Who Would Guard Kevin McHale?

One great by product of your local team winning the NBa Championship is that you get treated to great articles ranking your team amongst the all time greats. In today's Boston Globe we were treated to an article by the legendary Bob Ryan ranking this Celtic team the second greatest Celtic team of all time. For those that might not be familiar with the great history of the Boston Celtics, this is not as easy as picking the top Arizona Diamondback teams of all time.

The current team was ranked behind the 1985-86 team. That team was IMO the greatest team ever assembled. But how would this team match up with the greatest of all time. Let's look at the matchups:

Point guard
Dennis Johnson 86 vs Rajon Rondo 08
Dennis was a lot slower and older than Rondo and also had difficulties hitting outside shots. Rondo could use his speed to make DJ work, but DJ was one of the most clutch players in the league. Rondo has the potential to be better than DJ but today he is not. Advantage DJ.

Danny Ainge 86 vs Ray Allen 08
This is the best match up for the 08 team. I would expect DJ to occasionally guard Allen and Ainge to guard Rondo, but neither could play straight up defense against Allen. Advantage Allen.

Larry Bird 86 vs Paul Pierce 86
Wow! This would be a problem match up for both defenders. Bird would post up Pierce and bury him. Then take him outside and bury jumpers on him. Paul is a good defender but this is a tough match up for him. On the other hand Pierce is a tough match up for Legend. Paul is too quick for Larry and can get into the lane for layups and intermediate jumpers. An epic match up, but Bird brings too much size and court presence to be denied. Advantage Bird, but not by as much as you would think.

Robert Parrish 86 vs Kevin Garnett 08
Although Parrish is a true center, it is to intriguing not too match these guys against each other. Two guys that have completely different personalities and two very similar game. Two guys that can play in or out, two good passers, rebounders, and defenders. Advantage to KG on the basis of his better defense, but not by much.

Kevin McHale 86 vs Kendrick Perkins 08
This is the only one sided matchup. Kevin would have Perk fouled out in the first quarter. PJ would do better, but again he would wind up committing a lot of fouls. It might be tempting for Doc to match up KG on him, but his former boss would be a tough match up. McHale would use KGs aggression against him with all the fakes and moves, again drawing a lot of fouls.

Bench 86 vs bench 08
when you can bring Bill Walton in off the bench, you have to have an edge. Posey is a great role player as are Brown, House, & Powe but Walton, Wedman, Sicting, Carlisle, and Vincent comprise one of the best benches in history. Advantage 86.

KC Jones 86 vs Doc Rivers 08
Doc Rivers has often been called the KC Jones of this team. I think that was a complement, but I think that Doc is a better coach, no knock on KC. Doc gets the advantage slightly.

The series, the 86 team was 50 and 1 at the garden, they take the first 2 games in the old garden on that alone. The 08 team goes next door to TD BN Fleet Shawmut Garden and wins games 3 and 5 but lose gm 4 in an all time 2ot classic. In game 6, the 86 team closes it out with a tough but convincing 9 point win at the old Garden. DJ essentially closes down a late rally with a steal and a fast break lay up as Johnny Most goes wild.

It Doesn't Matter

I'm coming to grips that despite my neurosis, that my actions will not effect the outcome of the Celtics game tomorrow night.

It doesn't matter if I sit in seat 3 or seat 4.

It doesn't matter if I wear my Kevin Garnett jersey to the game.

It doesn't matter if I go to McGanns before the game.

It doesn't matter if I wear a Celtics cap.

It doesn't matter if my wife falls asleep during the game.

It doesn't matter if I pound my chest during the walk through the tunnel.

It doesnt matter if I get a Dunkin Donut's Ice Latte Lite during a timeout in the first quarter.

I realize that despite the fact that the Celtics win whenever I do the above, it is merely a coincidence. It doesnt matter what I do, it has no impact on the game whatsoever. I am however going to do the above, not because it matters, but because I want to.

