ABCs of the Celtics Season: N-Z

This gimmick was my way of wrapping up the season. In case you missed it check out A-M. It is now time to move forward.  

N - The letter N:  As in there are two "Ns" in Kevinn Pinkney's first name. I know I'm going to post this and someone is going to come up with a much better N. But I included him because his presences is a sign that the season did not go as planned. Also guess how much Pinkney made this season? His 10 day contract was worth $27,514.

O - Obnoxious: I'm probably in the minority here but I find the Celtics dancers obnoxious. Of all the tributes given to Red one powerful gesture did not happen. How great would it have been if the other 29 teams had dancers at All Star weekend and the Celtics did not? Now that's a tribute.  

 

P - Paul Pierce:  Was there any doubt? He came out of the gate on fire, suffered the first major injury of his career (minus the stabbing), and returned despite a bad elbow and other ailments. In the process he learned how to play with Al Jefferson. Unfortunately he turns 31 next pre season, has taken a beating in his career, and is now seriously considering the direction the team is headed. And his game is flawed. His ball handling was erratic, he took some ill-advised shots, and selectively applied himself on defense. But he's still a star player. And I wonder about all of the people who say he can't carry a team. Let's not forget that the addition of Dennis Johnson allowed the C's to defeat those Sixers (Andrew Toney) and Lakers (Magic Johnson) teams. And those Boston teams had Bird, McHale, and Parish. Who has Pierce played with the last few seasons?

 

Q - Quentin Richardson looks fat:  To Max and Grande who I only caught 3-4 times this season. It just so happens that on those occasions they made fun of Richardson as well as Eddy Curry and Patrick Ewing for weight issues. Then there was the whole Violet Palmer incident. Hey Q was not easy.

R - Red and DJ: - It has all been said and I do not want to trivialize their deaths. So I will just link to something they both enjoyed tremendously.  

S - Tie - Salmon and Sock

1. Salmon: The key to a good diet? Salmon and mashed potatoes.
2. Sock: After all the debate about leather versus a synthetic material it became obvious shortly before the change back to the original ball that one material had been left out of the conversation. The sock.

T - The trade:  It is all about Telfair. His poor defensive play and loss of the starting position coupled with Brandon Roy's success made this season difficult. And the fact that moving Raef LaFrentz's contract was to a large degree the impetus for the trade, is only further proof of how terrible that Antoine Walker deal was. I would give Danny Ainge credit for cleaning up the mess if he did not create it. I actually wrote all that before Bassy was arrested. Unfortunately I liked the trade at the time and did not criticize Ainge for his gamble. So it is hard for me to be too critical.

U - Unfortunate:  Of all the words people used to describe Tony Allen's injury - senseless, needless, stupid - I prefer unfortunate. This was actually the centerpiece of one of my favorite posts from my old site. And yes I am trying to break the record for links in a single blog posting. Also, is linking to something I wrote obnoxious, arrogant, or both?

V - Valentine's Day:  I know it's well over two years old at this point. But no one does Valentine's Day quite like Delonte West. How else would mere mortals such as myself know that Crystal tastes like urination? Special thanks to Louise K. Cornetta for this epic interview.

W - Washington:  As in Denzel...Washington! Not ringing a bell. Watch Delonte West in all of his glory. Maybe this was a stretch but the man gave us so much this year. It just seemed fitting that several of the letters revolved completely around him.

X - XXX:  Apparently things at the very least headed down the XXX path when Wyc's wife and 9 friends entered Celtics' locker room following the January 19th game against the Kings. In the end there were some awkward moments, a few half dressed players, and one autographed shoulder. It ended up being a much smaller story than it could have been.

Y - Youth: That's really what this season was all about right? In fact that has essentially been Danny Ainge's plan. And I understand it in some ways. Everybody wants to get Kobe Bryant. Everyone except the Charlotte Hornets and the 12 other teams that passed on him that is. But high school guys are never a sure thing. See Brown, Kwame. So I have no problem with the Al Jefferson and the Gerald Green picks. But has a young team ever won anything? Ask Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal. (I read Jordan's comments in Spike Lee's book - Best Seat in the House and caught Shaq on Quite Frankly before it was cancelled. Hint - They both answered the following question with a 2-letter word that start with an "n" and rhymes with go: "Has a young team ever won anything?") Back to Ainge. He has struggled with trades, been unable to move any of the youth for quality veterans (though injuries played a part), and seemingly ignored international player altogether. No Michael Olowokandi does not count. Needless to say this is a huge off-season for Danny.  

 

Z - ZZZ: To the last 9 games of the season. I like the young guys to varying degrees. But not enough to enjoy a lineup that is missing Tony Allen, Al Jefferson (some of the time), Paul Pierce, Wally Szczerbiak, and Delonte West (also some of the time). Sorry. Although Rajon Rondo is always entertaining. Hopefully we'll look back on that stretch and laugh next season when the C's make the playoffs.