Dan Shaughnessy wrote an article the other day how ”now” is not the time to trade Rajon Rondo partly because of the fact how much better Cleveland just got with the addition of Shaq. 

Am I missing something here?  What does one have to do with the other?  I love Rondo but Danny is right when he says that he has to mature and work on his outside shot.  Rondo is great point guard, but in my opinion is not an “elite” point guard yet.  He is a huge part of the Celtics but is no where near untouchable.  Danny says that no one is untouchable, and I believe him.  (Except for KG, unless some team loses their mind and pulls some ridiculous stunt to trade for him.)

At the end of the day if you can get equal or greater value for Rondo, which will not be an easy thing to do, then pull the trigger on the deal if it makes you better as a team.  I’m not saying Rondo can’t be a max guy but he does have some work to do.  When you have a guy playing off you so far that they will let you be a step inside the free throw line with the ball and are basically begging you to take that shot and you don’t, then you are not an elite point guard.  Orlando exploited his weakness and it definitely hurt the Celtics.  Other teams will be doing the same thing.  I want the kid to get better and stay with the Celtics but at the same time the Celtics have to plan ahead.  I can see their dilemma in giving Rondo big money if he doesn’t tighten up his game and maturity level.  I know Cornbread said he would take 10 million per year over 5 years but I don’t see that happening.

The Celtics are a great organization and Danny and Wyc are going to do what’s best for the Celtics.  If that means getting rid of Rondo then so be it.  As long as they are staying as good or getting better because of a trade then they should entertain it.

Now onto the ridiculous statement from Shaughnessy:  “Oh, and did I mention that team in Cleveland? The Cavaliers just got a lot better.  LA folk are already drooling over the prospect of a Shaq-Kobe Finals.  It will be a big theme from now until next June.” 

Are you kidding me!?  The Cavaliers just got a lot better?  This isn’t the Shaq from 10 years ago.  They got somewhat better, but a lot better?  No way.  Cleveland is a mediocre team at best, with arguably the best player in basketball.  Say Lebron suffered an injury last year before the season and couldn’t play for the year.  Not only does Cleveland not make the playoffs, they don’t even play .500 ball.  Would anyone else on that team even start for another NBA team with the exception of Mo Williams?  I say no.  Even with Shaq on that team they are not a lot better off. 

Cleveland is going to obviously make some more moves but so are most teams.  They need another big time stud for them to even think about winning a championship.  Shaq is still good mainly because of his strength and size but to me it’s the equivalent of the Celtics getting Dominique way after his best years had passed.  In any event, it should be an interesting offseason for the Celtics.    

One of the many rumors floating around the Celtics is that they have some interest in Rasheed Wallace.  I can’t tell you how true that is, but what I can tell you is that it would be a great move for the Celtics and a smart move for Sheed.

Sheed has a problem with showing up every night.  You never know what Sheed you will get.  Will he play inside, post up, and play “D”?  Or, will he jack up 14 threes and go through the motions in transition?  This I do know, he would bring it every night in green.  The Detroit Pistons have wilted quicker than Clay Aiken’s career and Sheed knew it.  Sheeds problem is that he has mental lapses and has difficulty getting up for games.  It is not his physical ability that is on the decline but rather his mental preparation.  He can still play the game of basketball and would make a huge impact on this team if they can get him.  You might be able to get him at a reasonable price, and they will need him badly if they lose Big Baby.  Big Baby wants a big payday and some dumb-ass front office will overpay for a slightly above average, undersized role-player.  I love The Baby but for him to return to the C’s it has to be economical for the team.  And when I say undersized, I’m talking about his height.

People who have heard this rumor have said Sheed is a bum, he’s washed up, he’s a cancer in the locker room, and all of the clichés we hear about every vilified player that plays professional sports.  The bottom line is that KG is real tight with Sheed.  So if Sheed came here I highly doubt that he would be taking nights off like he did in Detroit.  It was almost like he was bored playing there which is no excuse.  He makes millions of dollars to hoop it up so I am not defending the guy, but I understand.  Even if he wasn’t tight with KG there is no way Sheed comes here and doesn’t bust his ass every night.  He might not light it up every night but he will be a big part of the puzzle to win another championship.  Marbury was on his best behavior and Sheed would follow suit.  That is a 100% locked guarantee!

