All Entries Related to "Boston Celtics"
June 19, 2008
Parade Photos
Posted by Michael at 03:04 PM | Comments (0)
June 18, 2008
Quote of the Year
"I got my own. I got my own. I hope we made you proud." - Kevin Garnett, to Bill Russell.
Posted by Michael at 08:59 AM | Comments (3)
May 31, 2008
The Natural Balance of the Universe Has Been Restored
Bring it.
Posted by Michael at 12:46 AM | Comments (2)
January 16, 2008
Worst Celtic Ever
Awesome thread at CelticsBlog about who is the worst Celtic you have ever seen. It's extremely easy to rattle off a Greatest Celtic team, but how about the worst? Luckily, you only have to comb through about 15 seasons to find the dregs. My team may not be the "worst" ever, but it's the guys who I, to this day, shake my head that I ever rooted for even slightly. Either they didn't care, they cared only about themselves, they were draft busts, or something.
C: Travis Knight
F: Jerome Moiso, Vin Baker
G: Todd Day (captain), Sebastian Telfair
Bench: Pervis Ellison, Mark Blount, Kedrick Brown, Chris Herren, Joe Forte, Nate Driggers, Brett Szabo*
Coach: Don't even tell me you need to ask.
* (For diehards only: The last two are guys who were pulled off a construction site, suited up for the 1997 "Let's Get Tim Duncan" derby, and were never heard from again. The Witness Protection Program may be involved.)
Posted by Michael at 09:12 AM | Comments (7)
August 01, 2007
Wake Me Up When September Ends
Here, here, and especially here.
When does training camp start?
Posted by Michael at 09:12 AM | Comments (1)
June 29, 2007
Not Thrilled With Danny Ainge Right Now
Here...
...and here.
Someday, I want to play high-stakes Monopoly with Ainge. "Danny, I know you have all three greens and are ready to start building houses on North Carolina, but I also know you've been coveting the purples. And I happen to have St. Charles, which can be yours for 2 railroads, a Get Out of Jail Free Card, and a written vow that I never have to pay rent on your greens."
Posted by Michael at 08:19 AM | Comments (4)
May 22, 2007
Fate To Celtics: Drop Dead
NOOOOOOOOOOO!
It was all for nothing. The injuries. The tanking (fine, we can say it now). The agony. The misery. The futile dream that something might go right for the Celtics.
Fifth pick. It literally couldn't have gone any worse for the Celtics. Well, maybe it could, because at least Oden and Durant are both bound for the Western Conference, where we'll only see them twice a year and not in the playoffs (ask Jim Mora about that). But this was a kick in the face from David Stern's iron boot.
I was at Clerys in the South End for the FSN Lottery Party (attended by Delonte West; pictures are here), and it was horrible to hear the air get sucked out of the room when the NBA geek opened envelope #5. They even brought everybody outside beforehand to honor Red with a huge cloud of cigar smoke. No dice.
So what now? We could start looking at that Chinese guy (who has potential and is somewhere between 19 and 35 years old). Or Noah (who I think will be better than most people think). Or Horford. Or Wright. Or it won't matter, because Danny Ainge will trade the pick for Sebastian Telfair's brother and some ancient stiff who will come off the salary cap in 2012.
You know what? I'm not jumping off the bridge yet. Maybe Tony Allen comes back. Maybe Gerald makes an improvement half as big as Al Jefferson's third-year improvement. Maybe Rondo develops a shot; maybe Perkins adds something (anything) to his game. And we're still in the Atlantic Division. But, dammit, I wish I'd be thinking about going deep into the playoffs, instead of my 12th straight year of hoping everything goes right and we just get there.
I hate sports.
Posted by Michael at 10:47 PM | Comments (1)
April 14, 2007
Open Letter to the Celtics
I know I'm one of those hidebound traditionalists who cares more about the Celtics reclaiming their legacy than about a suitable "fan experience". In that vein, I guess I was hoping that halftime last night would feature a little more in the way of honoring the '57 Championship team, and a little less watching a guy throw Frisbees to dogs. I'm sure wherever Red is watching this season from, he probably had a few choice words on the matter.
If I wanted to root for a characterless McTeam like Orlando or Atlanta so I could get free T-shirts and watch idiots on the Jumbotron, I'd happily move. The weather's a lot better. But I grew up with this team, I've lived and died and died and died with this team, and I'd like to think that being a fan of this team carries with it a certain something beyond just being a consumerbot.
