SB Nation User Blog: nickagneta

Celtics To Leon: Business is Business!

nickagneta — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:35:38 -0000

Being a businessman, I understand that executives and business owners and people who run businesses have a responsibility to the greater good of the organization, a responsibility to the stockholders, a responsibility to the other employees and a responsibility to the bottom line. But that doesn't mean that those people who make the tough decisions aren't people and that sometimes the decision you make doesn't cause you to lose sleep and think as to whether a more Good Samaritan decision wouldn't have been the better one. Business men and women are people too.

Enter Leon Powe, Danny Ainge and the Celtics tradition of family. Leon Powe spent the better part of the last three years being everything the Boston Celtics wanted him to be. He came off the bench, he started, he rebounded, he developed, he learned and he contributed. And those contributions allowed Danny Ainge to trade away a lot of young talent so that the Celtoics could have the Big Three and those contributions helped this team win over 150 games and a championship and many playoff series over the last two years.Leon Powe was the consumate professional and the epitome of what NBA experts like to call a "second round bargain".

So what happens to Leon? He wrecks his knee doing everything asked for him just as his contract is running out and just as he is due for his first big NBA pay day. And his reward for being the company guy and doing whatever asked of him and more....the door. Sorry Leon, business is business and our window of opportunity tells us to usher you out the door. I don't know about the rest of you but that's a house with doors and windows that I'm just not used to seeing our favorite basketball team live in. This is a Celtics business I'm not used to seeing. Casting away team favorites and good people because of harsh business decisions is the way of the modern Boston Red Sox and New England Patriots. Not the Celtics. They've always been about family and pride and mystique and being together through it all.

I understand the business behind the decision and I understand that the greater good is served by not letting a roster spot on a championship contender be taken up by a guy who might not even be able to play this year. It's a tough one. But it doesn't mean I have to like it. Leon has done more for this team than Giddens and Pruitt ever have and probably ever will. He deserves the chance to rehab and come back and be able to show this organization that he can contribute again and be worth that contract that he has already so richly earned and deserves.

And possibly, he will be back. Danny can still trade two or three players for one in an attempt to upgrade the team and keep a spot open for Leon, but there's just as good a chance that Leon will not be back with this team next year as they compete for a championship that Leon's contributions are somewhat responsible for because he was good enough to keep and let others be traded for players currently on the team. I hope that is the situation and Danny finds a way to resign him. Because if you know the Leon Powe story, and that's a story better told by others but one worth listening to, you know this is a guy that you can root for and a guy that will come back and be worth keeping.

Leon Powe is a good man and a good man is hard to keep down. The Celtics should know this and do the right thing to ensure Leon Powe is a Celtic with a chance to show that he can and will come back. I hope for the best for you Leon. You've been a good Celtic and you're an even better man. You deserve better than a "business" decision.

Which Danny Ainge will we see?

nickagneta — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 02:31:32 -0000

We're just minutes away from the start of free agency and after a tremendously uneventful draft night the fans of the Boston Celtics have to be asking themselves one simple question. Which Danny Ainge are we going to see this off season.? Are we going to see Trader Danny from two years ago who proactively pursued Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett and did everything aggressively in ensuring they would be a part of the 2007-08 Boston Celtics? Or are we going to see the Get It Done On The Cheap Danny of last year who was very reactive and passively waited for the James Posey negotiations to unfurl while free agent after afree agent of any quality went elsewhere?

Passive or aggressive? Proactive or reactive? Get it done or wait and see what shakes out? What's it going to be?

Me? I'm hopeful that Gary Tanguay knows what he is talking about as he just said on CSN that Rasheed Wallace is coming to visit the Celtics either tomorrow or the day after and that he is bringing his family. Bringing the family is huge as it might mean house hunting, neighborhood hunting, school hunting, getting to know the city and stuff like that. Of course they could also just be coming to stay for the Fourth of July fireworks on the Esplanade.

