SB Nation User Blog: lygafe

Garnett is finally beginning to look and play - like Garnett

lygafe — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:39:07 -0000

The win against Miami was not an easy one, with the outcome only decided in the closing minutes of the game.

This seems to have been the pattern of the past few games, with the Cs coming through at crunch time. Once again, Paul Pierce didn't have to play Superman and carry the team on his back.

Kevin Garnett was the dragon slayer this particular game, as this was definitely his finest game to date this season. Hopefully, it's a sign that he's turned the corner, and that his confidence, along with a deadly mid-range jumper, is finally back in form, to go with his defensive ability.

Fortunately, our Cs atrocious three point shooting was only exceeded by Miami's at least as atrocious shooting from beyond the arc, which balanced that out.

Perkins played a fantastic game, and has been getting progressively better. There is one area in which he and Rondo will have some serious improving to do. Both of them should have to stay behind after a game where they've missed 1/2 their free throws and have to shoot free throws until at least one of them hits ten in a row: of course, that means that they could be up all night on occasion, but I guarantee their game free throws will dramatically improve after a few sessions like that.

Lionel gaffen/ Fotomix

Lygafe

The season is hardly underway- No need to push the panic button-yet!

lygafe — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 21:32:05 -0000

As a Celtics fan who has been following the team through some of the worst seasons in the Cs vaunted history over the years after the Bird era, and has never lost hope, it's annoying to read all the nay-sayers jumping out of the woodwork, when our Cs go through a rough spot, or a development period where a few losses are involved in the new season.

Yes, we finally won banner no.17 two seasons ago, and without the key injury to K.Garnett [ and Leon Powe ] we might well have hung banner no.18 last season. It was not to be, and we all have to move on.

While our bench was strengthened during the past off season, with the additions of R.Wallace, who I was very much in favor of, and still am, M.Daniels -ditto, and Sheldon Williams, an underrated pleasant surprise, it takes time for a group of new players to jell as cohesively and as quickly as they did in 2007-8.

For starters, the team still has not had nearly enough pure practice time, to work out the wrinkles in both their defensive and offensive sets, after having a start of 8 games in a 12 day period. Having a 3-4 day break now between some of the games, will allow the new players to fit in more smoothly, and allow the coaches to actually put them through the drills needed to overcome the lapses during the games. It will also give the coaches more of an opportunity to study the opposing teams, now that a number of games have actually been played, and will allow them to provide that feedback to the players.

I've gone on record as stating in the past, that the second game of a back to back will be particularly difficult for the Cs, whose older legs will not rebound as quickly as younger legs, after a difficult first game and any subsequent travel- bear that in mind during an 82 game season, that there will be a few of these each month.

The team is a bit older and 1/2 a step slower than the 2007-8 team, and Doc will have to insert some of the younger players to give them some much needed exposure along with providing some rest for the Big Three. That appears to me to be somewhat of a problem with Rivers- a lack of confidence in trying out the younger players, and he may have to bite the bullet and begin to use the assets that are spending their time on the pine.

Yes, the younger and faster teams are going to give the Cs problems all season long, but that is where utilizing a combination of veterans and youth on the Cs will allow them to overcome almost every team on any given night, both mainly defensively and offensively as well. Defense is still the key to the Cs winning number 18, and it's just a question of getting our house [ no pun intended ] in order.

That's not to say that Danny Ainge isn't trying to work out a deal to bring in some additional help for the team before the final trade deadline. I would venture to say that he's trying to put together a deal or two to shore up a couple of the weaker areas on the team.

In short- quit the crying and self-flagellation after each game that's either a loss or a near loss, like the win against the Knicks. I never expected a 72 win season, in spite of the hype coming into the new season, and neither should you.

What I do expect, and hope for, is a Celtics team that will be ready and healthy to compete in the spring for banner no.18.

Lygafe

Lionel Gaffen/ Fotomix

Whew-that was a close call

lygafe — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 04:02:30 -0000

During the past two seasons, I followed he Timberwolves, right after the Celtics, of course, in order to see how they were doing; after all, most of the team consisted of former Celtics players. I would laughingly refer to them as the Boston Bees, meaning of course the Boston B squad, and I was pleased when our former players did well.

Tonight, the Bs almost did in our Cs, as it came down to the closing seconds when we managed to eke out a 92-90 win. A bit too close for comfort, from my point of view, as the Bs should not be in the same class as the Cs, on any given night. Credit Rondo for having a super game just when we really needed it.

What will become clearer as the season wears on, in my opinion, is that the only times the Cs are really going to be challenged will be in the second game of a back to back doubleheader, where travel from one city to the next will take place. Those will be the games that will provide the greatest challenge, particularly if the first game will be a tough one. Allen, Garnett, Wallace and even Pierce's legs don't have the same resiliency as younger players, and travelling does take its toll, particularly when there's a flight of a few hours involved.

Mark my words. The second game of a back to back will be the most dangerous of times for our Cs, and more so when that second game is an away game, without the emotional surge given by a supporting home crowd.

Lionel Gaffen/ Fotomix

Lygafe.

