Celtics wrap up regular season with a win
by Jimmy Toscano on Apr 13, 2011 10:23 PM EDT
in Boston Celtics Articles
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PrintWhen it was announced that none of the starters would suit up for the Celtics tonight, nobody was surprised. In fact, it made perfect sense. There's no reason to put any player you're especially counting on for the playoffs at risk of getting injured - and this is just the season that it would happen too.
The C's trotted out a lineup completely made up of the bench, some of which won't sniff time in the playoffs. Still, they were able to beat the Knicks, 112-102 - sans Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups.
The game wasn't all for nothing though. We got another good look at members of the second unit who will contribute in the playoffs starting Sunday night at 7:00 .p.m - guys like Jeff Green, Glen Davis, Carlos Arroyo, and who knows - maybe even Sasha Pavlovic and Von Wafer.
One player who most likely won't get any playing time in the playoffs is rookie Avery Bradley. Consider game No. 82 his coming out party though.
Bradley was known as a defender coming out of college, but was rarely used in many situations - at least important ones - this year. But perhaps Celtics fans got a little glimpse of what Bradley can do in the future, as his effort on defense and aggressiveness on offense was certainly something to note. Coming into the game, Bradley only had 33 points to his name. He had 20 points to go along with 3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals tonight.
Before the game, Doc Rivers was asked if he had decided who his 12th man was going to be for the playoff roster. Rivers said he had not decided yet, but tonight would be a good game to base it off of. Wafer and Pavlovic plan to both be in the running for that 12th spot and both probably had their best games of the season.
Wafer ended the night with 14 points, six rebounds, and five assists while Pavlovic dropped 19 points on 4-5 from three-point territory.
The decision on who to suit up could be based on the health of Delonte West, or how the two players match up with opponents - but as Doc Rivers also noted, the story isn't who suits up, but if they have to play.
All in all, there are no complaints on this end at the performance and effort from the bench tonight. The Celtics end the regular at 56-26, six more wins than last season's team.
Here's to hoping for one more playoff win than last season.
16 more wins to go - will somebody please get the countdown going?
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Enjoyable game....
The bench players deserve the game ball tonight as they played well, hustled and got the win.
Baby had a strong night.
Avery was aggressive again and had a nice night especially on the offense end of the court.
Pavlovic had a good outing and showed us the offensive firepower he can provide off the bench.
Krstic also had a strong outing, showing us again his effective low post scoring abilities which is nice to see since other then Shaq and KG at times the C’s bigs do not score in the post very often.
Green also was aggressive once again tonight and had a nice offensive night.
Murphy also seemed to shake the rust off and get his groove tonight.
Most important thing tonight was no one got hurt tonight and the big 4 got rest.
The regular had its ups and downs but is over and now and its time for the games to start for real…Sunday can’t come soon enough.
Nice to see the pottential in avery and once again green looking good in green. Who’s going to be number 12? Wafer or Sasha?
by Blackberry33 on Apr 13, 2011 10:31 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
I personally would like it to be Sasha...
since he is a physical player and the Knicks series will probably be physical series.
We may also need Sasha for some spot minutes to fill in for Pierce and Green if they both get in foul trouble defending Carmello.
But over all during the playoffs I think who plays between Sasha and Avery will be determined on who the C’s plays and who out of the 2 players match’s up better with the C’s opponents.
Sorry ....
meant to say in my last paragraph above “who plays between Sasha and Wafer”
I think I need either some sleep or some coffee to help me with all my typing errors tonight..lol
The Big Four, the two O’Neals, Jeff Green, Delonte West, Big Baby, Krstic and Von Wafer should be staples in my opinion. Von should be played way more. Sasha and Troy Murphy are dubious as they’ve both shown potential.
by bfrombleacher on Apr 13, 2011 10:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Knicks? Physical?
