want to puke.

Hi,
The last night's game once again highlighted JG's abilities. If the opposing team doesn't have lock down defender/defense he can feast on them at ease. I believe he's approaching the amount of his salary.
I hope next year he, RR and Sally click in... will be fun to watch.

AK

PS. Interestingly, in Yahoo sports they listed him as the top performer, obviously, but put 1 assist instead of, IMO, 4 blocks.

Oh my god, Sinus. My wife, Sally, is playing for the Celtics? So that's where she disappears to evenings and sometimes for weeks at a time.

Sam

Sam,
Sorry for revealing the secret.

AK

Listened to the game, rather than watched it.

25 offensive rebounds? Are you kidding me?

Well, the good news is that we are guaranteed a playoff series. It was going to be either Miami, Indy or NY no matter what, so right now we're looking at Indy or NY. I think NY might be tougher in the 1st round because their shooting legs will be fresher, but it's six of one, half dozen of the other.

Rest up KG, rest up.


bob


.

I just saw the video for the play I heard at the very end of the game. The one where Detroit inbounded and Greg Monroe went right past Wilcox for a dunk down the middle.


WTF? Why is God's name was Wilcox overplaying Monroe and fronting him on the outside pass?

Horrible. Right after that Doc called a time out. Horrible inbounds defense by Wilcox. Not only did he give up the slam, but practically no time came off the clock.


bob


.

Here's a comment from Doc about T-Will. Don't know how ready he is this year, but if he can be a legit back up point guard next year, WOW!


Terrence Williams tore through the Pistons’ defense for a thunderous dunk early in the second quarter, showing the aggression Rivers has asked of him recently.

Williams finished with those 2 points, and added 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals in 13 minutes off the bench.

“I think Terrence is playing just terrific basketball for us right now,” Rivers said. “He’s kind of taking hold of his position. He understands that he’s a point guard, maybe for the first time in his life, and he wants to be that.”

Before the game, Rivers described how he wants the 6-foot-6-inch, 220-pound Williams to play.

“Terrence has a body that he needs to use, in my opinion,” Rivers said. “That’s what I tell him all the time, ‘God gave you this gigantic huge body and you’re a point guard, then play like you are a big gigantic point guard and not a small guard.’ ”



bob



.

Cow,

I find it interesting that Jordan Crawford is well ahead of all other guards on the team in points per 36 minutes, ranking 4^th among all players currently on the roster. He and Terrence Williams are virtually tied, and ahead of Terry, Lee and Bradley, in assists per 36 minutes (and only one behind Paul Pierce). Among the guards, he’s only 0.6 rebounds per 36 minutes
behind Williams and well ahead of Terry, Lee and Bradley. He’s shooting .805 from the free throw line.

I realize that stats don’t tell the whole story and, in fact, his field goal percentage sucks (although it’s about the same as Bradley’s). I know that, from one perspective, his shot selection leaves a LOT to be desired, but the fact that he makes a lot of crazy shots lends (IMO) a rather welcome air of predictability to a Celtics offense that tends to be FAR too predictable. Moreover, he’s not afraid to take it to the hoop at any point in the game, when jumpers and long range howitzers have pretty much become the default among other key players (excluding Green) when the going gets tough, especially late in the game.

Jason Collins played in only 59% of the Celtics games when he was with the team. He averaged 10 MPG in those games he entered. Mathematically, he didn't have enough minutes (to say nothing about ability) to have been much of an impact player—and he wasn’t. He had a few good defensive moments that really excited Doc and Heinsohn. But he was not at all quick, and he got abused on defense by quicker bigs. In one stat, Jason did lead all players who have been on the court for the Celtics in as much as one game this season. That stat was personal fouls committed per 36 minutes (a horrid 8.1)—more than twice the number of points he contributed per 36 minutes (4.0).

I know all about the fact that he was another big to throw out there, especially against bigs with bulk; but that fact didn’t to seem to prompt Doc to use him all that much. Why did Doc so frequently persist in using smaller guys (including Sully) at center rather than Collins?

I know all about the fact that he represented another six fouls to expend. And he certainly expended them, as he committed one foul every four minutes on average. But being a foul machine is not always an advantage because fouls often represent—you know—actual points for the opponent.

