SB Nation - Antoine Walker

Tell it like it is, Mike!

Stop-n-Pop — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 13:59:37 -0000

There are two thankless jobs in the Wolves' organization. First and most obvious are the poor saps who have to sell tickets, especially the ones to the luxury boxes. We here at Hoopus have no idea how the ticket reps we come in contact with do it. We'd loose our cool by mid-afternoon on our first day...which is probably why we're no longer in sales.

Second, the Wolves' TV crew has to fill roughly 4 hours of airtime per game night. Think about that for a moment. When the Wolves start a game out going down by 10 with only about 5 minutes run off the clock, what are you going to talk about? How are you going to spend several hours describing a team that can be entirely defined by a haiku?

McHale's ghost still here

Out manned? Yes! Sasha Hollins!

Lower bowl upgrade.

You know what I'm talking about.

After watching hours of League Pass, I really have an appreciation for the Wolves' TV crew, commercial free halftimes, post-game tutorials, and the hours and hours and hours of material that J-Pete and Hanny come up with to describe the team we are starting to run out of ideas about with the written word. "They're not talented enough," "they have future assets," and "Kevin Love is really good" can only take a guy so far.

Anywho, my favorite TV moment of the year happened during the first half of last night's game. The TV crew is constantly trying to make a sometimes unwatchable product entertaining and to assure fans that at some point somewhere down the road, all of this...well, crap...will pay off for the long term benefit of the team. Like it or not, that's part of their job.

This little fact often leads them down the road of getting players and/or coaches from the other team to draw comparisons from their squad's questionable past to their current success. This angle is ridden hard when teams like Portland and Atlanta come to town.

Last night the Wolves' new sideline reporter (and Telly-slayer) Robby Incmikoski asked Atlanta coach Mike Woodson to wax poetic about the parallels he sees between this year's Wolves and a past version of his currently upper-level Eastern Conference Hawks. The answer went a little something like this: "I suppose they do remind me of what we were going through 6 years ago."

At this point several thoughts rushed through my head. First, I felt bad for Robby. That answer must have been the sideline reporting equivalent of getting shot in the face by Dick Cheney. He was clearly going for something inspirational and he ended up getting pointed to the second thought in my head: Mike Woodson just compared the 2009/10 Wolves to the 13-win Atlanta Hawk squad that was probably the worst team of the decade.

My third thought was "Who on god's green earth was on that putrid team and how on earth would any of them remind Coach Woodson of the Wolves?" This question is the fan equivalent of getting shot in the face by Dick Cheney. The 04/05 Hawks were led by Al Harrington and Antoine Walker. They had young wings Josh Childress and Josh Smith, as well as a young Boris Diaw. They also had Kenny Anderson, Tom Gugliotta, Jon Berry, and Kevin Willis. This is the team that reminds Mike Woodson of the 09/10 Wolves? Ouch.

OK, it's time to think a few happy thoughts before I get to the big downer.

Kevin Love is a fantastic basketball player. Last night he finished with 19 rebounds (8 offensive) and 15 points on .500 shooting. He carried an absurd 26.9 oReb rate for the game. He had a team-high 1.02 points contributed per possession used (the next closest teammate was Al Jefferson with 0.85). He filled in the action outside of the box scores with wonderful outlet passing, solid screens, as good of help defense as he could muster alongside Al Jefferson, and a few of his patented 1-on-4 impossible tips to teammates.

The best Love highlight of the night brings up an interesting question about the diminishing returns of defensive rebounding. Namely, is a defensive rebound in the hands of Kevin Love worth more than a defensive rebound in the hands of Al Jefferson or Ryan Hollins? The play in question was started with an Atlanta jump shot that was corralled by Love. The second the shot went off Corey Brewer started to drift towards half court. When he saw that Love had the rebound, he turned on the jets. Love pivoted and delivered a strike to an in-stride Ramon Sessions who took a few dribbles and delivered a perfect bounce pass to the cutting Brewer for a two hand dunk. If Ryan Hollins or Al Jefferson get that defensive rebound, what do you think are the chances for a Brewer dunk? How do you measure the impact of something like this? Are Love rebounds worth more than Jefferson rebounds?

Kevin Love is off to a tremendous start this season. He has extended his range, improved his rebounding, increased his assist and steal rates, lowered his defensive rating, and increased his offensive one. He's the best player on this team by a country mile.

Season	Age	Tm	Lg	G	MP	PER	TS%	eFG%	ORB%	DRB%	TRB%	AST%	STL%	BLK%	TOV%	USG%	ORtg	DRtg	OWS	DWS	WS
2008-09	20	MIN	NBA	81	2048	18.3	.538	.461	15.1	27.3	21.0	6.8	0.9	1.9	12.4	21.0	112	109	3.4	1.9	5.3
2009-10	21	MIN	NBA	11	341	23.4	.584	.530	16.1	30.0	22.9	11.6	1.8	1.1	11.6	19.7	121	105	1.0	0.4	1.4
Career			NBA	92	2389	19.1	.544	.471	15.2	27.7	21.3	7.5	1.0	1.8	12.3	20.8	114	108	4.4	2.3	6.7

Before we get around to what Love's improvement means for another very specific player on the team, let's take a moment or two to sing the praises of Corey Brewer.

At the end of the day it will be noted that Joe Johnson had 21 points on 9-18 shooting. It should be put into the record that Brewer made him work for each and every single one of those points while keeping him out of the paint and away from the line. Brewer fought through a maze of screens all night long and he showed an amazing ability to keep the smooth-scoring Johnson somewhat off-balance (as off-balance as you can get with 20+ points) with an array of long arms, oddly-timed jump-outs, and pure grit. Brewer is actually fun to watch on defense. He really thinks about it and his effort and thought is obvious. For instance, watch how he closes out on jump shooters. He tries to use his quickness to make the aforementioned oddly-timed jump out so as to distract the shooter as much as possible. It's distracting on the shot and it allows him to stay in better position to cut off drives to the hoop. He's also one of the best players I've seen in terms of being able to cut off a pass to the wing. 6'9" guys have no business being as quick as he is and he really uses that to his advantage with man-to-man defense. Now, if only he could turn into a solid weak side defender. My guess for this aspect of his game is that his man-to-man instincts kick in far too much when the ball is on the opposite side of the court and he sags away from his man far too much with the idea that he needs to help his awful defending interior teammates (cough...Al Jefferson...cough). He gets burned for a corner three on an almost nightly basis and last night's game was no exception.

One more thing about Brewer: He is turning into something of a showman in the open court. Between the Derek Fisher poster dunk and last night's 2-handed transition slam, Brewer is taking the ball to the rim HARD and it has led to some of the only non-Love entertaining moments in several recent games.

OK, now that we have the good stuff out of the way, let's get around to the elephant in the room: Al Jefferson.

Here is a comment that was dropped in last night's game thread:

i hate that

people remember how good jonny flynn was with good teammates but nobody wants to believe that al jeff could be great with some solid shooting teammates…

by NuthinBurger on Dec 22, 2009 10:59 PM CST reply actions 0 recs

I don't single out this comment because I think it's invalid; rather, it made me think about what Jefferson really brings to the club, especially in light of having the night kicked off with comparisons to the 13-win 04 Hawks squad.

