Boston Celtics

There’s been a lot of griping recently over the state of Boston sports, serving (for me) as another ugly reminder of the developing, spoiled and cocksure nature of fans in this area. Let’s take a quick look, shall we?

Continue reading "A Message to Boston Sports Fans"

LeBron James makes his only trip to Madison Square Garden tonight. 

For the past two seasons there has been plenty of talk about LeBron bolting his hometown of Cleveland for the bright lights of New York City. 

Continue reading "LeBron Makes His Only Trip to "The Garden" Tonight"

The Red Sox blew the World Series against the New York Mets. And though the Boston Celtics won the NBA Championship that year, Len’s June death began the 1986-87 season. A season the Celtics were unable to repeat as champions without Bias. 

Continue reading "Deep 86-ed"

Earlier today, the Celtics awarded point guard Rajon Rondo with a 5-year contract extension believed to be in the neighborhood of $55 million. I like Rondo as a player but I’m a bit concerned about banking the future on a mercurial 23-year-old hot shot with a burgeoning prima donna complex and a history of instigating senseless scuffles.

Continue reading "C's Banking on Rondo"

In the NBA these days, it seems like there is a stat for everything. We’ve got PER, offensive efficiency ratings, defensive efficiency rating, and so on and so on.

It seems like every team in the league now employs their own stat guru. And while I’m not one to question the use of all these new statistics to evaluate NBA players (I actually kinda like them), I’m old school. 

Continue reading "Fun With Box Scores"

ust toyed with the Clippers for most of the game, and clamped down where it mattered most. 

Boston Celtics 

It was impressive enough to beat the Cavs in Cleveland on opening night, but to answer that by beating the Bobcats by 33 on the second game of a back-to-back shows the C’s are far from ready to roll over and let the younger Magic and Cavs be the class of the East. 

Continue reading "First Impressions"

Happy New Year!

With the new NBA season set to tip off with four games tonight, here are some of the things I’ll be watching for in tonight’s action.

Boston @ Cleveland, 7:30pm

I can’t wait to see LeBron again this season. Last year, coming off the Olympics, you could see that his focus was on improving defensively. Now, without a summer in the spotlight, I’m curious to see if he’s made any improvements to his already unreal game. Is this the year we finally see LeBron use his Karl Malone-like body to beast on people inside?

Continue reading "NBA Opening Night Quick Thoughts"

The Boston Celtics play their season opener in pursuit of Banner 18 tonight. The very next evening is the home opener at the TD Garden. The Boston Bruins try for their first winning streak of the season. And the World Series gets underway. Boston Red Sox fans get to see if the New York Yankees blow this chance at another championship. 

Continue reading "Good Bye"

Disappointing news for NBA fans everywhere, courtesy of yahoo: 

"LOS ANGELES (AP)—Blake Griffin’s (notes) NBA debut has been pushed back indefinitely after the Los Angeles Clippers revealed late Monday night that their No. 1 overall draft pick has a broken left kneecap.

Continue reading "Disappointing First Impression of Blake Griffin"

Its recently been brought to my attention that, over the past couple of weeks or so, my readership has doubled in volume, from 2 to 4. Thanks to these good natured and sympathetic followers, I’m left to wrestle with a serious question: Do I quit while on top (never had I anticipated the blog becoming this great a success), or do I continue to dribble out these “bi-weekly” blunderbusses, even though there is likely nowhere to go from here but down?

Continue reading "Late Night Rant"

Or is it dilemmi? Either way.

As the entire NBA world eagerly awaits the potential match-up of Kobe and LeBron in this year's finals, they also can't help observe it's getting increasingly difficult for them to get there. The Magic and Nuggets are hitting their strides at the right time, with bench players stepping up at crucial moments, Van Panic and Karl making good coaching moves, and both team's point guards acting as the leaders they can be. Even if the current and future MJ's of our time average 50 a game for the rest of the playoffs, it won't matter. That's not how you reach the Golden Summit (Yes, I just used "Golden Summit" as an analogy for the Finals. Deal with it. I like it.).

Continue reading "Kobe and LeBron facing similar dilemmas"

When Mark Cuban told Lydia Moore that her son, the Nuggets' Kenyon Martin, was a "thug" after Game 3 of the Nuggets-Mavs series, he crossed a line. I thought I'd point out the Top 10 Things he MEANT TO SAY to Ms. Moore:

Continue reading "Top 10 Things Mark Cuban MEANT TO ..."

go out on that field and play like one.  Right now the Boston Red Sox and for that matter the Boston Celtics are not playing like champions.  They are playing like a bunch of guys who are glad that they are making a lot of money doing something that we all probably did for free growing up.  It would be like me getting paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for belching the alphabet (if anyone knows of an opening for that let me know, I'm in for that).  Champions don't get beaten the way the Red Sox got beaten this weekend. 

Continue reading "Play Like A Champion Today"

Last night's game between the Celtics and the Bulls ended what is only going to be remembered as an epic battle. It's finally over and C-nation got the win we wanted and sent the Bulls packing. Clearly, the Celts bench stepped it up to another level -- this is what I have been waiting for during the entire playoffs -- seeing the team play like a unit instead of counting on one guy.

Continue reading "Celtics to Bulls: You're Outta Our House"

Say Swine Flu keeps spreading. Say it gets worse, like "Outbreak" worse, and the majority of people in the US get it, including LeBron James. I still don't think I could beat him one-on-one. Even if it was first to score. Or if we played "PIG." Remember when Jordan had the flu in the '88 playoffs, and he dropped 47 against the Knicks, AT the Garden??? We spectators/bloggers/sports fans seriously over-estimate the flu. If LeBron had swine flu, not only would he stuff me like a Quizno's Torpedo, he would still be able to beat the following athletes/teams:

Continue reading "LeBron could beat me with Swine Flu"

I'm at a loss for words. Literally speechless.