Of course, if we land one of those two plum draft picks, my hope for the future will return. But I can't help the nagging feeling that the NBA will pull out all the stops to send Oden and Durant somewhere other than Boston (hey, is that the Lakers marching towards the lottery?!) and I guess I'd like to think there's a contingency plan that involves a Plan B - preferably one that recognizes that there is such a thing as Celtics pride, and at least gives a nod to the 57 fans who still have vague memories of same.
Kthxbye.
Posted by Michael at 10:58 AM | Comments (2)
February 22, 2007
More Terrible News For the Celtics
Dennis Johnson died today. 52 years old.
DJ's most lasting moment, of course, was on the Isiah inbounds pass in '87. Larry Bird made a legendary, unbelievable steal - but as he stole it, Dennis was already cutting to the basket, ready for the pass and the layup.
Larry called him the best teammate he ever played with. We'll miss you, DJ.
Posted by Michael at 04:13 PM | Comments (1)
February 10, 2007
Rock Bottom
I never leave games early. I think in seven years of going to 20+ Celtics' games a year, I've bailed out four or five times. Last night I bailed out.
17 losses in a row. A completely flat, uninspired performance in a string of mostly flat, uninspired performances. New Jersey opens up a 17 point lead with about 4 minutes to go. Celtics call time out. And here comes Lucky with FREE T-SHIRTS!!!!!
If the franchise doesn't care, why should I?
UPDATE AND A WEE CLARIFICATION: Jay at HubBlog interprets this as me thinking the players don't care, which is not the point I wanted to make. The players, for the most part, are either playing as hard as ever (Delonte, Jefferson), playing through pain (Kendrick) or slumps (Gomes), or are legitimately learning their way around (Rondo, Gerald*). When I say the franchise doesn't care, it's more of an institutional thing: you never see Danny Ainge at the games, ownership is mum (imagine Mark Cuban during a month-long losing streak?), and the sending out Lucky and the cheerleaders with T-shirts in the middle of a blowout, to me, is the final nail in the coffin of whatever respect this organization had for actual basketball fans. And that's why I stormed out of there in a rage last night. We know this seaon's lost, and some of us seem to be taking it harder than the people who can do something about it.
*UPDATE II: Gerald Green is skating on the edge of the Kedrick Brown "so much potential" ice right now. I'm watching closely.
Posted by Michael at 12:25 PM | Comments (0)
February 09, 2007
17 Is the Loneliest Number
I've been writing Sports Redux wrapups for two weeks and I'm already running out of ways to say "The Celtics and Bruins suck". When does that truck leave?
Posted by Michael at 11:57 AM | Comments (2)
February 08, 2007
A Tribute to Red
Since this season isn't exactly a fitting tribute to the late Red Auerbach (we really thought we'd be talking about #17 one of these days, but not in terms of a losing streak), Jon at Bostonist has a much better idea for a tribute to Red - an updating of the Celtics logo. I love it.
Posted by Michael at 08:33 AM | Comments (1)
January 29, 2007
Dan Shaughnessy Remembers Where the Garden Is
Dan Shaughnessy, who wondered aloud on Friday why anyone bothers following the Celtics' miserable season, today wrote a column about the Celtics' miserable season. Proving there's no pigpile too high for Dan to jump on.
Now, there aren't a lot of people around who have said more unkind things about the C's this year than me, but I get into full circle-the-wagons mode when an outsider (yes, Dan) starts saying some of the same things I've been saying all along. Let's look at some of the highlights:
Boston plays in Indianapolis tomorrow night, then comes home to face the Lakers Wednesday and the Clippers Friday. If the Celtics drop the next two, they'll tie the franchise record for consecutive losses, which would put it all on the line Friday night against the Clips.
Some of us (read: me) even took the extra step of looking at the schedule to see when we might see the next win. I have the Valentine's Day tilt against Milwaukee penciled in as a "maybe" (which would break a potential 18-game plummet), but after that is a brutal Western trip, then a possible liferaft against the Knicks at the end of February. Any way you slice it, it's going to be a long winter.
Nobody seems bothered. Not even the fans. A robust 17,269 trekked to the basketball barn and most of them seemed happy with the show -- even the few who didn't go home with a free T-shirt shot out of a toy cannon.
