Channeling Bill Simmons, check out Tim's running draft blog entry (nice touch with the Family Guy reference, Tim):
Summer Trade Rumors/ Running Draft Blog
Ok… Everyone take a nice deep breath…
Ahhh, feel better? Good. This is how I felt at midnight last night when the draft was over and Danny Ainge had taken his heart doctor’s advice and hadn’t gotten himself worked up wheeling and dealing for higher draft picks. Does anyone seriously think that the Celtics could have gotten anyone in the draft worth trading Rajon Rondo or Ray Allen for? Maybe Blake Griffin…maybe. I was actually quite bored throughout the draft, as no major moves were made (I was ready for anything after the Shaq and Carter trades). Two of the most interesting moments of the night were when New York fans reacted to Steph Curry getting taken one pick before they could take him, and then finding out that Darko Milicic was coming to town. Overall, I was disappointed, yet happy that the Celtics had stayed boring as well.
It’s looking more and more likely that Ainge’s recent trade rumor name dropping was just that, rumor. Rondo’s name was thrown around in trade scenarios for a high draft pick, and then with Ray for half of Detroit’s starting lineup. There was no chance that Detroit was going to make that trade and I’m a little put off that the Celtics would even desire those players. There’s nothing special about the Thin Man or Rip Hamilton anymore, and Stuckey widely disappointed last year. Believe me, I know – he was on my fantasy team. And who wants Detroit players on our team – aren’t we supposed to loathe them? I think what we have here is a GM making a statement that no one is untradeable, even hot shot starting point guards on championship-caliber teams. Apparently Rondo had been late for a few games and isn’t the easiest kid to coach. From what I’ve seen he takes all the criticism that Doc throws at him during games in stride, without arguing or talking back. I agree his consistency could be better, but that will come with experience.
I still don’t understand the involvement of Ray Allen in these Rumors other than perhaps gauging his value for next year if the “Three Amigos” can’t bring home the ‘ship next year. As I said in my previous blog entry, they deserve another shot at it next year, but I said nothing about the year after – we’ll see what that looks like when we get there…
Now, a trade could go down tomorrow, or next month with no notice (everyone collectively cross your fingers for the rest of the summer…and fall). We’ve seen firsthand through the Garnett-to-Boston trade that when the summer heats up, so does the trading market. However, recent comments by both Ainge and Rivers seem to point to holding on to Rondo (duh!). I wish I could say the same for Ray…(sigh).
Whatever.
I did a Bill Simmons-esque running draft blog last night, though it is nowhere near as in-depth or comprehensive as his – it’s only the lottery picks plus #58.
Running Draft Blog
The recliner foot rest is up, the Sox are on channel recall, and the Draft is starting…
Pick one – LA Clippers – Griffin (yawn).
OK, now for the rest of the 2009 NBA Draft Lottery…..
I notice that a lot of players, including Blake Griffin and Steph Curry, are wearing varying shades of light purple this year…this IS a weak draft. Curry’s tie actually matches the color of his lips.
Jon notes that Stu Scott comments that Griffin looks like “a very happy man…”, yet I don’t think he’s cracked a smile since finding out that the Clippers had the first pick.
Followed by an awkward interaction with Griffin’s parents…then a Dunleavy sighting where he tries to pretend the current team will be kept together…
2nd pick – Memphis - Thabeet is a TOWER.
3rd Pick – OKC… JAMES HARDEN! What happened to Rubio? Ruh-roh. I sense a regrettable decision. Harden’s interview - “I’m not the fastest guy. I’m not the most explosive guy. But I can get from point A to point B.”…What? (Peter Griffin voice).
4th – SAC – Tyreke Evans…and Rubio is faaaalling…Well, at least the Celtics can’t trade to pick him now…(knock on wood that they don’t swing something later on…)
5th – MIN – Rubio it is. Jon and I just died laughing when we heard his voice in the interview… (Like a Keebler elf – Jon)
6th – MIN (again) – Johnny Flynn…another PG, how does that work?
