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Maybe The Celtics Aren't Too Old After All

Age before ...beauty?

The common refrain we've heard (and said) all year is that the Celtics are just too old to compete. Granted, it was just one game, but man what a game. Maybe what Ray Allen said yesterday was accurate. Maybe it wasn't age so much as it was conditioning - which seems to be coming around. At the very least, Doc Rivers is impressed.

A neat trick by Celtics - The Boston Globe

"We ain’t going to get much better than this defensively, and I think it’s a good blueprint for them,’’ Rivers said. "But it also tells them how hard it was. It’s hard work. I mean, Avery was dying out there. But two weeks ago we couldn’t have done this anyway, honestly, because of conditioning. We would never have lasted. So now it’s a good sign we’re getting in better conditioning. "I knew we were going to compete. You could feel it. You really could.’’

Even Dwight Howard had to tip his hat and admit that he was beat.

Star-divide

Howard tips hat to C’s after ugly loss - BostonHerald.com

"You have to respect everybody," he said. "You have to respect every team you play, and they’ve been a great team in the past. But I don’t think we came out as a team with the right attitude and the right energy. . . . "Even myself; there’s no way KG (Kevin Garnett) should be beating me up and down the floor. There’s a couple of plays where he beat me up and down the floor, and there’s no way. You know, he’s 40 and I’m 25 (actually 35 and 26, respectively). I just can’t allow that to happen. I have to step up and be the leader for this team, and when they see me doing things that are out of my character and not playing the way I play, then it falls to everybody else. So I have to do a better job and police everybody else."

Count Stan Van Gundy impressed as well.

Orlando Magic: Orlando Magic play the Boston Celtics at TD Garden in Boston - OrlandoSentinel.com

“That’s the most dominating defensive performance at least that I’ve ever had against me. There’s no singling anybody out. It’s the first game, I think, in my career I’ve ever been through where literally not one guy played well. We didn’t play well. So there’s no finger-pointing, and it’s why you get dominated. Not one guy had a good night, and I’m foremost among them.”

SVG and Dwight will have another chance on Thursday. Then we'll see if this game was a fluke or the start of a nice trend.

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My jaw is still on the floor.

Where the bleep did this game come from? Where have these guys been hiding?

… and then there’s a little voice in the back of my head, somewhere way way down, hiding, whispering:

“and can they do it again?”

- Just call me Dirk!

Twitter: @4Hoopz

by Kiorrik on Jan 24, 2012 6:11 AM EST reply actions  

7tony2

yea yes thy can
look out for us in playoffs

by 7tony2 on Jan 24, 2012 2:50 PM EST up reply actions  

The point to remember is: They DO NOT have to do it again

Not right away, anyway. The key lesson is that the Celtics still have greatness in them. They are capable of blowing out any team. This was not known before last night. It’s new information. And it does not require an encore to be meaningful and real.

Now that we know what they CAN do, we can start to believe that when the chips are down — i.e., when the playoffs start — they will have this other gear available. This was not true prior to last night’s game.

All in all — excellent news for all of us long-suffering fans. (‘Long’ being a relative term…..)

by JR99 on Jan 24, 2012 6:21 AM EST reply actions  

Of course, Orlando isn't Chicago or Miami, any team can deliver a terrible game (Orlando) or a great game (Boston) in a season--

and if, as Doc says, AB was dying out there bringing all that defense, you’re not ever going to see the Ancient Four out there bringing the same.

But it was an encouraging game. Good to see Sasha, MD, AB and Stiemer deliver what they did. Would be wonderful to see Doc give them more minutes even after all the starters are back.

by clover on Jan 24, 2012 11:54 AM EST up reply actions  

Just take it easy

And blow everyone away in the playoffs.

