Ciao

Hey!, Jeff, Ciao; You’ve put together a wonderful site and have worked harder to make it legit than I can say casually…I, myself, am rushing out to take care of business, so this is brief but heartfelt…You and your site are a welcomed addition to CELTICS NATION…Thanks!!!

Congrats on a well deserved vacation! I hope you get to spend several days in Rome since that city is replete with history, art and culture. Don’t know if it’s changed much in 30 years but in Rome do as the Roman’s do when shopping. Drive a HARD bargain on prices, threaten to leave a store if they won’t come down 40-50% because as soon as they “make you” as an American the price goes up at least 50%.

If you like Italian food spiced as the American’s do, bring along some Texas Pete flavoring since authenic Italian food is very BLAND!

Oh Jeff, they deal in “grams” instead of ounces so “bone-up” on the metric system. I ordered LOBSTER only to discover that the price was in kilograms and not pounds.

Brickowski: I posted a query to you late last night and didn’t get a response so I’ll pose it again. Do the following data mean anything “special” to you? August 14th, 1959….Bayville, New York?

  The problem with “nostalgia” is that some memories fade rather slowly.

Am a bit confused about the comment about Doc and how he should be evaluated if he’s back next year with a better roster. This year with a bad roster (regardless of reasons) many say he’s a bad coach. Then why would a “good” roster make him a good coach? Jeff seems to be saying that Doc’s evaluation is related to the roster. To me Doc is a terrific coach and the roster he has to work with is obviously part of the evaluation. A good coach doesn’t make a bad team win, but a bad coach can make a good team lose. I think what I’m trying to say is that the con-Doc’s haven’t given him a fair shake just as some didn’t give Al a fair shake last year and Perk this year. There are extenuating circumstances which the cons label “excuses”.

TrueGreen; Based on your remarks I’d say you “peaked” at Jeff’s cards and not only know the hand he’s holding but are prepared to “call his bluff” if he won’t (eventually) lay his cards on the table?

No, moskqq, I’m not Frank Brickowski.

Jeff, get a slingbox, set it up (takes about 30 minutes) and pack your laptop. Then you won’t have to miss any games.

Visit the Cinque Terra if you possibly can. And if you get a chance, watch Danilo Gallinari play in the Italian league. He’s going to be better than Bargnani. Gallinari plays for Armani Jeans Milano.

Have a great trip!

You’re leaving at the best possible time. There will be nothing new on the Celtics front until May 22nd. And don’t worry about your preseason prediction, you were only off by about 25 wins.

As to Perk as a “back up” center: To me he is our starting center. We are now beginning to see what Perk would have been earlier this season if not for the shoulder injury which kept him from working last summer and the foot problem this season. These last 2 games were losses if not for Perk. We also need to look at the intangibles when evaluating Perk—his leadership, toughness and the chemistry he has with Al, etc. Defensively Perk is starting to look like Dave Cowens who was successful because of his physical play. He kept his opponent from getting to where he wanted to go and made him take shots he didn’t want to take. That’s what Perk is doing against the better big men he is playing against. He is also becoming a terrific help defender. Perk is better than Dampier or Dalembert and if Alonzo were here now, I still think Perk would be the starter. And I really don’t think the starter and backup labels mean much. Now that Perk is in better condition and his foot is better he’s in at the end of games when they need his defense. He’s avoiding the early foul trouble (which he still needs to work on) and last nite I believe he played 46 minutes and was strong at the end.

Jeff,

Avere divertimento e mangiare bene! Godere il paesaggio… Le ragazze italiane sono calde! Arrivederci!

Oh and get some Pizza in Rome.. TRUST ME!

Early in the year it was Tony Allen beginning to have “break-out” season. Then it was Jefferson having a break-out season. Along came Rondo….one hand tied behind his back for lack of an offensive game…who was beginning to show that he BELONGs. Late in the season it was a healthier Perk that started to turn heads.

But at the same time, Delonte played last year’s tune…all left-handed, searching for comfort at the point, indecision about when to pass, shoot….dribbling too much, too slow on defense for speedy PGs etc. and few indications that he wanted to change his approach. Then he MISSED two layups (RIGHT_HANDED layups) which made me move to the edge of my seat. Is Delonte about to become the player we all expected he would be?

And the sad saga of Gomes, who suddenly seems lost now that his shot isn’t falling. When is the rebounding, where are the intrusions into passing lanes? What kind of regression are we seeing?

Scal perked up this year and Powe seems to have a non-stop motor. He must have the “reach” of a 9’ player since he’s undersized yet seems to get his hands on so many bouncing balls.

Alas, our future “savior” won a slam dunk contest but his rate of development is in slow gear. He assumes that HIS game is shooting and his athleticism and size demand that he do/show more. What a marvelous player he could be if he developed meaness as a defender, dtermination as a shot blocker/rebounder (if only he had the instincts of Powe)…etc…..

While we wait indefinitely for Green’s development, isn’t it nice to witness our less heralded players pass him by?

Enjoy Italy! My wife and I went there on our honeymoon in 2001 and absolutely loved it!