7th – GS – Steals Curry from NY. The whole family looks crushed.
8th – NY – Jordan Hill…not as exciting. Poor guy gets the yearly boo.
9th – TOR – Demar Derozan (I called this one.)
10th – Bucks – Brandon Jennings – No college for this boy. 7.6 points a game…eww.
11th – NJ – Terrence Williams, not really sure what he can do…1st senior selected in the draft.
12th – ‘Cats – Gerald Henderson, I like this pick for them.
13th – IND – PSYCHO T! I was hoping he would drop to 58…
14th – PHX – Earl Clark – Brandon Jennings makes an awkward re-appearance after deciding not to attend the draft/ gets a half-hearted cheer.
58th pick – Celtics – Lester Hudson- This guy was second in the nation behind Curry in points! Cool! Let’s see if Ray Allen can groom him into something special. That’s about all you can ask for a 58th pick, someone from a small school with a lot of upside. I’m just throwing this out there, but I think Danny Ainge may have found another late draft Leon Powe-like diamond in the rough.
Well that’s it for the draft. Recently some friends of mine have tried to convince me that moving Ray Allen for young talent might be an OK thing to do now, especially because he’s getting too old.
Now I’ve already written a whole blog entry why that should never happen, but because they insist, I must quote Jesus Christ speaking to the disciple Peter who is sinking into the sea because he does not trust Jesus:
“Oh you of little faith, why did you doubt?”
Friday, June 26, 2009
Friday, June 19, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Guest Writer
I'm happy to report that we'll be having a contributing writer here on the Celtics blog from time to time. Tim Helgesen, avid Celtics fan, has sent me this piece on the upcoming NBA draft as it pertains to the Celtics. Now, me not being a huge mock draft kinda guy, Tim's article is a great way to gap the time between the postseason run and the 2009-2010 season for the C's. Without further ado, here's Tim!
The 2009 NBA Draft and What the Celtics May Do
By, Tim Helgesen (contributing writer)
The 2009 NBA Draft is a week away, and other than Blake Griffin locked in at #1, the draft is looking extremely cloudy as scouts and GM’s compare notes and take last looks at the rookies-to-be. Memphis wants Ricky Rubio but he isn’t returning the love. Hasheem Thabeet might be their next best option as he could anchor (or create) their defense of the future. Their third option, however, is to trade the pick to surround Orange Juice Mayo and Rudy Gay with an established veteran. This seems their most viable option as they have too much youth as it is already. But this is not a Memphis Grizzlies blog, this is a Celtics blog, and here comes the connection…
ESPN, among others, is reporting that the Celtics have shown increasing interest in getting that 2nd pick, and seeing that they have no first round picks to offer in return, they’re going to have to make a BIG move. Yes, that’s right; Danny Ainge is considering breaking up the Big Three, less than two years after creating it. Rajon Rondo’s name came up last week but Ainge quickly made it known that that would NOT be happening any time soon. The only other player brought up that could pry the #2 (or any of the top 5 picks) away is……….Ray Allen.
When I heard about this I was flabbergasted and enraged. Why would the Celtics part with their 3-point savior…their only legitimate backcourt threat? So I went back and looked at the good ol’ game logs that ESPN so graciously offers to refresh my memory more than anything else. I hadn’t forgotten about his frequent slumps throughout the season and parts of the playoffs, and thoughts such as “He’s getting up there in age, Tim” and “Jump shooters always drop off quickly so we should get rid of him now” began to flood my brain. All that stopped when I saw one stat, two numbers… 51.
How could I forget about his 51 point gem against the Bulls??? Sure we lost that game, but the result didn’t matter to me as much as the meaningfulness of that stat……….
HE STILL GOT GAME.
True Celtics fans know Ray Allen's worth, evidenced by the multiple game winners and his epic 51-point performance against the Bulls this postseason.
