The View From Kansas City

Kansas City is reviewing the league, so here's their opinion. Let's call them an impartial 3rd party. I agree with most of it, for the most part, except for the part about Melo cracking the rotation some time this year. That happens only if we have some serious, freaking losses at the 5-spot.


http://www.kansascity.com/2012/10/25/3884641/2012-13-boston-celtics-preview.html

2012-13 Boston Celtics Preview







By Jim Brighters, Sports Network

The Sports Network









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After last season's loss to the Miami Heat in the
Eastern Conference finals, the Celtics had some decisions to make. So
too did Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.
Garnett, who enjoyed a great
run a season ago when he was moved to the center position, re-upped with
the Celtics for three more years.
Allen fled south to join the Heat.
The split didn't go over well.


"I don't have Ray's number anymore. I'm not trying to communicate with
him," Garnett said at Celtics Media Day. "I'm just being honest with
everybody in here. It's not that I wish him less than or whatever, it's
just what it is."


According to several reports, the real rift on the 2011-12 Celtics occurred between Allen and Rajon Rondo. Whoever is
angry at whom, Allen is gone, but the Celtics did well enough in their
bid to replace the future Hall of Famer.


Jason Terry and Courtney Lee were brought in to duplicate Allen's production. Terry is one of the
best bench players in the last 12 years and Lee was once an
up-and-coming two guard.


They'll do fine and they weren't the only offseason acquisitions for the Celtics.


Jeff Green will be back after missing all of last season with a heart
problem. Veterans Darko Milicic, Jason Collins and Chris Wilcox were
either brought in or re-signed.


But the biggest reason for optimism in Boston might have come via the draft, where the Celtics
landed Jared Sullinger and Fab Melo. Both should crack the rotation and
could be steals as late first-rounders.


All in all, this was a pretty solid summer for a team a lot expected to be on the downswing.


"Danny (Ainge, President of Basketball Operations) and his staff did an
amazing job," said head coach Doc Rivers. "When you are under the
restrictions that we were under, if you had told me we'd end up with who
we ended up with, I thought that would never happen. A lot of things
had to happen for us."


2011-12 Results: 39-27, first in Atlantic; lost to Miami in East finals.


ADDITIONS: G Jason Terry, G Courtney Lee, F Jared Sullinger, C Fab Melo, C Jason Collins, C Darko Milicic
PROJECTED STARTING FIVE:
PG- Rajon Rondo SG- Courtney Lee SF- Paul Pierce PF- Brandon Bass C- Kevin Garnett
KEY
RESERVES: G Jason Terry, G Avery Bradley, F Jeff Green, F Chris Wilcox,
F Jared Sullinger, C Fab Melo, C Jason Collins, C Darko Milicic.
FRONTCOURT:
Garnett is still a bully, but is the team's heart and soul, especially
on the defensive end. He balked at playing center, but did wonderfully
in the role. His playoff performance last season was spectacular. He
averaged 19.2 points per game and 10.3 rebounds in the postseason.


Paul Pierce remains one of the best and craftiest scorers in the league. At
35, he's going to slow down, but he turned into an above-average 3-point
shooter. Defensively, Pierce has always been overshadowed by Garnett
and Rondo, but he's not bad.
These stalwarts are aging and kicked the tires on retirement. Well, that's according to their coach, who wasn't buying.


"Kevin told me that all year. That's a bunch of crap. I never believed it. I
really didn't. I told him that all the time," said Rivers. "Paul wouldn't have retired. I saw his contract, and I don't think he was
going to retire."
Brandon Bass became lethal shooting mid-range
jumpers last season. He's an energy guy and you have to be when you have
Garnett constantly yapping at you.


BACKCOURT: Rondo is a unique
talent. Defensively, he's a gambler and a gamer. He'll defend quick guys
like Russell Westbrook, or tangle with a burly LeBron James.
Offensively, Rondo penetrates and kicks out better than anyone in the
league. He's not a 3-point threat, but he's improved as a mid-range guy
and his floater is sensational. The Celtics have become his team and
he's absolutely fine with that.


Lee's been a double-figure scorer
in the league. He's a consistent 40-percent shooter from the 3-point
line, but not as good defensively as someone like Avery Bradley.


BENCH:
Terry is a phenomenal bench player and will probably get the minutes in
the fourth quarter, where he shines. Terry is intense and a perfect for
the Celtics.
Forward Jeff Green has a lot to prove. He received a
clean bill of health and a pretty healthy four-year contract. Green's
numbers went down in his brief stint with the Celtics two seasons ago.


Bradley or Lee will contribute off the pine and so will the rookies. Sullinger
had a back problem that hurt his draft position and Melo is an ideal
bruiser off the bench who can block shots.
COACHING: If Rivers isn't the best coach in the league, it's because of Gregg Popovich's
existence. Rivers is a master tactician and does a great job leaving his
veterans, especially Rondo, Pierce and Garnett, to run the team.


He will have his first crack at a team without Allen and he has plenty of
options. Rivers signed a long-term extension in 2011 and is invested in
this team's future, which he can help build with Lee, Bradley and the
two rookie big guys.


