If you're a Knicks fan, you're happy for Mr. Robinson. It's like seeing your kid grow up and graduate college. Actually, it's more like seeing your kid grow up, graduate college, flip you off and drive away in an expensive car with another, cooler family.
--Wall Street Journal
Doc's playoff rotation has been tight . . . and successful. The starters plus Sheed, Baby, and TA. Throw in Michael Finley for a minute here and two minutes there, and call it a day. Except when you let Nate Robinson escape from the dungeon and he responds with one of those classic Celtic bench performances provided by little used scrubs at critical junctures in the post-season. In other words, it's a good bet Nate Robinson is now part of Celtics lore, especially if the Celtics win banner 18 against the purple and especially if he makes a meaningful contribution in the Finals.
But will he?
Nate has been a little Sam Cassellish to me. Don't get me wrong. I'm not Hatin' on Nate. If you've read this blog for any time, you know that I still defend Sam Cassell's end-of-season performance for the green. In his first game with the Celtics, he dropped the game-winning three on the Spurs (on the road, no less), and played pretty well at home in the first round. Cassell had his share of disappointing performances, too. And that's what makes Nate's tenure with Boston "Cassellish." He's up and down and a bit unpredictable.
This is not what you need in the NBA Finals, particularly when the Finals start on the road, where a 3-point deficit can become 18 in the blink of an eye, aided by point-guard boneheadedness. It's no secret that most players play better at home in the playoffs. Often it's a difference of night and day. It says here that Doc didn't just wait for the right playoff game to insert Nate, he waited for the right home playoff game to do so. Now with the Finals starting in LA, Doc has a bit of dilemma, made more difficult by the fact that Tony Allen, the back-up point guard Doc employed for most of the post-season, will likely be spending a few tours of duty guarding Kobe.
Who plays the point then? Nate? On the road? Did his game 6 performance in Boston constitute a moment that the Celtics' bench rides into the Finals? Or did his forgettable second-half performance in game 6 represent his return to earth from the rarefied air of quarter number 2?
I'm gonna say Doc plays Nate in the first half of game 1, but keeps him on a short leash.
What say you?
Showing posts with label Glen Davis. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Glen Davis. Show all posts
3.10.2010
The Scariest Thing Doc has Said All Year (plus an Ode to Baby!)
"We played hard, we just didn't play well."
--Doc Rivers, after the loss to Milwaukee.
Well, boys and girls, that sentence pretty much captures where we're at. We showed up. We played hard. We even played pretty well (I disagree with Doc. We certainly didn't stink last night). But we still didn't get it done. What does that tell us? Three options: A) Even when we want to win, we don't, meaning we're just not that good. B) We still haven't put it all together, meaning we still have room to play hard and play well. C) Same old chit. Regular season means nothing. This was a two-point loss. Get ready for a bunch of hard-fought playoff series that go the distance.
I sure hope it's not A. Stay tuned.
[UPDATE: DOWN 22 AT HOME TO THE GRIZZ. I THINK A IS THE ANSWER!]
In the meantime, please step forward if you don't like Glen Davis. Please tell me you don't think he's a Boston Celtic. I say pishaw to all that. PJ Brown--gone. James Posey--gone. Leon Powe--gone. That's a lot of steely nerved toughness no longer wearin' da green. Glen Davis might be the only player on the current roster capable of being the antidote to the sissified ball that Larry Bird was talking about in the 1984 NBA Finals.
I mean, come on. He knocks down Brandon Jennings, and then proceeds to jump up in his face. Next trip down he gets the ball and immediately throws in a jump hook. Glen Davis may be the toughest player on the team. Paul Pierce can talk. But Glen Davis does the walk. Surely you remember the rule Doc Rivers implemented in 2008? No layups. James Posey enforced that rule more often than not.
Now we have Glen.
Glen Davis can pull up a seat to the table with any Celtic in history as far as I'm concerned.
--Doc Rivers, after the loss to Milwaukee.