I'm hopeful for the aggressive Danny Ainge. I want Danny to have definitive ideas about what needs to be done and I want him to do them. if it means signing big names fast, do it. If it means trading a starter to enhance the team as a whole, do it. If it means cutting ties with some youngsters, do it. And do it at you time and bidding and don't wait on the other balls to drop to see if you can save a couple million. It's just not worth it.

I will say that Danny worried me some with his comment about the different types of free agents, those being July 1st free agents, August 1st free agents and August 15th free agents. As much as I understand the need to save cash, I think that this season, this deep into the Big Three window, it is penny wise and pound foolish to allow the market to manipulate you and not have you manipulate the market. Don't purposely await the August 15th guys looking for bargains because the bargain you might get is an earlier exit from the playoffs than you originally had planned.

Does that mean Danny should go nuts and give the guys he wants whatever they want so that he can win next year and hell be damned if it kills us for the next 4 years after that because we got a championship? As much as I might be tempted to so yes, I'm pretty sure the answer is no. No don't mortgage the next 10 years for another banner but I say that only because with the talent currently on this team, I don't think you have to overspend for years to win it all in just the next year.

But make sure you do get what you want Danny and do so with a purpose. Play the game Danny, don't let it play you. Get your guys that mean a lot to you early and then save money on the further back positions of your roster. get Wallace and Hill early and then let the trees shake loose the guy or guys that will be willing to take less.Just please, I beg you, don't sit back and wait for the prices to fall and outsmart yourself because even the most intelligent of people are stupid enough to outsmart themselves. If your recent history has taught you anything it's to go get your needs and do it within your plan and do it fast. This year it is really the way you need to go. That is, if you have learned from your two previous seasons.

Some interesting league rumors with links

nickagneta — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 15:01:10 -0000

There seems to be a bunch of interesting things being said around the league that have hit the sports sections of Sunday edition newspapers around the league. Here are some:

The Arizona Republic has Shaq to Cleveland for Wallace and Pavlovic rumors heating up and detail the immense savings this deal would have for the Suns:

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/2009/06/13/20090613sunsshaq0614.html

Miami Herald has speculation coming from a close friend of Chris Bosh's that Bosh is very interested in playing in Miami and that Miami would love a Bosh-Wade combo. Miami though would probably be best off not trading for him right away as it would probably cost them Michael Beasley and waiting for Bosh to sign in free agency and retaining Beasley is probably the smarter move:

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/basketball/miami-heat/story/1096122.html

ESPN is reporting that the Lakers might have to choose who they want to keep Ariza or Odom and have an interesting quote fron an anonymous Western Conference GM thinks Odom could be had for the full MLE. As a Celtic fan I find that very intriguing especially since Odom can't be completely adverse to playing in New England because he went to URI. The article also speculates on Gordon to Detroit and Hamilton being on the trading block:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2009/columns/story?columnist=adande_ja&page=odomariza-090613

Interesting blurb in the Sacramento Bee saying that the Maloofs have been borrowing money just to keep the team afloat and that if they don't get news on a new arena before year's end, word of a Kings move will begin to be everywhere. IMO probably for good reason.

http://www.sacbee.com/kings/story/1944890.html

Rajon Rondo...an attempt at a rational, objective evaluation of the player

nickagneta — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 14:14:56 -0000

Okay, so I am a huge Rondo shill and always have been because I just see unlimited potential and always have. But let's see if I, one of the bigger Rondo fans that sees everything through Green colored glasses when it comes to Rondo, can look at things objectively.

