With Game 7 of the NBA Finals safely in the rearview mirror the Boston Celtics are faced with a multitude of questions that resonate throughout the organization about their future.  Coach Doc Rivers is still unsure whether he will return to the team for another season.  General Manager Danny Ainge has been linked to rumors about the GM vacancy in Phoenix.  Paul Pierce could opt out of the last year of his deal, which would pay him just over $21 million this season.  Ray Allen has come off the books, and does not currently have a contract.  For that matter the Celtics have only 6 players under contract for the 2010-2011 season, Pierce (if he picks up his player option), Kevin Garnett, Glen Davis, Kendrick Perkins (who will miss some of next season follow his knee injury), Rajon Rondo, and Rasheed Wallace (if he doesn’t retire). 

For now Ainge is still the GM for the Celts and he will be entering tonight’s all important draft aspiring to obtain the right players to fit the Boston puzzle.  With the 19^th pick in this year’s draft, which direction will Ainge and the Celts go?  While really analyzing this Celtics team there is only one constant for next year, that’s Rajon Rondo.  Glen Davis will still be a solid contributor off the bench, but Perk is hurt to start the season, while the rest of the current 6 player roster is aging, and past their prime. 

The Celts could look for a potential back-up to Rondo, that seems to have been a thorn in their side for the past couple years and could be resolved in the draft.  With Ray Allen not currently under contract, and Pierce aging, the C’s could look for a scorer, one who could help now and in the future.  With Kendrick Perkins hurt to begin next season, and Rasheed Wallace seemingly taking retirement into consideration, a big post-player could be in the works for Boston. 

As it seems, the Celtics need help in every area possible heading into this draft.  If you’re in the camp that believes an instant impact back-up point guard is the right choice, look for the likes of Freshman PG Avery Bradley out of Texas.  Bradley can hit the knock down jumper and is quick on defense if he concentrated on doing so, unfortunately he is a slightly undersized at 6’2” or so, and is not a prototypical PG, as he looks for his shot rather than the pass first mentality.  Eric Bledsoe a PG/SG out of Kentucky could also be an option.  Much overshadowed by teammates John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins, Bledsoe is a scorer who can hit the shot, and has the quickness to create.  The only reason he is listed as a PG, however, is because of his 6’1” height.  He is a natural 2 guard who still has a lot of growing and maturing to do, but the talent is there. 

If the Celts are targeting a scorer, more of a natural 2 or 3 on the court look for guys like Jordan Crawford of Xavier, Damion James from Texas, Dominique Jones from South Florida, Quincy Pondexter of Washington, Elliot Williams of Memphis, Luke Babbit from Nevada, James Anderson from Oklahoma State, or Gordon Hayward of Butler (if he drops).  James and Pondexter are both seniors, that spent the better part of 4 years leading their respective teams.  They would both be willing to accept defensive roles, while continuing to improve their scoring and shooting ability.  Both players are about the same size around 6’6” and 220 lbs and predominantly play the small forward position.  Williams, Jones, Crawford, and Anderson are more shooting guard types that come in between 6’4” and 6’6”.  This is a very athletic group that has been known as me first type players, looking mostly for their own shot.  Jumpers for all 4 players would need to be improved, as well as defensive intensity and desire to play on the defensive end, but their athleticism and ability to score the ball is not in question.  Babbit and Hayward are long shots to drop to 19^th on the board, but are similar players.  Both players are long and athletic, Babbit more so than Hayward.  I’d look for Hayward to be more of a shooter, who is sure to have plenty of trouble on the defensive end, and cannot really create his own shot if the defense covers him tightly; whereas Babbit is more of an active perimeter player who can score, and not strictly on jumpers.

Finally if you believe the Celts will look to go big, then look for Daniel Orton out of Kentucky or Cole Aldrich from Kansas (if they drop), Hassan Whiteside from Marshall, or Solomon Alabi from Florida St.  I don’t expect Orton of Aldrich to be on the board at 19, but Orton is full of potential would be a bit of a project, but has the height and strength to play in the NBA, it’s the maturity one could worry about.  Aldrich will never be a star, but is a smart and solid player who is the type of guy any organization would want on their team.  Whiteside is a 7-footer, who has maturity issues, but has the length and athleticism to play in the NBA; last year at Marshall he averaged over 5 blocks per game.  Alabi is the long shot for the C’s, I doubt they look his way, but if they do it’s understandable.  He is also a 7-footer who comes just inches shy of touching the rim while standing straight up with his arms extended.  He would be another project though, a very raw talent that would take time, but in the long run could be worth it.

All of that being said, in my eyes, the 2010 NBA draft is a weak year for players.  There is an exorbitant amount of potential in this draft, but an organization never really knows is that potential is going to pan out into pure talent.  Danny Ainge has never shied away from draft day trades, and if he can find a good package for their 19^th pick look for him to quickly move it in favor of a veteran player. 

Sean Sendall – follow me on Twitter

Perk in Pain

Kendrick Perkins may not be the flashiest player.  He may not be the most effective player, and he certainly isn’t the best center in the league, but he is one hell of a defensive player, and good at his role. 