Well, boys and girls, that sentence pretty much captures where we're at. We showed up. We played hard. We even played pretty well (I disagree with Doc. We certainly didn't stink last night). But we still didn't get it done. What does that tell us? Three options: A) Even when we want to win, we don't, meaning we're just not that good. B) We still haven't put it all together, meaning we still have room to play hard and play well. C) Same old chit. Regular season means nothing. This was a two-point loss. Get ready for a bunch of hard-fought playoff series that go the distance.
I sure hope it's not A. Stay tuned.
[UPDATE: DOWN 22 AT HOME TO THE GRIZZ. I THINK A IS THE ANSWER!]
In the meantime, please step forward if you don't like Glen Davis. Please tell me you don't think he's a Boston Celtic. I say pishaw to all that. PJ Brown--gone. James Posey--gone. Leon Powe--gone. That's a lot of steely nerved toughness no longer wearin' da green. Glen Davis might be the only player on the current roster capable of being the antidote to the sissified ball that Larry Bird was talking about in the 1984 NBA Finals.
I mean, come on. He knocks down Brandon Jennings, and then proceeds to jump up in his face. Next trip down he gets the ball and immediately throws in a jump hook. Glen Davis may be the toughest player on the team. Paul Pierce can talk. But Glen Davis does the walk. Surely you remember the rule Doc Rivers implemented in 2008? No layups. James Posey enforced that rule more often than not.
Now we have Glen.
Glen Davis can pull up a seat to the table with any Celtic in history as far as I'm concerned.
3.03.2010
Can We Start the Bench?
Wow.
Inspired play. Attitude. A sense of urgency, energy even.
Of course, I'm just talking about the bench, and I'm just talking about the end of the third quarter and the first seven minutes of the fourth quarter, but you gotta start somewhere.
During that time frame, we saw Tony Allen clogging up passing lanes (on defense) and making steals a la James Posey. We saw Give It to Me Big Shelden throwing people around in the paint at one end of the floor and dunking in their face at the other. We saw Glen Davis time and again score from inside, and we saw Mighty Mouse draining threes like his name was Drazen Petrovic.
When Doc Rivers removed Shelden Williams from the game and replaced Glen Davis with Kevin Garnett, at least one viewer (this one) was left to ask, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? Do you understand that the Boston Celtics are actually playing basketball and playing it, dare I say, well? Sure, it was against the Pistons. Undoubtedly, we still gave up too many points in the paint. But for the love of pete, Coach, can you possibly let the players stay on the floor when they're on a roll and have some momentum?
I mean, the starters egos can't be that fragile. Hell, having KG, Pierce, and Jesus watch the reserves close out a game might even remind them how its done.
Inspired play. Attitude. A sense of urgency, energy even.
Of course, I'm just talking about the bench, and I'm just talking about the end of the third quarter and the first seven minutes of the fourth quarter, but you gotta start somewhere.
During that time frame, we saw Tony Allen clogging up passing lanes (on defense) and making steals a la James Posey. We saw Give It to Me Big Shelden throwing people around in the paint at one end of the floor and dunking in their face at the other. We saw Glen Davis time and again score from inside, and we saw Mighty Mouse draining threes like his name was Drazen Petrovic.
When Doc Rivers removed Shelden Williams from the game and replaced Glen Davis with Kevin Garnett, at least one viewer (this one) was left to ask, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING? Do you understand that the Boston Celtics are actually playing basketball and playing it, dare I say, well? Sure, it was against the Pistons. Undoubtedly, we still gave up too many points in the paint. But for the love of pete, Coach, can you possibly let the players stay on the floor when they're on a roll and have some momentum?
I mean, the starters egos can't be that fragile. Hell, having KG, Pierce, and Jesus watch the reserves close out a game might even remind them how its done.
2.19.2010
Relief from Trade Rumors may Give Team a Boost
Days before the All-Star break, Allen saw Glen Davis in the team hotel in New Orleans. Davis’s name, like several others, also had been mentioned in a possible trade, and Allen had no clue whether it was official or not. There was an awkwardness to the exchange.
