Re: THE CELTICS GLIMMER THREAD - 70+, STILL GOING STRONG!! GO CELTS!!

[beat]

88) We can't lose today.....no game!!

[jeb]

89 without any smartassedness Shelden Williams played reaaly well and this is good.

[Sam]

Celts vs. Spurs:

# 85: Active showing and excellent shooting by Sheldon Williams.

My criteria for this list are: (1) relatively new developments (so I try not to include the same thing more than twice) and (2) something of substance that can potentially be a building block over the rest of the season and the playoffs.

Sam

[Sam]

It's a little past the time when this thread is relevant because this is when they have to put all the glimmers into action more consistently. But I can't resist a few more:

Celtics @ Raptors:

# 86: Michael Finley becoming a leader off the bench and demonstrating veteran knowhow and poise in crunch time. Quote from Doc: "It's tough to get him to take a bad shot." (Doc also revealed that Finley wasn't expected to play tonight because he hurt his back earlier in the day picking up luggage. Warmed up and said he felt great.

# 87: Rajon Rondo becoming more consistent with the jumper as well as the free throws.

# 88: Executing actual plays in crunch time, not just free-lance stuff.

# 89: A quintet of Sheed, KG, Finley, Ray and Rondo looking as though they had played together for years and easily prevailing in crunch time.

[dboss]

Not sure I agree with the last one Sam.

If it is a one or 2 point game the Celtics only have one play. They will give the ball to PP and let him try to do something with it. The free lance stuff has not really gone away

Tonight's game never got closer than 6 101-95. Rondo then made a driving layup and free throw to push it up to 9.

I can only dream that Boston would continue to run their offense in the midst of a close game.

[Sam]

Actually, dboss, I didn't recall Pierce being in the game down the stretch. So I looked it up on the ESPN play-by-play, and it appears he wasn't. On the game-on thread, I noted that my recollection was that Sheed, KG, Finley, Ray and Rondo playing the portion of the fourth when they put the game away. That quintet was broken up only with 41 seconds left and the Celtics up by 11.

What I recall was that, down the stretch, they were setting lots of picks to establish their three point game and then, with the floor nicely spread, mixing it up by sending KG and Rondo to the hole.

I didn't specify that it was a two-point game, but it was certainly in doubt in the fourth quarter, as a six-point Celtics lead has not proven at all safe lately. And I never said the free-lance stuff has gone away for all-time. I said it went away in the fourth quarter tonight. That's the difference between a glimmer and a trend. I found it very refreshing.

Sam

[jeb]

89

nellie

[Sam]

Jeb,

Nellie deserves his own thread, and he shall have it. His achievement is the crowning moment of a good day in my eyes.

Sam

[worcester]

Tony Allen shut down Dwayne Wade, an awesome performance.

[RosalieTCeltics]

Have any of you read the article in the Boston Globe written by Jackie MacMullen about KG? It is really quite revealing, the most candid he has been since being injured. Read it, you will find it most interesting.

[jeb]

raed it rosie t...riveting

[Sam]

Although I hadn't planned to continue this thread after the regular season, nothing wrong with:

#90: Tony Allen turning the tide with his shutdown defense and timely offense.

[steve3344]

#91: Celtic defense came back big-time tonight for the first time in months holding the Heat to a miniscule 10 points in nearly a quarter and a half - a 17 1/2 minute span - from the 7:03 mark of the third quarter until 1:27 left in the game). 10 points in a quarter and a half! C's also limited Miami to just 15 points in the games last 19 minutes.

[dboss]

Instant gratification is a wonderful thing.  It's just a little elusive.

This team has been put in a big hole, as discontinuity has led to frequent dysfunction. It is now trying to dig out of the hole. The good news is that it most emphatically did not lose all its capabilities almost overnight.

To this moment, the team has not had the opportunity to operate from a position of full strength or anything close to it. And, even when that eventually happens, things won't transform instantly because—as Rondo said a day or two ago—this team has a lot of the same people but is a completely different team from previous years. From the instant this season started, it was ordained that they would
required considerable time to coalesce and reach their potential. They've never once had that opportunity to the maximum degree.

When they regain full strength, they'll just be starting down that road. Glimmer by glimmer, step by step, improvement will come. Those who can't stand the gradual nature of the process; those who require more instant gratification may be in for some disappointment. Unfortunately, when the playoffs arrive, their residual disappointment may find them in slumps as fans.

Those fans who can become excited by glimmers and gradual improvement along the arduous path will be working up to full momentum (hopefully along with the team) when the playoffs come. Those fans won't have to keep checking to see how full their glasses
are any more than the team will have to keep thinking on the court rather than acting on instinct. It will be full speed ahead for both
the team and those fortunate fans.

I intend to be one of the fortunate ones. I'll continue to read all the doubts and fears, because I can learn a lot from them; and I'm not at all trying to discourage or diminish such honest outpourings because they obviously come from the heart.