I don't follow rules, I let the rules follow me.

by relja111 on Jan 24, 2012 6:38 AM EST reply actions  

Problem is

We still couldn’t score more than 90 points. Our problem has never been our defense but our offense. We aren’t getting any younger or athletic. Maybe this team can prove that it only needs a few tweaks here and there, but let’s not go forward thinking this team is a contender. I still can’t get the Miami series out of my head, and I’m one of those who believes Rondo wasn’t playing well (in that particular series) before the injury. So… Again… Maybe they can prove the team only needs a few tweaks here and there. For example, sign a guy like JR Smith and trade Jermaine O’Neal for Kaman (the Okafor-Kaman experiment hasn’t worked for NO). We’ll see.

by Celticsdude on Jan 24, 2012 7:02 AM EST reply actions  

I see what you are saying, but...

this team more than ever before will rely on their defense to dictate the offense, and for the most part this season, their defense hasn’t been that good, which in turn is allowing teams to score on us at will imo. Also, if Rondo and Ray Ray are in this game, we score over 100 easily because they will most likely generate more offense. This was probably their best defensive game in two years. Bradley was a beast on Nelson, and KG did a great job on DH. Maybe DH was bagging it a little, but that’s no excuse.

by tmarine17 on Jan 24, 2012 8:54 AM EST up reply actions  

if we hold opponents to 60 pts.....

there is no need to score 100. keep in mind they had the DPOY under the basket for over half that game. There were few times we took it at them when he was in there especially in the 1st half. That right there is going to lower our scoring ability a bit.

by prov1ml on Jan 24, 2012 9:26 AM EST up reply actions  

And how often does that happen?

Great teams are not just good defensively . They’re also great offensively, and we’re not an elite team offensively. We’re just not.

by Celticsdude on Jan 24, 2012 5:46 PM EST up reply actions  

Wrong?...

In the past, yes, the problem was never our defense and pretty much always the offense. This year, however, the offense was subpar but that was kinda to be expected and the defense was actually terrible. There were missed rotations, too many turnovers, not enough turnovers created, etc..

Also, JR Smith is the wrong target because unlike all of these perceived character issues you guys see in Lebron, CP3, and Dwight this dude is an actual locker room cancer when he doesn’t get what he wants (which is free reign to jack up as many 3s as he’d like).

Besides 90 points in a pretty slow paced game is pretty good when you consider the context—no Rondo or Ray Ray and they were still playing a top defensive outfit against Orlando.

by muckduck on Jan 24, 2012 10:26 AM EST up reply actions  

We lost the Finals because we couldn't score

And in the 2nd round against Miami because we couldn’t score. I understand defense wins championships but the point of the game is to put the ball inthe basket, especially against a team like Miami your best defense is your offense. That’s why the Mavs were so successful against them. You do not want to commit turnovers or miss shots against them because those are easy points in transition for them.

I agree on JR, maybe that’s not the kind of guy we want, but we freaking need to score the ball. Don’t get so carried away by just one game.

by Celticsdude on Jan 24, 2012 5:44 PM EST up reply actions  

talk is cheap

I disagree that celtics is rondo’s team. its a team. anybody can play.

by Phh on Jan 24, 2012 7:05 AM EST reply actions  

Agree!!!

We are Boston Celtics TEAM

Boston Celtics
Mayday Mayday!!!
we are going down!
I repeat we are going down…

by celtics2011 on Jan 24, 2012 7:33 AM EST up reply actions  

What happened my post was doubled

Agree!!! Boston Celtics TEAM

Boston Celtics
Mayday Mayday!!!
we are going down!
I repeat we are going down…

by celtics2011 on Jan 24, 2012 7:35 AM EST up reply actions  

great win

and nice compliments by Dwight. Maybe we changed his mind, lol. Certainly glimmers of hope. Let’s hope it can all fall in place in time. I was happy to see the young guys step up. Lets hope Doc continues to invest in them.

by cltc5 on Jan 24, 2012 7:09 AM EST reply actions  

YAY everything is great!!!!1!!

I love the celtics. All the way baby! I love you guys, too. Here- I picked you a dandelion.

by sofutomygaha on Jan 24, 2012 7:15 AM EST reply actions  

if

only KG started like that at the start of the season we could be looking at 14-2 or 16-0 not 7-9.

by kheldar52077 on Jan 24, 2012 7:24 AM EST reply actions  

2 things

stars win and Paul & KG are getting in better shape
secondly,we are getting better point defense.Rondo is a horrendous on the ball defender and his gambling ways are killing us.He could defend like Bradley but he rarely does.Problem is until we get whole again we struggle to hit 90 but that’ll come if we get healthy.I think

by Motown on Jan 24, 2012 7:56 AM EST reply actions  

"Rondo is a horrendous on the ball defender"

Really? Wow.

I don’t think a lot of people share that opinion.