"Happy with the show" makes it sound like we were all just there to have a good time and didn't care who won. Not true. There's a grey area, though between "hopeful to see a good game and maybe steal a win" and "let's all slit our wrists because this team sucks so much". It's easier to have a decent time when your expectations are nonexistent. To be fair to Dan, though, it's harder to judge the pulse of a fanbase when you only go to five games a year.
The Celtics have been playing without Paul Pierce since Dec. 21 (stress reaction, left foot), but there's little excuse for what we're seeing these days.
You say "little excuse"; I say "the entire team is under 25, their coach is befuddled by the concept of game management, and no one's confident enough to take the momentum-shifting shot." Excuses? No. Reasons? Yes.
...boilerplate history lesson...
But now there is little light. Executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge has given us a team of overgrown kids who don't know how to win without Pierce.
Hmm. Sounds like what I said. If you look at the Celtics for what they realistically are - a very good college team playing an NBA schedule - there's a little more light.
And for the rest of the year they're going to play under a cloud of suspicion because of the long shadow cast by Ohio State 7-footer Greg Oden and Texas freshman Kevin Durant. Those two young men are expected to be the prizes of the 2007 draft and Boston's lose-to-win strategy could yield a franchise player.
Cloud of suspicion? When you've got Philly dumping Allen Iverson for loose change and ready to break the kneecaps of anyone who scores 25, when you've got Memphis trying to trade their one good player before they accidentally go on a winning streak (much more on this situation later), and when you've got the Knicks in tank mode (to be fair, Isiah may not realize he traded away his #1 pick), the Celtics don't look all that suspicious. They just don't look that good.
They are spiraling toward Secaucus with their sights set on Oden and Durant, and no one seems too upset about any of it.
Sorry, Dan. My next game's against Miami next week; I'll be sure to wear the sackcloth so you don't accidentally think I'm not full of woe.
Posted by Michael at 08:08 AM | Comments (1)
November 30, 2006
And....I'm Down On Doc Again
Here's a slightly edited version of an email I sent last night:
Fourth quarter. Stop me if you've heard this. No penetration (NJ took 19 free throws to our 5, and those are NOT exact numbers because I can't be bothered to look them up), lackadaisacal defence (Vince Carter was suddenly an All-Star again)...and bad coaching. Twice, the Celtics came out of timeouts down 2 or 3 in the last minute. First time, they threw right to Pierce who launched a contested shot from a foot beyond the line. No good.
Second time - absolutely inexcusable. 10ish seconds to go, down by 3. Pierce, Wally, Telfair, PERKINS AND JEFFERSON are the game. PERKINS AND JEFFERSON. Because if someone misses a 3, you want a chance for an offensive rebound and putback at the buzzer, so you only lose by 1. Anyway, they made a bad pass, it took a bounce, and Szczerbrick got his hand on the ball with maybe 1 second left...and took a step towards the basket. I'll reiterate, they were down by 3 at the time. I don't even think he got a shot off.
I'd like to know exactly what Doc was talking about in those two timeouts.
Royce Webb on ESPN breaks down the final 30 seconds like it's the Zapruder film. A must-read for anyone who wants to know why this Celtics team is making me lose a year off my life.
Posted by Michael at 08:27 AM | Comments (0)
November 29, 2006
Suck Cess
With New Jersey's loss last night, I'm pleased to report that the floundering, oft-maligned-(in-these-quarters), 5-and-8 Celtics now have sole possession of first place in the highly competitive Atlantic Division. Which would qualify them for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. Doc's a miracle worker.
Posted by Michael at 08:10 AM | Comments (0)
November 28, 2006
L'Affaire Doc Continues
Wow, sides are being drawn in the "Fire Doc" debate.
The first shot in this latest scuffle was fired by Bill Simmons, who wrote one of his trademark 42,000-word columns about Doc. Except for the "trade Pierce and blow it all up" bit, I was pretty much nodding my head throughout. One of the major points Simmons made is that Doc is a completely nice and likeable guy, and as such has been treated with kid gloves by the Boston press (which in itself is a headscratcher).
