Boston Celtics

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) Denver Nuggets Houston Rockets Memphis Grizzlies 1st Team F Kevin Garnett (Four All-NBA selections) F Tom Gugliotta (1997 All-Star) C Felton Spencer (121 blocked shots in 1990-91) G Terrell Brandon (Fifth in the NBA in assists, 1999-00) G Stephon Marbury (All-Rookie Team, 1996-97) San Antonio Spurs 1st Team F Tim Duncan (MVP, 2001-02) F Larry Kenon (Four 20-plus ppg seasons) C David Robinson (MVP, 1994-95) G George Gervin (Four-time scoring champion) G James Silas (Two-time All-Star) Utah Jazz Coach: Jerry Sloan (Franchise career wins leader) Best Player: Karl Malone Best Team: 1997-98 (62-20, NBA Finals)   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) The DVD includes about three minutes of footage from the press conference after the Laker-Spurs game, with the main highlight being Bryant's statement that the Lakers had found their "defensive identity" in recent weeks and had become "very aggressive" at that end of the court. They maintained that "defensive identity" well enough to advance to the 2008 NBA Finals, where they ran into a superior defensive team from Boston that eliminated the Lakers in six games--but the Lakers learned their lessons well from that setback, playing better and tougher at that end of the court in 2009, culminating in a five game Finals triumph over the Orlando Magic.   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) This article was originally published in the May 2003 issue of Basketball Digest. Numerologists may find some significance in the fact that each of Jackson's "three-peat" units posted 45-13 records in the playoffs. Basketball historians single out a different number: 15-1, the Lakers' record setting playoff won-loss record in the 2001 title run. There is a perception that the Lakers coast during the regular season and "turn it on" in the playoffs, but the Lakers' .736 regular season winning percentage matches Russell's Celtics and is just slightly worse than the 1991-93 Bulls. YearsTeamRegular SeasonPlayoffs NBA Finals   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) As for the Celtics, don't forget that they opened their 2009 title defense with a 27-2 record before injuries--particularly to defensive linchpin Garnett--scuttled their season. Even without Garnett they still pushed eventual Eastern Conference Champion Orlando to seven games in the Eastern Conference semifinals. The Celtics will miss Glen Davis, who recently broke his thumb in an altercation with a former college teammate, but Wallace should be more than able to pick up the slack, while Daniels will provide valuable bench production at point guard, shooting guard and small forward. When they are fully healthy the Celtics are a suffocating defensive team. Center Kendrick Perkins is a powerful force in the paint, Garnett wreaks h...   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) Antoine Walker is the most polarizing player in Celtics' history." Boston Globe columnist Bob Ryan, who has covered the Boston Celtics since 1969, said this to me before game six of the Indiana-Boston series. That game and that playoff series are an excellent microcosm of the "good, the bad and the ugly" concerning the three-time All-Star forward. First, the "good": Walker had 24 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and made several key plays down the stretch as Boston won game six on the road in overtime 92-89, staving off elimination. Boston would not have won without his performance, particularly in light of the ejection of the Celtics' other star, Paul Pierce, near the end of regulation. Walker scored five of Boston's eight points in the e...   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) I wrote three team previews for Lindy's Pro Basketball 2009-10: Cleveland Cavaliers (second year in a row), Phoenix Suns (third year in a row) and Dallas Mavericks (first time). The Cavs signed Leon Powe after the article submission deadline, so I did not write the parenthetical comments about Powe in the Cleveland preview and I disagree with the suggestion that the Cavs will play him at all at small forward; assuming that he recovers from knee surgery in time to play during the regular season--the Cavs really brought him in to hopefully provide frontcourt depth for the playoffs--Powe will get minutes at power forward and center.   