By now we’ve all seen the highlight of Kendrick Perkins coming down between Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum, his knee clearly moving in a direction unnatural, and quivering to watch.  After watching it just once, it comes to no surprise that the starting Center for the Boston Celtics tore his MCL and PCL.  With one remaining game in the NBA season the Celtics will look to fill that large void on the floor left by the absence of Perkins.  Just how will they pull that off for Game 7?

Perkins averaged 28 minutes per game for Boston this season, and was a cornerstone of their defense, especially when countered by the likes of a Shaquille O’Neal, Dwight Howard, and now the towers of L.A. in Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom.  For a quick statistic, Perk’s net plus/minus was +7.0 for the Celtics this season (for an explanation on plus/minus site my Rasheed Wallace blog).  Perkins was effective for Boston when he was on the floor, and the C’s are taking a blow losing him, but that doesn’t make it a foregone conclusion that the Lakers now have the upper hand. 

Andrew Bynum has been hobbled over the past few games, clearly dragging a bit while on the floor.  I look for Bynum to only give a solid 4-8 minutes in Game 7, while the rest of his time he will be a shell of himself.  With L.A.’s starting center running around on one leg the Celtics will have to take advantage of that by taking him out of the paint.  The likes of Glen Davis, Rasheed Wallace, and yes Brian Scalabrine will be able to open the floor up for penetration and drag Bynum out of the paint. 

Expect to see Scalabrine get some time in Game 7.  Scal is a big body who can bump down low, of course he has 6 fouls to give, and he can stretch the defense and open lanes to the hoop because he is an outside shooting threat.  

The part that Doc Rivers and his staff must stress tonight will be the rebounds and boxing out.  Perkins may not get every board, but when he doesn’t he is normally preventing his man from pulling down the rebound as well.  A downside of stretching the floor for this Celtics team this year has been the lack of rebounding when they are stretching themselves thin.  All 5 players cannot be 18-plus feet away from the rim when the shot goes up.  Rasheed Wallace, Glen Davis, Kevin Garnett, and all of the Celtic big men need to be aware that Perk is not down there doing the dirty work anymore.  This will need to be a team effort to get past a talented Los Angeles team. 

Wallace has played his best basketball for the Celtics when he plays a maximum of 20 minutes a game.  He will be forced to play more for Game 7, but Doc will have other options as well.  Glen Davis should get a small majority of the minutes between himself, Wallace, Scal, and possibly Sheldon Williams. 

Other storylines to watch for:  needless to say rebounding is a huge factor in this series.  Rasheed Wallace’s 3-pt. percentage for the Finals is an anemic 22%.  Defensively in Game 6 Tony Allen held Kobe Bryant to 1 for 7 from the floor, while Kobe was 8 for 12 when being covered by anyone else. 

The Celtics and Lakers both realize that Game 7 is the ultimate challenge in the NBA.  The Lakers have, arguably, the best closer in the league, while the Celts have a man who has never lost a game 7.  Both Kobe and KG are the ultimate competitors, but one team will fall tonight, writing another chapter in the Celtics-Lakers epic rivalry.

Sean Sendall – follow me on Twitter

Rondo

Numbers and theories up and down, left and right have been blurted, spit, spewed, proclaimed, and even vociferated.  One that cannot be disputed, however, is the simple fact that the Celtics are one win away from a second NBA Championship in three years.  Now, as Boston fans, we must remember not to jump the gun.  We can all recall the 2003 Red Sox being a mere 5 outs away from the World Series and…well we all remember what happened, no need to dredge up old memories.  There are a few simple facts of the past two games (both wins for the Green) that could help you predict the winner as the game is being played.

1.  By now we’ve all heard about the rebounding battle between both Los Angeles and Boston.  Nonetheless, the fact remains that the winner of the rebounding battle for each game has gone on to win the game.  Although Game 5 was a 1 rebound differential (35-34) the Celtics won that battle, along with the game.  Look for the rebounding game to be just as crucial in this game as it has in the past 5. 

2.  Fast break points.  A stat that seems to be flying under the radar is not necessarily the Celtic’s fast break points, but the Lakers’ lack of fast break points.  Boston has done a great job the past two games at not allowing L.A. to score off the fast break.  Scoring those types of buckets can be a real momentum changer, and Boston’s transition defense has been phenomenal, holding the Lakers to 2 and 3 fast break points in Games 4 and 5 respectively.  To keep that consistency the C’s have also scored 15 and 14 fast break points of their own in the past two games, again being able to harness that momentum. 

3.  The battle down low doesn’t stop with the boards.  A key to the Celtic’s wins throughout the playoffs has been out battling teams in the paint, on both ends of the floor.  In Game 4 the Celts outscored L.A. in the paint by 20 points, 54 to 34.  Game 5 resulted similarly with Boston outscoring the Lakers 46 to 32 in the paint. 

4.  Double the amount of double-digit scorers.  I know, that sounds odd to say, but it is very simple.  In Game 4 the Celtics had 6 players score in double digits, Garnett, Pierce, Ray Allen, Rondo, Robinson, and Davis.  In comparison L.A. had 3, Kobe, Gasol, and Odom.  For Game 5 Boston scored from different angles again, boasting 4 players topping 10-plus points, Garnett, Pierce, Ray Allen, and Rondo; whereas the Lakers simply had 2, Kobe and Gasol. 