Rondo's assets:

The man is in unreal physical condition and obviously, from looking at him, takes pride in this. To me, that is huge. Having a basketball player that is also an athlete and keeps themselves in peak physical condition is a plus in my book.
Could he have a better body type for someone who is going to handle the ball for you on offense? Long arms, huge hands. Great elevation on the jump. Fast and quick.
He might be one of the fastest people on the planet while dribbling a basketball. He is an possession of a great first step and explosive speed and when he gets into the open floor is a jet.
His ball handling skills are exceptional though his cross over move leaves something to be desired
His passing skills are great and he is not in love with just passing the ball through the air. He is one of the better bounce passers, for a PG, in the league
He has all the skills to be a great defender, which is different than saying he is a great defender.
He is fearless going to the basket, almost to a fault.
Simply put, he is one of the best rebounding guards in the league and has enhanced numbers here because Doc Rivers, at least during the playoffs, utilized him in the defensive sets to back off his men and wander around the free throw line. He would then use his speed and jumping ability to make a fast move to get defensive rebounds and start fast breaks.
He has a confidence and take charge personality that will eventually translate into being a great floor general.
He plays better the better the competition. Against the best PGs in the league, he is seldom outplayed.

Now his liabilities:

The shot is awful. His release point is all over the place and he is constantly putting way too much left hand into the shot as evidenced by just how far off the shot can be left to right. Practice and good coaching can change this but it will take a while and this alone will keep him from being a top three PG in this league. When he can consistently hit 42% or more of his jump shots and hit 75% or more of his FTs, then we can think about putting him in the Deron, Paul, and eventually, Rose category.
As stated above, he plays to the level of his competition. He should dominate lesser PGs and yet doesn't. He needs to bring the consistency every game, every minute.
The above problem goes to a lack of mental preparation and readiness that I hate. He is, however, just 23 years old and this can be chalked up to a lack of maturity but I hope and pray it is not an inherent flaw in his personality.
The above also needs to call into question his confidence which, could also be a personality flaw of hubris and arrogance. Many times these things can lead to a lack of motivation and a lack of needing to improve and practice and to take things as seriously as they need be taken. It can also lead to an inability to get along with others and to take orders and criticism, whether it be constructive or not. This, unfortunately, does appear to be a character flaw of his. Let's hope he can look in the mirror and change this. Often adversity can change this in a person. All too often, people like this never change and never reach their full potential. It can, once again, be chalked up to immaturity, but in this case, I don't think it is.
He is weak on his left hand when going to the basket. He often correctly figures that going to the left side of the basket is the correct move but too often, well, almost always, relies on a right hand lay in with spin rather than a left hand lay in. This, though not a major problem, should be worked on.
He still, way too often for my taste, leaves his feet not knowing what he is going to do with the ball.
His confidence in his abilities often leads to his forcing way too many passes that just are not there. What is terrible about this flaw in his game is that his confidence is often soaring when the team is up and these forces come at a time when simpler plays would lead to points. This often causes turnovers and allowing teams back into games. This is a bigger problem than I think a lot of people think.
His defensive intensity and his consistency in bringing it sucks. As I said above, he has all the skills to be a great defender, but this year, all too often was a huge liability on defense in the half court set. I want to stipulate the half court set because I think his pressure during full court presses, his defense on in bounds passes, his defense on half court traps, and his pressuring of the ball up the floor are great. But most defense is played in the half court and his defense fighting through the pick and roll and his lack of concentration on his assignment and more on other issues(playing passing lanes, trying to help down, looking to rebound a possible shot) lead him astray and allows his men to take advantage of him. His gambling on knock aways and lack of effort in keeping men in front of him and reliance on the big man help is simply atrocious.
He lacks a professionalism that comes with either maturity or character. I don't know which he is lacking. But consistency, reliability, tardiness, and keeping one's head in pressure situations are a part of this. I say he grows into being a great professional but right now it is hurting him and his game.
He allows his emotions to get the best of him and appears to have trouble controlling his temper. Don't get me wrong he isn't an emotional basket case ala Big Baby. He just has a problem with certain emotions like anger and frustration. Again, I hope it is maturity but it could be a character flaw.
He leaves his feet going to the basket way too far from the basket and it forces him to take that God awful floater that he just can't hit consistently. It is a much tougher shot than it looks, especially when taking it at the speeds he is often taking it. I think he should either spend an entire summer working on just this shot or take it out of his game completely. Working on pulling up off the dribble and shooting from within 15 feet would probably be a more reliable weapon as he can get to where he wants and often has the ability to out jump his competition.

