May 17, 1984
At one end of Boston Garden's creaky floor, Sidney Moncrief is dribbling a basketball. He prances on his toes like a Lippizaner show horse. His muscles are sleek, promising quickness and the power of someone twice his weight.
Showing posts with label DJ. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DJ. Show all posts
1.15.2020
There was only one DJ
August 13, 2010
He wasn't always beloved.
Headstrong from the start, he continually tested the patience of Seattle coach Lenny Wilkens to the point where the Sonics were happy to trade him to Phoenix one year removed from being a Finals MVP and a mere weeks after being named to the All-NBA second team. And despite protestations to the contrary, the Suns never would have traded him to Boston three years later had there not been some issues during his time in Phoenix.
He wasn't always beloved.
Headstrong from the start, he continually tested the patience of Seattle coach Lenny Wilkens to the point where the Sonics were happy to trade him to Phoenix one year removed from being a Finals MVP and a mere weeks after being named to the All-NBA second team. And despite protestations to the contrary, the Suns never would have traded him to Boston three years later had there not been some issues during his time in Phoenix.
7.11.2018
DJ Hits Game Winner
DJ Hits Game 4 Game Winner
June 6, 1985
INGLEWOOD, Calif.
File this one away with all the rest. Open up the dusty books and run your finger down the index for "Big Games: Victorious" and insert the night of June 5, 1985.
June 6, 1985
INGLEWOOD, Calif.
File this one away with all the rest. Open up the dusty books and run your finger down the index for "Big Games: Victorious" and insert the night of June 5, 1985.
4.27.2017
DJ's Attitude is Just Fine in Boston
1983-84 Boston Celtics
Record: 1-1
11/2/1983
He has always carried a label of being a free spirit in the purest sense. In good years and bad, it is what made Dennis Johnson's approach to playing professional basketball different. When Johnson came into the NBA in 1976, it was thought that the Seattle SuperSonics had goofed in making a 6-foot-4 shot-blocking guard from tiny Pepperdine (Calif.) College their second-round draft choice. But in seven seasons, that same Dennis Johnson has developed into the prototype of the big defensive guard that almost every NBA club now feels it must have.
1.03.2017
Chris Ford: A Big Fan of DJ
Chris Ford, Jr: A Big Fan of DJ
February 9, 1994
DANVERS - As one would expect, the coach's son is a smart player. Like his father, the current coach and former player for the Celtics, Christopher J. Ford Jr. finds the open man and never disrupts the flow. The only part that does not seem to fit is the number on his jersey.
12.30.2016
The Strangler Struggles
May 18, 1985
Say what you will about Andrew Toney, that the Boston Strangler has become the Boston Struggler, that Albert DeSalvo, or even Tony Curtis, could play better than the Philadelphia guard has played against the Celtics.
Just don't say what 76er Coach Billy Cunningham did this week, that he is considering benching Toney for today's Game 3 of the Eastern Conference championship series at the Spectrum.
12.25.2016
DJ had Boston Strangler Ranked Just Behind MJ
2/27/2007
You think of the late Dennis Johnson, and you can't help but think of Andrew Toney.
They're just names to anybody under 40, two guys who played in the NBA a quarter-century ago, just as the David Stern Era was dawning - you know, in the pre-Jumbotron, pre-indoor-firework, pre-"Rock and Roll (Part Two)" days.
Back then they didn't even have advertising on the scorer's table, which gives those grainy film clips on ESPN Classic a bare-bones, spartan feel.
All they were selling was the game. The competition. What a concept.
You think of the late Dennis Johnson, and you can't help but think of Andrew Toney.
They're just names to anybody under 40, two guys who played in the NBA a quarter-century ago, just as the David Stern Era was dawning - you know, in the pre-Jumbotron, pre-indoor-firework, pre-"Rock and Roll (Part Two)" days.
Back then they didn't even have advertising on the scorer's table, which gives those grainy film clips on ESPN Classic a bare-bones, spartan feel.
All they were selling was the game. The competition. What a concept.
2.27.2016
A Look at DJ's First Month in Green
November 1984
You can make a case for Magic Johnson, Sidney Moncrief, Isiah Thomas or Michael Jordan, but this typist believes that Dennis Johnson has been the best guard in the league for the first month of the season.
Think about it. Acknowledged as the league's premier defensive guard, DJ has been giving the Celtics 20 points, 6 assists, 5 rebounds and 38 minutes per game, while shooting an astounding (for him) 50 percent from the floor.
He plays with pain and without fear, bringing experience and accomplishment to the Celtic backcourt. His defense is legend, and his newfound outside shot has forced opponents to re-structure their defensive strategy. DJ will be back on the All-Star team this year, and if the players had a vote, he'd probably be starting.
How do they sleep at night in Phoenix? The trade looked lopsided the day it was made, but as the months pass, DJ-for-Rick Robey looks more and more ridiculous. We're talking Frank Robinson for Milt Pappas, Sparky Lyle for Danny Cater, Manhattan Island for trinkets, beads and 20 bucks. Maybe Red Auerbach should ask Jerry Colangelo if the Celtics can get Walter Davis for Greg Kite. It wouldn't be any sillier than the deal they made on June 27, 1983.
2.09.2016
The Dennis Johnson Precedent
August 24, 1983
Like a lot of folks, Dennis Johnson has trouble making sense of the pre-draft deal which sent driftwood Rick Robey to the Suns in exchange for one of the NBA's finest guards. DJ is a 6-4, 28-year-old guard who was the MVP of the 1979 playoffs. He's a four-time All-Star and has been named to the league's All-Defensive Team in each of the last five seasons, a feat matched only by Walt Frazier. In his seven NBA seasons, he's averaged 15 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 44 percent from the floor and 77 percent for the line. He missed only 15 of 574 regular-season games since joining Seattle in 1976.