Mixed Bag (NBA Finals Edition)

If you haven't read Curt Schilling's blog post on his observations of watching Kobe Bryant from behind the bench you are missing out. You can not read this and find one comment that is not consistent with his miserable public persona:

From the first tip until about 4 minutes left in the game I saw and heard this guy bitch at his teammates. Every TO he came to the bench pissed, and a few of them he went to other guys and yelled about something they weren’t doing, or something they did wrong. No dialog about “hey let’s go, let’s get after it” or whatever. He spent the better part of 3.5 quarters pissed off and ranting at the non-execution or lack of, of his team. Then when they made what almost was a historic run in the 4th, during a TO, he got down on the floor and basically said ‘Let’s f’ing go, right now, right here” or something to that affect. I am not making this observation in a good or bad way, I have no idea how the guys in the NBA play or do things like this, but I thought it was a fascinating bit of insight for me to watch someone in another sport who is in the position of a team leader and how he interacted with his team and teammates.

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Speaking of Bryant, who is more hateable Kobe? or Phil Jackson? Tough call. Seriously tough call.

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The NBA referee problem is no laughing matter. A league that has the worst officiating of any professional sport opens itself to doubts as long as it doesn't have it's house in order. I prefer to give them the Bush Administration benefit of the doubt. Why blame on conspiracy what you can blame on incompetence?

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When the great cheater Bill Belichik visited the Celtic's locker room earlier in the playoffs he gave Doc Rivers the great advice to never speak about injuries. When you hear about Rondo's ankle or Pierce's knee, be skeptical.

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Speaking of Rondo, I don't believe anything about his injury unless I hear it from his Blog

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Lastly, I may have been premature about Celtics in 5. Celtics in 6.

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UPDATE: Maybe I wasn't premature. GREAT COMEBACK! GREAT WIN!!!!

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UPDATE II: Doc Rivers just coached the game of his life while the genius Phil Jackson had nothing to counter. Doc get more criticism than praise, but the job he has done both this season and especially this Finals series is one of the great coaching jobs of all time.

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Mixed Bag

This past week we were treated to the previously unthinkable. Hillary Clinton gave a gracious and powerful concession speech and the NBA referees ref'ed a competent game 1 of the NBA finals. Nothing in the previous several weeks led us to think either were possible.

I must admit I am a little concerned about Paul Pierce's injury. It seems as if both the team and the player are ignoring any long term ramifications for the short term gain. I hope I am wrong.

Big Papi's wrist injury makes one wonder. This type of injury was previously unheard of pre steroid era.

At game 1 they announced best wishes to Senator Kennedy. It received one of the longest applause of the night (outside of Pierce's return from the locker room). I was somewhat surprised that in this era off political cynacism that there was not a single boo. Be well Senator.

While Hillary has made her supportive comments of Obama, the next watch begins on how long it will take Bill. My guess is that Bill is the less enthusiastic of the two and above anything else, that he hurts Hillary's chance at being VP.

While I would love to do a full post on the mistakes of the Clinton campaign, there are already more post mortems than John Edwards votes. So instead i will point out two way under reported angles. First, In 2006 when Clinton ran for reelection, she raised 70 mil but spent 60. It was not only a sign of the mismanaging of money that would foreshadow her Presidential campaign but she also missed the opportunity to transfer any unused funds into her General Election fund. How much could she have used the extra money? The other thing that was underreported was that Hillary basically got a pass on all of her past scandals because Barack didn't want to run that type of campaign. For all the complaints about the media coverage, they did really take it east on her. If she got the nomination she would have seen how good they treated her in the primary.

McCain's speech Tuesday was poor on many fronts but two things that will ultimately doom him are his complete lack of a grasp on anything other than Iran and Iraq and his dangerous views on Iran and Iraq. The fact that he is running a campaign based on scaring the American public als George Bush will get exploited down the road. I don't believe for a second that the American public will fall for it again (gulp).

Speaking of McCain, his stance that Obama is ill informed since he hasn't been to Iraq is laughable. McCain and others have gone to Iraq and been isolated from reality and only get to speak with those that have positions that mesh with the administration's line of bull. A trip may make for a nice photo op but has little practical purpose.

At game one of the NBA finals the Boston fans were creative (and may be a tad bit inappropiate) in chanting No means No when Kobe shot free throws. I think tonight I'll start a Shaq was better chant.

This past week Tom Delay said that Obama was a Marxist until someone proved otherwise. Folks, I believe Tom Delay killed Chandra Levy unless he proves otherwise.