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) Using speed and passing to relentlessly attack the defense is not a new idea. In the 1950s and 1960s the Boston Celtics won championships with a wide open style that encouraged players to adjust to situations on the fly. Hall of Fame point guard Bob Cousy, the maestro conductor of the Celtic fast break, declares, "Basketball is more of a free-flowing game of instinct and reaction to an action...Normally people associate basketball players with height, but in my judgment speed and quickness are what separate the men from the boys...Every time down the floor is a different situation. Your action is a reaction to what the defender is doing. We (the Celtics) relied primarily on transition rather than set plays. There was always constant movement. We we...   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) According to a feature in the July 6, 2009 issue of the Sporting News called "SN's 2009-10 Power Poll," the Washington Wizards rank third in the NBA, just behind the reigning champion L.A. Lakers and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The reason given for that ranking is even more hilarious than the ranking itself: "The Wizards picked up Miller Miller and Randy Foye for a draft pick, girding them against the injuries that tore them down last season." Miller and Foye? That duo vaults the Wizards ahead of the Orlando Magic, San Antonio Spurs and Boston Celtics? I don't know what they are smoking/injecting over at SN, but whatever it is has very strong hallucinogenic properties. If things break right then the Wizards have a good shot at making the playoffs...   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) 1) Cleveland Cavaliers, 66-16 2) L.A. Lakers, 65-17 3) Boston Celtics, 62-20 4) Orlando Magic, 59-23 5-7) Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, 54-28 1) Dwyane Wade, MIA 30.2 ppg 2) LeBron James, CLE 28.4 ppg 3) Kobe Bryant, LAL 26.8 ppg 4) Dirk Nowitzki, DAL 25.9 ppg 5) Danny Granger, IND 25.8 ppg 6) Kevin Durant, OKC 25.3 ppg 7) Chris Paul, NOR 22.8 ppg 8) Carmelo Anthony, DEN 22.8 ppg 9) Chris Bosh, TOR 22.7 ppg 10) Brandon Roy, POR 22.6 ppg 18) Dwight Howard, ORL 20.6 ppg 19) Paul Pierce, BOS 20.5 ppg 24) Tim Duncan, SAS 19.3 ppg 26) Pau Gasol, LAL 18.9 ppg 30) Ray Allen, BOS 18.2 ppg 16) Shaquille O'Neal, PHX 8.4 rpg 17) Dirk Nowitzki, DAL 8.4 rpg 27) LeBron James, CLE 7.6 rpg   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) The Lakers went 10-5 in March but the Cleveland Cavaliers surpassed them in the race for the number one overall record in the league by going 16-1 in March, tying the NBA record for most victories in a calendar month. Getting home court advantage throughout the playoffs was one of the Lakers' preseason goals but Bryant is not fazed by the possibility of having to win on the road in the postseason: "In my years of experience, if you're going to be a champion, you should win on the road anywhere. The better team is going to advance, no matter where you play." While the Cavs have the best home record (36-1) in the NBA--and if they win out they will tie the 1986 Celtics for the best home record in one season in NBA history--it is worth remembering that the L...   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) Toney averaged 24.4 ppg in his two Finals appearances, the 12th best NBA Finals career scoring average. The players ahead of him are in the Hall of Fame or are active players who very likely will make it on the first ballot after they retire (Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan). If Toney had played 10 or 12 fully healthy seasons would he have put together a Hall of Fame caliber career? Stockton would not rule this out: "Possibly. It’s hard to really project…It's interesting that his healthy years corresponded with the Sixers' healthy years." After the premature end of Toney's career the Sixers did not reach the Eastern Conference Finals again until Iverson led the team all the way to the NBA Finals in 2000-01.   