Not so sure about that one…
Well, I say Bradley or Wafer. They could use another guard to pad delonte’s sprain, and sasha’s offense is less predictable with that three ball.
by Green Oracle on Apr 13, 2011 10:41 PM EDT up reply actions
Well I agree the Knicks...
are not the most physical team in the NBA, but :
Since the Knicks will be pumped to play us and will probably play us extra tough,
Since the Knicks may follow other teams game plans on how to play the C’s which is to be physical with us,
Since Carmello is I think a physical player that can get possibly Pierce and Green in foul trouble,
and
Since its the playoffs, when games are usually more physical then the regular season…..I think the Knicks series will be a physical one in that sense.
Firstly,
The knicks have very little playoff experience between them.
Now, the Knicks don’t necessarily get physical and tough. They get lucky and go on shooting streaks with fingertips of fire. They don’t shut other teams down, and I know for a FACT that Carmelo can’t play defense and Amar’e doesn’t try to play defense. The Knicks will try and run them, get gassed, and likely burn out by the fifth game. I only expect the Knicks to be half tough (that’s a lot of talking and Technical type shoving; nothing too significant as far as play goes).
by Green Oracle on Apr 13, 2011 10:54 PM EDT up reply actions
Just because the Knicks...
have little playoff experience does not change I think any of my 4 reasons above on why I think the series may be a bit of a physical one.
Just my 2 cents though.
Saying that this series is going to be like
saying that the Heat series was physical last year.
It wasn’t; it was just a push and an ejection. There was little to nothing that made that series truly physical, and I don’t think that the Kicks will do it either. They don’t like to play physical; it wears them out and drains their energy which sapps their tempo. D’anotni’s philosophy is all about tempo. He could care less for the mind games and intimidation factor. It’s actually contrary to the Knicks style of play to be physical.
by Green Oracle on Apr 13, 2011 11:05 PM EDT up reply actions
Well again...
I agreed with you that the Knicks are not per say a physical team, but as I said above:
Since the Knicks will be pumped to play us since they have not been in the playoffs for a while, they will probably play us extra tough,
Since the Knicks may follow other teams game plans on how to play the C’s which is to be physical with us,
Since Carmello is I think a physical player that can get possibly Pierce and Green in foul trouble,
and
Since its the playoffs, when games are usually more physical then the regular season
I personally think for these 4 reasons the Knicks series though it may not be super physical, could be a tad physical for which I would prefer Sasha to play over Wafer since he is a more physical player and a better replacement if Pierce or Green get in foul trouble against Carmelo.
This year’s playoff match-ups will be very interesting. Especially the western conference.
by C'sFanfrmNy on Apr 13, 2011 11:16 PM EDT up reply actions
I think about it like this
You are a basketball team, and you’re an underdog, so you’re going to play to your strength.
The celtics are older, so younger, faster teams can sometimes disrupt that veteran chemistry.
Yes, maybe it would be an easier ride for you if you WERE more physical, but it’s easier said than done. It’s like going all in on pocket six’s… (no pun intended).
You have a chance to play to your strength and possibly upset a contender. The Knicks have no clue how to run effective defensive rotations, so why start now? It’s a major risk implementing new gameplans like that.
D’antoni admits it himself… the knicks are a tempo driven team that puts pressure on the oppositions transition defense and tries to get turnovers without fouling. Playing “Physical” requires posting up on defense and recognizing sets, neither of which are things that the Knicks know how to do. So why start now?
If you’re talking about pushing, shoving, trash talking, etc., then yes, I can see a lot of that, as it will be a grudge match. But that aside, there’s no way the Knicks are going to do a 180 on their gameplan just for the celtics.
by Green Oracle on Apr 13, 2011 11:21 PM EDT up reply actions
You are debating with me as if I am saying
the Knicks are a physical team or play a physical game.
Again I repeat and agree with you they are NOT a physical team and do NOT follow a physical game plan.
All I am saying is for the 4 reasons I mention above the Knicks series may have its moments where the game play is PHYSICAL and for that reason I would prefer Sasha over Wafer.
