The True Class Of The East

They say defense is all about effort. With the intensity the Boston Celtics bring to every possession, you can see why they are by far and away the leaders in points allowed per game (86.5).

But it’s not just on the defensive end. Boston is ridiculously focused from the moment they walk out of the tunnel. Yesterday in Toronto, there was a 14 minute delay to start the 2nd half because of a leak in the roof. Kevin Garnett didn’t so much as smile during the break. He kept going through that layup line along with his ‘mates, time after time until the hardwood was ready.

All you have to do is watch Boston’s bench. If Rajon Rondo pushes the ball and misses a lay in, the bench is screaming out props because he did the right thing. When Tony Allen makes the smart pass, he hears about it. The bench is in playoff form and so is that ridiculously solid defensive 5.

They made a mockery of the Raptors’ fluid offense. Jose Calderon leads full-time point guards by a mile in assist to turnover ratio (5.6), but yesterday he committed 4 turnovers to go along with his 5 assists. The Celtics forced him to take a couple more dribbles and make him generally uncomfortable because they were constantly in front of him. After scoring 29 in Toronto’s previous game, Jason Kapono finished with 8. He got very few good looks and couldn’t out battle a Celtic for a rebound even if the back of his jersey read Rondo. Anthony Parker saw nothing but green and those flailing hands were getting Chris Bosh more rattled then I’ve seen in a very long time.

That tenacity shook most of the Raps. Even when they got open looks, Toronto just didn’t appear right in a 13 point loss where the score flattered the home team. It was a lot more C’s than TR’s. There will be no mid-January Tuesday blah game for this Celtics squad; playing lackadaisical just doesn’t seem in them at all. The methodical offense, the hard fouls; they are unshakable in every facet of the game.

The answer isn’t merely Kevin Garnett. It’s likely the effect of the leaders getting together far earlier than they were supposed to before the pre-season and their attitudes trickling down to the rest of the roster. Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are definitely practicing what KG is preaching and the rest of the team has no choice but to follow suit. I’m not sure Doc Rivers needs to be on the bench at all.

Is this team giving a little too much and maybe peaking a little too early? There is something to be said for that but the benefits of establishing well defined roles should pay off handsomely in the long run. Tony Allen, Kendrick Perkins, Rondo, Big Baby, James Posey… the list is endless. These guys are all doing fine, fine jobs and it is surprising how quickly they’ve come together. Now, bring on the West already.

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By Tas Melas at 1:54 pm on 12.17.2007 — Tags: Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Celtics

The Long Fingers Of The Law

If you’re not excited about Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen coming to Boston, you’re whacked. KG is one of the top 6 or 7 players in the league. Allen and Paul Pierce have to be included in the top 25. That has got to be enough for the Celtics to be an upper echelon team in the weak Leastern Conference. This baby is cyclical - let the power come east.

Even though I’m a fan of the Raps, I am jacked about the opportunity of seeing Garnett play in the EST time zone. The guy is under appreciated. The numbers speak for themselves but when you’re surrounded by teammates like Ricky Davis, Marko Jaric and Mark Blount, you can’t compete in the West. Look at the names struggling over there: Kobe Bryant hasn’t won a playoff series in 3 years, Tracy McGrady hasn’t won a round in the postseason ever, and so on. Both Garnett and Allen will finally stand out playing in the East.

I watched both those players take their respective teams on their backs last season. I remember KG single handedly stopping the Suns 17-game win streak with 44 effortless points. Just too many skills to speak of: rebounding, passing, defending, etc. As for Ray, it’s trendy right now to say he’s washed up. Yes, he is 32. And yes, he is a jump shooter. The consensus is his legs have to go some time soon and he’s seriously banged up. Whatever. The way he played when he was scoring 26 per last season leaves no doubt in my mind he will be very capable for the final 3 years of his contract. Especially considering he will have 2 Hall of Fame caliber players shouldering the load. He had to free himself up constantly to get off his shot in Seattle, but with double teams swarming around Pierce and Garnett, you’ll see the man with the most beautiful stroke in basketball elevating with lots of room around him. He says his ankles are perfect and frankly, I’m just naive enough to believe him.

The Truth, the Big Ticket and Ray-Ray all know this is their best shot to win a title. They’ll all be 30+ when training camp starts. Pierce said he felt like a rookie again during KG’s press conference (and even though we all knew PP wore #24 #34, it was a nice little snapshot of the future seeing the big 3 hold up their jerseys). The trio is rejuvenated and ready for a hard run, and that drive will have a trickle down effect on to the rest of the roster. Take a role playing Brian Scalabrine for example. Last year, he was pleasantly plump, but you know when he heard KG was gonna to be playing next to him, Ginger Balls put down the old Krispy Kreme and went for a jog. Three Hall of Fame worthy players and a thinner Ginger Balls, sounds like a winning formula to me.

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By Tas Melas at 4:10 pm on 08.01.2007 — Tags: Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, Celtics

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