If Sheed wants another ring he would be nuts to not come to the Celts.  I know the guy takes nights off but when he wants to play you get the complete opposite end of the spectrum.  When he wants to post-up, play “D”, and take the three when he has it, he is a fun guy to watch.  You might hate him but he can do it all when he wants to.  He said he wants 8 million a year or he will retire.  Somehow I don’t believe that statement holds true if the Celtics come calling with a contract for less than that.  Please understand something.  I am not saying by any means adding just Sheed will do it for you.  Danny and “Slick Wyc” have their work cut out for them.  You know why I love Ainge?  Because he will probably lie to us at least four or five times from now until September in talking about roster management and not blink an eye.  I love that!

I can't seem to figure what the uproar is about surrounding KG's injury.  It looks as if some fans are not happy with Wyc and Danny for telling them and the media white lies about KG's injury not allowing him to play.  I am a season ticket holder and truly didn't have a problem with the so called shadiness involved.  We live in a sports era where holding back certain info on injuries is common these days.  So what in reality did they do wrong?  They told us what the injury was and that was honest enough.  So they basically lied about KG playing in the playoffs.  So what!  

I understand we the fans pay the salaries of the players and ultimately keep the team and organization economically sound, but when did we determine as fans that they have to tell us every thing they are doing or planning on doing? None of us are on the board of directors or partners for that matter.  All they owe us is to put a good product on the floor that is able to compete with the best teams in the league night in and night out.  In my mind I knew he would have tried to play at some point. It is just common sense. I am not taking shots at anyone on here for being upset over the fact that fans didn't like this tactic by the Celtics. Everyone has their own opinion and mine at the time was that KG would have played in either the Eastern Conference Finals or in the Finals.

If he wasn't going to play at all then why delay surgery? It was pretty obvious that if KG was totally out for the entirety of the playoffs it would have only made sense that he got the operation done as quickly as possible. That is why I kept saying to my friends that he would probably try and give it a go. It didn't add up to me as to why he didn't have the surgery other than the fact that he WAS going to play or at least try to play. Now what I do have a problem with is that if he could have given it a go in the Eastern Conference Finals, or in the Finals, then why not in game 7? Or game 6, or 5, etc....? It was not this huge conspiracy that people are making it out to be. The Celtics have no obligation to tell us the legitimacy of what the injury is, and when he will be back. If KG unexpectedly came out for warm-ups in game 7 against Orlando and the Celtics won we would all be saying how that was the coolest thing the Celtics ever did and this is why they are the best organization in the NBA or all of pro-sports for that matter. We would have been talking about KG in the same breath as Willis Reed. Instead, I am reading peoples dismay on something that if the Patriots did would have been called genius.

Make no mistake about it, I am still trying to cope without the Celtics not being in the playoffs but the reality of it all was that even if they made it to Cleveland I am not sure they would have beaten them.  They were tired, beat up, undermanned, and were plummeting quicker than Lindsay Lohans career.  Even with KG in the mix it would have been tough to beat them.  I still wish he would have played in game 7 if he was going to play against Cleveland.  That my friends, I am upset about.  Be thankful we are not the Clippers, whose owner doesn't care what he does with the team.

Forget about the fact the Celtics let a rookie take them to school.  Forget about the fact that their defense would have let a high school all-American score 20 on them today. Forget about the fact that they lost to a sub-par team for a minute.  Forget that Pierce missed the free throw to win it because if Ray showed up it wouldn't have even come to that.  But you can remember this- Ray Allen cost the Celtics the game today. He was the difference in them losing.  Make no mistake about it, the Celtics were HORRIBLE which is the understatement of the year but Ray was worse than horrible. Now I know people will say that it was the team defense, no KG, Pierce struggled, and a culmination of factors that determined the outcome of this game but in my opinion it was all on Ray.  I will take some heat for saying that but here is why I say that.  The Celtics could have won this game as bad as they played with the exception of Rondo. And they should have won it.