The consensus among the talking heads here in Boston is that this Celtics team isn't going too far this year. They're getting literally less than nothing from their bench? Check. Their defensive captain and the unquestioned heart of their team is out for the playoffs? Check. Their opponent is a young, athletic team with a lot of poise and a nasty streak to boot? Check.

Continue reading "Another game, another epic battle"

I'm worried for three reasons: 

1) Defense. Having witnessed the Boston Celtics' utter demolition of the Lakers last June, first-hand, in a crowded Georgetown bar amongst rabid Boston Masshole fans yelling while chugging beer (I didn't even think that was possible), I've watched Kobe's squad carefully all year for any signs of an improving defense. I didn't see much worth noting, other than the fact Ariza was sorely missed. If Bynum's back to full strength, that's one thing, but I highly doubt he is. Let's check some stats: at year's end, LA was giving up 100 points per game on average to its opponents. Through its first four games with Utah in the playoffs, the Lakers are allowing the Jazz 98 points a game. LeBron, in comparison, led his Cavs to a first-round sweep of the Shadowy Pistons, including holding them to a pathetic 78 a game. A twenty-point-differential? Don't the playoffs get harder as you progress? I realize the Jazz are tougher than Detroit, and way more physical, but don't be fooled if you think Roy/Aldridge/Blake, or Artest/Yao/Brooks, whoever Kobe faces next, won't be a tougher challenge. Especially if it's vs. Portland, on the road, where the Rose Garden owns Los Angeles.

Continue reading "Why Lakers fans should worry about ..."

"We'll come back to Chicago, the pizza's good." - Doc Rivers

Yesterday's game was absolutely insane, it wasn't the blow out or back breaker Celtics nation had been hoping and praying for!  With KG and Powe out its been a lot of overtime play for 3 three Big guys and the Celtics still had quite a few chances to pull off the win in this game.  To agree with my colleague; Mr. Denizen of Titletown (hell yeah! Title-town) Big Baby left a lot to be desired in Game 4.  Nearly all of us here in Bean-town had a heart attack watching this game.  

Continue reading "Doc Must Really Like the Pizza in Chicago"

Another one of these games, and I'll be rooming with Danny Ainge down at Mass General.

With the exception of Game 3's blowout victory, neither team has had any breathing room at all in this series. And as I paced around the room with my heart in my throat while the teams traded blows, I realized that this could be a matchup we'll be seeing in the NBA playoffs for a while.

Continue reading "The agony of defeat"

When it comes to sports in Boston, we're title-town! The Boston Celtics' last game was exactly what Boston was waiting for and hopefully, the C's can put down the back-breaker on Sunday at 1:00!!! I firmly believe it's going to be the last nail in the Bulls' coffin, even though the Cs would still have to come home and win one more and then head to the second round. Time will tell if we'll be playing Orlando (2 seed)...they're down 2-1 against Philly. 

Continue reading "Boston Celtics: Doing their Part in Title-Town"

So we have a tied series with game 3 tonight in Chicago where the Bulls have a home record of 28-13 this year and the Cs lost to them 127-121 in our only visit to their house this season. While that may not bode well for tonight's game, I think there were extenuating circumstances we need to consider: it was St. Patty's Day and the Bulls(wanting to be us) wore the Celts' green. I believe that messed with our heads. It was not cool.

Continue reading "Boston Celtics Heading to Their House"

I am not a morning person. I'm especially grouchy after being out late drinking $7 beers and watching the KG-free Celtics in a matchup with the Wizards that was much too hotly contested.

So you can imagine how I was feeling when I got an email entitled "Breaking Sports News" that confirmed my worst fears about Kevin Garnett's injury. To the co-workers I startled when I began screaming obscenities - my bad. 

Continue reading "What's next for the Celtics"

Pierce v Wade, Friday night at the Garden. This will be like a heavyweight fight as both teams have something to prove since the C's could be playing the Heat in the second round of the playoffs. A

Continue reading "Tonight's Celtics Game -- Basketball ..."

The Boston Celtics got their 59th win of the season, and Rondo was the man! Rondo scored 31 points (33 is his career high), 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and had 3 steals-- amazing! The bench stepped

Continue reading "The Rajon Rondo Show"

The Celtic's defense showed up huge against the Atlanta Hawks who the C's have beat 3 times this year, but only by a total of 10 points; two of those games the C's won by only 1 point which gives Atlanta the feeling that they can beat the C's especially after last year's 1st round (taking the Celts to 7). But after last night's win, 104-92, having 10 blocks, the C's were sending a message: "get it out of our house".

Continue reading "Celtics to Hawks: Get it out of our House"

2 overtimes, 2 point win, 2 seed, 2 sweet. What a game!  The Celtics had to battle hard last night to win this one and not let history repeat itself by having the Bobcats beat LA and then us in back to back games.  That has not happened in 12 years, and that did not happen last night!  

Continue reading "The Boston Celtics: And the Winning Number is "2""

Doc Rivers announced today that KG would need another four games off. Saying his knee isn't any worse, but that it is not any better, is the reason behind Doc's decision to sit him. Hopefully

Continue reading "Kevin Garnett on the Bench. Should ..."

