Not "Tanking" But...
by Jeff Clark on Jan 25, 2007 4:48 AM EST
in Boston Celtics News & Links
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PrintJackie MacMullen weighs in with the topic that we've been blogging to death since the first week of the season. To tank or not to tank.
It is a fine line when you start looking toward the future in the middle of a season. Players and coaches don't like it, but general managers and owners are trained to view it in strictly business terms, as they should.
"Obviously, everyone knows what's out there," Rivers said. "But I'm a firm believer if you start trying to lose, the basketball gods will get you."
The lottery game must be played far more subtly than that. We're not talking about tanking. We're not saying you mismatch personnel on purpose and yank combinations that are working in the middle of a game. We're not suggesting Boston lure Acie Earl out of retirement and ink him to a long-term deal.
If you blatantly lose, the league office will weigh in with severe consequences. That's why nobody ever discusses positioning themselves for the lottery. That's also why a lottery was introduced in the first place, so teams that stopped trying would not automatically be rewarded with the best player in the draft.
As if to prove that he's a competitor and won't let whispers of conspiracy taint his good name, Paul Pierce is working out "like a madman" now that the boot has come off. Mark Murphy reports:
Paul Pierce surprised many last week when he targeted the first week of February for a return, but even if the Celtics captain needs more time to come back from a stress reaction in his left foot, he is apparently trying to push the issue as hard as possible.
According to one observor, Pierce has been “working out like a madman'’ the last three days at the team’s training facility in Waltham.Though these workouts don’t include anything involving a basketball, Pierce was reportedly pushing himself hard on stations like the exercise bike and the weight room.
Now that the therapeutic boot has been removed from his foot, Pierce has obviously wasted no time in trying to get back into shape.
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“We’re not saying you mismatch personnel on purpose and yank combinations that are working in the middle of a game”
You don’t need to say it, Doc already does this on his own without being prompted.
by CelticsFan18 on Jan 25, 2007 7:20 AM EST reply actions
It’s simply inexcusable that an organized basketball team with players who receive money for their services hasn’t the vaguest concept of how to attack a 3-2 zone. I don’t care what Ainge and Grousbeck say: this is one of the most embarrassing and unprofessional coaching jobs I’ve ever seen. A high school coach would be fired if his team played like that. Shame on you, Doc Rivers, shame on you.
How to fix this mess:
- Webber for 76ers due to make roughly $30M, 76ers bought him out for roughly $20M, a horrible hit ($20M) but a savings too of $10M. Wally is due to make roughly $30M, Cs need to give him the same type of deal. No GM is going to stick their head on the chopping block and risk that kind of bucks for an often injured, one dimensional player. Buy him out and let him go to the Clippers, Spurs, Rockets, Nuggets, etc and make his own deal. A hit of $20M but a savings of $10M.
#2)Entertain a potential trade for Pierce, depending on what we could get back, pull the trigger if it gets us more young talent and potential lottery picks.
- If we are worried about $$$, we need to buy out and not sacrifice a high draft pick. All this talk about the Raef/Theo save a year on the contract, we could have probably done the exact thing with buying out Raef and saved the same type of money we will save on the Theo contract. Telfair was a horrible choice for the #7, knew that on draft day.
- Do not get vets with questionable health issues: Theo, Raef, Wally.
- Enough of the kum by ah my lord locker room attitude, that’s not what wins championships. Talent does. Kobe/Shaq probably the worst locker room atmosphere of all time yet they won their rings. Rodman, a social idiot, and Pistons got their ring(s). Ditto for Rasheed Wallace.
- No more of this “earn your minutes” garbage. Scal for all I know may be the Larry Bird of Celtic workouts but he doesn’t have “it” to make the Celtics a winner. If this team ever has to rely on Scal to hit a 3 pointer for us to win games, we might as well pack it in. This is about developing the young talent. Example: maybe Powe becomes an 8/8 monster off the bench, maybe he is destined for a 4/4 off the bench career. Give Powe those minutes.
- Gerald Green needs to mirror Pierce’s style of play. Doc must insist that he take it to the rim at least 6 or 7 times a game. We know he can shoot, that’s what he needs for he and the Celts to get to the next level. Get A. Hardaway in here to teach him the cross over dribble. Give Big AL his 15 low post shots per game. Let him continue to develop his handling the double team, etc. Get Rondo 30 min. a game. The more minutes our more talented youth play now in this garbage season, the better we are next year.