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) In the early 1980s the biggest NBA rivalry was Julius Erving-Larry Bird. Magic Johnson versus Bird was a great college showdown for the 1979 NCAA title but after they entered the NBA Johnson and Bird only faced each other twice a year until Bird's Celtics defeated Johnson's Lakers in the 1984 NBA Finals. Philadelphia stormed to a 3-1 advantage when the teams faced off in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics countered by taking game five in Boston 111-109 and game six in Philadelphia 100-98, Bird’s first win in Philadelphia in 11 regular season and playoff games. Boston completed the improbable comeback when Bird's jump shot in the final minute provided the margin of victory in a 91-90 game seven thriller.   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) It is early in the Stephon Marbury experiment for the Celtics but, to paraphrase Yogi Berra, it is getting late early in Boston--at least in terms of trying to obtain the number one seed in the Eastern Conference. The Celtics have gone 4-4 since signing Marbury and are currently 3.5 games behind the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavs have won five straight games and nine of their last 10; if they maintain their .803 winning percentage the rest of the way then the Celtics would have to go undefeated in their 15 remaining games to have a chance to catch them. Barely a week ago, some commentators overreacted to Boston's home win versus Cleveland and proclaimed that the Celtics would capture the top seed in the East. I saw things differently, declaring, "I...   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) Most Dominant Pro Basketball Championship Teams Reg. Season RecordPlayoff RecordTeamPPGReb. Diff.FG % Diff. Diff. 60-208-61962 Boston Celtics9.2 (1)---------- 68-1311-41967 Philadelphia 76ers9.4 (1)---------- 60-2212-71970 New York Knicks9.1 (1)---------- 66-1612-21971 Milwaukee Bucks12.2 (1)4.1 (3).085 (1) 69-1312-31972 L.A. Lakers12.3 (1)4.1 (3).058 (2) 67-1515-31986 Boston Celtics9.4 (1)4.9 (1).047 (1) 65-1715-31987 L.A. Lakers9.3 (1)2.3 (6).049 (2) 61-2115-21991 Chicago Bulls9.0 (1)3.2 (5).035 (3) 67-1515-71992 Chicago Bulls10.4 (1)4.4 (3).048 (1) 72-1015-31996 Chicago Bulls12.2 (1)6.6 (1).030 (4) 69-1315-41997 Chicago Bulls10.8 (1)4.9 (1T).037 (3)   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) Jones' Celtics went 9-0 in game sevens, four of them in the NBA Finals. Jones averaged 27.1 ppg in those games, with a high game of 47 (against Robertson's Cincinnati Royals) and a low of 18. He scored many of those points with his trademark bank shot, which has almost become a lost art in today’s game (Tim Duncan uses it very effectively and Scottie Pippen employed it frequently during his prime scoring years). He had 37 points against Philadelphia in game seven of the 1965 Eastern Conference Finals—but this was overshadowed by the game’s famous ending: "Havlicek stole the ball!" Asked who in the modern game is most similar to Sam Jones, K.C. Jones—without knowing Cousy or Heinsohn’s answers--also mentions Hamilton, saying of the Detroit Pis...   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) After Cleveland's disappointing loss in Boston on Friday, some commentators took the predictable and easy route of jumping off of the Cavs' bandwagon and proclaiming that the Celtics will finish with the best record in the Eastern Conference. This is yet another example of hype and superficiality triumphing over thoughtful analysis. As things stand right now, the Cavs are two games ahead of the Celtics in the loss column; Cleveland has 20 games remaining, while the Celtics have just 18 games left. The Celtics will play nine games at home and nine on the road. They are just 5-4 overall since the All-Star break. If Cleveland wins 65 games, then the Celtics would need to go 16-2 down the stretch to tie them.   