NBA FanHouse

Paul Pierce Owns Madison Square Garden, Too

Tom Ziller — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:58:00 EST

We hear quite a bit about how well Kobe Bryant and LeBron James play at Madison Square Garden, the so-called Mecca of basketball. But Sunday's action reminded us that Paul Pierce belongs in that discussion, too.

Pierce scored 33 points in Boston's overtime win against the Knicks Sunday. It was the sixth career 30-point game at MSG for the longtime Celtics, matching Kobe, Dirk Nowitzki and Allen Iverson for the lead among active (or very recently active, in A.I.'s case) players. LeBron has five 30-point games at the Garden.

Of course, Pierce has been around quite a bit longer than LeBron, and as an Eastern Conference player he plays at MSG twice as frequently as Bryant and Nowitzki. But the mark is still impressive. (In case you're wondering, Michael Jordan holds the modern era record for 30-point games at MSG as a visitor, with at least 17. Basketball-Reference only has a game-by-game box score data going back to 1986-87.) Pierce was the fourth visitor to hit 30 at the Garden this season, following James, Andre Iguodala and Chris Paul.

Paul Pierce Owns Madison Square Garden, Too originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 04:58:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Should Rashard Lewis Have Been Suspended During the Playoffs?

Tom Ziller — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:57:00 EST

Filed under: Celtics, Magic

Magic star Rashard Lewis tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing drug sometime before the NBA Finals last season. A follow-up test was given during the Finals, where Orlando fell 4-1 to the Lakers. But based on when that first test happens, Lewis's former teammate Ray Allen wonders if it might have been the Celtics in the Finals.

Allen told the Boston Globe this weekend that if Lewis has tested positive during the Magic-Celtics Eastern Conference semifinals series, he should have been suspended then. Allen follows that up by suggesting that without Lewis Orlando would have fallen to Boston (a fair retrodiction). The Magic beat the Celtics and Cavaliers on their way to the Finals.

The NBA never announced the timing of that first test, and news of Lewis's positive test didn't break until the start of August -- some nine weeks after the start of the Finals.

Should Rashard Lewis Have Been Suspended During the Playoffs? originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

'Sheed's Threes a Problem for the Celtics

Brett Pollakoff — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:55:00 EST

Filed under: Celtics, Magic

When the Celtics signed Rasheed Wallace over the summer as their big offseason acquisition, they may have thought they were getting a big man who would stretch the floor with his three-point shooting, and one who would force the centers on the other contenders to come out of the paint to try and stop him.

But 13 games into the Sheed experiment in Boston, Wallace's three-point shooting has hurt his new team far more than it has helped them. And Friday night's 0-for-8 performance from beyond the arc?

That one was so bad, it made history.

Check out this blurb from the folks at Elias regarding 'Sheed's shooting:

Rasheed Wallace shot 0-for-8 from three-point range in Boston's loss to Orlando Friday night. Only one other Celtic has shot 0-for-8 or worse from three-point range in a home game. Dana Barros was 0-for-9 from beyond the three-point line on January 12, 1996 at the FleetCenter.

Now, many of these shots were wide open, and, supposedly, came within the flow of the offense. But Wallace finished the game by going just 4-for-19 from the field, and at some point, a player has to realize that maybe this isn't his night, and it's time to stop shooting -- no matter how open the looks are. Especially when only one other teammate took more shots, and that was Paul Pierce, who's supposed to do so.

The especially damning part of 'Sheed's high volume of three-pointers against the Magic is that, just a couple of days prior, Doc Rivers asked him to stop shooting them so much.

"I got on him, and I rarely do, about the threes,'' Rivers said of Wallace. "Because even though he was wide open, it's really tough. I mean, he was wide open and he took two, but we had just taken two quick ones."

Apparently, the message was not received.

Wallace has attempted 78 three-pointers on the season, for an average of six per game. That might not sound like a ton, but it's the sixth highest in the league right now. And for someone who's only hitting them at a mark of .282 on the year -- which doesn't place him in the top 100, by the way -- it's way too many.

What's more alarming, though, is how bad 'Sheed has been shooting from downtown more recently -- because even that not-so-stellar number of .282 is skewed by Wallace getting off to a hot start.

Through his first five games, Wallace connected on 15 of his 33 attempts, for a more-than-solid percentage of .455. But since his 6-for-8 outing against the Sixers, Wallace has made just seven of his last 45 attempts over the Celtics' last eight games.

Abysmal.

So, as you can see, the Celtics have a little problem on their hands. Their coach told Wallace to calm down on the three-point shooting, and the very next game, he jacks up eight from downtown -- which ties a personal season high for single-game attempts from beyond the arc.

It's way, way too early to say that Rasheed Wallace and the Celtics are a bad fit. But if the shots continue to go up without going in, and Doc Rivers' instructions continue to be ignored, then what is perhaps this Celtics team's last chance at a title may just go bouncing away -- right along with all of those missed three-pointers from Wallace.

'Sheed's Threes a Problem for the Celtics originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 21 Nov 2009 13:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

NBA Power Rankings: Soaring Hawks

Brett Pollakoff — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Celtics, Hawks, Lakers, Magic, Mavericks, Nuggets, Pacers, Suns, Trail Blazers, NBA Power Rankings

The Atlanta Hawks find themselves at the top of our rankings this week, thanks to a five-game winning streak against some strong competition -- a gritty overtime win over the Blazers and a road win in Boston were both impressive. Now, let's see if they can avoid the top-spot-jinx on Wednesday night, when they'll host Miami in a rematch of last year's first round playoff series. As for the other 29 teams? Read on to see how they stacked up.

1. Hawks (9-2) | Prev.: 5
Early front-runner for Sixth Man Award: Jamal Crawford. And by the way, who was Joe Johnson calling out earlier in the season and why? -- Matt Steinmetz
2. Suns (10-2) | Prev.: 2
Is there any other player in the league who can go 2-for-10 from the floor - which Nash did against Houston on Tuesday night - and still be the most influential player on the court? -- MS
3. Cavaliers (8-3) | Prev.: 12
The Cavs are still miles away from where they were last year, but who cares? They've won five in a row and eight of their last nine, and haven't missed a beat with Shaquille O'Neal sitting the last two with injury. Expect this team to continue picking up steam: four of their next five opponents are currently under .500. -- Matt Watson
4. Nuggets (8-3) | Prev.: 8
Carmelo Anthony dances with the Gods and charms their eyelids to slumber. Also, this Birdman blonde goatee thing he's growing is creeping me out. In conclusion, this team's really good. -- Matt Moore
5. Lakers (8-3) | Prev.: 1
Nothing to see here, people. Move along. Lakers are doing just fine, thank you - 8-3 and Pau Gasol hasn't even played a game yet. -- MS
6. Mavericks (8-3) | Prev.: 6
The Mavericks aren't considered elite at the moment, and we're struggling to figure out why. Victories over the Lakers and Rockets, and the fifth highest point differential in the league all have led to an 8-3 record. The opening night what the what loss to the surprisingly miserable Wizards doesn't look great, nor does the utter collapse against the Spurs without Duncan and Parker inspire confidence. But in the interim, Dirk Nowitzki's playing like the elite player he is, Jason Kidd is ripping out assists at a high rate, and Rodrigue Beaubois is a surprisingly talented rookie at both ends of the floor. Why are we always surprised at Dallas? -- MM
7. Magic (8-3) | Prev.: 9
Just as Rashard Lewis returns from suspension, Jameer Nelson goes down with a knee injury. He's expected back in 4-6 weeks, but that could put is into the new year before we get to see Orlando begin to try to work on its chemistry issues. -- BP

8. Celtics (8-3) | Prev.: 3
The blistering start with the return of Kevin Garnett and addition of Rasheed Wallace has begotten a hiccup of sorts, with losses to the Hawks and Pacers. The other Celtics loss came at the hands of the sizzling Suns, and yes, one of these teams is not like the other. Paul Pierce is banged up, and needless to say his health is vital for this team's offense. -- Tom Ziller
9. Blazers (8-4) | Prev.: 7
Portland has improved with every game, and has become a defensive force. Greg Oden is finally living up to his potential, even if it's only on the defensive side of the ball. If Nate McMillan can figure out how to better work in Andre Miller, this team looks primed for a deep, deep run in the playoffs and ready to take their place as the Lakers' heir apparent. Denver might have something to say about that, however. -- MM

10. Pacers (5-3) | Prev.: 24
There's two ways to look at Indiana's five-game winning streak. On the one hand, they've feasted on some cupcakes with a combined 14-37 record -- their home victory over the Celtics was their only opponent in that span with a winning record. That said, you play the games that are on the schedule, and the Pacers have answered the call with flair, winning by an average of nearly 12 points a game. Danny Granger remains one of the most underrated stars in the game, and Roy Hibbert is emerging into a double-double machine. -- MW

11. Rockets (6-5) | Prev.: 13
The John McClane of the NBA. There's no raucous feel-good attitude to this team. They're not pleasantly surprised when their offense lets them outscore a team or two. They expect to win every single game and kill themselves in the pursuit of that goal. And keep this in mind, the Rockets have yet to lose to a sub-.500 team, and two of their losses (Portland and LA) were followed by wins over those same teams. "Yippee ki-yay, Southwest Division." -- MM

12. Bulls (6-4) | Prev.: 10
The Bulls have an intriguing mix of veterans and youth -- and sure, to his credit, Vinny Del Negro hasn't been awful -- but there's just one glaring concern: they simply can't score, at least not on a consistent basis. It's a rare night the Bulls are outworked, but can they keep up their stamina while spending the next two weeks on the road on their cursed circus trip? A decade-long sample size suggests not: over the last 10 years, the Bulls have gone 9-56 on the annual early-season rite of passage. -- MW

