The Beauty of the Beast
by Jeff Clark on Aug 28, 2009 6:07 AM EDT
in Boston Celtics Articles
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PrintWe've all watched Kendrick Perkins grow up. When he was drafted, he was a big, raw, doughy piece of clay. The Celtics sat him out to dry for a year or two and in that time the trainers and medical staff turned him into granite. Since then the coaching staff has been chiseling away at his game little by little, turning him into a legit NBA starter. When Kevin Garnett and Tom Thibodeau arrived and started preaching defense, it was like Perkins found his calling and his destiny.
Of course Kendrick himself deserves his full share of the credit too. He's been patient, coachable, and hard working all along. There are no ego problems with Perk. In fact, he is one of the more outspoken proponents of the Ubuntu "team ego" concept. He understands his limitations but there's no challenge in the world that he'll back down from.
Yeah, I've pretty much been in the tank for Perkins since day one. Call it my soft spot for big guys who work hard and protect the basket like a mother bear watching over her cubs.
Ponder this: Perk has 6 years of NBA experience, yet he's still younger than 2nd round draft choice Lester Hudson.
Now ponder this: Dwight Howard averaged 20.6 points a game in the regular season but just 16.4 against the Celtics. (He averaged 24 a game against Philly, 25.8 a game against Cleveland before falling back to earth in the finals with 15.7.)
And get this. He's still getting better. Last year he became much more fluid with his offensive moves to the basket. There were even times when he started hitting that free throw line jumper. But of course his bread and butter is still on the defensive side. I predict he'll get a lot more votes for the All Defensive Team this year.
Imagine how much better he's going to be this year when he doesn't have to worry about what will happen if he picks up a couple quick fouls. Getting KG back and adding Sheed to the rotation frees up Perkins to be more aggressive - if that's even possible. Perkins is even getting more and more slack from the refs who now have more respect for his game. (Now if he can just cut down on the predictable moving screen at the top of the key we'll really be in business.)
About the only thing that concerns me headed into this season is Kendrick's chronic shoulder issues. That arm can pop out seemingly at any time. He's a gamer and about as tough as they come, but you have to wonder if he's going to really miss some significant time at some point. Which makes the added depth of the frontcourt that much more valuable this offseason. Thankfully he's got a very reasonable contract (in part because of those chronic injury concerns) so a worst case scenario doesn't hurt the team long term.
Aside from that variable, you pretty much know what you are going to get with Perkins, and that's a good thing. It is comforting even. At times we take him for granted because there are so many other bright shining stars on this team. But what a luxury it is to have a big man that we can depend on. How many GMs have thrown bad money after good at 7 footers that became regret contracts before the ink was dry?
But you know what I enjoy the most? The fact that we got to see Perkins grow all the way up in Boston. Big Al, Ryan Gomes, Delonte West, and others have moved on, but Perk and Rondo are the ones that stuck. Perkins was drafted in Danny's first draft as GM and he is now an NBA Champion.
I don't know how to put it any other way than this: I'm proud of him. It has been great watching him develop and I can't wait to see what he can do next.
Also see: Kevin Garnett | Ray Allen | Paul Pierce | Rajon Rondo
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To be honest
Perk is my favorite celtics. . . . i just love it when he excels and does good during games like his 20+ point games and his 7blocks against milwaukee . . . i hope he will always be a celtics and be able to get through those shoulder injuries . .perk always does his job offensively and defensively never complains about minutes or how he doesnt get the ball his like a modern day bill russel just does his job not saying u can compare him to russel just his worth ethic…
by celticsgreen4lyf on Aug 28, 2009 6:38 AM EDT reply actions
Smart Too
I remember watching Perk and the rest of the young Cs play in Vegas. Perk was the coach on the floor. He was calling out to everyone where they should be playing, what they should be doing. He was letting everyone know where he was on defense. It was obvious Perk knew how to play the game.