We'll see how it plays out
Hopefully you’re wrong; you know, for the Celtics sake. (:
by Green Oracle on Apr 13, 2011 11:30 PM EDT up reply actions
Does not matter if I am right or wrong...
or if the Knicks series is physical or not.
The important thing is that the C’s win the series… so lets hope for the best.
That's what I meant haha
Sorry, the tone was sorta subtle.
by Green Oracle on Apr 13, 2011 11:35 PM EDT up reply actions
Bockers to beat Boston? Fat chance
Knicks fans, enjoy the playoffs while they last — ‘cuz Melo & Co. simply don’t stack up.
http://sports.espn.go.com/boston/nba/columns/story?columnist=smith_stephen&id=6338153
by C'sFanfrmNy on Apr 13, 2011 11:08 PM EDT up reply actions
their coach and their 3 best players have all extensive playoff experience with Billups having a ring and a finals MVP to his name. They also have vets like Carter who have great experience. The organization has playoff experience as well although not in the recent history. Do you remember the game where Murphy, Ray and Mello got bloodied. Mello is also one of the best in the league at getting to the line. How else do you define physical? Amare has vastly improved his shot blocking. So does Mello who also brings down an incredible amount of rebounds for his position. Contrary to popular belief, Mello has played some pretty good defense the last couple of years. He’s particularly motivated in New York where he genuinely believes he has a shot at the title. He’s one of the few small forwards that cannot be bullied by Paul Pierce because he’s bigger, stronger, younger and more athletic than the captain. You think the Knicks will get gassed before the Celtics? Maybe if the Celtics are allowed to carry around oxygen tanks and run in motorized wheel chairs.
by Yogesh Raghunathan on Apr 14, 2011 1:24 AM EDT up reply actions
they do have playoff experience
look at their starting five,
Billups won a championship
Melo has been in the playoffs since he came into the NBA
Amare reached western conference finals last year
Turiaf reached the playoffs several times with the lakers (i think)
WOW!
Pretty impressed with the offense tonight this is the best the offense has looked ina wild which is pretty sad. Really loved avery’s play tonight those DUNKS he finished off his drive’s with got me riled up. Plus he hit some jump shots and moved the ball. I think he has a chance to contribute next year for sure.
Now im just waiting for Sunday. Here we got, buckle up, its the playoffs baby. We’ve been waiting for this all year.
I hope Sasha is the 12th guy
He is bigger than Wafer and I like his outside shot to keep defense honest. but then again Wafer can do that too and cut to the basket.. I hate being Doc now, both guys bring something to the team.
+1 this might be the difference maker. Who can actually do it in a real game running with the big boys.
I haven’t Sasha accomplish this in a meaningful game. But if he can prove that he knows the offense well enough to do this with some of the starters..then I have no problem with Doc chosing him over Wafer.
But thus far we’ve only seen Wafer flow in the offense with the regulars in a meaningul game.
Thus I would think that this gives Wafer a little of an edge.
by wayne7779311 on Apr 13, 2011 11:04 PM EDT up reply actions
correction:I haven't "seen" Sasha accomplish this in a meaningful game.
by wayne7779311 on Apr 13, 2011 11:05 PM EDT up reply actions
true, wafer knows the offense better
And he is an energizer bunny who drives to the hoop. However, there is some steadiness with Sasha that I fear Wafer might not handle when the bright lights come on. Remember the Cleveland series where Sasha was mixing it up with Pierce.
I honestly will be happy with either of them because the difference between what they both bring is very negligible to really matter.
I hope Avery works on ball handing, add five pounds of muscle and come back health to training camp, and we have ourselves a solid back-up point combo guard.
Great energy from the bench players
Even if it was vs the Horrible NYK bench.
Hope they show that more often in the playoffs
Celtics' turn on switch for the playoffs: the last bastion of hope for battered Celtic fans.
How about Avery Bradley? The future looking great.
He’s just gotta work on his handles and get on court to get a better court vision. He’s gonna be a Derrick Rose-type player except…he plays defense.