I hope I covered everything and speculated on as little as possible. I am not going to speculate on such things as why he ate what when he did or why he showed up a half hour late or why he fought with a certain coach or player. I observed and made my determinations based on what I saw in his game.

I think it is irresponsible for any of us to speculate as to what Danny's, KG's, Doc's, or anyone else's feelings are on him, especially from just a one or two sentence quote from a coach or player or manager that might be about a certain subject and not specifically on their total evaluation of Rondo. Too often that type of stuff is more about the moment and not about the person as a whole.

All that given, the fact that we basically have him in our control at a controlled price for the next year or two is huge as, for what he is going to be making in that time, he is a bargain. The tricky part comes in determining whether his non basketball issues that impact his game are maturity problems or character flaws. If maturity, we should see a bunch of that disappear this year as he will be 24 and into his 4th year in the league. The fourth year is often the year that stars will blossom in. So, we will see.

If it appears that Rondo's issues aren't a maturity issue then Danny is going to have a problem deciding whether, in a Manny Ramirez type situation, his contributions outweigh his attitudinal problems and whether he will be worth the big investment. If they are, then next year would seem like a great time to move him. Moving him sooner without having these questions answered while still having him under contractual control for light money, is just dumb.

People can say he shouldn't be untouchable but to have him in control at minor money and not be 100% certain as to where his game is going to go over the next year or two is just stupid. For this off season at least, he should not even be thought about being traded. It is way too big a risk to possibly trade away one of the future best PGs in the league when you have them playing for just $2 million for the next year and maybe $3 million the year after that while not being 10000% sure that his liabilities can't be corrected.

Is Ray Allen and a pick for Martin and Nocioni a realistic Ray trade.

nickagneta — Fri, 22 May 2009 04:32:58 -0000

I thought about this for a while and tried to figure out a realistic Ray Allen trade. Sending Ray and a first rounder to the Kings for Kevin Martin and Andres Nocioni makes a bunch of sense for both teams for a bunch of reasons.

1.) Sacramento is in a ton of financial trouble and might have to be sold or moved with moving probably the more likely scenario. The Sacramento Bee has already had numerous articles speculating this. Getting out from under $54.5 million worth of owed money in contracts expanding 4 years might entice the Maloofs. If they can get the team's salary ridiculously low and make up a team of really young up and coming players like Seattle/OKC did might make it feasible for them to move out of that tiny market and ridiculously out of date building

2.) Danny already seems to be in the Kings good graces as he dealt with them twice this year getting them some much needed working capital in the process. Good relationships are always a good starting point when trying to make a blockbuster trade as Danny and McHale have already proven.

3.) Allen gives the Kings a great short term replacement for Martin and having the fourth pick could replace him long term by drafting Harden or DeRozan in the draft.

4.) This trade solves long term and short term problems for Boston. It fills the starting hole Ray's absence would create. It fills the back up SF role that is desperately needed. It gives the Celtics a base of Rondo, Perk, Noc, and Martin going forward after Pierce and KG expire. It allows Danny to spend the MLE on another hole with a big man and maybe a little left over for a point guard. It brings in two players that can play defense as well as produce offensively.

So what do you think?

A greener and more positive POV.

nickagneta — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 11:30:46 -0000

Happy St. Patrick's Day everybody!! On this, the holiday that is easily the most Boston Celtic-like holiday of them all, I think it's time to look at things from a greener point of view. Recently, I have sensed an overload of negative karma invading not only Celticsblog but the Boston Celtics world as a whole. The doomsday alarmists are out in full force both here in our very Green community and amongst the national and local pundits who consider themselves NBA and basketball afficiandos.

