SB Nation User Blog: indeedproceed

Celtics Off to See the Wizard(s)

indeedproceed — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 15:29:57 -0000

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Boston Celtics (17-4) @ Washington Wizards (7-12)

Thursday, December 10th, 8:00 PM EST

Venue: Verizon Center

TV: TNT RADIO: WEEI

GAME# 22, AWAY GAME #: 11 ROAD TRIP GAME 1 of 3

GAME THREAD | CHAT ROOM

The Celtics would seem to be walking into the Verizon Center with the numbers on their side. They took all three games against the Wizards last season by an average of 22 points per contest. The Wizards, after being the supposed Dark Horse in the Eastern conference during the preseason are now solidly at the bottom of the Southeast conference. They're embroiled in a team chemistry controversy that nobody is really talking about.

Celtics on the other hand, they're doing okay. Their last 8 games have gone alright I think, in my humble opinion. Apparently they're tied for the best record in the Eastern Conference and they trail some obscure team in the West by a half a game for the best record in the league. Heck, even John Hollinger thinks they're not such a bad team. Seems like a good night to sit back and watch the carnage ensue, right?

Wrong! These Wizards are a lot of things this season. They're dysfunctional. They're underachieving. They're in recovery from stage four caffiene addiction. But beyond all these things, these Wizards are in their hearts unpredictable. This is a team that has lost to Toronto and Detroit (a combined 19-25), but they are also a team that beat Dallas and Cleveland (a combined 30-14). This is a team that can surprise you, and right now they're fighting for their playoff lives. With the season just barely a quarter over, the Wizards already cannot afford to have another losing streak like the one they suffered in early November. That one lasted six games. Currently, they're on a 2 game skid, and I believe fan law dictates you cannot call it a losing streak until three games have been dropped. These Wizards cannot take another losing streak so early in the season, so expect a sense or urgency. This game, like every other game the Celtics play during the regular season, will be "just another game" to the C's, but it will be a statement game for the (Cheese) Whiz.

Probable Starting Lineups:

Boston Celtics:

POSITION	PLAYER	MPG	PPG	APG	RPG
PG	Rajon Rondo	33.5	11.0	9.2	4.1
SG	Ray Allen	35.5	15.5	3.0	2.8
SF	Paul Pierce	35.6	18.4	3.9	4.6
PF	Kevin Garnett	30.5	15.4	2.6	7.4
C	Kendrick Perkins	27.4	11.9	1.1	7.5
6	Rasheed Wallace	20.6	9.3	0.9	3.8
7	Eddie House	16.6	6.8	0.8	1.5
8	Brian Scalabrine*	15	4	2	2
9	Shelden Williams	13.5	4.7	0.6	3.7
10	Tony Allen	6	?	?	?

Washington Wizards:

POSITION	PLAYER	MPG	PPG	APG	RPG
PG	Gilbert Arenas	36.0	20.4	6.5	3.6
SG	Nick Young	18.8	8.2	0.8	2.0
SF	Caron Butler	37.6	16.5	1.5	6.9
PF	Antwan Jamison	37.1	20.1	1.3	8.7
C	Brendan Haywood	33.2	10.0	0.3	10.9
6	Earl Boykins	22.6	11.1	4.1	2.3
7	Randy Foye	17.9	7.4	1.3	1.3
8	Andray Blatche	24.5	10.5	1.4	5.5
9	Domanic Mcguire	5.9	0.8	1.3	1.1
10	Javall McGee	8.9	2.9	0.1	1.6

Injuries and Stuff

Boston: Tony Allen (DTD), Glen Davis (OUT), Marquis Daniels (OUT), Bill Walker (D-League)

Washington: Mike James (OUT), Mike Miller (OUT)

Major Matchup:Rajon Rondo V Gilbert Arenas

So far this season Rajon Rondo is allowing this opponents to score an average of 16.4 points per 48 minutes of play. That's not a terrible mark but it's not like it's a shut down mark either. However, against Gilbert Arenas, Rondo allows an average of 31.1 points per 48 mins, which is pretty awful. Gilbert is averaging about 22 points per matchup when these two go head to head. There is hope though.

Rondo and Gilber have not squared off since around the All-Star break during the 2007/2008 season. Gilbert has no idea how much Rondo has grown, or how much his game has developed. On top of that, Gilbert is still trying to find his place in the Washington lineup. He's scoring, sure, but is he helping them win? I think we know the answer to that, and I think he does too.

Other Noteable Matchups:

Kevin Garnett V Antawn Jamison: Jamison has been quietly having a pretty good (but honestly expected..this guy is consistent now) year. He's shown he's still willing to work for those boards grabbing nearly 10 a game. He's still got his outside touch, and he'll make Garnett work a little harder on defense than he has had to in recent games. He'll also be a real rebounding challenge.

Caron Butler V Paul Pierce: Say what you want about the man, Caron Butler can play with the best of them. He's a tenacious defender, and he can do a little bit of everything. Honestly I think the number one thing holding him back this season isn't anything he can control; it's Gilbert Arenas.Last game Paul Pierce turned the ball over 5 times, and Caron Butler will surely be drinking his Diet Mountain Dew before this game.

Keys to the game for the Good Guys:

Rebound that bas-ket-ball!: Over the past 4 games, we have been outrebounded by a total of nearly 40 boards. That is simply unacceptable. Leon Powe wouldn't have let this happen. We need to see some real hustle and grit from our post players, and we need Kevin Garnett (that's right, I'm calling out Kevin Garnett) and Kendrick Perkins to STOP TIPPING THE BALL AND REBOUND IT!

Don't fall asleep at halftime: I know the last...I don know...let's say eight..games have been pretty cool. But one trend is that we've been outscored in 5 out of those 8 games in the third quarter. It's very rare we're getting outscored in the 4th, but we almost always allow the bad guys to chip away at the lead in the 3rd. Keep the focus boys.

Limit those turnovers!: Yeah yeah, I know. Everyone complains about the Celtics turnovers. Well they're a problem, and these Wizards are going to run. If the C's do manage to turn the ball over, it'll be against a lineup that will almost certainly be smaller (lookin at you Earl Boykins) but will almost certainly be faster too. They've got Butler, Jamison, Blatche, Boykins, Foye who all play better in transition. We've gotta keep the pace slow and beat them up in the halfcourt!

Bill Walker Watch: 1 game, 0 pts, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 earth shattering life changing dunks

Probability of significant playing time: 0%

-Bill had a good doubleheader last week though, and he's gonna rock Erie this weekend!

The Lobster Roll: Issue 3

indeedproceed — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:38:53 -0000

ISSUE 3

First off, apologies to all the readers out there. This week’s Lobster Roll is a little tardy, there were some logistic and scheduling errors that were impossible to avoid. That’s the bad news. The good news is that the Red Claws went 2-0 over the weekend, and this week we’ve got a really special edition of the Lobster Roll, with the first piece of a (hopefully) multi-part interview series, ‘Better Know a Red Claw’. To sum up, ladies and gentlemen, We’ve got a great show tonight.

