Why hello there everyone! It's been a while since we've had a proper Celtics game recap on here. I might be a little rusty, but let's get right into it.
This was a big win. Not only because it was the first game of the NBA season, but because of the quality of play we had going and the team we played against. Aside from the stagnant first quarter, the Celtics got contributions for essentially everyone at the perfect times during the game. The bench carried our offense (and defense) throughout the second quarter, trimming an early 14-point deficit to single digits before halftime. Paul Pierce, quiet throughout most of the game, showed why he's the captain, putting the game out of reach with two daggers at the end of the 4th (as well as a few clutch free throws). Garnett twisted, turned, pivoted, and shot like his old self, including an insanely difficult turnaround-fadeaway bank shot in Shaq's grill. Was the game perfect? Of course not. For a quarter and a half, I sat in silence on the couch pissed off that our offense was nowhere to be found. We made bone-headed plays--ya know, stuff that junior varsity teams often make, which I'll get into shortly.
Hmm, wonder who won this matchup...
Actually, let's start with that bad stuff. Let me start by saying that I love Rondo. Like, I think he'll become one of the top 3 PGs in the league at the rate he's improving. That being said, he can be really dumb--or maybe a more kind word is overexcited. For instance, instead of trying to DUNK the ball on LEBRON JAMES, how about you lay it up off the glass? LeBron blocks it and it's goaltending. You miss, Pierce is right behind to clean up the miss. Instead, Rondo sometimes feels like it's necessary for him to make a humongous play against a more athletic, taller opponent. Sure, if he does dunk on him, it's a momentum changer, but in that specific situation, don't try that again, please. Also, can we communicate in those situations?? When Ray Allen went in for the layup on the fastbreak, I don't think anyone shouted out to him, "Ray. Heads up. LeBron is right behind you." If someone had done that, Ray's wily enough to avoid an embarrassing block, but unfortunately it didn't happen. Another thing that irked me, from both Rondo and the rest of the team, is this whole passing in traffic/jumping in the air and passing thing. Let's hope we got that out of our system. On more than one occasion, we had someone drive, jump in the air with no real plan, and then try to pass it off. This almost never works. If Cous had been calling that game, he would've said the one fundamental thing a point guard should never do is jump and try to pass. Another "never do that!" play is trying to force a pass in traffic or cross-court. Unless the guy is completely open (as Ray Allen was a couple times when they executed the pass well), don't do it. The chances of it getting picked off go up by a lot. And what's the purpose of trying to pass the ball into Shelden Freakin' Williams as the paint is loaded with the likes of Shaq and Big Z, among various other players from both teams? Probably the worst thing you could do in that situation. I don't dislike Williams, he did a relatively decent job (and will have to) in the absence of Glen Davis (PS-Like Wyc Grousbeck, I too will refuse to call him "Big Baby"--the guy clearly needs to grow up. The whole off-court-altercation-leads-to-injury thing ONLY happens on other teams. I don't care if your buddy pushed you or whatever started it. Why in HELL would you jeopardize your reputation and your team's success? Congrats, dumbass. You're now out for at least 6 weeks with a broken finger and maybe longer depending on disciplinary action. Okay, end of rant.) Williams, as I said, was respectable (4 pts, 3 rebs in 13 minutes). He scrapped down in the paint and drew fouls, which is all you can ask for from a guy who's not even an offensive option on any given play.
The thing I was most pleased in seeing was not just the points, etc. from the bench last night, but every single player off the bench had a little "+" next to his name in the box score. The plus/minus thing means how many total points the team got while a certain player was on the court. It's a real good indication of his impact. Cleveland, on the other hand: all minuses. Seriously, their bench is just not good. Even with Delonte West back in action in the near future, they won't be very effective at all. I LOVE our bench. Marquis Daniels is a terrific player and has great ball-handling skills. What a great pickup. Not only can he play 3 positions, but the fact that he can act as point guard opens up Eddie House to be the shooting guard that he naturally is. We didn't have that last season. Daniels is also a great defender, allowing the likes of Pierce and Allen to "rest" defensively while he guards other teams' best players, like James. He doesn't have much of a long jumpshot that I know of (except that baseline 3 he hit was nice, so he does have the range), he's more of a slasher, with deceptive quickness. He had a quiet 7 points in 18 minutes, but was a +11 while on the court. Sheed looked great as well. His ability to spread the floor is something we've missed since who knows when. I just love when Doc put the lineup of Sheed, KG, Pierce, Ray, and Rondo on the floor, forcing Shaq/Z out of the paint to guard them. No one can defend us in that situation, it's as simple as that. Perk is still a very important part though. Although he got burned 3 times in the first quarter by Shaq (he did play great D--Shaq was just able to hit those baby hook shots), Perk continued to grind it out down low, forcing Shaq as far out of the paint as possible. When he did that, Shaq was ineffective. Honestly, I think Cleveland is in trouble. Shaq was dominant in the first quarter. I was afraid it was gonna be another one of "those games" where we just can't stop the opposing team's big guy. But he showed his age. He undoubtedly got tired and played absolutely zero role the rest of the game. They have no bench and LeBron is one-of-a-kind, but as we've seen, he can't carry the team the whole way. The "help" that has supposedly arrived this season just won't cut it from my point of view. Of course, it's only been one game and only time will tell, so let's wait and find out...
KG and Perk show off some of the famed Celtics D as Varejao looks like an idiot.
I refuse to talk about KG's knee. Bill Simmons thinks it's something everyone should be worried about, given the ambiguity with which the issue was dealt when discussed with the media. He says whenever anyone of KG's age has knee surgery, his career goes down the tubes. Although I think Bill Simmons is some sort of god, I just have to disagree. Look, the guy knows his stuff, but after watching every preseason game and now this first game, the guy is already in mid-season form (not stamina-wise, of course). He was able to get up for an alley-oop pass, which would've been slammed home had it not been for the position he was in (back turned to the basket). I think the kicker was when Shaq threw him down to the ground and KG just got up and pounded his chest as if to say, "Yep, I'm my old self still," then calmly knocking down 2 free throws. I honestly see no problems stemming directly from the knee that will affect his game this season.
It was none other than The Truth that sealed the W for the C's.
And what can I say about Pierce that hasn't been said before? The guy's like a snake. He plays very quietly, though efficiently, for 3 and a half quarters and when the game is on the line, he completely ices it with two jumpers and free throws down the stretch. I loved the play when KG came out to set a high screen on James. Pierce split the defense, crossing Shaq over no problem, then pulling up at the top of the key and hitting a jumper over Anthony Parker: swish. Next possession, the switch this time and now Clownhead Varejao is on Pierce. A little step back jumper from the right side: swish. Game out of reach. That's why he's the captain.
LeBron James can do just about everything, but it's not enough if the Cavs want to make a championship run.
All in all, this game was great. If you look at the box score, the scoring was incredibly well-distributed among both starters and bench players. Not so with the Cavs, which should be a giant red flag for them and their fans. LeBron carried the scoring (and assist...and block...and steal) load for them. The "help" that they so desperately needed last season and which supposedly arrived this season simply did not cut it. The Celtics made them look like a second-tier team (they aren't--they'll make the playoffs, but they're not as good as everyone thinks, in my opinion).
Celtics vs. Bobcats tonight at 7:30.
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