The comment has an interesting point but it also begs a question going in the opposite direction: What else does Al Jefferson bring to the table that could be combined with solid shooting (and good) teammates? On a night when Big Al didn't have it going offensively, and on a night where the Wolves were getting torched in the paint early on, what does Jefferson bring to the table? My big Big Al memories of the night were a) watching him try and fight Kevin Love for defensive rebounds that were in no danger of going to an Atlanta player, b) getting a text from someone at the game saying he got into a tussle with Rambis in the 2nd half, and c) hearing a teammate yell "AL!" at him in a futile attempt to get the big fella to turn around and stop a Hawk with a clear path to the bucket.

Knee injury or no knee injury, what exactly will Jefferson bring to the table besides upper-level interior scoring? Let's say that the Wolves do get a solid supporting cast. Is he good enough beyond the low right block to be a functional defender? Can he facilitate the action out of the high post or on a pinch post screen? I don't disagree with the commenter that Jefferson will be an even better interior scorer if he were surrounded by better shooters, but what about the rest of his game?

Last night's tilt was the first time I really completely believed that he'll get moved at some point during the next 2 years. Last night's tilt was the fist time I really thought that there is no way this guy will ever "get it" beyond the low right block. This is in no way suggesting that he is not of value or that he is not a tremendous player. What he is is a flawed player who is being paid to be a building block. You can't build around a guy that is not a two way player. That should be a basic basketball principle. Knee injury or no knee injury, Al Jefferson is not a two way player. He's a scorer. He's the last person on earth you want to have as the lynch pin in a motion-based offense that is supposed to thrive on ball movement. He's the last person on earth you want to partner with in an undersized defensive front court.

I'm not at the point where I'll opine for a Shaddy/Foye-esque death match between Jefferson and Love but I am at the point where I no longer believe it can work and that one of them will go. I think it's obvious who I would side with if ever such a contest came down the pike, but I no longer see a good way of making this happen. Not with the coaching changes and the amount of assets they've sunk into the point guard position. It's gotten to the point where I mutter an "oh crap" when Al comes in the game for Love. This team is transitioning to a perimeter-based system and they will throw some money at someone like Rudy Gay and/or Joe Johnson while drafting another wing. Al Jefferson is the last Minnesota dinosaur at this point and he doesn't have much longer until the asteroid hits.

Let's wrap this up with a few bullet points:

It is really frustrating to watch Wayne Ellington miss open shots. I know that he is dealing with the new role of being a bench player but he was never a high usage guy at UNC and I was hoping that his ability to hit open shots would transfer well to the NBA.
The Hawks had 28 shots in the 1st quarter. That's insane. To give you an idea of just how insane that is, the Milwaukee Bucks lead the league with 87.2 FGA/game. At the half, the Hawks were on pace to have 122 FGAs in the game. Thankfully, they took their foot off the gas in the 2nd half. I wish I had the numbers for 2nd chance points. The Hawks were getting trips down the court with 3-4 shots/possession. It wasn't all just offensive rebounding. The Wolves were making ridiculous errors that gave the Hawks the ball right back after a missed shot.
Ryan Hollins developed a new way to lose hold of a ball during last night's game. He was going up for a layup when the rock suddenly shot out of his hands.
Lost in the shuffle last night was the fact that the Wolves took 11 more free throws than the Hawks...and that they missed all 11 of them. Ish.

Well, that about does it for now.

Until later.

lost this game at the line...and crawford can hit from the wing

Daily Links 12/2

FLCeltsFan — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:05:18 -0000

Herald Ray Allen-led Celtics shoot straight
Tech issues for Rasheed Wallace
Doc Rivers has big workload in clock management
Allen Iverson signs with 76ers
Shaq conveys concern for Tiger Woods, rips rumors
Look at that man who used to be Allen Iverson
Larry Brown says 76ers should offer Allen Iverson a guaranteed contract
Globe Larry Brown unhappy with proposed Iverson deal
Greetings from Charlotte
Updates from Celtics-Bobcats
Analysis of Celtics-Bobcats
Celtics 108, Bobcats 90
Celtics’ Wallace still having technical difficulties
Allen on target as Celtics thump lethargic Bobcats

CelticsBlog     What Can I Say? (5 In A Row)
Aggressive Play Key to Putting Down Cats
Loy's Place    Comments from the Other Side - Bobcats 12/1
Random Thoughts on a Celtics Beatdown
WEEI     Ray Allen Postgame Guest on WEEI
The Three-Pointer: Is Perkins An All-Star?
Doc Rivers on WEEI
Charlotte Observer    Bobcats frustrates Brown in loss
ESPN    Danilo Gallinari leads New York Knicks past Phoenix Suns with six 3-pointers
C's up to sixth in power rankings
Rondo off to the races?
Postgame thoughts: Celtics vs. Bobcats - Celtics Blog
MetroWest Daily      Celtics 108, Bobcats 90: Allen, C's clobber Bobcats
NBA.com     Ford Keys to the Game: Celtics at Bobcats
Celtics 17     Boston Celts-Charlotte ‘Cats Live Chat (Hosted by Gino’s Jungle)
Red's Army      Your KG Face of the Day
Iverson... back to where it all started
There's a Beast running wild in Charlotte
Your Morning Dump... featuring Sheed's technical difficulties
Celtics Hub     Some food for thought…
A Clinic: C’s 108, Bobcats 90
North Station Sports     Celtics Trounce Bobcats, Rest Up For Spurs
Today's Headlines-- 12/3/09
Celtics Town    Stephen Jackson is one unpredictable hombre
Celtics beat Bobcats in laugher, 108-90
Stephen Jackson is one unpredictable hombre
The Morning Walkthrough: Celtics put on clinic at both ends
Kendrick Perkins dominates Charlotte front line in easy 108-90 victory
Hardwood Houdini     Rajon Rondo Faster Than Your Average NFL Running Back?
Celtics Stay Clear of the Bobcats Bite- Win 5th Straight
Where’s All That "Celtics Look Old" Talk Now?
Lex Nihil Novi     Bird's Triple-Double Leads C's over Spurs 83-84
Clyde "The Glide" Riding the Pine in Portland 83-84
14-4: Celtics 108, Cats 90
Would You Trade Kobe Bryant?
CelticsLife     The Golden Child- Why must the NBA have two sets of rules?
Celts dominate Bobcats from start, improve to 14-4
Celtics/Bobcats Post Game Videos
Celtics 108, Bobcats 90 Highlights
Gino's Jungle     The Return of Celtics Basketball
Welcome to the Jungle - Matt Rury
The Luckiest Season Ticket Holder Ever
Team Green's Truth Rankings
Inside Hoops   Sixers, Allen Iverson agree to deal
My San Antonio    Showing holiday cheer to some Spurs foes
4 Sport Boston    Busy Little C’s
Depressed Fan    Going Nowhere, Fast
Hoopsworld     Perkins: Outside The Big Three
Examiner    NBA recap Thanksgiving edition: Celtics, Rockets thankful for UK's Rondo and Hayes
Paul Pierce makes his case for MVP
Green Street    Fast break: Celtics-Bobcats
NY Daily News    Ex-New Jersey Net Jason Kidd rips former club, can send them to infamy with Dallas Mavericks
Hardwood Paroxysm    Lion Face/Lemon Face: 12.2.09
Chronicle     ‘Z’ expected to break games-played record tonight
Romey 1989    Five Difficulties In Orlando Magic’s Championship
CSNNE     Celtics easily tame Bobcats
Live from Charlotte!
17 Banners     Top-10: Best of the Decade
NBA.com    Some early returns on offseason moves
Bleacher Report    Twitter: J.R. Giddens Tarnishing a Reputation That's Already Smeared
Rajon Rondo Faster Than Your Average NFL Running Back?
Waiting for Next Year    Are The Cavaliers Really Struggling?
Front Office Fans    Chris Johnson vs. Rajon Rondo: Where and When?
News Observer    Observations: Garnett irks Mohammed
Hoop Angle    Before & After: Coming Up Big Test -
NESN    Celtics Forging New Identity as NBA's Road Warriors
Live Blog: Celtics at Bobcats
Celtics Guard Rajon Rondo Wants a Crack at Titans Speedster Chris Johnson
Former Celtic Antoine Walker to Begin Paying Off Gambling Debts
Celtics Slam Bobcats 108-90 on Road For Fifth Straight Win
Press Herald    Red Claws preview: The name doesn't hurt, but talent will make him
Gear Live NBA All-Stars thus far in the 09-10 NBA season
Dimemag    Blazers get the Bease-ness
CT News     Ray Allen leads Celtic Rout of Bobcats: 108-90
NY Post      Tinsley signing magnificent for Memphis
Hobby How To   Which team is likely to end the Lakers and Celtics dominance
Bleachers Brew    Thoughts on some NBA teams at this stage
NBA Wire     How Good a Shooter Did Glen Davis Really Become?