Frankly, I’d much rather see Shavlik out there than Collins, because at least Shavlik is a lively presence who has averaged more than double Collins’ rebound total (per 36 minutes) and more than double Collins’ points total (per 36 minutes). I realize that average is skewed by one breakout game. But, if Collins had submitted a few breakout games, he might have
inflated his numbers too. And why did Doc so frequently trot out a succession of much shorter guys (including Sully), rather than Collins, to sub at center when KG left the games?

As for Ryan Hollins, what was there about his tenure with the Celtics (NOT AFTER HE LEFT THE TEAM, WHICH WOULD BE MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACKING) that warranted the
Celtics keeping him? I seem to recall that the Board’s opinion of him ranged between hatred and disinterest.

Right now, we can all agonize about the past and try to out-think Doc in his use of players. But Doc’s current situation is that he’s not at all sure of what he’s going to be working with in the playoffs, with KG obviously being the biggest question mark. And he's got precious few practices and games in which to do it, which probably explains why he'd prefer to integrate a solid and stable a core as possible without also introducing another variable in the form of White. The team desperately needs dynamic impact players who can fit, as well as possible, within the system. Crawford qualifies as at least a decent possibility who can fill the point production energy role that had been envisioned for Jason Terry (and with FAR better passing/rebounding ability and arguably better defensive skills).

Collins didn’t qualify as any kind of impact player; and, if it had been necessary to press him into service as anything more than a small-minutes relief guy (which I believe Shavlik can handle with far greater energy), the Celtics would have been in worse state of uncertainty than they currently find themselves.

Sam

Sam,
Re Crawford. His un-predictability is sometimes double edge sward. OTOH, last night I saw something that I'd never expected from him: he gave 2.5 passes (0.5 - he tried to curl the pass around a defender but was fouled) that RR would be proud of.
Also, some of Mike & Tommy comments about him and T-Will prompted me to think who would I go with JC or TW? The first reaction was TW, then after some consideration I was very unsure. In the end I selected TW but by a very narrow margin.

AK

sam wrote:Cow,

I find it interesting that Jordan Crawford is well ahead of all other guards on the team in points per 36 minutes, ranking 4^th among all players currently on the roster. He and Terrence Williams are virtually tied, and ahead of Terry, Lee and Bradley, in assists per 36 minutes (and only one behind Paul Pierce). Among the guards, he’s only 0.6 rebounds per 36 minutes
behind Williams and well ahead of Terry, Lee and Bradley. He’s shooting .805 from the free throw line.

I realize that stats don’t tell the whole story and, in fact, his field goal percentage sucks (although it’s about the same as Bradley’s). I know that, from one perspective, his shot selection leaves a LOT to be desired, but the fact that he makes a lot of crazy shots lends (IMO) a rather welcome air of predictability to a Celtics offense that tends to be FAR too predictable. Moreover, he’s not afraid to take it to the hoop at any point in the game, when jumpers and long range howitzers have pretty much become the default among other key players (excluding Green) when the going gets tough, especially late in the game.

Jason Collins played in only 59% of the Celtics games when he was with the team. He averaged 10 MPG in those games he entered. Mathematically, he didn't have enough minutes (to say nothing about ability) to have been much of an impact player—and he wasn’t. He had a few good defensive moments that really excited Doc and Heinsohn. But he was not at all quick, and he got abused on defense by quicker bigs. In one stat, Jason did lead all players who have been on the court for the Celtics in as much as one game this season. That stat was personal fouls committed per 36 minutes (a horrid 8.1)—more than twice the number of points he contributed per 36 minutes (4.0).

I know all about the fact that he was another big to throw out there, especially against bigs with bulk; but that fact didn’t to seem to prompt Doc to use him all that much. Why did Doc so frequently persist in using smaller guys (including Sully) at center rather than Collins?

I know all about the fact that he represented another six fouls to expend. And he certainly expended them, as he committed one foul every four minutes on average. But being a foul machine is not always an advantage because fouls often represent—you know—actual points for the opponent.