- Danny has unintentionally run this franchise into the ground. Doc is and will never be the answer. This team still is way behind, even for a young team to be where it needs to be as a defensive team. This team still gets baffled by zone defenses. We need a fresh start.
- Change the insanity of handling injuried players. Playing any or at all for injured players flows from 1)competent medical staff, 2) the coach, 3) the player. Do not play these guys unless they are 90% and beyond re-injuring themselves due to the specific injury that they are suffering from. The only exception to that rule would be “playoff type games” where the injury would not be permanent.
- No more B.S. from management. If you don’t think Blount/Davis/Banks for the most part is a good trade, than don’t try to sell it to us as a “sidewards trade”. If it isn’t going to make us better, don’t do the trade and admit it, it helped screw this franchise. If you don’t think Telfair is worthy of a top 5 or top 7 pick, then don’t come out and sell us on that. Shoot straight with the fans. Overhaul this franchise, replace Danny, Doc and this current training staff. I look for a positive 07-08, but changes need to be made.
- Remember, we drafted many of these high schoolers because they supposingly had more talent than their college draftee counterparts. It takes about 3 years for an NBA player in the league to start fully seeing their potential. No more of this, we are young excuses. Part of that extra talent we have from these high schoolers needs to start trumping the we are too young excuse.
- Next year, get a coach in here that doesn’t look for excuses on why we lose (youth/injuries) but has the capability to get the best of their players and have them still win their share of games
by bceltfan on Jan 25, 2007 7:43 AM EST reply actions
Sorry guys I can’t help but to repeat myself….
bcelticfan….I sympathize but….
WOW! AND I MEAN WOW!
What have we been talking about the last few weeks in here…..I’m ashamed at most of you…..
Okay maybe things are going always the way we like it… but to expect such a young group to play consistently game in and game out is ludicrous….
This team is going through so much growing pains that most of you can’t phantom
I’m in Danny’s corner with what he has accomplished so far.
This team needs to have this type of season, going to battle every game in the trenches and trying to find itself.
If many of you thought this was going to be easy your nuts.
The only thing we can blame Doc is for his calling of a game. But when you put the likes of Powe, Ray, and Rondo out there, please doesnâ€â"¢t expect to win. Let’s be sensible about what is happening out there
Right now we are we have the 2nd pick in the draft.
Forget about Wally and Ratliff and what your thoughts are about them. Look at them as expiring contracts. Much faster than what we would have had before. And please stop with the nonsense about Blount, Davis, and LaFrentz.
If they were still here where would our development be? We’d be a .500 team and complaining….that’s where we’d be. Look at Minnesota right now with them there and also with Garnett. They are no better than a .500 team and they just fired there coach.
Okay, we don’t have to like what’s happening around here… but accept it…because we have a much better young core than anyone else in the league and we are in a position to be able to grab a top 5 pick in draft….
Remember we always said we’d have our ups and down’s this season… Don’t overreact and start thinking about the moment but about our future!
Okay, I agree with firing Doc. Pretty sure that’s going to happen anyway. But I have to go against the prevailing philosophy that “one more really great draft pick” is going to bring us back to competitiveness. That’s the kind of mentality that creates revolving door franchises and long-term losers. You can point out Tim Duncan, but I can point out Olowokandi, Darko Milicic and many more. If I could scream one thing to this board, it would be that WE HAVE THE PLAYERS. This team when healthy is capable of 45 wins with the right coach. If you are still waiting for Greg Oden to waltz in on a white horse, you are just part of the continuing problem. In fact, I believe that the NBA draft should be 100% random regardless of win-loss record. Believe me, the impact of that on competitiveness would be minimal. A good team is a good team, and a good operation is a good operation.
No, fire Doc immediately. Losing games to get in the high lottery does not require a team to be completely disorganized. They could have lost last night by the simple expedient of leaving Gomes, Ray and Wonder Boy Rondo in the game and telling them to keep shooting. Instead, the 4th quarter was the basketball equivalent of a scene from “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.”
And its not the first time that this team has been completely befuddled by a high school zone. It’s about the eighth time.
It appears that Ainge and Grousbeck are too lazy to do the legwork required to find a better coach, and that this ownership group is too cheap the eat the balance of Rivers’ contract, even though that would be in the best interests of the team.