But along with some of the challenges that have faced this team is a host of positives that can not be denied that lead me to believe that we should be a bit more upbeat and feeling rather great about our local hardcourt five today. Here are some things that I think one should ponder while drinking your green ale today down at the local Irish pub while singing "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling":

1.) Rajon Rondo - Last year before the season most everyone except for a few real Rondo fanatics(see MikeDfromNP and maybe myself) thought that the weakest link in the Celtics ever winning a title would be one Rajon Rondo. Well, they won the title and this year, Rondo has emerged on the scene as not only a proven champion but now is probably one of the top 5 PGs in the league. A Celtic STAR was born this year with the emergence of Rondo as not only the offensive floor general of this team but also as the player all future(read post Big Three) Celtic championship teams will be built around until he retires.

2.) Ray Allen - last year Ray was damn good. This year Ray Allen is the Ray Allen people in Milwaukee and Seattle remember as being a dominant SG with the sweetest stroke they have ever seen. His shot is a thing of beauty. He never seems to tire. His game looks effortless. And he is the best free throw shooter we have seen around here since Bird. And he might be a better FT shooter than Bird, maybe the best to ever wear Celtic Green.

If there was ever a reason to feel great about this current Celtic team it's that these two players will be bringing a more prominent and deadly effective game into the playoffs this year than they did last year. But that's not the only reasons to feel good.

3.) Leon and Baby - Our undersized power forward combination have both struggled but also taken major leaps forward. They both can still be inconsistent, but when they are consistent, they are consistently better than they were. Leon's post work and Baby's outside perimeter game have taken major leaps forward this year. Given that when a team has young bench role players, all the team can really ask from them is to do their roles and continue to do them better and better. Well both have accomplished that and have gone beyond. KG's injury has shown that both players can be counted on when times get tough and when it is time to strap the boots tighter and work that much harder. Their strength and play are two reasons the Celtics haven't gone into a severe tailspin since the rash of injuries. Treading water at .500 over the last few weeks might not seem like much but when a team loses a third of their roster to injury and can still play .500, that's incredible.

4.) The heart of a champion - never count out this aspect to this team. Champions wade through adversity and then emerge from the din stronger and more determined than ever. They always have. They don't give up. They don't lay down. And they fight to the end. If the two games against Orlando and Miami and the game against Cleveland recently taught us anything it's that this team has the heart, grit, determination and strength of Celtic Pride and Celtic Champions past. They have raised a banner and are still very much not ready to relinquish their hold on the title of World Champions. Hit them, the hit back. Push them and expect to be pulling yourself off the floor. Taunt them and it only motivates them. It doesn't matter where this team will be playing playoff games. All that matters is that they will be playing playoff games. Celtic Pride and the heart of a champion should never be counted out or taken too lightly by others. They are tangible entities that need to be overcome by Celtic adversaries. Good luck to them doing that.

5.) Team health and timing- last I checked the calendar said it was St Patrick's Day and not the IRS deadline day. A lot can happen in a month. A month in the NBA is a long, long time. KG, Tony, and Baby will return before that month is over and they will be healthy and they will be able to get their legs underneath them in that time. Meanwhile, as they recupperate, Marbury and Moore will get acquainted with their new team mates and the Celtic game. As of right now, their additions haven't exactly thrilled most but over the last two games signs are coming out that suggest Marbury is indeed committed to the defensive game and getting his legs in NBA form and that Moore's jumper can be a weapon for a good 6 points or so a game. As people get healthy, as others get used to their roles and games and as the season winds down, the timing of all these things could point towards the Celtics hitting the post season as ready, as healthy and as loaded as when they had their 19 game winning streak and post Xmas slump run of great play. Twice this year this team has stomped through the competition. Three times a charm and the timing is pointing towards another occurance of this happening again.

6.) Paul, Perk, Doc, Eddie, Coach T, the Garden crowd, and everything and everyone else - Besides the five things I already listed I'll just jumble together a Finals MVP, a former Coach of the Year, a future All NBA Defensive team center on first or second team, and a myriad of World Champs and factors that just can't be ignored. This team is loaded but at the moment it is sick. Let's not forget what this team is like when it is not sick or when it feels cornered. They are a tough bunch that is going to go down swinging if they go down at all.