5.  For my final (predominantly) stat driven key to Celtic success:  Keep the Lakers from scoring 90 or more points, while scoring over 90 yourselves.  Games 4 and 5 were 7 and 6 point wins, respectively, and in both the Celtics scored over 90 points as they held L.A. to 89 or less.

As the game progresses keep track of these statistics, chances are that the team that wins these battles will win the game.

Of course there are other factors that go into Game 6 of the NBA Finals.  Pierce establishing himself early on again by going to the hole, and not acting a bit like a baby when he does not get the ball as much as he’d like, and deserved, in the 2^nd quarter of Game 5, is a key factor.  In fact, if the Big 3 can all click at the same time, for the duration of the game, Boston will gain the upper hand.  I worry about the Celtic’s 3-pt. percentage, in the past two games it has been an anemic 25%.  One positive from that statistic, however, is Boston realized it, and only took 12 total 3’s in each of the past two games.  Boston also needs to get to the line.  They attempted 13 free throws in Game 5, and a majority were in the dwindling minutes of the game.  The free throws don’t worry me as much because it wasn’t an overlapping stat, in Game 4 they took 23 and shot 83% from the charity stripe. 

Factors for Los Angeles that could affect the Celtics, outside of the earlier stats, are just as important.  Lamar Odom recently came out and said he’s been suffering from flu-like symptoms for the past few games, whether you believe it or not, the question remains if Odom will ever show up for a game in the Finals.  Pau Gasol is needed if L.A. intends on winning.  The Finals will not and cannot be won with just one star, Gasol needs to be that 2^nd star.  Andrew Bynum’s health has been a huge factor.  When he is playing strong and well he can be a game changer, however, when he is dragging one leg up and down the floor he can adversely affect the Lakers play.  Finally, will Kobe Bryant’s outburst in the locker room following Game 5 help or hurt this Los Angeles team as they try and defend their home court.

Basketball, like any sport, can be incredibly complex.  Home court advantage plays its part, just as much as a team dynamic.  Clearly the home court will not sway back in favor of the Celtics, but will Paul Pierce’s mini outburst from Game 5, pouting with his hands on his hips wanting the ball, come back to bite the Celtics more than Kobe’s expletive driven outburst following his most recent loss?  Or can both teams move on as one is looking for banner 18, with two chances at it, while the other has its back to the ropes, ready to play a little rope-a-dope.

Sean Sendall – follow me on Twitter

Game Four's Energy

Tenacity.  Emotion.  Heart.  Drive and Desire.  Intensity.  These all lead to the crowning jewel, energy!  Between the Celtics and the Lakers in these Finals, the team that has sustained the higher energy level for a longer period of time has won the game. 

The numbers do prove it as such, but the eye test is unmistakably correct as well.  Boston’s bench clearly outplayed not only the Lakers’ bench, but their starters as well.  That’s not just based on the numbers, which were 36 to 18 points in favor of the C’s bench last night, but based on the explosiveness that Glen Davis and Nate Robinson brought to the floor.  Big Baby himself equaled L.A.’s bench scoring, but it wasn’t just his numbers, it was his energy. 

Doc Rivers was looking for his bench to simply sustain and play level with the Lakers when he inserted the reserves into the game, to give his starters some rest.  Rivers was seen repeatedly sending his starters to the scorer’s table to check back in, then calling them back because of the pure enthusiasm the bench was playing with.  With help from the performances of key reserves the Celts outscored the Lakers in the paint, 54 to 34, and out rebounded L.A. 41 to 34. 

For this Celtics team to win a game they must maintain solid energy, which will lead to out rebounding and out working the opposition.  That energy was lost in a majority of both the 2^nd and 3^rd quarters.  When this team needs a shot of energy many times they turn to Nate Robinson.  Robinson is a pure ball of energy, a catalyst that can spark an offense with instant scoring.  Fortunately, for the Celtics, last night not only was Robinson playing his role as offensive catalyst, but Glen Davis was doing the same on both ends of the floor. 

Aside from the energy brought to the floor, this is how the Celtics really beat the Lakers last night:  Andrew Bynum could not go for a majority of the 2^nd half.  With Bynum out, and Davis, Robinson, and Rasheed Wallace in, the floor opened up more.  The paint was clear for Nate Robinson to easily take Derek Fisher off the dribble and penetrate deep into the lane.  Once in the lane Robinson hit a few short floaters, found the open man, or if he happened to have missed Big Baby was beasting the offensive boards, pulling in 4 rebounds on the offensive end. 

One thing that did perplex me as the 4^th quarter progressed was the lack of the use of Kobe Bryant.  There is no doubt that Tony Allen did a great job covering Kobe as the reserves dominated the 4^th, but every time Kobe touched the ball he seemed to have that killer look in his eye that said, “No one can stop me.”  As he backed it up with shots in defender’s faces and unbalanced fades wasn’t the general feeling that Kobe was about to put on one hell of a show?  That’s how I felt, but as the energy shifted to the Celtics the Lakers seemed to play slightly out of their element.  Kobe didn’t touch the ball as much as he should have from a Lakers’ perspective.  Their offense began to consist of Lamar Odom becoming a point forward, and looking to take Davis off the dribble.  Of course that did work a few times, but when arguably the best player in the league doesn’t touch the ball there is a problem.  