“I didn’t say anything to him,’’ Allen said. “But I was like, ‘Is everything all right?’ He said, ‘Yeah, everything’s cool. I’m just about to go see some family.’ ’’
But it was like avoiding the elephant in the room.
“I’m sad to see Eddie go,’’ Allen said. “He was a brother of ours. We won a championship together, so we’ll be forever connected. “As a player, you feel a little more comfortable knowing you’re here for the rest of the season,’’ said Davis. “You’re not getting traded to another team, you’ve just got to keep playing, staying focused on what we have to do, staying focused on the main goal.’’ Said Allen, “We were saying how it’s a lot of guys in grocery carts this past month, because a couple of us have been shopped left and right.’’
LINK
It's hard enough to get on the same page and play like a team when you have players coming and going due to injuries. Throw in trade rumors involving rotational players, starters even, and the task grows more complicated.
Now the focus can return to where it should be--basketball and winning banner #18.
“I didn’t say anything to him,’’ Allen said. “But I was like, ‘Is everything all right?’ He said, ‘Yeah, everything’s cool. I’m just about to go see some family.’ ’’
But it was like avoiding the elephant in the room.
“I’m sad to see Eddie go,’’ Allen said. “He was a brother of ours. We won a championship together, so we’ll be forever connected. “As a player, you feel a little more comfortable knowing you’re here for the rest of the season,’’ said Davis. “You’re not getting traded to another team, you’ve just got to keep playing, staying focused on what we have to do, staying focused on the main goal.’’ Said Allen, “We were saying how it’s a lot of guys in grocery carts this past month, because a couple of us have been shopped left and right.’’
LINK
It's hard enough to get on the same page and play like a team when you have players coming and going due to injuries. Throw in trade rumors involving rotational players, starters even, and the task grows more complicated.
Now the focus can return to where it should be--basketball and winning banner #18.
2.10.2010
The Fog & The Predicament
We're gonna trade Glen Davis, a better than serviceable big with young legs and someone who isn't afraid to bang inside for a back-up point guard. We're gonna trade Ray Allen, an all-time great and still one of the seven, eight, or nine best two guards in the league for Kevin Martin and Andres Nociono, neither one of which qualifies as being better than good. Ray Allen, I might add, is probably our second best player right now. I'd entertain arguments about Paul Pierce, but any player, no matter how good, who tells me he has a foot sprain and "it ain't gonna get any better" heavily discounts his value to me.
Which is where the fog sets in.
This team is on the cusp.
The cusp of contending and the cusp of descending. It seems clear the Celtics could go one of two ways: struggle their way to banner 18 this year, or begin a precipitous decline into oblivion. Trading Big Baby wouldn't trigger the decline per se. Shelden Williams could probably cover. Trading Ray Allen, on the other hand, most definitely could return the club to the dark days of of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Other than Rondo Gordon Orr, Ray Allen is the only Celtic who brings it every night, not surprising since Jesus is a consummate professional. Assuming you got adequate talent in return (and that does NOT mean Kevin Martin and Andres Nocioni), there's still no way to plug the void of professionalism left by a departing Ray Allen. The guy is basically begging to finish his career here, and there's almost no way you get value in return. I say unless the Heat off D.Wade, you keep Ray Allen.
Which brings us to the Predicament. When you are a player, as was Danny Ainge in the late 1980s, it's easy to tell management, "Christ, you idiots, you need to trade Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish while you still can, as Danny Ainge told Red Auerbach at the infamous 1988 Christmas party. But once you've assumed the reins of power in the front office, and a fleeting last chance at another NBA championship is fluttering before your eyes, it's a little hard to push the button and blow the team up.
Rasheed Wallace provides the best example.
At this point in time, I'd say that less than half of Celtics Nation would be sorry to see him go, were Danny to send him packing before the trade deadline. But if Danny traded Sheed, are we better off? Sure, our energy level picks up. Our defense improves. But all of a sudden we're a bunch of short MoFos again, and I just can't watch this team get towered over by the rest of the league. Trust me, I'm not the only Celtics fan who feels this way.
