Odds and Ends

Sure am jonesing for some Celtics basketball, the schedule maker for this year must have had a brain cramp. (Though I'm sure there is a heck of a lot more that goes into creating a fair season schedule than one may think)

Video of Kelly practicing some shooting after practice today.

He played 5-on-5, limited contact, and did shooting.  He says he is still stiff and is unsure if he's ready to play "at a high level".  Brad says he's 50/50.

http://video-embed.masslive.com/services/player/bcpid1949030308001?bctid=4791997308001&bckey=AQ~~,AAAAQBxUOok~,jSZP67EiqBfkIeiCdBewgHg1-uVWQxpS



bob


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Sully may be out so hopefully he gets back on the court in the next few days

Around the NBA:

GSW beat the crap out of Utah, 115-94.  
Gobert played 30 minutes.
Favors played 27 minutes.

On the GSW side, Bogut played 14 minutes, Varajao played 13, and Speights (a NON-defensive PF/C) played 15.  In other words, GSW went small against a big front court.  GSW had more blocks, more fast break points, more points in the paint.

The way to beat Utah is NOT by going mano-a-mano with their bigs, it's by hitting your outside shots to open the floor up and then cutting to the rim and scoring in the paint before Gobert and Favors can get there, negating their size advantage. On defense, swarm them.


In other news, giant killer Milwaukee beat Miami to increase our lead over them to 1 1/2 games and Detroit beat Dallas.  Dallas is now in the 7th spot in the west.  Unfortunately, the #9 team, Utah, is 3 games back in the loss column with only 17 games left.  We really need Dallas to swoon to see that #1 pick turn into a semi-precious gem.


bob


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DeMarcus Cousins has been suspended by the Kings for "conduct detrimental to the team". He was seen yelling and waving his arms at Karl when Karl was only a few feet away.

How many times do you think Danny called Vlade Divac today?


bob


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bobheckler wrote:DeMarcus Cousins has been suspended by the Kings for "conduct detrimental to the team".  He was seen yelling and waving his arms at Karl when Karl was only a few feet away.

How many times do you think Danny called Vlade Divac today?


bob


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Hell Danny has him on speed dial

beat

bobheckler wrote:DeMarcus Cousins has been suspended by the Kings for "conduct detrimental to the team".  He was seen yelling and waving his arms at Karl when Karl was only a few feet away.

How many times do you think Danny called Vlade Divac today?


bob


.

called him for what?

to say I told you, you should have taken my call a while back?

no use talkin to Divac until the season is done now, let him stew in it

kdp59 wrote:

bobheckler wrote:DeMarcus Cousins has been suspended by the Kings for "conduct detrimental to the team".  He was seen yelling and waving his arms at Karl when Karl was only a few feet away.

How many times do you think Danny called Vlade Divac today?


bob


.

called him for what?

to say I told you, you should have taken my call a while back?

no use talkin to Divac until the season is done now, let him stew in it

Kdp,

True, it's too late for a trade this season but it doesn't hurt to tenderize him a bit. Draft day is late June.


bob

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I am sure there were many teams wanting to trade for Cousins and there will be many this summer who contact Divac.
If there is a bidding war for Cousins, what players and draft picks would be a strong offer for Boston?

None.

Cousins is a menace to society.

Why on earth would the Celtics want to add this child on the team?

What is with this obsession?

The Celtics do not need to add a player who puts up big numbers but acts like a loser.

Dboss

dboss wrote:None.

Cousins is a menace to society.

Why on earth would the Celtics want to add this child on the team?

What is with this obsession?

The Celtics do not need to add a player who puts up big numbers but acts like a loser.  

Dboss

perhaps if he was on a team that actually competed there would be a significant change.............he hates losing and I have no issue with that

beat

Beat

He is a baby.   All that talent and brain dead upstairs.    

What a waste.

Dross

Celts are going to be an Elite team. An amazingly quick rebuild.

DA has so many assets that even if he screws up half of them Boston is going to be an elite team real soon.

Dboss

Buddy got game! Watching OK and he already has 33 Pts with 9.50 Minutes left in game.

I would draft him.

Dboss.....now has 10 30 Point games this year.

Channing Frye starting for Cleveland.  Mozgov coming off the bench.

Also, Tristan Thompson is starting. Haven't seen Love yet. Injured?

Would we want Mozgov (assuming Danny's wet dream doesn't come true and Divac is finally sick of Cousins)?


bob


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[quote="bobheckler"]Channing Frye starting for Cleveland.  Mozgov coming off the bench.

Also, Tristan Thompson is starting. Haven't seen Love yet. Injured?

