Tony Allen on the Mend

November 18, 2005 WALTHAM Tony Allen, the second-year Celtics guard who has not played this season while recovering from surgery on his right knee, said yesterday he expects to return to practice within a week.

Tony Allen: "I Let My Team Down"

October 23, 2005

UNCASVILLE, Conn. Tony Allen rejoined the Celtics yesterday and spoke for the first time since being arrested for aggravated battery and spending two nights in a Chicago jail. ("That ain't no place for me," he said.        Allen posted $150,000 bond and returned to Boston Friday, then traveled on the team bus to Mohegan Sun last night for the Celtics' exhibition game against the Nets.

Tony Allen Posts Bond

October 22, 2005

Tony Allen appeared in court yesterday afternoon, posted $150,000 bond, and returned to Boston after spending a second night in a Chicago jail and being charged with aggravated battery, according to his attorney, Michael Zaslavsky. The charge stems from his role in a fight that escalated into a shooting at the White Palace Grill in Chicago's West Loop Aug. 28.

Tony Allen Remains in Jail

October 21, 2005

Tony Allen remained in a Chicago jail last night after returning to his hometown and voluntarily surrendering to police Wednesday. The second-year Celtics guard is being questioned about a fight that escalated into a shooting Aug. 28 at the White Palace Grill in the West Loop. Allen's attorney, Michael Zaslavsky, expects Allen will be either released or formally charged today. Neither Zaslavsky nor the Chicago Police Department would comment on the charges, citing an ongoing investigation. Allen is not considered a suspect in the shooting.

Allen has Knee Surgery

September 15, 2005

 Celtics guard Tony Allen had arthroscopic surgery at New England Baptist Hospital Tuesday to repair torn cartilage in his right knee. The surgery was performed by team physician Brian McKeon .Celtics spokesman Jeff Twiss said Allen will begin rehabilitation immediately but will probably miss training camp next month. Twiss said it's not clear if he'll be ready for the start of the regular season . . . The New Jersey Nets moved a step closer to a new home in Brooklyn when the Metropolitan Transportation Authority voted to sell an 8.3-acre railyard to team owner and real-estate developer Bruce Ratner . Ratner will pay $100 million for the downtown Brooklyn site . . . A judge in Breckenridge, Colo. signed an arrest warrant for former NBA star Dennis Rodman after he missed a court appearance on two alleged traffic violations . . . Temeka Johnson of the Washington Mystics was named the WNBA's Rookie of the Year. The speedy guard out of Louisiana State topped the rookie class in scoring (9.3 ppg), assists (177), and steals (1.29 pg). Johnson received 44 of a possible 50 votes from a national media panel. Joining her on the All-Rookie Team were San Antonio's Katie Feenstra , Indiana's Tan White , Sacramento's Chelsea Newton , and Detroit's Kara Braxton.

Rivers Talks Tony Allen

September 18, 2005

Coach Doc Rivers knows the Celtics have a lot of questions to answer entering this preseason. With Tony Allen undergoing arthroscopic right knee surgery last Tuesday night to repair torn cartilage, Rivers can add one more to the list.

   Rivers is unsure of the impact of Allen's absence; he could be sidelined into the regular season. But missing valuable practice time and exhibition games will set Allen back, especially since the coach expected the second-year player to have a breakthrough season.

    "By the time he gets there [back on the floor], we'll be pretty much set," said Rivers. "He'll have to break his way back into the rotation.

   "He's so young that every second on the floor is good for him. It will absolutely hurt his development as a player. I can't anticipate him being back for opening night, but I've learned not to underestimate young guys."

The timing is unfortunate, but the Celtics had no choice about the surgery.

"There was not really any decision to be made," said Rivers. "It wasn't where we were sitting around thinking, 'Should we not do it?' He had to have surgery."

Allen appeared to be the leading candidate to start at shooting guard. Now, Rivers will have more leeway to experiment with combinations. Rivers would actually like to see Paul Pierce at shooting guard if he can handle the assignment defensively. That leaves Ryan Gomes, Justin Reed , and Brian Scalabrine as possible starters at small forward.

   In addition to recovering and rehabbing from the surgery, Allen must also deal with legal troubles in Chicago stemming from a nightclub shooting.

"There's nothing I can do," said Rivers. "He's down in the dumps. He hasn't had a good two weeks. But at the end of the day, everything you learn from."