NBA Officiating - Corrupt? Incompetent? Which is worse? Does it matter? It sucks.

by mmmmm on Jan 24, 2012 2:30 PM EST up reply actions  

Horrendous is an overstatement but he does gamble too much at times, but so does every other great defensive point guard. The point guard position might be the most difficult position to defend simply because almost all of them are super quick and the inability to hand check definitely favors the offensive player by a whole lot.

by muckduck on Jan 24, 2012 3:01 PM EST up reply actions  

+1

These hand checking rules changes are hand cuffing a lot of wing players when they play defense. Rondo is a gambler but he is still a great defender

by vgarcia890 on Jan 24, 2012 4:02 PM EST up reply actions  

.....

Rondo is a stellar defender. First thought? How many 6’1 guys can defend a 6’8 player? Oh and that player is undoubtedly the one of if not the best player in the league? I mean come on, to say Rondo’s defense is even bad is ridiculous. However, I’ll admit his gambles can be killer and Rondo needs to take a few less then he seems to have been lately.

Either way, Rondo’s defense is stellar day in and day out. He just needs to cool off on some of his bad judgements. Not completely because some of that aggressiveness is what leads rondo to be a top 10 steals in the league.

by RR_The_Future on Jan 24, 2012 11:04 PM EST via mobile up reply actions  

depends on what your ultimate goals are.

If you goal is to compete for a playoff spot, then no they aren’t too old.

If your goal is to compete for an NBA title, then yes they are too old.

Personally I want to compete for NBA titles. If that’s the way you think then this team is too old and the rebuilding/reloading cannot happen soon enough because hanging on to a team that is too old to compete for an NBA title is counter productive because it delay the inevitable

by CelticsFanNC on Jan 24, 2012 7:57 AM EST reply actions   1 recs

7tony2

we can win it all old or not
rebuilding can wait

by 7tony2 on Jan 24, 2012 2:53 PM EST up reply actions  

some love for JO

this guy has said forget my stat line, I’m going to do whatever my team needs to win. He is consistently sacrificing his BEAT UP body to take charges night after night and I think he deserves a lot of praise for it. He’s been the scapegoat for many (I cannot listen to WEEI anymore), but this guy is OBVIOUSLY not the athlete he used to be but he is still competing hard and sacrificing his body.

"Take it to the hoop, there's a dance involved." - DJ Tommy

by WillyBeamin on Jan 24, 2012 7:58 AM EST reply actions   1 recs

+1

I haven’t been the biggest fan of Jermaine as our starting center, but he definitely earned my respect last night with the toughness he displayed. And his standing up to Dwight was by far my favorite moment from him as a Celtic so far.

by Pork n Beans on Jan 24, 2012 8:18 AM EST up reply actions  

+2

Yes!

I'm not the Devil's Advocate but I consiider him a close friend

by Dipper on Jan 24, 2012 8:55 AM EST up reply actions  

+1

Basketball is like war in that offensive weapons are developed first, and it always takes a while for the defense to catch up. - Red Auerbach

by IanMello on Jan 24, 2012 9:25 AM EST up reply actions  

With that being said

I wish he could hit a wide open 12 ft jump shot… the guy used to be money in the bank from there at Indiana!

"Take it to the hoop, there's a dance involved." - DJ Tommy

by WillyBeamin on Jan 24, 2012 9:33 AM EST up reply actions  

While it was a good game and all, I don’t expect us to hold teams to .250 shooting on a regular basis.

by kozlodoev on Jan 24, 2012 8:28 AM EST reply actions  

Wow

Game ball to Avery but nearly every player in green came out with an extra step and (dare I say) a freaking chip on his shoulder. Loved when JO stood up to Howard. Howard is a smiling, elbow throwing bully. But like most bullies, retreats when someone gives it back. Bravo to JO for refusing to be Howard’s passive target.