13. Bucks (5-3) | Prev.: 15
Remember all the questions surrounding Brandon Jennings on draft day? How he watched his name called from a hotel room because none of the teams in the lottery could guarantee he wouldn't be the last in the green room? He's needed fewer than 10 games to make a lot of seasoned execs turn red -- even before his 55-point outburst made him a household name. Forget Rookie of the Year -- at this point in the (still extremely) young season, Jennings has to be included in the MVP conversation. -- MW

14. Thunder (6-5) | Prev.: 14
Don't look now, but the Thunder are still above .500 in the middle of November. Not exactly the biggest feat, but considering wins over the Spurs, Heat, and the Magic, the potential is there for this team to make a playoff run. But they've got to get better consistency from the Big 3 (Durant, Green, Westbrook), and quit losing silly games like Sunday's banana-peel blooper against the Clippers. -- MM

15. Heat (7-3) | Prev.: 4
Dwyane Wade saved the day when the team was short-handed against the Nets, but Miami was at full strength when they lost the next time out to the Thunder. The fact that no one's showing up to their home games definitely isn't helping the Heat take care of business against teams they should beat, and that situation isn't likely to change anytime soon. -- BP

16. Raptors (5-6) | Prev.: 16
Every game the Raptors lose seems like a waste of a superlative effort by Chris Bosh, the league's best big man early this season. Toronto has a dominant offense, capable of scoring on any team in the league. But the defense is as bad as ever: the team does everything poorly. Shooting defense? Awful. Opponent turnover rate? Awful. Defensive rebounding? Awful. Opponent free throw rate? Awful. Reggie Evans can help whenever he makes his season debut (he sprained a foot in preseason), but he won't be able to fix all these problems. That's problematic, if you figure the offense won't keep clicking like this forever. -- TZ

17. Kings (5-5) | Prev.: 20
Sacramento may be middle of the pack when it comes to these power rankings, but the Kings are among the NBA's elite when it comes to teams that play hard. All in all, a nice start to the Paul Westphal era. -- MS

18. Spurs (4-4) | Prev.: 11
Feast or famine. Win over the Mavericks or loss to the Thunder. Struggling to find an identity with the All-Stars or playing with fire without them. The Spurs are just weird right now. Every time they seem to be figuring things out (wins over Toronto and Mavericks in laughers), they turn around and do something like lose at home to the Thunder. But at least everyone's healthy...ish. For now. Eeeeee. -- MM

19. Pistons (5-6) | Prev.: 18
Considering they've played the last nine games without two veteran starters, the new-look Pistons are actually hanging in there. You want to talk about depth? Four different players have taken turns as the high scorer in the last four games. Will Bynum, who opened the year as the fourth guard, has averaged nearly 22 points a game in the last four while emerging as the team's best playmaker. So what's the bad news? This roster still needs another scoring big man to be taken seriously. Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince need to hurry back -- so Joe Dumars can put them on the trading block. -- MW

20. Jazz (4-6) | Prev.: 17
Fear for the Jazz. They're still dangerous and have time to get it together, but this team is a mess in terms of chemistry, effort, and focus. Sloan needs to do something to regain his team's attention. -- MM

21. 76ers (4-6) | Prev.: 23
The surprising problem for the 76ers, who have typically started slowly during the Andre Iguodala era, has been its defense, which doesn't reflect well on coach Eddie Jordan. Opponents are shooting an absurd 41 percent from three against Philly -- that figure was closer to league average (36.7 percent) last season. The team is still generating turnovers, but the perimeter players have apparently forgotten to stick a hand in the shooters' faces. Bummer, since the Sixers (despite adding designated sniper Jason Kapono) can't make it up with threes of their own. -- TZ

22. Bobcats (3-7) | Prev.: 19
Stephen Jackson, Boris Diaw and Gerald Wallace: Versatility or uniformity? Can't get that old Dylan lyric out of my head ... "... something is happening here but you don't know what it is ..." -- MS

23. Hornets (4-8) | Prev.: 21
From good, to bad, to worse, to oh noes, to "well, at least they beat the Clippers." The Hornets are in bad shape, with no real mercy in sight, and ownership is considering shipping newly acquired Emeka Okafor out of town, if you believe the reports. Scott's already gone, and Chris Paul's on the shelf. Long is not the word for what their season looks like. Agonizing. That's more like it. -- MM

24. Clippers (4-8) | Prev.: 22
Sure, everyone is waiting for Blake Griffin. But in the meantime, the Clippers really miss Eric Gordon. What's more, the Clippers are off to a terrible start at home (2-5). -- MS

25. Wizards (2-7) | Prev.: 25
Gilbert Arenas is back to being Agent Zero, and even has a Lil Penny-style video on his website to prove it. He's also said he'll begin doing the Twitter thing once he gets to a million followers, but Wizards fans would probably rather have some wins at this point than quirky quotes from their favorite player. Actually, scratch that: they're Wizards fans, so I've probably got that backwards. -- BP

26. Warriors (3-7) | Prev.: 26
Stephen Jackson's gone, Monta Ellis might be next and in the meantime Golden State is looking at this in the short-term: at Boston, vs. Portland, at Dallas, at San Antonio, vs. L.A. Lakers. -- MS

27. Grizzlies (2-8) | Prev.: 29
They replaced Allen Iverson who refused to come off the bench for them and then abandoned them, with Jamal Tinsley. I'm not even going to comment on that one. Just let that one stew in its own juices for a while. -- MM

28. Timberwolves (1-10) | Prev.: 27
Good news. Kevin Love is healing and the Wolves will likely have a return date on Friday after an X-Ray. Bad news. David Kahn seems to be already feeling the pressure for his point-guard splurges and the Rubio disaster. This franchise for all its excitement when Kahn was hired, somehow looks worse than it did under McHale. Yikes. -- MM

29. Knicks (1-9) | Prev.: 28
The Knicks truly couldn't be doing more to end the LeBron, Wade and Bosh speculation by Christmas. The team is awful and miserable after an awful and miserly summer. Sacrificing in the present for future success is obviously a world-worn strategy, but it's still little excuse for assembling so little talent and showing so little spirit. And the poor fans can't even root on John Wall! Sad. -- TZ

30. Nets (0-11) | Prev.: 30
Another 0-fer week for our heroic New Jersey Nets. This Saturday should provide a decent opportunity for Win No. 1: the Knicks are coming to town! And seriously, what a depressing affair that will be. Courtney Lee and Devin Harris may be back for that one; expect a full-on basketball war from the home team. -- TZ

NBA Power Rankings: Soaring Hawks originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Kevin Garnett Cares Not for Your Rookies

Brett Pollakoff — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:15:00 EST

Filed under: Celtics, Pacers

Kevin Garnett has a reputation as a villain on the basketball court, at least to those wearing the uniform of the team he's going up against that particular night. While he's sometimes been criticized for taking things too far, It's understandable to a point, because in the heat of the game, it's not exactly to your advantage to play well with others.

But what about off the court?

When there's no game, the cameras aren't rolling, and no one else is around, that's when a person's true self is exposed, good or bad. And this little story about how Garnett treated a couple of the Pacers' rookies over the summer shows that his off-the-court persona might be just as rough as the one we're accustomed to seeing on it.

Garnett wasn't exactly welcoming to Pacers rookies A.J. Price and Tyler Hansbrough when he visited Indianapolis this summer to film a Wheaties commercial. As Garnett exited Conseco Fieldhouse, Indiana assistant coach Lester Conner asked him to walk over and meet Price and Hansbrough, who were working out. Garnett wasn't exactly friendly. According to Conner, Garnett continued to walk out and remarked, "[Expletive] your rookies."

Nice.

Now, Price laughed off the mini-incident, basically saying it showed where he was in the league's hierarchy, and moved on. But as one of the league's most recognizable veterans, shouldn't Garnett act like more of an ambassador for the game and less like a [jerk] in these situations?

He probably should, but clearly, he's under no obligation to do so.

There's of course the possibility that KG was simply having a bad day, or that his knee was bothering him, or whatever. But from what we've seen of him publicly over the years, the odds are pretty strong that the person that the Pacers' rooks encountered that summer day in Indianapolis was indeed the real Kevin Garnett.

[via FanIQ]

Kevin Garnett Cares Not for Your Rookies originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 17 Nov 2009 20:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

NBA HouseCast: Celtics and Lakers Struggle, Brandon Jennings Does Not

Brett Pollakoff — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Bucks, Celtics, Lakers

Welcome to the NBA FanHouse podcast, where our writers get together a few times a week to talk about everything going on in the world of hoops. Want to participate? Leave a comment, or follow us on Twitter @NBAFanHouse.

In a Monday edition of the HouseCast, Matt Moore joined me to break down the reasons for the recent struggles of the Celtics and the Lakers. We also touched on some of the other action from the weekend, including, of course, the incredible 55-point performance from rookie Brandon Jennings on Saturday.

Download MP3

NBA HouseCast: Celtics and Lakers Struggle, Brandon Jennings Does Not originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

2010 NBA All-Star Ballot Announced

Chris Tomasson — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Celtics, Clippers, Grizzlies, Lakers, Pistons, Rockets, Suns, Timberwolves, NBA All-Star Game

I wrote in September that perhaps there would be no worthy center to start for the West in the All-Star Game.

But this isn't the way I want to see that solved. Do it on the court, not with the ballot.

When the All-Star ballot came out Tuesday, Phoenix power forward Amar'e Stoudemire strangely was listed as a center. Yes, Stoudemire has played center before, but he's started all eight games for Suns this season at power forward, with Channing Frye being the starting center.

It is true the ballot, which was selected by six media members from around the country, had to be decided upon before the season began in order to provide time for printing. But it has been apparent since at least September that Frye would Phoenix's starting center, with Stoudemire at power forward.

Yes, the crop of centers in the West is not strong, with Shaquille O'Neal having departed from Phoenix to Cleveland in the East and Houston's Yao out for the season due to injury. Still, I don't think it's proper to move players on the ballot to positions at which they don't start.

