More photos » by Paul Connors - AP

Here's wishing the Suns will buy Steve out and he'll sign with the Celtics....

Browse more photos »

Jeff kicked of the morning with some reasonable guesses and mild SWAGs.   I went the other route in the spirit of the old Conan gag - in the Year 2000, what follows are some much wilder guesses, unfortunately I don't have LaBamba singing that creepy interlude between comments.

• The Suns decide that they should build around Amare Stoudemire and buyout Steve Nash (do they not realize that Nash is 46 years old?).  Steve signs with Celts to backup Rajon Rondo.   Ok that's a crazy wish.  Even crazier, Nash plays tremendous on-the-ball defense.  
• A ticked off Celtics team opens the season with a 24 and 0 stretch, losing its first game in Charlotte when Ray Allen misses the game to speak at the UN. 
• Kevin Garnett strains his neck slamming his head into the basket stantion before tipoff at a game in February.   He has to sit for two games to recover.  Thereafter the Celtics start taping a pillow to the stantion at home games.

Continue reading this post »

From SI.com (via SLAM)

"I just want some creativity, that's all I want,'' Redick said Saturday. "I haven't heard creative things since college. Like really, I don't know if it's the alcohol consumption at NBA games, but there's nothing remotely creative or funny ever said to me. It's boring. I'm so conditioned to it now.''

More photos » by Elise Amendola - AP

"Hey Billy, have you seen Mikki?" -- "I'm right here coach!"

Browse more photos »

Hollinger amusingly points out the reduced role that Mikki Moore has taken on this team despite our desperate need for frontcourt help.

Even though KG and Powe were out, Boston coach Doc Rivers' reluctance to use Mikki Moore in Game 4 was so obvious he might as well have been wearing a neon sign saying, "Mikki scares me!"

Moore played only six minutes in Game 4, and Rivers wouldn't let him near the court in the two overtimes, even when Kendrick Perkins had fouled out. Moore's stock has sunk to the point that in the crucial first overtime, Rivers decided he'd rather put in Brian Scalabrine, who hadn't played in two months and wasn't even on the team's active roster in last year's postseason.

In other words, Boston has effectively chosen to go down to a three-player big-man rotation, with Brian Scalabrine as No. 3. All of which is a roundabout way of saying that Perkins and Glen Davis absolutely, positively can't get in foul trouble, because the options behind them are so horrific.

Frank Dell'Apa reports:

An NBA source pointed out before the game that two of the referees were Chicago natives (Bill Kennedy and Dan Crawford). Kennedy also was involved in an incident with Rivers during the Bulls' St. Patrick's Day win in which both were fined by the league for jawing. The source also said that after the game family members of both referees departed wearing Bulls gear.

This really isn't going to help Matt's cause much.

This all seems pretty funny to me.  I couldn't care less.  I've always felt that the players (almost always) win or lose the games.  All the talk about refs bores me to tears but you folks seem to enjoy it, so I'm sure you'll have fun with this.

Update: Souza has some quotes from Perkins and Doc complaining about the officials.

Update #2: Seems like there may have been some misunderstanding.  See this FanHouse post:

It appears that, contrary to Dell'Apa's report, Kennedy is actually from Phoenix. Born there, attended high school there, and went to Arizona State.

Updated Photo from here.

View full size photo uploaded April 24, 2009

Rajon Rondo shares a hint about what makes him destroy opposing point guards and battle through repeated ankle injuries.  Red Bull!  From his blog...

What's good! We are in Chicago right now...I'm about to get dressed for the game. I wanted to drop yall a few lines first. I want to get this win tonight. I know yall have been watching, and these past two games have been close. I'm really hoping we go out and get this one tonight. Some of yall may have seen me jump out of the Red Bull car before game 1. That car was crazy! I am officially the first NBA player to sign with them, so I'm pretty excited about it. I've been drinking it a lot since I signed, and I will have to say that it does give you wiings! Well...I have to get dressed now. Just wanted to stop by for a minute. I'm going to put up some photos from a Red Bull shoot I had, so check them out. I'll holla!

That's right folks, it is time again for the whole world to celebrate the Boston Celtics and all their glory.  I honestly don't know why more companies don't give their employees today off to celebrate in style, but at least the NBA has its priorities in check.  Several teams are green with envy, just trying to grasp at a small piece of the Celtics lore by wearing shamrocks and rockin' the green in humble dedication to the greatest franchise in all of sport.

Here are a few examples.

And of course...

Thank you NBA for honoring the Celtics so much.  It is really touching.  Have a great Celtics Day everyone.

Continue reading this post »