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) Still, it should be noted that even though commentators often lavish praise on the Lakers' depth, the struggles of their bench players are not a new development. I wrote about this on December 21 after the Lakers lost back to back games in Miami and Orlando; even at that relatively early stage of the season, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson was already shifting his rotations and increasing Bryant's minutes because the Lakers' bench players simply were not productive enough. The Lakers play two sub-.500 teams at home (Memphis and Minnesota) before a three game road trip takes them to Portland, Houston and San Antonio. Then the Lakers play three more home games before their last big road trip of the season, seven games in nine days to close out March a...   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) Shifting our focus to players who actually played in the game, Richard Hamilton was the best player on the court. As Van Gundy mentioned, Coach Curry had recently turned Hamiliton into a sixth man and the Pistons only went 4-12 with Hamilton coming off of the bench. Curry is apparently determined to keep starting Rodney Stuckey no matter how badly Stuckey plays--he was solid against Boston but played poorly in the 16 game slide--but with Iverson out of action Hamilton returned to the starting lineup and produced 25 points, a game-high nine assists and six rebounds. All five Detroit starters scored in double figures. Paul Pierce led Boston with 26 points on 11-20 shooting but Ray Allen (10 points on 2-10 shooting) and Rajon Rondo (eight poin...   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) There are certainly examples of star players with questionable reputations accepting lesser roles to play on championship teams. Bob McAdoo and Mark Aguirre helped the Lakers and Pistons respectively win championships in the 1980s but it is a big stretch to compare Marbury to either of those players. As a Buffalo Brave, McAdoo won the 1975 MVP and placed second in MVP voting in 1974 and 1976; he led the league in scoring three straight years, led the league in field goal percentage once and annually ranked among the league leaders in rebounding and blocked shots. He also put up big time numbers in the playoffs, including 37.4 ppg and 13.4 rpg in the 1975 postseason. Aguirre was one of the best scoring forwards in the NBA in the mid-1980s, ranking...   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) 1) L.A. Lakers, 48-10 2) Cleveland Cavaliers, 44-12 3) Boston Celtics, 46-13 4) Orlando Magic, 42-15 5) San Antonio Spurs, 39-17 1) Dwyane Wade, MIA 28.8 ppg 2) LeBron James, CLE 28.3 ppg 3) Kobe Bryant, LAL 27.6 ppg 4) Kevin Durant, OKC 26.3 ppg 5) Danny Granger, IND 25.0 ppg 6) Dirk Nowitzki, DAL 24.9 ppg 7) Al Jefferson, MIN 23.1 ppg 8) Brandon Roy, POR 22.6 ppg 9) Chris Bosh, TOR 22.4 ppg 10) Devin Harris, NJN 22.3 ppg 11) Chris Paul, NOR 21.7 ppg 18) Tim Duncan, SAS 20.7 ppg 22) Paul Pierce, BOS 20.1 ppg 32) Ray Allen, BOS 18.2 ppg 49) Kevin Garnett, BOS 16.3 ppg 14) Kevin Garnett, BOS 8.8 rpg 15) Shaquille O'Neal, PHX 8.8 rpg 29) LeBron James, CLE 7.2 rpg   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) 2) Cleveland Cavaliers (41-11): The Cavs are annually underestimated by most observers, largely because they do not have "name" players other than LeBron James--but what the Cavs do have is a very deep roster and a strong commitment to rebounding and playing tough defense. I predicted that Cleveland would battle Boston for the best record in the East and that is turning out to be true. If the Cavs obtain home court advantage then they will almost certainly dethrone the Celtics but even if they don't I think that this year James will be able to lead Cleveland to at least one playoff win in Boston. The Cavs narrowly missed beating Detroit in 2006 and then in 2007 James authored an epic performance in game five and I expect that pattern to repeat it...   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) Odom opened the overtime by making a jump hook but then the Lakers gave up three straight layups. Bryant did not make a shot during the extra session but he had an impact with his passing and his defense. Bryant's feed to Gasol for a layup tied the score at 105 and Bryant helped to hold Pierce scoreless in the overtime. Trailing 107-105, the Lakers ran the play that proved to be their bread and butter in the latter stages of last season: a Bryant-Gasol screen/roll action with Odom flashing to the high post. Bryant passed to Odom, who then fed Gasol for a dunk. After Pierce turned the ball over, Gasol split a pair of free throws but Boston took the lead on a Davis jump shot--his first and only points of the game. Bryant missed a tough jumper over Pierce but Ga...   