Would we want Mozgov (assuming Danny's wet dream doesn't come true and Divac is finally sick of Cousins)?


bob


.[/quot

He is an upgrade over Zeller but not by that much.

What about Horford...got game and character...But he is no longer a young stud.

dboss

dboss wrote:Why on earth would the Celtics want to add this child on the team?

What is with this obsession?

The obsession with Cousins is that he is an elite talent, which is the one thing the Celtics need to take the next step, and he is one of the very few who may be gettable.

What is the alternative to acquiring that kind of elite talent? The draft is a crapshoot, you need one of the top three picks, and even if you pick right, it may take 4-5 years for that player to develop into the guy who can truly make you a championship contender. Other than the draft, the options are trade or signing a free agent.

If anything, the Celtics have overachieved this season. An upward trajectory in the win column is not guaranteed in future seasons if you keep the roster intact. They've done very well, but this group has a ceiling, and it's below championship contender.

Cousins has the type of talent to change that. The question is, would the attitude issues he's shown in Sacramento change if he came to a better environment? Some people think so, and they would be willing to roll the dice.

bobheckler wrote:Would we want Mozgov (assuming Danny's wet dream doesn't come true and Divac is finally sick of Cousins)?

Mozgov is a minor piece who could help against some teams and would be ineffectual against others. He had a really nice playoff run last season, but the Warriors figured him out, and he was a liability by the end of the finals. He'll also be 30 in July, and he's been dealing with physical ailments all season.

My guess is that he's going to want a big money contract, and some team will give it to him.

On another front, David Lee has been doing very well with the Mavericks since being waived by Boston.

https://hoopshabit.com/2016/03/09/dallas-mavericks-david-lee-shining-despite-lack-wins/

Outside wrote:

dboss wrote:Why on earth would the Celtics want to add this child on the team?

What is with this obsession?

The obsession with Cousins is that he is an elite talent, which is the one thing the Celtics need to take the next step, and he is one of the very few who may be gettable.

What is the alternative to acquiring that kind of elite talent? The draft is a crapshoot, you need one of the top three picks, and even if you pick right, it may take 4-5 years for that player to develop into the guy who can truly make you a championship contender. Other than the draft, the options are trade or signing a free agent.

If anything, the Celtics have overachieved this season. An upward trajectory in the win column is not guaranteed in future seasons if you keep the roster intact. They've done very well, but this group has a ceiling, and it's below championship contender.

Cousins has the type of talent to change that. The question is, would the attitude issues he's shown in Sacramento change if he came to a better environment? Some people think so, and they would be willing to roll the dice.

Personally I think we can even get better with this group staying together, not implying it's enough to win the whole thing BUT as shown with keeping an intact roster with pretty good players we can compete with anyone. We are still one of the youngest teams in the league and is there any one player on this team that has peaked on a talent level? Some may be close BUT we have far more that are still at the "nursing" stage and yet to be weaned.

And as for Cousins.........as I have said If he should become available I'd take him in a heartbeat as long as we don't gut our team to do it.

beat

Hoopshype has a wuick piece about Horford being Dannys go to guy in FA.

put Horford and a top 5 pick on this team and we are giving even Cleveland bad dreams next year

Cousins?...I am off him now... too costly to tarde for if we can just sign Horford. one note, Signing Horford (or another big dollar bigman) will likely cost us one of Amir or Sully.

beat wrote:

Outside wrote:

dboss wrote:Why on earth would the Celtics want to add this child on the team?

What is with this obsession?

The obsession with Cousins is that he is an elite talent, which is the one thing the Celtics need to take the next step, and he is one of the very few who may be gettable.

What is the alternative to acquiring that kind of elite talent? The draft is a crapshoot, you need one of the top three picks, and even if you pick right, it may take 4-5 years for that player to develop into the guy who can truly make you a championship contender. Other than the draft, the options are trade or signing a free agent.

If anything, the Celtics have overachieved this season. An upward trajectory in the win column is not guaranteed in future seasons if you keep the roster intact. They've done very well, but this group has a ceiling, and it's below championship contender.

Cousins has the type of talent to change that. The question is, would the attitude issues he's shown in Sacramento change if he came to a better environment? Some people think so, and they would be willing to roll the dice.

Personally I think we can even get better with this group staying together, not implying it's enough to win the whole thing BUT as shown with keeping an intact roster with pretty good players we can compete with anyone. We are still one of the youngest teams in the league and is there any one player on this team that has peaked on a talent level? Some may be close BUT we have far more that are still at the "nursing" stage and yet to be weaned.  