But it seemed to all start with Avery’s pesky and annoying defense. Not sure how he fits into the rotation but he’s a weapon we need to figure out how to use more of.

by CelticsFan616 on Jan 24, 2012 8:37 AM EST reply actions  

agree'd

Bradley was the catalyst. Everybody played well, some even played above themselves. Bradley’s ball pressure seemed to energize the entire team.

by CelticsFanNC on Jan 24, 2012 8:45 AM EST up reply actions  

What I was most impressed by with avery

Was his rebounds. The defense is his best contribution, but he has proven that he brings that with consistency. I was pleased to see a non rebounder, a ball player with no great rebounding skills be an east west rebound hunter. His three or four rebounds mostly came on long rebounds that had already bounced off the floor which are as good as 50/50 balls, of which the celts core just don’t get enough. Get adter

by Mooose on Jan 24, 2012 9:37 AM EST via mobile up reply actions  

Meant to finish with

Get after them no mans land boards 15 from the hoop and get out on the break

by Mooose on Jan 24, 2012 9:39 AM EST via mobile up reply actions  

The pressure from a Dooling-Bradley backcourt is absolutely amazing, but that backcourt is also pretty horrid when they’re not creating turnovers.

He definitely should get a bit more run but not too much.

by muckduck on Jan 24, 2012 10:28 AM EST up reply actions  

Who saw that coming last night?

First chance to post about the game. What I took away from it:

1. Bradley is a defensive menace. He gave us glimpses this season but last night was his first major opportunity to shine and he did. Bradley just earned himself some more minutes.

2. The Bass/Davis trade was a heist by Danny.

3. Reminded that Sasha is only 28 and can play if given the chance.

4. Rondo looks like Superfly on the bench.

5. KG and PP playing themselves into shape. If that is their issue this year rather than age, then we will get back to Celtics basketball.

6. Ray should come off the bench. Start Bradley with Rondo and have Bradley guard the PG. I realize it is a small backcourt but their defense will cause some easy buckets and not allow the offense to get set. Ray will light up any second unit’s PG as well as provide some cohesion on the second unit.

7. Don’t trade the captain. Heck, don’t trade anyone. I want to see the season play out. A lot of teams are dealing with injuries and who knows who will be standing come the playoffs. The Heat look vulnerable. I fear the Bulls more at this point.

8. Play the young guys more. Their energy was off the charts last night and seemed to infect JO,PP and KG.

9. I do not want Howard on this team. The image of him grinning on the bench during a blow out is just not right. And what happens when he and Rondo are on the floor near the end of a close game. A free throw nightmare.

10. Daniels needs to stick to his slash and pass game. How many times did he cut and then dish to KG? That was sweet.

11. Wyc said some interesting things during the second quarter, but overall it sounds like he wants to give these guys a chance to turn it around. I also sense that Pierce is not going anywhere.

12. Lastly, DO NOT BLOW IT UP DANNY.

These guys have a lot of pride and will not go quietly. Hopefully last night was the turning point of the season.

by JPV on Jan 24, 2012 8:48 AM EST reply actions  

young guys

I’ve noticed this in other games to a lesser extent then big time last night but those young legs make a difference. They energize the entire team.

Our problem isn’t that we have so many older players it is that we are starting four of them and that is a tough obstacle to over come most nights. Put one or two young guys with young legs, speed and quickness out there with our experienced veterans and it makes a big difference. This is why I believe we have tended to start games so poorly. That is when we have generally had 4 older guys on the floor with Rondo who would benefit the most from some speed on the court with him. The older guys can still play. They can have games that resemble who they once were. The problem is they can not be depended upon to do it consistently especially when it comes to scoring. We used to rely on 55 to 6 ppg from the BIg Three. Thats too much to expect of them now. Younger legs gets us easy baskets we don’t otherwise get.

The loss of Jeff Green was a huge blow to this team IMO. Add Jeff Greens young legs and scoring ability to this mix for 30 minutes a night and we’s be in a whole lot better shape.

by CelticsFanNC on Jan 24, 2012 9:20 AM EST up reply actions  

I completely agree -- I've been thinking this myself for a long time

the big 3 have all the talent, skill, and experience, in the world, but at this point in their careers they don’t have the juice. When they won the ring in ‘08 a lot of people didn’t pay attention to the energy boost that Rondo, posey, house, and especially Leon Powe gave this team. Powe had no business dropping 20 points in one of those games in the finals. He had no business gobbling up offensive rebounds and forcing himself to the line. And the Big 3 completely feeds off of this.