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) 1) Boston Celtics, 40-9 2) L.A. Lakers, 38-9 3) Cleveland Cavaliers, 37-9 4) Orlando Magic, 36-11 5) San Antonio Spurs, 33-14 1) Dwyane Wade, MIA 28.5 ppg 2) LeBron James, CLE 27.8 ppg 3) Kobe Bryant, LAL 27.4 ppg 4) Dirk Nowitzki, DAL 25.8 ppg 5) Danny Granger, IND 25.5 ppg 6) Kevin Durant, OKC 25.0 ppg 7) Al Jefferson, MIN 23.2 ppg 8) Chris Bosh, TOR 22.8 ppg 9) Brandon Roy, POR 22.2 ppg 10) Joe Johnson, ATL 21.5 ppg 11) Chris Paul, NOR 21.5 ppg 16) Tim Duncan, SAS 20.6 ppg 17) Dwight Howard, ORL 20.6 ppg 23) O.J. Mayo, MEM 19.4 ppg 24) Paul Pierce, BOS 19.2 ppg 30) Ray Allen, BOS 18.0 ppg 43) Kevin Garnett, BOS 16.3 ppg 13) Pau Gasol, LAL 9.1 rpg 14) Kevin Garnett, BOS 9.0 rpg 27) Rasheed Wallace, DET 7.5 rpg 28) LeBron James, CLE 7.5 rpg   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) On the other hand, Pau Gasol has played the most efficient basketball of his career in L.A., Bynum's game has grown by leaps and bounds, Trevor Ariza's play has stepped up since becoming a Laker, Sasha Vujacic and Jordan Farmar have markedly improved and you can go straight down the line: Bryant sets an example in terms of work ethic and his leadership has rubbed off on his team, particularly after the Lakers wisely got rid of some players who did not have the right attitude, work ethic or skill set to be rotation players on a good team, let alone starters (yes, that is a Kwame Brown/Smush Parker reference). Just this past summer we saw Bryant set the tone for a U.S. Olympic Team filled with All-Stars and All-NBA players--and we saw that when the gold...   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) In a 109-103 loss versus the Orlando Magic on Friday, Bryant had more rebounds (13) than Gasol (nine) and Bynum (three) combined. As I noted in my previous post, "In the past three games--a win at Houston, followed by a loss at San Antonio and a home loss versus Orlando--Bryant grabbed 27 rebounds, nearly matching the 28 combined rebounds that starting power forward Pau Gasol (21) and starting center Andrew Bynum (seven) tallied." Although the Lakers won the Finals rematch versus the Celtics on Christmas Day, Bryant (nine rebounds) led the Lakers on the glass in that game and nearly matched the combined rebounding numbers posted by Gasol (seven) and Bynum (three). That does not speak well for the toughness and/or mental focus of the Laker...   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) Ray Allen: Paul Pierce: Kevin Garnett: Last season, in addition to the "Big Three" plus Rondo the Celtics had four players who averaged between 6.9 ppg and 7.9 ppg; this does not include late season acquisition Sam Cassell (7.6 ppg), who only played in 17 regular season games but made key contributions during some playoff games and will presumably be available again for playoff duty in 2009 even though he has yet to suit up this season. This season, the Celtics have four players other than the "Big Three" plus Rondo who are averaging between 6.7 ppg and 8.8 ppg. The reality is that in the playoffs coaches shrink their rotations; only six Celtics averaged at least 6.6 ppg in the 2008 playoffs. Although the Celtics do miss James Posey and P.J. Brown to some...   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) 1-2) Cleveland Cavaliers, 28-6 1-2) L.A. Lakers, 28-6 3) Boston Celtics, 29-8 4) Orlando Magic, 28-8 5) San Antonio Spurs, 24-11 1) Dwyane Wade, MIA 28.7 ppg 2) LeBron James, CLE 27.4 ppg 3) Kobe Bryant, LAL 26.9 ppg 4) Danny Granger, IND 25.8 ppg 5) Dirk Nowitzki, DAL 25.7 ppg 6) Chris Bosh, TOR 23.6 ppg 7) Kevin Durant, OKC 23.5 ppg 8) Devin Harris, NJN 23.1 ppg 9) Brandon Roy, POR 23.0 ppg 10) Vince Carter, NJN 22.7 ppg 19) Tim Duncan, SAS 20.5 ppg 25) Paul Pierce, BOS 19.5 ppg 33) Ray Allen, BOS 17.7 ppg 45) Kevin Garnett, BOS 16.1 ppg 14) Pau Gasol, LAL 9.1 rpg 15) Kevin Garnett, BOS 8.9 rpg 42) LeBron James, CLE 6.6 rpg 43) Jason Kidd, DAL 6.5 rpg Tony Parker, Devin Harris and LeBron James are all within .3 apg of making the top ten.   