Taking on Water?

Just read that Paul Pierce is out two weeks after having fluid drained from his knee.  Obviously this is not good, and it means that Pierce will miss the upcoming road trip, including Boston's Christmas day showdown in Orlando.  What the Celtics will do without him is beyond me, since they're already thin at the wing positions without Marquis Daniels.  I suppose that Tony Allen and the recently recalled Bill Walker and possibly J.R. Giddens will fill in, though my brain can't fathom a universe where those guys are able to effectively replace the stats Pierce provides on a daily basis, much less the intangibles and leadership he brings to the table.  Actually, the thought of Tony Allen getting more minutes just made me throw up in my mouth a little.

In a weird way, this news could be a bit relieving for the Celtics over the long run.  First and foremost, this injury is minor and the Celtics are focused on preventative care, hence the longer than expected absence.  Doc Rivers, Danny Ainge et al are focused on playing in May and June of 2010, so taking risks with players now and turning minor injuries into season ending ones is not something they're prepared to do (hence KG sitting last night because of a bruise).  This way, Pierce will get some rest now and can hopefully heal fully in plenty of time to reestablish a rhythm before the All-Star break.  

And aside from the Christmas Day match-up with Orlando, the road trip doesn't have too many difficult games for the Celtics.  After Orlando, the Celtics head to the west coast to face the Clippers, Warriors and (gulp) the Pheonix Suns.  The Clippers and Warriors are both very beatable without Pierce, and the Suns could always falter against a defensive team that has plenty of size inside (check for the Celtics) and a quick, tough point guard to challenge Steve Nash (double check).  So in theory all four games are winnable, with a 2-2 finish being a bit pessimistic but likely.

If you ask me, the biggest downside to this injury is the fact that I won't get to watch Pierce play this week while I'm home in Massachusetts.  Ultimately, the Celtics will be just fine.  Even if these injuries cost the Celtics a few games, it won't matter much.  This Celtics squad is so talented that home court throughout the Playoffs won't matter (Cleveland hasn't been the same at home this year and the LA crowd always sucks, so who cares?).  The Celtics just need to be healthy by March so they can establish a rhythm for the Playoffs.  

The bottom line is that you will not hear any griping about injuries out of this writer, especially since I live in Portland, where the "Frail" Blazers are down to eight healthy bodies and NO centers after Joel Przybilla went down for the season last night.  Boston can play through their injuries and will still be atop the East at season's end.  Portland, on the other hand, looked like a possible number two in the West behind the Lakers, are now going to have to focus on simply making it to the end of the year.  

UPDATE:

Pierce may not be out a full two weeks according to recent reports.  He'll still miss the road trip, but this is still great news.  Happy Holidays!

 

In Defense of No. 6

First of all, the Celtics lacked all kinds of effort yesterday against the Hawks, hence the ugly loss.  The real reason I'm writing today is in response to LeBron James announcing that he is changing his jersey number in honor of Michael Jordan.  It seems that LeBron will not wear number 23 next year as a sign of respect for His Airness, choosing instead to wear number 6.  Apparently he also wants everyone else in the league that wears 23 to give it up in deference to Michael, because he's done so much for the game and nobody would be playing basketball right now if not for MJ and blah blah blah blah blah...  

That's all well and good, except for one slight flaw in LBJ's logic.  He is giving up Jordan's 23 in favor of number 6, which was worn by none other than Bill Russell, the greatest basketball player ever and a figure who paved the way for the guys who inspired Michael Jordan (whoops!).  Sure, MJ changed the NBA and inspired this entire generation of players, but BIll Russell won more than MJ and changed the game more than Jordan did in his years as a player and a coach.  Without Russell, there couldn't have been Michael Jordan or anyone else for that matter, and pro basketball as we know it might not exist.

I don't want to sound like a nagging senior citizen here, but just look at the things Bill Russell did for the NBA in his career.  Before Bill Russell even played a minute in the NBA, he captained the US Olympic team to a gold medal, barnstorming the tournament and winning each game by an average margin of 53.5 points per game.  Oh yeah, and there were those two consecutive Collegiate titles he won at USF, despite having to play against much bigger and more talented programs.  But really, we're talking about the pro game here, so let's move on.  