So the Boston press, in the form of Bob Ryan, responded to Simmons, saying that "from 3,000 miles away, as if [Simmons] knows what's going on with the Celtics", he can't be trusted and he's got too much influence on the fans. Michael Gee chimed in, saying that firing Doc would be stupid. Gee finishes by saying,
Look people, isn't it obvious by now the Boston franchise's failure is a total group effort? Sure, the Celts could use a new coach, but only if he came as part of a package. This team needs new owners, a new front office, and about ten new players before the identity of its bench boss would make the slightest difference in its performance.
And that's a point well taken. The reason Doc gets the blame, at least here, is mostly his questionable game management, but part of it is the fear that, if things don't turn in a hurry, Danny's going to make another panic trade, probably involving clearing up some salary cap room, and we'll be told once again that this new group just needs time together.
It's simplistic to blame Doc. I'll admit that. But he also gives Scalabrine big minutes, which overshadows any mitigating factors. For every pleasant surprise like the Milwaukee comeback, there are two unpleasant memories: let's call the meltdown in Cleveland the second worst, and that manure-pile of a game against the Knicks the worst (I had to edit that three times to get it down to manure-pile).
Ryan makes the concession that if this team hasn't shown improvement by the All-Star Break, then, yes, it's Doc's time to leave the island. OK. I'll grant him three more months. But for Ryan to say the fans are impatient...DUH. The Lakers had a couple mediocre years between dynasties. The Bulls were a joke for three years, then got well into the playoffs. The Jazz lost two Hall-of-Famers, and three years later got off to the best start in the league. We're 20 years removed from glory, 15 years removed from relevance, and have heard every year for the past eight years that we're about to turn the corner. Yes. We're impatient.
But I'll give Doc till February.
(Universal Hub helped me find most of those columns)
Posted by Michael at 09:24 AM | Comments (0)
November 24, 2006
Doc Must Go
All right. Enough's enough. The kids aren't really getting better. The timeouts and substitutions still make no sense. Scalabrine is still getting minutes. Pierce is starting to mail it in. Wally Szczerbiak gives you all of Antoine Walker's negative (shaky defense, indefensible 3-pointers, driving into triple teams) with none of Antoine's positives (hustle, obvious desire). This team's on a treadmill, and something needs to give.
(Oh, and Danny Ainge: this is not a call for a monster trade that will send some of the kids away for another stiff and some valuable salary cap wiggle room. You've gone to that well too many times and it isn't working. Kthxbye)
So something has to give, and sorry, Doc, but it's you. Please let's not spend this whole year getting right back to where we've started the last 10 seasons.
Posted by Michael at 11:06 PM | Comments (3)
October 28, 2006
Red
1917-2006.
I've been going to Celtics games for years with my Dad. For a couple of years, we'd meet up at Quincy Market before the games. There's a statue of Red Auerbach off to the side of the main building; weather permitting, we'd go over to the statue for a bit of good luck. Of course, if you've watched the Celtics the past ten years, you know how little good luck there's been. Guess that's why we let the tradition die.
Which is too bad. Tradition is what being a Celtics fan is all about. It's why Bob Cousy still shows up to broadcast games in the winter when we all know he'd rather be golfing. It's why Jo Jo White and Satch Sanders are at the Garden more often than not. It's why every other team in the NBA hated the sight of a cigar; it was Red's signature exclamation point on another Boston triumph.
We all knew Red has been going downhill for a few years now. But a couple of times over the past few seasons, he'd show up at the Garden, and everything stopped while the fans stood up and cheered our heads off. To welcome Red back. To say we still appreciated the past, even when the present featured folks like M.L. Carr, Thomas Hamilton, Rick Pitino, or Brian Scalabrine. And a lot of it was because we always knew that this could be the last time we got to salute him.
And now he's gone.
All the crap - the loud music, the cheerleaders, the stupid mascot - that we said would only come to Boston over Red's dead body; well, it's already come. I can't imagine any of that actually affected him, but it was a pretty clear sign that the League has moved beyond tradition. But the game hasn't. And the real fans haven't. And when one day, some Celtic pulls the string to raise the 17th banner to the ceiling - God knows when that day will come - Red won't be there to see it. He won't have been responsible for it. And it probably won't seem quite as sweet now.
So goodbye, and thanks, Arnold. You've made this city a much better place. You've given us a ton of memories. And we'll miss you. I'm going to go buy a cigar now.