Frankly, I’d much rather see Shavlik out there than Collins, because at least Shavlik is a lively presence who has averaged more than double Collins’ rebound total (per 36 minutes) and more than double Collins’ points total (per 36 minutes). I realize that average is skewed by one breakout game. But, if Collins had submitted a few breakout games, he might have
inflated his numbers too. And why did Doc so frequently trot out a succession of much shorter guys (including Sully), rather than Collins, to sub at center when KG left the games?

As for Ryan Hollins, what was there about his tenure with the Celtics (NOT AFTER HE LEFT THE TEAM, WHICH WOULD BE MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACKING) that warranted the
Celtics keeping him? I seem to recall that the Board’s opinion of him ranged between hatred and disinterest.

Right now, we can all agonize about the past and try to out-think Doc in his use of players. But Doc’s current situation is that he’s not at all sure of what he’s going to be working with in the playoffs, with KG obviously being the biggest question mark. And he's got precious few practices and games in which to do it, which probably explains why he'd prefer to integrate a solid and stable a core as possible without also introducing another variable in the form of White. The team desperately needs dynamic impact players who can fit, as well as possible, within the system. Crawford qualifies as at least a decent possibility who can fill the point production energy role that had been envisioned for Jason Terry (and with FAR better passing/rebounding ability and arguably better defensive skills).

Collins didn’t qualify as any kind of impact player; and, if it had been necessary to press him into service as anything more than a small-minutes relief guy (which I believe Shavlik can handle with far greater energy), the Celtics would have been in worse state of uncertainty than they currently find themselves.

Sam

sam,

Jordan Crawford has the virtue of being a player who is NOT afraid to take a shot. As you pointed out, his shot selection is, at times, almost hard to believe, but he takes them. He's the wild card. Barbosa was the wild card, but that was because he was a streak scorer. Crawford is the wild card because, well, he's a bit wild. That's like saying Girls Gone Wild is a bit off-color. The difference between eccentric and crazy is money. Jordan Crawford doesn't make enough money to be eccentric, he's just crazy.

Randolph does not have the bulk to body up the BIGS. Collins, for all his self-admitted limitations, did. On the other hand, other than the 4 fingers and a thumb, is Randolph's lively body. What he gives up in height and bulk to Collins he makes up for in hustle. In the bigger picture Randolph has more upside, by far, than Collins but right now, we're a team of short toothpicks out there. Replacing our previous wild card, Barbosa, with another one was a trade of value. Throwing in our next to last legit 5 has hurt. Giving up 25 offensive rebounds to Detroit is just indefensible. Yes, I realize having Collins on the floor might not have had that much impact, but not having someone who had the body that could keep Monroe, Drummond etal off the boards, did.

I'm not going to dispute your point about Hollins. He was hideous last year. If Vinny Del Negro's system and the talent he's surrounded by now fits him better, good for him. OKC was more than willing to part with Jeff Green because they had Durant and Westbrook to lead the team and Ibaka to replace him, but he's blossoming here. I'm not going to go into a stat-by-stat comparison between Perk and Green, but on a purely gut "what are my eyes telling me?" level is there really any question which of those two is/would have been a better franchise player for us going forward now? Who would you rather see out on the floor together? Rondo and Perk or Rondo and Green? There are lots and lots of examples of players that underperform on one team but achieve some success on another. Ryan Hollins was a human eyesore for us. Couldn't hit anything other than dunks, couldn't shoot free throws, man was I glad we didn't resign him. Do I wish we had another big, hell yeah, but not any big.

Whatever Doc is expecting from DJ White he isn't seeing. I've never seen Doc pull a player as fast as he pulled White out of the Minny game.

At this point, Doc needs to settle on a playoff rotation and start practicing and playing them together. For better or worse, he has to create some continuity with the roster. If there are players, like White, that they think might have some potential but isn't ready for the playoffs now, there's always summer league and pre-season next year for him to show off. At this point, though, they have to sit and, when they stand, wave their towels.


bob


.

Sinus,

You're right about the double-edged sword, because it's possible for teammates (to say nothing of Doc) to become frustrated if Crawford's responsible for an inordinate number of empty possessions.

I have to admit that I'm highly influenced by the fact that I'm a devotee of volume basketball more than deliberate basketball. Of all the Celtics, Crawford best fits the description of a
volume shooter—someone with amazing shooting ability who gets the ball up there early and often and lets the shooting percentage take care of itself. What has most surprised me is the very passing ability to which you very correctly refer.