Bill Russell was the first defensive center the fledgling NBA had ever seen, and before Wilt Chamberlain laced up his shoes in the NBA, Russell became the sport's first African American superstar.  Oh yeah, and Russell helped to pioneer the fast break, changing the game from a slow grind it out style to the uptempo brand of basketball that you see today, where strong defense and rebounding often create offense in transition.  Nobody did this better than Russell, and prior to him, nobody had done this at all.  Not enough for you?  How about the fact that Bill Russell was the NBA's first African American head coach, and prior to that had been a member of the NBA's first all black starting line-up?  

To recap, Bill Russell helped to integrate the NBA and was a pioneer as the sport's first African American superstar player and coach, all while redefining his position forever and helping to invent two of the most exciting aspects of pro basketball: fast break offense and defense.  Not only did Russell help his teammates get out and score in transition, but he also inventing the soul crushing out-of-nowhere shot block that LeBron James enjoys doing so much nowadays.  And he repeatedly shut down Wilt Chamberlain, once holding him to only 2 shot attempts in the second half of an intense playoff game.  And he won ELEVEN FREAKING CHAMPIONSHIPS in 13 years, not too shabby.

What has MJ done for basketball?  Well, he spearheaded the campaign to lengthen the shorts in the NBA and created a me first, ball hogging style that has dominated games at every level since.  Sure, he was fun to watch and sure, he was a great competitor and all that, but changing the game so you can take an extra step, palm the hell out of the ball and make it ok to jack up just any contested jumper while sticking out your tongue and taunting your opponents does not equal inventing the fast break and being the league's first African American coach in my mind.  And while Jordan has certainly changed the way everybody plays the game and has inspired countless players all over the world to play basketball, he didn't exactly redefine his position in the same way Bill Russell did.  Shooting guards were long and athletic and shot happy well before Jordan came into the league, he just did it better than almost anyone else.  

So LeBron, if you're reading this, perhaps you should consider going with another number besides 6 if you think that not wearing a number is the best way to pay respect to the legends of the game that preceded you.  This kind of respect and perspective is a good thing, just don't forget who was there before Jordan making the Association into what it is today.  Maybe when you win 8 titles in a row, redefine the entire sport and keep Kobe from even shooting more than twice in a Finals game I'll be ok with you donning number 6, but until then I suggest you try again.  Unless, that is, you decide that wearing someone else's number is a great homage to them in which case I say stick with 23, it suits you.

Locking Up the Little Guy

As Professor Hubert Farnsworth would say, "Good news, everyone!"  It seems as though the Celtics made use of the NBA's deadline extension on contract negotiations and have signed Rajon Rondo to a contract extension believed to be worth at least $55 million over the next five years.  This is exciting and surprising news for several reasons, perhaps mostly because as recently as last Monday both sides seemed to be at an impasse over the dollar amount of the deal.  It appears as though Danny Ainge and the Celtics capitulated and increased their offer to an amount that was more pleasing to Rondo and his agent, Bill Duffy.  

Frankly, I am giddy with excitement over this development, as Rondo's contract situation was my biggest concern heading into this season.  Had Boston not compromised, Rondo would have been a restricted free agent after this season, increasing the chances that he'd be playing elsewhere next year.  Fortunately for Boston, that didn't happen and it now seems that Rajon Rondo will be feeding his teammates in green and white for many years to come.

Some question the Celtics' commitment to a mercurial player who can't shoot at all, but that perspective is flawed and tends to marginalize a lot of Rondo's contributions to the Celtics.  To the naysayers, I ask only this: why does Rondo need to shoot jumpers to be valuable to the Celtics?  Rajon Rondo is on the floor to create jump shots for other players, not to knock down his own.  And Rajon Rondo is quickly becoming one of the best in the business at creating shots for his teammates without the ability to reliably knock down his own shot, so why shouldn't he be paid well for doing his job well (this isn't communist Russia, you know...)?  

Simply put Rajon Rondo is the perfect point guard for today's NBA and for the Boston Celtics.  He is incredibly long for such a tiny person and is among the quickest guards in the Association, adding intense speed to a Celtics team that would be slower than molasses without him.  Much like the way Tony Parker is the San Antonio Spurs' fast-break, Rajon Rondo is unstoppable in the open court and has the ability to change gears and control the tempo of the basketball game, a trait that is innate rather than acquired and very rare to boot.  Elite point guards like Rajon Rondo, Tony Parker and Chris Paul don't just play with the pedal to the metal all the time, instead opting to change speed at just the right moment to change the whole complexion of a game.  