To begin let’s deal with the past. The Red Claws played a double header against their arch-nemesis Springfield Armor over the weekend and it went smashingly for the team, with two easy wins. Friday night (boxscore) Mario West was stellar off the bench as he picked up the mantle as the hot hand when Claws’ captain Billy Thomas finally had his first off night of the season. It really seems like the Springfield Armor are currently a one man team, because while the Red Claws had 8 players at 8 points or more and 9 players that played 20 minutes or more, the Armor just had JamesOn Curry. Curry managed 26 points on 38 and-a- half minutes and 19 shots (pretty good).

The real story on Friday though was free throws, which the Red Claws dominated with 41 attempts on the night to just 15 for the Armor. This is why a player with raw athleticism and a hunger to get to the hoop and not settle for the three can really succeed in the D-League. The Red Claws were far more aggressive tonight, and that paid off. High flyer Bill Walker managed to go 6 for 6 from the line, which helped considering he went 4 for 11 from the field. Newcomer Mario West was also perfect from the line at 7 for 7, which supplanted a pretty decent 6 for 9 from the field. For a full recap on Friday's game, click here for JFoss's Fanpost.

Saturday night (boxscore) was another uneven win, but this time it was a product of some hot shooting and decent defense. Bill Walker and Darnell Lazare both had nice nights, summed up well by friend of ‘Da Roll’ and fellow D-League devotee Steve Weinman on his blog, D-League Digest:

Take Saturday night in Springfield, for example, when he did whatever he wanted offensively for most of the night. Walker sliced through the lane to the rim like defenders weren’t there, finishing with contact and earning two three-point plays the hard way. Armor defenders could not stop him from getting to the spots he wanted. This led to a 17-point performance on 6-for-10 shooting from the field to go with a perfect 4-for-4 from the charity stripe before Walker called it an early night in the Maine Red Claws’ 117-89 blowout victory.

There is little reason to doubt that this sort of performance will be the norm for Walker as long as he remains in the D-League. He has NBA strength at his position. He has NBA speed, and he is explosive around the rim.

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Darnell Lazare looked terrific for the Claws on Saturday. He heated up in the second quarter by spraying in several face-up mid-range jumpers, then knocked down a tough turnaround and followed that by getting to the rim for a bucket and drawing a foul. Terrific 19-point night on 9-for-12 shooting.

JamesOn Curry once again tried to put the Armor on his back logging all 48 minutes getting 20 points and 8 rebounds but once again his effort proved that of the two new teams in New England, the Red Claws are far and away the superior squad.

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Better Know A Red Claw: Billy Thomas

picture via www.sunjournal.com

Billy Thomas is a 6’5 shooting guard known for having a solid all around game, and for being a solid 3pt shooter. He’s also earned a reputation of being a really good locker room guy and a good mentor to younger players. He’s played in the Philippines, in Greece, and everywhere in between (assuming you travel east) .

Last Thursday before Friday’s home opener I got a chance to sit down with Claws’ captain Billy Thomas (by sit down I mean I was sitting down while on the phone with him, and I am assuming he was sitting down too..go ahead, prove me wrong) and pick his brain a little bit about his career, the Red Claws, and the current state of the D-League.

Lobster Roll: So if my math is right, you’ve played for 14 different teams in 10 different leagues on four different continents. If you can’t choose any of your stints with the Nets, Wizards, and Cavs, what team was your favorite, and why?

Billy Thomas: Ha, I have no idea (if the math is right). If you say I played for 14 teams than I played for 14 teams. My favorite besides my stops in the NBA was probably the Philippines. It was pretty neat there. People really appreciated basketball, and I still talk to coaches from those teams. I ended up making some real friends. There are some really good flashy athletes over there and I didn't think the experience was that different than the NBA.

LR: That was one of the first teams you played for, right?
BT: Yeah. I had never really traveled outside the country that much and it was one of my first times. I actually flew out there like ten days after 9-11. One of the calmest plane rides of my life.

LR: You played under Roy Williams at Kansas, what affect did he have?
BT: Roy Williams taught me how to play basketball. I showed up at Kansas, I could shoot, but the first day I realized I really didn't know how to play basketball the right way. Coach Williams taught me how to play basketball the right way, on both ends. I took that with me everywhere after school ended. Since then I've always been complemented on how well rounded a player I was.

LR: You also went to college with current Celtics Captain Paul Pierce. Anything about him you'd like to share that even the most die hard Celtics fans might not know?
BT: Ha-ha! Umm...No good stories I can share really, considering your website is a family site, right? No, no...Paul was always a funny guy, always telling those California jokes. I will tell you one thing about Paul from school. When he was in school every summer he would come back better. He was always a worker, always trying to improve his game. He was always a worker and that's why he's one of the best players in the league right now. That's why he's been with the same team for ten years. It's because he's a worker.

LR: How are you finding Maine? If you could compare it to one place you've already played, where would that be?
BT: Well it's still the D-League, so it's kind of all the same. But people in Maine are excited. Their excitement is giving me that old thrill, its getting the players focused on the home opener. It's the first D-League game ever in Portland so that's really setting the experience apart. In some ways it kind of reminds of my time in Greeneville (with the Greeneville Groove, one of the inaugural D-League teams which Billy was a player on).

LR: How does this compare to your season last year in Colorado?
BT: Well I can see the fans in Maine getting really excited. It's different from Colorado (the Colorado 14ers, where Billy was last season). Colorado didn't really do a good job letting people know about the games right away. Eventually they started to come, but not at first.

Really I'm just trying to show other players that this is special. It's a great opportunity they have here, so really, don't screw it up, and avoid any off court issues.

LR: Has it been tougher for the Red Claws to gel as a team than it was with Colorado last season?
BT: They (the management) have done a wonderful job getting things going. They know what's going on. It's pretty much business as usual, the team is really coming along like every other D-League team.

LR: So you're saying it's a good thing that there isn't much of a difference between the brand new Red Claws or an established D-League team?
BT: Absolutely. It's a credit to the franchise to make the transition so seamless. The staff is very knowledgeable

LR: You're shooting the lights out (note: before Friday and Saturday’s games). 63% from the field, 77% from beyond the arc. Did the basket just get bigger or are you approaching this season trying to really send a message to the NBA clubs?
BT: Mainly I'm just trying to show people that I'm still around. Showing I can still fill roles on a good team and do thing that I've always been able to do in teh past.

LR: Some of the guys that have come out of the D-League to the NBA have done so by specializing in a role. Ime Udoka for instance, was a tenacious defender and could hit a 3pt shot. When you're playing do you ever try to show that you could fill a role like that?
BT: No question. The NBA now is about guys that can fill a role. You've got to find your niche and fill it. That's what I tell guys, find something and be really good at it. Whether it's defending, rebounding, fill a role. I try to tell the young guys that NBA clubs aren’t necessarily looking for guys that can score 20 points a night. They have guys they're paying hundreds of millions of dollars to do that. I know who I am as a player and I'll just say it, I feel like I can be a very good complementary player. Just hit my shots and play real solid defense.