Robey, meanwhile, averaged 14 minutes and 4.2 points per game in 1982-83 and spent the second half of the year in Bill Fitch's doghouse. For reasons still buried in the vast heart of Fitch, Robey ceased to exist after January.
How were the Celtics able to get DJ for Robey?
Most NBA observers still think Phoenix will have the last laugh. Fair or unfair, Johnson has been branded as immature, moody, and a disruptive force. Why else, it is asked, would a player of his talents be traded twice during his prime?
For example, DJ's former coach Lenny Wilkens had plenty of bad things to say about DJ when the Sonics dealt him to Phoenix for Paul Westphal in 1980. Johnson was labeled a pouter. Seattle officials still remember DJ sulking on the sidelines, while his teammates went through a shooting practice a few hours before the Sonics were eliminated from the 1980 playoffs by the Lakers. DJ was traded a month later.
"I talked with Lenny," says Celtics' coach K. C. Jones. "He said he had some difficulties with Dennis out there, but that after the trade Dennis sat down and talked things over in an apologetic tone. As far as I'm concerned DJ comes to play and is a worker. He volunteered to come to this camp."
The Suns claim they've had no trouble selling the trade to their fans. Says Phoenix GM Jerry Colangelo, "we knew we were giving up a very good player in Dennis Johnson, but there were things about his game that didn't necessarily fit in with Phoenix. He has a tendency to pound the ball. He doesn't get the ball up the floor as well as we'd like."
"The trade is past history and there's nothing I can do about it. I have to thank Phoenix for sending me to a championship contender. I know what Boston can do, and with me as an addition, I think I can help take things further.
"I'm ready to go. They're going to get the best of me."
1.25.2016
Red Nabs DJ in Trade for Robey
Maybe Dennis Johnson will show up with an attitude that'll make Sidney Wicks look like John Havlicek. Maybe Rick Robey will prove to be the greatest thing to hit Phoenix since air conditioning.
Then again, maybe the venerable Redhead has done it again. Maybe Celtic fans will be sipping green beer next June, saying, "We knew we were on the right track when Red swapped Rick Robey for Dennis Johnson and a first-round pick last June."
10.01.2013
Was George Gervin Better than DJ?
I mean, really, is he?
So Ice won a few scoring titles.
Whoopie.
I just don't see how a one-dimensional guy like Ice gets enough votes for Naismith, while a multidimensional threat like DJ is left to wander the world in purgatory.
This really irks me. The Isiah-DJ discussion is silly by comparison. No one doubts that Isiah was one of the all-time great point guards. But George Gervin was a scorer, pure and simple. That shouldn't be enough to get you into the Hall over players that were multidimensional threats.
While sitting out 3 games due to injury, Gervin's replacement, Ron Brewer, averaged over 30 ppg. When Gervin returned, he scored 40+ points. When asked if he was sending a message, Gervin said, "Just the way the Lord planned it" and added, "Ice be cool" (with Ron Brewer). LINK
Can you see DJ doing something like that? Well, can you?
Yesterday, we read that Magic Johnson called-out DJ as one of the best defenders ever. Even Gervin said that no one defended better than DJ.
9.17.2013
DJ Purged Along with the Other Assistant Coaches
May 16, 1997
After starring on the court and showing tremendous promise in his coaching stint, Dennis Johnson is now trying his hand at the waiting game.
While being duly impressed with the way Rick Pitino has quickly established control with the Celtics, DJ, fired last week with the other assistant coaches in the front office purge, is sitting tight until some of the upper echelon coaching changes shake out.
After starring on the court and showing tremendous promise in his coaching stint, Dennis Johnson is now trying his hand at the waiting game.
While being duly impressed with the way Rick Pitino has quickly established control with the Celtics, DJ, fired last week with the other assistant coaches in the front office purge, is sitting tight until some of the upper echelon coaching changes shake out.
6.29.2013
Celtics Make It 8 Straight
1983-84 Boston Celtics
Celtics 116, Bulls 101
Record: 8-1
11/13/1983
CHICAGO
Playing like a team intent on impressing the bowl committees, the Celtics made it eight in a row last night, goring the Chicago Bulls, 116-101, in Chicago's archaic sports palace.The streak matches Boston's longest victory string of last season and puts the Celtics on a 73-9 pace. Easy, now. It's a little early to be ordering banner No. 15, and there's no need to have the new mayor leave an open date for a City Hall Plaza victory reception in June. After all, the Celtics have thus far only played one game against a 1982-83 playoff team.
Celtics 116, Bulls 101
Record: 8-1
11/13/1983
CHICAGO
Playing like a team intent on impressing the bowl committees, the Celtics made it eight in a row last night, goring the Chicago Bulls, 116-101, in Chicago's archaic sports palace.The streak matches Boston's longest victory string of last season and puts the Celtics on a 73-9 pace. Easy, now. It's a little early to be ordering banner No. 15, and there's no need to have the new mayor leave an open date for a City Hall Plaza victory reception in June. After all, the Celtics have thus far only played one game against a 1982-83 playoff team.
5.13.2010
1988 Eastern Conference Finals: DJ Won the Battle
5/27/1988
He had been pushed and bumped and elbowed, and all he did was raise his eyebrows and look at referees Jack Madden and Mike Mathis. Dennis Johnson knew better than to expect whistles to blow on this particular evening. He knew that it had come down to a game of basic in-your-face basketball. It was a game of skins and shirts, playground style, where either you made a shot or you didn't. Either you made the play or you didn't.