Anyhow, so much for the Lakers' Andrew Bynum or Minnesota's Al Jefferson getting the starting nod at center for the West. Stoudemire figures to win the fan voting for the Feb. 14 game in Dallas in an election that conjures up memories of Nixon over McGovern in 1972.

Omissions on the ballot were Yao and New Jersey big man Yi Jianlian, but I have no problem with either. Yao is obviously hurt, so it would have been ridiculous to have listed him -- especially because he probably would have won. As for Yi, a 9.8 scoring average last season does not guarantee inclusion on the ballot.

Of course, let's find out now if Chinese-American relations have been damaged.

It was interesting to see two centers listed on the ballot for Boston in Kendrick Perkins and Rasheed Wallace. NBA teams love to tell their fans to vote for all their players, but a Celtics fan won't be able to vote for both Perkins and Wallace or else the ballot will be tossed.

Still, that was a difficult problem to solve. Wallace comes off the bench to play center and forward, and listing him at forward would have given the Celtics three forwards. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are the others, and they're obviously not going anywhere.

Ballot results will show how popular guard Allen Iverson continues to be. Iverson has been named a starter in nine of the past 10 years (he was a reserve in 2007 after having been traded in December 2006 from Philadelphia to Denver). That includes last season when, with Detroit, he was one of the most unworthy players in All-Star history to get a starting nod.

But now that Iverson is squabbling with Memphis and could be sent packing, could he become the first player chosen for the All-Star Game who doesn't have a team? Probably not since it would be stunning if he is voted as a starter again, but it certainly is worth following the results.

And more surprising things have happened before in elections. Don't dead people vote in Chicago?

Plenty of complaints have been coming out of Clipperland with the ballot omissions of guard Eric Gordon and center Chris Kaman, just named Western Conference Player of the Week. I can understand Kaman, who was hurt much of last season and is on a team that has another solid center in Marcus Camby, being left off. But the Gordon omission is a tough one.

Still, it must be noted it's not easy to put together an All-Star ballot. Gordon is more deserving to be on the ballot than Minnesota's Ramon Sessions. But each team must be represented three times, and Sessions was the third man for the Timberwolves.

Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com and on Twitter @christomasson.

2010 NBA All-Star Ballot

Eastern

Guards
Ray Allen, Celtics
Gilbert Arenas, Wizards
Mike Bibby, Hawks
Jose Calderon, Raptors
Vince Carter, Magic
Jamal Crawford, Hawks
Chris Duhon, Knicks
Raymond Felton, Bobcats
T.J. Ford, Pacers
Ben Gordon, Pistons
Richard Hamilton, Pistons
Devin Harris, Nets
Kirk Hinrich, Bulls
Joe Johnson, Hawks
Courtney Lee, Nets
Jameer Nelson, Magic
Michael Redd, Bucks
Nate Robinson, Knicks
Rajon Rondo, Celtics
Derrick Rose, Bulls
John Salmons, Bulls
Rodney Stucky, Pistons
Dwyane Wade, Heat
Mo Williams, Cavs

Forwards
Michael Beasley, Heat
Chris Bosh, Raptors
Elton Brand, Sixers
Caron Butler, Wizards
Luol Deng, Bulls
Boris Diaw, Bobcats
Kevin Garnett, Celtics
Danny Granger, Pacers
Al Harrington, Knicks
Udonis Haslem, Heat
Andre Iguodala, Sixers
LeBron James, Cavs
Antawn Jamison, Wizards
David Lee, Knicks
Rashard Lewis, Magic
Troy Murphy, Pacers
Paul Pierce, Celtics
Tayshaun Prince, Pistons
Josh Smith, Hawks
Hedo Turkoglu, Raptors
Anderson Varejao, Cavs
Charlie Villanueva, Pistons
Gerald Wallace, Bobcats
Hakim Warrick, Bucks

Centers
Andrea Bargnani, Raptors
Andrew Bogut, Bucks
Tyson Chandler, Bobcats
Samuel Dalembert, Sixers
Al Horford, Hawks
Dwight Howard, Magic
Brook Lopez, Nets
Brad Miller, Bulls
Jermaine O'Neal, Heat
Shaquille O'Neal, Cavs
Kendrick Perkins, Celtics
Rasheed Wallace, Celtics
Western

Guards
Leandro Barbosa, Suns
Chauncey Billups, Nuggets
Aaron Brooks, Rockets
Kobe Bryant, Lakers
Baron Davis, Clippers
Monta Ellis, Warriors
Manu Ginobili, Spurs
Josh Howard, Mavericks
Allen Iverson, Grizzlies
Stephen Jackson, Warriors
Jason Kidd, Mavericks
Kevin Martin, Kings
O.J. Mayo, Grizzlies
Tracy McGrady, Rockets
Andre Miller, Blazers
Steve Nash, Suns
Tony Parker, Spurs
Chris Paul, Hornets
Jason Richardson, Suns
Brandon Roy, Blazers
Ramon Sessions, Wolves
Jason Terry, Mavericks
Russell Westbrook, Thunder
Deron Williams, Jazz

Forwards
LaMarcus Aldridge, Blazers
Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets
Trevor Ariza, Rockets
Ron Artest, Lakers
Carlos Boozer, Jazz
Tim Duncan, Spurs
Kevin Durant, Thunder
Pau Gasol, Lakers
Rudy Gay, Grizzlies
Jeff Green, Thunder
Blake Griffin, Clippers
Grant Hill, Suns
Richard Jefferson, Spurs
Kevin Love, Wolves
Shawn Marion, Mavericks
Kenyon Martin, Nuggets
Paul Millsap, Jazz
Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks
Lamar Odom, Lakers
Anthony Randolph, Warriors
Luis Scola, Rockets
Jason Thompson, Kings
Al Thornton, Clippers
David West, Hornets

Centers
Andris Biedrins, Warriors
Andrew Bynum, Lakers
Marcus Camby, Clippers
Marc Gasol, Grizzlies
Spencer Hawes, Kings
Al Jefferson, Wolves
Antonio McDyess, Spurs
Nene, Nuggets
Greg Oden, Blazers
Emeka Okafor, Hornets
Mehmet Okur, Jazz
Amar'e Stoudemire, Suns

2010 NBA All-Star Ballot Announced originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

NBA Power Rankings: Rising Suns

Brett Pollakoff — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:45:00 EST

Filed under: Bulls, Cavaliers, Celtics, Hawks, Lakers, Magic, Mavericks, Nuggets, Suns, Trail Blazers, NBA Power Rankings

We're just eight games into the season, but there's no doubt who the surprise team is at this point. The Phoenix Suns are off to a 7-1 start, and have road wins over two of the three remaining one-loss teams. They've done it with Steve Nash leading the league in assists at almost 13 per game, and with the team leading the league in three-point shooting at a ridiculous 47 percent. But all of that only got the Suns to No. 2 in this week's rankings -- read on to see who's on top.

1. Lakers (6-1) | Prev.: 5
Pau Gasol has yet to play a game this season, and Andrew Bynum has missed the last two. But when Kobe Bryant goes for 40 or more three times in the team's first seven games, well, the wins just seem to come anyway.
2. Suns (7-1) | Prev.: 7
You could make a case for the Suns rising all the way to the top this week, especially considering the strength of their recent competition -- which they mostly steamrolled. But one or two doesn't make a whole lot of difference in November, and Phoenix will get their chance at the top-ranked Lakers soon enough: They head to L.A. for a TNT showdown Thursday.
3. Celtics (7-1) | Prev.: 2
After opening the season with eight games in 11 days, the Celtics looked weary in their last two. But they came out of it with just a single loss, and they still lead the league in point differential with an impressive + 14.1 -- the second best team in that department is only at +7.8.
4. Heat (5-1) | Prev.: 8
Contract years are a beautiful thing. Quentin Richardson is in one, and he's set a career mark for most consecutive games with at least nine rebounds -- Q has done it in five straight (and counting).
5. Hawks (5-2) | Prev.: 11
Jamal Crawford is thriving in his sixth man role, and has led or shared the team lead in scoring three times. The Hawks finally put it all together in a dismantling of the Nuggets at home, but whether or not they can take that same show on the road Friday in Boston will say a lot about exactly where this team is at this early point in the season.
6. Mavericks (5-2) | Prev.: 4
Dallas has actually looked like one of the top teams this season, but the fact that they gave away a game at the free throw line cannot go unpunished. But the next night Josh Howard returned, and so did the Mavs' solid play: They crushed the Raptors by 28 points.
7. Blazers (4-3) | Prev.: 13
Nate McMillan pushed the right button in placing Andre Miller alongside Brandon Roy and Steve Blake in the starting lineup, and the team is 2-0 since he made that adjustment.
8. Nuggets (5-2) | Prev.: 3
After the strong start, Denver has dropped two straight since Kenyon Martin went down with an injury. But Anthony Carter might have said it best after the Nuggets' first loss of the season: "When one person goes down, that's why everybody else gets paid to play. Kenyon ain't the whole team."
9. Magic (5-2) | Prev.: 1
Orlando has done well to start 5-2, playing without the suspended Rashard Lewis since the beginning, and missing Vince Carter for four of the last five with an ankle injury. Ryan Anderson had been filling in nicely, but losing him to an injury was too much to overcome, as Orlando lost by 28 without him in Oklahoma City.

10. Bulls (4-2) | Prev.: 16
Winners of three straight after the slow start, including a close one in Cleveland against LeBron and the Cavs. Joakim Noah has been so solid this season that he's making a local columnist eat his words -- literally, and with salsa no less.

11. Spurs (3-3) | Prev.: 6
Tony Parker is expected to miss about a week with an ankle sprain, but Manu Ginobili made sure the team wouldn't drop two straight. He went nuts against Toronto with 36 points, eight assists, four rebounds, and four blocked shots in 32 minutes off the bench. Batman, indeed.