Of course, if only one guy on a team has a volume mentality and a mediocre shooting percentage, he can be singled out as a ball hog and poor decision-maker. But actually, I'm hoping some of Jordan's mentality will rub off on his teammates for two reasons: (1) I'd like to see them at least equal opponents in FGA per game because, given their tendency to default to jumpers, they're not going to be able to depend on shooting high percentages all the time; and (2) More shots early in the clock mean less ball-handling in the halfcourt offense; and
ball-handling is obviously not one of the strengths of this team.

The bottom line, in my opinion, is that Jordan Crawford can be a valuable asset for this team as long as his role is carefully defined. I believe he's more valuable in coming from behind than in terms of holding a lead. Inherent in coming from behind (depending on how far behind) is often a "what have we got to lose?" or "sink or swim" attitude. just as Jordan might shoot you out of some leads (although I don't believe he's all that much of a culprit because of what he can bring to the table in terms of ball distribution), he can be the dynamo who reverses the momentum and propels you into the lead. There's no other Celtic I'd rather have on the floor if the Lakers lead the Celtics by 15 points at the beginning of the second half of Game 7 of the Finals this season. (This was one of my favorite sentences of the year.)

I think hJordans actually enjoying his playmaking opportunities nearly as much as his shooting role, which means there may be hope that he's moderating his "shoot first and ask questions later" approach. (It also can't help but ingratiate him to teammates.) I believe he's fitting increasingly well into the Celtics team defensive scheme. I thoroughly appreciate the fact that he joins Jeff Green in giving the Celtics two pretty effective offensive penetrators (why does that word always sound dirty to me?). I believe another role he can fill well is busting up, with penetration, the very frustrating "bombs away" mode that too often characterizes the Celtics.

I have to admit that the Celtics' games this season haven't been as much fun for me to watch as in many previous years. Too predictable (I know I probably use that word too much)—especially the predictable negatives. I may be the only one for whom the sight of Jordan Crawford on the floor re-stimulates my concentration.

Sam

Last night as I was watching the game I was wondering why Crawford gets more minutes than Williams.

We really have not seen either of them play a lot but Williamns just seems to have a more calming influence. Crawford plays hard but my god he is out of control.

Wilcox seems to have regressed although I do not know how that is possible. Randolph is better but he reaches too much and gets called for fouls. He needs to learn how to just maintain his defensive positioning.

I love Avery Bradley and I think that his task of beinbg the PG, defensive stopper and knock down shooter is a little over the top, AB is NO PG. DA must be held accountable for not adding a PG to the team and I know that we cannot go too far unless we have someone that can run a crisp offense.

Let's hope that KG is healthy enough to get through the playoffs because our bigs are simply pathetic. Again Danny.. we needed a center after darko left...what happened???? The China Syndrome?

Paul Pierce is finally realizing that he is not the baddest on the team. Jeff Green is having a coming out party and I don't mean on the left side. This kid is showing that he is ready to be the go to guy. I love PP but he nneded to be traded a few weeks ago.

OK so fab melo stats suck but so does our ability to rebound the ball or prevent layups in the paint. This is a perfect time for The Fab to be on the big team learning how to play. And if he is not ready now than DA should not have used a 1st round pick to draft him.

The Celtics had an opportunity to move some players (KG and PP) they will regret not pulliung the trigger on trades that would have set us up next year to be a REAL contender. Fact is this is the worse Celtics team that has taken the court in 5 years. I do not want to hear about all the injuries. Other than Rondo going down everthing else was predictable and since some stupid fans think the team is better without Rondo, what does it matter.

I watch this team every game, cheer for them every game, cuss at the bad calls that are made, lament over the god awful play and hope for a brighter day.

So now we made the playoffs and have a chance at redemption but my friends you cannot become a good team in the playoffs if you sucked all year long.

dboss

I would love to see Randolph get more of Wilcox minutes. He is smart enough to learn quickly I think. When he was playing last night, even though he wasn't getting rebounds, he was looking for a body to put his on, something not many of our players do. He help change the rebounding totals for that reason in the second quarter. He actually made a move on the offensive end as well, something else we don't see much of.

