SB Nation - Denver Nuggets

Daily Links 12/10

FLCeltsFan — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 19:09:35 -0000

Herald Rajon Rondo on point for his team
Marquis Daniels’ absence opens door
Allen Iverson’s no Answer for Sixers
Lakers silence all that Jazz to win 10th straight game
Scouting report: Celtics at Wizards
Globe Source: Daniels to miss roughly 8 weeks
Wizards thumbnails
Daniels undergoes surgery on wrist
Ray Allen through the years
Celtics’ Allen on verge of 20,000-point club

CelticsBlog     The Lobster Roll: Issue 3
Rubik's Cube
Remember This Finish Against the Wizards?
Loy's Place    A Few Random Thoughts on a Road Trip Day
Celtics Head Out on the Road Again - First Stop: Wizards
Hoopsworld    Celtics pay a visit to the Wizards
NBA PM: Wallace Cleaning The Glass
Sporting News   Tim Donaghy:
Let LeBron James Dance
Basketball-refs    Tim Donaghy Speaks
Agent Dagger    Teds Take: Wizards vs. the Boston Three Party
Seattle PI    Celtics pay a visit to Wizards
Yahoo    Allen hopes to keep lasting bond with Celtics
Wall's legend grows
Celtics 17   Eastern Conference Player of the Week Kevin Garnett Is Playing His Best Basketball Last Week
Red's Army   Tony Allen wasn't horrible... which is a good start
The Morning Dump... Where Perk likes to get as deep as possible
Fewer 3's mean an improved Sheed
Dwight Howard Spits on Balls
Live Blog Tonight at 8
Green Street   Celtics-Wizards Preview
Celtics Hub   Quote of the Day: Ray on 20,000
The Decline of the Corner Three
Ray Wants to Be a Celtic
NESN    Celtics Travel to Nation's Capital Seeking Ninth Straight Win
Live Blog: Celtics at Wizards
Technically, Rasheed Wallace Has a Lot More Work To Do
Loscy    10 Questions for Jon Duke from Celtics Stuff Live "
North Station Sports    Mark Cuban Is The Most Interesting Owner in Sports. Period.
Today’s Headlines – 12/10/2009
Celtics Town    Boston Celtics discuss Tim Donaghy's allegations
Tim Thomas spews anti-gay slurs, may or may not have hit woman with chair
Doc Rivers: Kendrick Perkins is Celtics' best defender
Throwing some dimes: What to do with 'Quisy's minutes?
The Morning Walkthrough: Ray Allen closing in on exclusive 20,000 point club
Rajon Rondo, mathematical genius?
Hardwood Houdini    Marquis Daniels out 6-8 After Surgery
Give or Take – Marquis Daniels and Glen Davis
Rajon Rondo Continues To Take It To Opponents
4 Sport Boston    4SB Podcast: The Boof is in the Booding
A Quarter Season Non-Crisis for the Boston Celtics
Lex Nihil Novi   Celtics Stumble Past Pacers 83-84
Run-and-Gun Nuggets Will Try to Play Some D 83-84
Volk Set to Replace Auerbach at Season's End 83-84
Celtics (16-6) Pound Nuggets 83-84
CelticsLife    NBA News: Tim Thomas has a T.A. Diner Incident
KG is Officially Back
Boston, We Have a Problem
Today's Video: '08/'09 Celtics Flashback
Gino's Jungle    Rankings and Reflections
Strut and Saunter: How Much Swagger Does Boston Need?
Welcome to the Jungle - Graham Brunell
ESPN   Daniels: I'll be back better than before
A new cast for Baby? Call security
Pierce, Rondo join Awards Watch
Hoop Data What’s Gone Wrong in Washington? Not What You’d Expect
Man in the Middle: A Look at Defending the Basket
D-League Digest    Rants from Grouchy Oscar: tired officiating complaints
Cleveland.com    Ejected and dejected: Cleveland Cavaliers lose their poise, then the game, 95-85, to Houston
South Coast Today    Celtics must make do without Daniels
Milford Daily News    Celtics notebook: C's thriving on the road
Josh Q Public   Rajon Rondo: Exclamation Point Guard
NBC Sports    Winderman: NBA’s season for hold ’em or fold ’em arrives
CT News   Rondo and Celtics: Assisted Living
State Press    Eddie brings the House down
Examiner   NBA receap Week 7: Rondo & Celtics winners of last 8, Bucks, Meeks in a jam
How to Watch Sports    Know Your Role: The NBA's Evolving 6th Man Position
Waiting for Next Year     Bring on Leon
Fan Huddle     Rebounding and bench woes continue to hound Celtics
Bleacher Report   Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic: Being Put to The Ultimate Test
SI.com   Kendrick Perkins is core of Celtics' defense, low-post scoring
SportsNet    Fast break: Dissecting Donaghy
LA Times Blogs   Celtics streaking, but Rondo still can't shoot straight
Mass Live    Celtics buzz: Rasheed Wallace says 'the truth is coming out,' Marquis Daniels gone for 8 weeks
RealGM    NBA Power Rankings For Mid-December
Norwich Bulletin   NBA: With Daniels sidelined, the recently returned Allen could step in for Celtics
Washington Examiner   First shot at a Celtics preview
CSNNE    Daniels undergoes successful surgery
'Sheed's shot (finally) starting to fall
HoopsAddict     Catching Up With Dee Brown
YouTube    Maine Red Claws Home Opener 2009
Slam Online    Decade’s Best:General Manager
Green Street    Doc Rivers on D&C
A Stern Warning   NBA Awards, 20 Games In - with Daniel Eade

