The Second Half of the Season

In the second half of the season we don’t have a while lot to look forward to.  With the exception of mathmatically we are not a playoff team, not even in contention.  We might have a few things to look forward to, Paul Pierce will give us a few good games.  He will lead some very talented and now (dare I say) proven youth, so we might see the Celtics that went on a 5 game winning streak, minus Tony Allen.

I can’t emphasize how crucial Tony Allen’s absence from this team has been.  We have not had a player other then Pierce who was willing to make that stop, make the big play, take that last second shot, something Pierce was sorely missing in the last few years.  But now it seems like a Delonte West, or Gerald Green is stepping up to that level as well.  So hopefully the big thing we will see is a team for a change cohesing around Pierce.

Another thing we might see is some quality play from our emerging young talents.  Gerald Green was just crowned slam dunk champion, and has taken on a more substantive scoring load.  Big Al has emerged as a low post threat averaging a double double, and a defensive force down low as well.  Delonte West and Ryan Gomes have become very good role players.  Rajon Rondo is the ont player I think if he continues on the course he is on is going ot be the kind of point guard that can bring out the best in our young team, the low post ability in Big Al, the shooting and driving of Gerald Green, and make our superstar even better.  I haven’t even gotten into his defense and speed, both of which are stellar.

And then there is the draft.  I don’t want to get into the whole Oden/Durant thing, every Celtic fans keeps talking about that, not that it’s unwarranted, but there is nothing new to go into.  We do have the best chance at the number one pick in a deep draft.  I will only say this one thing though:  2003:  Deep draft:   Top prize: Lebron James Other top picks:  Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwayne Wade.  1984:  Deep Draft Top Prize:  Hakeem Olajuwon.  Other draft choices in that draft: Charles Barkley, Kevin Willis, John Stockton,  and a little known guard from UNC named Michael Jordan, do ya catch what I’m sayin?

Pierce Wants to Trade the Pick

Paul Pierce is frustrated.  Why shouldn’t he be?  If his career continues the way it is he will be an instant Hall-of Famer.  He is a man who has had many big games, a man who can score, gets eye-popping passes, rebounds the ball very well, a warrior, a team leader, and solid defender, possibly one of the best ever.  This is a man who should be competing for championships every year.  However in his 9 year career he has had only 4 postseason appearances, only two of them beyond the first round. 

His team without him only one two games this season, including an 18 game losing streak, which ended only after he came back, needless to say he is this team right now.  The talented youth on this team is well documented and highly discussed. They have contributed, they have won, and they even have co-existed very nicely with their captain.  So much promise and so much develop has lead to a potentially good season before the injuries.  However this team has suffered it’s worst season since he has been here, and now he wants to do something about it.

He doesn’t want an Oden or Durant.  He wants to trade the pick for a veteran, and be an instant playoff team.  He has reiterated this one more than one occasion.  He is proud to be a Celtic, and he wants to lead this team back to the glory days, but he does need help, and the youth only recently has really given him any help.  To make maters more interesting Danny Ainge has said if the Celtics can pick Greg Oden, he will, which means more or less Ainge is going to use the pick in this draft. 

So we might be at a bit of an impasse.  Ainge wants a chance to bring this franchise serious publicity and celebration in a high draft pick, in a very deep draft, that may not be Oden or Durant in a very deep draft, and Pierce wants instant help.  Will it resolve itself?  Probably, but if Pierce is very adamant about trading the pick he and Ainge may not see eye to eye, and Pierce may ask for a trade to a team that can contend.  The only thing to say here is stay tuned…..

Celtics Mid-Season Review

With the season being more then half over their have been many up and downs all season, and I have to say it’s been a very strange season for us Celtics fans. We all went into season knowing that we were not a deep playoff team if a playoff team at all, but we also we knew that were close to being a contender with a few more key players and a vet. The team is young and we had hope that we would be a decent team, we started off the season in November shaky ending the month with a 5-9 record. Then in December things didn’t get any better with a few more injuries with December being a 10-5 month. And then we moved into January without Paul Pierce for the entire month, we started off with a win in Portland and winning two out of three. And then things went down from their, without a win from the 6th on.

