5 Reasons To Kool It On The Kool Aid

When i consider the alternatives i am more than happy to overdose on the kool-aid. 8)

6. Defense. Garnett is the only one who plays it.
7. Rebounding. Can we really crash the boards with the best of them?
8. Passing. Can Rajon Rondo, a second-year point guard, get the ball to the right GAPs at the right time and place?
And so on…
Thanks, Brick … er, I mean, Jeff.
Not very thirsty right now, thankyouverymuch.

guys relax… we have a awesome team , scali isnt the 6th man anymore,
a guy named leon powe is going to be the annointed one.
we have an awesome rebounding team 4 out of 5 starters and our 6th man are rebounding savvy. rondo is one of the better rebounders at pg . he is a triple double threat. pp is a awesome rebounder kg and perk will be very domintating. defense rondo and perk love to play defense
were going to be fine

It all depends on what you consider to be success. For me, we’re not going to be staring down the barrel of another 30-something win season with this club, so it’s going to be a success. There isn’t a team in the league without questions, from the Spurs on down, and some degree of luck is required to win a title.

It’s just a great feeling to be talking about a title again, instead of pipe dreams of a .500 season.

Welcome to the dark side, man. I’ve been making many of those very same points since the trade, nevertheless I can understand the unbridled optimism surrounding the team. It has a real chance to be so much better than any Celtics squad since the one that battled the Nets years ago, and it could – with an emphasis on could – be better than that team.

I cannot envision a championship or even an EC title but not many thought the Cavs would be playing in the finals last year. You never know until they play the games.

Every contending team has question marks that are unrelated to possible injuries. The Celtics have more than most contending teams, including an untested point guard situation, which to me is the biggest problem of them all.

But with this one article you have saved me from being the eternal wet blanket. Secure in the knowledge that this entire website has at least some objectivity, I can go forward to anticipation of the coming season and cheering for something other than lottery positioning.

lemonadesky, I’m a CELTIC fan. I don’t need, nor do I want objectivity. Here’s to an 82 win season.

Jeff,

LMAO, Brick got to you, didn’t he!! good points by Brick

The injuries are going to happen. That’s reality when you have an older team. It’s not bad luck, it’s inevitable.

But IMHO the two biggest problems are Rivers and defense.

1. You can’t win very many playoff series when your coach throws one or two games into the toilet. I’ve heard people pontificating here that NBA coaching isn’t all X’s and 0’s. Well they may not be all there is to it, but they are absolutely necessary, particularly in the playoffs, where it’s all about adjustments (since you play the same team night after night) and getting stops in the last 5 minutes of the game. Rivers is terrible at game management, simply terrible. It’s one brain fart after another after another.

2. The still have no one to defend the other team’s best player, unless (and until) Tony Allen is healthy. Brandon Wallace can defend, and so can Jackie Manuel, but they are both undrafted players with little or no NBA experience. And if one of those guys comes in as the designated defender, who sits, Pierce or Ray Allen? The fact is that to achieve the proper balance between offense and defense, Pierce has to play power forward and they will be going small for long stretches of every game against teams with a blue chip wing scorer. That takes Perkins out of the picture, which means that Garnett and Pierce will have to control the boards.

A player like Kirilenko would have made so much more sense for this team than Ray Allen (or Pierce).

Good article Jeff. Your points are correct but at least we have hope – something that the Celtics have lacked for too long. Replacing Doc now would be a major step in the right direction.

Brick, injuries happen to young players too. And actually injuries might be less common in older athletes. They’re older athletes for a reason. There are many young athletes that don’t get to be old athletes because of injuries. Old athletes are the survivors. As to Doc, alot of coaches often don’t defend the inbound passer at the end of games and they often don’t call time-outs when their opponent is on a mini run . As to defense, the best defense is to score 1 more point than your opponent when the final buzzer sounds.

Pierce is a superb rebounder at the 2, at the 3 he is average or at best slightly better than average. (cp. Marion).

I wish they’d get going and start up the season already. All this worrying about things wears me out. Tell that darn Reggie to make up his mind.

Two points on defense. Rondo, KG Perk all play great defense. Pierce played good defense under O’Brien, so he’s capable. Tony Allen is a lockdown defender when healthy. Scals plays good defense. Assuming Thibedeau can put a decent defensive scheme in place, defense should be our strength – at least by the time the playoffs roll around, and that’s when it will matter.