Shuttlesworth’s not done. Sure, he’ll turn 34 in a month…I don’t care. We were a KG knee away from a Finals appearance this year, and we owe it to the “Parquet Posse” to give them another shot at a championship. We have to; they delivered as promised just a year ago. I’d rather have three over-the-hill Hall of Famers on my team than 2 and a rookie, no matter how good he may be.
Danny: Remember, we've been through this whole athletic-young-guy phase with Gerald Green. Yeah, that's the same year we lost 18 in a row. Do the right thing.
Ainge has apparently fallen into a man crush with Tyreke Evans, a 6-5 guard from Memphis. I had seen basically none of him at all, so I caught up by watching movie after movie on youtube…mostly mixtapes and all-star games. The kid can dribble and jump, finishing nicely at the rim, but his shot just isn’t there yet (of course every mixtape shot went in…). I don’t see how pairing him with a shot-under-development Rondo would be anything close to a good idea. Just…no. Don’t do it.
Doc Rivers recently told Mike WIlbon and Tony Kornheiser on PTI that the team was looking for a backup guard and another big man. So if the “backup guard” is Evans, who will be the 2 guard when Ray Allen is gone? The same problem arises if the deal goes down and the Celtics pick Thabeet (who’s riskiness scares the heck out of me)…no 2 guard. Don’t give me, “Eddie house could be the 2 guard, he played some rootin’ tootin’ good basketball last year!” (Insert Red Neck chuckle here)
Eddie House has excelled off the bench, providing much-needed scoring as the starters rest. But what if he's moved into Allen's spot?
WRONG. Not about his exceptional play, but about his ability to fill in for Allen. Edward L. House II excels as an off-the-bench fireshooter, and should stay there. He’s started a whopping 30 games in his nine year career, mostly filling in for injured stars…not someone I want taking the shots on a championship caliber team.
Other than Blake Griffin, I see no one in this draft worth getting rid of Ray Ray for, unless perhaps Steph Curry packaged with a veteran forward. The 2009 draft is just a weaker draft, case closed. As much as people want to think making a big move to get a possible superstar is the only way to keep up in this game, it’s just not going to work this time because the star power isn’t there. And if you’re still thinking that trading Ray Allen might be a good idea right about now…well shame on you, you fair-weather thrill seeker. Sometimes the best thing to do is stick with your guns, no matter how rusty they may be.
So in conclusion…Danny Ainge, sweet Danny Ainge who hath returned our team to glory…when in one week the time comes to draft players, stick with lucky pick #58 and don’t forget about 51.
Because as the sign in a barn I know of so aptly puts, “JESUS NEVER FAILS!”
Monday, June 15, 2009
...
Still 17-15. Still Better.
P.S. How much did it hurt watching Bill Russell give the Finals MVP Award to Kobe? Screw being the ambassador to the NBA or whatever Russell is. Never honor the Lakers in any way! I bet he was kicking himself and thinking how much of an asshole Kobe is...
Friday, June 12, 2009
You've Got to Be Kidding Me.
John Hollinger recently put together a points-based system ranking all 30 NBA franchises to determine who is the best all-time. You'd think that the Celtics, regardless of bias, would be #1, considering their unprecedented 17 NBA Championships. But no. He picks the Los Angeles Lakers. The following is a throw down in Hollinger's grill as to why he's a moron...
First of all, I don't care how many points you give for the various categories. The best franchise is the one that has won the most championships--every team's goal, every year, no matter what. Forget about regular season wins, intangibles, and so on. The Celtics clearly win as the best franchise, but number of banners raised is not the only reason why Hollinger's rankings are flawed.