But this is a time when substantial experience as a fan means most to me. I think back to all those practices I attended. The
painstaking process of learning that transpired—even on a team of perennial championship repeaters. The little improvements that (like a child's growth) aren't noticeable in a week's time but only come into focus several weeks down the road. I hark back to an intimacy with players' psyches that revealed them as human beings who weren't immune to disappointment and frustration and malaise but, because they were professionals, realized the importance of persevering, persevering, persevering, no matter what.

Perhaps Danny will augment the team; maybe he won't. But, whatever happens, the post-all star portion of the season will be the "real" Celtics season in my book. Dramatically compressed, compared with the length of what their original window of opportunity was supposed to be. But a legitimate window nonetheless.

And I won't be ignoring the realities of the struggles along the way, especially as I write my post-game posts. But I'll consider the struggles to be a compass for improvement, and I'll view the glimmers as building blocks. I'll have increasingly little room for feeling negative because I believe the danger of an overemphasis on negativity doesn't befit a championship fan any more than a championship team. In other words, this will be the stretch run for not only the Celtics but also for me as a fan.

I invite others to experience how rewarding that approach can be.

In the meantime, I've decided to christen this "THE GLIMMER THREAD," to be devoted to an accumulation of the "positive glimmers" noted in Celtics games. Anyone is welcome to contribute. Opposing viewpoints are welcome on other threads, including any threads that may be started specifically for that purpose.

Glimmers to follow.

Go Celtics!

Sam

I think this was the first and original glimmer thread by Sam.  The date is January, 2010 over 8 years ago.

[worcester]

What beautiful prose. What a beautiful mind.

[dboss]

What beautiful prose. What a beautiful mind.

Worcester he certainly knew how to express himself and he painstakingly took the time to engage with all of us on the highest level.  

Yes...and he really made it a point to define what he meant by glimmer.  Our posts have always had a tendancy to go off topic but Sam was very specific in what should and should not be part of his glimmer thread.

[worcester]

True dat...

[Matty]

Instant gratification is a wonderful thing.  It's just a little elusive.

This team has been put in a big hole, as discontinuity has led to frequent dysfunction. It is now trying to dig out of the hole. The good news is that it most emphatically did not lose all its capabilities almost overnight.

To this moment, the team has not had the opportunity to operate from a position of full strength or anything close to it. And, even when that eventually happens, things won't transform instantly because—as Rondo said a day or two ago—this team has a lot of the same people but is a completely different team from previous years. From the instant this season started, it was ordained that they would
required considerable time to coalesce and reach their potential. They've never once had that opportunity to the maximum degree.

When they regain full strength, they'll just be starting down that road. Glimmer by glimmer, step by step, improvement will come. Those who can't stand the gradual nature of the process; those who require more instant gratification may be in for some disappointment. Unfortunately, when the playoffs arrive, their residual disappointment may find them in slumps as fans.

Those fans who can become excited by glimmers and gradual improvement along the arduous path will be working up to full momentum (hopefully along with the team) when the playoffs come. Those fans won't have to keep checking to see how full their glasses
are any more than the team will have to keep thinking on the court rather than acting on instinct. It will be full speed ahead for both
the team and those fortunate fans.

I intend to be one of the fortunate ones. I'll continue to read all the doubts and fears, because I can learn a lot from them; and I'm not at all trying to discourage or diminish such honest outpourings because they obviously come from the heart.

But this is a time when substantial experience as a fan means most to me. I think back to all those practices I attended. The
painstaking process of learning that transpired—even on a team of perennial championship repeaters. The little improvements that (like a child's growth) aren't noticeable in a week's time but only come into focus several weeks down the road. I hark back to an intimacy with players' psyches that revealed them as human beings who weren't immune to disappointment and frustration and malaise but, because they were professionals, realized the importance of persevering, persevering, persevering, no matter what.

Perhaps Danny will augment the team; maybe he won't. But, whatever happens, the post-all star portion of the season will be the "real" Celtics season in my book. Dramatically compressed, compared with the length of what their original window of opportunity was supposed to be. But a legitimate window nonetheless.

And I won't be ignoring the realities of the struggles along the way, especially as I write my post-game posts. But I'll consider the struggles to be a compass for improvement, and I'll view the glimmers as building blocks. I'll have increasingly little room for feeling negative because I believe the danger of an overemphasis on negativity doesn't befit a championship fan any more than a championship team. In other words, this will be the stretch run for not only the Celtics but also for me as a fan.

I invite others to experience how rewarding that approach can be.

In the meantime, I've decided to christen this "THE GLIMMER THREAD," to be devoted to an accumulation of the "positive glimmers" noted in Celtics games. Anyone is welcome to contribute. Opposing viewpoints are welcome on other threads, including any threads that may be started specifically for that purpose.

Glimmers to follow.

Go Celtics!

Sam

Thanks Sam, always good to hear from ya buddy.

[RosalieTCeltics]

Thanks Dboss, it is like he is right here watching this team, our team in progress. I miss him, but I believe he hand is here somewhere, we just have to figure out where. One wonderful, positive thinking guy!!
Thanks

[Matty]

aww wow, just saw Jeb was in on this too..

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