So… I would correct your post in this one detail: the C’s don’t necessarily need young players in the line up next to the big 3, but they do need all out hustle and energy guys. These are the kind of players that really boost the big 3’s potential.

by milt palacio's shot on Jan 24, 2012 11:48 AM EST up reply actions   2 recs

Agree 100%

Playing and meshing some of the younger players like Bradley, Moore, Steamer, Bass, Pietrius Sasha with the old big 4 of Ray, KG, Pierce and JO would be wise to do indeed.

But Doc needs to play the younger players in order for them to help the team since they can not help the team if they are sitting on the bench.

Doc it appears is of the believe he must get his vets there appropriate amount of minutes per game, every game and by all means, maybe out of respect, even if he has to sit younger players who are playing better then some of the vets at times during games and I think this is not right.

Its especially frustrating when some of the vets are struggling in games but Doc continues to play them in lieu of the younger players who should be given a shot to see if they can play better and help the team.

I also think Doc should just play whoever is playing better at the position be it if it is a bench or starter player,
For example I think if Bass is playing well, play him more and sit KG, If Bradley is playing well, play him more and sit Rondo, If Steamer is playing well, play him more and sit JO, If Pietrius is playing well, play him more and sit Pierce etc. without Doc having to make sure the vets " get there minutes" and pulling younger players out of games that are playing well and better then the starters.

I think following such a approach would be in the best interest for the C’s this year.

by fordescort on Jan 24, 2012 12:53 PM EST up reply actions  

I mostly agree...

I’ve revised my blow it up scenario to simply trade Ray and play the young guys more. Bradley, Pietrus, and Sasha give this team more of what it needs than Ray.

Basketball is like war in that offensive weapons are developed first, and it always takes a while for the defense to catch up. - Red Auerbach

by IanMello on Jan 24, 2012 9:24 AM EST up reply actions  

I'd say don't trade

your most consistent guy. Ray is a productive scorer, can bring the ball up, and is a leader and role model in the locker room and training room.

And it’s doubtful we’d get anyone in a trade that comes even close to what we’d give away.

"I don’t think in the past. I don’t think in the future. You grasp the moment." -KG

by SotaPop on Jan 30, 2012 6:57 PM EST up reply actions  

nice post JPV....agree on most every point

Why sounded like an oily politician last night

Is it Soup Yet?

by Master Po on Jan 24, 2012 9:47 AM EST up reply actions  

I really don't think you should put Ray to the bench

Rondo’s inability to hit a jumpshot makes the spacing with the starting five tedious to begin with especially now that Garnett’s been reduced to a 20-foot jumpshooter/extra pass type of offensive player. Adding Bradley to the mix kills the spacing even more on an offensively challenged team.

I definitely agree that Bradley’s energy and effectiveness with that energy warrants more minutes, but his defensive prowess doesn’t earn him a starting job. At this point in their careers every member of the Big Four is necessary for that unit to succeed consistently. Last night’s game was fantastic and I loved it, but do you genuinely think this type of all out play can last through a condensed season?

But yeah, don’t blow it up.

by muckduck on Jan 24, 2012 10:21 AM EST up reply actions  

Good points.

Perhaps Bradley cannot start due to his offense but I think that part of his game will come. He definitely needs to play more and I would love to see him shut down the starting PG rather than the second unit PG. He gave Nelson fits last night and, accordingly to Bradley post game, was ready to say “no mas.” If he is blanketing the opponent’s starting PG then chances are the other team will not start fast out of the gate, given us rare early leads. We need to get out of the gate faster and Bradley’s defense on the starting PG allows that. Now, if Rondo plays defense like Bradley (which I recall he used to do) then it is a different matter. But Rondo gambles way too much and has trouble staying in front of his man.

by JPV on Jan 24, 2012 10:49 AM EST up reply actions  

I liked

Bradley a lot last night, maybe for the first time. BUt let’s not forget, he can’t handle the ball to save his life against a little bit of pressure

"Chemistry is something that you don't just throw in a frying pan and mix it up with another something and throw something on top of that and then fry it up and put in a tortilla and put it in microwave, heat it up, give it to you and expect it to taste good. You know? If y'all don't know what I'm talking about then you can't cook and this doesn't concern you."

by KGHurtYourFeelings on Jan 24, 2012 11:08 AM EST up reply actions  

Bradley actually impressed me

Nice to see the young guys get a long run. Moore needs to get in there too. We need some consistent energy on the wings

by vgarcia890 on Jan 24, 2012 11:45 AM EST up reply actions  

maybe not Ray to the bench...

but someone from the starting 4 needs to be brought off the bench. Except for Rondo, the starting 4 just doesn’t bring the needed energy level to be effective anymore. And to me, it’s not a question of them just deciding to bring energy, they just don’t have it. But I think they can definitely be “injected” (or infected) with other players’ energy! What the starting unit needs more than anything is to surround the old guys with at least one (preferably two) player who is just tenacious, and unrelenting (like Bradley was today).