Rajon Rondo's length and athleticism also help him on the defensive end, where he has always been committed to pestering his opponents into submission.  Long arms and quick feet make Rondo difficult to get around, and nearly every elite guard in this league has been shut down by Rajon at least once in the past two years.  In the past he gambled too much for steals and lacked the requisite muscle to deal with bigger point guards (Deron Williams and Chauncey Billups in particular), but this season Rondo has added some bulk and is more committed to playing a disciplined brand of team defense that has really shown improvement through the team's first four games.  Rondo's nasty streak is longer than his wingspan and his new attitude has him prepared to play stifling D every night this season (spotty play was my only knock against him in the past, no more!).

Rondo's natural gifts and the hand-checking rules of today's NBA make him the perfect point guard for professional basketball, but it's his ability to find shooters on the perimeter that makes him so valuable (at least $55 million valuable) to the Boston Celtics.  Since the championship season, Rondo has displayed a knack for finding Ray Allen in transition, but he's also improved his ability to find jump shooters in the half court offense as well.  Because of his speed and the rules regarding hand checking in the NBA, it is impossible to keep Rondo out of the paint which can do several things to opponents.  Rondo has great touch and a superb ability to finish tricky lay-ups in traffic in the paint, so if the defense does nothing he can shred an opponent all night long with high percentage looks for himself.  The only answer is to help and collapse the defense on the little guy which then leaves a bevy of Boston shooters (Ray Allen, Rasheed Wallace, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett) wide open for equally high percentage shots.  There is simply no winning play for the defense, especially this year with the addition of Rasheed Wallace.  

As a result, the Celtics are shooting 44% from downtown this year (5th best in the league) and 50% from the field overall.  Simply put, Rondo creates quality looks for all of his teammates and he's now finding them with better passes and fewer mistakes overall.  In fact, right now Rajon Rondo is second in the NBA only to Steve Nash in assists per game at 11.8, and his assist to turnover ratio is miles beyond anyone else in the top ten at a staggering 5.22:1 (Chauncey Billups is sitting at 4.00 right now, but he is averaging less than 7 assists per game).  Rondo has elite numbers and plays at an elite level, so why wouldn't he be worth that kind of money?  Can you name me a better point guard in the Eastern Conference right now?

(I'll wait)

...

...

Some of you probably want to say that Derrick Rose or Jameer Nelson may be better, but that just isn't the case.  Both of those guys are very, very good, but Rondo has dominated them both before and will continue to do so.  He is the best point guard in the Eastern Conference right now and is truthfully among the top three in the entirety of the Association, behind Chris Paul and Tony Parker/Deron Williams.  And wouldn't you know it, with this new extension he'll be paid slightly less than those guys but more than just about every other point guard out there.  It doesn't seem to me to be a reach at all, I think Rondo has earned every penny of his new deal and has the ability to eclipse every guard in the NBA except for Chris Paul.

Rajon Rondo is a champion point guard who has proven that he can distribute the basketball to a triumvirate of All-Star players and create order from chaos at lightning speed.  He's also got a mean streak that we haven't seen in the NBA and he has absolutely no fear of anyone in this league.  Why wouldn't you want to sign him?  His inability to shoot makes him who he is, and if you changed his ability to shoot you'd change how he plays the game.  The only area where I really want his touch to improve is from the free-throw line, beyond that I say let him off the leash so he can run amok just how he is and sit back and enjoy the ride (get ready for a long haul, because this ride doesn't stop until June).  

Setting Sail in 2009

So we are two games into the 2009-2010 season, and the Boston Celtics have already made plenty of noise out of the gate.  In the season opener, Boston travelled to Cleveland and beat the Cavaliers in their own building for the first time in a long time, and in the process exposing a huge weakness in Cleveland's team defense (forcing Shaq to defend the pick & roll, duh).  One night later in the Celtics' home opener, Boston absolutely drubbed the Charlotte Bobcats, declawing them en route to a 92-59 victory.  