Posted by Michael at 09:02 PM | Comments (2)
July 04, 2006
I Love the Internet
Only diehard Celtics fans are expected to appreciate this.
Posted by Michael at 11:24 PM | Comments (0)
March 10, 2006
Simmons on Pierce
Posted by Michael at 11:50 AM | Comments (1)
February 27, 2006
Shut Up, Phil
"The NBA's known for referees allowing teams to kind of decide games, especially when they're tied. Let teams decide what's going to happen, not referees' calls unless it's blatant, unless literally a guy gets his arm hit on a shot."
Phil Jackson complaining about the referees is like Paris Hilton complaining about celebrities who are famous for nothing. It's like Mayor Menino complaining that schools don't teach diction anymore. It's like Bill O'Reilly bemoaning the lack of civil discourse. It's like Dick Cheney saying drinking and hunting don't mix.
Shut up, Phil. Celtics 112, Lakers 111.
Posted by Michael at 11:32 AM | Comments (1)
October 01, 2005
Celtics Picnic
With everyone going nuts over the Sox and the Patriots, my Dad and I still managed to find time to join almost 2,000 other hardcore Celtics fans at the team's annual cookout at the training facility in Waltham. They've done this for years: a cookout, a Q&A with Danny Ainge, autograph sessions with Celtics past and present. We got to chat a little with Bob Cousy and Jo Jo White, we met one of the owners, and yours truly snuck around a corner to get his picture taken with Paul Pierce (more pics). Have a great year and stick around, Paul; I don't want to have to superimpose Brian Scalabrine's face over yours in January.
Posted by Michael at 02:33 PM | Comments (0)
May 07, 2005
Two Out of Three Ain't Bad
Well, it's over.
I guess I shouldn't complain too much...we still do have two defending champs in town. And, let's face it, no playoff team in history deserved to have their ticket punched than the 2004-05 Celtics. There was little to no cohesion, no discernible offensive strategy, and shaky-at-best coaching.
So with that said (and I reserve the right to do a 180 after some reflection), I want Danny Ainge to watch Logan's Run, the movie where everyone over the age of 30 is terminated. Right now (and I stress, I may not feel this way next week) we could trade Antoine, Paul, Gary and (please?) Blount and I wouldn't mind. The future of this team is in place; what they need is to grow together and learn together from awful performances like this. Al, Tony, Delonte...these are the links to the comeback. Saddling them with low minutes and a spastic gameplan isn't a longterm option. Now we've got four months to stew. Thanks a lot, guys.
Posted by Michael at 10:14 PM | Comments (1)
May 01, 2005
I Take It Back
Obviously, the standard for Boston sports turnarounds was set back in October. But the Celtics' performance in Game 4 was almost as dramatic. A simultaneously solid and spectacular performance. A team, which was floundering, took the Pacers to school. It was amazing. Where do we begin?
How about the starting lineup? Without Antoine, Doc was forced to improvise, and he did, brilliantly. Starting Delonte and Ricky in place of Walker and Tony Allen, he forced the point-guard-less Pacers into a wretched offense, and with West and Ricky pressing, it freed up Gary Payton to concentrate defensively on stuffing Reggie Miller. I implore you, Doc, leave this starting five in place. I suddenly love the idea of Antoine coming in to thunderous Garden applause as the sixth man on Tuesday.
How about the teamwork? Everyone contributed. Everyone. Al Jefferson played some monstrous defense. Raef Lafrentz kept Jermaine O'Neal bottled up. Tony had some amazing followups on misses. Even Justin Reed hit a coffin-nail-driving shot.
How about The Man? The first two points of the game were scored by Paul Pierce, and I muttered something like, "Time to make this a career-defining game, Paul." It may not have been as great as his role in the comeback against Jersey three years ago, but it was close. Paul hit shots from everywhere. He had 5 (five!) (!) blocks. He led two of the best fast breaks of the year, nailing first GP, then Big Al, with pinpoint downcourt passes. He buried a backbreaking 3 over the shove of the loathsome Austin Croshere. If it does turn out to be a career-defining game, look for #34 to be raised to the rafters in a few year.
Musn't get too high now. Indiana looked flat, their nitwit fans were taken totally out of the game, and the refs were a non-factor(!). But the C's get 'em back in our house Tuesday. And this series is on, baby.