And because we'd lack that extra seven footer, our chances of winning banner 18 are reduced to near -0-. Throw in the questionable health of KG's knee, and all of a sudden we're not talking about late 1980s Celtics basketball but late 1990s Celtics basketball. It seems like we get ourselves in this mess a lot. I hope Danny is smart enough to see us through the current state of affairs. But I'm beginning to have my doubts.
Which is where the fog sets in.
This team is on the cusp.
The cusp of contending and the cusp of descending. It seems clear the Celtics could go one of two ways: struggle their way to banner 18 this year, or begin a precipitous decline into oblivion. Trading Big Baby wouldn't trigger the decline per se. Shelden Williams could probably cover. Trading Ray Allen, on the other hand, most definitely could return the club to the dark days of of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Other than Rondo Gordon Orr, Ray Allen is the only Celtic who brings it every night, not surprising since Jesus is a consummate professional. Assuming you got adequate talent in return (and that does NOT mean Kevin Martin and Andres Nocioni), there's still no way to plug the void of professionalism left by a departing Ray Allen. The guy is basically begging to finish his career here, and there's almost no way you get value in return. I say unless the Heat off D.Wade, you keep Ray Allen.
Which brings us to the Predicament. When you are a player, as was Danny Ainge in the late 1980s, it's easy to tell management, "Christ, you idiots, you need to trade Larry Bird, Kevin McHale, and Robert Parish while you still can, as Danny Ainge told Red Auerbach at the infamous 1988 Christmas party. But once you've assumed the reins of power in the front office, and a fleeting last chance at another NBA championship is fluttering before your eyes, it's a little hard to push the button and blow the team up.
Rasheed Wallace provides the best example.
At this point in time, I'd say that less than half of Celtics Nation would be sorry to see him go, were Danny to send him packing before the trade deadline. But if Danny traded Sheed, are we better off? Sure, our energy level picks up. Our defense improves. But all of a sudden we're a bunch of short MoFos again, and I just can't watch this team get towered over by the rest of the league. Trust me, I'm not the only Celtics fan who feels this way.
And because we'd lack that extra seven footer, our chances of winning banner 18 are reduced to near -0-. Throw in the questionable health of KG's knee, and all of a sudden we're not talking about late 1980s Celtics basketball but late 1990s Celtics basketball. It seems like we get ourselves in this mess a lot. I hope Danny is smart enough to see us through the current state of affairs. But I'm beginning to have my doubts.
8.06.2009
Is Shelden Williams Really the New Leon Powe?
A lot has been written on this subject over the last two days. One piece was simply entitled: “Meet the New Leon Powe.” I’m not so sure about that. Last year we had four bigs coming off our bench to start the season: Brian Scalabrine, Glen Davis, Leon Powe, and Patrick O’Bryant. Well, we still have Brian Scalabrine. We mostly likely will still have Glen Davis as well, and we just added Shelden Williams. Am I missing anyone? Oh yeah. Sheed.
Rasheed Wallace will be the first big off the bench. Glen Davis will be reserve big #2. So depending on whom you thought was the first big off the bench last year—Leon Powe or Glen Davis—Powe is being replaced by either Davis or Sheed. This makes Shelden Williams the new Patrick O’Bryant. So all of the time spent over the past couple of days bemoaning the fact that Leon Powe and Glen Davis are better than Shelden Williams seems like time misspent to me. Now if you want to compare Give it to me, Big Shelden to POB, have at it. POB’s main problem was his ticker. From what I’ve read, Shelden won’t have that problem.
And since Mikki Moore couldn't grab a rebound if Mark Blount's life depended on it . . .