In closing, I think it's important to remember that the future is not the present and that time heals all wounds and is the all important factor in the way that people judge things. On Dec 24th, 2008, people judged this team as unstoppable. Two weeks later, people were wondering if they would ever win another game. Three weeks after that, they were the best of the best playing better than at any point over the last copuple of years but still not to their full potential. And now, the wagon is getting a little spacier with a bit more elbow room. Time moves on and so will the Celtics. This season is far from over and it's about time people realize that it's not June. It's not May! It's not even APRIL!!!. It's St Patrick's Day, the Celtics have 50 wins, they have some games left to tune up for the dance and they have time to heel and meld together.

So stop with the negative karma and remember why you are a Celtic fan and why last year was so special and think just how special this year is going to feel in June after the Celtics win it all again and that you'll be able to say, "WOW, I can't believe I ever doubted this team! I can't believe I ever ruled them out! I will never make that mistake ever again!!" Because that will be happening. Don't let Cavalier and Laker love get under your skin and break your resolve. Let them have their better records and home court. We are the WORLD CHAMPION BOSTON CELTICS!! IT'S ST PATRICK'S DAY!! AND WE WILL NOT BE BEATEN!!! Think it enough and support the team enough and it will come true.

Erin Go Bragh!!

Go Celtics!!

Today's a green day, make your outlook a little greener today and all the days to come!!

Why Cleveland lost: Its defensive game plan backfired, defeated by Pierce's unselfishness and the...

nickagneta — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 13:30:18 -0000

Why Cleveland lost: Its defensive game plan backfired, defeated by Pierce's unselfishness and the Celtics' patience. In other words, Mike Brown was totally outcoached by Doc Rivers.

Charlie Rosen

2010's most valuable Celtic asset: a bad economy!?!?

nickagneta — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 13:57:05 -0000

Given what we see happening around the league right now with teams like Sacramento, New Orleans, Phoenix, New Jersey, New York, Milwaukee and others doing everything they can to dump salary, as a Celtic fan I have to wonder if the bad economy continuing into next year wouldn't be a good thing for the Celtics. Let me explain.

I'm, first off, going to say that I think the Celtics will repeat with the team constructed as it currently is. If they add a Joe Smith and/or Stephon Marbury, that should just make repeating easierfor them but winning it all is inevitable this year. Simply put, they are the best team out there. So in the first two years of the Big Three era the C's could and should put up two championships. Which will leave Danny Ainge with an interesting dilemma. Should he stay status quo and let the Big Three thing run its course or should he start moving some pieces around and attempt at make this era a long dynasty by adjusting? If he decides to adjust we all know that Eddie, Tony, Ray, Pruitt, POB and Scal will be expiring next year with the team holding options on terminating Walker and Giddens as well. That's possibly around $28 million in expiring contracts

It fairly obvious that the bad economy isn't hitting the sports ticket buying populace of Boston very badly at all. The Celtics, Red Sox, Patriots and now, even the Bruins are banging out sell outs left and right and in some cases have for years. Boston as a whole isn't being hit as hard as some areas of the country. Hence the Celtics aren't feeling it as badly as some owners are, at least from a basketball business sense. I haven't heard that Wyk and Co. are taking it hard on the chin in their none Celtics endeavors, so that is also good for the team. So, should the Celtics hope for the economy to worsen slightly and last a long time?

A worsening economy can only mean teams like Washington, the Clippers, Denver and others could join the fray and go into all out salary dumping mode as well. As much as three quarters of the league or more could be looking to get well below the cap and luxury tax level for a variety of reasons(the economy, the impending free agent season, the expiration of the CBA and possible work stoppage). It could be a time where a healthy Boston Celtics, from a purely profit and loss statement accounting, could really take advantage of the situation and scoop up a lot of bargains and make themselves the team to beat for years on end by fleecing some teams in the Red Auerbach tradition because they will be desparate for expiring deals.