Fans Deserve To Know How The NBA Conducts Business\"
Let LeBron James Dance
Basketball-refs    Tim Donaghy Speaks
Agent Dagger    Teds Take: Wizards vs. the Boston Three Party
Seattle PI    Celtics pay a visit to Wizards
Yahoo    Allen hopes to keep lasting bond with Celtics
Wall's legend grows
Celtics 17   Eastern Conference Player of the Week Kevin Garnett Is Playing His Best Basketball Last Week
Red's Army   Tony Allen wasn't horrible... which is a good start
The Morning Dump... Where Perk likes to get as deep as possible
Fewer 3's mean an improved Sheed
Dwight Howard Spits on Balls
Live Blog Tonight at 8
Green Street   Celtics-Wizards Preview
Celtics Hub   Quote of the Day: Ray on 20,000
The Decline of the Corner Three
Ray Wants to Be a Celtic
NESN    Celtics Travel to Nation's Capital Seeking Ninth Straight Win
Live Blog: Celtics at Wizards
Technically, Rasheed Wallace Has a Lot More Work To Do
Loscy    10 Questions for Jon Duke from Celtics Stuff Live "
North Station Sports    Mark Cuban Is The Most Interesting Owner in Sports. Period.
Today’s Headlines – 12/10/2009
Celtics Town    Boston Celtics discuss Tim Donaghy's allegations
Tim Thomas spews anti-gay slurs, may or may not have hit woman with chair
Doc Rivers: Kendrick Perkins is Celtics' best defender
Throwing some dimes: What to do with 'Quisy's minutes?
The Morning Walkthrough: Ray Allen closing in on exclusive 20,000 point club
Rajon Rondo, mathematical genius?
Hardwood Houdini    Marquis Daniels out 6-8 After Surgery
Give or Take – Marquis Daniels and Glen Davis
Rajon Rondo Continues To Take It To Opponents
4 Sport Boston    4SB Podcast: The Boof is in the Booding
A Quarter Season Non-Crisis for the Boston Celtics
Lex Nihil Novi   Celtics Stumble Past Pacers 83-84
Run-and-Gun Nuggets Will Try to Play Some D 83-84
Volk Set to Replace Auerbach at Season's End 83-84
Celtics (16-6) Pound Nuggets 83-84
CelticsLife    NBA News: Tim Thomas has a T.A. Diner Incident
KG is Officially Back
Boston, We Have a Problem
Today's Video: '08/'09 Celtics Flashback
Gino's Jungle    Rankings and Reflections
Strut and Saunter: How Much Swagger Does Boston Need?
Welcome to the Jungle - Graham Brunell
ESPN   Daniels: I'll be back better than before
A new cast for Baby? Call security
Pierce, Rondo join Awards Watch
Hoop Data What’s Gone Wrong in Washington? Not What You’d Expect
Man in the Middle: A Look at Defending the Basket
D-League Digest    Rants from Grouchy Oscar: tired officiating complaints
Cleveland.com    Ejected and dejected: Cleveland Cavaliers lose their poise, then the game, 95-85, to Houston
South Coast Today    Celtics must make do without Daniels
Milford Daily News    Celtics notebook: C's thriving on the road
Josh Q Public   Rajon Rondo: Exclamation Point Guard
NBC Sports    Winderman: NBA’s season for hold ’em or fold ’em arrives
CT News   Rondo and Celtics: Assisted Living
State Press    Eddie brings the House down
Examiner   NBA receap Week 7: Rondo & Celtics winners of last 8, Bucks, Meeks in a jam
How to Watch Sports    Know Your Role: The NBA's Evolving 6th Man Position
Waiting for Next Year     Bring on Leon
Fan Huddle     Rebounding and bench woes continue to hound Celtics
Bleacher Report   Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic: Being Put to The Ultimate Test
SI.com   Kendrick Perkins is core of Celtics' defense, low-post scoring
SportsNet    Fast break: Dissecting Donaghy
LA Times Blogs   Celtics streaking, but Rondo still can't shoot straight
Mass Live    Celtics buzz: Rasheed Wallace says 'the truth is coming out,' Marquis Daniels gone for 8 weeks
RealGM    NBA Power Rankings For Mid-December
Norwich Bulletin   NBA: With Daniels sidelined, the recently returned Allen could step in for Celtics
Washington Examiner   First shot at a Celtics preview
CSNNE    Daniels undergoes successful surgery
'Sheed's shot (finally) starting to fall
HoopsAddict     Catching Up With Dee Brown
YouTube    Maine Red Claws Home Opener 2009
Slam Online    Decade’s Best:General Manager
Green Street    Doc Rivers on D&C
A Stern Warning   NBA Awards, 20 Games In - with Daniel Eade

No K-Mart, no win... (Nuggets/Bobcats recap)

Nate Timmons — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 04:39:42 -0000

The Nuggets let one slip away in Charlotte. Without their defensive "quarterback" Kenyon Martin, the Nuggets defense gave up too many second chance points and easy buckets in the lane. Down the road losses like this may catch up with the 16-6 Denver Nuggets.

It would be easy to chalk this loss up to the team being tired and playing the second night of a back-to-back against a well rested home team, but the Nuggets inability to close out quarters, rebound and share the basketball all played a role in tonight's 107-95 loss more so than fatigue.

Last night after the Nuggets game I was able to catch the HBO replay of the middleweight fight between Paul Williams and Sergio Martinez. The fight was basically a slug-fest that came down to the last man standing. After the fight it was anyone's guess as to who the judges would give the fight to, but one thing was for sure ... it was a very close bout. The bloodied and battered Williams (who was knocked down in the first round) waited anxiously, but I felt Martinez would earn the win ... one score came in 114-114, another 115-113 and the final score ... 119-110 in favor of Williams. How was Williams able to steal such a close looking fight? Well, he did all the little things that boxing judges tend to like ... he was aggressive forcing the action and always came back after a flurry by Martinez. The Bobcats basically did the same thing to the Nuggets ... each time Denver made a run and tried to take control of the game Charlotte would answer right back and was the aggressor tonight.

The Bobcats utilized another boxing trick against the Nuggets as they were able to "steal rounds" or in basketball terms ... they finished quarters extremely well. In the first quarter Denver made a nice run to get back into the game, but Charlotte at the 1:58 mark with a 22-21 lead went on a 7-5 run to finish the quarter up 29-26.

In the second quarter at the 2:03 mark Denver was up 49-43, but gave up a 11-0 run before the half and Charlotte went into the locker room up 54-49.

In the third quarter at the 4:24 mark Denver was up 65-61, but gave up a 17-10 run and Charlotte was up 78-75 heading into the fourth.

In the fourth quarter at "winning time" at the 5:56 mark and the score tied 87-87 the Bobcats finished the game with a 20-8 run and finished off the Nuggets.

So, Charlotte utilized four runs to end each quarter and outscored Denver in the above mentioned paragraphs 55-23 ... ouch. I think I may have mentioned it in a recap before, but I believe that Pepto Bismol may have had a hidden sponsorship in tonight's contest ... upset stomach ... diarrhea.

Another area in which Denver shit the bed tonight ... rebounding. The Nuggets missed the roughly 8 rebounds per game that the athletic Kenyon Martin provides. Gerald Wallace terrorized the Nuggets on the glass, he grabbed game high 16 boards (5 offensive) and just seemed to want the ball more than anyone else on the floor. Wallace got to a lot of misses that Martin can usually corral ... ones high above the crowd. Martin's replacements Renaldo Balkman and Joey Graham were able to replace 6 rebounds for the Nuggets tonight, but Charlotte outrebounded Denver 43-35.