LR: Last week I put together a roster overview. In your section I stated that you should be the locker room leader from day one. Has that been the case, and if so, was it something that you tried to accomplish or did it just happen naturally?
BT: It happened naturally. I felt it was really expected of me by the staff, by management, even by myself. I pride myself on being a great teammate and leader. If I had not been given the responsibility officially (of captain) I probably would've assumed the role anyways.
It's funny because all the guys call me 'cap' now. Not to date myself, but I remember being a kid watching TV and seeing that all the Lakers called Kareem 'cap', and I thought to myself 'that's an old man right there'. Now they're calling me 'cap'.

LR: Correct me if I’m wrong, it was kind of hard to find a lot of coverage of it, but in 2008/2009 you were suspended by FIBA because of a dispute over payment with a Serbian team. Is that all cleared up or is Europe still not an option for you?
BT: Ha. Yeah. That was a couple of years ago. What happened was that…things didn't work out there, so I came back over here. I played in the D-League then got called up to play for the Cavaliers. (in 2008, which he was signed to 2 10 day contracted, then brought on for the remainder of the year). See that's why I have faith. If that whole thing…had never gone down, then I would have never come back here, and I would never have played for the Cavaliers.

LR: So than here is my question. If you chose the D-League, is it because you feel you're so close to getting a call up? In Europe you'd make much more money, but because of the D-League's relationship with the NBA, do you feel it is the best chance for you to get into the league? Is that your number one priority?
BT: No question. Some of the work I put in this summer, some of the nagging injuries that have gone away, I feel like it's all ready. If sometime playing in Europe is what happens, then fine, but right now my focus is on the Red Claws and the NBA.

LR: The D-League began as a platform for NBA teams to develop some of their younger talent, but since then with the success stories of guys like Ime Udoka or Kelenna Azubuike, it’s become much more than just a place you can assign your rookies to. As of opening day 2009, there were 63 former D-Leaguers on NBA rosters. You’ve seen the D-League from the start with the Greenville Groove. How has the league changed since your first season?
BT: It has become more closely tied with the NBA. When I started there was no affiliation at all. What happened was you would tryout for a (NBA) team in the summer and if that didn't work you'd go to the D-League and only the scouts from that team would follow you. Now all the teams follow the entire league. More guys getting called up from the D-League and closer NBA affiliation has really increased the credibility of the league too. Players believe there is a real chance they can get noticed here, so we're getting better and better players each season.

LR: Randy Livingston retired 2 years ago at age 33 after arguably his best season in the D-League. I believe he transitioned immediately into assistant coaching with his former team, the Idaho Stampede. He’s now a coach for the Red Claws. You’re 33 soon to be 34, is that a direction you could ever see yourself going? Transitioning directly from player to coach?
BT: Absolutely. I feel like I enjoy the teaching aspect of coaching, but (as a player, with your own goals) there is not enough time to spend on it. You'd be surprised at the number of guys that do know how to play basketball, like really play. They can dunk and jump and stuff but they don't know how to play.

LR: The NBA CBA currently has it so that if a team wants to retain a young players’ rights and the player is not going to play overseas in some capacity, then they have to keep the player on their roster. A lot of these players simply aren’t ready for NBA level play, so they spend time in the D-League honing their skills, all while occupying a roster spot. In other leagues like the MLB, this is not the case. Is this something you think is holding back players like yourself or other veterans who could really contribute to a NBA squad, but can’t stick on a roster because there is simply no room?
BT: No question, sometimes that is the case. The thing is, if a guy can help a team, but the team can't have him because they have to keep another guy on the team, who can't help right now, that's wrong. There is something wrong there. If you send a kid down, why can't you bring someone up?

LR: Like a switch?
BT: No, like from any D-League team. Why do they need to keep that roster spot closed? They're already investing money in the kid, why do they need to keep him on the roster too, when there are guys out there that can help, that can contribute on a team, but they're struggling just to get by? It's not right.

LR: The D-League is different from a lot of leagues in that at any time the affiliate team might assign a player down from their parent club to a D-league team. From the moment they are sent down, these guys usually start, getting at least 20-25 minutes a night. Do you think that with the league so centered on certain players’ development that it makes the regular players learn bad habits, or makes teams lose sight how to play winning basketball?

BT: Honestly it is a team to team situation. Sometimes, there are teams that will put in a kid who was drafted and play him, even when it is obviously at the cost of winning a game. That's not the case here. Bill Walker is a good enough player so he's going to give us a real shot to win games. Ajinca too. It's not an issue here at all.

But for other teams it has cost them wins, it will cost guys who have worked hard opportunities. It can get out of hand. At some point in some of these situations it makes you ask 'What's the point of the league? Where is the emphasis?'

Really it has to be a give and take. The league wants to develop certain players, but at the same time competitive nature has a place too. Guys don't want to lose. You have to find the happy medium.

[end interview]

That's it for this week's Lobster Roll! Be sure to tune into the streaking Red Claws (3-1) versus the Erie BayHawks (2-2) on Saturday via NBA.com's awesome FutureCast!. Til next week, good night, and have a pleasant tomorrow!

Steve Weinman hits the big time with Rick Kambla

indeedproceed — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 01:28:12 -0000

Steve Weinman hits the big time with Rick Kambla

Behind the scenes at Red Claws home opener.

indeedproceed — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 21:40:47 -0000

Behind the scenes at Red Claws home opener.

Celtics Look to Teach Young Thunder a Lesson

indeedproceed — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:53:02 -0000

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Boston (15-4) @ Oklahoma City (10-8) Game Preview

Friday, December 4th, 8:00PM EST

Venue: Ford Center

TV: CSNNE, FOX SPORTS OKLAHOMA Radio: WEEI

Game # 20, Away Game # 10 Road Trip Game: 4/4, 2nd night of back-to-back

GAME THREAD I CHAT ROOM

The Celtics are in the middle of some sort of streak or something (shhhh...lets not talk about that), but these are not your father's thunder. The last time these two teams met, the Celtics beat the Thunder by almost 20 points, and I joke you not, Mikki Moore had a double double. The Celtics are 4-0 versus the Thonics (Sunder?) since the former Sonics tore apart their roster trading away Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis. They've made virtually no roster moves since last season's trade for Thabo Sefelosha. Paves the way for a good feeling about tonight right?

Wrong! These Thunder are dangerous. Sure, we're winning a few games now, but these Thunder have been shocking people all season long. In just the last month, they've beaten Orlando, San Antonio, and Utah. They took the Lakers to overtime. Kevin Durant is currently 4th in the league in scoring at 27+ per game. Russell Westbrook is playing like a top 10 point guard at 16 points and 7 assists a contest. They're 4-0 at home, and that's not even the worst of it.

They're winning games, but they're doing it not only on the backs of premier offensive players like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, they're doing it by some mystical magical beast known as "team defense". They're allowing just under 95 points per game, which is good for 7th in the league, while scoring about 98 points per game.