The first thing out of my mouth as Game 4 began was, “Thank you Pierce.”  Paul Pierce started the game looking for his shot, and not his shot from 25 feet out, but HIS shot.  Pierce has always been a slasher, who happened to be able to shoot, but slashing to the bucket was his forte.  When Pierce saw a lane early, he took it and went right to the elbow and in.  A 15 foot shot for Pierce is virtually a lay up; he was getting a feel for his game the way you’re taught as a child when you first start playing.  “Begin close, then work your way out,” was the mantra my father would repeat to me any time I wanted to come out shooting 3’s.  A basketball player must get his feel for the game everyday he steps onto the court; just because he was hot one game does not mean that feel will remain for the next, case in point Ray Allen.  Need I say more? 

Rest assured Phil Jackson will make adjustments for Game 5.  The few days off should benefit both teams, as both sides are banged up.  With the series tied at 2 games a piece the 2010 NBA Finals are far from over.  The Lakers are looking forward to heading back to L.A. for the final 2 games of the series, but they still have to get past the Boston crowd one more time.  Consider Game 5 a must win for Boston because the odds of taking 2 in a row in Los Angeles are slim. 

It all comes down to the joule.  How many joules can this Celtics team bring to the floor?  Energy is measured in joules, and with more sustained energy this Boston team can win.

Sean Sendall – follow me on Twitter

Mr. Commissioner David Stern,

As an avid sports fan, and a basketball aficionado, I feel it is my duty to bring overt topics to your attention that you may otherwise have overlooked or ignored.  Do understand that I wrote you this open letter with the utmost respect.

The 2010 NBA Finals have thus far been a travesty.  The script couldn’t have been written any better, but in one way or another, this league has found a way to cast an enormous shadow upon itself. 

With the past two NBA Champions going head-to-head, and such a storied rivalry, your office could not have been happier.  One side the epitome of a team, and the other has arguably the best player in the league.  The teams have combined for 32 Championships over the league’s existence, and both have hallowed pasts.  This match up was the perfect time for the NBA to once again crawl from underneath the most recent shadow cast upon it and wave its flag in glory. 

Unfortunately, the shadow cast by the disgraced referee Tim Donaghy has not been fought off, but brought further under a microscope.  It is becoming clearer that the NBA referees do not mediate on their own accord, but simply do as their told.  When told to swallow their whistles, they do so.  When told to clean the game up, they do so by handing out double technical fouls as if they’re bite size Milky Way’s on Halloween.  When told to call the game tightly they do so, and if anyone breathes too heavily on an opposing player it’s a personal foul. 

With all due respect Mr. Commissioner, as a team the Celtics did not have one player, believe it or not, who averaged 3 fouls per game played.  Perkins, Pierce, and Wallace all averaged 2.8 fouls per game played, and on the Lakers side Andrew Bynum was the only player who averaged 3 fouls per game with the next closest being Lamar Odom at 2.8.  Although it cannot be proven it is clear you, or someone in your office, are advising the referees to call the Finals in a specific way.

In no way am I saying the refs should have free reign on the game, we saw what happened with Donaghy, they do need to be monitored.  However, I do not see how this style of play can be what the league office desires.  David, if I may call you David, each quarter is taking approximately 45 minutes to play.  Let me remind you that these are 12 minute quarters, 12 minutes of actual basketball, the other 33 minutes is who knows what!  I understand, being in the media, that you must pay your bills and you do so with commercials, so there are media timeouts etc.  That does not make up for that fact that a baseball game, with no time limit, can end before these Finals games do. 

Honestly, David, in my eyes it would behoove you to let the refs call a legitimate game, not tightly called, not loosely called, but an honest game.  From a public relations point of view wouldn’t you be losing the casual NBA viewer if there are too many boring stoppages for foul calls?  The NBA is unique to other professional sports because of its constant play, and constant scoring; no other sport can boast that kind of continuous action and scoring.  Use these aspects of the game to your advantage; don’t slow it down to the likes of baseball, or football with its 10 seconds of action and 40 seconds of play calling. 

These Finals are being adversely affected when you see starters, and stars, from both sides riding the bench because of the “ticky tack” fouls being called.  If I were a casual fan of the game, I would not be turning the game on to watch Ray Allen, Kobe Bryant, Rajon Rondo, and Ron Artest on the bench.  In my eyes it would benefit you, David, and the NBA to call a legitimate game not only to speed things up a bit, but also because the players’ people want to watch won’t constantly be riding the pine.  In no way am I saying give the stars the big calls, if they get in justifiable foul trouble then so be it, but it seems as though many of them in Games 1 and 2 were in foul trouble just because the referee’s were calling an extremely tight game.

With the games lasting 3 hours it is very hard for the average person on a week night on the east coast to stay up until midnight to watch the game in its entirety when tip-off is at 9.  Most people have to wake up early for work the next morning, and with each quarter lasting approximately 45 minutes people must make a choice.  Do they stay up to watch the game and risk being tired at work the next day, or do they go to sleep and read about the game the next morning.  I hate to break it to you, but on a week night work wins with many of the viewers. 