Daily Links 12/1

FLCeltsFan — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:34:25 -0000

Herald Celtics’ Kevin Garnett goes on offensive
Allen Iverson meets with Sixers on possible return
Lakers’ Andrew Bynum still has lessons to learn
On-Court bobblehead dolls entertain Celtics fans in between games
Scouting report: Celtics at Bobcats
Kiki Vandeweghe to coach Nets
Kiki Vandeweghe to take over Nets for rest of season
Globe Bobcats thumbnails
Timely return

CelticsBlog    The Lobster Roll: Issue 2
Paul Pierce Will Have His Hands Full with Gerald Wallace
Loy's Place    A Few Random Random Thoughts
Celtics Continue Road Trip Against a Tough Bobcat Team
Celtics.com    Celtics, New England Ford Dealers and Ford Announce Partnership
Celtics 17   Peering Through the Weaving Crowd: Where Allen Iverson Makes a Good Bluff
Red's Army    Your KG Face of the Day Your KG Face of the Day
Antoine "agrees" to pay off gambling debts
A nod to Perk
Chris Johnson vs. Rajon Rondo: Who ya got?
Your Morning Dump... Where KG has found a stride
Pierce's place in history
Wicked Local    Friday pregame report: Quiet times in C’s locker room
Sheed lashes out at officiating, and it’s a good one
Celtics Hub    Rajon Shoots Like a Center
A Look at Ray Allen’s Shooting Woes
Notebook: KG getting his groove back
‘Toine to Avoid Prison?
Did Sheed Get a Raw Deal?
CT News    Celtics D-League Team Adds Charlotte Hornet
North Station Sports    Meet The Bench: JR Giddens
Kevin Garnett: Just a Piece in a Delicate Puzzle
Goldie's Preview - Celtics @ Bobcats
Hardwood Houdini   What Does Fatigue Got to Do With It?
Where Kevin Garnett Knee Talks Never Stop
Hardwood Houdini NBA Power Rankings
Celtics Understand- These Are Not Your Average Bobcats
Lex Nihil Novi    Johnny Most Celebrates 31st Year as Celtics' Broadcaster
KC Jones Tries to Keep Opponents' Guessing
Bird's Triple-Double Leads C's over Spurs
Gino's Jungle      Gino's Jungle Starting Five
ESPN   ESPN King for a decade, but the best of all time?
Sources: Allen Iverson, Philadelphia 76ers get closer to reunion
SBR Forum    NBA Betting: Improving Bobcats exact revenge over visiting Boston Celtics
Bleacher Report   Kevin Garnett: Just a Piece In a Larger Puzzle
J.R. Giddens Draws Many Similarities to Paul Pierce
NBA Power Rankings (Nov. 30): Lakers Back to The Top
Rufus On Fire     Gameday Preview Charlotte Bobcats vs. Boston Celtics
Yahoo    Steve Nash considered playing for the New York Knicks
At 0-17, Nets' season falls to new depths
Celtics Life     Doomed numbers: #30
Rasheed Wallace Interview
Today's Video: Rondo Mix- Most Unselfish Player
NESN    Trading Ray Allen Not as Crazy as You Might Think
Toronto Sun    Raptors getting tougher
Enterprise     Celtics continue road trip with game against Bobcats
NBA.com    With futility mark in sight, Nets' rivals feel the pressure
Gant Daily     Running Rondo: Celtic Guard Leading Boston's Bunch
Sportige   The Top Five Prep-to-Pro Players in NBA History
Dimemag   Taking the Kidds to school
Sixers Finally Admit They’re Considering Allen Iverson
All-Star Watch: Rajon Rondo Is A Lock At This Point
Defining Paul Pierce’s place in Celtics’ history
Celtic Stuff Live    The Mysterious Mystique of Rajon Rondo
Patriot Ledger     Celtics continue road trip with game against Bobcats in Charlotte, N.C.
Deadspin    Tim Donaghy Has Found A Publisher
Athlete News Wire    Truth, Celtics Rack Up Victories
Charlotte Observer    Tuesday: Celtics at Bobcats, 7:30 p.m.
Sporting News     Celtics-Bobcats Preview
Power Poll: Lakers Back In No. 1 Spot
CSNNE   Stephen Jackson: A Thriller for the Bobcats
CBS Sports    Celtics-Bobcats Preview
Sun Sentinel    Miami Heat: Jermaine O'Neal draws praise from Erik Spoelstra and Doc Rivers
Cook consistently confounding
Eastern Maine Sports C's win, Garnett almost perfect/ NBA Power Rankings
OSC    Charlotte's Ajinca Assigned To D-League's Maine Red Claws
SI.com   Ex-NBA star Antoine Walker reaches deal to pay casino bills
National Post    What to do about the Toronto Raptors' terrible third quarters
Mass Live    Celtics buzz: Rasheed Wallace fights his fines, and Ray Allen battles juvenile diabetes
Hoopsworld    NBA Power Rankings
Inside Hoops    Sixers meet with Allen Iverson

Daily Links 11/29

FLCeltsFan — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:29:33 -0000

Herald League looking at Sheed comments
Ray Allen, Celtics hit road
Danny Ainge growing impatient
NBA goes tech-no on Kendrick Perkins
Antoine Walker apologizes for conditions at Illinois buildings
Sixers coach downplays reports of Allen Iverson comeback
LeBron James, Mo Williams lead Cavaliers over Mavericks
Sen. Charles Schumer pressures NBA to stop Adidas jersey plan
Globe Ray Allen's son hospitalized
Celtics’ Pierce has really been zeroed in lately