Last night, with the frantic Boston Garden crowd of 14,890 chanting "DJ, DJ," Dennis Johnson did what he had to do to help the Celtics hang on to an incredible 119-115 double-overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons and tie the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals, 1-1.
All the Celtic guard did in the second overtime was take control, coming up with a pair of steals that took the heart out of the Pistons and scoring the final 6 points of the game, which took the soul out of them. "DJ just took over at the end," said Danny Ainge.
Someone obviously had to, since Larry Bird was an offensive no-show for the second straight game and no one else seemed to emerge. Oh, Kevin McHale threw in his controversial three-pointer which sent the game into the second overtime. "I raised my arms like everyone else on that one," said DJ, who seemed to get more of an adrenaline fix than anyone.
But the Pistons would not go gently into this good and long night. They were intent on leaving Boston with a 2-0 lead. Johnson wouldn't let them. He stole the ball from Joe Dumars and headed the length of the court. As he reached the basket, bodies collided and he felt himself sliding to the ground.
No whistle, and Johnson arched his eyebrows and gave Mathis a "come on" look. Then he stole the ball from Isiah Thomas, who had been conducting his own war with Johnson all night. They had banged each other the entire game and kept giving each other looks that were one step short of putting on the gloves. "He's a great clutch performer," conceded Pistons coach Chuck Daly. "He made the plays."
And he made them all in the final two minutes of the game. "I looked at the clock and there was 1:49 left," Johnson said. "I got a steal and then another steal. Things just fell into my hands." It was in his hands until nine seconds left, when his two foul shots gave the Celtics the 119-115 lead. The Pistons called time out, and the crowd, which had counted this one in the L column until McHale's miracle came out of the haze, started chanting DJ's name.
It started in the section of the stands where Red Auerbach sits and spread around the Garden, up to the rafters, where Johnny Most nearly went from agony to ecstasy.
Finally, the clock ran down as the Pistons tried one more time to win it. Fittingly enough, it ended with DJ blocking a Thomas shot and the two looking at each other for the final time in a long and draining evening.
The message was clear. They would meet again. And it was just as clear that on this night, Dennis Johnson had won the individual war.
He had been pushed and bumped and elbowed, and all he did was raise his eyebrows and look at referees Jack Madden and Mike Mathis. Dennis Johnson knew better than to expect whistles to blow on this particular evening. He knew that it had come down to a game of basic in-your-face basketball. It was a game of skins and shirts, playground style, where either you made a shot or you didn't. Either you made the play or you didn't.
Last night, with the frantic Boston Garden crowd of 14,890 chanting "DJ, DJ," Dennis Johnson did what he had to do to help the Celtics hang on to an incredible 119-115 double-overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons and tie the best-of-seven Eastern Conference finals, 1-1.
All the Celtic guard did in the second overtime was take control, coming up with a pair of steals that took the heart out of the Pistons and scoring the final 6 points of the game, which took the soul out of them. "DJ just took over at the end," said Danny Ainge.
Someone obviously had to, since Larry Bird was an offensive no-show for the second straight game and no one else seemed to emerge. Oh, Kevin McHale threw in his controversial three-pointer which sent the game into the second overtime. "I raised my arms like everyone else on that one," said DJ, who seemed to get more of an adrenaline fix than anyone.
But the Pistons would not go gently into this good and long night. They were intent on leaving Boston with a 2-0 lead. Johnson wouldn't let them. He stole the ball from Joe Dumars and headed the length of the court. As he reached the basket, bodies collided and he felt himself sliding to the ground.
No whistle, and Johnson arched his eyebrows and gave Mathis a "come on" look. Then he stole the ball from Isiah Thomas, who had been conducting his own war with Johnson all night. They had banged each other the entire game and kept giving each other looks that were one step short of putting on the gloves. "He's a great clutch performer," conceded Pistons coach Chuck Daly. "He made the plays."
And he made them all in the final two minutes of the game. "I looked at the clock and there was 1:49 left," Johnson said. "I got a steal and then another steal. Things just fell into my hands." It was in his hands until nine seconds left, when his two foul shots gave the Celtics the 119-115 lead. The Pistons called time out, and the crowd, which had counted this one in the L column until McHale's miracle came out of the haze, started chanting DJ's name.
It started in the section of the stands where Red Auerbach sits and spread around the Garden, up to the rafters, where Johnny Most nearly went from agony to ecstasy.
Finally, the clock ran down as the Pistons tried one more time to win it. Fittingly enough, it ended with DJ blocking a Thomas shot and the two looking at each other for the final time in a long and draining evening.
The message was clear. They would meet again. And it was just as clear that on this night, Dennis Johnson had won the individual war.
5.02.2010
1988 NBA Playoffs: DJ's Still Money When it Counts
5/14/1988
The playoff script is a familiar one for Celtics guard Dennis Johnson.
Pressure? . . . Nah.
Tired? . . . No way.
When the game was on the line in the second half last night, DJ, savior of so many big games of Celtics past, was simply sensational.
DJ, who shot just 2 for 8 in the first half, canned seven of eight jump shots in the second half, five of them with elbows in his midsection and hands in his kisser.
By the time he was through, Johnson had 23 points, 9 assists, 2 defensive rebounds and a key role in the play that helped the Celts pull away with 9:03 to go.
But DJ, who spoke briefly after the 108-97 win, deflected the accolades. "I think any time any team wins, everybody has to contribute," he said. "Larry (Bird) didn't score that much tonight, but our front line is by far the best in the league. They just can't be in single coverage, any one of them, and when you double down, you leave me or Danny (Ainge) open. The shots have been there for me, and I'm open, so I take them."
According to coach K.C. Jones, "Dennis Johnson was the guy that kept us in there. He hit the big shots. He played the big defense.