What a basketball game -- the Celtics down by 16 points in the third quarter and to have the ending we did, CRAZY!  The Celts not only had to battle Dwight Howard and his Orlando Magic (who are fighting against us for the 2 seed), but last night the Cs had to battle the referees as well. 

Continue reading "Celts vs Orlando Magic vs. the Refs 3/26/09"

The roar that the garden made when Kevin Garnett came out dressed and ready to go for tonight's game sent chills throughout Boston.  This was an intense game, and you could see the fire that KG brings onto the court and what the C's have been missing for the last 15 games (losing 4-6 in that time).  He played only 14 minutes, but scored 10 points and 4 rebounds and the intensity of the defense was back.  The Celtics blocked 6 shots last night which led to a score on our end each time in this really close game.  The rest of the team looked on top of it's game with Rondo making great passes and great D, Big Perk with 5 blocks, Allen scoring 19 points, and Pierce holding them all together with a big 12 rebounds and 9 points.  And a great assist at the end of the game to Glen "Big Baby" Davis for a huge jumper which led to the win with a little help from Tony Parker missing 4 free throws at the end of the game.

Continue reading "The Celtics' "Block" Party 3/21/09"

Tonight the Boston Celtics play the Miami Heat in what should be an epic battle.  This will be a duel between Paul Pierce and Dwayne Wade which should have us on the edge of our seats.  I'm anticipating this to be a flashback of game 7, Eastern Conference Finals, when Mr. Larry Bird scored 20 points in the 4th to outdo Dominique Wilkins and take the Cs to the finals -- after which all of Boston erupted! 

Continue reading "Celtics - Heat: Back to Boston 3/18/09"

The Chicago Bulls came out onto the court last night wearing what appeared to be the Celtics alternative home jerseys -- the only difference was that they said Bulls. Do they want to be us? Of course they do, we are the champs!  So they tried to confuse us by wearing our colors, and it worked.  The Bulls scored like us on a normal night...and our defense?

Continue reading "Celtics-Bulls: St. Patrick's Day Posers 3/18/09"

Injuries are sweeping through the Boston Celtics locker-room quicker than the Rage Virus infected London in 28 Days Later. Since their February 8th home-defeat against the Spurs, the Celtics have lost Tony Allen, Kevin Garnett, Brian Scalabrine, Rajon Rondo and Big Baby Davis to one ailment or another. Tonight in Miami, Boston will dress a group of ten players that includes a pair of newcomers who have been on the team less than two weeks, two rookies who never play, and a second-year guard who no one knows if Doc even likes and recently returned from a DUI suspension.

Continue reading "Injuries Slow Celtics - Accentuate ..."

I have to admit, this edition of The Sports Don’s Sunday Musings was harder for me to compile than the previous two weeks. Maybe it’s because I’m still bull over Steven the Black Jack Dealer cheating me out of all of my money at Foxwoods or perhaps it’s because I’m trying to remember to DVR Dark Days in Monkey City. Either way, I still managed to ramble on especially long this weekend so I’ll keep the words typed in the remainder of my intro to a minimum...here it is.

Continue reading "The Sports Don's Sunday Musings: Volume III"

Are the dogs in New York safe?

5.) I challenge anyone who was beginning to think the Boston Celtics chances at championship 18 were in jeopardy to stand by that belief following the C’s double-digit come from behind victory in the second half against Dallas on Thursday night. It was quite impressive. Boston overcame five Kevin Garnett fouls in three quarters, Ray Allen’s hyper extended thumb, and playing without subs Tony Allen and Brian Scalabrine to enter the all-star break with the best record in basketball. The Mavericks may not be the superpower they were three seasons ago, but the Celtics didn’t make me regret staying up until 2 a.m. to finish watching the recording of the game after taking a break at the half to kill some zombies in Left 4 Dead. While it should have never been in doubt, Boston sent notice to everyone in the game that home losses to the Lakers and Spurs in a five day span was not a sign of their complacency with last year’s Larry O’Brien trophy. I also challenge anyone to tell me that Kendrick Perkins doesn’t look like a combination of John Thompson III and The Muppets’ Sam Eagle. These are the things I think about it. Is there something wrong with me?

Continue reading "The Sports Don's Sunday Musings: Volume II"

I never had the opportunity to personally attend any of the classic Celtics-Lakers games of the 80s. I was actually only in the old Boston Garden twice, and neither occasion was for basketball. I can’t even claim to remember watching any of the historic battles live on television since I was just six when the decade ended. ESPN Classic provided me with the handful of Bird vs. Magic matchups I have seen, and while I could still feel the intensity between the two great franchises, the suspense was lacking because I already knew the outcomes prior to sitting down.

Continue reading "Lakers-Celtics: Waiting for Round Three"

The Boston Celtics completed a trade on July 31, 2007 that forever altered the complexion of their franchise. The Celtics swung five players, cash considerations and two first-round picks to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for Kevin Garnett, and following some additional tweaking, as Celtics radio announcer Sean Grande so aptly put it, after 20 years of futility, “the game’s original monarchy has retaken the throne”.

Continue reading "The Rise of Big Al Jefferson"

All-Star Reserves ballots were due yesterday at 3p.m., and for the all the Eastern Conference coaches who tune in to my blog, I provided some help, a cheat sheet if you will, to aid in their quest to make the proper selections. Call it an East Coast bias, but time did not allow me to do the same for the West. Hopefully, they managed on their own.

Continue reading "The Sports Don Reveals His Western ..."

wyane Wade, Miami Heat

F – LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

F – Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics

C – Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic

With the aforementioned guidelines adhered to, here are my selections...