Big assists

Both Justin Reed and Al Jefferson rode out Hurricane Katrina with family in Mississippi, then returned to Boston. They went back to the hurricane-ravaged area this weekend as part of "Operation Rebound," a relief effort. Reed and Jefferson joined more than a dozen NBA and WNBA players who distributed 20 truckloads of supplies in Jackson, Hattiesburg, Biloxi, and Gulfport.

"I had to stay here until power came back on," said Reed as he made the trip from his hometown of South Jackson to Hattiesburg, close to where Jefferson grew up. "It was kind of crazy. I had never been in anything like that. We had a little minor damage [to the family home], but nothing to really worry about, minor stuff."

Reed and his family were without power and running water for five days. But as soon as a nearby Wal-Mart opened a few days after the storm, Reed purchased diapers, pillows, and blankets and delivered them to evacuees staying at Jackson Coliseum.

"It makes you very emotional because some people have lost everything they have," said Reed. "People are so excited to see people ready to help them."

   Said Jefferson, "I want to do everything I can to get Mississippi back on the right track. Hopefully, a lot of other guys from Mississippi feel the same way. I haven't thought about what yet, but I plan on doing something all year round."

Rebounding

   Red Auerbach continues to improve in a Washington hospital. No word on when he'll be released. His 88th birthday is Tuesday. . . In October, the Celtics will hold open tryouts for national anthem singers. Stay tuned for details . . .Just a reminder: Tickets for all Celtics games go on sale Saturday at the Garden box office.

Tony Allen: "I Let My Team Down"

October 23, 2005

UNCASVILLE, Conn. Tony Allen rejoined the Celtics yesterday and spoke for the first time since being arrested for aggravated battery and spending two nights in a Chicago jail. ("That ain't no place for me," he said.        Allen posted $150,000 bond and returned to Boston Friday, then traveled on the team bus to Mohegan Sun last night for the Celtics' exhibition game against the Nets.

Did Nate Just Play His Way into the Rotation?

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?

Who All Will Guard Kobe?

Do we start out with Pierce on Bryant and Jesus on Artest or vice versa? I don't know, and, really, I don't care. Try it one way and then the other. See what happens. What I do care about are DKDs (Designated Kobe Defenders) 3, 4 and 5. In 2008, we only needed to go three deep. The third DKD proved to be a difference maker in Game 4, which decided the series. His name? James Posey.

Nails has moved on, and the question is, who do we have to replace him?

It says here that we've still got plenty.

Tony Allen is undersized, but physical. He'll be sure to use his fouls in pushing Kobe around. After TA comes Marquis Daniels. Thinner but longer, Squisy has a chance to prove why we signed him in the first place. Having received a free pass during the regular season because he has "good hair," he will now be counted on to use the full length of his body to frustrate #24.UPDATE: 5/31. Doc says Marquis is out indefinitely. Perhaps the whole series. Boooooooooooooo!

Finally, we have the most intriguing member of the DKDs, Michael Finley. At 6-7, Finley stands the tallest of the three. At 37, Finley may also be the wisest. Perhaps most importantly, Finley can drain the 3 ball. No Kobe playing free safety to offer help defense when he's guarding Mike.

But is Finley too old to play D?

We're not talking about lots of minutes, and we're only asking for short spurts. No one doubts that Finely is still in good shape. All he needs to do his channel his energy and his length for 5 or so minutes every game. I think he'll make a meaningful contribution on D. But he if can't, we've still got four other guys to throw at the Fakers' star.

Heart

The fact that Doc Rivers played a perfectly healthy Marquis Daniels a mere six minutes against the Denver Nuggets is perhaps more interesting than the line-up Doc brandished late in the game, using P-squared at the four and TA at the 3. TA, of course, was the beneficiary of the Daniels' decision, and he more than capitalized.

Don't get me wrong. I like Marquis. Marquis finds more creative ways to knife through opposing defenses and score from inside than anyone on the Celtics, save Rajon Rondo, especially if you exclude Celtic players whose drives result in charge calls. I also realize that's it dangerous to interpret the sometimes placid look on his face as a lack of intensity. After all, I was a big fan of double-zero. Still, S'quisy doesn't always seem to play with a fire in his belly.

Nor does TA. But at this point in his career, I think we all know when Tony Allen is most likely to provide a high-intensity performance: after he's been sitting on the bench for a long stretch, getting DNPs while someone else gets his PT.