In both victories, the Celtics showed two things.  Thing number 1: this team has a nasty streak unlike any team I've seen in a long time.  Thing number 2: this year's Celtics are versatile on offense to an absurd level.  This year Boston will make every team in the league pick their poison and then kill them with it.  Care to clog the middle and defend the paint hard?  Well that's just fine, the Celtics will gladly trot Pierce, Eddie House, Sheed, KG and Ray Allen out there to drop long range bombs on your head all day and all night.  Feel like playing tight coverage on all those shooters?  That's fine too, because then the Celtics can replace House with Rondo and cut you to ribbons in the paint.  If you want to stop the little man, you'll have to collapse that defense which leaves one of the other four guys open (oops!).  Care to go big?  The Celtics can play that game too with Kendrick Perkins and a taller, tougher line-up.  

The bottom line is that the Celtics are stacked at every position this year, and are equipped to play and beat almost any style of basketball.  This is rare indeed, and it bodes well for the Celtics this year.  When a team is so versatile that they can play and combat every style, they become that much tougher to beat on a nightly basis and within the context of a seven game series.  Simply put, Boston is poised to dominate this season and has the potential to barn-storm their way to an 18th NBA title.

Now, of course, the caveat.  The Celtics need to stay healthy for any of this to happen.  With any NBA team, that's one hell of an if, but with these aging Celtics, it is a dark specter that will loom over this entire year.  Hopefully, the additions of Rasheed Wallace and Marquis Daniels can stem the tide a bit by providing some much needed rest for the Celtic veterans, and hopefully both Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins will be able to step up and carry a bit more of the load this year to disperse the stress from the rest of Boston's starters.  If those things can happen, then the Celtics should be in great shape to make another championship run come May.  If not, then it seems as though I'm going to have to try not to vomit while the Lakers repeat and we're subjected to another tidal wave of "Kobe is the greatest player" stories (yuck).   

Tonight, Boston faces Chicago at home, which should actually be a good test for the Celtics.  Thus far they've beaten two slower paced teams with ease, but this Bulls team is young, athletic and largely the same crew that gave Boston problems last Spring in round one.  If these Celtics, who are not, by the way, the same group that struggled last spring against the youthful Bulls, can handle Chicago tonight, I will feel a lot better about our chances against any and all comers.  If the celtics lose at home, then we have some thinking and soul searching to do.  Just so y'all know, I plan on drinking heavily, which is to say I'm  betting on Boston tonight.

Happy Halloween!

Marquis Signing?

Though I was initially sour on Boston signing Marquis Daniels to fill another roster spot at the swing position, a bit of research has the tides of my opinion changing.  In my mind, the best approach is to wait and see.  The only thing I'm questioning for the Celtics is the number of guaranteed contracts they have on the roster at the moment which could hurt their flexibility as the season goes on.  On the other hand, the price Ainge and the Celtics are paying for him is fair, and my ulcers will hopefully be able to recover because he'll be taking most of Tony Allen's minutes.

So who is Marquis Daniels?  He's a strong 6'6" wing who does all the little things that can help a good basketball team be better.  He can't shoot much better than Tony Allen, but he shoots a lot more jumpers (ugh) anyway.  He's a slasher without a conscience, willing to crash into the lane head-on every time even though the defense knows what he's doing.  He deflects balls on defense, and he can bring the ball up the floor in stints.  He can facilitate for others and makes plays for his team on both ends.  He was very successful in his rookie season playing point guard for Don Nelson in 2004.  He does all the little things that make coaches smile.  And he can give Paul Pierce a rest when the captain needs it.  

In Indiana he had to do so much more and his team struggled, and thus he comes off as a questionable player.  But the Celtics won't ask him to do much.  The floor should be spaced enough for him and he's plenty talented enough to find a cutting Eddie House or kick the ball to 'Sheed in the post.  Call me cautiously optimistic, but it's also true that Doc Rivers was interested in him when he was with the Orlando Magic in 2003 when Daniels was in the draft.  He gets positive reviews from the media (the media that actually knows, not the media that talks the loudest) and Danny Ainge has done a fine job keeping the ship on course thus far, so the least we can all do is reserve judgement until the season begins.

Also, it's great to see that Leon Powe has landed with another contender, signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers and interestingly enough, reuniting him with his former AAU teammate, LeBron James.  Powe will miss more than half of this season because he killed himself playing for the Celtics this past year and is by far the most likable player in the NBA.  If I ever get a Cleveland Jersey, it will be his.