Second point, though – Manuel is a D-leaguer. Wallace is a rookie. We definitely can’t count on their defense this year. They might have the right instincts, they should become great defenders in time. But rookies don’t know the tricks, they get abused by vets. Always.

I have been reading this sight since the beginning. I read it multiple times per day and I post very sparingly (I cannot explain why). I have been a rabid Celtics fan for almost 50 years and, like all of you, I have suffered in the last 15 years. I don’t know where our Celtics will finish this year and I am not qualified to try to predict that either. However, win or lose, it is wonderful to hear all of you that post here and a majority of the media once again referring to our Celtics as “Championship Contenders”.

Let the games begin!!!!

If the NBA is such a player’s league, how come, over the past 20 years, only seven coaches have won a championship?

Phil Jackson (9)
Greg Popovich (4)
Pat Riley (2)
Chuck Daly (2)
Rudy Tomjanovich (2)
Larry Brown (1)

Don’t tell me that coaching doesn’t matter in the NBA.

Well, there were plenty of teams with Top 50 All-Time players who didn’t win during those 20 years, weren’t there? Let’s start with Stockton, Malone and Barkley.

You need good players and good coaching to win.

Stockton, Malone, an all-time great coach, and still the Jazz couldn’t win, because the Bulls had better players. If KC Jones can win a title, I’m not so worried.

Pierce won’t be the rebounder he’s historically been if a real defense is played. He’s better than average, but never should have been leading the team. The blitzing defense had him out of position under the basket when the ball went up along with our other guards.

A lot of our success depends on if Thibodeau is allowed to implement an NBA defense and if we get a PG who can play more than 20MPG. Rondo will be very good, but will experience more than his share of foul trouble. He won’t play the minutes people seem to expect from him. Head coaching,… rotations, and bad decision making will remain the norm and will have to be overcome by talent until a coach is hired. So a solid defense and someone able to bring the ball up competently all 48 minutes will be vital.

Thanks, Master Po. I am usually in here every day, however, I cannot compete with the wit and wisdom of most posters so I just read. I enjoy the back and forth between the half full crowd and the half empty crowd. Must admit, I am one of the half full crowd and I was even during the bad times. Something about having green blood.

On the Garnett trade, I have said it again I would have preferred the youth movement but I thought if it was going to go that way, the most opportune time was after Pierce’s great season 2 years ago when he was at the zenith of his career for trade value.

I think Danny lucked out, the Ray Allen trade was a horrible move. Allen/Pierce combo would have gotten us no higher than a #5 or #6 seed with Al, Gomes, etc. Remember as much as many of you miss these guys, with the exception of Big Al, no Celtic player brought it game in and game out like what is needed. Many nights Gomes would have only 5 points, 3 rebounds even playing 20 minutes. Gerald Green was a liability on defense and had many 1 or 7 nights from the floor. Even West had games where he’s score only 6 points one night, 18 the next. Other than Big Al, I don’t see anybody that we gave up as a bonafied starter for a championship team. Even if Gerald for example improved, Pierce is going to decline as the years go by and I think we were stuck in perpetual mediocrity. Celtics (West)- Minny will be a good barometer on how the Celtics would have been since so many of our players and even potential draft pick(s) are playing for them.

Ainge lucked out, after getting Allen, nobody else was willing to give Minny as good a deal as we did with the youngsters and picks. It is easy in hindsight to say awesome trade or lunacy but the fact is we are where we are right now.

Kudos for Ainge to pull this KG trade. If Celts make a couple NBA finals or win a ring, he will be praising Danny, management, etc. If this all craps out, we’ll hear a lot of I told you so.

Chances are maybe only 1 out 8 or 1 out of 10 that we win a ring this year. There will be tough teams in the East, Raptors, Cavs, Pistons, etc. I think we have a decent shot at getting to the finals but I could not have predicted in a 100 years the Cavs would made the finals last year. Probably whoever we end up facing, Spurs, Mavs, Suns, we will be the underdog too.