In the end, the Celtics are gonna need to "bring it" to get very far in the playoffs. Doc Rivers is all about fire and intensity. He's the anti-Zen Mistress. Accordingly, Doc will play those guys who play the game this way. Going to TA over MD may just be the first example. Could a preference for Shelden over Sheed be in the offing?

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.

Short-handed Celtics Travel to Portland

Even at full-strength, the Celtics roster stands at a mere 13 players, and that includes Marcus Landry, who is now being called a practice player. However, Landry and fellow former Knick Nate Robinson are unlikely to be eligible to play tonight because of the logistics and timing of the trade. That leaves 11 Celtics to compete . . . except that Tony Allen hurt his leg last night, and Doc (see video below) pronounced him doubtful for tonight.

Which brings us down to 10 players.

That means extra PT for Marquis, right? Probably, but he was kinda, sorta AWOL last night, and, I thought, looked way skinnier than usual. Perhaps he's sick? In any event, look for some creative coaching to get around these hurdles.

I had a good feeling about last night's game, and do again for tonight's game. But we'll need everyone to contribute. NO 2-11s from Sheed, and no gooseggs from Squisy.

Tony Allen Doubtful for Tonight

See Doc's prefatory comments in this video.



Nate not probable, either.

Nate Robinson for Eddie House?

Should we be excited about this? After game 4 of the 2008 Finals, Eddie House became a Boston Celtic for life. EH is my guy. There's nothing I like better than writing a post entitled HOUSE AFIRE!!! Still, Eddie is six years older than Nate. Eddie's shooting better from three, but only slightly better (.383 to .375), while Nate is shooting better overall (.452 to .401). Playing eight more minutes per game than House, Nate averages more points, more assists, more steals, more rebounds, and more turnovers than EH. House shoots .900 from the stripe to Nate's .778.

Three big questions are whether Nate can run the point, defend the point the point, and add some snarl to a Celtics team in desperate need of a testosterone injection. I'm not talking smack. I'm talking about a gritty, grimey, James Posey kinda roll-around, get down and stomp you around kind of thing.

Nate, you got any a dat?

BTW, I said last month that Eddie House was starting to remind me of Jerry Sichting just before Jerry Sichting got dealt for Jim Paxson. Let's see if my prediction comes true.

NATE ROBINSON

Season Averages

Season	Team	G	GS	MPG	FG%	3p%	FT%	OFF	DEF	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PF	PPG
09-10	NYK	30	2	24.4	0.452	0.375	0.778	0.8	1.6	2.4	3.7	0.9	0.2	1.8	2.2	13.2
Career		312	61	24.8	0.429	0.353	0.795	0.9	2.0	2.9	2.8	0.9	0.1	1.5	2.6	12.5

EDDIE HOUSE

Season Averages

Season	Team	G	GS	MPG	FG%	3p%	FT%	OFF	DEF	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	TO	PF	PPG
09-10	BOS	50	0	16.9	0.401	0.383	0.900	0.1	1.2	1.4	1.0	0.6	0.1	0.5	1.2	7.2
Career		643	30	17.2	0.412	0.394	0.837	0.2	1.5	1.7	1.6	0.7	0.1	0.8	1.3	7.6

Marquis Daniels and The Dubious Value of Historical Precedent

I was a history major in college. I have a law degree, and in the law, precedent usually carries the day. This blog is heavily into Celtics history. But if history has a place in various aspects of society, it's value can be overstated, too. Let me explain.

The Celtics drafted Michael Smith in 1989. I was fired up. Red Auerbach compared him to Larry Bird. Smith came to camp out of shape and proceeded to get hurt immediately. He fell behind, and it took him forever to get caught up. Thereafter, any time a Celtics rookie got hurt early in his first season, I was done with him. I was done with Glen Davis before he ever suited up because he got hurt in the pre-draft tryouts.

Continuing the injury theme, I've always been an admirer of Tony Allen's undeniable skills. I've compared his defensive abilities to Deion Sanders. I'm not TA Crazy, like some fans who remember his stellar play before blowing out his knee earlier in his career. But I've always been solid in his corner. Because he gets injured so often, however, I've basically written him off as a possible contributor. I then applied the Tony Allen precedent to Marquis Daniels. Pacers fans warned us. They said Daniels gets hurt a lot. Don't expect him to stay healthy. I kept an open mind, but, sure enough, he got hurt and missed a boatload of games. My response was to dismiss him as a contributor the rest of the season.