Well, I’m GregKite this morning…always good to see…Seems this Web Log is having growing pains like the Cs…
I’m with Ancient Red on this one…We had a bad game and everyone wants to coach the team…It’s laughable…
If G$ and Ray hit 33 1/3% we win the game…That’s not asking for much (says Doc)…
You have no idea how much I would like to get a “franchise” player out of this draft, but I doubt we will…I actually think perhaps there’s only one in the draft, Greg Oden, and I’m not fully sure of that…
I’m afraid the benefits of this “growing” team are going to be sililar to the benefits of going to the dentist…and, it seems, we have a bunch of people with phobias about that…
by BoundingRounder on Jan 25, 2007 8:46 AM EST reply actions
The Celtics won’t get Oden. I’m one of those people who believes that David Stern manipulates the lottery, and he will never let it happen. Besides, the team with the worst record almost never gets the #1 pick.
But even so, the Celtics will get a pretty good player, e.g. Noah or Splitter. The 2008 draft looks strong to, with the likes of O.J. Mayo, Thaddeus Young and Mike Conley. I’m sure that when next year’s team starts out with a 6-13 record or something like that— which it invariably will if Rivers is still coaching them—we’ll be having some good discussions here about the 2008 draft class.
Meanwhile, I may have to start rooting for the Raptors.
I don’t want to read any comments and deal with getting ticked off by the negativity. I just want to add my two cents. I saw the loss coming last night. Even in the first quarter when we held them to 10 points, I said to my buddy, “I know they are going to lose this game.” The young guys don’t know that you can’t ease up with any team in the NBA, even when you are up 18 to the Hawks. It was an embarrassing loss, but I don’t mind, I’m not rooting for us to lose, I would never do that, but I don’t think losing is the worst thing in the world. I’m just like Jackie, who continues to be the smartest basketball mind in Boston.
One more thing, why was Allan Ray even in the game and why not play Telfair and let him beat up on Tyrrone Lue? I mean if there’s anybody in the league that Telfair can handle on defense (which i still hold, has improved a little) it’s Lue and he can dominate him on the offensive end, getting the hoop and dishing the ball or finishing. he came in and hit a few layups and got to the line so why not give him a shot earlier in the game when there was clearly nothing else that was working, especially having Allan Ray in the game.
Gomes was AWFUL.
by Acie Earl on Jan 25, 2007 9:11 AM EST reply actions
I personally believe the best player for the C’s would be Kevin Durant, he reminds me of Kevin Garnett and Aumarie Stoudamire, he’s quick and versatile, and he’ll be getting better. Olden is a good player and a strong body who could rebound and play much better defense than Jefferson and Perkins, but Durant is also a better defensive player than both Jefferson and Perkins. Next years line up could look like this and if so it would be very impressive Rondo and Allen at the guard spots, Pierce and Jefferson playing the forwards, and Durant in the middle. That line up doesn’t have a lot of outside shooting but that line up is potent offensively. Delonte, Green, Perkins, Powe, comes off the bench the other players can be traded.
Im probably reading too much into it but Springers articles seem to be hinting the celtics are playing for the lottery.
by cos on Jan 25, 2007 10:10 AM EST reply actions
I’m not sold on Durant, who reminds me of Travis Outlaw, not Kevin Garnett. But maybe my view will change after I see him a few more times.
I am sold on Oden, Noah and Splitter. Noah has so much athleticism that he could defend the SMALL forward position, even though he’s 6-11. He’s also shooting nearly 70% for the year. Splitter is a polished professional at age 22. He’s the equivalent of a 4-year college player. He will step right in and be a defensive force.
In the second round I like Ivan Radenovic from Arizona. I might also take a flyer on Herbert Hill or Curtis Sumpter, who was one of the half dozen best college players in the country before he got hurt (knee) and was forced to sit out a year.
I’m a fan of Durant too. He seems more solid. Oden, despite the fact that he’s 35, looks lost at times. Durant is more of a versatile forward in my opinion, not that I’ve seen much of him. I think it would work at least as well as BigAl/Perk works, probably better. It gives you Perk to come off the bench more.
Also, wasn’t Tim Hardaway the Killer Crossover? Gerald really has looked lost lately. Last night, he was really pressing. He’s really hit the rookie wall I think (if he had played more than trash time last year I’d say 2nd year)… I think there’s no reason not to trade him if you can get Pau.
