Celtics Preseason Game 1: So, What Did We Learn?

Well, folks...the first preseason game for the Boston Celtics post-New Big Three is in the books. So...what did we learn?

From my perspective, we now know a few little things about a lot of things we don't yet know. Got it? Good!

 

In no particular order of impression, here are the things that stood out:

* Brad Stevens is a patient guy. Not just with the team, which clearly has some deficiencies, but also with the sports media. To the numbskull who tried to explain to Stevens that the NBA isn't college basketball...congratulations. You're now the town moron.

* This Kelly Olynyk guy can play a little. Okay, I actually knew that already from having watched him work in Summer League. But, it was great to see that he was still comfortable doing his thing against real NBA-caliber defense in a fairly competitive game. His passing skills really can't be overstated. He's going to be very valuable in the future.

* Crash still has some things he wants to break. Gerald Wallace, The Invisible Man in Boston since his trade (you know...the one that sent future Hall-of-Famers Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett out of town with The Jet?), "Crash" showed exactly how he earned his nickname by scrapping, clawing and diving to team high scorer. This guy can definitely be an asset to the younger set as a veteran worthy of emulation. Here's hoping he stays around for a while.

* Sully still loves to get sullied, and by sullied, I mean he does the dirty work and bodies, bangs, tugs and gets his shot off over taller players much the same as he was doing before back surgery took him out for the remainder of his rookie season. I'm still not happy with his recently revealed character flaws, but if he keeps playing like this -- and more importantly, keeps his nose clean -- he's going to provide the C's with a low-post presence they'll need to even think about being competitive this year.

* Kris Humphries can be a crowd favorite? Those words would never have crossed my mind before watching him in action on the floor last night, but the way he boxed out and boarded while putting up a few jumpers and scrappy putbacks has me thinking that it won't be long before fans are defending him when some tiny guard from another team decides to shove him for God knows what.

* Jeff Green was a complete gentleman. And by gentleman, I mean he was not the @$$hole that mentor Garnett and AWOL coach Doc Rivers encouraged him to be. For the Celtics to stay out of the bottom of the East, he's going to have to be less Uncle Jeff and more Mean Jeff Green.

* Courtney Lee still hasn't found it. Let's just hope that it's still sitting at the bottom of one of the moving crates marked "Houston to Boston" so he can unpack that bad boy and become the two-way threat many (including myself) thought he could be.

* Jordan Crawford played (gasp!!) under control!?! While I still think he's more Guards Gone Wild than Steady Eddie, I would LOVE for this version of the CrawDaddy to run the floor here in Boston.

* Filling the role of "veteran stabilizer" will be what Keith Bogans does while here in green.

* Brandon Bass is still Brandon Bass. And that's a good thing.

* We might just have a real center on the roster in Vitor "El Hombre Indestructible" Faverani. His body language certainly says "center" and he changed a couple of shots on defense while showing good hands on the fast break.

* The jury's still out on whether Avery Bradley can man the point until Rajon Rondo returns, but his three-point shooting looked to be back in order and his defense and slashing skills were on full display. Ultimately, he's just not going to be the answer at point, but he'll continue to be one of the best on the ball defenders in the game.

* And, speaking of points...we didn't get to see Phil Pressey try his hand at the position (though Stevens has said that he'll be out there vs. New York on Wednesday) and Mar'Shon Brooks wasn't on the floor long enough to see much of anything, but I expect some good nights from him in the near future.

On To Wednesday!! I'm Yelling Again!!

Box Score
 

Tale Of The Tape

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Who Got Next?:

New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics
Wednesday, October 9th, 2013
7:30 PM

Celtics Begin "Little One" Era As Preseason Kicks Off

That’s right, folks…the Boyz in green are back in town and ready to get down – preseason style, of course! While many (most?) of Boston’s sports-loving faithful are busy simultaneously watching the Red Sox mount their assault on the postseason and march toward another inevitable World Series showdown, lamenting the Patriots loss to the Cincinatti Tigers Bengals or are cheering the boys in black and gold as the Bruins start the season trying to recapture their winning form from last year’s disappointing trip to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Celtics have been busy preparing to start their first season in fifteen years without The Truth to set them free.
 
Recap: Pierce, KG and Doc are gone. Deal with it.

So, as we all dust off our old Antoine Walker jerseys and pretend we were Jeff Green fans from the git, here are just a few of the questions floating around the ether that we’ll begin to gain some resolution on.