You see where I'm going. Watching MD play just a few minutes today demonstrated to even the basetball-challenged that he is a multi-skilled player who, if healthy, could drastically increase this team's chances of winning a championship. Remember earlier in the season when the Celtics bench was outscoring the starters? Do you think it was a coincidence that this happened when MD was healthy?

I realize that the Celtics will need a lot of luck for everyone to get healthy, stay healthy, and get on the same page. But history really will have nothing to do with how far they get.

Should the Celtics Stiff Daniels and Hold on to their Expiring Contracts?

NESN seems to think so.

The argument appears to be that it is better for the Celtics to wait for the mid-season trade deadline and look for someone like James Posey, who might be dealt to save money. It is an interesting idea. My concern would be that Marquis Daniels may remind us too much of A) Tony Allen (injury-prone and inconsistent); and B) Mikki Moore (over-hyped and under-performing).

Still, I'm inclined to take the gamble, given the flattering reviews Daniels received both before and after the deal from non-Celtics fans around the league. The Celtics can always deal him for someone else mid-season if it doesn't work out.

The Makeover Continues

Like I was saying the other day over at MVN, perhaps the most fascinating thing to happen this summer was something that didn't happen at all, namely the proposed draft day trade of Brian Scalabrine, Tony Allen and a choice of J.R. Giddens or Bill Walker for the Memphis Grizzlies' 36th pick and cash considerations. A lot of folks thought Danny had his eye on someone at pick #36. Not me. I figured Danny was trying to unload three players for one, and since the one player he'd get in return was a non-guaranteed second round pick, it was really three players for zero. Next you throw in the fact that Gabe Pruitt has a team option this year, the aforementioned proposed trade told us that Danny's goal was to totally remake the roster from spots 6-15.

Well, last night we heard the other shoe hit the floor.

Like any good (read "bad") Celtics' fan, I'm now obsessing over who were gonna lose in the Marquis Grissom, er, I mean Daniels deal. Losing Brian Scalabrine would have concerned me more before his third concussion of the season last year sent him to the same type of doctor that told Troy-Aikman to hang it up, meaning whatever reason there is to love or appreciate Vanilla Thunder is now a fleeting reason because of the brain issues (kind of ironic, don't you think, since Danny's brain doctor told Danny to sign Brian because he had a good brain type. I wonder what the brain doctor would say about Scal's brain today?).

Which brings us to the burning question of the next three days: what else will Larry exact from Danny in this deal?

Here's my break down:

I think Tony Allen would be a tough MoFo if his body didn't let him down and make him such a wuss. Gabe Pruitt is a preacher's kid, and thus where nature has left Tony Allen lacking bodily resilience, nurture has left Gabe Pruitt lacking a killer intensity. Between JR Giddens and Bill Walker, I say Giddens is the more talented, while Walker is tougher, physically and mentally, which thus makes him more of a Doc-Rivers guy.

So if we're gonna lose someone other than Scal, I guess the pecking order is to lose Gabe first, Tony Allen second, Giddens third, and Walker fourth. What say you?

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.

Stacey Augmon & Rick Fox

The other day, against the Spurs, I watched Tony Allen catch a Leon Powe miss and lay it back in all in one-fell swoop. Shortly thereafter, I watched TA drive down the lane, pull up and nail a jumper. Smooth as silk.

The two plays weren't memorable because Tony Allen was contributing off the bench. If you look at his performance over the last five games, he's contributed more often than not. The plays weren't memorable even because it looked like the on-again-off-again player was setting himself up for an on-again game.

No, the reason the two plays were memorable was that when the camera closed in on him running down the court after the made baskets, you saw focus in his eyes. You saw Tony Allen alert and into the game as he was transitioning back to D.

How often have we seen this? Not often enough. That's for sure. What we usually see is Tony Allen making a basket and then running down the court in some kind of dream state, head in the clouds, or that place where no one else can find him. You know the one. It's the one that prompted KG to give TA a couple of love taps on the head after the infamous they-don't-want-no-pick-and-roll-speech on the bench.

I remain convinced that Tony Allen could be a very effective sixth man in this league. Someone that makes a difference at least six games out of ten. But right now he's not even as good as Stacey Augmon or Rick Fox.

Or maybe he is.

You tell me.

You'll need to click on the graphics to enlarge.