So that's the bad news. Want the good news? Boston allows Roughly 91 points per contest and scores roughly 100, which is good for a league best +9.0 differential. Oklahoma City might be the trendy new kids on the block, but Boston is coming into town the battle tested junkyard dogs. If anyone is going to show these kids how to play defense that wins games, it ought to be us.

Probable Starting Lineups:

Boston Celtics

POS	PLAYER	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG
PG	Rajon Rondo	33.4	10.8	4.0	9.2
SG	Ray Allen	35.6	15.8	2.8	3.2
SF	Paul Pierce	35.7	18.5	4.5	3.8
PF	Kevin Garnett	30.6	14.5	7.3	2.7
C	Kendrick Perkins	27.4	11.6	7.6	1.1
6	Rasheed Wallace	20.8	9.1	3.9	0.8
7	Marquis Daniels	20.4	6.0	2.1	2.1
8	Eddie House	16.3	6.7	1.4	0.8
9	Shelden Williams	14.1	5.2	4.0	0.6
10	Brian Scalabrine	6.5	1.7	0.2	0.2

OKC Thunder

POS	PLAYER	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG
PG	Russell Westbrook	34.5	16.3	4.6	7.2
SG	Thabo Sefelosha	32.8	6.8	5.8	2.0
SF	Kevin Durant	39.3	27.7	7.1	3.3
PF	Jeff Green	35.1	14.8	6.1	1.7
C	Nenad Krstic	23.6	8.5	4.9	0.5
6	James Harden	20.6	9.0	2.8	2.5
7	Nick Collison	17.9	5.1	3.9	0.3
8	Etan Thomas	16.3	3.8	3.3	0.0
9	Serge Ibaka	13.6	3.7	4.0	0.0
10	Mike Wilks	12.7	3.0	1.3	0.7

Injuries and Stuff-

Boston: Glen Davis (out), Tony Allen (out), Bill Walker (D-League)

OKC: Kyle Weaver (out), Kevin Ollie (out), BJ Mullens (D-League)

Major Matchup: Paul Pierce V Kevin Durant

December, she is a hard mistress for Paul Pierce. 8 ppg, 1 apg, 2rpg. 29% from the field. It would not be a stretch to say he's had a rough couple of games recently. They've both been wins, so we're not talking about that, but Mr. Pierce should (but doesn't NEED to) pick up his play a little bit, and Durant is the perfect guy to help him out.

Despite being 6'9 with the wingspan of a pterodactyl, Durant hasn't been the best defender in the world up to this point in his career. Pierce tends toward a physical style of play, using his body and quickness to get to places that just nudge someone out of the range of being effective as a shot deterrent. Durant isn't the same toothpick he was in 2007, but he's not strong enough to stop Pierce from getting where he wants to get, and he's not smart enough to not fall for Pierce's tricks.

The real challenge for Pierce though will be to contain Durant's scoring. The guy hung 28 points of Ron Artest, 27 on Trevor Ariza, 35 on Caron Butler. Durant is the second best scoring SF in the league right now, and Pierce is going to have to go 100% on the defensive end to hold him under 30.

Other Notable Match-ups:

Russell Westbrook V Rajon Rondo- Rondo is super fast, Westbrook is super fast. Rondo racks up the assists, Westbrook racks up the assists. Rondo leads the league in steals. and Westbrook...he does not. Rondo is no question the better defender, and he did a pretty good job on Tony Parker last night. He ought to hold Westbrook down, but if Westbrook manages to start getting to the basket, the Thunder will be a much better team offesively.

Thabo Sefelosha V Ray Allen/Paul Pierce- Thabo is not a threat on the offensive end. He can score, but he probably won't, not on us. That's not his role though anyways. Thabo is the player that many have attributed OKC's recent dedication to defense to. He'll hound Ray Allen all over the court and if Durant is not in, he'll do that same to Paul Pierce. We have a virtual arsenal of weapons but there are times (many it seems) that our offense sputters. If we're not working, and Thabo has shut down Pierce or Allen, this could be a hard game to watch.

Keys to the Game for the Good Guys:

1) Rebound, please. Just rebound: 20 offensive rebounds to 2. That's the differential of San Antonio's offensive rebound numbers compared to Boston's. And it wasn't Manut Bol grabbing those rebounds, it was 6'4 DaJuan Blair, and Manu Ginobli, and George Hill. They were hustle rebounds, and we weren't matching the hustle. On the second night of a back to back the hustle will be even more of a concern.

2) Manage Durant- Durant has become one of those guys you can't really 'shut down'. McGrady was like that a couple of years ago, Kobe is ike that now, so is LeBron. We're not going to hold Durant under 15, but if we can hold him under 25 and keep him below 40% shooting, this is an easy win. Pierce will give him all the pressure he can, but it's going to take a team effort.

3) Don't fall asleep in the third quarter- We're going to be tired we're going to be a little dull. This is a team we've traditionally dominated and we're on the tail end of one road trip before we head home for a solid 6 days rest (and a stomping of Brandon Jennings in there too). They're going to be thinking of their lazyboys and home cooking all night, so Doc has got to keep the focus on.

Bill Walker Watch: 1 game, 0 pts, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 earth shattering life changing dunks

Probability of significant playing time: 0%

-Home opener against the Springfield Armor tonight for ol' Billy boy.

Quick Primer for Tonight's Red Claws Home Opener

indeedproceed — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:26:32 -0000

So tonight is the home opener for the Maine Red Claws against the neighboring Springfield Armor. To prepare you for tonight's game, we got together a little link on link action so if you are at the game in Portland or just watching at home, you'll know what is going on. Follow our simple five-step-process to get easily caught up on the D-League action so far!

1) The Lobster Roll, Issue 2: Celticsblog's own Lobster Roll roster preview extravaganza, so you know who you're watching! Covers everyone on roster as of 11/29/2009! Click for link!

2) Are you Dizzy Yet?: Celticsblog user JFoss takes a look at the roster moves since the draft, including the recent acquisitions of Mario West and Trey Glider. Click for link!

3) Game recaps of the first two Red Claws Games:

Game one: Season opener against the Sioux Falls Skyforce

SIOUX FALLS, S.D., Nov. 27 – The Sioux Falls Skyforce rebounded from a slow start and defeated the expansion Maine Red Claws 112-95 in the season opener for both teams. The Skyforce won their first game of the season for the first time since the 2005-06 season.

After trailing by 11 points in the early going the Skyforce fought back to take a 51-46 halftime thanks to a 15-2 run in the final four minutes of the second quarter. The final points of the run came on a Michael Joiner 3-pointer just before the halftime buzzer that sent 4,915 fans into a frenzy.

The Skyforce did not relinquish the lead in the second half as Tony Fritz picked up a win in his first game as a professional head coach.

Reggie Williams led all scorers with 29 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the field. Keith Brumbaugh posted 18 points and eight rebounds while Michael Joiner added 16.

Boston Celtics assignee Bill Walker recorded a double-double with a team-high in points (25) and rebounds (11). NBA D-League veteran Billy Thomas scored 18 points behind 3-of-4 shooting from the 3-point line.