"Then Artis Gilmore came in and did the job."
It was a Gilmore-Johnson-Kevin McHale combo that pulled the play of the night.
The Celtics led, 80-73, after a DJ 20-footer, and with the Boston Garden crowd finally getting warmed to the task, Hawks coach Mike Fratello was frantically waving for a timeout as his team raced upcourt.
It was about as fruitless as trying to flag a cab in New York.
Dominique Wilkins just kept coming like an express train into the lane, either ignoring or just not seeing Fratello's signal.
Down the lane went Wilkins -- up went Gilmore's paw -- and the reject was gathered in by Johnson.
As he hit midcourt, DJ found McHale (32 points) in stride for the breakaway layup. When Atlanta finally called time at 82-73, the momentum had swung irrevocably to the home team.
"That broke the game open," said Jones, "and it seemed to explode from there. We gained the momentum and Atlanta faded away a bit."
Johnson was a big part of the fade:
- There was the foul line turnaround to start the final quarter, giving the Celtics a 77-71 lead.
- There was a tough 21-footer from the top of the key with 6:38 to go that got the lead back to 10 (89-79).
- And there was the coup de grace, a turnaround fallaway from the right of the lane with 2:03 left that boosted the margin to 101-83.
When Reggie Lewis replaced DJ -- who logged more minutes (43) than any other Celtic -- 20 seconds later, the crowd gave Johnson a long and loud ovation.
It was also a great night for Robert Parish, who pulled in 14 rebounds, many of them in traffic in the second half with the Celtics holding 4- and 6-point leads.
"Chief took care of the boards," said Jones. "If he's not there, we don't win."
Added McHale, "When he plays like that, it's pretty tough to beat us. We played good, sound defense. They'd call a play and we knew exactly where everyone was going just as well as they did."
Nobody did it better than DJ, who looked like a fresh rookie the way he handled the ball, played tough defense on Doc Rivers (7 for 13, 16 points) and then had enough stamina left to hit the difficult jumpers down the stretch.
"Dennis picked us up in New York, and here he is again," said Jones. "I substituted in the fourth quarter because we had to get some rest. Larry had only about a minute in the first half, and I had to get Kevin and Robert some rest.
"But I kept Dennis in. I asked him if he needed a blow, and he said he was fine. That's all I needed to hear. I said, 'OK, you're in for the rest of the 48.' "
While DJ got his rest at the end, he in effect was the Celtics' constant on a night of sometimes sluggish, sometimes physical, sometimes ugly basketball.
"DJ really kept us in there for a while," said Jones. "He was our quarterback, just like Rivers is theirs."
Jim Paxson put the final exclamation point on his teammate's performance.
"It seemed like in the third and fourth quarters, DJ had a ton of big shots. Some were with the shot clock running down, some with a guy on him.
"I saw it in the New York series and I saw it again tonight. He always seems to do the right things to help you win."
The playoff script is a familiar one for Celtics guard Dennis Johnson.
Pressure? . . . Nah.
Tired? . . . No way.
When the game was on the line in the second half last night, DJ, savior of so many big games of Celtics past, was simply sensational.
DJ, who shot just 2 for 8 in the first half, canned seven of eight jump shots in the second half, five of them with elbows in his midsection and hands in his kisser.
By the time he was through, Johnson had 23 points, 9 assists, 2 defensive rebounds and a key role in the play that helped the Celts pull away with 9:03 to go.
But DJ, who spoke briefly after the 108-97 win, deflected the accolades. "I think any time any team wins, everybody has to contribute," he said. "Larry (Bird) didn't score that much tonight, but our front line is by far the best in the league. They just can't be in single coverage, any one of them, and when you double down, you leave me or Danny (Ainge) open. The shots have been there for me, and I'm open, so I take them."
According to coach K.C. Jones, "Dennis Johnson was the guy that kept us in there. He hit the big shots. He played the big defense.
"Then Artis Gilmore came in and did the job."
It was a Gilmore-Johnson-Kevin McHale combo that pulled the play of the night.
The Celtics led, 80-73, after a DJ 20-footer, and with the Boston Garden crowd finally getting warmed to the task, Hawks coach Mike Fratello was frantically waving for a timeout as his team raced upcourt.
It was about as fruitless as trying to flag a cab in New York.
Dominique Wilkins just kept coming like an express train into the lane, either ignoring or just not seeing Fratello's signal.
Down the lane went Wilkins -- up went Gilmore's paw -- and the reject was gathered in by Johnson.
As he hit midcourt, DJ found McHale (32 points) in stride for the breakaway layup. When Atlanta finally called time at 82-73, the momentum had swung irrevocably to the home team.
"That broke the game open," said Jones, "and it seemed to explode from there. We gained the momentum and Atlanta faded away a bit."
Johnson was a big part of the fade:
- There was the foul line turnaround to start the final quarter, giving the Celtics a 77-71 lead.
- There was a tough 21-footer from the top of the key with 6:38 to go that got the lead back to 10 (89-79).
- And there was the coup de grace, a turnaround fallaway from the right of the lane with 2:03 left that boosted the margin to 101-83.
When Reggie Lewis replaced DJ -- who logged more minutes (43) than any other Celtic -- 20 seconds later, the crowd gave Johnson a long and loud ovation.
It was also a great night for Robert Parish, who pulled in 14 rebounds, many of them in traffic in the second half with the Celtics holding 4- and 6-point leads.
"Chief took care of the boards," said Jones. "If he's not there, we don't win."
Added McHale, "When he plays like that, it's pretty tough to beat us. We played good, sound defense. They'd call a play and we knew exactly where everyone was going just as well as they did."