Just think of all the large contracts that some of the poorer owners and teams have that misght be had for some combination of expiring deals that would be extremely impoprtant for them. Think of the teams wanting to go after the 2010 free agent market and the players that might be pulled from those teams as they prepare for a run at LeBron and company. I think the possibilities really are endless for the Celtics in transforming this team into an absolute powerhouse simply because teams will want to dump contracts for a variety of reasons.

Really, can anyone be 100% positively, without a doubt sure that any of the following players wouldn't be in play this offseason and right up until next year's trading deadline:

Josh Smith

Caron Butler

Gilbert Arenas

Antawn Jamison

Luol Deng

Vince Carter

Emeka Okafor

Gerald Wallace

Tayshaun Prince

Elton Brand

Andre Iguodala

Danny Granger

Rashard Lewis

Andrew Bogut

or Richard Jefferson?

And that's just the Eastern Conference. There are going to be very few players that anyone can be 100% sure that they will be on the same team come the start of the 2010-11 season and the economy might be the biggest factor in the transformation of the NBA in the coming years. Let's hope that Danny, Wyc and the rest are ready to take advantage of it.

Could Rondo lead the league in assists someday?

nickagneta — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 13:01:16 -0000

Rajon Rondo last night played against the best point guard on the planet last night. Or should I say outplayed the best point guard on the planet last night. Yeah, he didn't exactly have the shots going down and Paul was coming back from an injury and wan't 100%, but it is getting pretty clear to those that are paying attention that Rajon Rondo is playing at a level that is as high or higher than his competition whenever he battles one of the better point guards in the league mano a mano.

Rondo plays exceptional defense versus the best, scores efficiently, usually outrebounds them, sometimes by a very wide margin, causes as many turnovers as he has on his own, and lately, has shown that he is becoming one of the best passers and assist men in the league. Maybe even good enough to lead the league someday in assists.

Okay, stop laughing, I'm serious.

And the reason I am serious is because I think the progression in his game this year has been remarkable and will continue, especially as he gets more and more familiar with the intricacies of delivering the ball to his three Hall Of Famers where they like the ball the most. He already is getting at least one alley-oop to KG a game based on nothing more than a look to KG's eyes. He finds Ray Allen on the break in three point land at least two times a game. And he is constantly playing the 1-3 switch with Pierce to perfection for Pierce to be matched against a shorter, less physical PG at the foul line.

Add to that his ability to keep the dribble going while dribbling through the low post on drives and finding open men when defenses collapse and his excellent court vision on the break and when amongst the big boys and it easily explains why his assists per game are starting to take some monumental leaps forward. Here are Rajon's assist per game numbers for each month so far this year:

October: 6.0

November: 7.1

December: 8.3

January: 9.3

February: 10.3

I really am surprised that the meteoric rise in his assists per game has not been something that has been mentioned on the national scene or really even locally or here at Celticsblog. When was the last time that we've seen numbers of this type from a PG in recent Celtics history? When was the last time someone chosen as low as Rondo has had his assist numbers move up this quickly into the upper echelon of league leading assist numbers in one year?

Let's take a look at some of the league's best PGs and the NBA's assist leaders over the last 20 years and Rondo and see where they were drafted.

Rajon Rondo: 1st Rond #21

Jason Kidd: 1st round #2

Chris Paul: 1st Round #4

Deron Williams: 1st Round #3

Steve Nash: 1st Round #15

John Stockton: 1st Round #16

Andre Miller: 1st Round #8

Magic Johnson: 1st Round #1

Isiah Thomas: 1st Round #2

Gary Payton: 1st Round #2

The only guys that led the league in assists that were drafted lower than Rondo recently were Johnny Moore and Kevin Porter who were chosen in the 2nd and 3rd rounds respectively. Other than that is you were one of the best PGs of your generation or led the league in assists, you were chosen amongst the 1st Round's top 20 players.