So somewhere along the line we are likely to be derailed this year going for #17. The thing is after what we have been put through for at least the past several years, I want to make that 3-4 year run right now. I know after that we are probably rebuilding once again from scratch but so be it. There are 30 teams in the league and the chances are very very slim we could or anybody could put a run together like the Spurs have done. That’s only going to happen to one team if at all out of 30 and it was unlikely going to be us with the youth movement in my opinion.

Well they have three very good veteran players: one first ballot HOF player and two borderline HOF players. Let’s see how those three players do with a horrid coach, a 21 year-old point guard and a questionable bench.

They will almost certainly make the playoffs unless Garnett goes down for an extended period. If they can get one of the top 5 seeds they will probably advance to the second round of the playoffs. After that, I have no clue.

I would have felt roughly the same way with a young core that included Jefferson, West, Corey Brewer (who was available at #5), Rondo, Perkins, Tony Allen, Ryan Gomes and Glenn Davis (available at #32), although you would have had to find a better coach. The current veteran group is much more “Rivers-proof” than the youngsters would have been, and I suppose that’s a good thing.

1. Injuries if we have the top 5 players we can do well, loose one of them are chances to win diminish. Example loose KG oh well call it a season.
2. Bench weaker then last year.
3. Ego’s not to worry they are good mix of personalities.
4. Doc will need to coach everyone but the stars. The stars coach themselves as in the veteran Big Three era.
5. Competition – we need all 5 starters to have a chance to win in the playoffs.

Well I forgot to add to my list of youngsters what they would have received in a Pierce trade. He would almost certainly have demanded one had the Ray Allen deal not been made.

My first choice would have been Kirilenko plus an additional player or pick, but there were other options, e.g. Caron Butler and a pick.

Jeff (or anyone else who has any knowledge of the situation),
Could you expand a little on Tony Allen’s recovery.

I noticed in the article that you mentioned Christmas, at best, for a return to form, but I read all sorts of reports over the summer that he was ahead of schedule.

I’d love to know what the timeline is, if any.

With regard to Tony Allen’s status, I’ve heard that in a few months, it’s expected to be day-to-day. (Or was it bone-on-bone?)

Jeff you forgot the most important reason why we probably won’t win it all…the San Antonio Spurs.

All those other reasons you listed are what every team is paid to deal with. Except one, Doc Rivers. I just don’t see Doc Rivers leading this team over a dynasty like the Spurs. However, I think we are a lock to be playing them next summer in the finals. Any coach in the league could lead this team through the east.

With that said, I’m not sure there is anything Ainge can do to make us better than the Spurs, outside of taking out Tim Duncan. But I sure can’t wait to watch us try.

Taking out Tim Duncan? Tonya Harding, call your office.

Worry, worry and more worry. If not worry, then hypothetical and if no hypothetical’s we get a dose of “what if” scenarios. All amounts to wet blankets on our dreams of success for this upcoming basketball season. Pass the Kool aid- Green for sure

I am sure you guys are real smart dudes and know your basketball inside and out that is all well and good. In fact I marvel at the amount of knowledge you do have. Yet, I sense a lack of wisdom and hope as you look to dampen and dim your own expectation. You seem to mute and defuse your own enthusiasms with negatives of all types of variations. What’s up with you guys? Something appears to not be clean in the Milk since you are not drinking the Kool AID.
Your views on Doc are well chronicled over these past three years but get use to it he will be our coach for quite a few years so get over it. Your constant digs at him only reveal the dark sides of you rather than expose Doc in any form or fashion. To be sure you are having no force or effect where it matters. so why holler in the wind. its all a lost cause except in your own mind.

For my part Doc will do just fine with a veteran team who will understand what he is requesting of them rather than the unprepared youth we had prior to the trades for Garnett and Allen. Danny has done well doing his time as GM and finally we are on the moves

For sure, there are several bridges to cross as Jeff pointed out but we can not control any of them or even deal with them until they materialize. There is a place for the power of positive thinking and I subscribe to it more than the negative self fulfilling prophecy of Doom and Gloom.

Just heard Reggie on the Dan Patrick Show…the guy’s working out like a mad man. At this point I’m almost convinced he’s on his way.

