Post-game Thread - Pelicans in Boston

[Sam]

I didn't have the privilege of watching the game, although I followed every play on the running account and also had the benefit of a very nice Game-on Thread.

The double-figure scoring of six Celtics led the team to a 108-100 win at TD Garden.  My co-winner of the game ball was the starting SF, Jae Crowder, who scored a career-high 22 on a variety of drives, jumpers, breakaways after steals (he had 4) and a couple of threes.  He played 36 minutes, or four more than any other Celtic.  He distributed his scoring throughout the game, helping keep the Celtics close (every time I looked it seemed they were trailing by four points) until they pulled away as Crowder, Bradley, Smart and Sully came up particularly strong down the stretch.  Kelly also had a big block in crunch time as did Sully.  Smart, in particular, came through with a short jumper and an improbable three in the last couple of minutes.

Sully also deserves a share of the game ball, with some of his 27 points and 10 rebounds coming in the critical stretch run, in which the Celtics came back from a small deficit in the last few minutes to win going away.  How to close out games, guys.

Definitely a team win.  Sully (27), Crowder (22), Thornton (13 including eight of nine at the line), Bass (12), Bradley (10) and Turner (10) led the scoring, while Sully contributed 10 rebounds.  Smart (six) and Turner (five) contributed five of their 24 assists on 37 made field goals ( a very good 65%).  Moreover, the Celts committed only 11 turnovers to 18 for the Pelicans.

Otherwise, the stats were quite even, with neither the Celtics nor the Pelicans owning more than a lead of two in terms of rebounds, steals, blocks, made three-pointers and points in the paint.

For the most part, the Celtics exhibited pretty good pace, with 15 fast break points to 10 for the Pelicans.

But the two stats that I really feel won the game ultimately were (1) the number of field goal attempts (Celts 88-75) and holding the Pelicans to roughly 30% shooting in the second half.  I say roughly because I don't know precisely how many shots New Orleans took in the first half.  But I do now that they led the Celtics 50%-41% after the first half.  But, by the end of the game, the Celtics had maintained about the same percentage (42% for the evening) while the Pelicans had dropped to 41% for the game.

So what this suggests to me is that the Celtics are developing an identity as: (1)  a volume shooting (rather than a high-percentage shooting) team; (2) a team that pays with pace (which I hope can only increase over time, and most surprisingly (3) a team that can really put on the defensive clamps.

With regard to defensive clamps, the Celtics held the Pelicans to 10 points and only one field goal during the last six minutes of the game.  I call that giving up nothing easily.  And, not coincidentally, that's when the Celtics broke out of a 90-90 tied to outscore New Orleans 18-10 the rest of the way.

In this one, the starters were +3 and the bench was +5.  The Celtics' bench (with the addition of Olynyk playing against other second-teamers), although not necessarily a force, is certainly becoming pretty consistent in keeping the Celtics in games.

Just another couple of words about Crowder who has shown me nothing to change my thinking that he could become the kind of ongoing catalyst who (based also on his earlier statement about playing hard) embodies some pretty good leadership potential.  In this game, he had four steals and two blocks.  It's possible, that as time passes and the Celtics add some good players, Jae's contributions will fade into the background as teammates grab the stats.  But it seems to me that he ALWAYS tries his best, and a guy like that can thrive based on his exuberance alone.  Sort of Scal with athleticism, although I like to compare Crowder more with Kenneth Faried.

Go Celtics!

Sam

[bobheckler]

Whomever watched the game,

How did Asik do? Statistically it looks like he was better than Zeller, especially on the boards, but that's not the story with him. He had zero blocks but how many intimidations did he have?


bob



.

[Berlin-T]

Has anyone noticed how our turnovers have declined and our defense has picked up since the Rondo trade?

This team is coming together, we'll just have to wait and see how much further they can develop the chemistry that's coming into existence - barring more trades from Danny - not a given.

Bob, NO has a tall, strong front line. We had a lot of trouble challenging them in the paint at the beginning (especially Zeller - as the game went on Sully found a way to score inside). They were very intimidating but whether it had more to do with Asik than with Davis (who is a monster, both offensively and defensively) or with a combination of both, I couldn't say. I did notice Davis a lot more than Asik, but maybe someone else can give you another (better) slant on this.