I will give your referees and your office credit in two aspects of the Finals thus far.  One, the games are being called extremely tight, and in a way that has me yelling at my television screen half of the game, BUT they are being called tightly and most irritatingly on both ends of the floor.  Celtics fans and Lakers fans alike can recall specific calls that didn’t go their way, but in the end you are being consistent, which is better than giving one team all of the calls.  Two, I believe that you have seen the fault in your 7 technical fouls and you’re suspended rule.  Kendrick Perkins has yet to receive a T in this series, and it is partly because he is trying to walk away more, but I also believe your referees understand what the ramifications would be in the series if he were to be suspended and are using more discretion with the technical foul call than in the earlier series’. 

Mr. Commissioner, all I am trying to do is help you, and your office, get the NBA more recognition throughout the casual fan groupings.  The first two games were well played, exciting basketball, once you got past the frustration with the inordinate amount of foul calls.  I look forward to a long and exciting series between these two teams, one that will again go down in history.  So please, advise the referees to be a part of the game we watch, not THE part of the game we watch.

Also, I’m not sure you can, but just in case, please don’t fine me any money for my comments about the refs.

Thanks,

Sean Sendall – follow me on Twitter

Game 1 in L.A.

It is hardly time to hit the panic button after last night’s debacle we call Game 1.  I needn’t remind the older fans of the “Memorial Day Massacre” which occurred 25 years ago.  For a brief reminder however, it was the 1985 NBA Finals and the Celtics were looking to become back-to-back champions for the first time since ’68-’69.  With home court advantage the Celtics destroyed the Lakers in Game 1, 148-114.  At the time, this was the most lopsided game played in the Finals between the two rivals; it was surpassed in 2008 when the Celtics beat the Lakers in Game 6, 131-92.  The series looked like it had been over before it started, and the Celtics were going to run away with the Championship.  Boston only notched one more win in the series after Game 1, and consequently lost in 6 games to L.A. 

I’m not one to compare the past too much to the present, but for those who were looking to ease their heartache a bit, I hope 1985 is a reminder that Game 1 does not always decide the eventual Champion. 

Clearly the Celtics have a lot of work to do before entering Game 2 on Sunday.  Each player that touched the floor for Boston had one flaw or another to his game, but let’s concentrate on the team as a whole, and what parts need to be looked at. 

If the individual defense is not up to par, then the team defense will suffer immensely.  For instance, Doc Rivers stated after the game that it wasn’t the big men’s fault, but it was more on the exterior defenders allowing the penetration, which will force the help and leave an opponent open for either the pass or an easy rebound.  I agree, to an extent.  Rivers cannot place the entire blame of the poor defense on the perimeter players.  There is supposed to be a rotation on the inside as well, to help the defender who is helping on the ball.  That rotation should allow a Celtics defender to put a bottom on one of the many Laker big men and push him away from the hoop. 

Defense is habitually about hustle, heart, and desire.  The Celtics team last night seemed to lose that drive, and that intensity that brought them to the Finals.  Los Angeles came out and punched Boston square in the mouth, and the Celtics seemed to stagger along from then on. 

Intensity combined with the same defensive output they’ve had for the past 3 series can and will get them a win in Game 2.  Once the defense comes back to form you wont see Pau Gasol notching the same amount of offensive rebounds as the entire Celtics team, 8.  Gasol pulled in 14 total boards which was equal to that of Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, Rasheed Wallace, and Glen Davis COMBINED! 

From top to bottom it looked as though the Celtics were not ready for that Lakers team.  Please don’t be fooled, anyone who has watched the Western Conference playoffs has seen, that the Lakers are a very good team.  They can win in different ways, whether fast-paced or in a set offense.  Don’t expect the Celtics to sit back in Game 2 however.  The first half of play they seemed to be lackadaisical, yet at the half they were within 10 points. 

I’d like to see more out of Pierce in the first 3 quarters.  The vast majority of his scoring came in the 4^th when the game was virtually out of reach; in the 2^nd and 3^rd quarters combined he hit one field goal.  I also expect to see more of a rotation on Kobe Bryant.  Bryant put Ray Allen in foul trouble and forced Allen to be a non-factor, even with Derek Fisher covering him, because he was forced to the bench.  Look to see Allen, Pierce, and Tony Allen on a rotation covering Kobe in Game 2.  Be wary, however, of Tony Allen when he is in the game.  Defenders are treating him like they used to treat Rondo, giving no respect to his jumper.  This packs the middle in and forces more turnovers and long jump shots because it is harder to drive to the hole. 

The Celtics cannot and will not stand for that performance again.  Game 1 will be looked at as an aberration once this series is over, a game where they didn’t leave it all on the floor.  The only question will be is it too late to fix? 

Sean Sendall – follow me on Twitter

History Renewed part 2

The stories of the Celtics vs. the Lakers are heralded in these parts.  Parents tell their kids stories of the good old days, and grandparents tell their grandchildren about the really good old days, back when the NBA was exciting and when a coastal rivalry was at its best.  Of course those stories are synonymous with victory in these parts, with a new chapter and a new story having been written just two years ago when the Celtics hung banner number 17 in the rafters, of course beating the Lakers in the finals.  Once again the chance for amazing story telling is lying just beneath our noses, as history is unfolding in front of our eyes.