Continue reading "The Sports Don Reveals His Eastern ..."

r individual Michael Jordan.

The closest thing to the next Michael Jordan is the current Boston Celtics. I’m not a band-wagon rider. I just respect their game. It is similar to the San Antonio Spurs in the way they play as a team, but the Celtics have more fire power. When I see Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen on the court, I get goose bumps. These guys place their team above individual accomplishments in order to reach the ultimate goal: winning championships. It isn’t selfish basketball being played in Boston. Any given night, a different player is helping the Celtics continue their winning streak, which currently stands at 18-0. It is not just the Big Three. It’s Rajon Rondo navigating through the defense. It’s Kendrick Perkins making big rebounds. It’s Leon Powe coming off the bench with intensity, and Sam Cassell bringing in his knowledge of the game. It’s a newer picture of the Chicago Bulls. The Chicago Bulls were composed of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Toni Kukoc, Steve Kerr, Dennis Rodman, Luc Longley and several others. On any given night, someone was propelling this team to another victory. Steve Kerr made the game winning shot in the 1997 NBA Finals. When Pippen went out due to injury, Kukoc stepped up his game. Dennis Rodman was a rebounding beast among men. No one could quite control Shaq like he could. Time out: Does anyone remember the time Dennis Rodman’s daughter came to one of the games? This man went psycho. He was taking three-point shots and he was making them. Anyhow, the Chicago Bulls went through different line-ups and nothing changed. Each line-up played with the same mentality and the same goal, and each player realized that they brought something to the team. The

Continue reading "The Boston Celtics: The Next Michael Jordan"

e story reads that on Christmas Day in 2008, two great teams, the Los Angeles Lakers (24-5) and the Boston Celtics (27-3), came together to play. One would imagine the goal was simply to win. However, the two teams seemed as if they were competing for something else besides a win. From the jump ball, the Lakers appeared to be on a mission to redeem themselves from last year’s NBA Finals. The Celtics played it as if it was just another game on the way to their ultimate goal of repeating as World Champions. The Lakers won the game with a score of 92-83, but the game can’t be told by the final score. It is told by what each team was playing for: another step in the right direction and redemption. The Celtics learned that they can be beaten. And, the Lakers got their redemption, for this was their Championship game.

Continue reading "The Laker's Championship Game v. ..."

The Kobes and the LeBrons, excuse me, I mean, the Lakers and the Cavs met for the first time this season a week ago today in Los Angeles, and while the home team won by 17 in an uneventful game where James matched his number in points and Bryant’s 20 weren’t even a team-high, it did give basketball’s so-called pundits another opportunity to debate who’s better: Kobe or LeBron.

Continue reading "Kobe versus LeBron - The Battle for Superiority"

Following a putrid stretch when the defending champions lost seven of nine, the Boston Celtics have regained much of their swagger with six consecutive wins by an average of 16 points per game. Thursday night, the Celtics venture to Orlando to play the hottest, and arguably best, team in the NBA. Regardless of the outcome, do Boston fans still have reason to worry about the chances of Green 18? 

Continue reading "Reason for Concern in Celtic Land?"

e are my rankings for teams that I think have the best shot at winning the championship. 

1. Boston Celtics.
Why? Well let's see, they have the experience, they have the fire power, they have the adage that Kevin Garnett won't let this team down, they have the inside precense to offset any of the teams that can opose them. Yeah, they went through a slump, but face it, there was no way that they were going to continue on the run that they were on. They came out hotter than anytime, and it was almost certain that they were going to hit a slide. If anyone wants to make the arguement that they could easily be upset in the playoffs because they went to all those game 7's last year, well that was last year. They had three guys who had never won anything, and why wouldn't they be a little shaky? Once it gets to that ever-so-glorious playoff time, the Celtics will be settled down, knowing that they have done it before, and that nobody really believes they can do it two years in a row.

Continue reading "NBA Wrap-Up"

Anyone catch that Spurs Lakers game from last night?  It was a fantastic, wonderful game from tip-off to final buzzer.  It came down to the last possession, and there was a certain exchange that I found to be quite delightful that may just come in handy sometime later this year...  

Continue reading "A Quick Aside... (NOT!)"

As my legions of fans have no doubt noticed, it has been a while since I last posted and a lot has happenned in the meantime.  America elected its first black president, I got engaged (we're calling Monday to reserve the Basketball Hall of Fame for the reception.  It's going to be awesome), Deep Throat died.  And the Celtics went on a complete tear, winning 19 in a row.  Their follow-up to this has of course been to lose 7 of their last 9 games.  I don't know what has been more troubling, that they have lost to teams that they should easily beat like the Knicks and Warriors, or that they've lost to teams like the Cavs and the Lakers that they may very well have to beat in the playoffs if they hope to repeat.  

Continue reading "Streaks, Slumps and Fifteen Dollar ..."

I may be an over-the-top, totally subjective fan, but I know where to draw the line. Yes, I am always totally optimistic when it comes to my favorite teams, but when I sit down and think clearly about the broad outlook of things, I can do it objectively, and I hope I got the subjective and objective terms right and used them correctly.

Continue reading "NBA Championship Preview"

The Celtics finally lost, and although many in the sports world would have you believe that the sky is falling, I for one am not entirely convinced.  Give credit to Kobe and the Lakers, they played hard on Christmas day and earned their win.  They were physical with the Celtics and very aggressive on both ends of the floor, forcing Boston turnovers and making big shots when it counted, but I'm not worried, and I don't believe that the Lakers have redeemed themselves at all for the turd egg they laid in last season's Finals.  Since when does winning one regular season game at home count as a statement game?  How does one victory on National TV even come close to making up for a humiliating 39 point ego-ectomy (to use the basketbawful terminology) of a defeat in basketball's biggest game of the year or the three embarassing losses that preceeded it?