I’ve seen Durant play and he reminds of Len Bias….scary feeling, but his game is similar to Len’s
Len was stronger than Durant is now, but hopefully will be able to put some muscle in his upper body.
Guys really don’t get down! no need to at this point. A couple of days ago we were excited with how the team played against San Antonio….
okay they had a let down game yesterday, but you can’t say they haven’t been playing well of late…..there not able to put a couple of win’s together…
And from the looks of things Paul Pierce isn’t coming back anytime soon. So I’d say that management has already thrown in the towel and do you blame them
Realistically, do you want this team making the playoff’s this year? and what chance would we have?
A couple of years ago we made a run with Payton and Walker on our team and what happen we got our butts beaten by Indiana.
Let’s do this right, give it some more time. I know from coaching, these kids don’t develop as quickly as you think…. Veteran teams beating us I can understand…… But everyone’s right Atlanta beating us isn’t…. They had a bad night…. let’s leave it at that
FallGuy’s comments below….
- Webber for 76ers due to make roughly $30M, 76ers bought him out for roughly $20M, a horrible hit ($20M) but a savings too of $10M. Wally is due to make roughly $30M, Cs need to give him the same type of deal. No GM is going to stick their head on the chopping block and risk that kind of bucks for an often injured, one dimensional player. Buy him out and let him go to the Clippers, Spurs, Rockets, Nuggets, etc and make his own deal. A hit of $20M but a savings of $10M.
FallGuyâ€â"¢s comment: This is a good idea. The sooner the better.
#2)Entertain a potential trade for Pierce, depending on what we could get back, pull the trigger if it gets us more young talent and potential lottery picks.
FallGuyâ€â"¢s comment: This doesnâ€â"¢t make sense. Pierce is either a #1 star player or a #1A depending on your view. I doubt thereâ€â"¢s a package thatâ€â"¢s appealing enough. But I could be wrong. Whatâ€â"¢s your logic here?
- If we are worried about $$$, we need to buy out and not sacrifice a high draft pick. All this talk about the Raef/Theo save a year on the contract, we could have probably done the exact thing with buying out Raef and saved the same type of money we will save on the Theo contract. Telfair was a horrible choice for the #7, knew that on draft day.
FallGuyâ€â"¢s comment: Are you talking about Theo here? You donâ€â"¢t buy him out. You keep him until he becomes a valuable trading chip next year.
- Do not get vets with questionable health issues: Theo, Raef, Wally.
FallGuyâ€â"¢s comment: Amen.
- Enough of the kum by ah my lord locker room attitude, that’s not what wins championships. Talent does. Kobe/Shaq probably the worst locker room atmosphere of all time yet they won their rings. Rodman, a social idiot, and Pistons got their ring(s). Ditto for Rasheed Wallace.
FallGuyâ€â"¢s comment: Disagree. The attitude of this team, its closeness and the way the players stay optimistic and work hard night after night is a silver lining. If anything, I suggest the way the guys have kept their heads up, even as the losses pile up, makes me more attached to them. I really hope a number of them are here next year when we really start to turn things around because Iâ€â"¢m developing real emotional attachment to Al, Rondo, etc. etc. Ainâ€â"¢t that what being a fanâ€â"¢s all about? Winning and loving the guys on your team?
by FallGuy on Jan 25, 2007 10:59 AM EST reply actions
Continued as I had to split this into two….
- No more of this “earn your minutes” garbage. Scal for all I know may be the Larry Bird of Celtic workouts but he doesn’t have “it” to make the Celtics a winner. If this team ever has to rely on Scal to hit a 3 pointer for us to win games, we might as well pack it in. This is about developing the young talent. Example: maybe Powe becomes an 8/8 monster off the bench, maybe he is destined for a 4/4 off the bench career. Give Powe those minutes.
FallGuyâ€â"¢s comment: â€Å"Earn your minutes†isnâ€â"¢t a garbage philosophy. It may be flawed but to dismiss it outright doesnâ€â"¢t make sense to me. Which doesnâ€â"¢t mean I want Scal out there playing a ton of minutes at Powe/Geraldâ€â"¢s expense.