CelticsBlog    The Road Awaits the Celtics
Red's Army    Your KG Face of the Day
Your Morning Dump... Where Paul Pierce could write a book
Plays of the Week
Hey Nets... you better hope Karma ain't lookin' tomorrow
Celtics Hub     Thanksgiving Sunday Notebook: Pierce’s Turnovers, Hello Road
Ainge Sounds Off
Game#17/82: C’s (12-4) @ Heat (9-6)
NESN    Live Blog: Celtics at Heat
Loscy    Doubting Thomas Award: Project O’Bryant "
North Station Sports    Game Preview: Celtics @ Heat
Danny Ainge Irritated with Celtics Recent Play
Allen Iverson Finding a Familiar Home in Philadelphia?
CT News    Pierce’s Dunk: Canadian Club
NBA.com    NBA Development League: Red Claws at Wizards
Celtics Town   Behind Enemy Lines: Apparently, the Raptors need to grow a pair
Hardwood Houdini    Ray Allen or Reggie Miller?
Ray Allen’s Rough Saturday
Antoine Walker Wiggles Into More Trouble
Lex Nihil Novi     Celtics Finally Win One
The 1969 Celtics
McHale Lifts Celtics Over Pistons 83-84
Is Paul Pierce a Serious MVP Candidate?
ML Carr Gets Tossed for Elbowing Laimbeer 83-84
CelticsLife     A Joke of a Schedule
NBA Reviewing Rasheed's Post Game Comments
Live Game Chat tonight at 6PM on CelticsLife
Gino's Jungle     Red Claws Get First Franchise Win
Ginos Starting Five Weekend Edition
Celtics @ Heat
ESPN    Ray Allen rejoins Boston Celtics after attending to son
Pierce's taunt irks Raptors
MetroWest Daily     Courtside View: Celtics looking for deep impact
South Coast Today    Tim Weisberg: Would Iverson look good in green?
Hardwood Paroxysm    A Discussion Of Identity And Where They’re Launching
Bismarck Tribune    Thomas leads Maine past Wizards
Cleveland.com    The good kind of hangover
No sweat: Injured Powe working hard to get back
Delonte West gives fans, and himself, hope
Telegram   Celtics add by division
Celtics hope long road trip will lead to big wins
Patriot Ledger    Celtics hit the road for 14 of their next 19 games in the next six weeks
CELTICS NOTEBOOK: Wallace levels criticism at referees again
Yahoo Nets set to fire Frank early this week
Chicago Tribune     City targets ex-NBA star for 'slum' housing
Celtics Stuff Live    Celtics Stuff Live: Paul Flannnery
Sporting News   Pass-First Approach Affecting Rondo
CSNNE    Road tests await Celtics
Miami Herald     Miami Heat will focus on pace in hopes of getting Dwyane Wade better looks
Deadspin    Chris Bosh's Groin Is Probably Sore Today
Green Street    Ray Allen misses practice to be with ill son
The Book on ‘Kevin and Sheed’
Ray Allen rejoins team
Celtics looking for bonding on trip
Sporting News    Celtics-Heat Preview
Waiting for Next Year Rasheed Wallace: LeBron is a Flopper
Sun Sentinel    Pat Riley appreciates Jerry Buss' passion to have his Lakers bypass the Celtics
ProJo   Bill Reynolds: Celtics really need Garnett of old
Examiner   Rasheed Wallace calls for end of flopping
CBS Sports    Celtics-Heat Preview

s Shot
CSNNE    Road tests await Celtics
Miami Herald     Miami Heat will focus on pace in hopes of getting Dwyane Wade better looks
Deadspin    Chris Bosh's Groin Is Probably Sore Today
Green Street    Ray Allen misses practice to be with ill son
The Book on ‘Kevin and Sheed’
Ray Allen rejoins team
Celtics looking for bonding on trip
Sporting News    Celtics-Heat Preview
Waiting for Next Year Rasheed Wallace: LeBron is a Flopper
Sun Sentinel    Pat Riley appreciates Jerry Buss' passion to have his Lakers bypass the Celtics
ProJo   Bill Reynolds: Celtics really need Garnett of old
Examiner   Rasheed Wallace calls for end of flopping
CBS Sports    Celtics-Heat Preview

Polling GSoM: What exactly won't Monta Ellis do?

Atma Brother ONE — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:10:47 -0000

More photos » by George Nikitin - AP

Moped Ellis and "Captain" Jack : Where "leaders" happens. (AP Photo/George Nikitin)

Browse more photos »

As mcwalter44 alerted the GSoM community yesterday in MT2 Reports: Nellie and Monta clash the Dubs Drama continues.

From MT's blog:

ELLIS: "Coach. Why do I get blamed for everything?"

NELSON: "What have I ever blamed you for?"

ELLIS: "For everything. For everything. For people not knowing the plays. I didn't do this. I didn't that."

Nelson waved both hands at Ellis, as if to brush him off, and walked off shaking his head.

Ellis: "See. That's why I won't do it. I just won't do it."

Is Monta Ellis just anti-Nike? (JUST DO IT- sorry, bad joke.) What exactly won't Monta Ellis do? Make sure to rock the vote.

Jump for some more thoughts about the Dubs Drama.

A little more context from SFGate:

According to a Warriors player, Nelson reprimanded Ellis in front of his teammates. The player said Ellis wasn't the only one who wasn't quite ready when practice was scheduled to begin at noon, but the guard still took the brunt of Nelson's anger.

Basically Nellie yelled at one of the leaders of the team (both paid and marketed to have that role- which he willingly signed up for) to be more punctual and set a better example for his teammates. Nothing wrong with that, especially when the Warriors are in a terrible state of hoops disarray. This team needs order in the worst way.

A true leader, a true star, a man handed the keys to the franchise needs to be the first and last guy to practice. When the coach demands him to be that man, he needs to step up not inanely and esoterically whine about what he won't do.

Sadly after foolishly running out the likes of Jason Richardson and Baron Davis (destroying WE BELIEVE) to build around him, Monta Ellis has shown to be none of the above. Do you think Tim Duncan or even Tony Parker throws a tantrum or continually displays poor body language approaching Ellis' or makes dumb, cancerous comments or behind the scenes via his agent to the media every time Coach Greg Popovich screams at them? Don't think so.

The Warriors, mostly by the doing of Chris Mullin and Robert Rowell, have foolishly invested and built around the wrong cast of characters. It was obvious that building around a flawed and undersize 2-guard with low hoops IQ and maturity, Antoine Walker 2.0 (inefficient, empty numbers) with cancerous tendencies and a history of violence and questionable decisions, a soft and unskilled center, a one trick scoring machine, a bunch of raw talents not ready for primetime (that is, if they're ever ready for this league), and a few D-Leaguers was a unilaterally DUMB idea. Yet Mullin and Rowell proceeded to do so. Mullin was rightfully let go and the same should have happened to Rowell.

Now Larry Riley has to clean up the mess while his buddy and Hall of Fame bound head coach Don Nelson is getting unjustified censure from the local and national media and fans alike. We hear this oft-repeated mantra that Nellie is the wrong coach for this team. Well guess what? There is no right coach for this dysfunctional roster "led" by two immature malcontents. No coach can win this band of misfits. The best of coach in the history of the NBA of winning with outcasts is already here in Oakland and he can't do it.

