Celtics
Hey - going to the Raptors-Celtics game tonight! Got great tickets for half of face value. I haven't been to an NBA game in a couple of years, and I've never had seats this good, so I'm very excited. On the Celtics side, I'm jazzed to see the increasingly great Paul Pierce. He's raised his game this season and seems to be sporting a new positive attitude. He plays hard and draws fouls. He's great in the clutch, and has turned into a role model for the young guys.
The young guys are, in fact, the other thing I want to see tonight. Rookies Orien Greene, Gerald, Green, and Ryan Gomes are playing more minutes and producing more than anyone thought possible. Orien, of course, was a very bad rook recently when he got busted for speeding, but I'm hoping he's far enough out of the doghouse to get a peek at him tonight.
The last time I saw Gerald Green, he threw down a memorable jam from a Tony Allen set-up in garbage time against the Raptors. Is was a memorable dunk, the kind that you'd think was only possible with the help of a trampoline. Apparently he's been getting 19 minutes a game in the stretch since then, so hopefully I'll get a first-person look at those big hops.
Gomes is a 6'7" power forward - normally too short to play the position in the NBA. Which is why he was there when the Celtics took him in the second round. But by all accounts he's a player - he makes things happen no matter what his dimensions. And at 250 lbs, why shouldn't he?
Aside from Peirce and the three G's, I want to have a look at the second year guys. The team had a terrific draft the year before as well, and there are thee solid players with a "huge upside" from that class as well: Al Jefferson, Delonte West, and Tony Allen.
Allen is averaging 17 minutes and 5.7 points, which is not going to get him into the Hall of Fame. He's been playing behind Ricky Davis and Wally Szczerbiak, so it's understandable. You have to wonder whether he'll be around Boston when (if) he breaks out as a scorer, as Wally has a few good years left and should recover from his knee soreness in the off-season. Still, a strong productive guy in that spot.
Jefferson is averaging 8 points and 5 rebounds in 18 minutes, but has hobbled on sore ankles all season (and most of last season). There is some question about his conditioning and willingness to play through pain. He's been compared favourably to All-Star Amare Stoudmire in Phoenix - and if he can reach that potential, look out. But he's been shut down for the season due to the ankles and remains a tease.
West is the best of the second year crop so far. He's averaging 12 points and 4.6 assists in 34 minutes, starting at the point. He has a smooth stroke on his shot and plays well all over the court. It was his injury, though, that got Orien Greene off the bench to show what he could do in the spot. There was talk that West wouldn't get the job back, but Greene is still too, umm, green to take over.
Kendrick Perkins rounds out the youth movement, in his third year. Like Jefferson and Gerald Green, he's a high school guy who should be playing in the NCAA's right now (or just a couple of weeks ago). He's an improving banger, grabbing 6 boards and 5 points in his 18 minutes. How much better can he get? Raef LaFrentz is taking 25 minutes at center right now, but look for Perkins to be given every opportunity to start in that spot next year. It looks like GM Danny Ainge is angling for a Perkins-Jefferson front court, but whether the guys can handle it remains uncertain.
With seven good young players looking for minutes, you have to wonder what the team will do with its lottery pick this year (as the Saturday loss to Chicago put them out of the playoffs). How many good young guys can you have on a roster? Of course, that's a problem a lot of teams would like to have.
I'm also curious about Doc Rivers as a coach. Why did it take him all year to play Green and Greene and Gomes? If they were in the rotation from day one, would we be in the playoffs now?
The young guys are, in fact, the other thing I want to see tonight. Rookies Orien Greene, Gerald, Green, and Ryan Gomes are playing more minutes and producing more than anyone thought possible. Orien, of course, was a very bad rook recently when he got busted for speeding, but I'm hoping he's far enough out of the doghouse to get a peek at him tonight.
The last time I saw Gerald Green, he threw down a memorable jam from a Tony Allen set-up in garbage time against the Raptors. Is was a memorable dunk, the kind that you'd think was only possible with the help of a trampoline. Apparently he's been getting 19 minutes a game in the stretch since then, so hopefully I'll get a first-person look at those big hops.
Gomes is a 6'7" power forward - normally too short to play the position in the NBA. Which is why he was there when the Celtics took him in the second round. But by all accounts he's a player - he makes things happen no matter what his dimensions. And at 250 lbs, why shouldn't he?
Aside from Peirce and the three G's, I want to have a look at the second year guys. The team had a terrific draft the year before as well, and there are thee solid players with a "huge upside" from that class as well: Al Jefferson, Delonte West, and Tony Allen.
Allen is averaging 17 minutes and 5.7 points, which is not going to get him into the Hall of Fame. He's been playing behind Ricky Davis and Wally Szczerbiak, so it's understandable. You have to wonder whether he'll be around Boston when (if) he breaks out as a scorer, as Wally has a few good years left and should recover from his knee soreness in the off-season. Still, a strong productive guy in that spot.
Jefferson is averaging 8 points and 5 rebounds in 18 minutes, but has hobbled on sore ankles all season (and most of last season). There is some question about his conditioning and willingness to play through pain. He's been compared favourably to All-Star Amare Stoudmire in Phoenix - and if he can reach that potential, look out. But he's been shut down for the season due to the ankles and remains a tease.
West is the best of the second year crop so far. He's averaging 12 points and 4.6 assists in 34 minutes, starting at the point. He has a smooth stroke on his shot and plays well all over the court. It was his injury, though, that got Orien Greene off the bench to show what he could do in the spot. There was talk that West wouldn't get the job back, but Greene is still too, umm, green to take over.
Kendrick Perkins rounds out the youth movement, in his third year. Like Jefferson and Gerald Green, he's a high school guy who should be playing in the NCAA's right now (or just a couple of weeks ago). He's an improving banger, grabbing 6 boards and 5 points in his 18 minutes. How much better can he get? Raef LaFrentz is taking 25 minutes at center right now, but look for Perkins to be given every opportunity to start in that spot next year. It looks like GM Danny Ainge is angling for a Perkins-Jefferson front court, but whether the guys can handle it remains uncertain.
With seven good young players looking for minutes, you have to wonder what the team will do with its lottery pick this year (as the Saturday loss to Chicago put them out of the playoffs). How many good young guys can you have on a roster? Of course, that's a problem a lot of teams would like to have.
I'm also curious about Doc Rivers as a coach. Why did it take him all year to play Green and Greene and Gomes? If they were in the rotation from day one, would we be in the playoffs now?
posted by fiduciary at 9:50 AM
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