So, in a tip of the cap to the chaos that will inevitably reign for at least the first couple of months of the C’s 2013-14 season, I replace that time-honored tradition that time-honored traditionalists like to post before their favorite teams head into battle – “What To Watch For” – with the more appropriate “What’s NOT To Watch For?!?”

As the Celtics start the preseason tonight at 7:30 PM against the much improved (but, really, who’s NOT improved this year besides the Celtics?) Toronto Raptors, here are some of the endless questions that we may begin to see the first grains of resolution for:  

·         What will the Celtics be like in a post-aPaulycliptic world?

 

·         Who is this Brad Stevens fellow, and does he speak Ubuntu?

 

·         Is Jared Sullinger fully healed from his back surgery, and should we even care following his recent domestic violence arrest?

 

·         Is Kelly “The KO Kid” Olynyk for real?

 

·         Will Brandon Bass make us forget Kevin Garnett (sorry…just had to check and see if you were paying attention)

 

·         Can Courtney Lee make us forget about E’twaun Moore, JaJuan Johnson and Sean Williams? (okay, that was just unfair…)

 

·         Is “El Hombre Indestructible” Vitor Faverani really indestructible?

 

·         Can Jeff Green continue to “act like an @$$hole and lead the Celtics?

 

·         Will Kris Humphries be more than just a pretty face with an ugly reality show stint?

 ·        Will Jordan Crawford settle down or will he forever be a castmember of "Guards Gone Wild?"

 

·         Do we FINALLY have a true backup point guard in Phil Pressey?

 

·         Can Gerald Wallace find the fountain of youth and “Crash” the Celtics’ lineup, or is he just playing out the string until the trade deadline lets him off the hook?

 

·         Can Avery Bradley silence the critics by making defenses pay with the jumpshot, dish and dribble while continuing to ensure that his opponents don’t return the favor?

 

·        Can Marshon Brooks realize some of the great potential he showcased as a Nets rookie?

·         Will Rondo be back before the All-Star break? And will the so-called “experts" ever stop monotonously suggesting that he must be traded?

·         What the Hell happened to Donny Marshall?

·         Will new broadcaster Danny Ainge say anything bad about the General Manager and get himself suspended?

 

·         How long will it be before Keith Bogans tires of the rebuild and chokes someone out Leandro Barbosa-style?

These and other breathless questions await…the journey of discovery begins tonight! Tune in to Comcast Sportsnet tonight at 7:30! Why am I yelling?!!? It's pre-season!!!

Post Position: Celtics' Newest "Pole Cats" Key To Any Success In 2013-14

It's no mistake that the two most recent additions to the picture posts in the lobby of North Station at the Garden are also two of the longer tenured players on the roster. It's also no accident that they happen to play the same positions as the two Hall-of-Famers whose shoes they’re about to step into now that they’ve gone cookin’ for Brooklyn.

But, as exciting as it might be for friends, fans and family members of Jeff Green and Brandon Bass to see these guys sharing facetime with the team's one true All-Star, point guard Rajon Rondo along with Avery Bradley and Jared Sullinger (another more recent "pole player" and another key ingredient in the C's kitchen this year), their actual significance to the team and any hopes it may have of an even moderately successful year can't be overstated.

For many, the natural inclination is to say that Green is the new Pierce, and as far as filling the open small forward position, this would be accurate. And he will, indeed, be asked to shoulder some of the load that Pierce once carried. But, fans shouldn't be expecting “The Truth 2.0” or even “Truth-Lite,” or anything resembling the Swiss Army Knife that was Pierce for so many years "giving the game what it needs" whether it was scoring 41 against LeBron in a mano-a-mano Playoff duel or posting multiple triple-doubles in point-forward mode in Rondo's absence.

Well, okay...he's got the "scoring 41 against LeBron" thing handled just fine and then some, but he’s never carried a team for an extended period in any season of his short career and expectations that he fill the sizable chasm of leadership that now exists behind Rondo are not only wrongheaded but just plain unfair. There is only one Paul Pierce (as it will undoubtedly take until his induction into the Hall of Fame for casual fans to fully appreciate) and Green is clearly not cut from the same cloth – but, then, few people are.