There is no "right" head coach for a young and dumb team.

Young teams lose.

Dumb teams embarrass themselves while losing.

And by the way this has nothing to do with the Don Nelson-Chris Webber drama back in 1994. Anyone who brings that up is knowingly trying to confuse you or hasn't done their homework.

Now don't get me wrong- Chris Cohan is a complete failure as an owner of a big market NBA team and Robert Rowell is not exactly the classiest or qualified executive in the league. Does Don Nelson make some coaching moves you question? Sure. Has GM Larry Riley done all that much but unload bad contracts thus far? Not really.

But let's not excuse the continued foolishness from the Warriors "leaders" and their quack agents.

Poll

What exactly won't Monta Ellis do?

Play defense

86 votes

Give Stephen Curry an Xmas present

77 votes

Stop getting ugly tats

99 votes

Not turn the ball over every 20 seconds

18 votes

Lead the NBA's Read 2 Achieve program

40 votes

Take responsibility for ruining the Warriors 2008-2009 season

73 votes

Show up to practice on time ready to go

42 votes

Be a leader after being given the keys to the franchise

246 votes

Find a different role model than "Captain" Jack

34 votes

Act mature

135 votes

Finally tell the truth about Moped Gate

53 votes

Other (specify in comments)

49 votes

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Daily Links 11/13

FLCeltsFan — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:53:36 -0000

Herald Sheldon Williams gets shot at ex-team
Scouting report: Hawks at Celtics
Kobe Bryant scores 29, Lakers stop Suns’ quick start
Hornets fire coach Byron Scott, GM to take over
Timberwolves’ Al Jefferson to miss 2 games for personal reasons
LeBron James leads Cavaliers past Heat, 111-104
Globe Why Marquis Daniels is so important
Scal makes impression on Pierce
Hawks thumbnails
Williams: Onward, upward

CelticsBlog   WEEI Interviews
Paul Pierce Raffle
Loy's Place   Hawks Visit Garden Looking to Renew Rivalry
Celtics Have Some Rough Practices
Motown Sports Revival     I Injured Myself Just Writing About the NBA
Red's Army   The Morning Dump... Where Shelden Williams Lies about the Hawks
"He's been wonderful"
Your KG Face of the Day
Scal Knocks Around Pierce, Giddens at Practice
North Station Sports    How Do the Best Teams in Celtics Past Rate Against the 2009-10 Squad
NSS flix: LeBron James-- No More Free Agent Talk Until After Season
Slam Online LeBron Wants NBA to Retire the Number 23
It’s Now Don Nelson vs. Monta Ellis
Celtics 17   Byron Scott has been fired
Wicked Local   Thursday practice update: Scal’s back; Pierce bandaged
Comcast SportsNet     Allen: Man of many (scoring) talents
Celts notes: Williams wants win, not revenge
Celtics Hub    Doc talks about Sheed taking 3’s, turnovers & what he looks for in box scores
The King’s New Clothes?
Loscy   Get KG, Rondo, Perk, Pierce, and Ray On Your Desktop
Lex Nihil Novi   Larry v. Magic: NBA Still Struggling for a National Audience
Larry v. Magic: Celtics Dominate the So-Called Great 8
CelticsLife   And the 1st coach to get canned is...
"Welcome to your Kodak Moment Anderson Varejao"
Gino's Jungle    KG Creates A Whole Nother Atmosphere At The Garden
Craftiness Works for Rondo and Celtics
Celtics and Hawks Rivalry Revisited, Soon To Be Renewed
Scores Report    The Top 10 NBA Free Agents of 2010
ESPN   Boston Celtics' past three starts have been historic
Lakers dismantle red-hot Suns for sixth straight win
Byron Scott exits stage left
Minnesota Timberwolves center Al Jefferson to miss two games
Dallas Mavericks coach calls out players
LeBron James should join Dwyane Wade on the Miami Heat
Antoine Walker's lawyer: Former All-Star trying to resolve Las Vegas gambling debts
Orlando Sentinel    Callie Rivers inducted into Winter Park Hall of Fame
WEEI   For Williams and Daniels, The Present Is All That Matters
Hoop Doctors   The Celtics Made the Right Decision Resigning Rondo
Enterprise News    Former lottery pick Williams making court contribution for Celtics
Daily Thunder    Peace, Love and Thunderstanding: Random Thoughts
Dimemag Super Smash Brothers
The surprise contender in the West (and it’s not Phoenix)
10 Players Who Are About To Crash The Party
Breaking News: New Orleans Hornets Fire Byron Scott
My Random Observations- Magic/Cavs Game
Patriot Ledger     Shelden Williams fitting in with Celtics
MetroWest Daily News    Celtics: Dancing to a different beat
Cleveland.com    Cavaliers seem to be preparing for life without Delonte West
Green Street    Rasheed Wallace on D&H 11/12
Scal strikes again
Doc on Scott firing: ‘That’s our league’
KG: ‘Rondo and I have a connection’ KG: ‘Rondo and I have a connection’
Boston Sports Pulse    Petey’s Corner: Celtics Need More Conditioning?
Why Do Cleveland Fans Even Root For This Guy?
NESN     Celtics’ Balanced Attack Will Be Tough to Beat
Brian Scalabrine Elbows Paul Pierce at Practice
CBS Sports    Hawks-Celtics Preview
Dueling Couches   Scal Not A Happy Ginger
Sun Sentinel   Miami Heat: Is Cleveland's supporting cast that much better?
SI.com    Young Timberwolves learning the hard way
Hawks' Joe Johnson an NBA�free-agent prize few are mentioning
Ball Don't Lie    Rasheed Wallace explains his 'prosthetic leg' story
AJC    For the ever-improved Hawks, it's time to win in Boston
ITVT   NBA Launches Two-Screen Interactive TV Application, "NBA TV Companion"
USA Today    Halftime: Is Delonte West afraid to fly?
NY Times    For Some N.B.A. Players, There’s No Such Thing as a Slam Dunk
Dwight Howard.com   Don’t worry, we’ll bounce back!!!
Examiner     Scouting the Eastern Conference: Cavs show why it’s a two-horse race

Rondo: Contract? NBA Guards Keeping Him Busy

tenaciousT — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:05:20 -0000

More photos » by Brian Babineau - NBAE/Getty Images

Rondo trying to break free of CP3

Browse more photos »

Or so he will tell you. You almost believe him, too.

The new $55 million dollar contract is agreed to and settled now.

But you would never have gotten the idea that anything unusual was occurring from his pre game answers on Sunday. Here is how much of the pre-game locker room interview with a seated Rondo went.

Are you thinking about the negotiations?

Naw. I’m thinking about Chris Paul.

You’ve got the vibe on him already, I’m sure. This kid gives the appearance of being the cool cat with a soprano voice. His soft spoken demeanor only slightly veils his enormous confidence. Throw a bit of poker player in to get the whole vibe.

But he could have truly been as calm as he seemed. He was holding a winning hand anyway you want to look at it. His only question is…'Do I cash in my hand now or next year?' Either way, he is making big, big bucks.

Listening to him before the game with the Hornets, a game that Rondo tried to work Chris Paul psychologically, physically, and meta-physically, he will tell you he wasn’t worried at all about the contract negotiations.