12. Cavaliers (4-3) | Prev.: 10
The media circus surrounding the Cavs feasted last Friday at Madison Square Garden, when the "LeBron James to the Knicks" talk reached a fever pitch. They've had a few days to recover, just in time for Shaquille O'Neal versus Dwight Howard (and Stan Van Gundy) on ESPN this Wednesday.

13. Rockets (4-2) | Prev.: 9
The Rockets have played better than anyone expected, and have done it by playing smart, hard-nosed basketball. Unfortunately for them, Tracy McGrady is getting ready to come back and ruin everything, although the exact timing of his return is something that (surprise!) he and the team don't see eye to eye on.

14. Thunder (3-3) | Prev.: 14
Took apart a depleted Orlando Magic squad, and showed that if you don't make defense a priority against them, this Thunder team is capable of lighting you up -- they shot over 57 percent from the field, and over 53 percent from three-point land in that one. Oh, and also, there's this.

15. Bucks (3-2) | Prev.: 22
Winners of two straight in convincing fashion over the T'Wolves and the Knicks, and it could have been three in a row had they been able to protect an 18-point lead against the Bulls. But Brandon Jennings continues to impress, Andrew Bugut has done the heavy lifting, and everyone else is contributing just enough to keep the team afloat while Michael Redd is out.

16. Raptors (3-4) | Prev.: 21
It's been a pretty simple formula for the Raps this season: hold the other team under 100 points, and win (three times). Allow the other team to get into triple digits, and lose (four times). In other news, Chris Bosh continues his dominant season, with averages of 29 points and 11.6 rebounds through the team's first seven games.

17. Jazz (3-4) | Prev.: 17
Something's off with this year's Jazz team, but it's hard to tell exactly what it is yet. Consistency is something all teams struggle with, especially early on. But home losses aren't the way Utah normally does business, and they already have two to teams that, on paper, they should seemingly beat: the Rockets and the Kings.

18. Pistons (3-4) | Prev.: 23
Sure, I could drone on about the ups and downs of the team's season with Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince sidelined with injuries. But instead, do yourself a favor and read Matt Watson's excellent piece on the forced rebuilding situation in Detroit.

19. Bobcats (3-3) | Prev.: 18
Charlotte is an interesting team. They hammered the Hawks and hung with the Bulls this week, while Gerald Wallace (much to the delight of our own Matt Steinmetz) finally got himself a few assists -- three, to be exact, after going 94 field goal attempts without one through the team's first four games.

20. Kings (3-4) | Prev.: 26
No Kevin Martin? No problem for the Kings, what with the quick coming of age of rookie Tyreke Evans. Evans has led the team to two wins in Martin's absence, and is quickly making the term "combo guard" look very much like something that GMs should start to consider as a positive.

21. Hornets (3-5) | Prev.: 20
NOLA was very fortunate to beat the Mavs, looked wretched against the Raptors and Lakers, then rose up and delivered a 28-point road beatdown to the Clippers. David West's scoring and rebounding averages are down significantly from last year, and unless he can get back to having some occasionally monster performances, the team's going to continue to struggle.

22. Clippers (3-5) | Prev.: 25
Chris Kaman won the Western Conference player of the week award, which, considering he was competing against some 40-point performances from Kobe Bryant, was somewhat impressive. The Clips went 3-0 on the week, and Kaman averaged 24.3 points on .574 shooting from the field, 9.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks. Sure, it all came to an abrupt end on Monday against the Hornets, but it was a good run while it lasted.

23. Sixers (3-4) | Prev.: 15
Philly seems to be still staggering after the Celtics beat them by 31 in the fourth game of the season. Since, they were lucky to beat a seriously undermanned Nets team, and followed that up with losses to the Pistons and the Suns.

24. Pacers (2-3) | Prev.: 29
After starting 0-3 against some quality competition, the Pacers have two wins over the Knicks and the Wizards -- the latter of which caused Washington to sacrifice a snack tray in frustration afterwards.

25. Wizards (2-5) | Prev.: 12
Things aren't going well in Washington, but the rumors of friction between Gilbert Arenas and Flip Saunders seem to be a bit ridiculous. Meanwhile, the team should be fine once Antawn Jamison returns, and three of the last four losses were to upper echelon teams, so it's not time to push the panic button just yet.

26. Warriors (2-4) | Prev.: 28
If these rankings were based on organizational health, the Warriors would be dead last. But as they showed in putting up 146 points on the T'Wolves on Monday, there's some talent on this roster that needs to be dealt with. Unfortunately, as long as Nellie is running the ship and Steven Jackson is in town, winning is going to be the exception, not the norm.

27. Timberwolves (1-7) | Prev.: 27
Jonny Flynn has been solid, but as long as Al Jefferson continues to struggle offensively, the T'Wolves are going to continue to have problems keeping pace.

28. Knicks (1-7) | Prev.: 19
What never gets mentioned in all the "LeBron to New York" talk is the fact that Mike D'Antoni's system appears to be just an awful, awful fit for the talents of King James.

29. Grizzlies (1-7) | Prev.: 24
The team needs to get out of the shadow of Allen Iverson -- whether it's due to trading him, waiving him, or his choosing to retire -- before they'll have any chance of moving in a positive direction.

30. Nets (0-7) | Prev.: 30
Thanks to a rash of injuries and ailments -- including swine flu taking out Chris Douglas-Roberts -- the team was actually forced to practice against furniture due to a lack of available bodies.

NBA Power Rankings: Rising Suns originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

NBA HouseCast: Magic Fall, Celtics Impress, Lakers Survive

Brett Pollakoff — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:35:00 EST

Filed under: Celtics, Heat, Lakers, Magic, Mavericks, Pistons, Rockets, Suns, Trail Blazers, NBA Last Night, Thunder

Welcome to the NBA FanHouse podcast, where our writers get together a few times a week to talk about everything going on in the world of hoops. Want to participate? Leave a comment, or follow us on Twitter @NBAFanHouse.

In a Wednesday edition of the HouseCast (and our first of the season), Matt Watson and Matt Moore joined me to discuss this week's Power Rankings. Of course, we couldn't do that without mentioning that once again, the top-ranked team -- Orlando, in this case -- went down the very same day the rankings were published.

We also recap a busy and interesting night of action, one where the Celtics remained dominant, the Suns remained undefeated, and the Lakers remained underwhelming, while barely surviving the Thunder in Oklahoma City.

Download MP3

NBA HouseCast: Magic Fall, Celtics Impress, Lakers Survive originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

NBA Power Rankings: Orlando on Top

Brett Pollakoff — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Celtics, Heat, Lakers, Magic, Mavericks, Spurs, Suns, NBA Power Rankings

We're just a week into the season, so don't get mad if your team isn't where you might have expected. It's just that if we go by what we've actually seen, as opposed to what's been predicted, then this is for the most part where teams should fall based on their early performances. But if you're offended by the spot your favorite team holds, fear not: they likely have 79 regular season games remaining to right the ship.

1. Magic (3-0)
Sure, they've only beaten Philly, New Jersey and Toronto. But they've done so by an an average margin of double digits, and they've done it without the suspended Rashard Lewis. Might be the deepest team in the league; time will tell how they match up against the big boys.
2. Celtics (4-0)
Opened the season with a solid road victory in Cleveland, before absolutely pummeling inferior competition for the next three games. If the whole team plays with that Rondo-sized chip on its shoulder for the entire season, who knows what Boston is capable of.
3. Nuggets (3-0)
Impressive wins against Utah and Portland already, and Carmelo Anthony could be to this season what Dwyane Wade was to last season: someone with something to prove, and maybe a dark horse candidate for MVP.
4. Mavericks (2-1)
Can't blame them for losing to Gilbert Arenas' supremely motivated squad in the opener, especially after they regrouped nicely by throttling the Lakers on the road in their second game. This team has one of the best pick-and-roll offenses in the league when it's firing on all cylinders, which will be extremely tough for most other teams to stop.
5. Lakers (2-1)
With Pau Gasol missing the first three games of the season, L.A. has looked far from spectacular. Their lack of depth has been exposed, and Ron Artest has yet to fit in. Still, an 18-0 run in the third quarter on Sunday put away the Hawks, and the Lakers did it with defense, offensive rebounding, and getting out on the break for easy baskets. They're the defending champs for a reason.
6. Spurs (2-1)
The one game that Tim Duncan has looked like his old self this season -- when he put up 28 and 16 against the Bulls -- San Antonio lost. In the two wins, Tony Parker was the catalyst, leading the team in scoring and getting everyone else involved. Of course, if Ginobili continues to play the role of Batman, the sky's the limit.
7. Suns (3-0)
Undefeated against the Clippers, the Warriors, and the T'Wolves, the Suns aren't exactly world-beaters. But after squeaking out a close one in L.A. to open the season, Phoenix has had no trouble imposing their will on their opponents, on the way to a couple of comfortable victories. A tough five-game road trip awaits, but this is a confident group that will likely surprise a team or two on that East coast swing.
8. Heat (3-0)
Undefeated is undefeated, and despite some fairly weak competition (Bulls excepted), that's where the Heat stand. Still, they've done it convincingly, with the second best point differential in the league at 14.3.
9. Rockets (3-1)
Yeah, I'm surprised they're this high, too. But you can't deny three straight wins, including Monday's in Utah where they held Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap to a combined nine points on 1-of-8 shooting, while getting eight players in double figures offensively.

10. Cavaliers (2-2)
Can't really justify having LeBron and company any lower than this, but have they really earned it? It's going to be a while before the Cavs are clicking, and with the team trying to get familiar with Shaq and work Delonte West back into the offense, the gap in the standings could be pretty big by the time things get figured out.

11. Hawks (2-1)
Played two and a half solid games really, before completely falling to pieces in the third quarter against the Lakers. This is a long, athletic team that has no trouble on either end of the floor, so consistency and mental toughness will be the qualities that they search for as the season goes on.

