The Blame Game
by Jeff Clark on Nov 23, 2009 7:39 AM EST
in Articles
14 comments
Like it or not, when a team is losing everyone likes to point the finger at the guy most responsible. In reality, it is a team effort and a team loss, but even I have to admit that some guys bring the team down while others are doing the best they can to pull together. So here's a quick poll to generate some discussion.
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The Lobster Roll: Issue 1
by indeedproceed on Nov 23, 2009 7:38 AM EST
in Articles
12 comments
So the preseason is about to get underway for D-League and we at Celtics Blog are taking this fantastic opportunity to roll out a (hopefully) weekly column on the newly established Maine Red Claws. Welcome to the inaugural edition of "The Lobster Roll".
You might be wondering: "Why are you writing about a D-League team?" Well I am glad you asked, champ. There are two reasons why we care about this now.
Number one, this is the Celtics’ D-League team, so once they get going it is highly probable some of our younger players could be seeing some time there. Right now Bill Walker is the only one officially assigned to the D-League, but JR Giddens, and Lester Hudson are also both eligible to be sent to play for the Red Claws. As the season progresses and the rotation completely shakes out, there is a good chance that all of our youngsters could see some floor time up in Portland.
The second reason the Red Claws matter is because they are in fact based in
via www.portlandexpositionbuilding.com
Now, the Red Claws are going to play home games right here in New England, playing out of the Portland Exposition Building (above) which is apparently called "The Expo". This presents a unique opportunity for those who cannot afford the substantial cost of going to see a Celtics game, but who still want to see professionals play a beautiful game, and maybe do some scouting of their own of those players Danny Ainge has anointed as the Great Green Hopes.
So what’s the deal with these Red Claws? Well son, lets start at the top.
12 comments | 1 recs |
Sheridan: What's wrong with the Celtics?
Chris Sheridan of ESPN ponders the same question we've all been asking over the last few weeks.
Celtics Stuff Live: Scott Souza
by Jughead on Nov 22, 2009 7:56 PM EST
0 comments
Celtics Stuff Live took to the "studio" Sunday night after an overtime victory against the Knicks earlier that afternoon. The Madison Square Matinee did not seem to improve Justin's confidence that the team was back on the winning track, while Jon was far more reassured despite being exasperated with Friday night's loss to the Magic. Scott Souza from the MetroWest Daily News joined us to discuss the ills of the team following an excellent article on the topic from today. Scott reminded us about our preseason prediction that Garnett would inevitably need some time to recover and that many would question whether he would ever be the same player again. That was rather comforting. He also felt that the Celtics recent issues were related more to execution than a lack of effort, to which Justin agreed and placed more emphasis on the mental rather than the physical failures of the team. We then discussed the play of Rajon Rondo who Jon, typically only effusive in his praise, felt was deserving of some criticism. Scott countered that the criticism of Rondo may be overblown and stated that, statistically speaking, this may be Rondo's best start to a season.
Later in the show we took calls from KWAPT and the Scotsman, as well as a tweet from Loscy(.com) and took a long look at the merits of Rasheed Wallace and Kendrick Perkins, trying to determine the best role for each player on this team. Justin was a staunch supporter of the recent inclusion of Perkins at the end of games and felt that his defense has been superior to Sheed's in every game to this point.
Tune in next Friday night after the game against the Raptors for our weekly Gold Rarities Postgame Show!
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KG For The Win ...Got It
by Jeff Clark on Nov 22, 2009 4:05 PM EST
in Games
74 comments
Glass half full view: They won!
Glass half empty: It was the Knicks, ...and it took a buzzer beater in overtime.
It should have been a comfortable win but the Knicks stormed back in the 3rd quarter and forced overtime with some late buckets and free throws. They almost made it 2 overtimes but KG's buzzer beater sealed the deal.
- Pierce led the way for the good guys with 33 points.
- Rondo missed a triple double by one rebound and picked up 4 steals to boot.
- Perkins got a double double of his own and also blocked 4 shots.
- Al Harrington paced the bad guys with 30 points of his own.
- For those scoring at home, Sheed took and missed 3 more threes.
- Who knew that Eddie Curry still had a pulse?
- No idea why Rondo was the one taking the shot at the end of regulation, but I'm glad they got it to Garnett in his sweet spot at the end of overtime.
- A win is a win is a win. Next!
74 comments | 0 recs |
Celtics Head to New York for Sunday Afternoon Matinee
by Greg Payne on Nov 22, 2009 2:14 PM EST
in Games
9 comments
The Boston Celtics look to right the ship when they visit Madison Square Garden for a matinee showdown with the New York Knicks at 1:00pm.
