Swept Away in a Tangent

The Celtics are losing ground on the top teams of the NBA.  Injuries are rampant and Boston, as John Hollinger pointed out today, is having to rely too much on Mikki Moore and Stephon Marbury (who looks about as rusty as he should be at this point) as a result.  But I am not worried yet, because there are still 17 games left in the regular season, and the Celtics have a relatively easy week coming up during which they can hopefully get healthy and get Marbury and Moore in tune with the system they're now playing in.  At this point, I'd rather be fully healthy and a lower seed (even third in the East wouldn't be too bad) than carrying nagging injuries into the postseason as a result of trying to keep pace with Cleveland and LA for the best overall record.  

I know the Celtics had some trouble winning on the road in the first two rounds of last year's postseason, but it's important not to forget that Boston closed out Detroit on the road in the Conference Finals AND set a Finals record with a 24-point second half comeback in Los Angeles to win game four.  Don't remember it?  Fortunately, you can stop by any time and we can watch it together (WARNING: there is no way to turn off the DVD commentary).  If the Celtics can get healthy and use this time to work the new players into the rotation at the expense of a few wins, that's fine.  At the very least, it will allow the Celtics to fly a bit more under the radar and to possibly play the "nobody believes in us!" card (can you even do this as the defending champs?).  And if Rajon Rondo, Marbury, Moore, and Kevin Garnett can come back to full strength in time to heat up for a postseason run, then I firmly believe that the Celtics are talented enough to blow the doors off the Lakers again in the Finals this year.  Maybe I'm drinking too much Marbury Kool-Aid, but I can't help but be excited by his possible contributions to the Celtics' second unit.

For the time being, I'm standing pat on the Celtics and waiting to judge them until they're healthy (not a sure thing by any means, which is why I'm typing this post with my fingers crossed instead of using the normal two-finger-hunt-and-peck, ha ha).  Hopefully by next Wednesday's home game against Miami (can be seen on ESPN, for those of you out of market fans) there will be some signs of improvement from the Celtics.  Until then, I'm taking everything I see with a grain of salt.  That being the case, I think I'll take this opportunity to go off on a tangent about Dirk Nowitzki.

I know Nowitzki plays for Mark Cuban's Dallas Mavericks who don't exactly fit under the normal parameter's you'd expect from a blog entitled "C of Green" (unless the Mavs are wearing their ugly-as-sin green uniforms),  I'm tackling this issue regardless.  Rick Carlisle plays Dirk Nowitzki for too damn long during games.  The last two times I've seen the lanky German play, Carlisle (who rode the bench to an NBA title with the Celtics in 1986) has kept Nowitzki on the floor for the entire first quarter as well as the first half of the second quarter before spelling him on the bench.  I don't want to pretend to know better than an NBA head coach (I'll leave that to Simmons, thank you), but it was evident to me that Nowitzki was fatigued during those stretches and his team struggled as a result.  

Last night in Portland, Dirk played his heart out and carried his Mavericks to victory with an impressive and efficient 29 points and 10 rebounds, but by the end of the first quarter and into the second, Nowitzki was dragging on defense and didn't seem to have the legs to move and rotate when Portland attacked the Dallas defense.  If you ask me, the main reason for this was because Dirk played until the 5:48 mark of the second quarter before getting his first breather on the bench.  Fortunately, Carlisle was able to hid Nowitzki for much of the game inside a zone defense that confounded the Trail Blazers and limited them almost exclusively to perimeter shots without any kind of ball movement.  Still, Nowitzki stuck out like a sore thumb on defense at times, and more often than not he was at least partially responsible for giving up many of Portland's easy baskets out of their half court offense.

As if the lack of energy on defense weren't bad enough, these long stretches f playing time are affecting Nowitzki's offensive game as well.  Granted, I didn't see this last night, in fact Dirk made the three of us watching at home groan repeatedly after unleashing some ridiculous offensive moves and splashing some sweet fade-away jumpers over the Blazer defense, but trust me, it's hurting his game.  I've seen Nowitzki disappear for stretches in Dallas' offense, due partially to his teammates' inability to find him with the basketball, but also because Dirk does a lot of standing around and often doesn't fight to get into better scoring position.  Sounds symptomatic of fatigue, doesn't it?  During one game against New Orleans that the Fox and I watched together, Dallas failed to get the ball to Nowitzki for four solid minutes at the beginning of the second quarter, prompting us to wonder out loud "why is Dirk tiring himself out on the floor if they aren't going to give him the ball?"  I'm not asking Dallas to reinvent the wheel, hell I'm not even asking them to cut his minutes, just to distribute them differently so that Dirk can play with more energy.