12. Wizards (2-1)
Gilbert Arenas appears to be all the way back, and has led his team to a couple of nice wins to start the season, even as the club is missing Antawn Jamison. Tough back-to-back at Cleveland and then hosting Miami will tell us a lot about where this team is at right now.

13. Trail Blazers (2-2)
Brandon Roy can be All-World, but he's struggled shooting the ball since the Denver game. Andre Miller is -- at least so far -- a very underwhelming addition. The injuries to Nicolas Batum and LaMarcus Aldridge aren't going to help the team get straight early, but we have a long way to go, and Portland is still loaded and can be right there when it counts at the end of the season.

14. Thunder (2-1)
As Kevin Durant goes, so goes the Thunder? KD had 25 and 11, then 25 and 12 in his team's first two games -- both victories. He struggled a bit against the Blazers with 16 and 5 (on a miserable 3-21 shooting), and OKC managed just 74 points in their first loss of the season.

15. Sixers (2-1)
In just 23 minutes per game off the bench, second-year player Marreese Speights is averaging 16.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and a blocked shot per game, while hitting 18 of his 24 field goal attempts. Elton who?

16. Bulls (1-2)
Opened the season with a nice home win over the Spurs, before having to go to Boston the next night to get thrashed by the Celtics. Chicago then took Miami down to the wire, so the schedule-makers more than anyone are to blame for the Bulls' middle-of-the-pack ranking here.

17. Jazz (1-2)
Rough one against the Rockets on Monday, as Utah turned a three-point halftime lead into a 17-point home loss.

18. Bobcats (2-2)
Charlotte gets a little credit for standing at 2-2, but they did manage just 79 points against the awful Nets on Monday ... which was, in fact, good enough for a win, thanks to New Jersey's dreadful seven-point third quarter.

19. Knicks (1-3)
It took New York three overtimes to lose two of its games, before putting together a solid fourth quarter on Monday to get the team's first win of the season. Now if only they can get some consistency going so that D'Antoni doesn't have to change his starting lineup and rotations every night, they'll be in business.

20. Hornets (1-3)
New Orleans has no depth once you get past the starting unit, and the team looks to be far worse off than it was a season ago. So let me be among the first to say it: the Hornets are not making the playoffs.

21. Raptors (1-2)
Dropped two straight after beating the Cavs in their opener, but don't blame Chris Bosh: he's averaging 31 points and 14.7 rebounds through the first three games. *cough* contact year *cough*

22. Bucks (1-1)
Brandon Jennings is the story here, as he's done better than expected early, and led the team in scoring the first two games. Which is important, considering the fact that Michael Redd is going to be on the shelf for a couple of weeks with a knee injury.

23. Pistons (1-2)
Rip Hamilton has missed the last two games with an ankle injury, which has paved the way for Ben Gordon to both start and lead the team in scoring. Ws are what matter most though, and without Hamilton in the lineup, Detroit is 0-2.

24. Grizzlies (1-3)
Zach Randolph has two 30-point games in the team's first four, and O.J. Mayo put up a career-high 40 on Sunday. Allen Iverson made his debut on Monday, and big surprise: he was unhappy coming off the bench.

25. Clippers (1-4)
If Baron Davis ever finds his shot again, L.A. might become dangerous. Davis is shooting just 33% from the field through the team's first five games, having made just 18 of his 54 attempts.

26. Kings (1-3)
Kevin Martin's 48 led Sacramento to their first win of the season on Monday, an overtime joint over the Grizzlies. Between Martin and the potential of Tyreke Evans, the Kings might be worthy of more than an occasional flip over to their games on a random night of League pass action.

27. Timberwolves (1-3)
Kurt Rambis actually has his team running some basic triangle offense sets in this young season. Funny how things seemed to turn out a whole lot better with Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, and Pau Gasol involved.

28. Warriors (0-2)
Stephen Jackson and Don Nelson have completely checked out, and couldn't care less what happens to this team this season. Not cool for guys like Anthony Morrow, Anthony Randolph, and Stephen Curry, who are all talented young players with a potentially bright future in the league.

29. Pacers (0-2)
Rookie Tyler Hansbrough has been practicing, and could make his debut this Friday against the Wizards. That is all.

30. Nets (0-4)
Unbelievably bad, managing just seven points in the third quarter on Monday in Charlotte. Other lowlights included going over 11 minutes without a field goal, and getting outscored by the Bobcats 24-0 during a stretch that spanned the third and fourth quarters. Finally, the team lost Yi Jianlian to a knee injury in this one as well. I'd make a joke about how dismal things are for the Nets right now, but honestly, it's not even funny.

NBA Power Rankings: Orlando on Top originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Sam Jones, Celtics Great and 10-Time Champion, Speaks His Mind

Tim Povtak — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:00:00 EST

Filed under: Celtics, Interviews, FanHouse Exclusive

Sam Jones won 10 NBA championships, more than anyone in history except for Bill Russell. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1984. He was named one of the NBA's 50 Greatest Players in 1996. He scored more than 15,000 points in his 12 seasons with the Boston Celtics (1957-69), carving a reputation as one of the greatest clutch shooters -- and winners -- that the league has ever seen.

Yet despite his legendary career, he can walk through a shopping mall or a downtown hotel lobby today without being recognized, arguably the most under-exposed great in basketball history.

Jones, 76, sat down with FanHouse earlier this week to discuss a variety of topics, ranging from his strange disconnect with the franchise he represented so well, to the racism that drove him out of coaching in the early '70s, to his sometimes unflattering view of today's NBA stars.

His opinions might surprise you.

FanHouse: Can anyone ever again do what your Celtics did, win 10 NBA titles in a 12-year span?

Sam Jones: "No. I don't want to say there's too much money, but today's players just aren't as hungry. In our day, winning games, winning in the playoffs, meant extra money for our families. We had kids to send to college. We needed the money. Winning really meant something. When these players today are making $12-15 million a year, they don't have the incentive. They aren't as hungry. They don't need to be.

FanHouse: Does the money today make your head spin?

Sam Jones: "It boggles my mind to think any player today is worth over $10 million a year, regardless of how good he is -- unless he can win a championship every year. Then they certainly would deserve it. But when you have 3-4 guys on a team making $10 million each, my gosh. ... They hurt a little finger and they have to sit out 4-5 days. It's awful. A lot of players are jealous of each other (because of the money), and that's not a way to have a really good team.''

FanHouse: What kind of team chemistry did your Celtics have?

Sam Jones: "We've always said we had the best team ever to play basketball, including the Michael Jordan teams in Chicago, the David Robinson teams in San Antonio, the Isiah Thomas teams in Detroit. I always felt no one had a better coach than Red Auerbach. We believed in what he was trying to teach us. Evidently it worked. We won year after year after year. Even when we got older, we won. We had a closeness that teams today don't have.

"It's a new regime, new owners, new management. People ask me why I never go back. I tell them, 'I don't go places where I'm not invited to go.' "
- Sam Jones, on not maintaining Celtics ties FanHouse: Do you like today's Celtics?

Sam Jones: "I love 'em. The addition of Rasheed Wallace is going to help. If they stay healthy, they'll win another world championship. I thought they would have won last season if Kevin Garnett had not been hurt.''

FanHouse: Who else do you like to watch play?

Sam Jones: "I like the teams that play like teams. I like watching San Antonio. They play great team ball. Detroit used to do that before they broke up that group. Certain teams I like because they're not about individuals. It's about everyone who contributes to that team.''

FanHouse: How much money did you make in the NBA?

Sam Jones: "That's personal. Look it up, if you want, but I made $7,500 that first season (1959-60) with a $1,500 bonus. That was a lot of money back then."

FanHouse: Have you stayed in touch with the Boston franchise?

Sam Jones: "I've stayed in touch with a few people I played with."

FanHouse: You ever go to see the Celtics play?

Sam Jones: "No. It's a new regime, new owners, new management. People ask me why I never go back. I tell them, `I don't go places where I'm not invited to go.' I won't push myself on anyone. It doesn't bother me at all. You work for someone, and when you're finished, you're finished.''

FanHouse: What about when they retired your jersey? You were there then, weren't you?

Sam Jones: "That's different. Red was still involved. I came because Red asked me. Red could get anyone to come back."

FanHouse: When I saw you last spring in Orlando, you came to watch the Celtics play the Magic. Why?

Sam Jones: "I live close by. That was first time I saw them play live since Robert Parish played for them. I had not met a single person on that team until the night of the playoff game, including (coach) Doc Rivers. That was when he invited me to play in his (charity) golf tournament."

FanHouse: It's hard for me to fathom this disconnect between the Celtics and guys like you who made the franchise what it is today. Explain.

Sam Jones: "We don't have reunions, so there is no connection between the old and the new. There is no follow up on history. If you don't want to be bothered, then I don't want to be bothered, either. I have my peace of mind."

FanHouse: You coached only one season in the NBA, as an assistant with the New Orleans Jazz in 1974-75. What happened there?

Sam Jones: "There were some things I didn't like. It was a first-year expansion team. They had a chance to chose players from other teams. There was a black kid who we really liked, a good player, a top-15 rebounder, but ownership said we couldn't take him because he was married to a white lady. I thought that was a travesty. It just wasn't in my mode of thinking. We did take a guy from California, Stu Lantz, and he was married to a white girl, too, but the team didn't realize it until it was too late."

FanHouse: What else?

Sam Jones: "They hired a tremendous coach, Scotty Robertson who had some good ideas. One of them reminded me of Red, who used to say if you want to be champions, you had to dress like champions, look professional. Scotty fined some guys for not dressing well, and management wouldn't back him up. After [15] games, they told me they wanted to fire Scotty. I told them, `He should be Coach of the Year if he wins 20 games with this team.' I asked who would be the next coach, because Elgin Baylor and I were the only assistants, and was told that `New Orleans wasn't ready for a black head coach.' They brought in someone else (Butch van Breda Kolff), who wasn't real professional about some things. So one year of that was enough for me.''