As far as Pierce I don't understand why some keep wishing he was traded. Trading him for crap would have been a HUGE mistake. He probably wouldn't have gotten any where near what he was worth.

He also has been our best player hands down since the all star game. Name me 5 SF's you would rather go into the playoffs with? There are possibly 5 much not many more than that. We now have a legit 1-2 punch on the offensive end and we don't wish he would have been traded? Two games PP didn't play and Green scored 10 and 14. I would think the attention PP draws had something to do with that. I see no reason he can't play this same level next year. Just check his stats, he has had a heck of a year this year.

I have to disagree, he is still the baddest mother on the team. It is nice to have someone in the discussion though.


Here are some SF's - compare them and see who you would rather go to war with.

Miami - Lebron
Indiana- George
New York – Melo
Brooklyn – Wallace
Chicago- Deng
Atlanta – Smith
Milwaukee – Ilyasova
Toronto - Gay
Philly – Turner
Cavs- Gee
Pistons- Magette
Wizards- Ariza
Orlando- not worth mentioning
Charlotte- not worth mentioning
Spurs – Leonard\Jackson
OKC- Durant
Grizz- Prince
Clippers- Butler
Nugget – Faried\Brewer (Brewer plays more SF)
Warriors- Barnes
Rockets – Parsons
Lakers- World Peace
Jazz – Carrol
Mavs- Marion
Blazers- Batum
Wolves- Kirilenko
Kings- Salmons
Suns – Johnson\Beasly
Hornets- not worth mentioning

Regardless, Pierce is here. The most important question is ...does Danny pick up Pierces contract this summer. I was having lunch with Cowens Old School today and I told him.......if we pick up $15.5M and bring him back, we are dead and it will take 4-5 years to rebuild. Without that salary, we can use it on a legit, no rag center..........perhaps Big Al Jefferson.

Who takes Pierces place....Jeff Green. You then pickup a mid level small forward. I would get rid of Bass and go for a Paul Millsap as our starting power forward. Sully comes off the bench. KG comes off the bench and plays either center or power forward. Keep Randolph as your 3rd center.

Danny please get a SHOOTING ASSASSIN.......the Jet ain't cutting it.

112288

Tardust

I would have traded him for the same reason the Patriots trade popular players.

It is not personal...it is business. You build for the future even if you have to give up assets
Funny how DA said he would not hold onto players and repeat what happened with bird,,
parish and McHale but he has done the same thing with Ray, Pierce and Garnett


The Celts are not good enough to win with them so maybe you try to acquire some younger talent to be competitive down the road. If you hold onto players too long you end up having to rebuild anyways.

Even without Pierce's salary (via amnesty) Boston will most likely be only a few million dollars under the salary cap. They won't be able to afford Al Jefferson or Millsap without a sign and trade.

Getting rid of Bass would probably be a good thing but I don't think many teams would be interested in acquiring him with the salary that is left on his contract.

With Boston's financial constraints for next year, I think they will pick up Pierce's option and sign the best big man they can with the Mid-level Exception.

dboss wrote:Tardust

I would have traded him for the same reason the Patriots trade popular players.

It is not personal...it is business. You build for the future even if you have to give up assets
Funny how DA said he would not hold onto players and repeat what happened with bird,,
parish and McHale but he has done the same thing with Ray, Pierce and Garnett


The Celts are not good enough to win with them so maybe you try to acquire some younger talent to be competitive down the road. If you hold onto players too long you end up having to rebuild anyways.

Dboss,
There is a huge difference between the NBA and the NFL. I player makes a lot bigger impact 99% of the time in the NBA. Its funny you say its is a business. Of course I know that. Obviously the Celtics know that too, thats why PP is still here. (that is unless you know their business better than them) My point was look at the list and see just how many are actually better. Not that many. I see no reason he can't produce the same next year. I believe in adding to what we have. Nice 1-2 punch with PP and JG. They will be good next year too. Its amazing how many think that his game has fallen off the planet this year.
Just how many times have you seen a quick turnaround of fortunes in the NBA without having top draft picks?

tjmakz wrote:Even without Pierce's salary (via amnesty) Boston will most likely be only a few million dollars under the salary cap. They won't be able to afford Al Jefferson or Millsap without a sign and trade.