By now the numbers have become mind numbing, we have all seen or heard that the Celtics are going to their 21^st NBA Finals, while the Lakers have notched their league leading 31^st Finals trip.  We all know that the Celtics lead the NBA with 17 banners, and the Lakers are nipping at their heels with 15.  We’ve been told in story form about the Celtics 9 Championships over the Lakers, and that the Lakers have beaten the Celts just twice in the Finals, and posted a 40-27 postseason record against their west coast rival.  As fans we care, as fans we remember the good and the bad, and as fans we would like nothing more than to hang up number 18 all the while extending “our” lead in the number of Championships over the Lakers. 

Do those numbers matter though?  Do they hold any merit in this particular match up as we all prepare for Thursday to come?  The answer is mostly no, with one exception to yes. 

The one number that matters to this current Celtics team is 18.  When players put on that Celtic uniform they know about the past.  They know about the storied franchise, and the former greats; but none of that matters.  What matters to this team is being a part of something great.  To be a part of that history, they cannot and do not compare themselves to the past, they concentrate on the future.  What happened in the decades past does not effect how they will approach these games.  What happened just two years ago does not give them a mindset that they are the superior team, and if they paid any mind to those numbers their conclusion would be superiority, and that would lead to their demise. 

This Celtics team is its own entity; it is in fact quite different, not just from the teams of the 60’s, but from itself just two years ago.  This team is run by its point guard.  Rajon Rondo has become an all-star who can, on any given night, notch a triple-double.  Just two years ago Rondo was the starting point guard for Boston, but against the Lakers in the Finals his minutes per game averaged just over a half, at 27.  This Celtics team needs Rondo not only to facilitate for others by running the offense, but also to score and rebound.  Nate Robinson was an asset off the bench vs. Orlando, but if Rondo is healthy look for him to average around 40 minutes per game in this series.

The Big 3 come into these Finals having all logged a lot of minutes thus far in the playoffs.  This doesn’t bode well for an aging Pierce, who is going up against a tough defender in Ron Artest.  Artest has been known to really frustrate and lock down Pierce.  Over the past two seasons (one with LA and one with Houston for Artest) Pierce and Artest have met 4 times in the regular season, and none in the playoffs.  Of those 4 games only once was Pierce able to score more than 15 points, which was last season when Artest was with the Rockets.  This season against LA, in particular Ron Artest, Pierce scored 15 points in a loss at home and 11 points in a win on the road.  

Pierce will more than likely have at least one solid scoring game, minimum of one, but in the games where Artest is giving him trouble, Pierce needs to be sure that he has 100 percent of Ron-Ron’s attention.  What I mean by that is, Artest is a solid defender both one-on-one and with a team, he can also rebound and do the dirty work.  Pierce needs to continue to crash the boards like he was doing vs. the Magic, averaging 8.3 rebs. per game in the Eastern Conference Finals.  If Pierce continues to crash the board’s one of two things will happen.  1. He will continue to be a solid contributor on the glass for this Celtics team or 2. He will keep Artest occupied to the point that he has gained his complete attention and taken him out of his help side team defense and pulled him away from the rebound, thus giving the Celtic big men one less opposing rebounder to worry about. 

With the age of the Celtics, and the miles on their legs, injury and fatigue is always a contributing factor.  Rondo had been suffering from leg spasms before he landed directly on his hip against Orlando.  Wallace has had some back problems, and is one of the many “senior citizens” on this team, along with Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Michael Finley.  From top to bottom this team will benefit from the rest between the two series, and with a group of veterans like this, don’t expect them to back off now, injuries or not.  They realize this season was a marathon, but they’ve now come to the sprint.  There are just a maximum of 7 games left and Boston will be ready for whatever Los Angeles can throw at them.  Whether it be the mind games of Phil Jackson talking about KG’s “smackdown mentality” or a healthy Andrew Bynum, adding to the list of big men on their roster that can help counter that of Boston’s, this team will be ready to play. 

This team is once again writing history, and has a chance to be talked about and heralded in these parts along with decades of famed Celtic teams.

Sean Sendall – follow me on Twitter

Stan Van Gundy

For 3 games of the Eastern Conference Finals the Magic relied on what they knew best.  They relied on what had gotten them into the playoffs, and what had helped them sweep the first two rounds.  Of those 3 games Orlando did not come away with any victories.  Never once was there an adjustment on how to approach the Celtics “stay home” approach on defense.  Every shot was contested, and the Orlando offense was relatively stagnant in every game, until game 4.

The Orlando Magic actually showed some life, some will power and desire to play in game 4, and most of all, they had made some adjustments.  Prior to game 4 Orlando’s answer to Boston’s man-to-man defense was to counter it by going one-on-one with Vince Carter.  Carter, at one point in his career, had been very explosive off the dribble, and able to get to the hole almost at will, and with the Celtics not doubling down on Howard, coach Stan Van Gundy figured Carter would be the answer. 

After 3 games of VC not being the answer, and 3 games of the Celtics still not doubling down on Dwight Howard, Stan Van finally figured out a way to get his players open…by running an actual offense.  Van Gundy and his coaching staff seemed to have relied so much on Howard being dominant in the post that they allowed their 4 perimeter players to stand virtually motionless outside the arc in anticipation of a kick-out pass from Howard. 

The Magic came out in game 4 using screens all over the court, ball-screens and off ball-screens to create space for their perimeter players.  Once the space was created it gave the Orlando players a chance to decide whether to pull up for a shot, or drive to the hole.  Taking the ball hard to the bucket had not been one of Orlando’s strong points over the course of the series, game 4 they seemed to have realized that driving to the rack created both interior and exterior shots.  What this Magic team began to do, was facilitate open shots by creating space with screens.  The shots the Magic were taking were open because of well developed plays. 