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) Orlando Magic 88, New Orleans Hornets 68 The Hornets are now tied for fourth-fifth in the Western Conference but they are only a game behind San Antonio and Houston, who are tied for second-third. New Orleans plays Houston on Friday night. The Magic are securely in the third place in the Eastern Conference, four and a half games ahead of Atlanta. They have won six games in a row and nine of their last 10 but have not gained any ground on the two teams ahead of them--Boston and Cleveland--because both of those teams have also won nine of their last 10. San Antonio Spurs 91, Phoenix Suns 90 Cleveland Cavaliers 93, Washington Wizards 89 Dallas Mavericks 102, Portland Trail Blazers 94   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) 31) Paul Pierce, BOS 18.6 ppg 32) Ray Allen, BOS 18.5 ppg 43) Kevin Garnett, BOS 16.5 ppg It is now 12 games since interim Thunder Coach Scott Brooks shifted Kevin Durant from shooting guard to his natural position, small forward. While it is true that in certain situations the small forward and shooting guard have interchangeable roles it is also true that Durant had never played shooting guard in his entire career prior to entering the NBA--and that means that the aspects of that position that are not interchangeable with playing small forward are completely alien to him. Why would anyone take a rookie out of his comfort zone? That makes no sense and I said so from day one. 15) Kevin Garnett, BOS 9.5 rpg 16) Pau Gasol, LAL 9.3 rpg   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) Much has been written and said about how well the Lakers and Cavaliers have played so far this season but the team with the best record in the NBA is still none other than the 2008 NBA Champions, the Boston Celtics. A victory tonight in Washington over the struggling Wizards--a 10.5 point underdog according to BetUS.com sportsbook--would not only be Boston's ninth straight road win but would mark the best start to a season in the franchise's storied history, 21-2 (two other Boston teams began seasons with 20-2 records). The Celtics have won nine road games in a row and 13 straight games overall, Boston's longest winning streak since a 14 game run by the 1985-86 championship team.   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) Another NBA TV "Fan Night," another Cavaliers rout. Three weeks ago, the Cavs dismantled the Knicks in the game that fans most wanted to see that Tuesday and yesterday the Cavs wiped out Toronto 114-94. The L.A. Lakers have had their share of blowout wins this year but even in some of those games they needed to bring Kobe Bryant off of the bench in the fourth quarter to stabilize matters. That is not the case with LeBron James and the Cavaliers; the Cavs have a league-best 13.6 ppg point differential and have been taking care of teams so easily that James has not played a single minute in six of their past eight games.   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) 1) Boston Celtics, 18-2 2) L.A. Lakers, 15-2 3) Cleveland Cavaliers, 15-3 4) Orlando Magic, 14-5 5) Portland Trail Blazers, 14-6 Point differential is usually a solid predictor of future success, so it is worth noting that the Lakers currently rank first in this category (+12.8), just ahead of the Cavaliers (+12.3). The Celtics rank third (+9.1). Those teams are head and shoulders above the next team, the young, upcoming Portland Trail Blazers (+5.5). 