On the offensive boards the Bobcats were able to get to 33% of the missed shots on the Nuggets end by grabbing 14 of the possible 42 boards on the Nuggets end. As much as I hate to second guess rotations, I almost wanted to see Johan Petro get a little burn because I think his size would have been a different matchup than going small and trying to let Balkman and Graham go up against the athletic Wallace (on the glass anyway). But I'm sure that Petro would not have made the difference ... but like in the NFL, you always want the backup QB if your starter is struggling ... that is until the backup actually comes in.

Now to the area of the game that I like to focus on ... sharing the ball. The Nuggets recorded just 11 team assists tonight. Denver did not do a good job of getting each other the ball. J.R. Smith led the team with 4 assists as Billups, Lawson, Melo, Afflalo and Graham combined for the other seven. Those are horrific numbers for an NBA team that plays its best basketball when they are sharing the ball and getting out in transition.

I'm still not totally sure why when the Nuggets face good defensive teams and are unable to hit their usual shots that they seem to revert to one-on-one basketball, but they do and it rarely results in wins. The 2-16 performance from beyond the arc didn't help either. I also think both teams may have combined for well over 600 missed shots in the paint tonight.

Denver in their six losses now has stinkbombs to three teams that were under .500 at the time they played them (and one to a team that is now under .500 in the Bucks). The Nuggets now head to Detroit for a game on Thursday with the retooled Pistons ... a place that Denver has had a lot of trouble winning.

Another one gets away and Denver is now 0-2 when K-Mart is unable to play.

Views you can use:

George Karl is now 20-19 versus Larry Brown.
Joey Graham had a nice third quarter going 3-4 from the field in the period. Graham was 3-3 in the third and then decided to take a "heat check" shot from the corner. Here is what I wrote when he took that fourth shot, "The heat check is the dumbest shot in basketball. You're telling me that after working hard to get open three times that it's a good idea to chuck up an off balance, rushed and contested shot? Why would that ever work? The "heat check" should be called "the cooler.""
Nene can't have offensive games like he did tonight ... he finished 3-6 for 8 points, but basically owned Tyson Chandler whenever he got the ball. When the Nuggets don't work Nene into the offense the entire team struggles.
Bennett Salvatore is a shitty ref. Check this picture out. At the 2:15 mark of the fourth quarter the score was 95-91 Bobcats ... Melo set up position on the top of the block with Stephen Jackson trying to front him, as Billups was making a move to the baseline (using Melo as a shield), Jackson did his best Manu Ginobili and flooped to the floor (pretending Melo's left arm chopped him in the throat ... Salvatore (on the baseline behind Melo) bought the play hook, line and sinker for Jackson and called an offensive foul on Melo. So, instead of Billups driving to the hoop basically alone and maybe cutting the lead to 2 ... Charlotte takes over and pushes the lead to 97-91. I'm not saying that play changed the game, but it is just funny that refs get suckered into these plays on a nightly basis. What could have been an exciting ending in Charlotte instead turned into another boring ending in the NBA. Oh and Salvatore got a little more involved in the game after that by calling technicals on both Melo and Billups. Melo's came because Stephen Jackson drove and spun right into Melo and threw up a wild off balance shot ... Salvatore gave Jackson the bailout call and set Melo off. I know the Nuggets get their share of calls, but with all the ref scrutiny opened up by Tim Donaghy ... we are all watching with more of a mindful eye.

ntimmons73@yahoo.com
Twitter: Nate_Timmons

Photo courtesy of AP Photos: Chuck Burton

Bobcats Stuff Nuggets 107-95; Gerald Wallace Continues His Rampage Through the NBA

David Arnott — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 02:52:58 -0000

More photos » by Chuck Burton - AP

Browse more photos »

The Bobcats and Nuggets fought back and forth, with neither team proving superiority until late in the fourth quarter, when Charlotte went on a mini-run, jumped ahead, and didn't look back until the horn sounded on a 107-95 win.

It's encouraging in the big picture that the Cats dropped a Western Conference power like the Nuggets, even considering that Denver was on the second half of a back to back, and even considering that one of their key cogs, Kenyon Martin, was held out with an injury. On occasion, Charlotte has shown the ability to play like this (see the Cleveland game), and it's incredibly satisfying when they put it all together for a full game. It's fantastic to win those games, but even if they lose, we don't come away feeling like we put ourselves through the ringer.

Highlights and lowlights after the jump.

BAD

-- Can Boris Diaw be disappointing if he's not really doing anything negative? It's just that he's not doing anything positive, either. I'm sure we can do better than an upper middle class man's Luke Walton for our starting power forward.

-- 10 minutes for Stephen Graham? Really? 4 minutes for Gerald Henderson is atrocious. At least Derrick Brown got 8 and a half minutes.

-- Tyson Chandler. Dude. Please. Get it together. Or admit you've got an injury and rest until you're at full health.

GOOD

-- I don't think I can sing Gerald Wallace's praises any louder. The man deserves an All Star campaign if ever any player deserved one. Anyone want to make an advocacy video? 25 points and 16 rebounds tonight. We've gotta be careful not to grow complacent and take Crash for granted. He. Is. A. Beast.

-- I think when Good Raymond Felton shows up, it leads to a success cycle. He'll never be a great offensive player, and he's Bad Felton when he acts like he is. What I mean by that is that if he's Good Felton through the first three quarters, distributing, only taking shots when it'd be crazy for him not to, then when Must Take Crunch Time Shots Felton shows up, he's already established his willingness to facilitate, which the opponent must respect. Thus, it's easier for Must Take Crunch Time Shots Felton to score, even if, optimally, he shouldn't be taking those shots. 14 points on 6-7 shooting. Only 3 assists, but 6 steals! I love the idea that he might tailor his game in the Kirk Hinrich model, only taking way fewer three point attempts. Spend energy playing tough defense, facilitate on offense, and be fearless in a scoring role when every other option is cut off. (I know hope is a dangerous thing...)

-- I like when Stephen Jackson plays a bigger role facilitating, too. It actually plays more to Augustin's and Murray's strengths when Jax and Diaw take on point forward responsibilities, so when those guys are at the nominal PG position, maybe that should be the strategy. In any event, Jackson's 6 assists were a welcome sight, and I think it would open up the offense a bit, and perhaps jump start Diaw's game again, by giving those forwards more creative responsibilities, especially when Good Felton isn't in the game.

-- Team defense was excellent, as usual. I feared they wouldn't have an answer for Ty Lawson, but they held him in check. They kept Chauncey in check. 'Melo scored 34, but turned it over 6 times. J.R. Smith needed 16 shots to get his 16 points. Only Nene rebounded in double figures.