Gotta love Perk. In my mind, you can’t be a Celtic fan without loving Perk. I wish they all had his attitude and work ethic.
where would you rank Perkins among current Centers?
one guy at PBN ranks him 20th!!! Can you believe that?
http://www.probasketballnews.com/story/?storyid=705
FAIL
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers" Henry V
That ranking is, in a word, ridiculous. Perkins is a perfect example, actually, of what I’m talking about when I discuss maximizing potential. Perkins’ game improved by leaps and bounds last year, including some dramatic defensive improvement. His work against Dwight Howard on that end was outstanding.
He’s evolved to the point where I’d use him as an example to other players of what hard work can accomplish.
That was insane
There are 3 centers on that list who I would want over Perk: Howard, Big Al, and Brook Lopez. To be fair, I consider Gasol and Amare power forwards, and I think Duncan has only about 2 years left while Perk should have at least 10.
But my god, Okafor at #7? Bargnani at #10? Oden at #15? Jermaine O’Neal at #17? Those are the rankings of a deranged mind.
Nice piece Jeff...
Out of all the articles on each player on the roster so far this is my favorite by far… I too especially like how we’ve got to see Perk grow over the years to be the player he is now and it is great how he is still young so we will be able to watch him grow over many more years to come.
Clearly in some circles, underrated
Great photos too. Dwight’s elbows are right up there with KGs…
Perk does everyhing you could ask, and plays hurt as well. Perfect for this team!
by nba is the worst on Aug 28, 2009 8:51 AM EDT reply actions
falling back to earth in the finals?
at 15.4?
try playing against Bynum, Gasol and Odom.
by lakersbluedevil on Aug 28, 2009 9:07 AM EDT reply actions
Those names don't scream defense to me
but the world looks different through purple and gold tinted glasses.
by MaineBleedsGreen on Aug 28, 2009 11:38 AM EDT up reply actions
I'm not sure how statistics can look different
Against the Celtics Howard averaged 17 and some odd points. Against the Lakers he averaged 15 and some odd points. These are the FACTS. What opinion is, is what you wrote: “those names don’t scream defense to me…”
So if anyone is wearing tinted glasses (green in this case) it is the celtic fan. The laker fan had the stats on his side. The celtic fan had opinion based on…well, he didn’t say what, i guess it’s just opinion based on nothing…
kendrick perkins...
IS A MAN!!!! thank you gary tanguay.
in all seriousness perk is a prime A example of a “championship” type player. Plays his role to a T, this last year showed he could even step outside that role when needed and provide some extra scoring. He is the consumate team player, plays with his heart on his sleeve, and he keeps getting better! what’s not to love, really.
Perk is the perfect Center
for the C’s along with Rondo we have 2 positions set for a long time.
Perkolator FTW.
"Do you know that nonbelievers create the most positive energy?" Davis said
nice read, Jeff.
While we who watch the Celtics all of the time have come to appreciate KP in a big way,
it was the Orlando series that put him on the map in a more national way, IMO.
To handle a top center a few games during the year certainly raises eyebrows. To play Howard as well as Perkins did for the 7 game duration, establishes Kendrick at another level. KP played him very intelligently. It also revealed Dwight Howard and his weaknesses, IMO. The man needs to work on a number of things to reach his potential.
As your article noted, LA solved Howard, too. But they had a larger line up to do it with.
While we are on the topic of centers and KP, Kendrick is also able to give props and be honest about his competition, as well.
After the Bulls series, Kendrick said that he now respects Joakim Noah. He said that he didn’t before, but “I do now.”
AS you said, every bit as much a promoter of ubuntu as any Celtic.
I love Perk
when my friends ask me about Orlando and Cleveland and Dwight Howard and Shaq – I scoff because I know we have the best center defender in the leagure for both those guys – our very own Perk! I love him man.
For defending Z, not so good but for defending Howard and Shaq – forget it man.
thanks folks
honestly I thought this was the most bland of the 5 player articles I’ve written thus far – but maybe that’s because there’s so little drama with Perk
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers" Henry V
one thing I left out
was the pace he was on for techs last year – he was ahead of his new teammate Sheed at one point
then the staff told him to cool it and sure enough, he did – I think it was months before he got another one
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers" Henry V
More like...