Getting rid of Bass would probably be a good thing but I don't think many teams would be interested in acquiring him with the salary that is left on his contract.

With Boston's financial constraints for next year, I think they will pick up Pierce's option and sign the best big man they can with the Mid-level Exception.

Bingo!!! That was the reason they signed Bass. They let him go and get nothing for him.

I agree they will pick up his salary. I think they will try to trade for the big.

bobheckler wrote:

sam wrote:Cow,

I find it interesting that Jordan Crawford is well ahead of all other guards on the team in points per 36 minutes, ranking 4^th among all players currently on the roster. He and Terrence Williams are virtually tied, and ahead of Terry, Lee and Bradley, in assists per 36 minutes (and only one behind Paul Pierce). Among the guards, he’s only 0.6 rebounds per 36 minutes
behind Williams and well ahead of Terry, Lee and Bradley. He’s shooting .805 from the free throw line.

I realize that stats don’t tell the whole story and, in fact, his field goal percentage sucks (although it’s about the same as Bradley’s). I know that, from one perspective, his shot selection leaves a LOT to be desired, but the fact that he makes a lot of crazy shots lends (IMO) a rather welcome air of predictability to a Celtics offense that tends to be FAR too predictable. Moreover, he’s not afraid to take it to the hoop at any point in the game, when jumpers and long range howitzers have pretty much become the default among other key players (excluding Green) when the going gets tough, especially late in the game.

Jason Collins played in only 59% of the Celtics games when he was with the team. He averaged 10 MPG in those games he entered. Mathematically, he didn't have enough minutes (to say nothing about ability) to have been much of an impact player—and he wasn’t. He had a few good defensive moments that really excited Doc and Heinsohn. But he was not at all quick, and he got abused on defense by quicker bigs. In one stat, Jason did lead all players who have been on the court for the Celtics in as much as one game this season. That stat was personal fouls committed per 36 minutes (a horrid 8.1)—more than twice the number of points he contributed per 36 minutes (4.0).

I know all about the fact that he was another big to throw out there, especially against bigs with bulk; but that fact didn’t to seem to prompt Doc to use him all that much. Why did Doc so frequently persist in using smaller guys (including Sully) at center rather than Collins?

I know all about the fact that he represented another six fouls to expend. And he certainly expended them, as he committed one foul every four minutes on average. But being a foul machine is not always an advantage because fouls often represent—you know—actual points for the opponent.

Frankly, I’d much rather see Shavlik out there than Collins, because at least Shavlik is a lively presence who has averaged more than double Collins’ rebound total (per 36 minutes) and more than double Collins’ points total (per 36 minutes). I realize that average is skewed by one breakout game. But, if Collins had submitted a few breakout games, he might have
inflated his numbers too. And why did Doc so frequently trot out a succession of much shorter guys (including Sully), rather than Collins, to sub at center when KG left the games?

As for Ryan Hollins, what was there about his tenure with the Celtics (NOT AFTER HE LEFT THE TEAM, WHICH WOULD BE MONDAY MORNING QUARTERBACKING) that warranted the
Celtics keeping him? I seem to recall that the Board’s opinion of him ranged between hatred and disinterest.

Right now, we can all agonize about the past and try to out-think Doc in his use of players. But Doc’s current situation is that he’s not at all sure of what he’s going to be working with in the playoffs, with KG obviously being the biggest question mark. And he's got precious few practices and games in which to do it, which probably explains why he'd prefer to integrate a solid and stable a core as possible without also introducing another variable in the form of White. The team desperately needs dynamic impact players who can fit, as well as possible, within the system. Crawford qualifies as at least a decent possibility who can fill the point production energy role that had been envisioned for Jason Terry (and with FAR better passing/rebounding ability and arguably better defensive skills).

Collins didn’t qualify as any kind of impact player; and, if it had been necessary to press him into service as anything more than a small-minutes relief guy (which I believe Shavlik can handle with far greater energy), the Celtics would have been in worse state of uncertainty than they currently find themselves.