Taking a Dive

Taking a dive is nothing new in the NBA although given the current sorry state of officiating it opens up opportunity for even worse refereeing. Given the NBA's inability to do something about the sorry state of officiating, it is trying to cut down on the number of dives players take on little or no contact. I hope this is done reviewing tapes after the game and not left for their pathetic Rumsfeldian incompetent referees to determine during the course of the game.

I found this brilliant nugget from the greatest coach and executive in the history of the league decrying the cheating done by players taking a dive. This guy was not above pushing the rules to the limit but understood how this could get out of control.

Without further ado, the legendary Arnold "Red" Auerbach.

Mike Riordan is a flopper!
by ob33

Why the Celtics will Manhandle the Lakers

I'm kind of astonished at how much the media is picking the Lakers to win. ESPN's 8 experts all pick the Lakers to win. While it's possible they have advance copies of the NBA referees guide to botching the Finals, I do not see it. Here's a couple of reasons why I am expecting this to be the Celtics easiest series.

1. Laker's big men are soft. No Andrew Bynum means that the Lakers big men consist of the following: Pau Gasol- Soft Vladomir Radmonovic- Soft and Luke Walton- Soft. How are these marshmallows going to handle Kevin Garnett. I expect Kendrick Perkins to have a big contribution this series.
2. Derek Fischer can not keep up with Rondo. At 33 years old, he doesn't have the speed or energy to keep up with Rondo. Also, if you are wondering why the C's acquired Sam Cassell, you will find out this series. I fully expect him to win one game on his own. Point guard is a very favorable matchup.
3. Defense- Defense wins championships and the Celtics have the best one in the league and the Lakers is non existent. Koby might average 35 points a game, but I would be surprised if his shooting is over 43%. The more physical you play Bryant, the further from the basket he shoots. This guy is great but he's not Jordan and not Lebron for that matter.
4. Paul Pierce. You know who lines up on defense up against Pierce? Lamar Odom. Give me a break. The Lakers may be tempted to line up Kobe on Pierce but he would have to expend too much energy on defense and he is really going to need to carry the offensive load. Let's say they do put Kobe on Pierce, that is still a favorable matchup but it also leaves Odom on Allen. Allen will run Odom in circles.
5. Home court advantage. The Finals schedule of 2-3-2 is even more of an advantage to the team with a home court advantage. With the first two games in Boston, they can jump quickly to a 2-0 lead. The Lakers would then have to sweep 3 games in LA to force 2 games in Boston. It is far more likely that the Celtics win the first 2 than the Lakers win the next three. That would mean a 3-2 Boston advantage with the final two games in Boston. Do you think the C's will lose two in a row in Boston?
6. Big Three Hunger. With the series on the line, you are going to have three great veterans in Allen, Pierce and Garnett that will go to the ends of the earth to win.
   

Those are the primary reasons, I can't wait to see Garnett line up against Radmonovic on a nightly basis. Celtics will take the first two at home and then win 2 of three in LA (like they did in Detroit) to close it out. I do not see this series coming back to Boston for games 6 and 7.

Celts in 5

ARGGGGGGG

I have to get this off my chest. NBA referees are the least competent people on the face of the earth outside of the Bush Administration. They should fire every fire everyone of these complete idiots and replace them with blind chimps.

If I ever see Violet Palmer referee another game I am going to commit a felony.

People that complain about the NBA players are greatly misguided, the players have NEVER been better but the officiating has never been worse.

David Stern should be embarrassed to have these idiots as part of the league. The reason it took so long for them to figure out Tim Donaghy was gambling on games was that he was relatively one of their better refs. Think about it. The guy was gambling on games and effecting their outcome and he was considered one of the better refs.

Incompetent jerk moronic gamblers!!!

Update: My neighbors asked me what I thought of the Pierce call on the three pointer. Evidently they heard me screaming at the TV.

What a Difference a Freakishly Long, Ungodly Talented, Defensive Wizard of a Man Makes

I had a couple of thoughts on potential posts tonight but then when looking at the 48 news and political websites I look at every day, I ran across this article on the difference between last year and this year's Celtics team. The article is titled "What a Difference a Freakishly Long, Ungodly Talented, Defensive Wizard of a Man Makes".