This was deja-vu from last years opening round or Ray-ja-vu as I call it because of the eerily similar way things went for him in the opening round last year.  Let's face it, when Ray is bad he is bad and when he's good he's damn good.  I know what he brings to this team but I am just stating the obvious from today's performance.  His nightmare of a game was so bad that on a 3 on 1 fast break Rondo had Allen wide open on the wing behind the 3-point line and looked him off but couldn't get it to his man on the right of him so he reluctantly went to Ray who then barely drew iron. Rondo should have hit him earlier but that play showed me that Rondo didn't even have confidence in Ray at that point of the game.  

As I said earlier, I know that there were other factors involved in this disgrace of a game but I will still say that the overall reason they lost was because they got NOTHING from Ray and at this time of the year especially without KG that's just not going to cut it.  All he had to do was have a sub-par game and they would have won. I don't expect this to happen again in this series but if it does than this will be it for the Celtics.  This Chicago team reminds me of Atlanta from last year because of their athleticism, youngness, and nothing to lose attitude.  They provide match-up problems for the Celtics similar to the Hawks did also.  If Ray doesn't show up this series there is no KG, no James Posey, and no PJ Brown to bail him out.  1-12 shooting isn't going to cut it today or any day the rest of the playoffs.  If this lasts the entire series then the Celtics will be golfing in the beginning of May.  

I have been trying to hold off on writing this entry for some time now because I know being a referee in any sport is difficult but from what I have seen this year in the NBA is downright criminal.  I am not just talking about Celtics games; I have the NBA package and have watched many games that make me shake my head in disbelief some nights. 

Here are just a few thoughts and examples of why the NBA officiating is a downright joke:

Dick Bovetta-  Time to hang it up.  He is arguably one of the best officials of all time although as of late (mainly because of age) he is completely lost.  He made a call earlier this year on Eddie House that I still can't believe.  A member of the opposing team took a 15 foot jump shot uncontested and as he lifted his arm to shoot the ball he whacked himself in the face and fell down.  As this was happening Eddie House flew by him in the air trying to alter the shot.  He didn't come within 3 feet of the guy but Bovetta proceeded to call a foul on House- Replay showed it wasn't even close.  This is just one example Bovetta's lack of being able to keep up.  It's not just him even though he has missed many easy calls this year. 

Two weeks ago Big Baby stepped in to take a charge on someone and Leon was right behind him.  Big Baby took a hit from the opposing player with no call on the initial contact.  As Baby took the hit he then ran into Leon who was behind him and the official called a foul on Leon.  Even Leon showed some negative excitement on that call.  Once again, it left me shaking my head.

I know I could sit here and break down every bad call this season but it just seems like some of these calls are easy to make but these guys just are not making them.  How about the hand check rule being eliminated?  This is a dumb rule, you can't even breathe on a guy who has the ball above the top of the key without getting called on it.  Yet, I see guys going to the hole who get crushed with no call.  Hand checking should be incidental contact as long as it does not affect the play.

Another bad quality is when officials see a foul under the hoop and wait to see if the shot goes in to determine whether they will call it.  So if a guy gets fouled and the ball goes in they don't blow the whistle yet if the shot is missed then you get a late whistle.  It’s either a foul or NOT a foul.  To me, this is a joke.  If they use discretion on making that call then they should be able to make the same discretion as a hand check.

Make-up calls-  These drive me nuts!  When an official makes a bad call and they knew they blew it.  9 out of 10 times within the next 15 seconds the team that was on the wrong side of the bad call gets a quick foul called in their favor.  It's just flat out wrong and that needs to be addressed.

Balls going out of bounds-  I have seen at least 30 out of bounds calls this year that were wrong.  I still do not know how this happens this much but it does. 

This next one I have been trying to figure out for years!  It happens when an official at half court makes a call on someone that is in the paint under the hoop when the other 2 officials who are RIGHT THERE don't make the call.  It's absolutely ridiculous (now I sound like Tommy) that those calls happen.  I am not saying they are always wrong but most of the time they are. 

I have also seen officials make calls prematurely when someone goes to hole and the official thinks they will get fouled and blow the whistle only to see that there was no foul.  (Lebron James gets these called for him freauently)

And what about last night with six men on the floor?  Do I need to say anymore?