Nobody did it better than DJ, who looked like a fresh rookie the way he handled the ball, played tough defense on Doc Rivers (7 for 13, 16 points) and then had enough stamina left to hit the difficult jumpers down the stretch.
"Dennis picked us up in New York, and here he is again," said Jones. "I substituted in the fourth quarter because we had to get some rest. Larry had only about a minute in the first half, and I had to get Kevin and Robert some rest.
"But I kept Dennis in. I asked him if he needed a blow, and he said he was fine. That's all I needed to hear. I said, 'OK, you're in for the rest of the 48.' "
While DJ got his rest at the end, he in effect was the Celtics' constant on a night of sometimes sluggish, sometimes physical, sometimes ugly basketball.
"DJ really kept us in there for a while," said Jones. "He was our quarterback, just like Rivers is theirs."
Jim Paxson put the final exclamation point on his teammate's performance.
"It seemed like in the third and fourth quarters, DJ had a ton of big shots. Some were with the shot clock running down, some with a guy on him.
"I saw it in the New York series and I saw it again tonight. He always seems to do the right things to help you win."
4.08.2010
DJ Adds New Dimension to Old Rivalry
January 25, 1984
At a recent practice at Hellenic College, Celtics' legend Red Auerbach tipped his cigar ashes into a paper cup, blew smoke and said, "You know what I think the big difference is? It's No. 3. He's the big difference between this year and last."
Dennis Johnson wears No. 3.
In this emotional joy ride through the first half of the 1983-84 regular season, intangible elements of happiness, harmony and chemistry have been cited as the primary causes of Boston's early success. But while everybody is admitting a preference for the K.C. Jones soft shoe over the Bill Fitch goose step, the addition of Dennis Johnson is often overlooked. As the Celtics prepare for to night's fourth regular-season scrum with the hated Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Garden (7:30), DJ represents the crucial new wrinkle in this five-year long war.
The addition of Johnson was the only major personnel changemade by the Celtics or Sixers in the offseason. Philadelphia is starting the same five players it did in the championship season of 1982-83. On the pine, Sam Williams, Sedale Threatt and Leo Rautins (currently on the injured list) sit where Reggie Johnson, Mark McNamara and Earl Cureton sat last year. In Boston, Rick Robey and Charles Bradley have been replaced by Greg Kite and Carlos Clark, but instead of Tiny Archibald the Celtics have Dennis Johnson starting at guard.
"He gives us something we didn't have," says Auerbach. "He does all the things we hoped Charles Bradley would eventually do. But instead of working on his shot, Charles was admiring his body." Backcourt matchups have been Boston's biggest problem against the Sixers. In DJ, the Celts picked up a four-time All-Star and a five-time member of the NBA's All-Defensive team. When the Celtics play the Sixers, Johnson is asked to contain Boston strangler Andrew Toney while providing new problems for the Sixers on defense.
Toney has scored 19, 18 and 28 points while hitting 50 percent (25 for 50) in three games against the Celts this season. DJ wasn't on the floor at the end of regulation when Toney's three-pointer forced an overtime in the Garden Dec. 4. However, two weeks ago in the Spectrum, when the 76ers trailed by one with 18 seconds left, Philly set up a shot for Julius Erving rather than Toney, who was being guarded by DJ.
"DJ hasn't shut Andrew down, but I don't think anyone is capable of stopping him altogether," says Celtics assistant coach Chris Ford. "Before, there was always an aura of us being leery. We wondered if anybody could contain Andrew. Now, we think we have that. Our players have confidence in DJ, plus he's able to take Toney down low and post him up and maybe get him in foul trouble."
Johnson made his name in the NBA by playing defense, but the Celts see his offensive potential as a critical new weapon against the Sixers. "DJ can really hurt them on the offensive end," notes M.L. Carr. "He gives us another guy that can put pressure on them." Johnson scored 11, 11 and 17 points in the first three Boston-Philadelphia matches, and hasn't been bashful about taking the open jumper or driving to the basket. Both teams figure to be tired tonight. The Celtics traveled from Cleveland to Boston this morning, while the Sixers arrived from last night's game in New York. "Any time these two teams play it's a knock-down, drag-out battle," says Carr. "Down there, Doc (Erving) said they wanted to establish some dominance over them. Now, it's our chance. We want a dominant win."
At a recent practice at Hellenic College, Celtics' legend Red Auerbach tipped his cigar ashes into a paper cup, blew smoke and said, "You know what I think the big difference is? It's No. 3. He's the big difference between this year and last."
Dennis Johnson wears No. 3.
In this emotional joy ride through the first half of the 1983-84 regular season, intangible elements of happiness, harmony and chemistry have been cited as the primary causes of Boston's early success. But while everybody is admitting a preference for the K.C. Jones soft shoe over the Bill Fitch goose step, the addition of Dennis Johnson is often overlooked. As the Celtics prepare for to night's fourth regular-season scrum with the hated Philadelphia 76ers at Boston Garden (7:30), DJ represents the crucial new wrinkle in this five-year long war.
The addition of Johnson was the only major personnel changemade by the Celtics or Sixers in the offseason. Philadelphia is starting the same five players it did in the championship season of 1982-83. On the pine, Sam Williams, Sedale Threatt and Leo Rautins (currently on the injured list) sit where Reggie Johnson, Mark McNamara and Earl Cureton sat last year. In Boston, Rick Robey and Charles Bradley have been replaced by Greg Kite and Carlos Clark, but instead of Tiny Archibald the Celtics have Dennis Johnson starting at guard.