- Gerald Green needs to mirror Pierce’s style of play. Doc must insist that he take it to the rim at least 6 or 7 times a game. We know he can shoot, that’s what he needs for he and the Celts to get to the next level. Get A. Hardaway in here to teach him the cross over dribble. Give Big AL his 15 low post shots per game. Let him continue to develop his handling the double team, etc. Get Rondo 30 min. a game. The more minutes our more talented youth play now in this garbage season, the better we are next year.
FallGuyâ€â"¢s comment: If Gerald takes the ball to the rim 6 or 7 times a game, heâ€â"¢ll turn it over or dribble into a wall of defenders. Heâ€â"¢s in no way adept at doing this yet and still makes tons of mistakes. Lots and lots of practice is needed, followed by summer league play and work on getting a better handle before next year. He can drive the ball when he shows he has a clue what to do with it. Itâ€â"¢ll come….
- Danny has unintentionally run this franchise into the ground. Doc is and will never be the answer. This team still is way behind, even for a young team to be where it needs to be as a defensive team. This team still gets baffled by zone defenses. We need a fresh start.
FallGuyâ€â"¢s comment: Doc needs to go. Danny doesnâ€â"¢t have the right coach in place (for some things anyway) but none of know what heâ€â"¢s thinking. I expect a new coach next year. Letâ€â"¢s wait and see on this one.
- Change the insanity of handling injuried players. Playing any or at all for injured players flows from 1)competent medical staff, 2) the coach, 3) the player. Do not play these guys unless they are 90% and beyond re-injuring themselves due to the specific injury that they are suffering from. The only exception to that rule would be “playoff type games” where the injury would not be permanent.
FallGuyâ€â"¢s comment: Disingenuous. You never know if a guy is fully beyond reinjuring himself. So, if someone does go down, you can claim he shouldnâ€â"¢t have been playing in the first place due to a preexisting injury. Presume youâ€â"¢re talking about Perk here? Or Delonte?
- No more B.S. from management. If you don’t think Blount/Davis/Banks for the most part is a good trade, than don’t try to sell it to us as a “sidewards trade”. If it isn’t going to make us better, don’t do the trade and admit it, it helped screw this franchise. If you don’t think Telfair is worthy of a top 5 or top 7 pick, then don’t come out and sell us on that. Shoot straight with the fans. Overhaul this franchise, replace Danny, Doc and this current training staff. I look for a positive 07-08, but changes need to be made.
FallGuyâ€â"¢s comment: Do NOT shoot straight with the fans – at least not the way youâ€â"¢re talking about. Your public stance on moves MUST enable you to deal with other GMâ€â"¢s effectively down the road. To go about and talk about how Telfair was a huge mistake does very little for Danny in his efforts to correct it.
- Remember, we drafted many of these high schoolers because they supposingly had more talent than their college draftee counterparts. It takes about 3 years for an NBA player in the league to start fully seeing their potential. No more of this, we are young excuses. Part of that extra talent we have from these high schoolers needs to start trumping the we are too young excuse.
FallGuyâ€â"¢s comment: Wait til next year, I suppose. Just because you say itâ€â"¢s an excuse, doesnâ€â"¢t make it wrong. Think about this when you suggest dealing Pierce for even more young players.
- Next year, get a coach in here that doesn’t look for excuses on why we lose (youth/injuries) but has the capability to get the best of their players and have them still win their share of games
FallGuyâ€â"¢s comment: I donâ€â"¢t like Doc that much either but he has not made excuses and has kept his head up in a very trying season. Character he does have.
by FallGuy on Jan 25, 2007 11:00 AM EST reply actions
Is it me, but everytime trade rumors involving the Celtics getting someone (gasol) Jefferson get hurts, He one of the guys that Jerry West would be interested in. As i said in the forum, anyone or any combination(except Pierce) can go and fire Doc. He can’t solve a 2-3 zone, he should not be coaching.
We may not be winners next year But if we land Oden We will be on national TV.
If we are lucky & get the first pick we will start the real rebuilding of the C’s (hopefully with out DA & Doc.)
As it stands now we will continue with the inferior approach of playing DOCBALL with the hopes of what next year may bring…..
“Obviously, everyone knows what’s out there,” Rivers said. “But I’m a firm believer if you start trying to lose, the basketball gods will get you.”
[/b]
Two things are scary about this….(1) Doc is a big part of what’s out there…and (2)How scary would it be if Doc was actually trying to lose??