Game two, first win of season against the

The Maine Red Claws won their first ever game in franchise history, spoiling the home opener for the Dakota Wizards Saturday night in Bismarck with a 107-97 victory.

After three quarters of back and forth play, the Red Claws trailed the Wizards 76-75. In the middle of the fourth quarter, the Red Claws went on a 14-0 run that brought them back from trailing 94-93 with 4:45 left in the fourth quarter to leading 104-94 with :53 seconds left in regulation.

Maine was led by the veteran play of Billy Thomas, who scored 18 points, majority coming from 4-for-5 3-point shooting coming down the stretch. Thomas also played great defense on Dakota's David Bell, picking up three steals and holding Bell to 13 points. NBA-assignee Bill Walker scored 19 and veteran Tony Bobbitt dumped in 18 to take on the majority of the scoring load for the Red Claws.

4) DraftExpress Ranks the Red Claws #8 in the opening week D-League Power Rankings:

DraftExpress.com- The expansion Red Claws did a much better job in the expansion draft than their counterparts, the Springfield Armor, coming away with some veteran leadership in Billy Thomas and Noel Felix. Thomas is a major asset on this roster in particular due to his superb character, experience, perimeter shooting and willingness to be a role-player.

The best prospect here is Syracuse rookie Paul Harris who went to training camp with the Utah Jazz after going undrafted. Harris is currently out with an ankle injury but when he comes back he will be someone that NBA teams are sure to keep an eye on thanks to his athleticism, toughness, rebounding and lock-down defensive potential.

With Harris out, the Red Claws will fill his spot with the Celtics’ Bill Walker who was assigned last week. Like Harris, Walker has a history of working with assistant coach Mike "Sweet Chuck" Procopio, so the Celtics (Procopio’s former employers) know he is in good hands. When Paul Harris comes back the two should still be able to play together as they both spent more time at the power forward position in college than at the 3.

With Danny Ainge’s son, Austin as head coach, the Celtics will probably keep them supplied with NBA talent. It would not be a surprise if the Celtics sent J.R. Giddens or Lester Hudson later in the year. The Red Claws could also see Alexis Ajinca and Gerald Henderson assigned from the Charlotte Bobcats. Any assignments would be huge for Maine as they lack a considerable amount of depth at pretty much every position.

5) Follow game tonight live: You can follow the Red Claws' action tonight right from your computer. Watch the game live on NBA.com's Futurecast. Then, while you tune in, talk to other fans on Celticsblog, right here in our own dedicated game thread!

Okay, there you are, the Celticsblog tried and true 5 link process to becoming a Red Claws' afficianado. I bet you're already talking about Abdulai Jalloh's underrated rebounding abilities right now, aren't you? Oh you scamp!

Iverson Signs With Philly, 1yr Non-Guaranteed

indeedproceed — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 16:11:25 -0000

Iverson Signs With Philly, 1yr Non-Guaranteed

Lou Williams' injury created the perfect storm for a return to the city of brotherly love for the controversial Iverson. I wish I could say I didn't care, but to be honest I'm happy he's back in the league.

Celtics Look to Keep the Good Times Rolling Against Bobcats

indeedproceed — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 03:07:29 -0000

via cache4.asset-cache.net

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Boston Celtics (13-4) @ Charlotte Bobcats (7-9) Game Preview

Tuesday, December 1st, 7:00PM

Venue: Time Warner Cable Arena

TV: CSNHD, CSNN Radio: WEEI

Game # 18, Away Game # 8

GAME THREAD I CHAT ROOM

To take a page out of forum poster RAacker's book, ROLL C's ROLLLLLL! The Celtics are in the middle of a four game winning streak, fresh off of a victory against Miami, and the last time the Celtics beat the Bobcats, they did it by over 30 points and won their next 4 games. That's the good news. The bad news is that the Celtics are 1 game in on a 4 game road trip that includes a visit to the Spurs in the Alamo Dome.

The news gets worse too. The Bobcats are on a lil' streak of their own. On November 20th they were 3-9, but four games later including an impressive win over Cleveland they're now 7-9, and ancy to get back to .500 for the first time in almost a month.

Despite the lopsided nature of the loss earlier in the season, these Bobcats should not be underestimated. First it should not be forgotten that the Bobcats took us to overtime in 2 out of 3 games last season, taking one. On top of that the Bobcats have also added veteran "Jack" of all trades (har-har) Stephen Jackson since the two teams met in October.

The good news for us fans is that it should be a pretty darn good game. Both teams are trying to really assert themselves and find a rhythm after uneven play throughout the season. On top of that, if history is any lesson (besides that awesome 33 point win in October), this game should be hard fought on both sides.

Probable Starting Lineups

Boston Celtics:

POSITION	PLAYER	MPG	PPG	APG	RPG
PG	Rajon Rondo	33.4	10.9	9.0	4.1
SG	Ray Allen	35.4	15.2	3.1	1.9
SF	Paul Pierce	35.8	19.7	4.1	4.2
PF	Kevin Garnett	30.6	14.1	2.4	7.4
C	Kendrick Perkins	26.9	11.2	1.1	7.4
6	Rasheed Wallace	21.4	9.0	0.9	4.1
7	Marquis Daniels	20.6	6.1	2.2	2.0
8	Eddie House	16.4	6.5	0.9	1.3
9	Shelden Williams	13.6	5.2	0.6	4.1
10	Brian Scalabrine	6.3	1.8	0.2	0.2

Charlotte Bobcats:

POSITION	PLAYER	MPG	PPG	APG	RPG
PG	Raymond Felton	31.1	10.3	5.1	3.9
SG	Stephen Jackson	40.0	17.4	3.9	5.0
SF	Gerald Wallace	40.6	15.0	1.3	11.8
PF	Boris Diaw	35.3	11.7	3.9	4.9
C	Tyson Chandler	24.4	6.1	0.4	6.4
6	Ronald Murray	22.1	10.3	2.1	2.8
7	DJ Augustine	19.9	5.9	2.3	1.4
8	Nazr Mohammed	13.6	7.3	0.4	4.3
9	Derrick Brown	13.6	5.1	0.5	1.8
10	Stephen Graham	10.9	3.5	0.5	1.2

Injuries and Stuff

Boston: Glen Davis (out), Tony Allen (out)

Charlotte: None

Major Matchup: Paul Pierce V Gerald Wallace

Paul Pierce has been the most consistent Celtic this season on the offensive end, and has had no problem putting the team on his back when they begin to sputter on the scoring side (at least twice a game it seems like). Gerald Wallace has been no slouch either however. He just got named NBA player of the week for the Eastern Conference after averaging 25.3 pts, 13.7 rbs and 1.7 steals over three games.

The numbers are on Pierce's side though, because over the 20 games in these two players' careers they have faced each other, Pierce is averaging 23.9 points to Wallace's 12.4 The question is; Can Wallace ride out this hot streak and come up with a big game?