Tony Allen started off to a slow start that led people to believe that he should be traded. However Allen picked up is game, especialy when Pierce went out with his injury. But then the worst happend, he got fouled and continued for the basket and after the dunk he fell wrong and tour his achilles muscle that will bench him for rest the of the season. Hopefuly he will be back full strength next year. If he picks up wear he left off next season he will certainly have a spot on our roster or a major trading chip.

Ryan Gomes had a good pre-season, but then went down a little when the season started. However most the vets have been out he has been getting major minutes and stepped up his game with an average of 12 points and 6 rebounds a game which is not bad by anybodys standards.

Gerald Green started off the season slow, with not truly doing anything to prove he is going to be a star in this league, but proving he is a hell of a dunker, and when will be entering the dunk contest being one of the favorites to win. This kid still has a huge upside and could become a solid player in the league.

If their is anybody on our team this year that has proved they can become a star it’s Al Jefferson. He started off the season slow and everybody doubted him, but out of no wear Big Al took over. As of late Jefferson has become a absolute beast and is becoming one of the most dominate players in the league, if Ainge trades this guy he should be fired the next day.

What is their to say about the kandi man other then he was a major bust in the NBA. He has played a total of 19 games with us this year due to injury and the fact we really don’t need him right now as the youth is showing their stuff. Out of the 19 games he played with us this season we lost 16 of them. He so slow he looks like a snail on the court.

I have been pretty disappointed with the play of Perk again this season. For a while last season he had a stretch of playing good and then faded. This season he once again has been having foul trouble an just not dominating the paint, but on his side he has been injured. Perkins has averaged 4 pts and 5 rebounds this season. I would not be sad if the Celtics decided to depart with Perk.

Once again Pierce was having another all star season but then his injury got to bad to keep playing. We will probably not see as much this season as we are out of the playoff hunt and trying to get the top 2 pick. Many Celtics fans believe we should just rest Pierce for the year so we guarantee to have the worst record in the NBA.

Powe has came in off the bench most the games this season. Statisticly he doesn’t look to good only averging 3 points and 3 rebounds a game in 8 minutes of play. It’s hard to say about this guy it’s just to early to tell.

Haha good old veal whats to say about this redhead guy. His play is basicly the same since he became a Celtic. He makes some threes an some shots in the paints, and does the little things that stats don’t show. The problem with Scal is that he just doesn’t fit in our system. You have the love the guy though!

He has played two games all season due to injury, he is nothing to the team other then maybe use him for a trade.

Another one that is to early to tell. Ray looks like he is good at times an then he makes rookie mistakes. The odd thing about Ray is that he seems to play better on the road then at home. He has only played in 25 this season an it will be interesting to watch him rest of the season to see if he is going to be anything special.

I have been really impressed with Rondo’s play. He has been proving many critics wrong that said he wouldn’t last in the NBA. Tommy said this kid is something special and I have to believe Tommy. More work on his offense he could seriously become something in the NBA. He also seems like a nice guy.

Another vet an you know what your going to expect out of him when he hits the court. Like many others on the team Wally has had injury troubles which has been affecting his shooting. If we could just limit Wally as a 6th man an not give him as much minutes to give his legs less wear he would be nice to just bring off the bench an get the shooting going next year.

Telfair who? He has been horrible this year and has not proved his self at all in the NBA. He lost his starting post ion this year an for a few games stretch hardly gotten any minutes at all. His defense is so bad that a old man could defend better, and I realy can’t see I have seen much offense out of him this season neither. He has been out played by a rookie!

West has been having back problems throughout the season which hurt his offense. His points and rebounds are slightly down this season, but thats also due to less minutes. Delonte is not going to be a star in the league but he is goin to be and is a solid player that will give it his all every game. Hopefuly after the all star break he will come back fresh an put more points on the board.

Whats to say about Doc? Some love him, some hate him. At the beginning of the season everybody wanted him fired, but Ainge an the owners stuck with him. Due to the injury an the youth he pretty much has a free pass for rest of the season. If it was me I would rather have Doc as my assistant coach then head.