FanHouse: Who's the greatest player you've ever seen?

Sam Jones: "I can't do that. Everyone has their own opinion. Michael Jordan won six NBA titles. Bill Russell won 11, so you tell me who is the greatest? When it comes to getting the job done, Bill Russell got it done. I always say `Russell was the greatest to ever play the game, then and now.' ''

FanHouse: What was it like playing alongside him your whole career? What made him so great?

Sam Jones: "He never, ever wanted to lose. He had so much pride. You'd never believe how tough he was on the court, not only on the other team, but on us, too. You had to bring it every night. If he saw you were not playing the way you were supposed to be playing, he'd have words for you.''

FanHouse: Go back to the racism you saw. What was it like with the Celtics?

Sam Jones: "Red (Auerbach) was so far ahead of his time. People didn't realize how far ahead he was. He hired the first black coach (Russell). He was the first in the league to start five black players. He drafted the first black player (Chuck Cooper). Boston did a lot of things to advance integration into the NBA, even though people say Boston is a racist city. At least the Celtics did something different. I think Walter Brown (the owner) had something to do with it. He wanted the best players, and he didn't care if they was blue, black, brown, white or yellow. He went against the rules of the NBA.''

FanHouse: Now that you're retired, living in Florida, what do you do with your time?

Sam Jones: "Play golf three, four times a week, some of the nicest courses in the country. But I'm still lousy.''

FanHouse: Is that a true story that you almost didn't play in the NBA and nearly turned down the Celtics after they drafted you in the first round (out of North Carolina Central)?

Sam Jones: "I always liked the idea of being an educator, a teacher. And back then, neither profession paid very well. If I could have gotten another $500 from the school system where I wanted to teach, I never would have played professional basketball. And I would have been happy, being a teacher and a high school coach.''

FanHouse: Who else from your Celtic teams do you stay in contact with?

Sam Jones: "K.C. Jones. Well, I really just talk to his wife. She runs that house. K.C. and I always joke we should do a book together about our years, our struggles with the NBA and everything else back in the '50s. They put us in places they never should have put us. We should have sued the league for some of the things that happened to the black players.''

FanHouse: You think today's players appreciate what you went through?

Sam Jones: "What do you think?''

FanHouse: What do you think of LeBron James?

Sam Jones: "He's going to be great. Guys like him, Dwight Howard, they come into the league so young. They have so much to learn. One of the things LeBron has to learn is that every single night, he should be at the free throw line 20 times. With his body, his height, jumping ability, size, he doesn't need to be shooting three's to get back into the game. He should be taking the ball to the basket every time and looking for the open man. Once he learns that, he'll take a lot of the load off his shoulders. He'll learn.

FanHouse: Are players today better than they were in your day?

Sam Jones: "I think they're in better condition. I don't know if their intelligence is better.''

Sam Jones, Celtics Great and 10-Time Champion, Speaks His Mind originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 01:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Rajon Rondo Gets $55 Million Extension

Matt Moore — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:10:00 EST

Filed under: Celtics

There were two lingering questions for the Celtics coming into this, a season where they are widely expected to contend for a championship. The first was the status of Kevin Garnett's knee which appears to be just fine. You can notice a very slight hobble by Garnett after an ill-advised dunk, but that could just be reverberations from the accompanying unnecessary screaming.

The other was the contract status of Rajon Rondo, who was working on an extension to avoid entering restricted free agency by remaining with the Celtics. Talks had slowed, and Rondo was making comments to the effect that it was possible he wouldn't end up in Boston.

Bad news for the rest of the league: he will end up in Boston. Early Monday after a fortunate extension from the league for all teams in negotiations, the Celtics and Rondo reached an agreement on a 5-year, $55 million extension, according to ESPN.

The news comes as a terrific sign of future success for Celtics fans. Rondo is rarely going to end up in highlight packages with Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce next to him, but he's proven himself as a playmaker as well as one of the premier point guards. Having Rondo around for the post-Big-3 era, be it a rebuilding timeline or a continued era of success is huge. Finding top point guards is incredibly difficult in this league, and not only does Rondo provide efficient offense (a 20.6 2009-2010 PER), but his defense is phenomenal and he's proven he can guard any other point in the league.

For Rondo, the decision is a bit odd. There's sure to be a downturn in success for the Celtics as the Big 3 get older and the Celtics' win-now-whatever-the-cap-cost approach starts to breed its natural consequences. Rondo was in line to be an available star point guard in a summer where most teams are going to have oodles of dough, looming cap drop or not. Instead, he's now locked into a long-term situation with a team that will likely suffer a downturn in 2-3 years and with a front office that he's repeatedly bristled with. You have to wonder if the best thing for his pocket book and win total would have been to keep his options open.

But that would then ignore something that's pretty obvious, even if it does have a slightly cliche feel to it. Rondo has a relationship with the Big 3, with the organization, with the team. He's thankful for the commitment they've made to him and wants to remain with them. So now Rondo gets to not only stay in the system that's groomed him, but take over as a leader for the Celtics, taking with him the lessons he's learned from this pretty amazing run with three of the best players in the league. The future's pretty bright for the kid with long fingers.

And more scary for the Celtics' competitors, with the Rondo situation resolved along with KG's health, Boston can set its eyes on the only thing it cares about: banner number 70 billion, or whatever it is.

Rajon Rondo Gets $55 Million Extension originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:10:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Chris Paul, Rondo Exchange Words

Brett Pollakoff — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:32:00 EST

Filed under: Celtics, Hornets, NBA Last Night, NBA Videos

Chris Paul is the best point guard in the game today, and Rajon Rondo isn't too far behind at the position, probably in most people's top five. But besides being great at what they do, these guys have something else in common: they play the game with a noticeable chip on their shoulder.

So it shouldn't come as any surprise that when the two went head-to-head in Boston on Sunday, things got a little heated during the game, and words were exchanged on the court after the final buzzer had sounded.

As the Celtics' announcers said, it looked like in the aerial view that Rondo was the instigator there, but then again, Paul was in the Celtics' bench area, and it's not exactly customary after a road loss to head over there to shake hands after a game.

Afterwards, Paul got in a sarcastic shot at Rondo, before quickly throwing some praise his way to soften the blow of the wisecrack.

"Rondo is a lucky guy, to play with guys like Pierce, (Ray) Allen and (Kevin) Garnett," Paul, who scored 22 points with eight assists, said with a sly smile.

Asked if that was meant as a slight toward Rondo, the two-time All-Star said, "No, no. He is a great point guard and he's a champion. It's my hope to achieve that."

I can't ever remember instructions from a team's PR guy to the media making it into a game recap, but this quote from a member of the Celtics' media relations staff -- since it was hilarious -- did exactly that.

"Rajon has requested you not ask anything about Chris Paul now, tomorrow, or any other time,'' Celtics spokesman Jeff Twiss said.

Most people that aren't fans of either one of these teams are probably laughing at this mini-incident this morning, because Paul and Rondo are the same guy. They're both great players, but they play the game in a way that makes you hate them when your team is on the court playing against them.

On Sunday, each found out what it was like to play against themselves, and they weren't at all happy with what they saw.

Chris Paul, Rondo Exchange Words originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:32:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Jumping to Conclusions After One Night

Matt Steinmetz — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:05:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Celtics, Clippers, Lakers, Mavericks, Rockets, Trail Blazers

Home sweet home. Well, for one night anyway. In front of a 42-inch big screen on opening night in the NBA. Let's go ahead and try to read too much into it ...

o. You can't tell me the Cleveland Cavaliers aren't going to come knocking for Stephen Jackson at some point. Looks like LeBron James is going to need some more help.

Hard as this is to say, it doesn't seem like Shaquille O'Neal can even be your No. 2 option. Apparently, the Cavs are reluctant to give up Zydrunas Ilgauskas for Jackson because Cleveland doesn't want to get smaller.

Then again, Jackson would make the Cavaliers tougher, and he would give them someone other than James who can make a play. Besides, the Warriors have Ronny Turiaf to sweeten the deal if need be.

o. With all due respect to Dallas owner Mark Cuban, this year's version of the Mavs isn't better than that team that went to the Finals in 2006. The reason: it was the pre-exposed Dirk Nowitzki in 2006.

Back then, the belief was that a team with Nowitzki as its best player could win it all. But now we know better. And far as anyone can tell, Nowitzki is still Dallas' best player, a healthy Josh Howard or not.

Look, Nowitzki is a wonderful player. But after watching the Mavericks falter against the Heat in '06, then get dismantled by the Warriors in the first round the following season, it seems apparent the Mavericks aren't going to win a title (which is the only way they can be better, right?) until Nowitzki becomes his team's second-best player.

o. Didn't really notice the officiating on opening night, did you? Oh, that's right. The big boys were back.

o. Gilbert Arenas sure looked good in the opener, but Caron Butler might be the most important piece on that team. He's the Wizard most likely to do things other than score to help his team win.

And, yes, I say that even on a night he took 17 shots and had just one assist. By the way, Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld is the early leader in the Executive of the Year Award chase.

o. Pretty troubling sequence from the L.A. Clippers at the end of the first quarter against the Lakers, when they already were down 13. Baron Davis rushed a 3-pointer with 27 seconds remaining -- just for the sake of a 2-for-1 -- and missed badly. Davis missed so badly that the ball rebounded long to the opposite-of-shy Ricky Davis.

Time to get a good one, right? Exactly. Ricky Davis then proceeded to immediately launch another 3-pointer instead of running down the clock. Banked it home.

o. Houston coach Rick Adelman had to be thinking Warriors -- tonight's Rockets opponent -- down the stretch of their loss to Portland.