Posted by Michael at 12:47 AM | Comments (3)
April 29, 2005
Garbage Time in the Playoffs
David Stern, on the Pistons-Pacers fracas in November:
"We have to do everything possible to redefine the covenant between players and fans, and between fans and fans, and make sure we can play our games in very welcoming and peaceful settings."
The NBA, seeing the potential drama and potential ratings of a potential Pistons-Pacers playoff series:
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Well, how else would you explain it? The refs have openly been wearing Pacers jerseys during the games, the league has suspended Antoine Walker for Game 4 for going ballistic after another dumbass call, and the Celtics, as moribundly as they've been playing and as little as they truly deserved to win Games 2 or 3, have to go 5-on-8 for the rest of the series.
During another long fan-peer-counseling phone call with my Dad last night, we agreed that Indiana is a team we kind of like, until the minute the game starts. Especially R***** M***** (I can't say his name without rage building inside me; you know who I mean). I'm at the point I'm rarely at now; I want to see him injured. I want him to kick his leg out on a 3-point attempt and have Ricky flip him over onto his skull (Do it, Ricky; you might as well contribute to this series somehow). I want him to set one of his patented pansy screens and see Kendrick Perkins knock him into the third row. You're going to get a foul called on you if you go within 3 feet of Reggie; might as well get your money's worth.
I hate the Indiana fans, who everytime a questionable call doesn't go their way (which was twice in Game 3) moan and whine like the greatest injustice in the history of man has been perpetrated. The only consolation is that the Pacers won't go on to win the title, while our Patriots stomping their Colts on the way to a Superbowl has become an annual tradition as reliable as the falling leaves.
I almost wish for the early 90s Pistons to reunite for the next round (I know...don't give up on the C's yet...but come on). I think the only way to stop Reggie is a healthy dose of Laimbeer and Rodman. I want Reggie to watch the end of the season, and the end of his career, from inside a body cast.
There, I said it.
Posted by Michael at 06:27 PM | Comments (1)
March 12, 2005
It's A GOOD Ache
I've been home for two hours. An apple juice and about six lozenges later, my throat has stopped crying out in itching pain. The redness on my hands is receding. And my knees aren't creaking when I stand up anymore.
And I've had a little time to reflect on the absolutely UNBELIEVABLE game I witnessed tonight at the Garden (we can call it the Garden again now, right?). The Celtics took everything the champs had to offer, outlasting Detroit in a double-overtime game that was probably...nah, it was...the best regular season game I've seen in the modern Celtics era.
Let's start with the highlights: The reanimated corpse of Mark Blount getting 17 points in 35 minutes, to the point where I actually wouldn't have minded seeing him take the last shot at the end of OT#1. Paul Pierce playing like the Paul of old, coming up clutch in the 2nd OT (even if he telegraphed the shot at the end of regulation that would have won it)...getting to the line...playing with a little swagger again. Lafrentz keeping Ben Wallace in check under the basket in the first quarter. GP and Antoine bumping chests and dancing a little as the Celts took a lead. And a notice to the defending champs that the Atlantic Division will actually have a WINNER this year, not just a Least Mediocre.
The lowlights? Well, 'Toine went 4-for-19. Eegads. And the C's kept falling for Detroit's "let's let Rip Hamilton drive the lane and shoot 2 free throws which take six minutes apiece" offense. Larry Brown bitching about every call that went against the Pistons, to the point where he killed his team by finally getting a technical called on him in the 2nd OT. Ben Wallace airballing a free throw.
A personal highlight? Our buddies from Section 324, who abandoned their season tickets after last season's snoozefest, made their first visit of the year, so we got to catch up.
Look, I know this team is flawed. But I think the C's can play with any team in the East, and almost any team in the West. Considering we were projecting a 35-win season back in October, it's a pleasant suprise that they're in the driver's seat for the #3 seed in the East (and don't look now, but they're only a game and a half back from legitimately owning it), and more to the point - they're fun. I haven't felt this sore after a game in a while. I like it.
Posted by Michael at 01:23 AM | Comments (1)
March 02, 2005
Great Moments In Postgame Press Conferences
Doc Rivers, praising the play tonight of seldom-used big man Justin Reed:
"Justin's literally been in mothballs for a few weeks..."
Posted by Michael at 10:40 PM | Comments (5)
Antoine
I was skeptical. You know that.