What he IS is a hyper-athletic 6" 9' forward that is as comfortable in the low post as he is slashing in from the wing and banging one off some hapless defender's dome or popping threes from the corner. He is an underrated defender and has increasingly shown a willingness to pick up his aggression on offense and, as Garnett once implored him, "be an @$hole." With an even larger role to play and a quicker team to play it with, Green can now thrive in the open court and take more shots in an offense in which he is no longer third and sometimes even fourth fiddle while not having to carry the total scoring burden in the way that Pierce was often forced to with Garnett resting on the bench – especially after Ray Allen took his talents to South Beach.

Brandon Bass is the other key that will determine whether the Celtics sink to the level that experts have been projecting or whether they rise above expectations, particularly with Rondo on the sidelines for a portion of the season and Garnett and his Big D down the road and out of town.

While no one will ever be confusing Bass with The Big Ticket, he has an uncannily similar midrange game (though not quite as consistent), is also unafraid to put his head down and plow to the hoop for a power-flush, and is an above-average defender. In fact, his “D” is vastly underappreciated by most average NBA fans and announcers alike. Just look at the variety of stories written by a heap of knowledgeable voices about both his prowess according to Synergistics (not that I buy into that sort of thing) and about how he is now using his massive 6-foot-9, 250-pound body to try and plug the defensive leadership breach for the team.

One need look no further than his defense against Carmelo Anthony – one of the League’s premier scorers, in case your head has been cryogenically frozen for the past ten years – during the Celtics v. Knicks series in last year’s Playoffs to see what he is capable of.

I know that Bass fell out of favor with a lot of fairweather fans last year as he struggled to regain his footing after Doc Rivers employed a revolving door for his power forwards, alternately starting Bass, then Sullinger, then Bass again when Sullinger went down for the season. While the argument has been made that NBA players are professionals and should be able to handle being shuffled in and out of the lineup with their ego and confidence intact, I challenge readers to honestly consider how well they’d adjust to being “benched” by their boss in favor of that young go-getter from [insert department here] and then being asked to take over for him only after he goes out on sick leave for the year.

Yes, Bass should technically have been able to adjust to the adversity and come to play when his name was called (jeez…I just completed the trifecta of modern sports clichés!), but it seemed clear that his brain was a little scrambled by the process and it took him a while to straighten himself out – not coincidentally around the same time that his main competition for the position was cleared out of the way for the season.

Ultimately, it’s about the team and the sum of its parts, whether Coach Brad Stevens can adjust quickly to the pro game and whether Rondo comes back before the All-Star break – both physically AND mentally. But, for the team to defy the haters and prognosticators, it will be the actions of Uncle Jeff and B Bass that determine whether the Celtics will be stuck under water or if they’re able to stick their heads up and catch a breath or two.

Kudos To Jay King For Story Featuring Avery Bradley's Assist To Ailing Child

Earlier today, as I was sifting through some of the recent Celtics-related news, I came across this great article and video from back on September 4th written by Jay King of MassLive.com about a story that first appeared in the North Providence Valley Breeze.

The story features Avery Bradley and Cedric Maxwell's visit to the home of K.J. Ricci, huge Celtics fan and proud recipient of the Celtics-Re/Max home court makeover contest -- you know, it's the one where the winners get their driveways remade into sweet-looking basketball courts and rooms are decked out in full C's regalia.

Without giving too much of the article away, K.J. is a child seriously ill with an aggressive form of leukemia, which has occurred on top of a rare bone disorder that has required six separate surgeries over the course of the ten short years that he has been alive.

In the video, you can see Bradley (who is dealing with his own adversity since the recent passing of his mother) presenting K.J. with a Celtics jersey featuring the number #13 and "Ricci" on the back, along with one of his own "#0" player jerseys.

As bloggers covering the same subject as hundreds of other bloggers, we can sometimes become too preoccupied with breaking news about the game, its players and all of the minutia surrounding them, but I wanted to take this opportunity to commend Jay for bringing this story to light, along with the North Providence Valley Breeze for breaking it.

You can find the entire story here along with links that take you to K.J.'s FaceBook page and a page where you can make a donation to help defray the spiraling costs of his continuing medical treatment.

Oh, and while we're at it, why don't you go and follow Jay on Twitter here.

Nice work, Jay. Bravo, Sir.

New Hall Of Famer Payton Names Rondo One Of Three True Point Guards

In case you missed it amidst all of your hand-wringing about your fantasy football fails and "pick 'em" faux pas, this little gem from newly minted Hall Of Fame Point Guard Gary "GP" Payton was reported by The Springfield Republican's Tom King via MassLive's Twitter feed:

Gary Payton, a 2013 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee and one of the greatest point guards since the ABA/NBA merger, told reporters Saturday that there are only three point guards in the NBA today.