Interesting Adelman wasn't even considering coming back with Shane Battier, Trevor Ariza and Luis Scola after some of his subs got Houston back within four of Portland with a couple minutes left.

More Steinmetz on Twitter: @matt_steinmetz

Jumping to Conclusions After One Night originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Glen Davis Could Miss Two Months, Faces Team Suspension

Matt Watson — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:30:00 EST

Filed under: Celtics, NBA Injuries

Glen "Big Baby" Davis won't miss the entire season with his thumb injury, as initially thought possible. But he'll still sit for the six to eight weeks, according to Yahoo!'s Marc Spears, who spoke with Davis on Tuesday after the third-year forward underwent surgery earlier in the day.

While missing two months is certainly better than the entire year, it doesn't mean the Celtics are any more pleased about the injury, which Davis admits occurred when he threw a punch at a long-time friend after an argument escalated over the weekend.

From Spears:

Davis said the incident happened early Sunday morning when Davis' girlfriend, Jenna Gomez, one of her girlfriends and one of his high school friends were returning to his West Boston home after celebrating Gomez's birthday. Davis said he and his high school friend got into a heated debate over some "personal issues," and the friend, who was driving their vehicle, threw a punch at Davis. Davis retaliated by throwing a punch back that broke his hand.

The entire incident -- not only throwing a punch, but throwing a punch at someone behind the wheel of a vehicle -- reflects poorly on Davis, and Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck is understandably annoyed. From the Boston Globe:

"I've had enough of 'Big Baby,' so I'm going to start calling him Glen," Grousbeck told the Globe. "It certainly seems like there's going to be a suspension here."

While Davis could contest the suspension, standard language in player contracts allows for teams to take disciplinary action against a player for for fighting.

Any suspension would presumably occur while Davis was sidelined -- it wouldn't make any sense at all to leave the Celtics short-handed longer than they have to be. (Although, considering Davis' ample physique, you have to wonder just how long it'll take him to get into game shape once he is finally ready to return, although, with a hand injury, there's no reason he can't wear out the tread mill in the interim.)

Fortunately, it's not like the Celtics can't shoulder the load in his absence -- even though Davis was a productive starter by the end of last year's playoff run, a healthy Kevin Garnett and the presence of Rasheed Wallace means Davis will be little more than the second big off the bench on most nights.

But still, it's not the immediate future the Celtics need to be worried about -- it's the cumulative effect of Garnett and Wallace playing extra minutes early in the year that may cause problems down the road. That type of wear and tear completely sidelined Garnett for last year's playoff run, just as it's reduced Wallace's effectiveness in the playoffs the last several years for Detroit.

Glen Davis Could Miss Two Months, Faces Team Suspension originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Report: Glen Davis Could Miss Season

Brett Pollakoff — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:50:00 EST

Filed under: Celtics, NBA Injuries

Update 9/27: After undergoing surgery on his thumb, Glen Davis will miss six-to-eight weeks.

Injuries, for professional basketball players, are sometimes just an unfortunate part of the business. You can't help it if an injury is sustained in practice, or even during a preseason game, if you're going out and giving maximum effort for the team that pays you millions of dollars to do so.

But what about off the court, when a player isn't doing anything related to basketball? That's when some personal discretion might come into play, and apparently, the Celtics' Glen Davis doesn't have any. Because he reportedly sustained a "non-basketball" injury, which, according to at least one report, just might keep him out for the entire season.

The Boston Herald has some vague details on what caused Davis' thumb injury, the extent of which is unknown:

According to sources, this was a non-basketball injury. It happened Sunday night when he got into an altercation with a friend, a former teammate, who was visiting from Louisiana.

Davis was reportedly defending himself.

David Aldridge, writing for NBA.com, reports the possibility that this could be something that causes Davis to miss significant time.

The Celtics were also waiting on Monday for results of a second opinion on the right thumb injury suffered by backup center Glen Davis, who reportedly suffered the injury in an off-court altercation with a former teammate of his Sunday. "It doesn't look good," said a league source. The Celtics were hopeful that Davis hasn't fractured his thumb; if he did, surgery would be required and Davis would likely miss several months, if not the entire season.

This comes down to a maturity issue with Davis, doesn't it? As a professional athlete, whether he was engaged in some good-natured horsing around with an old friend, or something more serious -- like, maybe, fighting over that all-important last slice of pizza -- Davis shouldn't be involved in anything physical away from the court that could jeopardize his ability to play.

Hopefully for the Celtics, the injury will only keep Davis out for the first part of the season, and it will give the newly-acquired Shelden Williams the opportunity to get some quality, regular season minutes in his new system.

That's the best case scenario. Worst case is, Davis is out for the season, and a team with championship aspirations loses some valuable frontcourt depth, all because of a lack of judgment.

The "Big Baby" nickname seems especially appropriate right about now, doesn't it?

Report: Glen Davis Could Miss Season originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 22:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

NBA Draft Class of 2006 Not Cashing In

Chris Tomasson — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:45:00 EST

Filed under: Bulls, Celtics, Grizzlies, Jazz, Lakers, Raptors, Trail Blazers, Thunder

Saturday is Halloween, but don't expect many NBA owners and general managers in this shaky economy to dress up as Bill Gates and throw money around.

Oct. 31 is the annual deadline for one-time first-round picks entering their fourth seasons to be eligible to sign extensions that would kick in for their fifth seasons. For stars, it's a chance to land their first really big contract.

But much is silent as the deadline approaches, meaning the overwhelming number of eligible players from the 2006 first round will become restricted free agents next summer. Three players from that draft -- Andrea Bargnani of Toronto and LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy of Portland -- have inked extensions, but not a lot more activity is expected.

An agent who represents a 2006 first-round pick told FanHouse on Monday it's his understanding only three other players from that draft -- Memphis' Rudy Gay, Utah's Ronnie Brewer and Boston's Rajon Rando -- are even still involved in serious negotiations to reach a deal by Saturday.

Even if all three signed extensions by Saturday, that would make the total of six an all-time low since this format started with the 1998 draft (draftees from 1995-97 became unrestricted free agents after three seasons so there was much more urgency). The 2005 class got just seven extensions before Oct. 31, 2008.

Two agents confirmed to FanHouse on Monday their former lottery picks won't sign extensions by Saturday and will become restricted free agents next summer. While it's pretty much confirming the obvious, Mark Bartelstein said Adam Morrison, the No. 3 pick in 2006, won't reach a deal with the Lakers. Guy Zucker said the same is true with his client, Oklahoma City's Thebo Sefolosha, taken No. 13 in that draft.

Indications are Tyrus Thomas, who went No. 4 in 2006 to Chicago, won't sign an extension with the Bulls. Thomas' agent, Brian Elfus, wouldn't offer a confirmation of anything that will happen to his client. But he said he wouldn't consider it a setback if no agreement reached by Saturday.

"I wouldn't be considering it a huge deal (if Thomas doesn't sign by Saturday),'' Elfus said.

With Nos. 1 and 2 selections Bargnani and Aldridge locked up, the highest pick from 2006 bound to be a restricted free agent is Morrison. While there never has been any serious discussion about an extension, Bartelstein said he and Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak decided early this offseason that the team would continue to evaluate Morrison into this season.

"We want to give him this year to get his feet back under him,'' Bartelstein said of Morrison, who was traded by Charlotte to the Lakers last February and then played sparingly, not getting into a single playoff game during their title run. "(The Lakers) have a good feeling about him (for the future).''

Three of the 14 lottery picks from 2006 aren't even eligible for extensions due to having previously not had options on their original contracts picked up. Those busts are No. 5 Shelden Williams, No. 9 Patrick O'Bryant and No. 10 Mouhamed Sene.

Thabo Sefolosha, like Morrison, has been dealt, but a trade doesn't change anything when it comes to eligibility for an extension if the rookie contract third- and fourth-year options get picked up. Zucker said there were talks about the Thunder possibly extending Seflosaha, who started 22 of 23 games after being acquired last February from Chicago while averaging 8.5 points.

Update: Sefolosha Signs Extension with Thunder

"We had some discussions, but it didn't result in any conclusions,'' Zucker said. "But (team officials) like (Seflosha) for the future even though we weren't able to reach any financial arrangements.''

With teams wary about costs due to the economy, that has cut down on the number of extensions. So has fears about the salary cap going down significantly next summer and teams losing flexibility.

"Teams know that a player will be restricted next summer and they can still match an offer on him,'' Bartelstein said of the lack of extensions being handed out. "Each team has a unique set of circumstances and some are trying to create cap room and have flexibility. I would say those factors, cap room, the player becoming restricted, and the economy.''

Also, 2006 won't exactly go down as a landmark draft in NBA history. Roy, a two-time participant, is the only player picked that night who has made an All-Star Game, although Aldridge is knocking hard on the door. Bargnani, No. 7 pick Randy Foye, No. 8 Gay, No. 14 Brewer and No. 21 Rondo are also all very much on the rise, but after that the first-round list drops off at the pace of an Acapulco cliff diver.

Here's a look at the 14 lottery picks and No. 21 Rondo and how they stand as Saturday's extension deadline approaches:

No. 1 Andrea Bargnani, Toronto: Has signed a five-year, $50 million extension.

No. 2 LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland: Has signed five-year, $65 million extension.

No. 3 Adam Morrison, Lakers: It remains to be seen if there's any chance of a Lakers return after he becomes a restricted free agent next summer.

No. 4 Tyrus Thomas, Chicago: Unlikely to receive extension after averaging 7.7 points in three seasons. He will have ample chance this season to continue to prove himself.

No. 5 Shelden Williams, Boston: Originally chosen by Atlanta and then traded to Sacramento, but his third-year option for 2009-10 wasn't picked up the Kings last year. So he's not a candidate for an extension.

No. 6 Brandon Roy, Portland: Has signed a five-year maximum extension that could be worth more than $80 million.