Sam

sam,

Jordan Crawford has the virtue of being a player who is NOT afraid to take a shot. As you pointed out, his shot selection is, at times, almost hard to believe, but he takes them. He's the wild card. Barbosa was the wild card, but that was because he was a streak scorer. Crawford is the wild card because, well, he's a bit wild. That's like saying Girls Gone Wild is a bit off-color. The difference between eccentric and crazy is money. Jordan Crawford doesn't make enough money to be eccentric, he's just crazy.

Randolph does not have the bulk to body up the BIGS. Collins, for all his self-admitted limitations, did. On the other hand, other than the 4 fingers and a thumb, is Randolph's lively body. What he gives up in height and bulk to Collins he makes up for in hustle. In the bigger picture Randolph has more upside, by far, than Collins but right now, we're a team of short toothpicks out there. Replacing our previous wild card, Barbosa, with another one was a trade of value. Throwing in our next to last legit 5 has hurt. Giving up 25 offensive rebounds to Detroit is just indefensible. Yes, I realize having Collins on the floor might not have had that much impact, but not having someone who had the body that could keep Monroe, Drummond etal off the boards, did.

I'm not going to dispute your point about Hollins. He was hideous last year. If Vinny Del Negro's system and the talent he's surrounded by now fits him better, good for him. OKC was more than willing to part with Jeff Green because they had Durant and Westbrook to lead the team and Ibaka to replace him, but he's blossoming here. I'm not going to go into a stat-by-stat comparison between Perk and Green, but on a purely gut "what are my eyes telling me?" level is there really any question which of those two is/would have been a better franchise player for us going forward now? Who would you rather see out on the floor together? Rondo and Perk or Rondo and Green? There are lots and lots of examples of players that underperform on one team but achieve some success on another. Ryan Hollins was a human eyesore for us. Couldn't hit anything other than dunks, couldn't shoot free throws, man was I glad we didn't resign him. Do I wish we had another big, hell yeah, but not any big.

Whatever Doc is expecting from DJ White he isn't seeing. I've never seen Doc pull a player as fast as he pulled White out of the Minny game.

At this point, Doc needs to settle on a playoff rotation and start practicing and playing them together. For better or worse, he has to create some continuity with the roster. If there are players, like White, that they think might have some potential but isn't ready for the playoffs now, there's always summer league and pre-season next year for him to show off. At this point, though, they have to sit and, when they stand, wave their towels.


bob


.

bob great post as we are continuing to get pummeled and pushed around, destroyed in the paint, I think Collins size and bulk is missed, he could have also played with Randolph who we know has activity and good hands, but can't do it by himself and gamely puts out the effort. Wilcox and Bass has to be the puniest weakest 4-5 combo possibly ever. I think Ryan Hollins has improved his game slightly, even though he wasn't too good last year with us....but right now he would be an upgrade defensively over either Bass-Wilcox. Collins and Randolph together could have been a very adequate/good back up pairing for C's.

Anyone,

My guess is that, if Doc shortens the rotation, a guy who played in only 59% of the games @ 10 minutes per game
would have been far less likely to be in that rotation than Crawford
would—especially given Doc's tendency to go small rather than to Collins
(when he was here) as a substitute center a lot of the time.

Just because a guy is tall with some bulk doesn't mean he fits (on a regular basis) into the kind of system Doc prefers to employ. For one thing, if Collins were going to take up a late-season rotation spot without demonstrating any potentially game-changing skills, at least one would expect him to rebound. Six of the current Celtics (including Wilcox) rebound substantially better than Collins did (per 36 minutes of play).

There's certainly merit in considering how Collins could be helpful in combination with Randolph. But, given the Celtics' frequent offensive troubles, I believe there's every possibility that the team would have lost at least as much on offense as they gained on defense by playing those two bigs simultaneously. One of the main reasons they're able to hold their heads above water now, offensively, is because of the number of positions from which they can generate offense.

Moreover, one of the most vulnerable aspects of the Celtics' defense this season (with or without Collins) has been against the pick-and-roll. A foul machine like Collins is not the answer to that deficiency.

I'm looking forward to seeing what Shavlik and KG might be able to accomplish in tandem in the rebounding and defensive departments against taller opponents. I'm also hoping Doc can somehow get the team to demonstrate more gang-crashing of the boards because I believe that's where they're losing more rebounds now rather than simply to lack of height.

Go Celtics.

Sam