"He gives us something we didn't have," says Auerbach. "He does all the things we hoped Charles Bradley would eventually do. But instead of working on his shot, Charles was admiring his body." Backcourt matchups have been Boston's biggest problem against the Sixers. In DJ, the Celts picked up a four-time All-Star and a five-time member of the NBA's All-Defensive team. When the Celtics play the Sixers, Johnson is asked to contain Boston strangler Andrew Toney while providing new problems for the Sixers on defense.
Toney has scored 19, 18 and 28 points while hitting 50 percent (25 for 50) in three games against the Celts this season. DJ wasn't on the floor at the end of regulation when Toney's three-pointer forced an overtime in the Garden Dec. 4. However, two weeks ago in the Spectrum, when the 76ers trailed by one with 18 seconds left, Philly set up a shot for Julius Erving rather than Toney, who was being guarded by DJ.
"DJ hasn't shut Andrew down, but I don't think anyone is capable of stopping him altogether," says Celtics assistant coach Chris Ford. "Before, there was always an aura of us being leery. We wondered if anybody could contain Andrew. Now, we think we have that. Our players have confidence in DJ, plus he's able to take Toney down low and post him up and maybe get him in foul trouble."
Johnson made his name in the NBA by playing defense, but the Celts see his offensive potential as a critical new weapon against the Sixers. "DJ can really hurt them on the offensive end," notes M.L. Carr. "He gives us another guy that can put pressure on them." Johnson scored 11, 11 and 17 points in the first three Boston-Philadelphia matches, and hasn't been bashful about taking the open jumper or driving to the basket. Both teams figure to be tired tonight. The Celtics traveled from Cleveland to Boston this morning, while the Sixers arrived from last night's game in New York. "Any time these two teams play it's a knock-down, drag-out battle," says Carr. "Down there, Doc (Erving) said they wanted to establish some dominance over them. Now, it's our chance. We want a dominant win."
4.07.2010
Was George Gervin Better than DJ?
I mean it. Who was better?
So Ice won a few scoring titles.
Whoopie.
I just don't see how a one-dimensional guy like Ice gets enough votes for Naismith, while a multidimensional threat like DJ is left to wander the world in purgatory.
This really irks me. The Isiah-DJ discussion is silly by comparison. No one doubts that Isiah was one of the all-time great point guards. But George Gervin was a scorer, pure and simple. That shouldn't be enough to get you into the Hall over players that were multidimensional threats.
While sitting out 3 games due to injury, Gervin's replacement, Ron Brewer, averaged over 30 ppg. When Gervin returned, he scored 40+ points. When asked if he was sending a message, Gervin said, "Just the way the Lord planned it" and added, "Ice be cool" (with Ron Brewer). LINK
Can you see DJ doing something like that? Well, can you?
Yesterday, we read that Magic Johnson called-out DJ as one of the best defenders ever. Even Gervin said that no one defended better than DJ.
4.06.2010
Magic on DJ: One of the Best Defenders Ever
The Celtics always played a great team defense. But they also had one of the best individual defensive players probably to ever play in the league, that being Dennis Johnson. I had to match up against him. Boy, that was a tough match-up every time.
--Magic Johnson
9-Time All-Defense
6-Finals Appearances
5-Time All-Star
3-Time NBA Champion
2-Time All-NBA
1-Time Finals MVP
Second best guard of his generation (1977-86)
Sounds like Hall of Fame to me. What took Mr. Naismith so long?
--Magic Johnson
9-Time All-Defense
6-Finals Appearances
5-Time All-Star
3-Time NBA Champion
2-Time All-NBA
1-Time Finals MVP
Second best guard of his generation (1977-86)
Sounds like Hall of Fame to me. What took Mr. Naismith so long?
Adande on DJ
J.A. Adande
Dennis Johnson and I grew to be friendly enough that I felt comfortable telling him I hated him.
He laughed and took it as a compliment. If I was a teenage Laker fan when he played for the Boston Celtics in the 1980s, he must have been doing something right for me to hate him.
He did more than just "right." He was great -- and a major deterrent to the Lakers. His defense forced Magic Johnson into back-to-back turnovers and killed the Lakers' last hopes in Game 7 of the 1984 NBA Finals. His jump shot won Game 4 of the 1985 Finals and forced the Lakers to head back to Boston Garden to exorcise the demons from their decades of losing to the Celtics.
The height of athletic achievement is to be at your best when it matters most. That applied to Dennis Johnson, a three-time champion, the most valuable player of the 1979 NBA Finals, a man whose career playoff averages exceeded his regular-season numbers.
But what defined his life after his playing days was the ordinary but admirable way he kept, well, showing up, always finding some form of work in the basketball world, never abandoning his dream of being an NBA head coach.
He was an assistant coach with the Celtics. He spent the first three years of this decade with the Clippers, which is how I got to know him. He coached in the CBA. He scouted for the Portland Trail Blazers.
A month ago he popped up in a humorous story on the Internet about the Austin Toros' mascot running onto the court and dunking while the game was being played and the outcome still in doubt. I discovered Johnson was coaching the Toros in the NBA's Development League when he was interviewed in a local TV story about the incident that was linked in the blogs.
Unfortunately, most people learned about Johnson's latest job when they read his obituary last week. He died of an apparent heart attack after a Toros practice Thursday, his life cut short at 52.
The hardest thing to believe is that he won't be showing up anymore. In its own way, his continued persistence was just as admirable as his many clutch performances.
"He was sort of my hero," said Gary Colson, Johnson's coach at Pepperdine, "because of the circumstances."
Johnson was one of 16 children. He was the team's 10th man his senior year at Dominguez High in Compton and he took a year off after high school to work and help the family. He went to L.A. Harbor College, whose coach called Colson to tell him about Johnson.