The only 2 logical options for me are JO or Ray, and I don’t think we have the young tenacious center to replace Oneal in the starting unit (Maybe stiemsma, maybe wilcox – but neither one is a beast the way, say, Powe was a beast in 08). So it’s gotta be Ray, to me. Bring Ray off the bench and let anyone who will chase down every loose ball take his place. Maybe it’s Bradley, maybe it’s Pavlovic, maybe it’s Pietrus.

by milt palacio's shot on Jan 24, 2012 11:56 AM EST up reply actions  

OR... you find a way to somehow flip Oneal to get a young center who brings raw energy.

But this is less likely, to me. I do think either Jason Thompson or JJ Hickson could be snatched away from the Kings though for less than they’re worth, and either of them might fit the bill of “energy guy” at the 5 for the Cs.

Again, you’ve got to surround the big 3 with energy players…

by milt palacio's shot on Jan 24, 2012 12:00 PM EST up reply actions  

Ray does play a lot with the second unit

and provides some consistency and leadership but I think the team is best served when Ray is getting good passes from Rondo and other vets who give him the ball in the pocket at the right time (step). Ray doesn’t get that from the bench as much.

"I don’t think in the past. I don’t think in the future. You grasp the moment." -KG

by SotaPop on Jan 30, 2012 7:05 PM EST up reply actions  

After last night, I am now qualified to be a ESPN Prognosticator

My prognostication would have been Orlando a winner by at least 20 points. With the Celt’s winning by 30, I will now be hired by ESPN as an analyst.

I'm not the Devil's Advocate but I consiider him a close friend

by Dipper on Jan 24, 2012 8:58 AM EST reply actions  

Great game last night....

The comment Mike made last night from Cuban was interesting about the 1st 20 games of this year are for the young teams, the next 30 will be ruled by the veteran teams. Veteran teams win the playoffs. It might be too early to give up on these guys. They still would need a tweak but it’s probably something Ainge could do. Kaman makes too much salary (12.7) to be traded for JO. We do still need a consistent scoring threat off the bench. Bass is not enough in my mind. A Jason Terry, JR Smith, Vinnie Johnson type would be very nice. Dallas has been rumored to want to move one more salary so they can make the numbers work for Williams and Howard this summer. Not sure if something could work there with us or not. Love Bradley’s defense, hoping his shot starts to fall more regulary. Hopefully this will stay interesting.

by celty86 on Jan 24, 2012 9:19 AM EST reply actions  

the most impressive thing about this is....

this was the dreaded second night of a back-to-back. You know, that game that we seem to always lose….I can’t believe the energy we played with especially on the second night. It was unbelievable and hopefully a sign of things to come.

by prov1ml on Jan 24, 2012 9:27 AM EST reply actions  

my biggest takeaways from last night

1. Bradley is a TRUE weapon to be used on defense, and he can finish strong at the rim
2. Celtics accepted the challenge: down 5 rotation players (2 starters) against a top team, and they gave it their all
3. Pierce was once again…Paul Pierce
4. KG was once again…KG (aka a rabid dog)…loved how he accepted the challenge defensively
5. This was a BACK-TO-BACK!!!! Huge energy displayed and…it means they can get it done!!!

Not expecting this every night, but it’s a good sign.

- JoeB

by joeb on Jan 24, 2012 9:28 AM EST reply actions  

We all know that the......

big old 4 of Ray, Pierce KG, and JO can have great games from time to time during the course of the season the key is if they can be more consistent and have great games more often then not during the duration of the season.

Sure there will games where the big old 4 will show there age especially during back to back games or against freaky athletic teams, but if they can hold up and compete during most other games during the season, the C’s should be quite competitive.