No. 7 Randy Foye, Washington: Unlikely to sign extension, with a so-so preseason not helping. The Wizards will continue to evaluate Foye, acquired last June from Minnesota, in his first season with the team.

No. 8 Rudy Gay, Memphis: After averaging 16.7 points in three seasons, he's definitely in the Grizzlies' future. The sides are talking, and it's 50-50 a deal can be reached.

No. 9 Patrick O'Bryant, Toronto: Originally chosen by Golden State, such a colossal mistake that his third-year option for 2008-09 wasn't picked up before the Oct. 31, 2007 deadline. So he's not a candidate for an extension.

No. 10 Mouhamed Sene, out of NBA: Originally chosen by Seattle, which moved to Oklahoma City, but his option for 2009-10 wasn't picked up and he was waived last February. He's now playing in France.

No. 11 J.J. Redick, Orlando: Unlikely to sign extension. Might be looking for a new home next summer.

No. 12 Hilton Armstrong, New Orleans: Unlikely to sign extension. Might want to change his name to Red Roof Armstrong after he's averaged 3.6 points in three seasons and put his long-term future with the Hornets very much in doubt.

No. 13 Thabo Sefolosha, Oklahoma City: While he won't be extended, he could be another young piece Thunder officials might want to hold on to after he becomes a restricted free agent next summer.

No. 14 Ronnie Brewer, Utah: An intriguing athletic player on a team that always has been short on athleticism. It wouldn't be a surprise if an 11th-hour agreement were to be reached on an extension.

No. 21 Rajon Rondo, Boston: The steal of the 2006 draft, having developed into an upper-echelon point guard. The sides are talking, and it's not out of the question a deal could be hammered out by Saturday.

Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com.

NBA Draft Class of 2006 Not Cashing In originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Most Likely to Ignite a Bench Clearing Brawl: Kevin Garnett

Nate Jones — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Celtics, NBA Videos

With the start of the 2009-10 season looming, NBA FanHouse walks through the Valley of the Most Likely; we shall fear no topic.

Last year we handed out this prestigious award to the Lakers' Sasha Vujacic. He basically won the award for being a pest that other NBA players didn't respect. Plus he had girlie hair. With Sasha now sans girlie hair (per request of Phil Jackson), it's time to crown a new winner. The obvious choice: Kevin Garnett.

Garnett has been one of the league's best players this decade. Part of what makes him so great is his intensity. Early in his career, KG was capable of harnessing that intensity in a positive way. In his later years? Not so much.

KG has become completely obnoxious with his on the court antics over the last couple of seasons (read: since joining the Celtics). The sad thing is that he usually only does it to guys he think he can bully. He typically picks on guards, first- and second-year players and foreign players. That, my friends, is what my good buddy Tim Thomas would call being "Fugazi".

Take a look at this video to get a better idea of what I'm talking about:

With KG missing all of last year's playoffs due to a knee injury, he's probably going to be more intense than ever. But I think players are going to be less tolerant of his antics than before. From watching Celtics games last season, I got the feeling that players around the league have had it with KG's antics. If he tries to do what he did to Jose Calderon or Zaza Pachulia to players this season, he might ignite a brawl.

KG has slipped up and messed with the wrong guys a couple of times (see Peeler, Anthony and McDyess, Antonio). In his haste to show everyone that he's back, I have a feeling that KG might mess with the wrong player (or team) again. Hopefully his teammates and coaches have recognized this issue and talked to him about taking it down a few notches. Doubtful, I know.

Most Likely to Ignite a Bench Clearing Brawl: Kevin Garnett originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

Player to Watch: Marquis Daniels

Matt Moore — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Celtics, NBA Preseason

FanHouse previews a player to watch from each NBA team in advance of the 2009-10 season.

Okay, before we get started, I'm going to go ahead and take care of the handful of required played-out puns used by sportswriters in other media in this kind of scenario.

"Easy Peasy, Lemon Quisy, Daniels Ready to Contribute"

"Celtics Hope To Be 'Living on Quisy Street'"

"Quisy Come, Quisy Go: Celtics Turn To Daniels For Bench Support."

All right. Now that we have that unfortunate bit of business out of the way, we can begin.

The Boston Celtics have tried some different things in building their bench during their very successful resurgence. Bringing in Sam Cassell and P.J. Brown as locker-room leaders was a win. Using Leon Powe, Glen Davis, and Kendrick Perkins as a three-headed big-reserve system, another win. Stephon Marbury ... yeah, well, you can't be right all the time.

The Marquis Daniels' signing, though, looks like a complete win. Daniels represented a unique opportunity for the C's. He's a player that has enough experience to mesh with the above-30 core (and whom Doc Rivers doesn't have to develop), but, unlike some previous additions to the bench, he's young enough to contribute all season without running out of gas by the playoffs.

From the point of his signing, though, it's clear the Celtics are approaching Daniels' a bit differently.

For starters, there's the fact that there are plans to use Daniels at the point guard position backing up dagger-hands Rajon Rondo. Those that find themselves on either side of the line in supporting or opposing this paradigm have solid reasoning for their alignment. Daniels' 36% eFG% on jumpers and 20% three-point shooting don't exactly inspire confidence regarding his perimeter game. Throw in a history of injuries (only one season with more than 65 games), and you have an alarming set of circumstances.

The other camp certainly has its responses, though. Not only do Daniels' tangibles provide him with the tools to mesh with the Celtics defensively, but his athleticism gives them a parameter off the bench in the backcourt the Celtics lack outside of Rondo. Daniels can attack the rim as well as control the glass, much like Rondo. His per-36 numbers (15.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.3 steals) suggest he can contribute significantly in Rivers' system.

Daniels' flexibility provides a potential wrinkle rarely seen on the Celtics with lineup flexibility. Most of their players are firmly entrenched in positional roles, but Daniels' ability to play the one, two or three will allow the Celtics to adapt to their opponents while leaving them equipped to deal with injuries. Daniels has an opportunity to show that he's worthy of second billing on a top-tier team.

Player to Watch: Marquis Daniels originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments

FanHouse Preview: Boston Celtics

Brett Pollakoff — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Celtics, NBA Preseason, NBA Previews

FanHouse previews all 30 NBA teams in advance of the 2009-10 season.

The Celtics are a good team. This is, by most accounts, an understatement.

Boston finished with a record of 62-20 last season, despite the fact that the heart and soul of its defense, Kevin Garnett, missed 22 of the team's final 26 games with a knee injury.

Garnett missed the playoffs as well, but that didn't stop the Celtics from taking the eventual Eastern Conference champions to seven games in the second round, before their title defense ended two rounds earlier than they had expected for most of the season.

As mentioned before: good team. But whether or not they can once again make that leap to championship team will depend largely on the health of Garnett, and the prospect of the new additions to the club adding some depth and increased production that the team lacked last season.

Besides the return of Garnett -- which, in all reality, might be all that Boston needs to get back to the Finals -- the Celtics signed Rasheed Wallace to add some depth at the four, and Marquis Daniels, who will attempt to provide more of a spark in the backcourt than the late-season pickup of one Stephon Marbury was able to do a year ago.

The Wallace pickup has its pluses and minuses, but the bottom line is, Sheed is a veteran who should fit in well with the other vets on the squad, and he'll be yet another emotional player on a Boston team that seems to thrive on intensity.

As for the familiar faces, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are as rock-solid as they come, and Rajon Rondo should be even better after a postseason filled with heroics and highlight plays.

On paper, the Celtics appear to be stacked to start the season, and well-equipped to handle the challenges that the Cavaliers or the Magic may present in a seven-game series. But the playoffs are an eternity from now, and whether or not Boston can enter the postseason with its aging roster 100 percent intact will likely determine which team will represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals.

Because if the Celtics are healthy come playoff time, the other teams in the East will likely have very little to say in the matter.

Last Season By the Numbers

Record: 62-20. Finished first in the Atlantic Division, second in the Eastern Conference. Eliminated by the Orlando Magic in the conference semifinals in seven games.

Offense: 110.5 points per 100 possessions, tied for 5th in the NBA. 2nd in shooting, 29th in turnover rate, 7th in offensive rebounding, 7th in free throw rate.

Defense: 102.3 points allowed per 100 possessions, 2nd in the NBA. 3rd in shooting defense, 9th in opponent turnover rate, 3rd in defensive rebounding, 23rd in opponent free throw rate.

Top Performers: Paul Pierce led the team in scoring with 20.5 points per game, and Ray Allen wasn't far behind with his average of 18.2. Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins led the team in rebounding with respective averages of 8.5 and 8.1 per game, while Perkins led the club in blocks per game with his 2.0 average. Rajon Rondo was the dominant assist man, and dished out a team-leading 8.2 per game. He also paced his team in steals, with 1.9 per game.

All statistics via Basketball-Reference.com.

Player to Watch

FanHouse's Matt Moore and Tom Ziller preview one player to watch from each team. Here's a snippet of Moore's post on Marquis Daniels.

The Boston Celtics have tried some different things in building their bench during their very successful resurgence. Bringing in Sam Cassell and P.J. Brown as locker-room leaders was a win. Using Leon Powe, Glen Davis, and Kendrick Perkins as a three-headed big-reserve system? Another win. Stephon Marbury ... yeah, well, you can't be right all the time.

The Marquis Daniels signing, though, looks like a complete win. Daniels represented a unique opportunity for the C's. He's a player that has enough experience to mesh with the above-30 core (and whom Doc Rivers doesn't have to develop), but, unlike some previous additions to the bench, he's young enough to contribute all season without running out of gas by the playoffs.

See Matt Moore's full post on Marquis Daniels.

Offseason Tracker

IN: Lester Hudson (draft), Rasheed Wallace (free agency), Marquis Daniels (free agency), Shelden Williams (free agency).

OUT: Leon Powe (free agency).

FanHouse Preview: Boston Celtics originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 21 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Linking Blogs | Comments