Rasheed Wallace will be the first big off the bench. Glen Davis will be reserve big #2. So depending on whom you thought was the first big off the bench last year—Leon Powe or Glen Davis—Powe is being replaced by either Davis or Sheed. This makes Shelden Williams the new Patrick O’Bryant. So all of the time spent over the past couple of days bemoaning the fact that Leon Powe and Glen Davis are better than Shelden Williams seems like time misspent to me. Now if you want to compare Give it to me, Big Shelden to POB, have at it. POB’s main problem was his ticker. From what I’ve read, Shelden won’t have that problem.
And since Mikki Moore couldn't grab a rebound if Mark Blount's life depended on it . . .
7.22.2009
Davis and Maxiell: A Quick Statistical Comparison
GLEN DAVIS
JASON MAXIELL
| Season | Team | G | GS | MPG | FG% | 3p% | FT% | OFF | DEF | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PF | PPG |
| 08-09 | BOS | 76 | 16 | 21.5 | 0.442 | 0.400 | 0.730 | 1.6 | 2.4 | 4.0 | 0.9 | 0.7 | 0.2 | 0.93 | 3.00 | 7.0 |
JASON MAXIELL
| Season | Team | G | GS | MPG | FG% | 3p% | FT% | OFF | DEF | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TO | PF | PPG |
| 08-09 | DET | 78 | 4 | 18.1 | 0.575 | 0.000 | 0.532 | 2.2 | 2.0 | 4.2 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0.58 | 2.00 | 5.8 |
7.15.2009
Detroit & Baby
As has been widely reported, the Pistons are also interested in Glen Davis, but can only offer somewhere between $3.2m and $4.8m (depending on whom you believe). More problematic to Joe Dumars is the fact that (1) Boston has the right to match and has insisted it will match any offer less than $5.6m; (2) Dumars doesn't want to tie-up cash for 7-days while Boston decides whether to match, and (3) Dumars apparently isn't hip on a sign-and-trade at the moment (you know, like one where we'd get Tayshaun Prince in return and they'd get a bunch of flotsam from our bench).
So let's see if I have this straight: There are at least three Baby suitors: Utah, New Orleans, and Detroit, and each one of them has a tall and lanky wing the Celtics might get in return. In addition, if no one ponies up the dough for Baby, Danny is working on some side deals for players like Jamario Moon.
Like I was saying yesterday, Danny has positioned himself in a place where he seemingly can't lose. Let's just hope we're still not talking about replacing James Posey in October. One year and one month is more than enough.
So let's see if I have this straight: There are at least three Baby suitors: Utah, New Orleans, and Detroit, and each one of them has a tall and lanky wing the Celtics might get in return. In addition, if no one ponies up the dough for Baby, Danny is working on some side deals for players like Jamario Moon.
Like I was saying yesterday, Danny has positioned himself in a place where he seemingly can't lose. Let's just hope we're still not talking about replacing James Posey in October. One year and one month is more than enough.
N'awlins & Baby
New Orleans has to shed some salary before it can do anything significant or construct a sign-and-trade deal for Baby the Celtics would accept. --LINK
New Orleans is still considered a potential destination for Glen Davis, but the Hornets are struggling financially and might have to move Tyson Chandler before getting into any sign and trade discussions with the Celtics. --LINK
The assumption here, of course, is that the Celtics would be receiving a certain member of the 2008 championship team in return. A guy who plays both guard and forward, plays tough D, hits threes, and gives man hugs like no other. I like James Posey, and his contract length seems to coincide perfectly with the championship window for the Celtics--three years. As noted earlier, however, Nails will turn 33 this season, while BBD is 23. That means in year three of the championship window, Nails will be 36 while BBD will be 26 (I know. Can you believe it? I can do subtraction, too). Thus, BBD will likely still be improving, while Nails will likely be winding down.
But I guess if we were all just fired up about a 37-year-old Grant Hill who's never been known as a tenacious defender, we can also get fired up about a James Posey who doesn't turn 36 until 2013.