Now I suspect that Dirk has to carry so much of the load because Dallas is very thin right now and don't have a ton of reliable size to come off the bench (hell, they start Eric Dampier for cryin' out loud), but still, he needs a rest very badly.  I feel that if Dirk got to rest at the end of the first and the beginning of the second (you know, like most NBA players do), then he'd have more energy to expend on defense or to run the floor.  In order for Dallas to contend for a title again, Dirk has to be able to play a complete game.  Dallas got to the Finals in 2006 because they played serious defense, and having Dirk play both sides of the ball was a huge part of their success as a team.  Right now, he can't do that because he needs to create almost all of Dallas' offense as well as provide most of the team's size in the middle.  The Mavericks need size in the middle worse than the Celtics do, and until they get some help or exorcise Dampier's contract, I fear they cannot improve.

Oh yeah, and if you want to get technical, allow me to successfully demonstrate how Dirk Nowitzki is soooooo related enough to the Celtics to merit some space on the C of Green...  As I mentioned, Rick Carlisle, the coach responsible for beating Nowitzki like a rented mule this year, was drafted by Red Auerbach and played for the Celtics.  And did you know that when Dirk became available for the 1998 NBA Draft Rick Pitino (a.k.a the Killer of All Hope), then GM of the Celtics, raved about Dirk, likening him to Larry Bird, and promised to take him with the tenth overall pick of the draft?  Boston didn't get the chance to draft Nowitzki, who was taken ninth by the Bucks before being shipped to Dallas for Robert "Tractor" Traylor. and settled for a swing man from Kansas named Paul Pierce instead.  And did I mention those ugly green road uniforms?  'Nuff said.

Fade-Off

For many years during the dark ages of Rick Pitino, basketball was almost dead to my father.  As my passion for the game and the Boston Celtics was budding (at a fairly unusual time, when you consider how dysfunctional and bad the Celtics were when I was growing up), we had many discussions about professional basketball in general, most of which ended with me standing up for the value of today's NBA and my father claiming that the current incarnation was almost unwatchable and had no real appeal to him.  Pointing to the dilution of the talent pool between too many teams, the seemingly never ending regular season, and the prevalence of me-first players that seemed only to want to show off their own skills for fans who would ooh-and-ahh at their crossover, I could hardly blame him for being turned off from the game.  He made good points, but I never conceded, firmly believing that a good brand of basketball still did exist and that if he were exposed to it it could rekindle at least an appreciation if not a love for the game.

He reluctantly showed a flash of interest in 2004 when the Pistons upended the Lakers in the Finals (there's nothing like watching Kobe, Shaq and the Lakers get served to ignite some passion within a Bostonian), and that interest grew somewhat the next year during a hard-fought Finals that went down to the wire between two legitimate teams, the San Antonio Spurs and the Detroit Pistons.  Though the games were brutal and ugly, I can distinctly remember my Dad in awe of Tim Duncan's sheer willpower, Manu Ginoblili's unbelievable ability to get to the rim, and the way both teams played together rather than just standing around and waiting for the superstars to make plays.  But even so, he was still unimpressed by the state of the game, and while he was aware and possibly excited by the basketball he saw, the NBA was still a hard sell for him.

And then, on March 14th of 2007, it happened.  Phoenix played Dallas and made a huge fourth quarter rally, winning 129-127 in double overtime in what was recognized as an instant classic at the time.  Jason Terry and Steve Nash both made ri-damn-diculous three-pointers to continue the game (Terry hit his three with Steve Nash's hand about half an inch from his face), and Nash in particular showed his whole arsenal, finishing with 32/16/8.  Amare had 41/10, Dirk poured in 30/16, and Jason Terry finished with 27 in a game that was hotly contested from start to finish.  Beyond the fact that this game was a high-scoring barn burner of a game, both teams (emphasis on teams) played with a brand of intensity and passion that even as a young NBA fan I could tell had been missing for quite some time.   Dad could tell, too.

Sure enough, the next day, he called me and we both ranted and raved, recounting the heroics on both sides for the better part of an afternoon (afternoon for me, evening for him, I was here in Portland and he was home in Boston).  He conveyed to me the same sentiment that I just conveyed to all of you: this game was vintage NBA, with scoring, defense, and two teams that wanted to beat the pants off a familiar opponent far more than they wanted to make Sports Center.  His passion for basketball was revived, and I could tell through the phone that he was genuinely excited and was left wanting more after that incredible game.  Sure enough, he paid attention whenever Phoenix and Dallas were playing from then on, and I feel like that one game showed him the possibilities of today's NBA and revived his interest in the game of basketball.

So other than the involvement of the Dallas Mavericks, you're probably asking (who is this talentless hack?) what did that long tangent have to do with last night's 99-92 Celtics win in Dallas?  Fear not, baby birds, Daddy's gonna feed you.  I watched the game last night with some friends at home, none of whom are hardcore NBA junkies like myself (though they all have at least an appreciation for the game).  By the end of the game, everybody was hooting, hollering and letting out a chorus of "oohs-and-ahhs" as the Celtics made their comeback behind 18 fourth quarter points from Paul Pierce.  The quality of the game and the level of competition inspired a group of (forgive me, guys) non-fans to get into a regular season game.  