The Celtics are coming off of a messy loss to the Orlando Magic on Friday in which they shot just 34.5 percent from the field and 10.5 percent from three-point nation.
The Knicks, winners of two straight, are in the second day of a back-to-back as they vanquished the still winless New Jersey Nets by a score of 98-91 yesterday in New Jersey.
Madison Square Garden hasn't served as a hospitable venue to the Knicks, as they have so far compiled just a 1-6 record at home this season. The Celtics on the other hand, are fairing well away from the TD Garden, as they've amassed a 4-1 road record.
New York is currently 11th in the league in scoring at 100.5 points per game, but it's main issue resides on the defensive side of the ball as they allow 110.2 points per game - good news for a Celtics team that scored only 78 points on Friday night against Orlando.
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Daily Links 11/22
by FLCeltsFan on Nov 22, 2009 12:14 PM EST
in News/Links
0 comments
Herald Settin’ up House (finally)
Jersey barrier still up
Celtics stars pull out all the steps
Celtic spirit
Doc Rivers urges discipline
Globe Live by the three, die by the ...
After taking supplement, Lewis took his medicine in the form of suspension
Celtics aren’t losing faith despite recent struggles
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20-Point First Quarters Are Key For Celtics
by Greg Payne on Nov 22, 2009 2:00 AM EST
in Articles
8 comments
I'm a big fan of the 20-point first quarter. In my opinion, one of the Celtics' goals this season should be to hold every opponent to 20 points or less in the opening frame. They maintain that they are in fact a defensive team and despite the many offensively efficient teams in the NBA, I believe this group is capable of such a feat. But in order to accomplish this, the starting unit of Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins will have to find a way to get off to better starts.
The statistics support my claim: The Celtics are 5-0 this season when holding opponents to 20 points or less in the first quarter, but are just 4-4 when the opposition scores more than 20 points in the first 12 minutes. Consistency is the key in this case, but the Celtics have only managed to be consistent when it comes to being inconsistent defensively in the opening stanza of games lately.
The Magic scored 29 points in the first quarter on Friday. The Warriors put up 23 in the first 12 minutes on Wednesday. The Pacers managed 26 points in the first quarter last Saturday, but what was worse was that they reached the 20-point mark with 5:57 still to play in the frame. I distinctly remember shuddering when this happened. The Hawks jumped on this scoring bandwagon and put up 24 points on the Celtics in the opening period last Friday.
By continually allowing teams to score at will as soon as the ball is tossed up at halfcourt, the Celtics are digging themselves unnecessary holes, which in turn is forcing them to make up unnecessary ground later in the game. The specifics of this ordeal are actually quite simple: Instead of asserting themselves and being the aggressors/intimidators/initiators, the Celtics have been defined by first quarter complacency. Their opponents are now routinely walking all over them in the opening frame of games. Maybe they feel the sheer thought of them being the Boston Celtics is enough to scoot by a team like the Pacers or the Timberwolves or the Warriors.
Well, the Celtics are in dire need of a wake up call, because guess what? None of the teams the Celtics have played this season have appeared intimidated. And the longer this first quarter nonsense continues, the more likely the sub par opponents will continue to give us fits. The C's need to flex the defensive muscle in the first five minutes, knock their opponent on the chin and pin them down from there. And that's just against the 'okay' teams.
Sure, opponents can take the floor with the Celtics thinking they can compete, but by the time the game hits the seven or six minute mark of the first quarter, the opposing players need to be thinking, 'Boy, were we wrong.' The self-doubt needs to be seeping through opposing players' heads and into their games. The Celtics are perfectly capable of this, but until it happens, they will continue to struggle. The first quarter can no longer serve as the Celtics' personal warm up before they realize they have a game to play.
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Celtics Schedule
Next 5 Games
Philadelphia
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Wed 11/25 | 7:30 PM EST |
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Toronto
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Fri 11/27 | 7:30 PM EST |
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@
Miami
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Sun 11/29 | 6:00 PM EST |
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Charlotte
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Tue 12/01 | 7:00 PM EST |
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@
San Antonio
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Thu 12/03 | 8:00 PM EST |
Last 5 Games
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@
New York
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Sun 11/22 | W 107 - 105 |
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Orlando
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Fri 11/20 | L 78 - 83 |
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Golden State
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Wed 11/18 | W 109 - 95 |
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Indiana
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Sat 11/14 | L 104 - 113 |
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Atlanta
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Fri 11/13 | L 86 - 97 |
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