Continue reading "Are They Who We Thought They Were?"

Of course that fire comes from the Boston Celtics’ and their 14-game winning streak. The Celtics boast an NBA 2nd best 90.5 score against them per game while averaging over 100 points themselves. This year’s team shows shades of the 95-95 Chicago Bulls team that posted an impressive 72-10 record by season’s end. During the Bulls’ amazing run they to held a 22-2 record by this point in the season as well. These teams are similar in many ways; defensively they hold their opponent well under 100ppg and offensively they each have their big three. Unlike the Bulls this is a Celtics team who is without a Michael Jordan, and sorry Pierce you are certainly a leader but you just aren’t Mike.

Continue reading "Fire in Ice"

Why Celtics 24/7? Because everything you could possibly want out of your favorite basketball team is right here on this site! Every inch of celtics247.com is fully interactive from our widely popular discussion forum where every detail about the Celtics can be discussed with other fans along with the Sox, Pats, and Bruins. Have a piece of graphics art work you want to display? Do you have your own announcement or suggestion for the C's 24/7 crew? You can do that on the forum as well! Our home page has enough features to keep every Celtics fan happy. With up to the minute breaking news and analysis on every event in the Celtics world from Scalabrine's shorts ripping to blockbuster trades you'll feel right at home.

Continue reading "Celtics 24/7"

First, check out this, it's super hilarious and well written.  Now, on to the good stuff... 

We're less than four hours away from the Blazers and Celtics tipping off in Boston (catch it on ESPN if you don't want to listen to Mike Rice gush over Channing Frye and you love Van Gundy/Jackson as much as I do), so I figured I'd provide a few nuggets of wisdom about what might be the keys to the game for both sides.  Now before you all collectively groan in disgust, let me reassure you that what follows may actually prove insightful, unlike most other "key to tonight's match-up" pieces that simply say score, defend and rebound better than your opponent.  There are a few things that I'm looking for as indicators of successful play by both sides which go much deeper than the usual mundane crap, so bear with me.

Continue reading "Celtics v. Blazers Preview Extravaganza"

Rajon Rondo is in the carpool lane on the highway to superstardom.  As third year point guard, Rondo doesn't have the instinct or raw talent of CP3, or the strength of DWilliams.  But what h

Continue reading "Rajon Rondo"

(cue the Biggie...)  I'm going out of town for the long holiday weekend, so all of you out there (if there are any of you) are going to have to survive for a few days without my wonderful and insightful analysis about all things basketball for a few days.  (I'll pause for a moment to let you scream in anguish and control your sobbing...)  But fear not, I will be back with even more opinions and prognostications about the realm of professional sports on Tuesday, and by then I should have plenty to write about.

Continue reading "Thanksgiving Send Off Spectacular"

ons last season?  I certainly do, and do you know what the number one issue always was for the Boston Celtics against the Pistons?  It was the point guard match up, which at the time was the 6'3" 202 pound Chauncey Billups against the 6'1" 170 pound Rajon Rondo.  Does anyone remember the first Celtics home loss from last season, because I sure do (I was a history major, you know).  To refresh your memory, Chauncey Billups dropped 28 points and 8 assists on the Celtics that night, including two free throws that decided the game in the final second and propelled Detroit to an 87-85 win.  Although Rajon Rondo did not foul Billups on the decisive play (it was, of course, Tony Allen), Rondo was over matched for the entire game in what was to be a foreshadowing of future match ups with the big point guard.  

Continue reading "Raving About Rondo Part Deux: A Pat ..."

Celtics fans have nothing to worry about.  They showed everyone tonight that they are still the same dominant team that won the title last season.   

They beat the Pistons for the second time this season, in a game that was never even close.  They played physical in every phase of the game.  They out-hustled the Pistons, out-rebounded the Pistons and out-defended the Pistons. 

Continue reading "Celtics Sound Off Crystal Clear Message"

Kendrick Perkins with his league leading 7th technical right before the half?  I am surprised the Celtics lead the league in technical fouls this season and more shocked that Perkins leads the team.  Are the Celtics getting a little too boistrous after their championship? 

Continue reading "Second Half Should See More of Same"

I find myself truly excited to watch the Detroit Pistons play the Boston Celtics tonight.  

I am not excited because the game might be a close one or because I think the Celtics are going to win.  I am excited because this game could go a long way toward indicating what to expect the rest of the season. 

Continue reading "Can't Wait To See It!"

the constant late game heroics of Paul Pierce fool you, something is very wrong with the 2008-2009 Boston Celtics.  Actually, “something” isn’t even the right word, because there are multiple things wrong with this year’s Celtics team that if uncorrected, will spell disaster for the defending champs come springtime.  If you don’t already believe me, then I would respectfully refer you to the tape of last Friday’s pathetisad home loss to the Denver Nuggets as evidence supporting my forthcoming claims. 

Continue reading "Alarm Bells are Ringing"

You can't turn on a TV or pick up a newspaper in the greater Boston area these days without the same never-ending argument slapping you squarely in the face: Does Paul Pierce rank among the top 10 players in the NBA?

Continue reading "Truth Time"

h as the Pistons), I think you'd be hard pressed to find a better suitor for your services than the Boston Celtics.   You've seen and experienced their brand of basketball firsthand, and you know better than most what a group of capable, talented, hardworking and skilled group of veteran ball players can do with a little bit of personal sacrifice, now imagine what it would be like to take a duck boat tour of Boston while being bombarded with congratulatory cheers and adulation from an entire city.  