And as for Cousins.........as I have said If he should become available I'd take him in a heartbeat as long as we don't gut our team to do it.

beat

beat,

I agree with everything you said.  I also agree with Outside when he says this roster has a ceiling.

I heard the announcers in the Memphis game say that we were "THE youngest team in the NBA".  We were the 5th youngest.  Moving David Lee did that for us?  I guess, we are now tied with Utah for the youngest team in the NBA with an average age of 24.4.


http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/transactions/composition_search#BOS2015-2016


Boogie has a bad attitude?  This is his 6th year in the NBA, all with the same team, and he has never played in a single playoff game.  Never really got close enough to even sniff one.  You either become numb to it or you rage against it.  He isn't taking it lying down and, at this point, I think it is completely understandable.  KG is about as loyal a person as you will find and, after 10 seasons in Minny and only one playoff series, was willing to consider a move.

It was pointed out that David Lee is doing well in Dallas.  So, apparently, it wasn't something about him that was unchangeable, he just needed a different system and predictable minutes.  It's a lot easier to change ones attitude than it is to change ones ability to play NBA basketball and nothing changes ones attitude faster and better than winning.  The most games the Kings have won in a single season since he came into the league is 29.  This year they have 25 wins with 20 to go, so they will probably set a new franchise win high since he has been with them, but think of that.  Their 39.4% winning % this season is the highest they have ever had since he came in the league.  Look at what it was like to be a Boston Celtics back in the bad old days when we were doormats.  It sucked the competitiveness and joy out of playing here.  It's one thing to be the Washington Generals, they know their job is to get chewed up by the Globetrotters every night, but all these players want to win.  I give Boogie credit for re-signing with Sacto considering it all.

Throw his running feud with George Karl on top of that bonfire and that's where we are.  If he comes here and does that with Brad it will NOT go well.  Brad will not take it, Danny will back Brad and Jae Crowder will probably cold-cock Boogie if his old friend Isaiah Thomas doesn't jump on his back and ride him like a jockey out of the locker room first.  And then what?  Does anybody really think we couldn't get a king's ransom for Boogie if Danny decided to move him?  He is an elite talent, an elite center, in a league that has a paucity of them.  The few that people talk about like Howard and Drummond and Gobert can't hit fritos and so they are liabilities at the end of close games.  They cannot spread the floor on offense.  They are not good passers.  They can block shots, rebound and score in the paint.  Period.  Boogie can do ALL that AND shoots fritos at 72% and 3ptrs at 34%.  Boogie and Mickey for a front court makes me smile.  A lot.




bob


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kdp59 wrote:Hoopshype has a wuick piece about Horford being  Dannys go to guy in FA.

put Horford and a top 5 pick on this team and we are giving even Cleveland bad dreams next year

Cousins?...I am off him now... too costly to tarde for if we can just sign Horford. one note, Signing Horford (or another big dollar bigman) will likely cost us one of Amir or Sully.

it better not be Sully, Horford is not a rebounding brute like Sully, while he may be a stretch 5, how many stretch 5's have led their team all the way to a championship? and hes on the wrong side of 30 and has had injury issues in the past. I like the way Sully has been playing of late, he dismantled Kevin Love recently and always has a few good Moses type moments every game. I agree with beat that this team can still improve as is and we still have the Mouse getting into the rotation to look forward to, if RJ or Rozier can show anything next year we could have an even better team or trade chips for Mr Intimadator.

Out of curiosity...........how many of our players have hit key clutch late shots to tie or game winning shots in the past 80-90 games?

Crowder
Thomas
Bradley
Turner
Zeller
Even not so dead eye Smart

What I am getting at is having a stud star like Durant, how will that work in the chemistry class? Not saying don't get him BUT not at a price that guts our team.

So how many true options have other teams used when they need a basket?

Recently the Knicks had us on the ropes for like 47:30 out of 48:00.............till Melo bricked his shot with a teammate wide open.
Our guys make the extra pass if time and need dictate it.

OPTIONS ...so how does a team prepare for that single play we can throw at them? They can't is the short answer. The little Dutch boy only has 2 hands and 10 fingers (ok I'm counting thumbs as fingers) but if the leaks are more an arm length apart he's shot outa luck.

This team all revolves around Coach Stevens. If we add a star a real star like Durant imagine the plays he can come up with using him as a decoy and perhaps not.

It will be nice to finish this year well and winning a first round series and perhaps a game or 2 in the second round. Then looking forward to the tweeks and a little retooling and the eventual draft and free agency..............our future looks very bright !!

beat