Getting alot help from the bench is another key, I hope Doc plays the likes of Bradley, Moore, Pietrius, Bass, Steamer, Wilcoox, Sasha as much as possible to help keep as much stress off of the big old 4 of Ray, Pierce KG, and JO as possible and to keep them as fresh as possible over the course of the season and as the C’s near the playoffs.

by fordescort on Jan 24, 2012 10:05 AM EST reply actions  

Jameer Nelson

I watched the post game interviews on the Orlando Sentinal site. Someone asked Jameer about Avery Bradley:

“He’s a young guy with a lot of energy but he does some questionable things out there. Like grabbing and stuff like that. But I guess when you start the game like that and they don’t call it then it sets a precedent for the game.”

Talk about excuses. He was even whining during the game:

"He seemed like he didn’t even want to bring the ball up," Bradley said in a postgame interview with NBA TV. "I looked at him and he kept telling me throughout the game, ‘You know what, don’t pick me up, don’t pick me up.’ And that’s when I knew, if I brought pressure, he didn’t want nothing to do with it."

by richtrader on Jan 24, 2012 10:06 AM EST reply actions  

...now that is how you shut up all of our frustrations the past few weeks! ;)

I’m sure majority (if not all) of us didn’t think we could win this game… especially without 2 of our starters and this being the 2nd of a back to back!

But wow! C for ’c’onditioning! I hope this is the start of something good. We have now officially won against a quality team… and it was a blowout. This should quiet down (a tad bit) the crazy trade rumors.

Welcome back, C’s!

by japsuki on Jan 24, 2012 11:05 AM EST reply actions  

some truth

Bradley got away with more hand checking than i’ve seen in awhile + a couple of obvious no calls. Still- he contests everything, and gave life to the D- which showed the best rotations so far in this season. Ease Ray and him to second unit with Bass- Start Pietrus (when all are healthy)

by P stoff on Jan 24, 2012 11:23 AM EST reply actions  

when you play with energy and aggression, you also get the rebounds. orlando was missing and in the past we would give them 2nd and 3rd chances. not so yesterday. putting maddog bradley fullcourt on the point, really delays the other team from getting into their sets and discombobulates their offense. and sasha was banging. i hope he remembers what it does to his game. maybe these subs are a little too dependent on rondo and needed to be freed up to establish their own id. i liked the nasty edge.

by nazzbo on Jan 24, 2012 11:24 AM EST reply actions  

Everyone but Ray on flight today to Orlando

Ankle still hurting and wife about to deliver their child. The kid will be hoisting 3’s from his crib.

Good sign the others made the trip. Maybe even see Wilcox bang for awhile and lay some fouls on Howard.

by JPV on Jan 24, 2012 12:19 PM EST reply actions  

It..

would be great to see Wilcox play in the Orlando game.

Doc would then have the luxury to throw 4 bigs and 24 fouls at Howard utilizing JO, Steamer, Wilcox and KG at times.

As tough a player as Howard, is I think banging him around can help throw him off his offensive game so I hope all Celtic players that are matched up against him will play him as physical as possible.

by fordescort on Jan 24, 2012 12:28 PM EST up reply actions  

One game, people. One game.

Yes it was great, but it was one game. Let’s see this for a week or two and then there might be something to talk about.

by vinnie on Jan 24, 2012 12:37 PM EST reply actions  

hey Vinnie man

there is an old song form the late 70’s by the PO-lice and Sting ….“When the world is running down you make the best of what’s still around”

Let us all have a moment of smiles on Tuesday before we thiink about Thursday…thank you

By the way….I used to get told I looked like Sting….not so much anymore LOL

Is it Soup Yet?

by Master Po on Jan 24, 2012 1:01 PM EST up reply actions  

Smiles are fine and I am very happy about this game and the victory

But by the end of this thread, I am expecting to see Sasha and Bradley nominated for the Hall of Fame. Seriously though, the guys played great. But it is only one game. One game. If they lose by 30 Thursday night in Orlando will the blog post headline read: “Maybe the Celtics are old after all”

by vinnie on Jan 24, 2012 4:19 PM EST up reply actions  

Well

THAT didn’t happen, did it.

"I don’t think in the past. I don’t think in the future. You grasp the moment." -KG

by SotaPop on Jan 30, 2012 7:10 PM EST up reply actions  

lol

after every win, do you go into every thread, and say at least 2 negative things?