Other Noteable Matchups:

Kendrick Perkins V Tyson Chandler

Perk has diversified his bonds, and added an offensive game this season. Tyson Chandler on the other hand seems to have regressed from his hardcore rebounding, solid shot blocking, alley -oop (from Chris Paul...coincidence?) getting ways of seasons past. However, in games where Chandler has managed 10 pts or more, the Bobcats are 2-1, and the once loss was by 3 points. In late October Perk held him to a nice dandy little goose egg in the points column. If he can manage that again, things will look considerably better for the C's.

Stephen Jackson V Ray Allen and everyone else who plays the 2

Ray Allen is averaging 35 minutes per game on the season, and (former) Capn' Jack is netting a tidy 40. The Bobcats go to a pretty tight rotation of about 7 guys, so Jackson both Jackson and Wallace will see time against the Celtics reserves. Marquis Daniels has been pretty solid out there on the wing, but really he can only cover one of them no matter what his dredlocks tell you. That means there will be time when the Cat's premier wingmen will be squaring off against the likes of Eddie House or ever Brian Scalabrine. This does not bode well for the Celtics.

Keys to the Game for the Good Guys:

1: Ram. It. Low.- Call me optimistic but I think Tyson Chandler can't hang with Perkules anymore. Couple that with Boris Diaw on Garnett and that's just the starting lineup. After that it just gets ugly for the Bobcats. We gotta get that ball low early and often.

2: Keep Gerald Wallace off those boards!- Wallace is legitimately one of the league's leading rebounders After Wallace the best they can off is Chandler's 6.4 per game. If we can clean the glass like we used to in them olden days (2007/2008) we ought to get plenty of second chance points (a real weakness this season).

3: Solid defense from the second unit- You can't run a tight rotation all season and be ready for the playoffs. You'll gas out sometime in May....BUT you can run a tight rotation and surprise a (easily) superior team that puts resting its starters as a major priority. We need to really manage our three wing guys' (Pierce Allen Daniels) minutes so that 1 of them is guarding Wallace and/or Jackson at ALL times. And no Scalabrine talk. Don't be silly.

Bill Walker Watch: 1 game, 0 pts, 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 0 earth shattering life changing dunks

Probability of significant playing time: 0%

-He's averaging about 20 points and 10 rebounds in the D-League though!

The Lobster Roll: Issue 2

indeedproceed — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:44:03 -0000

Well the first week of D-League play is over, and the Red Claws made it out a solid .500, going 1 and 1. They're still obviously ironing out the kinks within the rotation, and trying to work Bill Walker into a starting spot of the rotation. Their roster seems to be coming along though, and DraftExpress has them ranked 8 out of 16 in their inaugeral D-League Power Rankings. For a full recap of the Red Claws' week, check out this fanpost by Celticsblog user JFoss.

Now that they've got some games under their belt, it's time we took a real deep look at what the Red Claws are working with. Prepare to embark on the promised FULL ON ROSTER PREVIEW EXTRAVAGANZA!!!

The Red Claws' roster, like most basketball teams, should be separated into tiers to be evaluated honestly. There is the 'Top Tier', usually consisting of two or three players. These would be the 'stars', and the guys who play the majority of the minutes and do most of the heavy lifting. Then, there are the remainder of the starters and the first guys off the bench. Finally there is the bottom layer, the guys who get sporadic playing time and are usually called on for specific roles (3pt shooting situations for instance).

A D-league team is like that, except with one very important difference. D-League teams need to play the guys who are assigned by their pro affiliates, regardless of chemistry or even sometimes how it affects wins. Usually the pro players do pretty well, but it is assumed that even if they do no, they will still receive playing time.

Note: This is not like the NBA where players have contracts with specific teams. In the D-League your contract is with the league. There are five ways a guy can get on the Red Claws.

One, he can be allocated by the league to a team that plays in an area where he has a vested interest, like Will Blalock, a Boston native.

Two, he could tryout like Mike Williams from Bryant College.

Three, he could've been drafted by the Red Claws in the yearly D-League draft, like Syracuse Junior Paul Harris was in this years' draft first round.

Four, he could be drafted in this past years' Expansion Draft only for new expansion teams like the Red Claws, like Billy Thomas was.

Finally, but most importantly, a player can be assigned to the D-League by the teams' affiliate team, as was Boston's Bill Walker. The Red Claws' other affiliate is the Charlotte Bobcats.

With that in mind, your Maine Red Claws!

Tier 1: The Big Dogs: Billy Thomas, Will Blalock, Darnell Lazare, Paul Harris

Tier 2: Heavy Rotation: Noel Felix, Tony Bobbitt, Anthony Terrell, Stanley Thomas, Abdulai Jalloh

Tier 3: The Rest of the Roster: Gary Ervin, Mike Williams

Tier ?: The Assigned Players, Future and Present: Bill Walker, Lester Hudson and JR Giddens

Tier 1: The Top Dogs

Billy Thomas

AGE	HEIGHT	WEIGHT	POSITION	D-LEAGUE DRAFT	PPG	RPG	APG
33	6'5	220	SG	EXPANSION SELECTION**	16.1*	3.4*	3.7*

* D-League Stats

50-Word-Bio

Attended Kansas and played under Roy Williams. Set school record for made 3’s. Went undrafted in 1998. Has played for fourteen teams in ten different league on four different continents. Has played sporadically in NBA. Couldn't play overseas in 2009 because of dispute with FIBA, alleges Serbian team stopped paying him.

Anticipated Role:

Thomas has a rep for having a very well rounded game, being a great locker room guy and being a professional. He's not a sharp shooter but he's got range. He's not a top tier play maker but he makes smart passes. He's not a defensive ace but he plays solid mostly mistake free defense. He's an all around good player in any league, and in the D-League he's an All-Star. The downside is he's 33 (soon to be 34 by the end of December), and he takes a lot of pride in being a professional. Think 'Crash' Davis in Bull Durham. He ought to be the leader from day one.

Will Blalock

AGE	HEIGHT	WEIGHT	POSITION	D-LEAGUE DRAFT	PPG	RPG	APG
26	205	6'1	PG	ALLOCATION	12.5*	2.8*	5.3

*stats are from 2007/2008 in NBA D-League, Blalock played 08/09 for Hapoel Jerusalem, but managed only 10 games.

50-Word-Bio:

Boston, MA native, played for Iowa. Drafted second round by Detroit Pistons and managed 14 games in 2006/2007 before being waived for lack of roster spot. Considered to have potential to be NBA player, but not the current skill. Regularly invited to summer teams and NBA camps, but can't seem to stick.

Anticipated Role:

He'll get the majority of the point guard minutes unless Lester Hudson or another NBA player gets assigned to the team, as his only competition is Abdulai Jalloh, a D-League rookie. Blalock still has enough people excited about him to keep getting invites to camps, but as far as prototypical point guards go, he's lacking a lot of the skillset. Defensively he's got the body to contribute in the NBA but his passing and long range shot have both been knocks on him since his days at Iowa, and he's done little in the last two years to rectify that. (Austin) Ainge has said however that this team will play defense first, so while Blalock probably won't dominate the boxscore very much, he will probably see a lot of time. One of the knocks on Blalock during his last stint in the D-League were that he needed to be a better on the court leader and be more assertive. If he can mange to improve there he should look to join Billy Thomas as a veteran presence in the locker room.