Whether the screen created an open shot, or created enough space to drive to the rim and then kick it out because of the collapsing defense, was exactly what the adjustments were for.  Once there was penetration coming from more than one player, and more than one angle, the Celtics were forced to play help defense, which freed up Howard for ally-oops and dunks on the post. 

Expect to see more of the same from Orlando tonight now that they have figured out a formula that worked.  With Lewis, Carter, Nelson, and others penetrating, it forces Boston’s hand and finally gets their star, Dwight Howard, open. 

What almost worries me more than a simple coaching adjustment that took extra time to actually get the W, is the fact that after laying down in game 3, the Magic seemed to have gained a whole lot of confidence back with their game 4 win.  Boston had Orlando on the ropes, virtually begging for mercy in game 3, and somehow the Magic have snuck out of that, and are playing like they want to be here. 

One other point of contention as game 5 approaches.  It was clear that the stars of this Boston team were all tired by the end of regulation, not to mention overtime.  Yes, there were rumored problems with Rondo’s leg, and maybe that is what was slowing him down, but Garnett, Allen, Pierce, and Rondo all played 41 minutes or more.  Pierce tallying the most with 47.  Doc has done a great job monitoring their minutes thus far, but it was apparent that the Big 3 were gassed by the end of game 4.

The Celtics will make the appropriate adjustments, as they did in the 3^rd quarter of game 4 holding Orlando to 16 points, but look for fewer minutes from the Big 3 and look for Pierce to take fewer shots after tossing up 25 in game 4.

Sean Sendall – follow me on Twitter

Game 1

First and foremost, every Celtics fan should write a letter, e-mail, tweet, or any type of correspondence to both the Bobcats and the Hawks (especially the Hawks) for lying down and doing their best Junior Varsity impression against the Orlando Magic during the first and second rounds of the playoffs.  Without their lack of effort and fervor the Magic may have actually realized this was the playoffs and shown up to play for game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. 

Fortunately enough, the Celtics understood going into the game that they had a chance to steal one on the road, given the amount of time the Magic had between games.  To paraphrase from the one and only Mr. Allen Iverson, “How the hell can I make my teammates better by goin’ to practice?”  Well Allen, in a sense you were correct here, because practice does not simulate the intensity that was brought to that floor by the Celtics in Game 1, and clearly the Magic were not ready for a real NBA playoff game.

Boston won every quarter, except the 4^th, which is why the game got within reach of Orlando.  Dropping the 4^th quarter 30 to 18, the Celtics got away from what was proving to be a solid style of offense.  They began to slow the ball down and use more of the clock, in hopes that the game would just end.  That style of play, completely different from what had been working for them, played right into the Magic’s hands and allowed Orlando back into the game. 

Don’t fix it if it ain’t broken!  The old cliché, that everybody and their mother has heard of, needs to be written on Doc’s clipboard, because this is the 2^nd time in as many games that the Celtics almost blew a game because they changed their offensive approach late in the match-up.  In game 6 against the Cavs with about 6 and half minutes remaining they did the same thing, slowing the ball down and getting one, usually awful, shot with a second left on the shot clock.  Both times this strategy almost came back to bite them in the butt, as both teams made considerable runs. 

That being said, this game was won with defense.  The offense is important, especially when run in the manner most conducive for this Boston team, but defense brought this Celtics team a championship two years ago, and defense has been the key thus far.  The C’s took a different approach to defending the star player in this series, not only because of their personnel, but also because of the style of play of the supporting cast in Orlando.  In the first two series both team’s stars were perimeter players, with slashing and scoring ability, and a weaker offensive supporting cast around them.  Boston would help at all times on both Wade and James allowing open shots to weaker players. 

In this series, however, Dwight Howard is a block player, who is mostly defensive minded, but has the ability on the post to be strong on both ends of the floor.  The Magic’s success throughout the season has come when teams double down on Howard leaving open an array of 3-point shooters including Rashard Lewis, Jameer Nelson, J.J. Redick, Mickael Pietrus, Jason Williams, and even to an extent Vince Carter and Matt Barnes.  The Celtics personnel are almost a perfect counter balance to Orlando’s offensive approach.  With Perkins, Wallace, Glen Davis, and on a rare occasion KG, the Celtics can pound on Howard in the post and stay home on the perimeter players. 

No, Rasheed Wallace has not been the best defender, but he is able to bang bodies down low, and get into the head of opposing players.  With a quick rotation of the 3 bigs, they will stay fresh as Howard battles all of them.  This causes more contested shots than the outside shooters are used to, which will mean more misses from the arc.  Now I don’t expect Orlando to shoot as poorly from 3-point land the rest of the series, as they did in game 1 going 5 for 22, which is a mere 23%.  This Magic team shot 38% from beyond the arc in the regular season, tied for third best in the league, and don’t expect them to stop shooting from the outside, as they led the league in 3-point attempts with 2,241. 