Daily Links 12/8

FLCeltsFan — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 17:35:13 -0000

Herald    Young Buck runs wild
Scouting report: Bucks at Celtics
Tim Donaghy has standards, just not high ones Tim Donaghy has standards, just not high ones
Globe     The power of words The power of words
Allen gets defensive
Chat with Gary Washburn right now
Jennings owes a bow to Garnett
Vote for Perk

CelticsBlog     Happy Birthday Larry Legend
Everyone Loves Brandon Jennings
Loy's Place    Celtics Host Bucks Looking for 8th Straight Win
ESPN    Tim Donaghy, disgraced NBA official, sticks to story: Biases helped bets
It's clear Daniels has been hurting
C's climb in power rankings
Garnett named the best in the East
Former Celtic mentored Jennings overseas
Owner sorry for Michael Jordan-Bryon Russell 1-on-1 hoax
Tim Donaghy's claims on trial
Nick Friedell's Blog - What happened?
NBA Basketball Power Rankings
Celtics 17    Iverson scores 11 in inauspicious return
Red's Army     Case of the Mondays: Lakers Lovefest Makes Me Wanna Puke
KG is the Player of the Week
The Morning Dump... Where Ray Gets Defensive
Andre Iguodala nails full court shot
CSNNE    C's Xmas list: Board game
Basketbawful     Happy Birdmas 2009!!
Celtics Hub    Statistical Oddities of Questionable Significance
Everybody Loves Ray
North Station Sports    Dwight Howard has worse hygiene than your garden variety preschooler
Anything Is Possible! KG Wins Player Of The Week
Keep Shooting Ray Ray!
Celtics Town    The Morning Walkthrough: Brandon Jennings was mentored by former Celtic Allan Ray
Is Tim Donaghy lying? Statistics prove it likely
Glen Davis has cast taken off, does 'light work' in practice
Lebron James bashing gone too far
Hardwood Houdini    Kevin Garnett – Hardwood Houdini Player of The Week
Hardwood Houdini NBA Power Rankings
Lex Nihil Novi     Larry v. Magic: Game 6 Preview
Red: Parish Doesn't Take a Back Seat to Anyone
Larry v. Magic: Game 6
Larry v. Magic: Game 6 Post-Mortem
CelticsLife    The decline of the White American NBA Player
More Donaghy
The Rarest of the Rare
What the Hell Happened to...Eric Montross?
Gino's Jungle     Write For Gino's Jungle
One at home then back on the bus.
Celtics Stuff Live    Covering the Celtics the Yahoo! Way V.2
Herald News    CELTIC KNOT:Boston has company at the top of the Eastern Conference
Charlotte Observer    CELTIC KNOT:Boston has company at the top of the Eastern Conference
Newest Bobcat's got your back - always
NESN     Celtics Seeking Eighth Straight Win as Bucks Visit Boston
Bucks' Rookie Star Brandon Jennings Set to Face Celtics
Bleacher Report   NBA Power Rankings: Lakers Still King but Magic, Celtics, Nuggets Closing
How Badly is Rasheed Wallace Out of Shape?
Dimemag      Most Improved NBA Player by Division
Back for the First Time
Slam Online    Phil Jackson on Women in NBA: No Way
Inside Hoops   NBA Rumors: Tuesday, Dec. 8
Patriot Ledger     The Shot heard ’round the Celtics
Cleveland.com    With Shaq and a beefed-up bench, there's plenty to like about the Cleveland Cavaliers
JS Online    Preview: Bucks vs. Celtics
Hoopsworld    NBA Power Rankings
Evan Brunell   The end of the Most Valuable Network, MVN.com
Sports Central     LeBron Develops Kevin Garnett Syndrome
BetUs    NBA Week 6 Hot or Not – Celtics are Back, Cavs Keep Rolling
FanHouse    Rondo Deserves to Be an All-Star
Tim Donaghy on '60 Minutes,' Puts Pressure on NBA
NA Sports     Coach of the Year – Worst. Title. Ever.
Orlando Sentinel    NBA Insider: The New Jersey Nets have sacrificed the present for the future
NBA.com    Kevin Garnett and Carlos Boozer named Players of the Week
My SouthEnd    Last Call for Tony Allen
Mass Live     Celtics buzz: Marquis Daniels out, Tony Allen in, and more
CBS Sports    Bucks-Celtics Preview
Herald Extra     Michael Jordan sighted in Orem for 1-on-1 challenge
American Chronicle      Quite a haul ; The Red Claws open a new era of pro basketball in Maine with a big win in their home opener.
TruFan    Are you ready for Tony Allen?

Gameday Preview Charlotte Bobcats vs. Denver Nuggets

David Arnott — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 16:31:22 -0000

Pump Up Music: Jonathon Coulton -- "I Feel Fantastic"

The Big Picture: The Denver Nuggets are a borderline juggernaut. Carmelo Anthony has always been a scorer, but after his Olympic experience in Beijing, he's picked up his rebounding a notch and suddenly started showing some defensive desire in crunch time, turning it up to 11 when he's feeling it. They still lack a prototypical inside scorer, but that's okay because Nene can score some, everyone (including Kenyon Martin) has accepted that Martin won't be an offensive threat the way he was when he was younger and Jason Kidd was running the show, freeing him to do what he does well without expectation of more, kind of like late-career Horace Grant, only paid way more, and with Chris Andersen in the fold, every front court player they'll send out there has the capacity to be a plus defender.

The good news for the Bobcats is that Denver is on the back half of a back to back, in the middle of a four-game road trip, having defeated the AI/AI2 Sixers last night in Philadelphia. 'Melo struggled mightily against AI2, but Chauncey Billups torched the Sixers' back court to the tune of 31 points on 8-15 from the floor. Billups played 41 minutes, but he was the only one who played more than 34 minutes, so they're going to be reasonably well rested for tonight's game at the Cable Box.

Key to Victory: I swear this isn't because the guy went to UNC and I'm baiting the Tar Heel zealots, but I think Ty Lawson is going to play a big role tonight. Will Bynum has torched the Bobcats' point guards, and Lawson reminds me a lot of him. I suspect George Karl and company are going to test Raymond Felton and Ronald Murray a lot with their super-fast point guard since neither of the guys the Cats have been playing at the position are noted for their foot speed, and that could explain, in part, why Billups played so many minutes last night. Of course, it could also be that everyone just decided he was feeling it and they didn't worry about tonight.

They match up with us. We match up with them. Except for the whole "only D.J. Augustin can keep up with Lawson, so will D.J. play after two straight DNP-CDs?" thing.