OUTLOOK: The Atlantic Division is much improved. The Philadelphia 76ers and Brooklyn Nets improved
significantly in the offseason and the New York Knicks will get better
with time.


The Celtics are older, but didn't lose that much with
Allen's departure. Bradley took his starting job last season and Allen
became more of a decoy and 3-point shooting specialist. This roster is
deep and versatile. Rivers is an elite leader and Rondo has become a top
point in the league. Garnett and Pierce haven't shown obvious decline.


The Celtics are still the favorite in the Atlantic Division. They have
fewer question marks than the other contending teams in the division. A
No. 2 seed in the East is within reach, but in the tough Atlantic, the
third seed seems more realistic.
Boston can still even contend for the NBA title, but they have one goal.


"We have one target, and that's Miami," said Rivers. "Whatever happens out
West, good luck. hope to see you. That's how we think about it. And
Miami's improved as well. Getting Ray (Allen) made them a better team.
Our division is tough. Listen, it's going to be a hard season for us and
everyone else."


Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/10/25/3884641/2012-13-boston-celtics-preview.html#storylink=cpy


bob



.

Bob,

I have a little difficulty reconciling the statements in the following paragraph:

The Celtics are still the favorite in the Atlantic Division. They have fewer question marks than the other contending teams in the division. A No. 2 seed in the East is within reach, but in the tough Atlantic, the third seed seems more realistic.

I wonder if they ever check these things for logic.

Sam

Sam,
Since English is a foreign language to me, let me translate that for you (from english to English): the 3rd seed in Eastern Conference is more realistic for Boston Celtics because they're going to loose some games to tough teams in the Atlantic division.


AK

sinus007 wrote:Sam,
Since English is a foreign language to me, let me translate that for you (from english to English): the 3rd seed in Eastern Conference is more realistic for Boston Celtics because they're going to loose some games to tough teams in the Atlantic division.


AK

think i need to go back to school

also think I won't worry about this till say March anyway.

beat

bob,

I don't buy the whole "The Celtics are older" bit. Didn't someone on this board (Matty and/or beat?) do the math and found that our likely rotation players were actually younger than those of the Heat? The only thing that is getting old around here is the belief by the media that the Celtics, as a team, are old. (LOL)

I never considered Brandon Bass to be an "energy guy". Chris Copeland from the Knicks, that's an energy guy, at least against us. Same as Joakim Noah. Maybe even Glen Davis. Not Bass. IMO, Bass is a "steady guy".

Why did he have to include some of the Ray Allen drama in the beginning of the article?

There was some interesting items in the article, like the bit about Doc not believing KG's talk about retiring. I do agree with your comment about Fab not making the rotation. I think, barring injuries, that Fab and Joseph will travel between Boston and Portland so much that thay will wear I95 down to about I94 and three-quarters!!

gyso

gyso wrote:bob,

I don't buy the whole "The Celtics are older" bit. Didn't someone on this board (Matty and/or beat?) do the math and found that our likely rotation players were actually younger than those of the Heat? The only thing that is getting old around here is the belief by the media that the Celtics, as a team, are old. (LOL)


There was some interesting items in the article, like the bit about Doc not believing KG's talk about retiring. I do agree with your comment about Fab not making the rotation. I think, barring injuries, that Fab and Joseph will travel between Boston and Portland so much that thay will wear I95 down to about I94 and three-quarters!!

gyso

me and Beat both did independent studies and reached the same conclusion, Bostons 12 man depth chart will be a couple yrs younger than the Heats on oct. 30th.. (and younger than the spurss, Knickerbockers) of course, i dont think that means we should bash the media, its likely not their fault they are intellectualy inferior the reguler posters on this board- incapable of doing even basic mathmatics- being The Few, The Proud and The Convival- we just hold ourselves to higher standards, thats all.

Actauly though as far as Melo is concerned I do think he's going to see time on the floor for the C's this year- the Claws first game looks to be Nov 23rd. So Melo has almost a month to spend around the rest of the Celtics before gettign shipped up to Maine and their last game is april 6th- so if the Claws miss th eplayoffs Melo could finnsih the season for Boston as well..

the Claws also have 2 or 3 decent streches where they have no games that might allow Melo to be brought back up just for a bit of extra playing time. Of course, injuries too can add to his opprtunity to play for the celtics as a well.. but I'd feel safe saying we'll see him in 10 games or more this reguler season...

we'll just have to see.

Sinus, thanks, but I still don't get it. If the Celtics are the second seed in the entire East and the Atlantic is in the East, how can the Celtics be the third seed in the Atlantic?

Sam

sam wrote:Sinus, thanks, but I still don't get it. If the Celtics are the second seed in the entire East and the Atlantic is in the East, how can the Celtics be the third seed in the Atlantic?

Sam

this is an obvios example of someone's attempt at "Bistro Mathmatics"..

anyone not familer with Bistor Mathmatics please feel free to consult the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy

Matty,

Wasn't the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy a 4 book trilogy?

gyso