Darnell Lazare

AGE	HEIGHT	WEIGHT	POSITIONS	D-LEAGUE DRAFT	PPG	RPG	APG
24	6'8	240	PF/SF	Rd 2 Pk 9	13.9*	5.8*	1.2*

*stats from Ukrainian Super League

50-Word-Bio:

Played on the LSU team BBD and Tyrus Thomas took to the final four in 2006. Played all four years of college career, graduating in 2007. Undrafted in NBA, spent 07/08 with Gothia Basketball, Sweden, then 08/09 with Dnipro Dnepropetrovsk, Ukrainian Superleague, playing a significant role on both teams.

Anticipated Role:

Unknown. This is a player that Austin Ainge or Jon Jennings must have really liked, and it was not because of his college career. Whatever secrets they know, he played well in the preseason game scoring 19 points and grabbing 8 boards in about 35 minutes in a starting effort from power forward. The rest of his season won't be so cozy however, because with Billy Walker needing minutes, and 1st round (in the D-League Draft) pick Paul Harris soon coming back from injury, it will probably be Lazare who misses out, as neither Walker or Harris will likely steal minutes from Blaylock or Thomas, so Walker will probably be bumped down to the power forward position. Regardless though Lazare has proven he's a valuable scorer and active overall player.

Paul Harris

AGE	HEIGHT	WEIGHT	POSITIONS	D-League Draft	PPG	RPG	APG
23	6'5	225	SG,SF,PF	Rd 1 Pk 9	12.0*	8.1*	2.2*

*College stats

50-Word-Bio:

Buffalo native, played until Junior season for SU. Surprisingly went undrafted this spring despite what was by many accounts a very strong series of workouts, an exceptional Junior season, and an NBA ready body. Possesses a 6'10 wingspan. Played Summer League for T-Wolves and invited to camp with Utah Jazz.

Anticipated Role:

Hard to gauge. He's still recovering from a knee injury right now, but when healthy he should see significant playing time off the bat. Because of his tweener size, he's the type of guy that is kind of built for the D-League, but will have to prove he has a bigger skillset to get a more permanent invite to the NBA. He's listed at 6'6 but that's wishful thinking. He's 6'5, or more likely 6'4. The knock on Harris since his freshmen year is that he can't shoot, and when he gets to dribbling he tries to do too much with the basketball. This isn't a professional diagnoses, but you might call it "Ron Artest Syndrome". From the beginning though he has all the tools right now to be a heck of a stopper and a finisher. He may suffer from turnover-itis at first, but he should be a stat filler right away, posting high marks in rebounding, steals, blocks, and with his literally freak athleticism he should be able to grab 12-15 ppg.

The problem of course for Mr. Harris is the unstoppable Mr. Walker. Bill Walker is 6'6, Paul Harris is 6'5 (ish). They would both be amazing 6'9 power forwards. They're both skill deficient small forwards, and Paul Harris is in an especially tight spot, because in socks he looks like a great point guard with big arms. He'll be competing directly with Bill Walker for minutes for as long as Bill Walker or JR Giddens for that matter are on the Red Claws. That's a losing battle for the hungry Harris.

Tier 2: Heavy Rotation

Noel Felix

AGE	HEIGHT	WEIGHT	POSITION	D-LEAGUE DRAFT	PPG	RPG	APG
28	6'9	245	PF/C	EXPANSION	13.2*	6.6*	1.2*

*D-League

25-Word-Bio:

Fresno State alum. Undrafted. Been to the big leagues, but has also played in Europe. Usually gets invited to a camp, but usually doesn't stay.

Anticipated Role:

Felix's strengths on this team are his size (there is 1 other guy taller than 6'8 on the team, and he got 11 mins in the 1st preseason game), and his athleticism. The problem is that he only has those things working for him as a player. He's shown littler improvement over the last few years and the biggest thing pro scouts are looking for from him is the ability to hang in the post. In the D-League a guy of his size and raw athletic talent should be getting more than 6 rebounds per game. Felix was a DNP the first game and I don't anticipate him starting, but this team is thin on height and thin on actual NBA experience so he'll find a significant role.

Tony Bobbitt

AGE	HEIGHT	WEIGHT	POSITIONS	D-LEAGUE DRAFT	PPG	RPG	APG
30	6'4	205	SG	Rd 7 Pk 8	13.1*	2.3*	2.4*

*Career NBDL stats

25-Word-Bio:

Graduated Cincinnati University after playing 2 years for Southern Idaho. Played brief stint with the Lakers, then with the Lakers minor league team. Played overseas.

Anticipated Role:

He's principally a scorer off the bench, and Billy Thomas's main sub. He's also probably going to play the main role of sniper for the squad, and just as an example out of 11 total 3pt shot attempts for the Red Claws in their preseason game, Bobbitt took 6. Expect that kind of aggressive attitude whenever his hands touch the ball.

Anthony Terrell

AGE	HEIGHT	WEIGHT	POSITION	D-LEAGUE DRAFT	PPG	RPG	APG
28	6'6	230	PF	Rd 6 Pk 9	.6.0*	3.9*	.6*

*06/07 stats

25-Word-Bio:

Went to school at UNC Wilmington. 80 games w/60+ starts. Never averaged above 9ppg after high school. Played in USBL, ABA, NBDL. No NBA experience.

Anticipated Role:

A bruiser down low. Obviously not going to log much time at any position outside of 4/5. Should have significant role however, because there aren't many physical guys on the roster. Height would be a problem in the NBA but as long as he's working hard, shouldn't be a problem here. Not going to wow much with stats but he'll throw his body around.

Stanley Thomas

AGE	HEIGHT	WEIGHT	POSITION	D-LEAGUE DRAFT	PPG	RPG	APG
29	6'5	205	SF,PF	TRYOUTS	20.6*	5.8*	1.8*

*ABA stats

25-Word-Bio:

2 years at Texas Tech, then 2 years at Robert Morris. Former ABA team, "Chicago Throwbacks," played in Attack Athletics building, same building managed by MRC's AC Mike Procopio.

Anticipated Role:

Will see nights where he gets 9 mins per game and nights where he gets 25 mins per game. If Bill Walker sticks around the D-League, won't see a huge uptick in mins, but if Walker is called up and JR Giddens does not get demoted to take his place, Thomas could even be a starter at the SF. Natural scorer, but with bulk should be taking it to the hoop more than he does. Won't be asked to take many 3's but has the range. Played for the Chicago Throwbacks last season the in ABA, where he had to do everything for the team. This season will be asked to do more but if he wants to see his minutes increase needs to really up his consistency.