Oh, Happy Day

lygafe — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 02:48:02 -0000

As a long time Celtics fan [ since the days of Larry Bird and co.] I looked forward to the opening game against Cleveland, with a great deal of anticipation and some measure of trepidation. After all, when was the last time that our Celtics managed to take a game away from them in their own home? It's hard to remember when.

When Rasheed Wallace joined the Cs, I wrote about how great a fit he would be, and with the projected signing of M.Daniels, I wrote about how our second unit would now rival many of the other teams first units.

As the preseason wore on, it looked more and more obvious that my perception was right, and that we would be putting a formidable double team on the parquet this season, for the first time in so many years.

While Pierce and Allan did not have a great shooting night between them, it didn't mean that the team suffered, as it has a number of times in the past, when one or both had an off shooting night. What happened is that the second unit helped pick up the slack during crunch time, and at least for this match, one of the more important ones [ to be proven as the season goes on ] of this young season, clearly demonstrated the combined firepower and overall team effort in bearding the lion in his den.

Lionel Gaffen/Fotomix

Lygafe

If the season was ending now, we'd be hanging banner number 18 already

lygafe — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 21:34:10 -0000

As far as I'm concerned, Danny Ainge has done a remarkable job this summer, considering the very limited resources he's had at his disposal.

Let's skip the huge rebuilding summer of 2007, when Ainge pulled off the necessary moves to bring us banner no.17, and bringing delight to the die-hard Boston fans, such as myself, who have waited patiently for, oh these 21 frustrating years.

We'll also skip the recent season, when a key injury - aka K.Garnett's knee, and then Leon Powe's knee injury as well, helped finish us off, albeit not without going down fighting to the last game of the seven game series [ we'll all try to forget the last game- it's too painful to remember ] against Orlando, who made it to the finals in the end. The necessary resources, aka money, to bring in some much needed help never materialized, and when it came down to Scal being a starter, we knew we were in trouble, with a capital T [ no disrespect to Scal, who gives everything of himself, but let's face it - "himself" is limited ].

Fast forward to the coming season, with a prayer for a healthy team throughout the playoffs, and I foresee banner no.18 proudly being unfurled at the end of playing time [ most hopefully against the Lakers, in order to show them that 2009 was an abberration ].

Our starting five, R.Rondo, R.Allen, P.Pierce, K.Garnett and K.Perkins have to be the most formidable starting five in the NBA today.

Where D.Ainge has performed his magic this summer is in providing a bench that is second to none as well.

Eddie House is coming back, hopefully to see no.19 unfurl after this season as well, and that was a good start, as his key 3 pt. shooting has always added to our game.

Re-signing Glen 'B.B' Davis, after protracted negotiations [ or lack thereof, on behalf of other teams showing an interest in him ] and locking him up for the next two seasons at a price that we can afford [ and hopefully, that he can live with, without being disgruntled ] secured us a power forward with strength, who can handle pretty much whatever is thrown at him.

Our key weakness has been the lack of a big man, who can replace K.Garnett and/or Perk effectively. With the brilliant use of the mid-level exception, we managed to snag Rasheed Wallace, no less, who I believe will have a banner year[s] with Boston, and will be playing with a renewed passion for the game. He, along with 'B.B', will anchor the second team, and will, at times, be a starter, instaed of Perk, e.g., depending on the team we'll be facing.

Marquis Daniels, who still remains unsigned, but has committed to playing for Boston, will be a very helpful back up for any one of three positions, but will mainly be used to fill in for Pierce and Allan, while in a pinch, can go for a few minutes together with House, as a Rondo fill-in.

Having that second team strength and versatility will allow Doc Rivers the luxury of doing some experimenting with new signees such as Sheldon Williams, and perhaps a trial period with Lester Hudson.

If both J.R.Giddens and Bill Walker remain with the squad, they will have an extra year under their belts, and will be anxious to show that they belong, not just in the NBA, but be worthy of playing for Boston.

Brian Scalabrine is who he is, and may stay with the team, or not, as he has an expiring contract, which Ainge might use later to trade for a solid back up point guard, prior to the trade deadline. If not, he's always managed some effective minutes.

If Tony Allen can't be traded for anyone, he may yet surprise us [ hopefully, in a good way ] and demonstrate the talent that at one time we thought he had; if not- farewell.

It wouldn't surprise me at all to see Marbury come into training camp with the desire to show the world that he still has "it" , and stay for the coming season- he must still crave a ring, not to mention the respect of his peers, no matter what anyone says or thinks.

There you have it. With limited resources this summer, Ainge has given us a bench that would be the envy of many of the starting line-ups of a majority of the teams in the NBA.

What can I say, except- bring it on. We're ready for all comers this season.

Lionel Gaffen/Fotomix

Lygafe

Marbury isn't gone by a long shot- will he resign?

lygafe — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 22:02:14 -0000

Lately, there's been more of a buzz that Starbury may actually come back and resign with the Cs for the minimum + whatever else may be added in for signing for a second year. Let's face it- he certainly doesn't need the money, as he was able to leave N.Y. with a well padded bank account [ take a couple of zeros off, and I'd still be a happy camper with what's left ]. What he does need is (A ) championship ring [s ] in order to put a finishing touch to an otherwise up and down career, which, to be generous, saw him go nowhere in the end. (B) He also needs to be wanted, both as a person, and most importantly, as a player for personal validation.