Continue reading "For Your Consideration: An Open Letter ..."

It's been a while since the Detroit Pistons haven't been near the top of the league. Their players buy into the team concept, they play good defense, and they are consistently well coached and well managed from the front office.

Continue reading "What is Joe Dumars thinking?"

The Denver Nuggets did the right thing in getting rid of Allen Iverson.  They never should have traded for Iverson to begin with.  Iverson is one of the most overrated basketball players in the history of the NBA.  The Pistons are sure to suffer and lose all hope of any run to a title.

Continue reading "Allen Iverson Trade is Stupid Move on Pistons Part"

n intended but the Indiana pacers were surely lucky to be in the receiving end of a sloppy Boston Celtics team. Turnover after turnover, the Celtics looked as if they don't know where their teammates were at the basketball court. Credit must also be given to Indiana's defense but honestly, it was just one of the worst games that the Celtics ever had in the past year. There goes 82-0, no one can ever reach that insane record but nevertheless, if they still play as bad as today, then the repeat would be impossible.

Weirder things has happened in the beginning of the season, the San Antonio Spurs are 0-2 and if you forgot already, they were champions a couple of years ago. Anyways, it's still too early to tell but if the Celtics really play as sloppy as today, then maybe they need to improve because there are more tougher teams than Indiana. What sucks more is that the Celtics lost even if Mike Dunleavy, Jr. did not play. 

The Celtics must not feel complacent in every quarter. Eventhough they have the capability to catch up in the fourth quarter, still, they can't pull off that trick all the time. As Doc Rivers sat by the scorer's table in disbelief, the Boston fans were in awe with what happened in Indiana, their shots were always falling while the Celtics had a very hard time to get a ball sliding through the net. It looked as if there was a lid on the Celtics' basket at Conseco Field House.

Big Ups to Danny Granger and TJ Ford, but truth be told, all I can say is that they just really got lucky that the Celtics sucked today.

November 4 =

Continue reading "Sloppy Celtics Lose to Lucky Pacers ..."

I really thought this would be the year.  The first 82-0 season ever.  Now it's all over.

Okay, I'm kidding.  I didn't actually think the Celtics or anybody else was going 82-0.  Especially not when you play like that.  

Continue reading "There Goes 82-0"

The Celtics started out the season with Paul Pierce crying, then torching the Cavs with 27 points in a 90-85 win on Tuesday night.  Boston started off sluggish after their ring ceremony but came alive in the 3rd quarter outscoring Cleveland 24-13.  Pierce took it to LeBron once again.  Most people talk about LeBron being the best player in the league...but how come Pierce always has his way with him?  I'm not going to consider LeBron to be better than Pierce until he starts making some free throws (4 for 8) or an outside jump shot (0 for 4 from 3 point range).  LeBron had 22 points but they were mostly dunks and layups.  If you watch SportsCenter you'd think James had a great game with a few dunks but if you watched the game you know better.  Rondo had the 2nd best stat online on the Celtics with 14 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds, and 3 steals in only 30 minutes. 

Continue reading "The Boston Celtics are 2 games into ..."

arnett's zero.  So, he is basically Garnett with range.  Garnett is on the world champion Boston Celtics and Granger is on the lowly Indiana Pacers.  That is the only explanation I have for not knowing who Granger was.

Continue reading "The Best Player I've Never Heard Of"

He shot four three-pointers and missed them all.  He shot eight free throws and missed four of them, including two near the end of the game.  If he could have made just one three-pointer and two of those free throws, the game could have been a victory for the Cavs.  Lebron James simply cannot shoot a basketball.

Continue reading "Same Old Lebron Loses To The Celtics"

ent, but a nice end to a historic night. 

I will close by saying that yes, I referred to the Boston Celtics as "we," "us" and "our" five times in this post.

Continue reading "Sloppy, Emotional, More or Less Satisfying"

Lebron James is an amazing athlete. He is big, strong, and fast and he can pass a basketball pretty well, but he is not a good basketball player by NBA standards.

The media love to talk about James. They love to tell us how good he is and how he carries the Cavaliers to victory time and time again. James can hit a fade away three pointer and the commentators will talk for five minutes about James’ amazing ability to get you from all angles on the court.

Continue reading "Lebron James Isn't Really That Good"

The Boston Celtics have definitely proven their worth as a championship team. Their cinderella story has came true the previous season and now comes the hard part. It's time to defend and it's time to prove that they are deserving to be called NBA Champions. Paul Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett will have their hands full this season as many teams have improved their line-ups.

Continue reading "TOP 5 EASTERN CONFERENCE TEAMS that ..."

TAR:

EAST WINS OVER THE WEST

ROOKIES WIN OVER SOPHOMORES

PLAY-OFFS:

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1) Boston Celtics

2) Cleveland Cavaliers

3) Detroit Pistons

4) Orlando Magic

5) Philadelphia Sixers

Continue reading "PREDICTIONS for the NBA 2008-2009 SEASON"

Twenty-one and a half hours stand between us and the commencement of the Celtics season, and yours truly managed to score some tickest not only for tomorrow night's game, but for Friday night's as well.

Continue reading "Season's Greetings"

ad our draft the other night and I was able to draft both Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics. 

Seeing these players on my team got me to thinking about the upcoming season and what to expect.  I looked over the rest of the Celtics roster for this season and it looks exactly like last season's roster. 