Detail That Might Interest .08% of You: Kenyon Martin has a tattoo of a lipstick kiss on his neck. That kiss is from his long time girlfriend Trina, a hip hop singer with a reasonably successful career.

Morning Shootaround: Playing Iverson, Fourth Quarter Players, Jonas Jerebko Row, and More

Packey — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:15:09 -0000

We haven't had a morning shootaround in a while and that might help explain the losing record. This will become a regular feature again soon, I promise.

In the meantime, get in your shots around the interwebs, work up a nice sweat, and hit the showers before tomorrow's game against the Sixers. Nobody likes a smelly commenter.

Speaking of tomorrow's game, I guess I can't ignore Allen Iverson any longer. As you all know by now, he has un-retired to rejoin his former team, the 76ers. Last night, he started against Chauncey Billups and the Nuggets, got a warm welcome as he kissed center court, and led the Sixers to their best 10th straight loss ever. Let's make it 11. Oh, in that game Andre Iguodala made a full court shot.. just for fun.

Brgulker sent me this link from WayneWinston.com breaking down 28 of the NBA's best fourth quarter players Coming as somewhat of a surprise, the Pistons have four of the 28, with Ben Wallace ranking 4th. Keep in mind, though, the Pistons have had many 4th quarter "comebacks" that still resulted in losses.

Chris Iott of MLIVE gives us 10 things we know about the Pistons after 20 games. The last one still bothers me and I plan on helping to fill some of those seats over the next month.

Also from MLIVE, apparently Gilbert Arenas blamed his cold shooting (3-9) on The Palace being too cold. Now the whole "Arenas might not play because of the slippery floor" from the pre-season makes sense. Wahh.

Jonas Jerebko is clearly becoming a fan favorite, and was there really any doubt with his constant blue collar style of play? Natalie at Need4Sheed has let it be known The Palace has started the Jerebko Row where they hand out Viking helmets for every point he scores. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for Natalie's new site -- Need4Swede. Also, some fans have taken a liking to J.J. so much that they want to see him continue to start when Tay Tay returns.

Dan Feldman of Piston Powered fell in love with the 2009-2010 Pistons in November 29th's game against the Atlanta Hawks. If you've already forgotten, that was the game Charlie Villanueva broke his nose and knocked down two free throws with a wad of gauze protruding from his left nostril. It was also a game against a superior opponent when the Pistons were on a seven game losing streak. And nothing stopped them from dominating. Not Charlie's broken nose, not the lack of confidence in playing a top Eastern Conference opponent while being on a long string of futility. Nothing.

And for those of you who have not already fallen in love with the new-look Pistons, Devin Jones of Detroit4lyfe wants you to give the Pistons some time. While the W's might not be showing up in the standings as much as we'd like them to, we have to be remember that this is supposed to be a "rebuilding" year.

The Pistons lost yet another nationally televised game, thanks to ESPN dropping their March 21 game at Cleveland. ESPN already cancelled tomorrow's game against the Sixers (which, coincidentally, has some drama now). Detroit has two games left on the ESPN slate -- March 5 at Cleveland and March 15 at Boston. (H/T to Dave Pemberton of Pistons Point)

A little off topic here. I mentioned in the recap of last game how much fun it has been rooting against the teams that may threaten the Pistons' chances at a playoff spot this year. One of the most entertaining non-Pistons games I've seen in recent memory was the Lakers/Heat game from last week. If you didn't see the finish, I suggest you watch it here. Earlier in the night, coincidentally, I was debating with a friend of mine about who I'd rather have on my team: D. Wade or Lebron. I said Kobe. Who would you rather have on your team?

As always, email me if you have any questions, tips, etc., at MotownStringMusic@gmail.com. You can also follow me on Motownstrngmsic or Bpackey. I may not get a chance to post anything (unless it's big news) until pre-game Wednesday due to my final law school exam for the semester on Wednesday morning. Make sure you use the comments, FanPosts, or FanShots if you want to speak your mind.

Are NBA games fixed?...

Andrew Feinstein — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 07:24:05 -0000

Now that Tim Donaghy is talking, so are NBA fans worldwide. And the question on everyone's mind (except Lakers fans) is: are NBA games fixed? What if I told you: sort of, but the problems with NBA refereeing can go away with three simple solutions.

Watching disgraced former NBA referee Tim Donaghy's interview on "60 Minutes" last night, here are my reactions - as a fan of a small market team - to Donaghy's four most debated allegations. At the end I'll give my very simple solutions to solve the many problems - all legitimate whether you believe Donaghy's honesty or not - that Donaghy has brought to light...

Based on insider information, including referee crews, Donaghy could pick the winner 75-80% of the time.

This one I believe 100%. I've talked to a number of people affiliated with the league in the past who have told me that if they could bet on games (rightfully illegal if you work for or with the NBA), they'd be right over 75% of the time. Think about your own workplace for a moment. Think about all the secrets, off-the-record and under-the-radar information you know about everyone around you. Now transplant that to the NBA, and if you were a league employee of any sort (coach, player, trainer, ref, etc), you'd know all kinds of details that the average gambling fan would never know - ranging from personal problems with the players and coaches to ref biases to health issues unreported. It's the very definition of "insider training."

Certain referees have biases - good or bad - against certain players and coaches.

I was beside myself in shock to hear this one! (I'm being sarcastic in case you didn't pick up on that.) As my stepfather would proudly say: "No shit, Sherlock". I've often written on this blog that the fundamental problem with NBA refereeing is that they ref the player and not the play (borrowing that line from my Lakers fan cousin Paul). This has been going on since the NBA's infancy and will forever continue. This is also why I can't stand players who whine with officials because I believe it exacerbates the problem. At the end of the day, refs are human beings and if they're getting barked at constantly by the same player (read: Smith, J.R.) and perhaps in an inappropriate manner, the refs will inevitably - even if it's just subconscious - screw the player with bad calls.

Even though he bet on games that he was refereeing, Donaghy didn't let that influence how he called the game.

Even though the FBI claims that this statement holds up, I'm still not buying it. As part of their "Outside the Lines" piece on this whole Donaghy fiasco, ESPN's Scott Van Pelt probed Donaghy a bit further on this one but Donaghy is standing by his statement. I just can't imagine a degenerate gambler unable to resist blowing the whistle here or there to favor a bet he made, especially in garbage time.

The NBA has a star system and refs are told to call games a certain way to ensure big market teams led by big stars end up victorious.