Ancient Red Said:
As passionate as we are here…
How many have actually played the game High School or College here…
and how many of you have Coaching experience…. [b]
I haven’t played at the high school or college level but have coaching experience. I would never allow my team to run 23 seconds off the clock without fouling in the last two minutes of a 2-3 posession game not once…but twice. Stuff like this and other blunders in what seems like the last minutes of virtually every game make Doc’s commentary even scarier. Some of the bizarre coaching decisions might raise Stern’s eyebrows as much as the losses.
It won’t matter if Oden comes to Boston and Duncan comes to beantown if there isn’t a coaching change.
Ancient Red (good morning from the Great State of Kansas),
Played HS Basketball – could not make College level (no hops (white men can’t jump) and too short @ 6’ (and was not really sober anyway)
My dad coached semi-pro baseball for awhile but never coached basketball. I coached 6th grade girls once (hahaha) and got more technical fouls than any coach in the history of that girls league. I made several girls cry and made a few parents mad. (surprise!) so I am not qualified to critisize Doc in any shape or manner……but I have crtisized him, I am now doing that and will continue to do so.
The issues we have go deeper than Doc of course, deeper than specific players, rash of injuries, etc. All things add up in this case (and in life) to sum total disaster greater than the parts that suck individually.
With that said, that “thud” sound I hear in my head may actually be the sound of us hitting rock f’n bottom. What does that mean? It can only get better from here so I have a kernal of hope I hang onto in the months to come.
How long do we bottom feed on the crumbs of the NBA and foolishly hang our hopes on a 25% chance at a ping pong ball going our way and getting MAYBE MAYBE MAYBE a good player? I don’t know.
When is summer league startin in Vegas? That sounds better than anything right now. Last night if I could I found the Jim Jones congregation making a batch of kool-aid of their own I would have gladly drank it.
Peace
Ancient Red Said:
“Remember we always said we’d have our ups and down’s this season… Don’t overreact and start thinking about the moment but about our future! ”
HAVEN’T WE BEEN TIHNKING ABOUT OUR FUTURE FOR OH, ABOUT FOUR YEARS NOW!?!?!?!?!
I’m sick and tired of this crap.
by Rainman on Jan 25, 2007 1:07 PM EST reply actions
Brickowski said: _
I’m not sold on Durant, who reminds me of Travis Outlaw, not Kevin Garnett.
——————
Haha… Travis Outlaw? Come on now. Have you seen Durant play?
I’ve heard the aforementioned comparison to Len Bias from more than a few people, and it has me convinced that Red is pulling strings from up above.
by handles on Jan 25, 2007 1:32 PM EST reply actions
Usually I read all post before commenting but Acient Red: Nice Gernade, you my man are a fighter not a quiter. I just had to jump ahead and post, after your first post. As Master Po once said, your a guy I’d want in my fox hole, in a war. So lock n’ load and don’t give up the fight. You have the Faith, you will restore the Pride!
by The Real Alaska on Jan 25, 2007 1:49 PM EST reply actions
whoops I see it was your 2nd post Acient Red. LOL
by The Real Alaska on Jan 25, 2007 1:50 PM EST reply actions
I didn’t play except rec. didn’t coach, and is why I don’t post from that angle. Believe it or not, I’m not a Psychiatrist, but I play one on Celticblog. :D
by The Real Alaska on Jan 25, 2007 2:20 PM EST reply actions
41 more games to go (why can’t it be four).
No quick solutions please. Stay the current course. Continue to let the kids play. We need one of the top two picks. That should be the goal. Now if we do get a pick between 3 – 5 (chances are it will be) the player should be a top notch talent that needs a few seasons to contribute 20 – 30 minutes per. game.
In the mean time, try and stay positive, it’s not about wins the rest of the year, It’s about trying to develop and obtain (Oden and Durant) talent that will carry us forward for the next decade. The worst thing that could happen is to win 25 – 30 games and be picking 6 – 12.
Gerald needs 400 – 500 more shots this year.
Rondo needs 20 – 25 minutes every game for the rest of the year.
Perkins needs to sit until he is 100% healed.
Delonte needs to continue to shoot and work on going to his right.
Powe needs to play 10 – 15 minutes per game.
Al needs to get healthy now and continue on the way he had been playing.
Gomes needs to continue to take that 15 foot jumper.
