These C's Please, As Bass Plays @$$ Off

 Well, it certainly has been a while, eh, GreenHeadz?

After a month-long hiatus from talking about the team I love to love, I’m finally back in the saddle (for a little while, anyway…).

So, what is it that’s brought me back this time? What troubling topic or sensational situation has stirred me out of my long winter’s nap (other than the overwhelming need to empty some words onto a site that probably only myself and MAYBE my Mom and Dad will read, that is)?

The answer? “A couple of things.”

The first would be a loud and obvious skipalong down DUH’sVille Lane with me exclaiming as many, many others already have this season: “I really like this team.”

But, I wanted to also talk about Brandon Bass for a second. I know, I know…I’ve already talked about him at length earlier this season in reference to both he and Jeff Green being the keys to keeping the Celtics from going completely under while Rondo rehabs his surgically stigmatized knee. Here’s the thing, though. I didn’t do him nearly the amount of justice he deserved because plays like the one he made against Dion Waiters in the closing seconds of the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers are somehow still treated as the exception and not the rule at this point, which is dead wrong.

Bass has been, perhaps, the Celtics' most consistent defender this year, taking up for the team and filling in the rather sizeable chasm that was left when defensive heart, soul and all around wizard Kevin Garnett departed for bleaker times down in Brooklyn.

Bass has not only rushed in to plug the breach, contributing to the Celtics ranking as 5^th in the league in points allowed, he’s helped to bring along the young cadre of big men that the Celtics look to as the future of the team in Jared Sullinger, Kelly Olynyk and Vitor Faverani. He’s been one of the most consistent of these surprising Celtics thus far, and I still wonder aloud (to anyone who will listen) why so many people continue to believe he has to be part of some dump-and-run trade to land a player who may or may not be as consistent.

Don’t get me wrong, I do see how Sullinger is morphing right in front of us into, as some have somewhat prematurely called him, “the Kevin Love of the East.” And, I am still among the “Kelly Will Do Swell-ly” fan club members who united over Olynyk’s summer league success, but I still see a role for a veteran big man who isn’t afraid to defend the post, can hit the sweet 15-footer, and power to the hole when all else fails.

My other reason for coming out of mothballs after a month in the closet (yes, I DO know how that sounded, thank you very much)?

I have had a major change of heart with respect to “winning by losing.”  

As you may remember (all three of you who have been faithfully reading this blog), I talked about how, while I was 152.08% against any form of tanking, I was also not sad about the idea that the Celtics would be bad, very bad, without Rajon Rondo as their sole superstar for a portion of the season, which would be good, very good, because we had almost as many first round draft picks as Keith Bogans will have DNP’s for the C’s and the lower the pick, the more likely they’ll click (or something equally rhymey and exciting).

The only problem? This team genuinely seems to want to win and, on most nights, just about plays its heart out. I really want to see these guys continue to develop their chemistry and collective ability to fight their way out of trouble to grab the win against more talented teams. I want to see these guys go through adversity together and come out on the other side with an understanding about what it takes to win in any situation. And, I want to see this team claw its way into the Playoffs and dare the other teams to tell them why they don’t belong there yet.

Of course, this means that they would play themselves right out of the Lottery, but you know what? I really don’t mind that. Did I mention that they had a bunch of first round draft picks?

Here’s my thought process on the whole thing:

The Baby C’s battle through the season, even taking it up a notch with the inevitable return of Rondo in the second half of the season; they get to the 8^th or – gasp! – even 7^th spot in the East, take their lumps in the first round against the top seed while gaining valuable experience; and then Danny “Trader Dan” Ainge wheels and deals a few of the picks and maybe a Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, Courtney Lee and/or Bogans into a Lottery selection after all.

Hell, with the way the season is going for the Nets, and the fact that they essentially took a large, stinky poop on any chance to contend in the not-too-distant future by making it rain on the Celtics with their former draft picks, the Celtics will still have lottery picks in the bank when they finally hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy overhead in the Garden.  

Celtics Back To Winning Ways With Losing Days

Now that’s more like it.

The Celtics are finally back on track after a spell of disagreeable basketball.

I say “back on track” because they’ve now lost five in a row, and I say “disagreeable basketball” because I don’t agree with that four-game win streak. I mean, what the Hell are they trying to prove, anyway? This train’s bound for glory and by glory, I mean the NBA Draft Lottery.

Look, I love wins as much as the next guy, but we’re playing for much more than a handful of W’s. We’re playing for the big picture, and that doesn’t include making a first-round exit in the Playoffs. Been there, done that.

Now, I’m being a little facetious (emphasis on the “little”). Of course I want our Celtics to be competitive, which I think they can be on most nights. And, I’d have to be crazy (or a New York fan) to not want these guys to start developing a winning attitude so that, when the time comes and the right team is in place, they know how to win the right way. Tanking is not an option. It has never worked for the Celtics, and history makes the strong argument that it hasn’t really helped many other teams, either.

That said, the Celtics best chance at near-future contention is not to please the fairweather fanbase but to draft smartly, trade wisely and play the style of basketball to match the talents of those wearing the green and white jerseys.

For those of you who believe that draft picks won’t get the C’s back into championship contention, that’s just crazy talk. With a draft that is believed to be as deep as any in recent memory and the Celtics in possession of six first round picks in the next five years, there is a significant opportunity to draft a once in a blue moon superstar to pair with Rajon Rondo, Jared Sullinger, Jeff Green, Avery Bradley and Kelly Olynyk. Hell, they may even be able to draft two. And, if Danny Ainge and co. believe that the player they need is already toiling for the NBA, then he can trade off a combination of multiple picks and a superfluous player (Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries and/or Keith Bogans, anyone?) or two (see: “Like 2008 Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen”).

My point is, as I have said before, true GreenHeadz should just sit back, relax and embrace the stress-free simplicity of the 2013-14 Boston Celtics. You’ll be glad you did in about three years.

Bring it, Indiana! And, remember...

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

Un-Flagrante Derelecto: The Anatomy Of A Good Call Gone Bad

The Top Ten Reasons Why NBA Referees Rescinded This Flagrant Foul

 

10- "Oh! You said 'flagrant!' We thought you said fragrant, and it definitely wasn't THAT!"

9- "We thought Bogans saw Leandro choking on a piece of gum. You know, come to think of it...it WAS kind of high for the Heimlich."

8- "Well, the head didn't come off or anything, so..."

7- "Election Day Bet: Loser had to give the winner a neck rub on national television."

6- "Wow...how about that Petraeus thing, right?"

5- "Sooo...they WEREN'T playing telephone?"

4- "Hey, what's flagrant about a good 'ol man-squeeze?"

3- "It was tough to interpret this one...I mean, Leandro talks all Brazillian and stuff."

2- "You didn't get Commissioner Stern's memo? Hug-it-out Thursdays, Bro!"

And the number one answer...

1- "Obamacare."