"We go watch him," Colson said. "He's not great, but he's got some natural ability."
He came to Pepperdine, where he averaged 15.7 points a game in his only season. Colson said Johnson wasn't the best player on the team, just its most resilient.
"During Christmas, his house burns down," Colson said. "His mom and dad get a divorce. She wants to take him out of school, but we convinced her that he should stay in school.
"A few years later they hung his jersey [number] in Boston Garden. The Cinderella story just amazes me."
He did it with a stepsister body. His shoulders sagged, all his weight seemed to collect down by his torso. But if you wanted someone to shut down all the high fliers and quick dribblers, Johnson was the man. Six times on the NBA all-defensive first team, and three times on the second team.
Johnson never averaged 20 points in any of his seasons with the Seattle SuperSonics, Phoenix Suns and Celtics. It's not the numbers that are relevant, it's the memories: Larry Bird never hesitated to give Johnson the ball in crunch time, which is really all you need to know about him.
"He was a complete player," Colson said. "Very consistent. Very steady. He didn't shoot well as a college player, but in the pros he became pretty proficient."
He always overcame, which is why I'm convinced he would have been a good head coach if given a better shot. His lone chance came when he took over the Clippers when Alvin Gentry was fired in 2003. Some opportunity. The team was 19-39, on its way to yet another lottery. A UPS delivery man would've been a better choice, because the players had packed it in. His NBA coaching record stands at 8-16.
The way Johnson discovered he had been relieved of his duties was even less glorious. He was coaching the team's summer league entry, hoping to stick on full time. Every day he received a faxed packet of information from the team. One day the packet mistakenly included terms of a contract offer to Mike Dunleavy. The official phone call didn't come until later that night.
Johnson just held his tongue, said the right things the way he always did. He was a good guy to be around, and the fact he'll never set foot in another NBA arena is the league's loss as much as anything.
He should have already been recognized as the Hall of Famer he was.
Dennis Johnson and I grew to be friendly enough that I felt comfortable telling him I hated him.
He laughed and took it as a compliment. If I was a teenage Laker fan when he played for the Boston Celtics in the 1980s, he must have been doing something right for me to hate him.
He did more than just "right." He was great -- and a major deterrent to the Lakers. His defense forced Magic Johnson into back-to-back turnovers and killed the Lakers' last hopes in Game 7 of the 1984 NBA Finals. His jump shot won Game 4 of the 1985 Finals and forced the Lakers to head back to Boston Garden to exorcise the demons from their decades of losing to the Celtics.
The height of athletic achievement is to be at your best when it matters most. That applied to Dennis Johnson, a three-time champion, the most valuable player of the 1979 NBA Finals, a man whose career playoff averages exceeded his regular-season numbers.
But what defined his life after his playing days was the ordinary but admirable way he kept, well, showing up, always finding some form of work in the basketball world, never abandoning his dream of being an NBA head coach.
He was an assistant coach with the Celtics. He spent the first three years of this decade with the Clippers, which is how I got to know him. He coached in the CBA. He scouted for the Portland Trail Blazers.
A month ago he popped up in a humorous story on the Internet about the Austin Toros' mascot running onto the court and dunking while the game was being played and the outcome still in doubt. I discovered Johnson was coaching the Toros in the NBA's Development League when he was interviewed in a local TV story about the incident that was linked in the blogs.
Unfortunately, most people learned about Johnson's latest job when they read his obituary last week. He died of an apparent heart attack after a Toros practice Thursday, his life cut short at 52.
The hardest thing to believe is that he won't be showing up anymore. In its own way, his continued persistence was just as admirable as his many clutch performances.
"He was sort of my hero," said Gary Colson, Johnson's coach at Pepperdine, "because of the circumstances."
Johnson was one of 16 children. He was the team's 10th man his senior year at Dominguez High in Compton and he took a year off after high school to work and help the family. He went to L.A. Harbor College, whose coach called Colson to tell him about Johnson.
"We go watch him," Colson said. "He's not great, but he's got some natural ability."
He came to Pepperdine, where he averaged 15.7 points a game in his only season. Colson said Johnson wasn't the best player on the team, just its most resilient.
"During Christmas, his house burns down," Colson said. "His mom and dad get a divorce. She wants to take him out of school, but we convinced her that he should stay in school.
"A few years later they hung his jersey [number] in Boston Garden. The Cinderella story just amazes me."
He did it with a stepsister body. His shoulders sagged, all his weight seemed to collect down by his torso. But if you wanted someone to shut down all the high fliers and quick dribblers, Johnson was the man. Six times on the NBA all-defensive first team, and three times on the second team.
Johnson never averaged 20 points in any of his seasons with the Seattle SuperSonics, Phoenix Suns and Celtics. It's not the numbers that are relevant, it's the memories: Larry Bird never hesitated to give Johnson the ball in crunch time, which is really all you need to know about him.
"He was a complete player," Colson said. "Very consistent. Very steady. He didn't shoot well as a college player, but in the pros he became pretty proficient."
He always overcame, which is why I'm convinced he would have been a good head coach if given a better shot. His lone chance came when he took over the Clippers when Alvin Gentry was fired in 2003. Some opportunity. The team was 19-39, on its way to yet another lottery. A UPS delivery man would've been a better choice, because the players had packed it in. His NBA coaching record stands at 8-16.
The way Johnson discovered he had been relieved of his duties was even less glorious. He was coaching the team's summer league entry, hoping to stick on full time. Every day he received a faxed packet of information from the team. One day the packet mistakenly included terms of a contract offer to Mike Dunleavy. The official phone call didn't come until later that night.
Johnson just held his tongue, said the right things the way he always did. He was a good guy to be around, and the fact he'll never set foot in another NBA arena is the league's loss as much as anything.