[beat]

Bob

Asik got a couple easy hoops and Zeller had a little problem getting much against him but as far as team defense goes he didn't seem to bother much of anyone else.

And Berlin

We are sharing the ball better, we are playing hard, considering from game to game we don't know who will even be on this team our core guys are playing hard and we seem to hang on to that attitude regardless who is on the floor or what the score is.

At one time Gorman mentioned how small we were compared to them up front during a stretch where they pounded the offense glass and eventually were fouled. Really though we rebounded OK

beat

[kdp59]

NO does have a very big frontline

Asik and Davis are both near seven footers

and they start Cunningham at SF all 6-8 of him. (reportedly why they got Pondexter back).

As for Asik's play.....meh.......I wasn't overly impressed. He does hold his ground inside, but he really isn't much of a shot blocker. Rebounds well. overall this season he's been average if you look at his stats.

Maxwell had a running joke last night, that he could take Asik on an empty court and he still couldn't score 10 points. so take that for what's worth.

If Ainge wants to get a defensive player who can rebound well and is willing to pay up.. would rather go after D. Jordan from the Clippers.

[cowens/oldschool]

bob

FYI whenever they were in the game Asik was matched on Zeller, his defense wasn't all that impressive, hes no where near as athletic as Howard or Drummond or as physical as Perk, he can board, but I was not impressed with his overall defense, hes a load, but he could be more active and physical. Offensively he fumbled alot of inside passes that should have been bunnies. I would take Gortat over Asik, as Gortat is a better 2 way player.

cow

[sinus007]

Hi,
Re: how was Asik or, rather Zeller against Asik. You have to take in consideration that last night Zeller couldn't buy a basket which, I'm sure, affected his overall game.

AK

[gyso]

Here is a link to that "no look" over the shoulder pass by Smart:

http://sports.yahoo.com/video/assist-night-marcus-smart-041951144.html

[wide clyde]

I guess the Celtics had some thoughts of adding Asik ($9+M) in the past if the price was right, but I do not see him worth anywhere near three times the value of paying Zeller ($3+M).

Zeller had a tough night against the Pelicans and Asik may have been part of the reason, but if Asik is a 9 M dollar guy, I would think that that money could be spent much better for next year's roster.

Zeller is probably going to be a much better back up center than he is a first stringer when the Cs add a true first string, multi talented center (hopefully by next season), but Asik is not the guy who I want to see as the starter.

[Outside]

wide clyde,

Nine million dollars is a huge amount of money to us regular folks, but it doesn't get you much when it comes to a center. Here's a list of centers and their salary for this season (in millions):

23.4 Amare Stoudemire
21.4 Dwight Howard
20.6 Chris Bosh
15.8 Marc Gasol
15.7 Brook Lopez
14.9 Roy Hibbert
14.8 Tyson Chandler
14.7 DeMarcus Cousins
13.5 Al Jefferson
13.0 Andrew Bogut
12.7 Joakim Noah
12.1 Nikola Pekovic
12.0 Al Horford
11.5 Andrea Bargnani
11.4 DeAndre Jordan
11.2 JaVale McGee
11.0 Larry Sanders
10.4 Marcin Gortat
9.7 Andersen Varejao
9.6 Kendrick Perkins
9.2 Tiago Splitter
9.0 Jordan Hill
8.3 Omer Asik
7.5 Boris Diaw
6.1 Robin Lopez
5.9 Chuck Hayes
5.6 Enes Kanter
5.2 Zaza Pachulia
5.1 Tristan Thompson
4.8 Chris Kaman
4.7 Timofey Mozgov

Zeller is a bargain at $1.7 million ($2.6 million next season), but he's still on his rookie contract, and his salary was set by his draft position. Sullinger was taken in the same draft four picks later, and he's making $1.4 million this season.

There are very few good two-way centers in the league. Marc Gasol will command top dollar. Cousins is worth his salary, and so is Gortat. But for every one of those guys, you've got more guys who aren't good enough to justify their salary or are chronically injured -- Stoudemire, Brook Lopez, Pekovic, Bargnani, McGee, and Sanders, to name some prominent examples.

Asik at $8.3 million seems like a fair deal. He's not great, but he's decent. Once he's past his rookie contract, and assuming he continues to progress, Zeller could very well join the ranks of those mid-priced centers.

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