It’s not a big deal really to me. Um…I’m going to focus on the season. Maybe if it was October 1st or before September, but no, when I’m not playing or preparing to play a game, I’m might be thinking about it I may have been thinking about it but since it didn’t happen then it’s not a big deal. I’m focused on the season.

What about tomorrow?

No. Probably not. I’ll probably think about how I played today. I mean, it’s not the end of the world. Like I said, it’s just one year. If we can’t come to terms this year hopefully it’ll be next year.

He had a good reason why. He is going to get enough in this next contract to never have to worry about money ever again in this lifetime and the next two or three if he can figure out a way to take it all with him – unless he hires Antoine Walker to manage his money.

But does he actually want to be a Celtic? He hasn’t always answered that in the affirmative in the past. His simple but clear answer gave hope and an inkling that a deal might get done…

Yeah, I wanna be a Celtic.

Have you talked to Bill Duffy? (Rondo’s Agent)

Naw, I (haven’t) talked to Duff. Talked to him like two days ago. I (haven’t) talked to him today.

How confident are you that you will remain a Celtic?

I don’t know. (much softer) I don’t know. (nervous laughter by a few)

You gotta ask uh…. This is a business so…like I said, I want to be here but…you never know what is going to happen.

So, he said a few times that he wants to be here.

And then this followed…

Do you call your agent 2-3 times a day?

Call my agent?

Yeah.

Naw, I (don’t) call him at all. He calls me. I mean…I don’t call him. If he has anything, he’ll call me, but other than that I don’t…I’m focused on the season. I’m not going to worry about the contract.

I had a…tough…first week. How I can just be focused on myself when I got Mo Williams, Raymond Felton, Chris Paul, Derrick Rose and…. I wouldn’t be focused and it wouldn’t be fair to my team if all I was thinking was myself and my contract right now.

Rondo doesn’t often let himself be grilled for a long time like this. But I guess he and the regular beat reporters both knew that he was the big news right now.

Do you talk to guys that have been in this situation before?

Yeah, I talk to a lot of guys. Like I said, it’s not the end of the world and it’s not my last year so it’s not like I don’t have a team to go to next year.

Yeah, I’ve heard about it. They’ve told me guys who have been through a contract situation but…you have to go through it yourself to experience it. You know they can say as much as they want, but until you go through it yourself you don’t know exactly what they are talking about.

Notices New Group of Point Guards

It used to be a position that was harder to fill. A new crop of young point guards coming up are changing that.

This year you can add Brandon Jennings, Tyreke Evans, and Jonny Flynn to young point guards with big time potential. Jennings is an early favorite as ‘diminutive stud in the making’ for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Young guys like Russell Westbrook, Aaron Brooks and Louis Williams are looking like they will make big career jumps this season. D.J. Augustin is on the way up. Sergio Rodriguez might be getting new life in Sacramento. Don’t sleep on George Hill of San Antonio either.

This is where the now famous 1 and 1A comment comes in.

Coach Byron Scott says you’re in the top 5 or 6 point guards? What do you think you’re in?

Me? One. (laughter)

I’m right now one-ish. One and a half-ish. (more laughter)

1A and 1B with Chris Paul?

1C. I’m 1-A and 1-B. Naw. I believe One one of the best, what I do. That’s it. That’s how I play. I work out. I work as hard I can to be the best so. I’m honest with myself as far as other guys. I respect a lot of other guys game.

Contray to his previous statements he gives Chris Paul props. Then he mentions the new talent…

Chris Paul is a great point guard.

There (are) a lot of us. Point guards are very good this year. Even the young guys coming up. I haven’t seen a lot of them play, but Tyreke Evans and Brandon Jennings for young guys are pretty good as well, so every night you have to bring it. There is not an off night at the point guard position.

Someone mentions 76er Lou Williams.

Lou Williams is pretty good. I like Lou Williams. He’s crafty. He plays defense too.

And so it went before the fireworks in and after the game against the Hornets and Chris Paul, the point guard that Rajon Rondo is taking dead aim at for top dog in the NBA.

Before the new point guards take their position among the best, there are still names like Deron Williams, Tony Parker, Steve Nash, Baron Davis, Jameer Nelson, Gilbert Arenas, Chauncey Billups, Jason Kidd, and Jose Calderon that play a pretty fair game and must be contended with.

Rondo didn’t have time to worry about a new contract. He’s got some NBA guards to keep him busy on a regular basis…and a team to run that is on it’s way towards another title run.

Actually, I was a bit surprised that Rondo signed now. I thought he wanted to see how much he could get in the open market. The Celtics decided to never let that happen. In many eyes, they may have paid a premium price for Rondo.

Now it is up to Rondo to justify that price. Another NBA title this season would be a fine start.

Daily Links 10/29

FLCeltsFan — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:41:14 -0000

Herald Glen Davis has responsibility to learn from his mistake
Kendrick Perkins big man on block
Gino welcomes Rasheed Wallace to Garden
Rasheed Wallace digs Garden party
Bobcats coach urged Celtics to sign Rasheed Wallace
Cavaliers 0-2 after loss to Raptors
Lakers have no time to rest on their laurels
Soon, he could be Deputy Sheriff Shaq
Globe Versatility was on display
Globe 10.0 What did you like about the Celtics' opener?
Guests didn’t show up
Welcome to Boston, 'Sheed
Davis not around for Celtics, but not left out either
Celtics 92, Bobcats 59
Perkins: 'I wasn't playing Shaq'
Brown takes all the blame
'Absolutely wonderful'
Williams: 'It's a good situation for me'
Celtics home opener vs. Bobcats Many stops started with Perkins
Many stops started with Perkins