But Simmons, the official chronicler of the First Antoine Era in Boston, nails it -- this trade was "like the adrenalin shot from Pulp Fiction".
This isn't about welcoming back a favorite son, because nobody ever liked him that much. It's about 20,000 fans apologizing to someone who never received a fair shake. It's about a guy who learned from his mistakes and longed for a second chance. It's about perception and reality. It's about black and white. It's about sixteen championships, and Red and Cooz, and Russell and Bird, and a franchise that used to stand for something. It's about standing and cheering and clapping until your hands ache, about appreciating someone that you never quite understood, about making up for lost time. It's about fans chanting "AN-TWAN WAH-KER" and clapping in rhythm to the syllables.
I can't believe I have to wait till Sunday to go back to the _____Center. He's back.
Posted by Michael at 10:22 AM | Comments (1)
January 26, 2005
More on Pierce
Ric Bucher of ESPN The Magazine turns his eyes to the Celtics (currently holding the dubious distinction of being in 1st place in the Worst Division in Sports History) and examines the funk Paul Pierce has been in all season, and what the future may hold for his role with the C's.
I'm a little ashamed, though, to admit that when I read,
...the Celtics have an array of building blocks that need only a centerpiece to make sense of it all. A centerpiece whose example gets all that athleticism and toughness dialed in on defense and creates easy shots on offense.
a name popped instantly into my head. I just wish it was the name of someone who wasn't certifiably batshit-insane and one suspension away from being exiled to Siberia.
Someone please give me another name!
Posted by Michael at 11:57 PM | Comments (0)
December 03, 2004
Doc and Paul Kiss And Make Up
Pierce apologized to Rivers.
OK...but we've got our eyes on you.
Posted by Michael at 01:12 AM | Comments (1)
December 01, 2004
The Truth Hurts
OK. Someone's gotta start writing fulltime on the Web about the Celtics, and since Simmons has become a Clippers fan, I'll get the ball rolling.
My Dad and I were walking out of the New Garden tonight after the C's' nailbiting 101-100 win over Milwaukee, talking basketball with Globe columnist Bob Ryan -- well, that's not exactly true. What happened is my Dad said, "Hey, Bob," and then Bob talked basketball to us all the way over to Government Center. I swear, the man didn't take one breath. We learned that Bob likes the uptempo pace of this year's Celtics, he thinks the rookies are going to be good (especially Delonte West, when he heals), and he likes having GP as a point guard. And a lot more. All in a five-minute walk. All in all, I think Bob was pretty gracious, considering we were literally two guys walking up to him in a dark alley.
But what dominated the conversation/monologue was Paul Pierce. Coach Doc Rivers sat him down with about 4 minutes to go in a razor-thin game. Paul, while everyone else on the Boston bench was leaning forward, was leaning back, arms across the tops of the folding chairs next to him, visibly sulking. Then the Bucks called a timeout and Payton and Rivers both started yelling at Paul. Really yelling. Then Paul goes into the game, hits a 3-pointer, and eventually the Celtics walk off victorious.
But something is clearly rotten here. Paul got benched and sulked last week against San Antonio, he sleepwalked through chunks of last year, he's visibly pissy almost all the time this year. It's not as bad as Vince Carter's "woe-is-me" act in Toronto, but it's going to have an effect on this season, and maybe a longterm effect on the kids, if the designated team superstar is turning into a courtside cancer.
While researching(!) this, I found an interesting column by Brendan McGovern on About.com. He suggests that Pierce needs a change of scenery (which is becoming more obvious by the day) and lists some potential destinations. I admit, I like that New Orleans idea.
It's funny (not ha-ha funny, but interesting) that three years ago, Paul and Antoine Walker got the team withing spittin' distance of the NBA Finals. Antoine got traded, and now he's in a low-pressure environment where he can shoot his heart out and no one cares. Maybe that's what's best for Paul, too. And it sucks. After the fading early-90s and the Godawful late-90s, we thought Paul was The Truth and would mean the end of the Celtics' rebuilding process.
But it looks like we have one more rebuilding process to go. And maybe it starts with trading our biggest and most recognizable star. Hey, it's worked before.
I probably would have told all this to Bob, if he had taken a breath.
Posted by Michael at 10:14 PM | Comments (0)