Everybody, including myself, was in awe of the shot making by Dirk Nowitzki, who reached all the way back to 2006 for a dominant 37 point performance, and Paul Pierce, who seemed determine to not only win the game, but to one up Dirk for the most-ridiculous-fade-away award as he summarily abused Devean George and Jason Kidd down the stretch.  Pierce carried the team after both Kevin Garnett and Doc Rivers lost their heads (don't even get me started on them...), providing the kind of leadership, grit and competitive fire that we've grown accustomed to seeing from The Truth.  Most importantly, the Celtics kept pace with the Lakers for the best record in the NBA, and are headed into the All-Star break on a positive note.

But more than the ridiculous shots or the boneheadedness of KG and Doc, I was amazed at the reaction of the friends around me who were watching the game.  I've always believed that a good enough game can turn even the most indifferent observer into a rabid sports fan, if only for a fleeting moment or two.  Whether they knew the names of the players or not was irrelevant, the game turned everyone in the room into an NBA fan, and had everybody on the edge of their seats and hanging on every dribble, fake and shot taken down the stretch.  It wasn't as pretty as the instant classic from March of 2007 between Phoenix and Dallas, but last night's game provoked the same kind of reaction and was an impressive contest on both sides in its own special way.

Mavs No Match...

If ever there was an example of a complete basketball game, this afternoon's "contest" (I use that term VERY liberally) between the Celtics and Mavericks was it.  From the opening tip-off to the final buzzer, Boston dominated both sides of the ball and abused Dallas all over the court for an easy 124-100 victory that wasn't even as close as the final score indicates.  The entire fourth quarter was played by the Celtics' reserves, and everybody but Leon Powe scored for the Celtics in a game that was a rout by halftime.

Just how bad was it for Dallas?  The Celtics scored 74 points in the first half on 65% shooting, and broke 100 points with about a minute left in the third quarter.  The Celtics shared the ball throughout the game and consistently made the extra pass, which led to a multitude of open looks that the Celtics' perimeter players (mostly Ray Allen and Eddie House) were more than happy to knock down.  Ray Allen finished with an efficient 23/5/7 on 9 of 13 shooting (4 of 5 from behind the arc) and Eddie House, who may have to assume the nickname of "the microwave" came off the bench and finished with 23 points of his own.  As a team, the Celtics made 16 three-pointers and actually finished shooting a better percentage (59%)from downtown than they did from inside the arc (54%).

While the Celtics' shooting was impressive, the way that the Celtics created shots for each other without turning the ball over was a huge breath of fresh air for Boston.  The Celtics had 34 assists as a team (Rajon Rondo contributed 14 with only two turnovers in a near triple double performance of 13/7/14 with 4 steals as well) with only six turnovers, and it seemed that everyone was keyed into the game and determined not to waste a single opportunity.  The ball consistently found the open man, and the Celtic players had their way with the Dallas defense, making unimpeded cuts to the basket for lay-ups and finding open space coming off of screens all day long.  

On the other side of the ball, the Celtic defense bothered Dallas from start to finish and forced them into bad shots and turnovers all game long.  Kevin Garnett deserves a special nod here for his inspired performance against Dirk Nowitzki, who was forced into a dismal 4 of 17 shooting performance and finished with only 18 points (he went 10-12 from the charity stripe).  Garnett is perhaps the only player in the NBA who can match Dirk's length and quickness, and KG used his physicality to bother the lanky German on both sides of the ball (Garnett finished with 23 points on 11-17 shooting in only 25 minutes).  Despite solid contributions from Jason Terry (27 points on 10-18 shooting) and Josh Howard (18 points), the Celtic defense stifled the Mavericks as a team and humbled them with their teamwork, effort and intensity on the defensive end.

By the way, that's eight wins in a row for the Celtics, who are now back atop the standings in the Eastern Conference at 37-9, sitting a game ahead of Cleveland and 2.5 games ahead of Orlando, who lost for the second time in a row today against the Heat.  So allow me to reiterate, there is no need to panic just yet, and despite the hysteria of a significant slice of the media, there is no need at this point for the Celtics to make any kind of desperation trade that might turn the Celtics into, well, the Dallas Mavericks (although adding a minor piece would be all right with me).

And although today's win was an impressive one for the Celtics, I think that it ultimately says more about how far Dallas has fallen than how dominant the Celtics are.  Watching the game today, it was hard to believe that this same Dallas team was in the Finals less than three years ago riding an NBA best 67 wins in 2006.  Back then they were a good defensive team that played with toughness and desire under Avery Johnson, and Dirk Nowitzki was the best player in the game and couldn't be stopped by anyone (except perhaps David Stern and the NBA refs who handed that series to Miami on a silver platter).  Now they're a bad defensive team that is inconsistent on offense and doesn't really seem capable of beating the better teams of the Association, and Nowitzki is easily bothered by most defenses and can't seem to recapture the form that made him the league MVP just a few seasons ago.  While they were never my team, per se, I did root for Dallas and could really appreciate their brand of basketball and the energy they played with, so it's actually quite sad for me to see them in such an epic and colossal free fall.  So it goes.