A few things to watch for as the series progresses:  The health of Matt Barnes for starters.  Barnes has been sidelined with back spasms, and although he started the game on Sunday, he only clocked 16 minutes, down 10 from his regular season numbers.  With Barnes out, who is a solid defender, Mickael Pietrus will log more time, he is also a solid defender, who can hit the outside shot a bit better at 38% versus Barnes at 32%.  An interesting match-up in game 1 was Pietrus covering Allen rather than Pierce; clearly Stan Van Gundy views Allen as more of an offensive threat than Pierce at this point.  Vince Carter is not known for his defending, which should allow Pierce to continue his scoring; he had 22 in game 1.  Also understand that Rashard Lewis will get his.  He had just 6 points in game 1, thanks to the defensive strategy of the Celtics, playing one-on-one on the block and contesting everything.  Lewis was 0-6 from beyond the arc, but was a 40% shooter from down town during the season.  Look for Lewis to use his quickness in game 2, to get around the aging Garnett and get to the hoop for lay-ups and dunks.  This should spark his shot from outside, giving the C’s a much tougher game.  The Celtics also need to exploit Lewis’s post defense.  Get KG on the block, and post Lewis up.  Rashard Lewis, although 6’10”, likes the perimeter game a lot more than low post.  Garnett can take advantage of this match-up similar to the way he took advantage of the match-up with Antawn Jamison in round 2.

Sean Sendall – follow me on Twitter

LeBron James and Ray Allen

It’s beginning to become abundantly clear to the sports world that the way to defeat the Cavaliers is with defensive prowess.  With that single word, however, come a multitude of meanings, and many different approaches to achieve that one goal in the end.  Anyone can sit behind a microphone, or a keyboard and say, “The way to stop the Cavaliers is to make LeBron James a jump shooter.”  However, the difficult part is figuring out just how to do so, and in the long run does that actually work?  Isn’t Cleveland’s supporting cast better than Miami’s?  Is it as simple as stopping one person, as it was with Dwayne Wade and the Miami Heat?  Believe it or not, the answer is becoming yes.

 I have been saying that this supporting cast is better than D-Wade’s and simply allowing one person to score 25 points a game, while just monitoring the rest would not suffice.  Now I still do believe that you cannot give James as much free reign as a Dwayne Wade, but in the 3 Celtic wins this series the common denominator has been stopping LBJ early, frustrating him to the point that not only is his scoring thrown off, but his facilitating is as well.

 The Cavaliers rely on James for the flow of the game.  Tone, pace, intensity, and direction all start and end with LeBron.  So what happens when LeBron’s thrown slightly off kilter?  Will this reflect the outcome of games?  The answer is overwhelmingly, yes.

 In Game 1 of the series James got off to a slow start from the field, going 1 for 4 from the floor.  Of those 4 shots taken, however, all of them were from inside the paint.  The Celtics did not do a good job shutting the lane down to LeBron, and cutting him off to force jump shots.  What these 4 shots from inside the paint did for LBJ was give him a good feel for the floor, and where the hoop was.  Any good shooter will tell you to start close, then work your way out to the long range shots.  During the second quarter LBJ went 3 for 5, but 3 for 3 from inside the paint.  The same theory applies here as it did in the first quarter.  LeBron was able to find his range and feel for the hoop, thus he finished 12-24 from the floor and 8-16 from inside the lane.  He found his groove early, and set the tone for the rest of the game, resulting in a Celtic loss.

 Game 2 the Celtics were able to cut LeBron off from the hoop a bit better and force him to either give the ball up or take longer shots.  James finished just 3-8 from inside the paint, after the C’s only allowed him to go 2-4 in the first half from the lane.  Boston did not allowed James to get to the spot he wanted to, which forced his hand into jump shots and finding others.  The C’s were able to tie the series up because of their defensive intensity.

 Game 3 is the perfect example of how LeBron James can get started early and never take his foot off the gas.  James was 3-3 inside the paint in the first quarter, and 2-4 in the 2^nd.  This resulted in an 11 for 15 effort in the first half from the floor for LeBron.  The Celtics allowed him to get where he wanted to early and often, and once he found his groove early it was all but over. 

 In the most recent two games, games 4 and 5, the Celtics didn’t allow James to get to the rim easily, similar to game 2, going 2-6 and 0-4 in Games 4 and 5 respectively.  What this visibly did to LBJ was frustrate and fluster him into a game where he looked almost baffled as to what to do next.  The Celtics had found the central nervous system of this Cavaliers team, and were now doing true damage.

 With LeBron taken out of his comfort zone he relied more on one-on-one pull up jumpers, than working an offensive motion.  The ripple effect felt throughout the Cavalier team was considerable, now that LeBron was not running with the flow off the offense it threw off the rest of his teammates.  James may still have averaged just over 6 ast. per loss, but he wasn’t facilitating and starting the offense as he has done so many times in the past.  When LeBron is in his comfort zone he will score, get the assist, and find the man who will get the eventual assist.  That is facilitating, that is what many undervalued guards can do, and when James is at his best he is doing it all.

 If the Celtics can continue to fluster James in the early going, and get him out of his comfort zone, then they have a good chance of taking this series.  This doesn’t mean that LeBron is the only worry for Boston, out rebounding and forcing more turnovers are still key, but the C’s have shown LeBron’s biggest weakness and they need to establish it in the early going to beat this Cleveland team.

Sean Sendall – follow me on Twitter