I've been one who've been very critical of Bradley...
good to see the potential for the future.
by KubuliCeltic on Apr 13, 2011 10:52 PM EDT up reply actions
Imagine Bradley with better ball handles and 5 more pounds of muscle
I am encouraged by his play tonight. Hopefully next season he can make full training camp and work on his play-making ability in the off-season. I don’t want another promising kid to go the Gabe Pruitt route.
his jumper has only really been eratic in the NBA, this year
at all other levels, Bradley has been noted as a very smooth catch-&-release jump shooter.
That was true in high school, college and D-league.
He, like many young players, just couldn’t get enough mileage in the NBA this year to get his shot going. I think he’s going to be a fine shooter down the road.
But the thing that will make Bradley special will be his defense. Boy did he show some fast hands a couple of times tonight.
"We will take it easy, and walk on down our road at our pace with our focus ahead, and your focus on us." - Warrior Spirit, on what Celtics' Ubuntu is.
If he had any significant playing time earlier he might have had his coming out party sooner, but he is still a diamond in the rough.
I hope he is a bit of a gym rat and comes back next season with some extra muscles,
by European NBA fan on Apr 14, 2011 7:19 AM EDT up reply actions
Avery Bradley should have seen far more playing time this past season...
Doc`s thinking is far too rigid for his own good!
Good article, Mr. Toscano!
Finally, the regular season is over! 6 games more than last year… with all the trades and injuries this season, i say that’s a tremendous rise!
I’m not a Bradley fan, but i’m happy for his performance in most probably his last game this season! Who would’ve thought he would have a team high in scoring this season?!
“Absence makes the heart grow fonder” I’m banking on that for the big4. I hope sitting out the last 2 games made ’em hungrier & psyched up.
Let the countdown begin! :)
Season over, yesss!
I was impressed with the Celtics reserves. Like what I saw.
Amazing how well players can play when there is no pressure
How many of tonight’s top performers in both teams (e.g. Avery Bradly) can repeat their performance tonight in pressure situations in the playoffs even if they are given playing time? I would say very few.
Wish we could have seen more of that Avery all year
But watching him tonight, I know what Danny saw when he drafted him. Aggressive, but controlled defense (the one foul called on him shouldn’t have been,) a beautiful jump shot, and great penetration and finishing ability. Here’s hoping that there are more of these games to come, especially in games that matter.
by egotistical ma on Apr 13, 2011 11:06 PM EDT reply actions
Just imagine a few yrs down the road avery, rondo, green, pierce off the bench and 2 other starters.
by Blackberry33 on Apr 14, 2011 1:04 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Wafer has to be the 12th player, and he should see PT
I think he can give more to the team, he just need to gain more confidence from Doc.
Delonte West and Shaq are a go for the playoffs. ESPN Boston states that West will play. MSG network stated that Shaq will be ready for Sunday’s game.
we all had our avery bradley sighting and saw what danny had seen. now, he can put on a jacket and get in shape for the summer league. i would vote for wafer as man # 12, as he can shoot the 3 and also drive to the hoop. he is our ray and delonte insurance, especially delonte. freed from their defense first cloak, the subs looked sharp and had an aggressive feel to them. another too long season- it needs to be shortened. hang in there eddie la certe— we really need you.
I hope Rondo is not in mourning anymore
And play at his total potential, this vet. Team needs the real Rondo.
Rondo is key
Without him playing at all-star level, I seriously doubt the Celtics will go far.
Celtics' turn on switch for the playoffs: the last bastion of hope for battered Celtic fans.
by PseudoElite on Apr 13, 2011 11:28 PM EDT up reply actions
This was an NBDL level game. Glad the Celts won. Don't think we can take more from it than that.
It was very good, however, to give the bench players some burn.
Agree to disagree imagine that…..
by Blackberry33 on Apr 14, 2011 1:05 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
+1 I think Doc rides his starters into the ground (even when they are clearly already worn out) and should give others a chance to help the team.
by wayne7779311 on Apr 14, 2011 12:45 AM EDT up reply actions
true that...