For the record, I agree with you. Loved the win, but it doesn’t necessarily mean anything. But I sure hope it does, and don’t see any point in saying anything like that while people are celebrating a victory/

"Chemistry is something that you don't just throw in a frying pan and mix it up with another something and throw something on top of that and then fry it up and put in a tortilla and put it in microwave, heat it up, give it to you and expect it to taste good. You know? If y'all don't know what I'm talking about then you can't cook and this doesn't concern you."

by KGHurtYourFeelings on Jan 24, 2012 1:32 PM EST up reply actions  

me neither

I think vinnie has every right to say anything he wants. AND, tbh, i agree with him. I was jus a funnin

"Chemistry is something that you don't just throw in a frying pan and mix it up with another something and throw something on top of that and then fry it up and put in a tortilla and put it in microwave, heat it up, give it to you and expect it to taste good. You know? If y'all don't know what I'm talking about then you can't cook and this doesn't concern you."

by KGHurtYourFeelings on Jan 24, 2012 2:54 PM EST up reply actions  

Vinnie is a skeptic but he is a knowledgable skeptic and usually backs it up.

I enjoy his posts even though I do not agree with everything he writes. Like Po, I want to enjoy this win and leave the analysis of the team’s flaws on hold for a day or two.

by JPV on Jan 24, 2012 3:49 PM EST up reply actions  

I am a skeptic and I figured out why a couple of years ago

The Celtics are my favorite Boston sports team. Always have been, always will. And, the best way for me to lessen the emotional pain I feel when they lose is to almost always be skeptical. As a season ticketholder for many years, I have loved this team and so many players. And being there with my then 13-year-old son the night they beat the Lakers for #17 was the biggest sports thrill of my life.

I wish I could rid myself of this skepticism, but you guys know the story…….old dog……new ticks :)

by vinnie on Jan 24, 2012 4:22 PM EST up reply actions  

BTW

Its all fun, I hope you don’t take any offense and you definitely have the right to say whatever you want.

"Chemistry is something that you don't just throw in a frying pan and mix it up with another something and throw something on top of that and then fry it up and put in a tortilla and put it in microwave, heat it up, give it to you and expect it to taste good. You know? If y'all don't know what I'm talking about then you can't cook and this doesn't concern you."

by KGHurtYourFeelings on Jan 24, 2012 5:29 PM EST up reply actions  

Tip my hat to Doc

Although I disagree with his handling of guys like Steimsa (who didn’t look very good last night), I think Doc has found a way to use Bradley at the PG….and that’s by running the offense through Pierce….kinda like chalmers does in Miami….if my game analysis is correct bradley would bring the ball up to half court and dish it to pierce where the offense would be effective.

by GreenSlime on Jan 24, 2012 1:50 PM EST via mobile reply actions  

Great comparison

and that is just what happened in the second match-up too. Pierce ran the offense.

"I don’t think in the past. I don’t think in the future. You grasp the moment." -KG

by SotaPop on Jan 30, 2012 7:13 PM EST up reply actions  

Not going overboard....

…on this team either way. They looked horrible against the Suns but looked like world beaters like night. Which is the real Celtics squad? Only time will tell but I don’t think we need to go crazy after one good win just like we shouldn’t go crazy after a bad loss.

by yakyakyak on Jan 24, 2012 3:08 PM EST reply actions  

We’ve had more than half a dozen of bad losses and 1 good win, for what it’s worth.

by kozlodoev on Jan 24, 2012 3:55 PM EST up reply actions  

jermaine o'neal keepin' it real

if j.o. brings that intensity for the rest of the season , we could posibly be a dangerous team come playoff time , i love what jermaine did to dwight last night , howard did not want any part of j.o. ,finally it seems like someone on this team got pissed off enough , with all this losing goin’ on lately and take it out on their opponent , this might be the start of some angry celtics finally putting some wins together ,,

by wal mark on Jan 24, 2012 4:11 PM EST reply actions  

One good game means nothing

One good game and suddenly the Celtics may not be too old? Seriously?! Wait till we meet the Bulls. Yes, we still have talent. But that doesn’t mean we’re going to make a run for the conference title or the championship. Unfortunately, there’s no chance of that right now.

by Bird Man on Jan 24, 2012 9:51 PM EST up reply actions  


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