There's no question that the overall NBA benefits from having its big market teams and big stars competing in June every summer. That said, I've never thought that the NBA can outright fix games through their officials but rather, can "nudge" outcomes in certain directions. I've also never bought that an edict comes from NBA commissioner David Stern's office to call games in one way or the other, but do think that it's implied as to how a game should be called among the refereeing fraternity. (If a memo was sent from NBA headquarters to officials to sway games in a specific direction, don't you think one would have leaked out by now? Just ask Tiger Woods how well secrecy via digital communication goes over in 2009.)

We've seen a "star system" time and time again since the NBA's inception (mostly benefiting the Lakers recently and Michael Jordan's Bulls in years past as current examples) and as a Nuggets fan, I've learned to live with it. I've always believed that when you're playing a team like the Lakers or the Celtics and it's in the NBA's best interest for them to win, it just means you - as the small market team - have to have a better game plan, play harder, avoid mistakes and keep your mouth shut with the refs. Make no mistake about it: the Nuggets didn't lose to the Lakers in the 2009 Western Conference Finals because of bad officiating. Bennett Salvatore didn't throw two errant inbounds passes for Denver or light up the Nuggets like Kobe Bryant did in the first half of Game 6 to seal the series for Los Angeles.

But what about the 2002 Sacramento Kings, you ask? The Kings didn't lose the 2002 WCF to the Lakers due to bad officiating either, but certainly lost one key game, Game 6, due to horrendous officiating that swayed the Lakers victory (I'm sorry Lakers fans, but the 15 foul shot disparity is too great to ignore). But whomever ref'd game Game 7 didn't miss the numerous free throws - 14 missed freebies in total on 53% FT shooting - that cost the Kings that series. Now Game 7 of the 2000 WCF with the Trail Blazers is a different story. That was a blatant example of the NBA aiding and abetting the Lakers to victory. The free throw disparity was Lakers 37, Blazers 16: an abomination that the NBA should forever be embarrassed about.

So if you're scoring at home, I'm buying about half of what Donaghy is saying...but already knew/assumed most of that stuff about NBA refereeing in the first place. Which brings up the main argument against Donaghy's accusations: that he's feeding into a preconceived stereotype about NBA refs that all NBA fans - sans myopic, moronic, rose-colored-glasses Lakers fans - already believed was true anyway. In other words, he's throwing fuel on an already simmering fire.

To top things off for Nuggets fans, several of our players - former and current - have been in the eye of this Donaghy storm. During the "60 Minutes" interview, they replayed a Nuggets/Jazz game from January 6th, 2007. A game in which Donaghy claims that the refs were essentially out to get Allen Iverson for having berated referee Steve Javie. Donaghy asserts that Iverson got hacked routinely and calls weren't made and that Iverson was called often for "palming" (i.e. traveling) more frequently than normal as retribution for Iverson's behavior towards Javie. Before you leap to conclusions, read CBSSports.com's Ken Berger column debunking Donaghy's claims about this game, citing that Iverson took more free throw attempts than any other player and was the victim of just one blatant non-call on Mehmet Okur.

The second Nugget whose name came up today was Chauncey Billups, whom Donaghy - in that "Outside the Lines" piece - claims is disliked by some officials. I'm not surprised, actually. Billups may be a great leader, great community member and great player (yes, yes and yes), but he's a whiner. And so is Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, Kenyon Martin and before this season, you could throw Iverson, Marcus Camby, Dahntay Jones and Linas Kleiza onto the All-Whining Team, too. Maybe I watch the Nuggets too much to fairly compare their constant complaining against the complaining of other teams, but other than the Spurs and Kobe Bryant, are there bigger whiners with the refs in the NBA than our Nuggets? Hence why we haven't gotten a lot of favorable calls over the years, and I've mentioned this ad nauseum on this site in the past.

But back to the title of this column: Are NBA games fixed? Sort of, but not in a way that a good game plan can't overcome (Lakers/Blazers Game 7 is an extreme example that I've had trouble finding a duplicate of). If I thought NBA games were fixed or premeditated in any way, I wouldn't give the NBA a nickel of my money for tickets and merchandise, and certainly wouldn't spend the hours I devote to covering the Nuggets and the NBA with this site.

That said, Donaghy has a lot of valid points that must be addressed and I just so happen to have solutions to the three main problems that have made NBA refereeing a running joke as of late.

Solution #1: Referee "stats" must be made transparent and available

How is it that I know how many times Ty Lawson gets his shot blocked per game but don't know how many times Bennett Salvatore calls traveling per game? Or how many times Dick Bavetta calls offensive charges per game? Or how many times Bavetta calls offensive charges against the Nuggets specifically at Pepsi Center vs. on the road? Long ago suggested by Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and recently proposed by ESPN.com's Bill Simmons, we MUST have transparent statistics for referees. The NBA claims that it keeps detailed records to review their refs. If this is true, where are these records and why aren't they online for everyone to see? Moreover, I suspect many NBA teams (hopefully including the Nuggets) keep their own internal "ref stats" so they can make the necessary adjustments when facing a Salvatore vs. a Bavetta vs. a Javie, etc. Make these stats public already, dammit!

Solution #2: Disallow players from talking to officials

I hate to legislate emotion out of the game like the NFL does, but if you want to know where referee bias comes from, it comes from interacting with the players too much. Players like Chauncey and Kobe may be perpetual whiners, but there's a method to their madness: they figure that by annoying the shit out of an official for three-and-a-half quarters, they'll get a call their way (or in Kobe's case, multiple calls) when the game is on the line in the fourth quarter. I'm not sure how the NBA would institute this and it would take a while to adjust to it, but if you made barking at officials an automatic technical foul and eliminated the ref/player relationship altogether, we might finally see refs call the plays and not the players anymore. (But don't take my word for it, watch George Karl and former NBA referees tell you themselves in this ESPN "Outside the Lines" piece that aired when the Donaghy story broke last year. Kudos to Denver Stiffs reader Big Mickey D for hunting this down!)

Solution #3: Add more referees and rotate them more sporadically

I was in the minority of NBA fans who wanted to see the replacement refs. In agreement with Simmons, I've long believed that NBA refs are too old, too short and (now clearly) too biased to fairly officiate games. Putting Donaghy's allegations aside, do you really think Dick Bavetta can call an honest game anymore? He's been around way too long. But assuming the NBA isn't going to pull a "Logan's Run" on aging officials, let's at least add more young, tall, and preferably former players to the referee ranks and have more referee crews. This way, the Bavettas and the Salvatores ref specific teams less than they do now, disabling whatever bias they have from eating away at a chunk of a team's season. (Remember when Dan Issel coached the Nuggets and Javie refereed our games it was all but assumed to be a loss? Come to think of it, whenever Issel coached a game during his second stint with the Nuggets we should have assumed the loss.)