Abdulai Jalloh

AGE	HEIGHT	WEIGHT	POSITION	D-LEAGUE DRAFT	PPG*	RPG*	APG*
23	6'2	190	PG/SG	TRYOUT	15.5	5.5	2.9

*Junior season at James Madison University

25-Word-Bio:

Made the team on a tryout basis despite missing almost all of senior season at JMU with torn rotator cuff. Spent first 2 yrs of college at St. Joe's

Anticipated Role:

Both Billy Thomas and Tony Bobbitt CAN play the point, but that does not mean either SHOULD. Abdulai Jalloh looks to be the guy to fill the void at the backup point, but he's not exactly traditional either. In college he was one of those "SG's in a PG's body". He's a scorer, a defender, and a rebounder, but I don't think he's that much of a distributor. For now he's got the support of the coaching staff, logging 23 minutes per game over the first 2 regular season games, and unless Lester Hudson gets reassigned (which he has said he is not ready to do), Jalloh should keep logging those high rotation minutes.

The Rest of the Roster:

Gary Ervin

AGE	HEIGHT	WEIGHT	POSITION	D-LEAGUE DRAFT	PPG*	RPG*	APG*
26	5'10	183	PG	Rd 4 Pk 9	8.2	2.3	2.7

*D-League last season

10-Word-Bio:

Graduated from Arkansas 2008. Previoulsy played at Miss State University.

Anticipated Role:

Looks like he's the low man on the totem poll for the backup point minutes, and another case of buyer's remorse for the Maine Red Claws. Of the 8 players selected in the D-League Draft, the Red Claws have kept only 5, cutting their 3rd, 5th, and 8th round picks. Ervin was selected in the 4th round, but appears already behind Abdulai Jalloh on the depth chart, and he was only a tryout. He's not a great passer, and he's undersized as a defender. He can score proficiently and he can probably manage the ball in the D-League without too many turnover, but he's far from a traditional point. His minutes should probably hover around 5-10 per game, no matter who is brought on. He's not a realistic NBA player at this point, and with his size (listed optimistically at 5'10) he'll need to really revolutionize his game to get a look at for a call up.

Mike Williams

AGE	HEIGHT	WEIGHT	POSITION	D-LEAGUE DRAFT	PPG*	RPG*	APG*
27	6'11	245	C	TRYOUT	5.2	9.1	UK

*ABA Stats

10-Word-Bio:

Bryant College, played overseas and in ABA. Holds record for blocks at Bryant.

Anticipated Role:

He's the tallest guy on the team at 6'11, but if the early season has been any indication, that will only get you so far with Austin Ainge. Ainge cut Tyrell Blair, a 6'11 center the team also had, and this is a team that is severely short on height. Williams should get around 10 mins per game if only by sheer lack of competition on the depth chart, but he'll offer a solid weakside shotblocker in the paint and he also should be getting his share of boards while on the floor.

Tier "?": The Assigned Players, Future and Present

Ah, the ringers. The pros. The guys who are actually getting paid. As I've said before, the D-League is a different game. It's not always so much about team, as it is about developing yourself as a player. In that vein, the guys the Celtics and Bobcats choose to assign down to the D-League are always going to play ahead of the actual D-Leaguers, regardless of who is the better actual player.

There are 7 players between the Celtics and the Bobcats that could theoretically be assigned to the D-League. Those players are Bill Walker (already there), JR Giddens, Lester Hudson, for the Celtics, and Gerald Henderson, Derrick Brown, DJ Augustine, and Alexis Ajinca for the Bobcats.

Of those 7 guys, Gerald Henderson and DJ Augustine are probably scratches on D-League time, as they both have established roles with significant playing time on the Bobcats.

The Red Claws are currently carrying 11 contracted players, plus Bill Walker. The team saves 2 roster spots per pro team affiliate, so the Celtics can assign one more player and the Bobcats can assign 2.

If you've made it this far, you've read about 2000 words about guys you don't know, so I won't waste your time telling you about the guys you do. Click for breakdowns of the games of Bill Walker (ESPN), JR Giddens (ESPN), Lester Hudson (Draft Express), Alexis Ajinca (ESPN), and Derrick Brown (Draft Express)

The remaining players most likely to be assigned (in your humble bloggers opinion) are JR Giddens for the Celtics and Ajinca and Brown for the Bobcats. Once a player is assigned, they are thrown right into the fire. Bill Walker was assigned on a Sunday and was starting on a Monday, and has started every game since. He's currently averaging 22 points and almost 10 rebounds per game.

Giddens has already proved himself a D-League All-Star, starting 23 games last season for the Utah Flash, and just absolutely filling the stat sheet. If Walker is still on the team when he is assigned, he'll take minutes from Billy Thomas and Tony Bobbitt.

Ajinca, who is by most accounts can be considered a real NBA player in much the same way that Kool-Aid can be considered a 'juice drink', has also shown some promise in the D-League, getting about 12 pts, 7 boards, and 2 blocks per game in 11 games played last season. He'll take all of Mike Williams's minutes and eat into Anthony Terrell's time as well.

If Derrick Brown is assigned to the Red Claws, he'll send Darnell Lazare to the bench. He actually duplicates a lot of Lazare's skill, and he's one guy I could see really flourishing in the D-League.

So when I watch, what do I watch for?

Well, as Celtics fans, first and foremost watch Bill Walker. He's quickly becoming one of the more polarizing Celtics players, but you'll see why he has such a devoted amount of groupies (yours included) on the site very quickly. Beyond that though, there are still plently of things about the D-League that should endear it to the common but discerning basketball fan.

D-League games are messy, and it's not just because of the quality of play. Also, the players (not assigned by a NBA team) in the D-League are signed to yearly contracts, so each season they log they're only getting paid between $15,000 and $25,000 (2007 numbers, probably slightly higher now). They're not playing for the big bucks, they're playing because they want if not a call up from a NBA team, at least a camp invite next summer. Becaue of that when a guy is on the floor, he's trying to make stuff happen. You can't be satisfied being Bruce Bowen or James Posey in the D-League. You have to prove you have a skill a better (and better paying) team will value.

So watch to see what guys like Darnell Lazare and Will Blalock are doing with the time they spend on the floor. They're younger guys who still have to improve their games to get on with a pro club. Watch other guys like Stanley Thomas or Anthony Terrell, who are trying to prove maybe not to NBA teams but to overseas teams that they are worth a lucarative contract. Watch seasoned vets like Tony Bobbitt and Billy Thomas. They're not trying to prove they have the skills, they're trying to prove they STILL have the skills, and that at a moment's notice they're ready for a 10 day contract to be the 9th or 10th guy in a rotation, with no rust. There is drama to be had, you just have to know what you're looking at.

References:

Stats provided from NBA.com, and CREZ Basketball

Images obtained from Maine Red Claws team page

Tony Allen Could Play Tonight?

indeedproceed — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:11:12 -0000

Per MetroWest Daily News:

Tony Allen is nearing his season debut after undergoing ankle surgery in the summer. Rivers said Allen might play tonight against the Sixers, though they could hold him out until a four-game road trip begins on Sunday. "Tony looked good today," said Rivers. "I think with him, it's going to be a confidence thing. (Monday), I didn't think he looked good. Today, he looked terrific. He was exploding to the basket." ...