As you can see, even the caption to the picture of the Lakers on that website is wrong. Yes, they had a great collection of stars, but the Celtics had more, hands down. In fact, they have the most members in the NBA Hall of Fame: 33. Sure, the Lakers had Wilt, Shaq, Baylor, West, Magic, and Kareem. But can they honestly contend with the likes of Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, K.C. Jones, Sam Jones, JoJo White, Tommy Heinsohn, John Havlicek, Dave Cowens, Larry Bird, Robert Parish, Kevin McHale, Bill Walton, and now Paul Pierce, Ray Ray, and KG? This argument that "the Lakers are so far out in front of everybody else it's not even funny" in terms of superstars is ABSURD! You cannot argue that 33 Hall of Famers has no weight. That's the benchmark by which great players are assessed!!
Hollinger does grant that the Lakers couldn't hold a candle to the Celtics, especially during the 1960s, but quickly dismisses this major point of contention by saying that Magic's teams of the 1980s took 2 of 3 from the C's and won back to back titles for "the first time in nearly two decades." Woopee-doo. Oh, wait...there's this one team that won eight championships in a row, something that is unprecedented in ANY major sport in history....who was that again? Oh yeah, that was the CELTICS. They also won 11 out of 13 years, so...yeah that's pretty good too, wouldn't you say Johnny boy?
Moving on. Last second excitement? I can think of one, which he mentions, and it wasn't historically as clutch as most plays I can think of. So Kobe throws up an alley-oop to Shaq to "cement" a win vs. the Kings? I'm sorry, but cementing a win is unimpressive. If that alley-oop was to WIN the game, then you'd be on to something. For the Celtics, even the broadcasts of plays have become famous! "Havlicek stole the ball!!" and later, "Aaaaaaaand now there's a steal by Bird! Underneath to DJ and he lays it up and in!" Or how about Don Nelson's shot hitting the back of the rim, going straight up into the air 6 feet, and going in for the win vs. the...Lakers. Completely ridiculous.
Another reason why the Celtics are the best is that they've had 4 NBA MVPs. Although that's deceiving. Cousy won once, Russell won it 5 times, Cowens won it once (along with a ROY award), and Bird won it 3 times (back to back to back). The Lakers total? Only 8.
And just to put down the argument that Phil Jackson is better/will be better than Red Auerbach. Screw you. Clearly anyone who argues this has no perspective of the game. Sure, Phil has more wins and is tied with the most titles, but Red coached at a time when the coach was the scout, manager, and drafted people. All Phil Jackson does is say things like, "It's all about psychology" or some bullshit and then gives it to Kobe or MJ. Red orchestrated draft picks such as Larry Bird a year before he was eligible just because he knew his potential. Len Bias was almost universally perceived to be the Second Coming. His drafting of Bill Russell came when he had the third pick: he negotiated/acted as though he wasn't interested to deter the 1 and 2 teams from picking him. And let's not disregard his psychological edge: the cigar. He would light up when he knew the victory was in hand, getting into the heads of the opposing coach and players, working almost as a self-fulfilling prophecy. I argue that it is much harder to win 8 in a row and 11 out of 13 titles with one core set of players than it is bouncing around and playing with two great superstars with massive egos. The players Red dealt with certainly had egos, but they were not take-it-up-the-court-and-shoot-every-time offensively-minded players. They each brought a piece of the pie: Russell brought defense, Cooz brought passing and handles, Heinsohn brought a deadly outside shot, Havlicek could score from anywhere. No one ego was greater than the team ego and that is the difference between these two coaches. Oh, not to mention that Red retired arguably at his prime, almost suddenly. He could have gone on to coach the Havlicek-led teams of the 1970s and had another two rings on his fingers. The fact that he was such an integral part of the draft process in the 1980s should call for the addition of the 1981, '84, and '86 titles to his belt, in my opinion.
Once again, what it comes down to--what every player, coach, manager, president on the team wants--is championships. The Celtics have the most, are the most successful franchise, and are therefore, the best franchise of all-time. I don't care if the Lakers have 10,000 regular season wins. Or if they have 10,000 playoff game wins. All that matters in the end is the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Celtics 17-Lakers 15. End of story.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Fun Fact of the Day
The Statue of Liberty is made of copper. Like old pennies that have been exposed to the elements and time, the statue has turned green.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
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