Look, I know I could do this all day but I know in my heart of hearts that I speak for more people than myself on this issue.  The NBA needs to do some soul searching and start to fine some of these officials and hold them accountable for some of the garbage I have seen this year.  I have been watching the NBA for 30 years and this is the worst I have seen it.  Out of the 3 major professional sports the NBA has the worst officiating.  I do not have the answer to this but maybe they should let a little more go as far as contact.  Last night in Portland at one point the play was being stopped every 5 seconds to call a questionable foul.  Like I said, I don’t have the answers but the NBA isn't cutting me any checks either so hopefully they can figure this out.  I love the NBA but it really and truly affects the fiber of the game.

The NBA has an exciting product right now but the officiating is really bad and if the NBA wants to take their product to the next level then there has to be more flow to the game.  Happy New Year to everyone!!!!!

I was curious before this season as to what kind of player Ray Allen was going to be.  Was he going to be the same Ray from last season who had some big games but many off nights as well?  Or now that he was fully healthy was he going to show more of the "old" Ray Allen?  No pun intended. 

We heard his name come up every so often in the off-season about being involved a possible trade.  This coming even after he had a great second half to the playoffs and was arguably much closer to being a Finals MVP than people think.  Not saying that Pierce didn't deserve it over Ray, but I can say if it came down between Ray and anyone else other than Pierce, then Ray would have won it.  I am not into individual awards so enough of that. 

The bottom line was that the jury was out on Ray before this season and I was one of them.  I did know however, that the word on the street was that Ray was 100% healthy and he was telling people he was feeling the best he has in a long time.  

I hate to admit this but when I did hear his name come up in trade rumors I really didn't care one way or the other if they dealt him.  Now if you ask me about it I'll tell you that right now not only is Ray Allen playing great basketball, but he is once again turned into that sharp-shooting assassin he used to be.  I think people forget that Ray is not just a three point shooter.  He has no boundaries when it comes to shooting from anywhere on the court.  His mid-range jump shot is falling from all over the place as well as the three point bombs that he's dropping on teams from every possible spot behind the arc.  He has been taking the ball hard to the basket and has even thrown down a couple of big dunks in traffic this year.  You wouldn't have seen the dunks in traffic last year because he just wasn't healthy enough.  Now he is healthy but I also believe that health alone was not the only issue for Ray last year.  I think it took him awhile to become comfortable here.  Ray was the "the man" on his previous teams and I think he really had to figure out what his role and identity was going to be on this team.  When you are used to being 60-65% of your teams offense every night and then get injected into the situation he did with Boston, it goes without saying that there will be a transition period to go through. 

If Ray keeps playing like this then it's going to tough on whoever is playing them on any given night.  Sure, he will have off nights as every great shooter does but as far as slowing down I don't see it happening because his conditioning is second to none in the league.

Ray has definitely found the happy medium this year in regard to his role.  But it wasn't just Ray who needed to understand his role.  Everyone did for the simple fact that Danny AInge had basically produced an expansion team with three superstars as the foundation.  This team is now deadlier than last year in my opinion especially with the recent dominance of Rajon Rondo and Perk.  I love watching Rondo in his controlled chaos but the most fun I am having is watching Ray and his silky smooth stroke producing opponents to shake their heads.  Opponents know if he is on then it could very well be lights out.  I have to say this before I go because I don't think Ray gets enough credit for his efforts on the defensive end.  I know he's not the best defender in the world but there have been some games where he played really good "D".  He never dogs it on "D" no matter who he is covering.  Hopefully Ray stays healthy and continues his rise towards another banner.  And who knows?  Ray Allen- NBA FINALS MVP? 

I can't call him a lame duck player because he gives everything he has every night.  But what I can call Lebron James two days after his press conference in NY is an idiot.  I cannot understand why Lebron is talking about 2010.  Doesn’t the Cavs management cringe every time he opens his mouth about 2010?  I do!  Maybe it's because I am from Massachusetts and we have been blessed with the "team concept".  Not that Lebron isn't a team player but when he makes comments, and frequently, about free agency in 2010 I get disgusted.