18) Tim Duncan, SAS 20.9 ppg 32) Paul Pierce, BOS 18.6 ppg 33) Ray Allen, BOS 18.4 ppg 42) Kevin Garnett, BOS 16.5 ppg 12) Pau Gasol, LAL 9.2 rpg 14) Dirk Nowitzki, DAL 8.9 rpg 15) Kevin Garnett, BOS 8.8 rpg 34-35) LeBron James, CLE 7.1 rpg 34-35) Jason Kidd, DAL 7.1 rpg   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) Go back and look at what Gasol said about this game: the Lakers came out flat and a little overconfident. The teams that won 65+ games and went on to win championships--the '67 Sixers, the '72 Lakers, '83 Sixers, the '86 Celtics, the '96 and '97 Bulls--had killer mentalities and were trying to bury their opponents every night. We all know that Bryant has that kind of mentality but it remains to be seen how many other Lakers--particularly the all important members of the frontcourt, the guys who the Celtics dominated in the NBA Finals and who were outrebounded by a smaller but hungrier Pacers team--share that mindset. The Lakers are going to win a ton of games and contend for a title but whether or not they complete the job will be decided by that fa...   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) 1) L.A. Lakers, 8-1 2) Boston Celtics, 10-2 3) Cleveland Cavaliers, 9-3 4-5) Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic, 8-3 1) LeBron James, CLE 29.5 ppg 2) Dwyane Wade, MIA 28.2 ppg 3) Chris Bosh, TOR 25.5 ppg 4) Joe Johnson, ATL 25.3 ppg 5) Dirk Nowitzki, DAL 24.7 ppg 6-7) Kobe Bryant, LAL 24.3 ppg 6-7) Danny Granger, IND 24.3 ppg 8) Amare Stoudemire, PHX 23.3 ppg 9) Tim Duncan, SAS 22.8 ppg 10-11) Vince Carter, NJN 22.6 ppg 10-11) Al Jefferson, MIN 22.6 ppg 13) Kevin Durant, OKC 21.5 ppg 15) Paul Pierce, BOS 21.1 ppg 16) Dwight Howard, ORL 21.0 ppg 14-15) Kevin Garnett, BOS 9.8 rpg 14-15) Rasheed Wallace, DET 9.8 rpg 16-17) Yao Ming, HOU 9.5 rpg 16-17) Jermaine O'Neal, TOR 9.5 rpg 27) LeBron James, CLE 7.8 rpg 28) Shaquille O'Neal, PHX 7.8 rpg   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) Carmelo Anthony scored 18 points and had a game-high 13 rebounds, while Chauncey Billups had 18 points and a game-high seven assists; in the final 2:50, Billups had a big three point play, made a pair of free throws and had two assists, thus playing a part in every point Denver scored in that late, game-deciding outburst. Ray Allen led the Celtics with 26 points, 18 of which he scored in the first quarter. Paul Pierce added 19 points, seven rebounds and four assists, while Kevin Garnett had 16 points and nine rebounds. Eddie House scored 13 points off of the bench but the remaining seven Celtics who played combined to produce just 11 points on 4-20 field goal shooting.   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(Doc319@yahoo.com) What does Boston's 88-76 victory over Detroit on Sunday tell us? This rematch of the 2008 Eastern Conference Finals was just Allen Iverson's second game as a Piston, so the pundits had a field day focusing on Iverson's performance to the exclusion of everything else. Meanwhile, Antonio McDyess, who played a key role in both of Detroit's wins versus Boston in that series, is not currently on Detroit's roster but will presumably be a Piston again after clearing waivers and waiting the required 30 days to rejoin his old team. McDyess' absence exacerbated Detroit's primary problem versus Boston: the Celtics relentlessly and methodically pound the Pistons to death in the paint.   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(noreply@blogger.com) 1) Both teams pride themselves on defense and rebounding but the Celtics won in both of those areas, holding Houston to .391 field goal shooting (Boston shot .519 from the field despite off nights from Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett) and outrebounding the Rockets 46-41. Are the Rockets mentally and physically tough enough to truly contend with the league's elite teams? Every year the Rockets go out of the playoffs in the first round. The addition of Ron Artest is supposed to bolster Houston in this respect but he cannot guard all five players at once--and despite his tough defense his game is not without flaws, either (see below).   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(noreply@blogger.com) Danny Granger scored 20 points and T.J. Ford added 19 points and four assists while not committing a single turnover as the new look Indiana Pacers beat the Boston Celtics 95-79 in front of a raucous sellout crowd of 18,165 at Conseco Fieldhouse; the Pacers set a franchise record for fewest points allowed in a home opener. The Pacers were without the services of Mike Dunleavy--who started all 82 games for them last year--and they lost starting center Rasho Nesterovic to an ankle injury early in the fourth quarter when the Celtics were still within striking distance. The Celtics hurt themselves by committing 24 turnovers, shooting just 27-78 (.346) from the field and making just 21-35 (.600) free throws but--as Boston Coach Doc Rivers freely...   [read the full post]