Continue reading "Celtics Look The Same in '08 as in ..."

Many may doubt a repeat from the Boston Celtics due to the trades made out in the Eastern Conference. Definitely, many teams have improved with regards to their line-up. You have Toronto with two imposing big men, then you also have Philadelphia adding up Elton Brand. The Eastern Conference has beefed up for sure but as the saying goes, "Don't ever underestimate the heart of a champion."

Continue reading "Steps for the Celtics to Defend the Title (Part 1)"

Here is the line-up for the 2008-2009 BOSTON CELTICS

Guards:

Rajon Rondo, Gabe Pruitt, J.R. Giddens, Eddie House, Sam Cassell, Tony Allen, Ray Allen

Forwards:

Paul Pierce, Leon Powe, Glen Davis, Kevin Garnett, Brian Scalabrine, Bill Walker

Continue reading "Who's In, Who's Out? Boston Celtics ..."

He could lead a team, establish defense and impose himself offensively if he wants to.

The Boston Celtics is the best team because they have come up with the winning formula to capture a crown. Though many say that the "Big Three" does it all, we can't just disregard the bench and the role players who's ready to step up in any given situation.

Continue reading "ABOUT ME & WHY THE CELTICS IS THE BEST TEAM"

I blinked my eyes and - poof - the Darius Miles experiment was over.

The Celtics waived the lanky forward this week, after a mini-audition throughout the pre-season that featured short bursts of minutes. He may have never amounted to anything legitimate, but now we'll never know. Everyone said the Celtics were "taking a gamble" by signing Miles in the off-season, but what kind of gamble is it if you never let the guy have a chance.

Continue reading "Done experimenting"

So my opinion is this: The Boston Celtics won the last championship in 1986 and brought it back to the big house last season, but haven't repeated a win in over 40 years if I am correct, the bi

Continue reading "Boston's Big Three see Extended Minutes ..."

been a Boston sports fan the entire time.  Without a doubt my biggest allegiance lies with the Boston Celtics.  My family has had season tickets since the day I was born, and I have bled Celtic green for 22 years.  Of course winning the 2008 NBA Championship was quite a feeling, but I've had other great moments as a Celtics fan and plenty of bad moments.  Through the thick and thing I have stuck with this team, including the drafting of Chauncey Billups and Ron Mercer instead of Tim Duncan.  It has all been worth it.  I've had the privilege of being at the then-FleetCenter for Game 1 of the 2002 Playoffs against Philadelphia where they marched all of the all-time greats onto the court with everyone in the crowd waving a rally towel, the current team on the jumbotron getting ready to come to the floor; and I can admit that I got a little choked up.

Continue reading "Welcome to my blog! Here's a little about me..."

Another close game ends in a Celtic's victory led by Tony Allen's 32 points, without the help of Boston's big 3 who were absent from play. Boston who was at one time down by 14 overcame the

Continue reading "Boston Wins Another Thriller in Preseason Play"

Leon Powe (Celtics) scored 17 points in the win over the Cavaliers, his last shot on the go ahead basket with just over 2 minutes left in the Fourth Quarter leading Boston to the 90-86 win over the Ca

Continue reading "Celtics with close with over Cavaliers ..."

For all you Boston Celtics fans I hope last years title was bitter sweet because the Celtics will not repeat.  Yes, they may have the big 3 back but this time around teams will be better p

Continue reading "Celtics are over hyped!!!!!!!!!!"

Don’t take this the wrong way, but I like a little violence, in sports that is. I think most people who like sports agree. The biggest reactions from spectators usually occur after a big coll

Continue reading "Violence Has It's Place"

Fast forward to last week, and the first three pre-season games for the defending world champion Boston Celtics. Two things stood out in my mind almost immediately: Bill Walker can play in this league, and Gabe Pruitt could be a solid back-up combo guard. Whether either of those things happens in Boston remains to be seen, and one of the reasons that's an issue is Cassell.

Continue reading "Ready for the roster rollercoaster"

6 season for me to find my rabid fan persona again.

So why bring this up now? Because the 2007-08 Boston Celtics were the basketball version of the 2004 Red Sox. I've been a Celtics fan as long as I've been a Red Sox fan, and when I lived in Boston I was one of a few hundred people still interested enough to occasionally buy tickets and watch the Celtics live. I fell in love with Ryan Gomes and Al Jefferson and the spunky young players that made up the core of the team, and watched on a nightly basis, knowing full well I was watching the players develop at the expense of having a competitive team.

Continue reading "Back for more"

Tony Allen's game-high 25 points sparked the Celtic's big second half in their win over Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. At half-time the Celtics were at a 5 point deficit but with a big p

Continue reading "Celtics Win Big in Providence"

Well I guess we can't say that they've gotten a good start to their preseason, but since when has preseason had anything to do with the season ahead. (Which I can't WAIT for!!) This Celtic's team wasn

Continue reading "So How 'Bout Them Celtics?"

I don’t know why, but it occurred to me the other day that clothing really changed sports. In ancient Rome, sports were played in the nude. Seriously. That’s probably why there were no

Continue reading "Thank Goodness for Uniforms"

So, we all know that Boston won the big championship. One that included a long strenuous run through the playoffs with a big performance ending in Glory. Next question we should be asking ourselves

Continue reading "CELTICS FANS"

p;Instead, I'm going to hide from my problems inside the twisted world of the NBA, where my beloved Boston Celtics are still champions, and my mistresses, the Portland Trailblazers are looking better than ever and are brimming with talent and potential.