Rondo's assists per game and assists per 36 have both risen by over three assists so far this year. That's no small accomplishment. And his numbers continue to improve as over the last 4 games he is averaging 11.5 APG. He has broken into the top 5 in the league in assists as he is now tied for 5th place in the league with Jason Kidd at 8.4 per game.

I'm convinced Rondo will be in double digit numbers in assist per game in the years to come and will someday lead the league. He is still a little over a week short of his 23rd birthday and yet his game is growing by leeps and bounds. I think Rondo will eventually be a multiple time All-Star and look forward to seeing all of my predictions of him come true as, and I hate to brag about this but I just need to, so far all those predictions from two years ago have been right on the money.

Now just some more Rondo statistical love:

Rajon is ranked 9th in the league in PG PER at 18.74 but has been over 19.00 for a good part of the last couple of months.

Rajon is ranked 4th in the league in steals per game at 2.1.

Rajon is ranked 2nd in the league in PG rebounds per game at 5.2.

Rajon is ranked 2nd in the league in PG FG% at .499.

Rajon is 4th in the league in assists per 48 at 12.2.

Rajon is 5th in the league in assist to turnover ration at 3.15.

Rajon leads the league in games started as a PG at 54.

Rajon is second in the league in total assist at 451.

Has Tony Allen lost his spot?

nickagneta — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:18:30 -0000

Reports coming out of the Celtics camp is that Tony Allen's sprained ankle is still hindering the return of the fifth year veteran and that Doc Rivers even is admitting that he doesn't have any idea when Tony will be back. When Tony went down 9 games ago the Celtics were in the middle of a season high 4 game losing streak and at the tail end of a 7 losses in nine games stretch.

But not anymore.

Now the Celtics just got their first road win versus a top 4 team on the road, they've won 7 in a row, they are getting back to the intense defense that was the signature of their championship year, and they are starting to see some improved and/or consistent play off the bench from Big Baby Davis, Gabe Pruitt, and Eddie House. So what becomes of Tony Allen? Should he automatically get his spot in the rotation back in the rotation, a rotation that is starting to gel very well with two starters regularly playing with three bench players and cut into the time and development of one of the Celtics biggest needs, a true, defensive, PG that can shoot and not turn the ball over?

When Tony went out, Doc was still using the 4 bench guys with 1 starter rotation or had just started his switch to the 2 starter and 3 bench sets. But now Doc is having some success with his newer rotation and due to Perk's injury has discovered a new rotational weapon in Scal. So considering the newer chemistry, the possibly better rotations, the need for a PG that seems to have been answered, the instillation into the SG role more often of Eddie House, should Doc tool around with something that seems to be working so well? Should Tony get his spot back, a spot he was struggling with and who his coaches have publicly admitted that Tony wasn't playing as well defensively as some had thought?

Tony, was struggling with his defense, his shot(I'm being kind here), his turnovers and his game in general before he went down. So considering that he was struggling, that the rotations have changed, that in Pruitt and House the Celtics have a more natural bench backcourt, should Doc take the stance that a man doesn't lose his spot to injury and reinstall Tony into his spot and sit Pruitt or should he make Tony earn his spot back?

Personally my opinion is that Pruitt gives this team better perimeter defense, a better more cohesive backcourt, better ball handling ability and less turnovers, and better overall outside shooting and spacing. Now, of course, this is coming from a guy that isn't a fan of Tony or his game so I am probably severely biased, but I say if Leon and Tony want playing time they are going to need to beat out the guys that are in front of them with better more consistent play. I've never been the biggest fan that if a guy goes down with an injury and while he is out the team discovers an option or strategy, that he should automatically get his spot back. Why hurt the team and the way it is performing? Make him earn his spot back.

And so I say, sorry Tony, you want your spot back, take it back because giving it back will probably be worse for the team as a whole.