The Celtics: Dirty By Design

At this point of the life cycle of the Garnett-Pierce-Allen Celtics, there seems to be no question that the team is simply dirty. Kendrick Perkins has augmented his tough defense with a streak of dangerous nastiness. Kevin Garnett has done the whole faux tough guy business to the point of parody. Even bit players like Glen Davis have gotten into the mode, as you can see in the video below.

That flagrant foul on Anderson Varejao might be the dirtiest NBA play since ... Perkins violently threw Jason Maxiell to the floor in January. Is it a pattern yet?

Doc Rivers and Tom Thibodeau haven't told their players to decapitate the opponent, I'm sure. But the style the Celtics play with Garnett as leader (even from the bench) is wild, fast and violent. The forwards and guards have to fly around to deny shots. Sometimes, when caught out of position, they flail ... and rope the opponent around the neck.

And that's fine -- there are ramifications for the dangerous plays. Davis watched the end of the game from the showers, and Perkins might hit the Sheed Threshold for technicals this year. But at some point the rest of the East is going to start matching dirty-for-dirty, clothesline-for-clothesline. I don't think the Celtics can take it as well as they can dish it.

(Addendum: I can't find a clip, but that move in which Paul Pierce cleared out Mo Williams on a fast break ... one more notch, right Boston? Borderline despicable.)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)

3-07-2009 @ 9:48AM

Nas said...

Actually, Kendrick Perkins has recently had 2 of his technicals RESCINDED by the league upon review. He now has nine, which has him tied at 8th in the league with the O'Neal bigs, and actually behind despicable horrible human beings like Chauncey Billups and Dwight Howard.

In the game, a home game for C's, the Celtics had 12 trips to the line. The Cavaliers had 38.

Ziller, quit being a hack, your bias is NY Post worthy. You're better than this...I thought.
Your mock outrage is Fox News worthy even.

3-07-2009 @ 9:49AM

Tom said...

"In the game, a home game for C's, the Celtics had 12 trips to the
line. The Cavaliers had 38."

I guess I'm not sure as to how this somehow proves that Boston doesn't sit at the Gates of Dirty. They foul a ton. They take cheap shots. They are basically a dirty team.

3-09-2009 @ 5:20PM

rjw6683 said...

A dirty team and a bunch of cry babies. Boston freaks out any time any foul is called opposite of how they feel it should be. Rivers was actually complaining about a call being made on that foul on Verajo. It's just a classless team following the lead of a coach that also has none.

3-07-2009 @ 10:03AM

markcity01 said...

Hi Tom. You must be from Cleveland. In any top-level competitive NBA matchup, hard fouls are a part of the game. The Celtics don't own the copyright. Mo williams should have received an Oscar for many of his flops in this game. Sounds like a lot of sour grapes from a disappointed Cleveland fan.

3-07-2009 @ 10:05AM

Hi Mark. I'm not from Cleveland, and am not a Cavs fan. If you can honestly equivocate a Mo Williams "flop" with the "hard fouls" Perk and Davis have offered up, you are truly a creative genius. Keep making excuses.

3-07-2009 @ 9:58AM

steveo said...

no he didn't say anything about how the cavs should have won the game he just said that the Celtics were playing dirty again.

Sounds more like someone who doesn't want to admit their team plays like a bunch of scumbags.

And seriously how was Paul Pierce not called for that forearm shiver to mo williams so he can have a wide open 3?

3-07-2009 @ 10:04AM

Tom, fair point, the fouls called ratio has nothing to do with your Saturday morning hit piece.

Seriously though, I am an admirer of your work. Sactownroyalty is really great stuff. And you've had breaking news before. All signs of good journalism.

And then you headline an article: Celtics: Dirty by Design?

You should know that is lazy journalism. It's like titling a piece:
Mahatma Gandhi: Ax Murderer?

Your title supposes a conclusion your article (sorry, maybe I'm making much of this tiny blog post) doesn't back. Hard fouls happens, and Big Baby was going for the ball...Anderson Varejao's head just got in the way. You'll pick on the C's because they're on TV a lot...but you know the NBA well enough to know that its all par for the course for championship teams (see Bowen, Bruce). To suggest that Celtics are actively seeking to hurt players is frankly, in your own words, despicable.

3-07-2009 @ 10:11AM

Nas, thanks for the kind words. The difference between "Celtics: Dirty By Design" and "Gandhi: Axe Murderer" is that while (to my knowledge) Gandhi never killed anyone with an axe, the Celtics have been involved in a few of the season's dirtiest plays, and by looking at their quotes almost seem to enjoy being known as the roughnecks.

"Big Baby was going for the ball...Anderson Varejao's head just got in the way."

This is not how it works in basketball. Headhunting is, like, a cardinal sin.

In the post, I wrote:

"Doc Rivers and Tom Thibodeau haven't told their players to decapitate the opponent, I'm sure. But the style the Celtics play with Garnett as leader (even from the bench) is wild, fast and violent."

I'm arguing that the style of defense the Celtics play causes this sort of thing ... and that's a bit dangerous. Further, I'm not calling on the league to crack down on anything -- I note that there are penalties in place for dirty plays, and Boston saw that last night with Davis' ejection. My concluding point is that at some point, the other Eastern powers will revolt and start going after the Celtics in a dirty fashion. And quite honestly, the Celtics will deserve it.