As bad as the Donaghy story may be for the integrity of the NBA, I believe in the long run it could be the wake up call the NBA desperately needed. But don't forget the power and the voice that we have as fans because remember, we're taxpayers. When you buy that NBA ticket, NBA league pass, Nuggets workout pants (like I bought today during NBA.com's 20% off men's apparel sale), bobble head dolls, jerseys and so forth, it gives you the right as a taxpayer to voice your opinion when those who collect our hard-earned money (from David Stern to Dick Bavetta) aren't being transparent and earnest with us. All we as fans ask for is a fair fight and the least the NBA can do is prove that it's always a fair fight....even if the Lakers have appeared in half the NBA Finals ever played (I'm just saying).

The NBA should listen to what Donaghy is saying, listen to us and change their ways. It will only make the product we already love much more believable and transparent. Why is that a bad thing?

(I'll be printing this email and mailing it in letter form to David Stern's office tomorrow.)

Photo courtesy of NBAE via Getty Images

Homecoming spoiled... (Nuggets/76ers recap)

Andrew Feinstein — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 02:57:56 -0000

The Nuggets are all business and this bodes well for the duration of the season. The 76ers - with or without Allen Iverson - are a mess.

Early in the third quarter, this game was shaping up to be a mirror of prior Nuggets regular season disappointments in emotion-packed games. But thanks to a little patience and fantastic point guard play by both Chauncey Billups and Ty Lawson, the Nuggets were able to shake off an awful night by Carmelo Anthony and crush the 76ers at home.

Like many of you I'm sure, I couldn't be prouder of this Nuggets team. I'd argue that this game combined with the wins at Portland and at San Antonio are the most significant/meaningful of our 16 wins thus far. These three games are showing us that when the Nuggets comport themselves as professionals and don't let the emotions of the moment get to them on the road, they're lethal. Not only do we have the Western Conference's second-best team residing in Denver, but if the Nuggets can win road games even when they're shooting poorly overall and Dick Bavetta is one of the referees, we might be rooting for the NBA's second-best team right now.

Did I mention that we've won 16 games?!

On the other end of the "success" spectrum, we have the lowly 76ers and their newest acquisition, Allen Iverson. First off, it's not fair to judge the Iverson comeback experience based on tonight's game. He hadn't played in an NBA game in over 30 days and has never been known to work as hard off the court as on the court, so he has some serious on-court conditioning to do. That said, Iverson was more than several steps slow on both ends, and Billups and Lawson basically embarrassed him. Moreover, the 76ers collectively were a mess - even when the going was good on the floor. They're not comfortable playing with each other and were routinely unsure of what to do with the ball. There's a reason why these guys have lost 10 straight. (By the way, I just heard Brent Barry on NBATV refer to Iverson needing to adjust to the "76ers system" - ha! - the 76ers have a system? Eddie Jordan coaches this team, right?)

But while the 76ers imploded the Nuggets capitalized during a furious third and fourth quarter rally during which we witnessed a 22-3 Nuggets run. Billups in particular was spectacular tonight en route to a near triple-double. He sensed Melo was forcing it (more on that shortly) and that his Nuggets teammates were caught up in the emotion of the night, evident by an inordinate number of turnovers, bad shots and sloppy plays in the first half. Billups was the coolest head on the floor. Shocking, I know.

And for the third straight game in a row, Lawson was integral to the Nuggets victory (we could have done without his second three-point attempt, but hey, he's a rookie). Not only did Lawson blow by Iverson a few times, but he dished out some big assists, somehow managed to yank down six rebounds and had a huge block on "The Answer". When asked after the game if guarding Lawson was like guarding his younger self, Iverson laughed it off and said "he's like lightning." Indeed.

Melo, meanwhile, had his worst game of the season and frankly, I'm glad his streak of 20-point games is over. Hopefully in the games to come on this road trip, Melo will go back to letting the game come to him rather than push his way into a 20-point outing. Melo was clearly forcing it from the opening tip and Nuggets coach George Karl deserves credit for keeping Melo on the bench during the Nuggets rally. It's not a big deal in the long run, it just wasn't Melo's night.

As often happens with these over-hyped games, this one turned into a bit of a snoozer. As long as the Nuggets are on the right side of a snoozer, I'll take another one of these any day of the week.

Photo courtesy of AP: Matt Slocum

Iverson returns; Sixers lose 10th straight

jsams — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 02:35:17 -0000

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Box Score

Even as a non-supporter of the Allen Iverson signing, I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of his return tonight. Being a Sixers fan has been pretty depressing lately, so it was refreshing to receive some national attention and see more than 600 people in the Wachovia Center. I got chills during introductions and I got chills watching Iverson score his first bucket. His presence clearly inspired the Sixers, especially Andre Iguodala and Sammy D, as the both of them put together an incredible first half of basketball. Sammy looked like Bill Russell out there, blocking 6 shots and altering everything else. He protected the paint about as good as I've ever seen a big man protect the paint. As for Andre Iguodala, simply put, he was on fire. Not just, "he's feeling it" on fire. More like "NBA Jam" on fire. I think I literally saw flames trailing the ball as he shot it. His hot streak was capped off with a 93-foot shot to end the half. Unfortunately, it didn't count.

The Iverson honeymoon lasted for about three quarters and then reality set in. I realized that Eddie Jordan was still the head coach, and his awful rotations and defensive philosophy will continue to haunt this team. It's a real shame too, because I believe Iverson gives a healthy Sixers team enough of a boost to make some noise in the playoffs. If he's used correctly and surrounded by good defense, much like 2001, he can provide a spark to the much-maligned half court offense come April, and put the Sixers in position to advance past the first round for the first time since 2003. Unfortunately, none of that is possible with EJ at the helm. As a matter of fact, EJ will turn the Iverson signing into a top 5 pick -- which isn't necessarily a bad thing if a couple ping pongs bounce the Sixers way.

Enter: 10th straight loss.

The Iverson-adrenaline eventually wore off, and Andre Iguodala's hot streak eventually wore off. The Sixers stopped playing defense, and the Nuggets woke up after being in an Iverson-stupor for the first three quarters. The better team won tonight, but the Sixers have nothing to be ashamed of. They played their butts off most of the game, and did all they could to overcome the stupid rotations, defensive philospohpy -- or lack thereof -- and absolutely zero bench production (1-15 from the floor). It will be interesting to see how long the Iverson excitement can carry the Sixers, and how they play against a team who isn't as good as the Nuggets.