Telfair, well I would like to see Doc take the reins off of him and see if he could penetrate, dish, use his speed, change directions etc. I think the guy can play in this league in some capacity (at least I
hope).
Tony Allen needs a rabbit foot.
Danny made some incredible picks, in the last few drafts, for someone who’s picked in the middle of the round. We don’t know how much of the success of these players is due to their talent, their work ethic or the coaching they are getting from Doc and his crew but somehow between Danny’s picking and Doc’s coaching almost all of the Celts are good players and are getting better. Danny picked Doc to develop the young players he’s been drafting and I agree with Danny when he says Doc is doing an excellent job. Whether you guys have playing or coaching experience doesn’t impress me with your opinions. You are not there during the practices and don’t know a lot of inside stuff that might be influencing Doc’s decisions. For a lot of you guys to be second guessing Doc appears to me to come more from your frustrations than from your knowledge of everything that’s going on.
Everyone has their own way to deal with their frustrations and I know a lot of you like to go to bed and wake up the next day, after the Celts have won a game, with a smile on your face and can’t wait to read about the victory in the morning paper which somehow makes it more real. It’s all about being a fan (fanatic)and we’re fans because we enjoy it or at least most of us do. I wonder about some of the posters on this site that are constantly complaining and moaning about how the Celtics should get rid of this guy, fire that guy, trade that guy. It’s constant negativity. You all seem to think you’d make a real good GM. Why don’t you go out and try to get a GM job if you know so much. You can impress the owners with all of your incredible knowledge and success. I, for one, believe I have more fun being a fan when I can look positively at the team and see it’s potential getting better with almost every game. This isn’t life or death. It’s just sports. Lighten up and enjoy. There are only two things to win; the championship or the lotto. The Celts aren’t going for the championship this year.
I still think we need one more quality big, especially with the way our bigs go down with injuries. I also like to believe that once we have all the right pieces we just let he team grow together, something Toronto seems to be doing now.
I may be wrong in some of my thinking but at least, because I’m positive, I have fun talking and dreaming about what could be.
At 6-9, 204lbs how dominating will Durant be?
by Celtsfansince55 on Jan 25, 2007 6:53 PM EST reply actions
Amen Frankie G:
“Larry Bird is not walking through that door, fans. Kevin McHale is not walking through that door, and Robert Parish is not walking through that door. And if you expect them to walk through that door, they’re going to be gray and old. What we are is young, exciting, hard-working, and we’re going to improve. People don’t realize that, and as soon as they realize those three guys are not coming through that door, the better this town will be for all of us because there are young guys in that (locker) room playing their asses off.” He continued, “I wish we had $90 million under the salary cap. I wish we could buy the world. We can’t; the only thing we can do is work hard, and all the negativity that’s in this town sucks. I’ve been around when Jim Rice was booed. I’ve been around when (Carl) Yastrzemski was booed. And it stinks. It makes the greatest town, greatest city in the world, lousy. The only thing that will turn this around is being upbeat and positive like we are in that locker room… and if you think I’m going to succumb to negativity, you’re wrong. You’ve got the wrong guy leading this team.”
1.)I played Ball and stayed at a holiday Inn. So I know what I am talking about.
2.)I didn’t know we had to qualify to post and have opinions on this blog.
3.)Some players and coaches have the worst experience as any. most get an over blown opinion of themselves and their contribution to the game.
So waht is the point you wish to make?
by Freeease1 on Jan 25, 2007 8:36 PM EST reply actions
WE CANT KEEP LETTING THE FUTURE OF THE TEAM DEPEND ON LUCK IN THE DRAFT. HOW MUCH YOUNG TALENT DO WE NEED. MAKE A PUSH FOR GASOL DANNY.
by delontrey on Jan 25, 2007 9:55 PM EST reply actions
Franki G and greenfan, we need more of that!
by The Real Alaska on Jan 26, 2007 1:26 AM EST reply actions
Right now, we’ve got Paul and Al — that’s a solid 1,2 combo offensively. Then you add Gomes, D-West, Perk, Gerald, TA and Rondo — solid role players when healthy, a few of whom could develop into more.
Danny’s drafting has upgraded the talent significantly. His trades have brought us closer to getting big contracts off the books and cleared the team of inconsistent stiffs like Blount and Raef. When you add in a top 5 pick, there’s a lot of hope there next year.
by Lunchpail on Jan 26, 2007 3:47 AM EST reply actions
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