The Cs are the only team that were willing to take a chance and sign him, and while he showed only flashes of his former self as a player, [ rust takes time to remove, after not playing for more than a year ] in the few months that he played, he showed that he still has a tremendous amount of talent. Should he rejoin the team, and come to training camp with an attitude of helping to hoist at least number 18, and keep his ego in check [ which he's already shown he can do ] he could be a tremendous asset coming off the bench to spell Rondo.

The second unit could easily look like this: Marbury, House, Daniels [ as he appears to be close to being locked up ], Big Baby [ presuming he'll resign ] and Wallace.

I'll take this second unit over a large number of the balance of the teams first units for offensive power, and decent defence. Wouldn't you?

Lionel Gaffen/Fotomix

Lygafe

Rasheed Wallace to C's- a great fit

lygafe — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:51:28 -0000

I'm all for Rasheed Wallace joining the Cs. He has the qualities that will help the Cs win championship number 18 this coming season, and at least the season after. He's able to provide much needed depth either coming off the bench or starting when needed, at both the four and five spot. Most likely he'll be coming off the bench, except when filling in for an injured or sick [hopefully not ] Garnett and/or Perkins. He has the height and the power, to handle both spots, defensively and offensively can help spread the floor with some three point shooting, when and where needed. There aren't too many high quality power forwards/ centers that have those qualities and abilities that 'Sheed has. What remains is the motivational factor, and considering that Boston has the highest quality starting front line in the NBA, with some of the best motivation coming from that group and the coaches, I foresee 'Sheed as being an important factor in helping the team reach no.18, and more.

Should Grant Hill consent to playing for Boston this coming season, I can only see that as a positive. As long as Hill is healthy, he's one of the more talented players in the NBA, who would do a great job of helping to minimize some of P.P.'s minutes, which would help P.P. maximixe his on floor time.

Should they both sign on with the Cs, I believe that Ainge and co., will continue to add some additional bodies who are capable, to the bench, as they realize that quality help is needed. 'Sheed and [ hopefully ] Hill make a great start to the off season wheeling and dealing.

Cheap shot artists are an affront to the Celtics Blog

lygafe — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:45:38 -0000

Bleacher report [ aka Victor Cortez ] states that Paul Pierce is the most overrated player in the NBA, in his obviously not so humble opinion.

While there are any number of players who can be considered as overrated in the NBA, and a few who might reach the pinnacle that he extends to P.P., in this case, he's just blowing smoke, and is being downright insulting to a more than likely future hall of famer, who, in his career with the usally underachieving Cs [ until last season ] ranks around third in all time Cs scoring in his 10 year span with the team.

Without the triumvirate of Pierce, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett, banner no.17 would not have been hoisted. It took the combined efforts of a very unselfish trio, backed up by a decent center and a young point guard, along with a fairly decent bench to do it, along with a coaching sytem that got the best out of the group- both offensively and defensively. If any one of the trio had not been able to play, a la Garnett, the team wouldn't have gotten any further than it did this season, as all three stars had their role to play. Granted, Garnett was the driving force behind the defense, but take away either the fine shooting hand of Allen, or the key plays of Pierce, along with thier defense, and the team would have foundered at some point.

Stay in the bleachers where you belong, or take your opinions to a Lakers blog, as it sounds as though you may have come from there.

Hats off to the Magic

lygafe — Sun, 31 May 2009 11:04:18 -0000

This is something I honestly would not have thought That I would be saying, as I believed that they would be eliminated by the Cavs in short order.

When our Cs fell to the Magic in 7, and before we knew [ albeit suspected ] about the additional injuries to Ray Allen and Paul Pierce that rendered them somewhat ineffective during the final games, it was my belief that the Magic had been lucky to escape our series in game 7, from an obviously gassed out Cs team.

The Magic then went and proved just how good the Cs had been in spite of the injury losses, and subsequent injuries, in managing to drag them out to a 7 game series, by putting on a great show of their own against the Cavs, and rather easily eliminating them in just 6 games. Hats off to the Magic, and now as Eastern Conference champs, let's cheer them on to the NBA championship they so richly deserve this year, as they beat L.A. in the process.

Hopefully all our Cs will be healthy come next year's playoffs, and we'll have a better supporting cast to go with our starting line-up, so that we can re-claim the banner that very well could have been ours this season. Number 18- here we come.

C you next year

lygafe — Mon, 18 May 2009 02:16:32 -0000

It was a pretty good run, while it lasted, but what it came down to in the end, was that Ray Allan and Paul Pierce couldn't carry the team, both offensively and defensively without the Big Ticket. Without their defensive anchor, they had to make too many improvisations on the defensive end, which left the team literally exhausted on the offensive end. You cannot lose one of the greatest defensive players of all time and expect the team to carry on as though nothing has changed. Thanks for giving us a great run while it lasted, and I'm sure that all C' fans, like myself, look forward to the coming year, with a healthy team to field, with the hope that they'll stay healthy through the playoffs.