He should have already been recognized as the Hall of Famer he was.
4.05.2010
DJ in 1985-86: The NBA's Best Big Game Guard?
K.C. Jones was the best basketball coach on the planet yesterday. While Riley inexplicably buried Maurice Lucas (six minutes, none in the second half), Jones went to his second unit and found ways to build a lead with folks named Jerry Sichting, Rick Carlisle and David Thirdkill on the floor. Boston's coach could not miss.
The Celtics' outside shooters were equally torrid. With McHale on the shelf and Parish in foul trouble, the Celtics abandoned their post-up game and kicked the ball around for a succession of wide-open jumpers. DJ (23 points), Scott Wedman, Sichting and Carlisle made LA pay for its sagging defense.
"They do a lot of doubling down low," said Sichting, who drilled four jumpers in the first half. "They gamble and leave guys open. If you've got good ball movement, and you're careful with your passing, you can exploit that."
DJ carried the Celtics in the first quarter. Parish went out after picking up his second foul in the sixth minute, but DJ scored 12 points and gave Boston a 30-29 lead with a short jumper at the end of the period. LA never led the rest of the way.
Carlisle (10 points in 11 minutes) and Wedman shot the Celtics to a five- point lead early in the second. Parish played less than two minutes of the period before picking up his third foul, but it didn't matter. Walton (10 points, 7 rebounds in 26 minutes) was there.
A flurry of ugly incidents marred the second period. First, Byron Scott cracked Sichting wih a forearm shiver. Scott picked up a technical. Then Greg Kite bear-hugged Mike McGee as McGee attempted a layup. James Worthy and Magic gave Kite some lip service before things calmed down.
"It didn't surprise me," said the ever-persecuted Abdul-Jabbar. "They're known as a cheap-shot team."
A buzzer-beating tap-in by Bird gave Boston a 58-55 halftime lead.
DJ (the sport's best big-game guard?) drove the visitors to a 71-59 lead early in the third before Parish picked up two fouls in four seconds and returned to the bench. The Celts closed the quarter with four subs on the floor, and took an 86-80 lead on a three-point play by Thirdkill.
Everything worked for Boston. By the time the fourth quarter started, it was obvious that the dazzling Worthy (35 points) was LA's only offensive threat. Abdul-Jabbar (only two points in the final period) was unable to do anything with Walton, and failed to exploit Parish when the Chief finally reappeared.
Boston led by 10 after Carlisle swished a hideous shot-clock-beating fallaway from the left corner. "It would have been a three-pointer, but my feet are too big (15 1/2) for me to be outside the three-point line and still stay inbounds," joked Carlisle. "I learned the shot from DJ."
LA trimmed the lead to four (100-96) with 3:52 left, but DJ answered with a line-drive jumper from the right corner. Then the Lakers decomposed. They missed 10 consecutive shots, turned it over twice and failed to inbound within five seconds. Is it any wonder that the Forum front-runners fled?
"There's no excuse," said Magic. "They are the better team right now. We've got to get our game together before the play-offs, but right now Boston is a much better team."
The Celtics' outside shooters were equally torrid. With McHale on the shelf and Parish in foul trouble, the Celtics abandoned their post-up game and kicked the ball around for a succession of wide-open jumpers. DJ (23 points), Scott Wedman, Sichting and Carlisle made LA pay for its sagging defense.
"They do a lot of doubling down low," said Sichting, who drilled four jumpers in the first half. "They gamble and leave guys open. If you've got good ball movement, and you're careful with your passing, you can exploit that."
DJ carried the Celtics in the first quarter. Parish went out after picking up his second foul in the sixth minute, but DJ scored 12 points and gave Boston a 30-29 lead with a short jumper at the end of the period. LA never led the rest of the way.
Carlisle (10 points in 11 minutes) and Wedman shot the Celtics to a five- point lead early in the second. Parish played less than two minutes of the period before picking up his third foul, but it didn't matter. Walton (10 points, 7 rebounds in 26 minutes) was there.
A flurry of ugly incidents marred the second period. First, Byron Scott cracked Sichting wih a forearm shiver. Scott picked up a technical. Then Greg Kite bear-hugged Mike McGee as McGee attempted a layup. James Worthy and Magic gave Kite some lip service before things calmed down.
"It didn't surprise me," said the ever-persecuted Abdul-Jabbar. "They're known as a cheap-shot team."
A buzzer-beating tap-in by Bird gave Boston a 58-55 halftime lead.
DJ (the sport's best big-game guard?) drove the visitors to a 71-59 lead early in the third before Parish picked up two fouls in four seconds and returned to the bench. The Celts closed the quarter with four subs on the floor, and took an 86-80 lead on a three-point play by Thirdkill.
Everything worked for Boston. By the time the fourth quarter started, it was obvious that the dazzling Worthy (35 points) was LA's only offensive threat. Abdul-Jabbar (only two points in the final period) was unable to do anything with Walton, and failed to exploit Parish when the Chief finally reappeared.
Boston led by 10 after Carlisle swished a hideous shot-clock-beating fallaway from the left corner. "It would have been a three-pointer, but my feet are too big (15 1/2) for me to be outside the three-point line and still stay inbounds," joked Carlisle. "I learned the shot from DJ."
LA trimmed the lead to four (100-96) with 3:52 left, but DJ answered with a line-drive jumper from the right corner. Then the Lakers decomposed. They missed 10 consecutive shots, turned it over twice and failed to inbound within five seconds. Is it any wonder that the Forum front-runners fled?
"There's no excuse," said Magic. "They are the better team right now. We've got to get our game together before the play-offs, but right now Boston is a much better team."
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