Continue reading "Little Wing?"

king aside, the NBA season tip off should be fantastic, pairing the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, October 28th.  In case you were wondering, that’s only forty days and a few hours away, and already I’m giddy and fidgeting like a kid who’s hopped up on adderal on Christmas Eve (nice imagery, no?).  In case you have forgotten the epic battle between these two teams in the second round of the Eastern Conference Playoffs last year, I suggest that you hit up youtube.com for highlights, or better yet just drop by mi casa and I will gladly subject you to the championship DVD (fair warning: you come for one, and you may get sucked into watching the DVD from the Red Sox’ 2004 World Series run).

Continue reading "Return of the Rivalry"

Well, basketball is over and Major League Baseball is heading into the All Star break, which means that the real baseball season is about to begin.  I know, I am waaaaaaaaaaayyyyy overdue for this year's first rabid Red Sox post, but honestly I've been a little bit preoccupied with the WORLD CHAMPION BOSTON CELTICS and basketball in general (it has overtaken baseball as my favorite sport, though the Red Sox are and always will be my first love) to really dive into the first three meaningless months of the grueling and arduous MLB season.

Continue reading "Just Hit"

You're probably asking yourself how I could make such a bold statement, especially considering the age of the three superstars who anchored this team.

I'm a Celtics hooligan - this is very true. But I also believe the fortunes for now and the immediate future changed dramatically on July 31, 2007.

Continue reading "Why the Celtics are set for the next 5 years"

 "The Big Three," "Drive for 17." With all the media attention focused on the two recently-added all-stars and the team's comeback this season, a young player's name may have gotten lost in the shuffle, Rajon Rondo. Sure, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, and KG are the present heroes of the Celtics, but it's the young players like Rondo who are the future of this franchise. With his remarkable intelligence at the ripe age of 21, Rondo is a promising leader as point-guard for a team that will undoubtedly be successful in the playoffs for several more years. Look at where he's led his team so far. Although he makes some unwise decisions, this is to be expected from a second-year player. Some fans have criticized Rondo's inexperience as it was evident in game five of the finals against the LA Lakers. During one play, Rajon Rondo had an opening and took it to the paint, but instead of finishing, he dished the ball to Pierce for a jumper from beyond the arc, which missed.

Continue reading ""

Well, well, the day is finally here.  Tonight, I (along with many other rabid basketball fans) will have my eyes and ears glued to my TV set to find out who will go number 1 overall what crazy-ass (Benny, you were an English major, do I need to hyphenate "crazy-ass"?) deal Blazers General Manager Kevin Pritchard will swing during this year's NBA Draft.

Continue reading "First Draft"

Are you like me? Are you thinking that last week’s NBA Finals should go down as one of the biggest disappointments in league history? Lakers-Celtics was supposed to rekindle the drama and mystique of the Finals; a match-up steeped in tradition, the best team from each conference squaring off in a best-of-seven, no-holes-bared, knockout, high-caliber glitz-fest. The glitz was plentiful, but the high-caliber basketball never really materialized.

Continue reading "Disappointing Finals"

Call the cops cause the Lakers got murdered last night, as the Celtics went on to win their record 17th championship . After dominating the Western Conference playoffs, the Lakers got beat up and down the floor last night. It even left red blood stains on Doc's suit, it was actually red Gatorade. The Celtics defense held the Lakers to 42.2% shooting, forced 18 steals, and if not for some garbage time buckets in the final three minutes the Lakers had only scored 85 points. They were able to stop the Laker's aggressive play by cutting off passing lanes and coming over to help when they saw the Lakers move to the basket.

Continue reading "Someone Call 911..."

ies for the delay in between the axe murdering defeat of the Los Angeles Lakers at the hands of the Boston Celtics, but seeing as it was their NBA record 17th title, and the first since 1986 (can’t say I remember that one), I thought that instead of immediately pumping out a sloppy reaction column to the Celtics’ 39 point mop-the-floor-with-Pau-and-Kobe victory, I’d spend two days getting hammered in celebration and then pump out a sloppy reaction column later (that’s it boy, show off those $100,000 liberal arts study skills!).  So without further ado, let the praise, adulation, and probably more than a few sick burns commence!

Continue reading "Defense Dominates"

Last night the Boston Celtics won the NBA championship and broke some records in the process. They won by 39 points which is near the record for biggest margin. This is their 17th championship, which makes them the franchise with the most championships.  The Celtics had 18 steals, which is a record for the championship clincher.  Ray Allen had 7 3-pointers, yet another record for a game of this magnitude!  The magic # though, is 3...the big 3 to be exact!

Continue reading ""Anything is Possible!""

I'm somewhat at a loss for words today (surprising, no?).  All I can say is that the Lakers got lucky last night in more ways than just the favorable officiating (Kobe just about hacked Paul Pierce's arm off on the decisive steal, but the game was not lost there).  The Lakers are lucky that KG missed two crucial free-throws (which, should the Celtics lose will become the mother of all albatrosses hanging around the Big TIcket's neck), and especially lucky that 3 of 5 Celtic starters are hurt during the biggest games of the entire season.  Knowing that, the Lakers should be ahead, they should be cruising to a championship, but they aren't.  The Celtics botched game five and spoiled a brilliant performance by Paul Pierce that could have, and should have clinched the series. The bad news for LA is that the Celtics know that, and they won't let it happen again.

Continue reading "Redraw"

When you're going up against the NBA's best defensive team, something's got to give; but for the Lakers, it's not a foul!  They seem to be in the penalty from the jump and their attitude causes them technicals to boot!

Continue reading "LAkers or HACkers?"