Superman (Beauty? Ewww) Vs. The Incredible Hulk
Can that be Perks nickname, The Incredible Hulk, Hulk, whatever? Get it, he’s green and a crazy beast? Yeah? Maybe?
If Perk can improve on his offense moves in & out of the painted area, I think he is the top PURE center in the league, if not, a very close second to Howard.. But certainly, a lot better defensively than Howard..
Not sure...
I can’t agree with that assessment, but Perk is definitely underrated. Though he is a different player, he is the “modern day Chief” for the Celts. Does everything under the radar and doesn’t need media attention to do it. Perfect fit for this team. Hopefully he can continue to improve year by year and become an offensive force when our current stars are stars no more.
How about the outlet pass..
One of skills that doesn’t get mentioned very often is a rebounder who can make the quick and accurate outlet pass. This is an area that often gets overlooked when talking about offensive contributions. I don’t think there is anyone better on the Celts than Perk. And his overall passing is above average at the center position. I love Perk!
I love Perk!! I bought the 43 jersey when he was drafted. You just knew Perk was going to be a great role player when he was drafted. Kid is solid all the way around. Defensively, he might be the best 1-on-1 post defender in the entire league. Offensively, he went from breaking the backboard with his shots to some nifty moves with his little hook that he can usually score on as well as much better finishes.
Give it up to Perk..
Worries about Perk
His shoulder REALLY scares me. I can visualize him going down forever – at anytime.
His Techs: He has enough trouble staying in the game (defensive fouls) without picking up techs. I saw the post above about how he “got the word”. Hope that continues.
(However with KG back and Sheed, he can afford to risk defensive fouls a lot more).
He knows his role and has his moments
That’s what you want on a team with four huge egos. At the time of his graduating from high school, he was ranked second best high schooler behind Lebron, I believe.
by The Real Large James 2 on Aug 28, 2009 2:52 PM EDT reply actions
wasn't that Leon?
before the knees went out?
I may be misremembering
"We few, we happy few, we band of brothers" Henry V
preaching
Jeff…love the preaching to the crowd!….here’s a couple of remember when stories… I remember Tony Battie complaining about Perk (rookie year) beating him up, during practice every day…or how bout JVG who use to wonder if Perk should to start..to " I always knew that Perkins would be a dominate center !"…
How much is Perkins worth
when his contract is up?
"I've hacked into your brain. You're throwing a party and no one's showing up."
Can we be serious here Folk?
I like Perk. He’s a very serviceable option at the 5, especially in the the C’s system, but to say he’s a top 5 or even top 10 center is absolutely crazy.
If he was a top 5 center wouldn’t you expect him to be in All-Star consideration each yr., even if he didn’t make the team.
There are 6 centers in the East that are better than Perk right now including:
• Shaq
• D12
• Al Horford
• Andrew Bogut
• Andrea Bargnani
• and his newly acquired teammate Sheed
Not to mention players that you could argue are just as good if not better than Perk which include:
• Jermaine O’neal
• Brendan Haywood
• Big Z
• Tyson Chandler
And I haven’t mentioned 1 center in the West yet.
I hear the argument that he has intangibles that you can’t judge based on stats, but these intangibles usually are the compliments of a great system not a great player. Eg Ben Wallace; virtually invisible in the league since leaving Detroit, Shawn Marion, was an All-Star in D’Antonio’s run and gun, but relatively average outside of that system. If Perk left Boston he probably follows suit, as a guy that fit into a great system with the right team in Boston, but who is just average at best.
Probasketball Center Ranking only makes sense if it is based on an offensive rating system only. I’d put him up 5 to 10 places when you look at his defensive contributions. Okafor is highly ranked but I would take Perkins over him at this point because he brings more what the Celtics need.
Perkins fits a role in this team which he expanded offensively when the team needed him with Garnett out – certainly showed us some things we’d not seen before last year – great news after working for Cliff Ray the last couple of years . . . As Jeff mentioned, his team and individual defense is what defines him, and he’s been a great complementary player along Garnett no doubt.
Nice article Jeff and Celtics Frontcourt Future is Bright is my two cents after that Orlando series . . .
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