Bruce Bowen is a pox upon the league.

rjromano789 said...

hey tom u suck, big baby was just going for the ball it was dirty at all. The officiating was horrible last night any

3-07-2009 @ 10:22AM

No excuses needed, Tom. The Celtics won the game! And they did it without the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year and two of their top bench players. Let's not even mention this officiating disaster. Watch the game with an unbiased view and you'll have a different opinion. Or, maybe you won't. Lazy journalism is right....

3-07-2009 @ 10:24AM

I never said Boston didn't deserve it -- they played great, and dominated the paint with KG, which should concern the Cavs. Pierce was awesome. The bench played well, especially Powe. Great, great win. Big win.

That doesn't mean this play and previous plays made by the Celtics aren't dirty. You can be great and dirty at the same time. Ask the Bad Boys.

3-07-2009 @ 11:33AM

dess133 said...

the game has become totally p*ssified. (and so has the media)

i remember a celtics-pistons playoff game where larry bird chucked a basketball off bill laimbeer's face and wasn't even called for a technical. if that happened today he would probably be suspended for life.

i was shocked that was called a flagrant 2. davis was clearly going for ball and just came down hard on the guy. i seriously doubt he was angling for an ejection. it doesn't help that varejao hurls himself through the air whenever anyone touches him.

(i hope this comment gets past the censors)

3-07-2009 @ 11:50AM

One thing I agree with Bruce Bowen is (was?) indeed a pox on this league. You make your valid points, but that headline and the vitriol in the post:

"and rope the opponent around the neck." (Images of hanging? really?)

"dirty-for-dirty, clothesline-for-clothesline"

"Eastern Powers going to revolt"

and the insinuation that the Celtics coaching staff encourage physical harm to opposing teams is really Peter Vescey like sensationalism, and I've read you mock Vescey too many times to count. Practice what you preach.

You got out of bed the wrong side this morning Tom.

3-07-2009 @ 12:00PM

Nora said...

Yes, how about an article on unapologetic flopping? Why is that accepted? The league is soft.

3-07-2009 @ 12:12PM

teams that play stout defense in the middle and contest every shot are bound to have incidents like these. it's inevitable. it's not "by design." NOBODY wants to get ejected from the game. nobody wants to give their opponents extra free throws and possessions. the celtics don't take the court thinking "let's play dirty." they probably think "let's play great defense."

think of the NBA teams throughout history that have been known as "dirty." all were defensive minded teams. the reason for this is simple: you cannot play smothering defense AND be gentle. you can't have it both ways. the "flagrant 2's" of today were the generic two-shot fouls of 5 years ago. things have changed, and not for the better.

and i will bet you a shiny new quarter that the eastern powers are not going to "revolt" against the celtics. i don't even know what that means. it's just a silly thing to say. you should put more reason and analysis into your posts and less knee-jerk, bullsh*t ranting. we already have enough of that on the internet.

3-07-2009 @ 12:24PM

TJ said...

Where does he(Ziller) say that the staff encourages physical harm to opposing teams? From the reading Ziller specifically says

"Doc Rivers and Tom Thibodeau haven't told their players to decapitate the opponent, I'm sure."

Simple as that. I agree with this article. Lakers were physical with the Celtics in their games and it looked like they just werent use to someone being as physical as they were. Lakers won both of those games. If this East plays this team hard, don't be surprised to see someone else in the Finals with the Lakers.

3-07-2009 @ 12:26PM

pstargalac said...

You are completely wrong on this, Ziller. Right on most everything else, and completely, indefensibly wrong here.

Nothing about this play was dirty. Nothing at all. There is a HUGE and OBVIOUS difference between what Davis did and what Bruce Bowen does night in and night out. That's just a stupid comparison that is beneath you.

There's also a difference between cheap and dirty. Davis made no attempt to injure him. He didn't step on the guy's Achilles tendon. He didn't grab his junk. He didn't poke his eye. He just pushed him real hard.

It was blatant and flagrant. And very, very cheap. But 100% clean.

3-07-2009 @ 12:33PM

Don't be surprised when the Lakers lose in the playoffs once again to the Celtics. Teams have played their best against the C's all year because they won the championship and C's still have a very good record. Celtics will be very difficult to beat in a 7 game series as opposed to a single game in the reg. season.

3-07-2009 @ 1:11PM

Bryan said...

Don't be surprised when the Lakers Easily beat the celtics.

Remember Boston swept the season series last year, and went on to win.
Also Gasol is tougher, Ariza is healthy and Andrew Bynum is projected to return a week before the playoffs.

3-07-2009 @ 1:08PM

I completely agree with your assessment Tom. But this is nothing new. Last year both Posey and Powe would try to get there extra jabs in after the refs had blown the whistle.

But Verajao probably deserved it. He himself often takes cheap shots at players, not to mention the rampant flopping he is involved in.

The Celtics play dirty and to a certain extent so do the Jazz. most of the team plays a physical game which is typical of a Jerry Sloane team, but Harpring is outright dirty