I think the bench is an amobia. If Reggie has it, he’ll be back, and if he doesn’t he’ll pack it in by the All Star break. Youngsters will get opportunites, that that do can, those that don’t will be sitting on the pine or D-League. House will either fit in and be an asset making realtaively open outside shots or if his pg skills are that poor, he’ll be gone. Pollard will either give us some good minutes or he will be waving the towel like ML Carr.
Doc will either right this ship at the start of the season or he will be gone by game #30.

Nothing is set in stone.

Okay, but what’s an amobia?

A female pachamaria.

I knew that.

Allen’s expected to be ready to practice somewhere between beginning of preseason and the season opener, but isn’t supposed to be back to full speed till January the earliest.
He’s such a Big If it’s amazing. And he’s our sixth man? I say Scalabrine’s our sixth man till Powe proves otherwise.
Thin, thin, thin.

It is not a players’ league. If it was, all the teams
would be running like Phoenix. Instead they walk it up
and call a play. The coach’s play. Time and time again. And often they run a slow developing pick and roll play where the roll man rolls into an area occupied by a teammate. (See Scal) They hold the ball and call it defense. See Houston. Not running with the majority of NBA players is akin to strapping a thoroughbred horse to a plow. But that is what most of them do.

I just want KG to clear the boards, make a quick outlet
pass to Rondo and Pierce and Allen can fill the lanes. If they do that I ‘ll be slurping down Kool-Aid all season. If they don’t…I’ll take small sips.

Greg 37, I think the Celts will be okay but I don’t think they can run. Even if Pierce loses 15 pounds, I don’t see him filling the lanes consistently on a break- maybe a few times a game if we are lucky. With Tony Allen, I’m fearful of the problems he had early last year where he was out of control, would lose the ball, miss easy buckets, etc. I can remember so many on this site early last season saying he was a bum and wanting to get rid of him. I just don’t think Allen (or Pierce) will be the slick finisher on a 3-2 break.

I would love to be proven wrong but that’s how I see it.

good for you pcaf. i have been following the c’s 50 years myself. the cousy sharman mccauley team that was almost there- but not quite. more about this team, however; i like reggie and think he would be an asset. i like rondo but he needs more help than he currently has. the pats deserve all the attention they get great team- great owner- great coach-great players. the red sox always get way more attention than they deserve and always will. the bruins stunk and would draw more people to their games,1- it was a hockey town, 2 there was a racist element to boston. i could walk up to any playoff game in the russell era and buy a ticket on the same day. i always thought it was the louise day hicks phenomenom at work against the celtics. too many blacks and russell spoke his mind. i think some of that memory has been passed down by the nba players which makes some of them not want to sign onto the pumpsie green town. not many, but enough. of course, mr. brown, red, and all the way down to the current owners are not like that-thank god.

Well I have been looking at this site for just over a year but rarely post so here goes. I was not happy with the trade. Jefferson was my man. I was so looking forward to watching him come into his own this year and having him as a celtic for years to come. When it shook out that Gomes was included in the KG deal that was just too much. What a great guy and wonderful fit for the team he was and would have been. The addittion of R.A. at the draft was not what I wanted but once done I was looking forward to having him Al and Paul.

I don’t think doc is up to the task and I think injuries are going to catch up with us.

Having purged that out at last let me say this. We have a great team and they are going to be fun to watch. We will win most of our games and we will see what happens in the playoffs. I hope it all works out and we can win it all once or twice over the next fews years. I never paid much attention to KG but he does seem to be a great guy and a real pro.

I sure enjoy the site and all the comments you all provide. I live in Alaska and don’t have cable so I watch the scores load on espn or fox sports websites. This year i will get to see them play on TV and I am excited. Sunday nights I head out to the hot tub with a cigar and the laptop and listen to celticsstufflive. Thanks jeff, Duke, Jug, and JB and to all the others with good websites that help me follow and enjoy the team.

Nazzbo, good insight and I am glad America seems to be moving in the right direction on these issues.

Bidder 225, cheers to you and enjoy the hot tub and cigar. I’m more charged up about this season than I have been for a good 15 to 20 years. Lots of mixed emotions on the trade, one thing for sure, it has stirred up the off season in Celtic Nation.

I’m hoping it all works out for everybody, especially the Celtics. It would be nice to get #17, may I dare say #18 too (too wishful thinking I know) and may Big Al, Gomes, Green, West, and even Telfair go own to have successful and rewarding careers.