Jeff,

Have a safe and wonderful vacation. This site you created is the best!! I agree with you on Perk. Last night was a perfect example. Howard would overpower most on the block. But he couldn’t move Kendrick. This team will improve when the defense improves. Perk is a great start towards that. I think Tony Allen will be too. Even if we end up at #3, adding Noah to go with Kendrick up front will help the defense. Anyways, have a great time!!! :)

There are plenty of bad predictions to share with your own. I thought last year that JJ Reddick would look good in green. While he couldn’t be worse than Telfair – another guy I thought was a right move – he doesn’t look close to being NBA steady. I was also wrong about Perk being a backup if his recent play is an indication where he’s headed. I don’t think its just a healthy foot. I think that it is the coaching staying committed to him. The shot looks better, the stupid fouls are down, his hands have not been bricks. I hope they shut Pierce down. He was awesome last night but Milwaukee is creeping down to us.

Have a fun and safe trip, Jeff.

Jeff, you’re leaving at a good time. We’ve been talking lottery around here for so long its feeling like Groundhog Day. With the C’s futility being seriously threatened by Milwaukee, PP will undoubtedly shut it down for the final 10, and let all the young Dudes take over. It’d be hard to se us winning 3-4 more games, and Milwaukee would virtually have to lose out.

Best places in Italy:
Venice (St. Mark’s place)
Rome (the Vatican Museum, whether you are religious or not. Amazing collection.)
Tuscany (any of the hill towns in Chianti)
Florence (keep your wife away from the Ponte Vecchio)
Sienna (too bad you will miss Il Palio in early July)
Lake Como
Milan (La Scala and the Brera museum)
The Cinque Terra (the “five lands”) on the NW coast
Treviso (the cathedral and, of course the Palaverde, where Benetton Treviso plays. Benetton also has green uniforms 16 championship banners hanging from the rafters— European championships.)

Rent a fast car. Even though they now have speed limits on the Autostrada (since 2003), no one obeys them.

Have a great trip, Jeff. Thanks for your fine work keeping this blog so rich.

have a good trip. i hope you get to naples. it is a wonderful city.

Jeff, please, please, please, do not attempt to drive inside the city of Rome. You will probably not come out alive; and even if you do, your nerves will be forever wrecked. It will be a diustinctly unique experience even taking a cab thru the narrow streets, but even then, its easier than driving yourself. Also, keep your hand in your wallet and your wife too. Rome has the best pocketpickers in the world; they’ll hit you and you will never noti e it till its over. I KNOW. and last if you are close to Cinque Terre, you might as well visit Portofino. take care and have a good trip.

I’m an italian celtics fan (remember Italian Celtics Pride and my good friend Fabio Anderle?), and I hope you’ll have a nice vacation in Italy.
I live in Rome, and be sure that you MUST visit this city.
Buon viaggio a te e a tua moglie, divertitevi (have a good time)!

This is my first post. Maybe that’s why its so long.
I tend to agree with almost all of Jeff’s post.
Ideally Perkins is a back-up center, but a very good back-up center with above average passing skills. Passing is a skill that is greatly undervalued by many fans and players. I may date myself but I saw Wes Unseld start more easy fast break baskets passing from the center position than most of today’s players at any position. (I didn’t see enough of Russell to make a comparison.)
Like Jeff I have mixed feelings about Doc. Unlike many fellow bloggers I saw Doc play basketball. He was a solid, intelligent pro player. So I may express my frustrations with Doc somewhat differently than many commentators on this site. Many, many times I have said to myself about Doc: “You never played this way! Why are you coaching this way.”
I do think that he has done his best job of coaching this year. Even before all the injuries, because of the team make up, I though coaching the Celtics this year was going to be a very difficult job. I think Doc has done a decent job this year (unlike his previous two years, when he sometimes seemed to throw darts when he couldn’t decide on a lineup.) He has improved on his in-game time outs; he got Clifford Ray on the staff; and the team has continued to play hard for him. (This is one of the greatest skills/assets any professional coach can have.)
On the other hand, as one of my sons says: “They did lose 18 in a row.”

Have a wonderful trip Jeff and stay safe. You deserve a break.

Jeff,

Have a great trip!!! I was in Italy this past summer, a truely beautiful country. Great food, great rich history, amazing sites, etc. etc. etc. Enjoy!!!

Jeff,

Naaaaaaaaaaah forget Italy,,,, take a cruise along the Greek Isles !!! Trust me on that !!!

SWAG: Jeff you may gain a few pounds, the food is amazing everywhere…Have a great time! ;D

Have a good, safe trip Jeff

I would take Wyc"s favorable comments about Doc as an indication that Doc WILL BE Back. I was surprised to learn that Wyc’s comments were maade PRIOR to last night’s game. As if to validate Wyc’s trust in his stewardship, Doc pulled all the plugs (check the long PT for Pierce etc.) in an effort to secure a win.

The posturing by the coach and management now completed, I would fully expect the team philosophy to turn to training exercises, Pierce to hang it up and Jefferson/Perkins play a max 25 min./per night the rest of the way. Milwaukee is getting awfully close to displacing us at the bottom of the totem pole.