Celticsblog    Celtics improve to 2-0 after defensive clinic on Bobcats
NBA Eastern Conference Predictions
Celts Win Game 2! Plus, Opening Night Intros and Comments from your Captain
Loy's Place    Comments from the Other Side - Bonus Coverage - Cavs vs Raptors 10/28
Comments from the Other Side - Bobcats 10/28
A Few Random Thoughts 2 Games In
Celtics.com    Eddie House and Son Debut in Cartoon Network Show
Keys to the Game: Bobcats 59, Celtics 92
Celtics 17    Garnett Is Back
With a Strong Bench, This Could Be the Greatest Celtics Team Ever
Red's Army     Celtics intro and Pierce speech
Toyed With & Humiliated
8 points in a row... signed by Rajon Rondo
Most Absurd Rumor Ever: Rondo for T-Mac
Doc explains Ray's minutes
"That's great, but where do I put my weed and candy?"
CSNE C's win, Doc Keeps Things in Perspective
Defense does it for the C's
Celtics Hub    The D is Good: C’s 92, Kitty Cats 59
Notebook: Update on Baby, Perk’s D, The Landlord Knows His Role
How Setting Up 40 Feet From the Hoop Can Work—And the Most Secretly Sick Pass of the Season So Far
North Station Sports     Celtics Pummel Bobcats - Video Recaps
Home Opener: Celtics Rout the Bobcats, 92-59
Celtics Town    Boston Celtics clamp down Bobcats, 92-59: Running Diary
Behind Enemy Lines: Bobcats no match for Celtics
Rajon Rondo not letting contract situation dictate his play
Lex Nihil Novi    Will KG Help Wolves Forget Jimmy Rogers Era? (1995)
Year Three of Getting Shots for Jesus
Celtics Lose Season Opener to Pistons (83-84)
Celtics Life     The Beast stands up for Big Baby
Bobcats/Celtics Highlights and Box Score
Deuce and Nil
Do the Celtics need Big Baby?
Gino's Jungle    Domination In The Jungle, Celtics Dominate Bobcats
Great Defense, or Bad Offense?
ESPN    Subs' playing time worth watching
Three stars
Tim Donaghy's tell-all book canceled by publisher
Boston Celtics defense dominate Charlotte Bobcats
C's Give Cleveland that sinking feeling
Stanford Daily     Lessons of an NBA Life
WEEI    Sean Grande, Celtics Broadcaster on WEEI
Rivers on D&C: Baby still part of family
Celtics-Bobcats Nuggets!
Three Things We Learned: Sheed Finds His Way Home
Did You Notice Where Rasheed Wallace Was In Crunch Time?
Gather   Southwest Airlines is the Official Airline of the Boston Celtics
Dimemag    The Bobcats Could Be The Worst Team In The League
The NBA’s 30 best go-to players (#1: Kobe Bryant)
Why Cavs Fans Should Be Worried
Greatest debut you’ll never see
My Random Observations From The Cavs/Celtics Game
The case for paying Rajon Rondo
Inside Hoops    Eddie House featured in cartoon
Deadspin   Excerpts From The Book The NBA Doesn't Want You To Read
NBA.com   Cavs, Celts deal with troubled, sometimes troubling players
Metro West Daily    Megliola: Celts get the expected result against woeful Charlotte
Milford Daily News   Celtics Notebook: Williams getting his chance
Patriot Ledger    Celtics, fans have adopted Rasheed Wallace
Salem News    Depth will be the difference for Celtics this season
Alligator    Gators bond over NBA coaching fathers
Southcoast Today   Opening Night at the Garden
Green Street     Doc: Baby has plenty of time for apologies
Fast break: Celtics-Bobcats
Killer C’s
Garnett safe at second
Rivers on Scal: ‘I think he’s close’
Charlotte Observer    Bobcats exposed in Boston as Celtics take lopsided win
Enterprise    Stingy defense helps Celtics win second straight
CELTICS NOTEBOOK: Wallace receives warm welcome in new home
Orlando Sentinel   Orlando Magic fever infects Boston Celtics fan; alert issued
This NBA season is about unfinished business for the Orlando Magic
Eagle Tribune   Wild about Wallace: Rasheed a perfect fit for C's
Boston makes overmatched Charlotte resemble JV team
X's and O's of Basketball     Key Late Sequence in Celtics Win over Cavs
Villanovan    All-Stars on the move give NBA new look
Wildcat Blue Blog    Tayshaun Prince, Rajon Rondo lead the charge of former Wildcats in the NBA
Cappers Picks    Boston Celtics 2009 NBA Basketball Future Lines
Inside Hoops    NBA Rumors - Thursday Oct. 29
ProJo   Celtics' Shelden Williams is making the most of more playing time
Celtics help TNT score big in ratings | Boston Celtics
Celtics Journal: Shelden Williams should see plenty of floor time until Davis returns
Celtics 92, Bobcats 59: Determined Boston swarms all over Charlotte
Celtics rout Bobcats, 92-59
Celtics-Bobcats pregame
Chicago Now    Breaking down the Eastern Conference, Tea Drinkers Edition
Celtics Stuff Live    Postgame Show 10/28: Celtics vs Bobcats
Emptying the desk drawer
Gang Green TV - Season 3, Episode 2
The Thinking Man's Guide to the Boston Celtics
Cleveland.com    Twin Towers more than a passing fancy for Brown
Shaq says Cavs will figure it out
Scribbles after the Cleveland Cavaliers loss to the Boston Celtics
CT News    Celtics’ Home Opener Tonight Against Charlotte Bobcats
Celtics Crush Bobcats: 92-59
Telegram    Williams gets shot to shine
Celtics torch hapless Bobcats
Yahoo    LeBron's future hangs over Cavs' slow start
Gloucester Times    New Celtics get first taste of Garden
Maine Campus    Rematch of ’08 NBA finals on docket for 2010
Mansfield News    Spencer: Cavs have all season to figure this out
Hoop Doctors    Boston’s Bench Looks Better Than Advertised
NESN    Doc Rivers Hoping Glen Davis Matures After Making 'Bad Mistake'
Rasheed Wallace Teaches Celtics' Bench to 'Knuckle Up'
What a Difference a Day Makes for Celtics
Bleacher Report   The Passion and Professionalism of Kevin Garnett
Defining Player Of The Decade For Each Team
Lakers, Celtics Offer Contrasting Styles, Mixed Results
Hoopsworld    NBA PM: Rondo Should Get Paid
Sun Times    Why the Bulls will not make the NBA playoffs
Suffolk Journal    Green poised to make another run at the title
Knicks Mecca   Will Lebron Become a Celtic?
Mass Live   Report: Former Boston Celtics star Antoine Walker has lost over $100 million
HoopsHype    Rondo key with or without extension
Sporting News   2009-10 NBA Eastern Conference Preview
Bostonist Sports Redux: "It's Just One of 82"
20 Second Time Out   Defensive-Minded Celtics Spoil Cavaliers' Home Opener
Josh Q Public    Paul Pierce And The Boston Celtics
SI.com   Upgraded roster has raised Hoosiers expectations -
Fan Huddle Celtics Win Season Opener on the Road
Publican Chest   Reloaded
Columbus Dispatch   Adding Shaq needs patience
Scores Report    Cavs’ newcomers can’t get it done
Basketbawful    Worst of Opening Night

The Sunday Links

Wes Cox — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:35:11 -0000

More photos » by Pat Sullivan - AP

Do not mess with the 'King of the Whale Killers'.

Browse more photos »

I can't believe the season starts in two days...

SI.com previewed the Mavs player-by-player.
"Tim Thomas will give them 10 good games a year."

Jason Kidd is rested and ready for another season.
“I feel great, he said. “I felt great last season, too, even after the Olympics. But this was the first summer I’ve really gotten some rest. It was something new to me and my body, but I invited it and welcomed it and did get that rest this summer. Until I can’t be competitive, or help, I’m going to continue (playing). I love the competition. I still feel I can help a team win. It might not be by scoring 20 points a night. It might not be by having 15 assists a night, but just my will and my smarts and my experience can help us get some victories down the road.”

Sefko has a good mult-part season preview.
The Mavericks have no excuses for not being one of the best rebounding teams in the league this season. They have four of the top 15 rebounders in the league among active players.

7. Jason Kidd Mavericks 7,408
8. Shawn Marion Mavericks 7,384
9. Dirk Nowitzki Mavericks 7,182
15. Erick Dampier Mavericks 6,403

Kidd and Dirk don't mess around.
Kidd’s fortitude was on display in, of all places, Pittsburgh last week. When Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki found out they weren’t playing in the preseason game against Cleveland, they went to the arena three hours early to get in a rigorous workout. Shooting and wind sprints ensued for more than 90 minutes. And people wonder why they are a pair of first-ballot Hall of Famers.