New Orleans is still considered a potential destination for Glen Davis, but the Hornets are struggling financially and might have to move Tyson Chandler before getting into any sign and trade discussions with the Celtics. --LINK
The assumption here, of course, is that the Celtics would be receiving a certain member of the 2008 championship team in return. A guy who plays both guard and forward, plays tough D, hits threes, and gives man hugs like no other. I like James Posey, and his contract length seems to coincide perfectly with the championship window for the Celtics--three years. As noted earlier, however, Nails will turn 33 this season, while BBD is 23. That means in year three of the championship window, Nails will be 36 while BBD will be 26 (I know. Can you believe it? I can do subtraction, too). Thus, BBD will likely still be improving, while Nails will likely be winding down.
But I guess if we were all just fired up about a 37-year-old Grant Hill who's never been known as a tenacious defender, we can also get fired up about a James Posey who doesn't turn 36 until 2013.
Utah & Baby
If the Jazz don't match the offer sheet backup power forward Paul Millsap signed with Portland, which now seems unlikely, or if they don't get a power forward back in any forthcoming trade for starting power forward Carlos Boozer, signing Boston Celtics restricted free agent forward Glen "Big Baby" Davis to an offer sheet is an option to which Utah would seriously consider turning. --LINK
Davis, a Louisiana State product, probably could be had for midlevel-exception money — a multiyear deal starting at $5.854 million, which is about $6 million less than Millsap would cost Utah next season. “By all means we would be interested,” Davis’ agent, John Hamilton, said Saturday. --LINK
This rumor must be the one where the name CJ Miles pops up.
Davis, a Louisiana State product, probably could be had for midlevel-exception money — a multiyear deal starting at $5.854 million, which is about $6 million less than Millsap would cost Utah next season. “By all means we would be interested,” Davis’ agent, John Hamilton, said Saturday. --LINK
This rumor must be the one where the name CJ Miles pops up.
2.25.2009
Happy Now, Mr. Heisler?
If anyone forgot, as almost everyone did, the Lakers' size, depth and athleticism are far superior to the Celtics'. If the Lakers played as hard as the Celtics, and defended as well, they really would win 70.
Celtics players dismissed the impact of Bynum's return, as if he were a 7-foot equipment manager who had wandered on the court. The alternative would have been to say, "His mere size changes everything. Even if we can still beat them, we're going to get cricks in our necks looking up at them." The Celtics are very short for such a physical, defense-oriented team, with Garnett their only rotation player over 6-9 in bare feet.
Tough as he is, Kendrick Perkins, who's listed at 6-10, looks 6-8 1/2 , at most. (I saw him next to the Globe's Marc Spears, who's 6-6. Perkins looked an inch or so taller.) Glen Davis, listed at 6-9, looks about 6-7 1/2 . Leon Powe, listed at 6-8, looks 6-6 1/2. Then there's their bench, as in, what bench? Powe and Tony Allen might or might not break into the Lakers' nine-man rotation. Davis and Eddie House, no shot.
--Mark Heisler
I'm not sure Derek Fisher, the Lakers' starting point guard, would beat out Eddie House for third-string point guard on the Celtics.
2.19.2008
Mavs Release Nick Fazekas--34th Pick in Last Year's Draft
Press Release -
The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have waived forward Nick Fazekas.
Fazekas (6-11, 235) was selected by Dallas with the 34th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. He saw action in four games with the Mavericks this season averaging 1.0 point in 2.3 minutes. He spent 28 games (24 starts) with the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA D-League and averaged 19.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 30.5 minutes per game. He was selected as a D-League All-Star but did not play in the game.
Thank god for little miracles.
Not sure who the Cs would have taken had Big Baby not been on the board at 35.
The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have waived forward Nick Fazekas.
Fazekas (6-11, 235) was selected by Dallas with the 34th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. He saw action in four games with the Mavericks this season averaging 1.0 point in 2.3 minutes. He spent 28 games (24 starts) with the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA D-League and averaged 19.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 30.5 minutes per game. He was selected as a D-League All-Star but did not play in the game.
Thank god for little miracles.
Not sure who the Cs would have taken had Big Baby not been on the board at 35.
1.04.2008
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