He was lost in the shuffle of Iverson and 90-foot shots tonight, but Thaddeus looks much better than he did earlier this season. His offense is really coming together and if my eyes aren't deceiving me, he's been crashing the boards -- something he hasn't done since his rookie year. On the downside, Elton Brand still looks awful to me. I thought he was "back" for a couple games, but then he hurt his hamstring and is back to "Reggie Evans 2.0", especially against legit big men like Nene and Kenyon Martin.

Player of the Game: Sammy D

Answering The Twitter Mailbag

Jeff Clark — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:32:41 -0000

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I want my Baby back Baby back Baby back Baby back Baby back Baby back

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This weekend I wanted to do a mailbag to answer questions that some of you might have. I got most of my questions via twitter. Here's a sampling of the questions and my humble answers.

mikerobbo34 @celticsblog do you think the team considered signing Iverson?

I believe Ainge admitted that there was some internal debate about signing Iverson. Ainge has long been a fan so I would imagine it was Doc that vetoed the signing. I'm sure that Doc has respect for AI but probably felt that introducing a guy like that wasn't the best idea for the lockeroom at that point in the season. I agree. For all his offensive prowess, he doesn't seem to be much of an ubuntu type of guy. I think the Stephon experiment last year didn't hurt that much, but it didn't help much either. In the end, if everyone wasn't buying in, it wasn't worth another experiment.

Colin_in_NYC @celticsblog here's a Q - How many minutes do you think will Big Baby get when he comes back and where are they coming from?

That's a really difficult question. Shelden is much like Leon Powe in that he provides rebounding and energy but isn't always a good scoring option. I could see another platoon situation like there was with Baby and Leon last year. Both will be squeezed for minutes with Sheed coming off the bench as well. I think you'll see Baby when Doc feels he needs some more offense and Shelden when Doc really needs a rebound.

sw43 @celticsblog How will this team recover from the offseason departure of defensive stalwart Mikki Moore?

Thank you Steve Weinman. He'll be here all week folks. Tip your waitress. Wait, I thought we agreed that the Mikki Moore era never happened. As soon as Tom Ziller invoked the name of Mark Blount, I knew we were in trouble.

But seriously, even with Sheed not in his prime anymore, he is so much of an upgrade over what we had last year it is crazy.

WAD1980 @celticsblog will rebounding be the fatel flaw of the 09-10 Celtics or will Danny Ainge find a way to improve it?

Lets just say that it is a tear in the fabric. We can sew it up, patch it up, or ignore the problem. Ignoring it isn't an option because the tear will just keep getting bigger and leave a big hole in our attack. Patching it with an outside person might help, but might end up causing more problems than it is worth. I think we have players that can rebound but they need to make if more of a priority. Perk, Sheed, and KG should be able to board with anyone. Sheed and KG spend a lot of time on the perimeter on offense, but if they emphasized it, they could pull down more boards. I think.

4Hoopz @celticsblog why the Celtics? What's ur next fave' 3 teams? What players would you like to see in green? (realistically and/or unrealisticly)

Dad brought me to the '86 Championship rally in Boston when I was 11. That pretty much sealed the deal for me. Next 3 favorite? I'd have to say the Twolves (formerly because of KG, now because of Big Al and Gomes), Nuggets (I like Melo), and anyone playing against the Lakers (or Magic or Cavs). I've said before, Chris Paul is the only PG I'd trade Rondo for. Durant is unattainable but would look great in green. Ditto for Melo. Basically, once the big 3 move on, we're going to need some bigtime scorers to put next to Rondo and Perkins.

bigguyd @celticsblog what are the c's going to do with Tony Allen? Is he tradeable at his point or do we keep him as a good 12th option?

Sure he's tradable, he's got an expiring contract. As a player, however, he's not worth much at all. Couple his contract with Scal and JR Giddens and we can pick up someone for the stretch drive that might be able to help. The key will be finding a team willing to dump salary at the deadline and not taking on too many years (probably the reason why Nocioni isn't a Celtic right now).

Brian0414 @celticsblog in the offseason, any ideas of who we may be able to land?

Oh man, I'm notorious for looking ahead and thinking about the next step, but I'm not sure even I can look ahead that far. This team is built to win now. I'm not sure anyone knows what's going to happen this summer, including Danny.

My best guess is that we'll take whomever we can nab for the MLE like we did with Sheed this year. Hey, maybe if Shaq wants one more shot at a ring he'll sign on to be our Bill Walton 6th man.

CelticsCircuit @celticsblog: Is Rajon Rondo the best point guard in the Eastern Conference?

He's probably the best pure point guard, yeah. It will be fun watching him and Derrick Rose grow up together. Devin Harris had a heck of a year last year and Jameer Nelson is a heck of a player. But I like Rondo for the way he can dominate a game without needing to shoot the ball much.

katee_nbaluv09 @celticsblog do you think perkins is having an all star worthy season this year?

Good question. I'm not sure if I have a direct answer for you. On one hand, I have to make the case that his defense deserves recognition and his offense has rounded his game into an all around player. There aren't a lot of big men I'd trade him for in the East.

On the other hand, it will be very difficult from a logistical standpoint to get him on the actual All Star roster. You can bet on KG and Paul being there, I'm betting Rondo will be on this year, then you have to wonder how many Celtics they'll put on the team and you start to weight the pros and cons of putting Ray vs. Perk on the team. You can see why Doc avoided the question the other day. He doesn't want to get in the middle of that debate. In a perfect world, Paul, KG, Rondo, and Perkins go this year, leaving Ray to rest and spend time with family. But I'm not sure it will work out that way.

What would you do for a Klondike Bar? (Kiorrik)

I'd do a lot for a Klondike Bar, especially if it was funny. So the question isn't what would I do, but rather what wouldn't I do. Here are some things:

Root for Kobe for any reason. In fact, I have him on my fantasy basketball team and I routinely root against myself. I was hoping to jinx him by having him on my team, but so far no such luck. Also on my team are Kidd, Richard Jefferson, Boozer, Varejao, and Horford. I'm in 3rd place and hating every moment of it.
Advocate trading Paul Pierce under any circumstance. For the right deal I could trade Ray Allen. I can't imagine it happening before the last year of his deal, but I would trade KG. I would even consider trading Rondo or Perkins for the right deal. However, I don't think I could part with Pierce for anything.
Stop writing about the Celtics. I love that this blog has become so popular and that you all like coming here to discuss the greatest basketball franchise ever, but if I didn't have this blog, I'd still be writing about the team somewhere. I just can't get enough of this stuff and I am blessed to be part of this community. Cheers.

Thanks for the questions everyone. This was fun. We'll have to do it again sometime.