NOLA.com has their predictions, and puts Dallas just ahead of the Hornets at 51-31.

Eddie Sefko predicts 52-30 and goes all out by guessing the Mavs record month by month.

The final preseason game against Houston gavea good indication of the initial rotation.
Though nothing is in stone regarding the rotation, it seems likely Quinton Ross will start until Josh Howard returns, and Jason Terry, J.J. Barea, James Singleton and Kris Humphries will be the primary producers off the bench. "Obviously, you saw a good chunk of it tonight," coach Rick Carlisle said of the rotation.

Josh Howard is out for the season opener... and longer. Rick Carlisle says "it may be a while before Josh plays."

Marc Stein has a good write-up on the surprise of the preseason for the Mavs - Kris Humphries.
As one veteran scout said recently after watching Humphries beat up on second-unit (and sometimes third-unit) opposition: "He's always been good for shock and awe in short stretches, but when he is depended on to produce he has always left teams wanting." The Mavs remain hopeful anyway.

John Hollinger points out that Humphries per minutes stats in Toronto were pretty good.

Stats per 36 minutes
Season	Tm	G	GS	MP	FG	FGA	FG%	FT	FTA	FT%	ORB	DRB	TRB	AST	STL	BLK	TOV	PF	PTS
2008-09	TOR	29	0	265	5.2	12.2	.422	5.2	6.5	.792	3.3	6.2	9.5	1.4	1.1	0.8	1.1	4.2	15.5

The life of a Rockets fan.
Dirk Nowitzki has played 236 out of a possible 246 games the last three seasons. Yao Ming has played 180 out of 246.... Consider that with Yao on the shelf and Tracy McGrady out (again) for an undetermined amount of time, the Rockets go from playoff-dangerous to lottery-bound. As hard as Rick Adelman has his players play, they just aren’t as good. Not even close.

Antoine Walker fail.
Walker earned over $110 million dollars ove the course of his 12-year NBA career. Now he is being pursued by multiple credit agencies seeking to collect over $4 million dollars in debt.

Daily Links 10/25

FLCeltsFan — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 17:00:51 -0000

Herald Allen knocked out of practice
Ray Allen update
NBA Team Capsules
Celtics get their fix on ‘D’
Captain feels for former running mate
Paul Pierce still revels in Celtics’ rebirth
Globe Photos: Shamrock Foundation Gala
Barkley gets down to brass tacks about his desire for GM position
Offseason moves bolster Orlando Magic’s chances to contend for title
Celtics’ Ray Allen suffers minor cut to left eye in practice
Former Celtics star Antoine Walker pursued by creditors as wealth vanishes
Deleted scenes with Mike and Tommy

CelticsBlog     Celtics Stuff Live 10/25: Steve Bulpett
Orlando Magic Preview
Rondo Article In ESPN Mag
Celtics 17    Part One, Under the Knife: Bill Walker’s Knee Journal Segment Two
Red's Army    Lazy Saturday evening reading list
The Sad, Sad Story of Antoine Walker
Celtics Circuit    It's Getting a Little Too Loud for Rivers' Liking
Celtics Hub    Scal, TA Both "Likely" Out for Opening Night
Remember: The Market for Rondo May Not Be As Big as You Think
Loscy    How Shaq will ruin Lebron/Cavs and why it doesn’t matter for the Celtics.
Loscy would like to thank…
Examiner    Three keys for Kevin Garnett for the 2009-2010 season
North Station Sports   Doug Collins: The Celtics 'Great Chance of Getting Back to NBA Finals
Eddie House Impersonates Ray Allen - Perk Cracks Up!
Celtics Town    Random ramblings of a rabid Celtics fan, starring Tyronn Lue
Lex Nihil Novi    Garnett Makes Pro Debut (1995)
KG Leads Wolves to Surprise Victory Over Fakers (1995)
Garnett's Game-Face Getting Attention (1995)
Celtics Life   Celtics will be Sleeping in
Explosive New Rondo Article
What the Hell Happened to...Fred Roberts?
A Recipe for Disaster
The biggest obstacle to Banner #18....it's not the Lakers
Gino's Jungle     Perk, Couldn't You Have Saved That Elbow For Tuesday?
2 Days Left- Pierce is Ready, Are YOU?
Celtics Stuff Live    Celtics Stuff Live 10/25: Steve Bulpett
Rondonomics: The Definitive Article On Rondo’s Extension
Fan Huddle    The Celtics and the Power off "Won"
ProJo   Celtics injury update: Ray Allen injured in practice
Concord Monitor   Great expectations
News Herald    Even better? After his summer workouts, MVP LeBron James says yes, he is
NESN     Much-Improved Rajon Rondo Ready to Carry Celtics
Kevin Garnett Finished Answering Injury Questions
Suite 101    NBA Atlantic Division Preview: Boston Celtics Go In As Clear Cut Favorites In This Division
Eagle Tribune   Celtics preview: Last year already forgotten
Two of a Kind
News OK    Inside scoop: Celtics coach Doc Rivers keeps team fresh
Baltimore Sun   James facing some serious competition Lakers still best, but rest are closing gap
Cleveland.com   Cavaliers making NBA power' play putting Shaq on floor with LeBron Cavaliers making NBA power' play putting Shaq on floor with LeBron
Can LeBron James, Shaquille O'Neal end the darkness plaguing Cleveland sports?
Is second-round talent second rate on title contenders? Not a chance
Cavaliers, in their 40th season, might have their best roster ever
Dimemag    All systems go for Celtics/Cavs; Portland picks its point guard
NY Post    Expect these up-and-comers to make impact
Telegram    Making his point
30-something Celtics hoping for last hurrah
NJ.com    The Nets are coming to Newark! The Nets are coming to Newark! Maybe
LA Times   Mark Heisler's NBA Eastern Conference preview
MetroWest Daily   Courtside View: Allen emits scholarly vibe
Slam Online    The First Dime of ‘09
Patriot Ledger   CELTICS NOTEBOOK: Allen found help for foul shooting in book about snipers -
Celtics have plenty of reason for optimism this season
Chicago Tribune    NBA anybody's guess
FanHouse    Player to Watch: Marquis Daniels
Morning Journal   Free agent guard Daniels allegedly contacted by Cavs
NY Times        Fading N.B.A. Stars O’Neal and Carter Return to Relevance in East
Adding Powerful Talent, Top N.B.A. Teams Flex Muscles
KFSM Cavaliers trying to get ready for the next step on the playoff ladder
BND.com   LeBron says Cavaliers need Shaq's presence
Green Street    Allen knocked down, leaves practice with stitches
Doc invokes no talking rule at practice
Off the Dribble    Predicting the Winners
Ohio.com    Three questions facing the Cavs this season
Inside Scoop    Predictions
AZ Central    Ranking the NBA's Eastern Conference
RealGM    An Inside Take On Magic/Isiah
Bleacher Report    2009-10 NBA Eastern Confrence Preview
Preseason Recap: Shaq's Cavs Are No Match For Celtics
East Coast Swagger: The Top Eight Teams in the Eastern Conference
Hoopsworld    Moreau: Ranking The Point Guards
Indy Star   Bob Kravitz: No winners in Pacers' divorce with Daniels
USA Today     Rambis starts makeover of Minnesota