I think clearly the reason being is that so if the C’s lost, he won’t be blamed b/c he played scrubs, so Doc will live and die with Ray for example playing 40 min even if Ray shoots 3-12 for example.
The use of his bench will be critical b/c in all honesty, this Celtic bench can actually start on some teams. And can actually score too which has been our major, major concern in the last couple of weeks when this team can defend but could not score over 90 points let alone 100.
Is it me or do I really see some really good potential in Von Wafer… The guy can flat out score, drive whenever he wants and is athletic enough to be a decent defender and notice that he is no chucker as well because he can actually drive and dish…something Ray because of his age cannot do anymore. I certainly want Von for next year.
"No I’m not KG. Not at all, but I’m Big Baby Glen Davis from LSU, Baton Rouge, Louisiana. I’m not the Big Ticket. I’m the Ticket Stub. Don’t count the Ticket Stub out. You might need the ticket to get in the game, but you leave with the ticket stub, because you’ll never forget this game."
Wafer and Bradley are going to be important players next year
If C’s don’t get to finals I can see a big team reconstruction, where almost nobody has his spot guaranteed.
I like Bill Walker,
BUT, he hit Sasha, the SAME EXACT WAY that KG hit whosisname earlier in the year (Frye maybe? Long season, can’t remember).
Why isnt the media painting him as this awful guy, and a dirty player?
Im not saying I want him to be portrayed like that, more so, i think it just kind of happens from time to time, and the KG bashing was unnecessary and unwarranted.
That is all. Thank you
yeah
Unfortunately asking for ‘fair and honest reporting’ from the general media is basically like spitting in the wind.
"We will take it easy, and walk on down our road at our pace with our focus ahead, and your focus on us." - Warrior Spirit, on what Celtics' Ubuntu is.
What was missing
was the part where Doc says B. Walker is a dirty player and that he lost respect for him. Then it might have picked up some steam. I thought it was rather weird that Sasha got a T and B. Walker didn’t….what happened to the automatic double T? KG also got ejected from that game, which was also BS.
I can't believe how the Lakers won and got HCA over us
Down 3 with 9 seconds to go, Kobe hits a 3 and then the Kings screw it up. The Kings came back from a 20 point deficit, just to blow it in the last 10 seconds.
And since the Grizzlies lost to the Clippers, the Lakers get the (by FAR) easiest matchup in the playoffs, the DWest-less Hornets. I predict a sweep. Man, if only they had stopped Kobe from hitting that 3 pointer, they’d be playing the Blazers and wouldnt have HCA over us.
lucky Bastards as always!!
Hornets get paid again for trading Kobe to the Lakers… I hope somebody can beat the Fakers hardly this post season!!! No matter what team will do it – Kobe doesn’t deserve what MJ got! That would be absolutely terrible!!
The Doc 'n Danny Revue of 2011
Mixed reviews. While VW had a productive night last, he’s been a waste of a roster spot. Played little, didnt fit in with the Celtic ethic. Now superfluous with Sashsa on board. Especially when the club suffers under the rim. His minutes would have been better spent seasoning Bradley— Doc takes the vet thing too far.
And dont get me started on Troy Murphy. Power or that kidn form the D league might have done some good. Doc takes that “stretch the floor” thing too far.
Not to mention that elephant in the room…
"Celtics bring order and structure to a chaotic world"
This was one of the more enjoyable games to watch this season.
Great seeing guys like Bradley and Sasha get some burn. Murphy even looked pretty good.
but that game counts nothing! No HC anymore
the game against Washington was the backbreaker and the Lalas killed two birds with one stone…. Ahhhhhh, thats terrible….
Doc can change the 12th active player from game to game
The choice of who is the 12th guy is made game by game so it can be Wafer, Pavlocic or
for that matter Bradley on a game by game basis, depending on matchups and injuries or other considerations, just like with the regular season roster.
by SteveZ from Edgemont on Apr 15, 2011 1:57 AM EDT reply actions
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