“We don’t really have point guards in the NBA now. We really have (shooting) guards – and that’s a fact,” Payton said. “I think there’s only three true point guards that play like point guards. I think Chris Paul is one, I think (Rajon) Rondo is one, and I think Tony Parker is the other.” 

Payton will be introduced at his enshrinement on Sunday by John Stockton, the NBA’s all-time assists leader. The nine-time NBA All-Star, known as “The Glove,” ranks eighth in career assists with 8,966.

“John Stockton was the hardest player for me to play against because he wouldn’t talk trash,” Payton said. “I could talk to Michael (Jordan) and maybe get under his skin a little, but Stockton never talked back.”

Coming from one of THE preeminent points the game has ever seen, particularly one who holds down the 8th spot all-time in assists, this ought to give Rondo-haters pause the next time they attempt to leave him off the list of top-three PG's (especially for the likes of Russell Westbrook or Derrick Rose!).

I've long argued that Rondo is one of the few true points left in the game (and have a running battle with friends about him being THE best today when one considers what the job of a PG is actually supposed to be -- hint: it's not to be the primary scorer), and GP's assessment will only serve to fuel the fire that rages within.

But, that's a post for another time.

For now, let's just take this little bit of love from The Glove, cherish #9 a little bit more and hope that he comes back soon.

Legendary Oscar Schmidt Scores Big At Hall Of Fame Induction

 

I know I'm dating myself here (now THAT's true self love!), but I have been a fan of the "Brazilian Bird" Oscar Schmidt since he burst upon the international basketball scene back in the late 1970's and through the 80's. He beat the U.S. entry almost singlehandedly in the 1987 Pan Am Games, scoring a whopping 46 points; he averaged 42.3 in the 1988 Summer Olympics; and he became known well enough around the world to only need one name -- "Oscar." Nuff said!

 

You can check out his Hall of Fame Induction speech here, and I strongly encourage you to do so. In my humble opinion, his was the most entertaining and heartfelt presentation of the day. Oh, and also...Oscar's sponsor into the Hall was a certain well-known green-teamer who was so aptly described by the honoree thusly: "He doesn't run...he doesn't jump, but he plays the best of everyone here." 

But, if you're asking why Oscar's induction is relevant to Greenheadz everywhere, it's not just because his presenter was one Larry Joe Bird (who happened to be one of the three other Celtics hitting the stage in some fashion this year. Bob Cousy, John Havlicek and Bill Walton were the others. Rick Pitino doesn't count cuz he wasn't a "true" Celtic! But, I digress). 

Oscar's induction should be relevant to all because he was one of the best, if not the best, shooters the international game has ever seen...reminiscent of our own "greatest shooter ever," #33, and Celtics fans tend to appreciate great basketball players wherever they might come from and whomever they may have played for.

So, check Oscar out and watch as the Basketball Hall of Fame pays tribute to one of the true greats to have ever played the game.

Okay, fine...if you really want to, you can check out Coach Pitino here, but, if you do that, then you should also watch the rest of the festivities here with Gary Payton, Dawn Staley,  Bernard King, Richie Guerin and the rest.

J.R. Smith Gets Taken To The Hole By Karma

 

Recently, J.R. Smith followed in the tiny footsteps of fellow New York WhinyBaby Ray Felton by wildly overreacting to a statement made this past summer by new Brooklyn Nets arrival Paul Pierce, who stated that it was "time for the Nets to start running New York."  

 

 Calling Paul Pierce "bitter", Smith went on to issue a thinly veiled threat that Pierce's words would have "consequences" and that he would have to pay for them.

 

It now appears that Smith was doing a bit of projecting with his statements as it turns out that he'll be serving a five-game suspension for violation of the NBA's drug policy, which he'll begin upon eligibility to play following rehabilitation after knee surgery. The suspension will also cost him a cool $252,000.

 

How's THAT for consequenses and paying?

 

Maybe now the Knicks can eat a nice STFU sandwich and let their actions speak instead of their mouths. 

 

But, if history holds true...

 

 

They won't.

 

The Boston Celtics/Brooklyn Nets games should be great if for no other reason than nostalgia, but the Nets and Knicks will play four times this season...as Chris Webber loves to say...

CAAAAAN'T WAIT!!!