By David Friedman(noreply@blogger.com) Paul Pierce scored a game-high 27 points as the Boston Celtics earned a hard fought 90-85 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on "ring night"--the season opening game before which the Celtics received their 2008 NBA Championship rings. Pierce openly wept when he got his ring and held it over his head as he waved to the cheering Boston fans. Once the game began, though, he had his emotions completely under control and he played very well, looking lighter, faster and bouncier than he did even when he won the Finals MVP. The Celtics are very fortunate that Pierce was the best player on the court, because the other two members of the "Big Three"--Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen--were largely invisible; Garnett finished with 11 points and six rebounds w...   [read the full post]

By noreply@blogger.com (David Friedman) The Celtics finished with the best record in the NBA (66-16), while the Lakers had the best record in perhaps the most competitive Western Conference race ever (57-25). The top two seeds have generally not both made it to the Finals in recent seasons but the Celtics and Lakers each vanquished tough foes to advance to the championship round, where Boston earned the right to hoist a 17th championship banner, denying Phil Jackson his 10th coaching title and Bryant his fourth ring as a player and in the process completing the one blank space on the Hall of Fame resumes of Garnett, Allen and 2008 Finals MVP Paul Pierce.   [read the full post]

By David Friedman On a night when the other three All-Stars on the court combined to shoot 4-36 from the field, Kevin Garnett shot 13-22, scored 28 points and grabbed eight rebounds as his Boston Celtics escaped with a 76-72 game one victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. If this game were a building, it would have been condemned and torn down; if this game could have looked into a mirror, the glass would have shattered into a million pieces. This game was U-G-L-Y--unless you are a big fan of missed shots (the teams combined to brick, airball and otherwise misdirect 91 out of 143 field goal attempts) and turnovers (38). Rajon Rondo played a solid game, scoring 15 points (all in the first half) and adding six assists and five rebounds. Paul Pierce had five rebounds a...   [read the full post]

By David Friedman The Boston Celtics quickly patched up any chinks that may have been appearing in their armor. After looking sluggish in back to back losses to New Orleans and Philadelphia, the Celtics took a quick lead against the Phoenix Suns, withstood a strong second quarter rally and completely dominated the second half en route to a 117-97 victory. Kevin Garnett scored 30 points and he also had six assists, though his board work was subpar (just three rebounds). Paul Pierce repeatedly exploited mismatches to score 27 points on 9-16 shooting, posting a glittering, game-high +29 plus/minus rating. All five Boston starters scored in double figures and the Celtics enjoyed a 41-27 rebounding advantage. Center Kendrick Perkins had a game-high 10 rebou...   [read the full post]

By David Friedman Now it was Detroit's turn to make a strange move. Billups had been having his way all quarter long on isolation plays, to the extent that Boston Coach Doc Rivers took out Rondo and put in Tony Allen. However, after the timeout, Detroit ran a screen and roll with Billups at the top of the key. That brought Kevin Garnett--the Celtics' best defender--into the play and after Billups bobbled the ball Garnett got the steal. Boston called timeout and had a chance to go for the win with five seconds left. Pierce received the pass and fired a fadeaway from the left baseline--but he not only missed, he shot too soon and Detroit secured the rebound with just under two seconds left. After another timeout, Detroit inbounded to Billups, whose pump fake suckered T...   [read the full post]