What do you think Kevin Garnett would say if the media asked him what his plans were for free agency in the next couple of years?  He would say, "right now I am focused on the Philadelphia coming in the night after Thanksgiving!"  Period.  What would Bill Belichick say if someone asked him about what Matt Cassel might do after this season?  Or better yet, what would Matt Cassel say if asked?  We know it would not be the same as Lebron's answer.  Now I understand that Lebron James will be the most sought after free agent in the league but if he is not intelligent enough to understand that it tweaks people when he addresses it the way he does then shame on him.  If I was a Cleveland player I would be totally disgusted and if I was in management I would call him in and tell him to cool out the free agency talk.  I mean its TWO years away! 

You would think by listening to him that he is in the offseason ready to sign somewhere right now.  If I were Cleveland I would trade him now and get something for him even though it won't be the same value.  My reasoning for this is simple.  You know he is not going to re-sign with Cleveland so why not get some solid talent for him right now.  You wouldn't have to keep listening to Lebron praise the NY fans for showing him respect.  Hey Lebron, how about showing your team and your fans some respect and either keep quiet, or say the right things.  Even if Lebron came out today and said that he is no longer going to talk about free agency the damage is still done.  No, it will not take away how he plays the game, and his effort will still be 100%, but still, you can't be happy if you are a Cleveland fan, player, or coach.  To quote my favorite non-Celtic player of all time, Sir Charles Barkley.  "Lebron James should shut the hell up!"  Happy Thanksgiving everybody!

We heard it all last year before the season even started.  "Can Rajon Rondo lead this team to a title?"  We all know what the answer to that was.  Now the big question in my opinion is, "can we win it all again without a true back-up point guard?"

Personally I think we need to at least make an attempt at getting a back-up in here for the simple fact that if Rondo goes down for a substantial amount of time there could be some problems.  I love Eddie House and he did work on his ball handling in the off season but it takes away too much of his threat to score when he's playing the point.  Not a true point guard.  I also love Gabe Pruitt and he will be a very solid point guard some day for this team but I don't know how much they can rely on him night in and night out if needed.  I like Tony Allen but he scares me when he is playing his true position!  TA is a good fill in for a few minutes here and there but I just can't see him playing hard core minutes at the point.  And last but not least, Sam Cassell just never figured out that we brought him here to DISTRIBUTE the basketball first, and then look to shoot second.  He is a great asset for the younger guys and keeps the team loose but I really don't want to see too much of him on the floor. 

I know we have heard about Ray Allen playing the point as well but it's similar to the situation with Eddie House.  You need Ray to shoot the ball where he is at his best so that won't work either. 

We have to be realistic about the fact that teams now have had a year to piece together a more solid game plan to slow down the Celts.  They are all trying to form a blueprint to beat them and some teams have even said they are trying to model themselves after Boston.  If you think about it, the Celtics were pieced together like an expansion team last year.  The organization didn't even know what was going to happen, never mind what the rest of the NBA thought.  All you heard from other players in the league was how we haven't won anything and we had to prove ourselves.  Well, we did all that and then some.  This is why it is even more important to look at getting a back-up point guard.  You might not find one to light up the box score but you must try and get a guy who can distribute and not hurt you with turnovers.

I know I am going to get crushed from people out there for saying this but I think if Danny AInge could get his hands on Stephon Marbury the Celtics would elevate to yet another level.  Before everyone starts to yell at me I want you to know that I actually despise this guy off the court, but unfortunately since professional sports became a "business" I want him bad on this team.  He can still play some good ball and if you give him the Corey Dillon treatment for a year then the risk vs. reward is in the reward favor.  Marbury wants to play and wants to win a championship.  Neither of which will happen in NY.  If they implemented a zero tolerance policy on him he is worth the risk.  I think he would know his place and just play.  If Marbury is not an option behind Rondo then they need to bring in a veteran point guard.  Watching Rondo getting helped up every time he drives the lane is getting painful.  There is only so much pounding the little dude can take throughout the course of a season before he starts to break down.   

[Note by Jeff Clark, 11/03/08 6:26 PM PST: Another FanPost promoted to the front page ]

After reading some unflattering articles about Paul Pierce's speech on opening night it made me wonder how some people in this city could be upset with him.

I was there that unforgettable night and I will admit that when he took the mic and addressed the crowd I didn't think it was going to be similar to that of an Oscar speech. 

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