They interviewed Rondo and Scalabrine to find out what the differences were between the two teams. The article is worth a read for any Celtic fan.

Halfway Home

Two days in a row, two non politics stories. With the NBA All Star game tomorrow, we are at the unofficial mid point in the NBA season. The Celts go into the break with an impressive 42-9 record, the best in the NBA.
Some questioned how well a team of all stars would mesh, the C's have answered the call. Here's a look at grades so far for the team.

The Big Three
Kevin Garnett: A- By most accounts KG is the NBA MVP so far this season. His mere presence has inspired the rest of the team to play at a level of defense not seen in many years. Offensively he makes everyone better in a way not seen around here since the glory days of Larry Bird. He has missed the last 10 games in which the Celtics have gone 8-2. It has given the team a chance to mature while showing the fire that Garnett has instilled in the team.

Paul Pierce: A- At times Paul has struggle to find where he fits in the offense. He has seemed to jell better after about 30 games. His defense has been the best of his career. He has always had good defensive abilities, but has had to carry too much of the load on offense and has conserved his energy. Not this year.

Ray Allen: B Ray has suffered as the odd man out at times. He went through a real rough spot around the beginning of January. All the while Ray has played good defense and been a solid citizen. Come playoff time Ray will be more in the flow and will be an equal to the other members of the big 3.

Other Starters
Rajon Rondo/Kendrick Perkins: B- Rondo has performed above expectation but really needs to make the intermediate jumper more. Kendrick has filled the role well playing sold defense and rebounding. There have been a few games where he played with great fire and had great games. He needs more consistency.

First Off the Bench
James Posey B+ James Posey gives the team toughness and an enforcer that makes sure that the stars don't take cheap shots. He also has the knack for making the big three point shot. He also seems to take one charge late in the game that changes the game.

Eddie House: B Eddie House is the Vinnie the microwave of this team. He is a little mis cast as a back up point guard. His chief role should be to back up Ray Allen. When he has to handle the ball too much he doesn't make the three as consistently. If the Celts wind up getting a back up point guard like Cassel, it will help House not hurt.

Tony Allen: B Tony has at times been amazing. He is starting to show the pre injury burst of speed. His defense is fantastic. Tony needs to play with the same intensity every night. When he drives to the hoop with his left hand, he might as well hand the ball to the other team. Go to your right Tony.

Rest of the Bench
Glenn Davis: A- Glenn's baby face and polish under the hoop has made him a fan favorite. He seems to come up big often. Against San Antonio he had to guard Duncan for the most of the game because both Garnett and Perkins wer hurt. Without the inspired play of Davis the Celts would not have beaten the defending champion. His injury in the last game has the potential to be ugly.

Leon Powe A- Pressed into service about 30 games into the year and Powe has been solid. Think Charles Oakley with better touch around the hoop. Another guy that provides toughness. Without Powe, the Celtics would not have been 8-2 without Garnett.

Brian Scalabrine: C+ His best value will be as trade fodder next year. He has played ok, but I'd rather all of his minutes go to Davis and Powe.

Scott Pollard: C- He has been solid in limited action. Another guy that provides toughness, unfortunately has been hurt most of the year.

Gae Pruitt: N/A I like what I have seen in Pruitt, I just haven't seen much of it. It is unlikely that the C's will give him a lot of time down the stretch.

Coaching
Doc Rivers: A+ Doc has een kicked around for much of his stay in Boston, but I can't think of a better coach for this team. He has them playing great defense and is always making the good substitutions. Kevin Garnett has been averaging 35 minutes per game. He is getting the whole team involved and has kept all the egos happy. People were unsure how this team would mesh, thanks to the great work by Doc, they are way ahead of schedule.

Outlook
Within the next 10 days we will know if Sam Cassell will be coming to Boston. Getting ejected for a hard foul on Rondo was not the way to endear himself to a new team mate. Cassell would be a welcome luxury on an already great team.
Since this team is uilt on defense first, it will go a long way in the playoffs. In the East, the only team that can stop them isn't the Pistons, it's the Cavaliers if Lebron carries his team on his broad shoulders. The have beaten the Lakers without Allen, the Spurs without Garnett and Perkins, and the Mavericks without Allen and Garnett.

If Garnett is healthy, this is a championship team

Before They Were Stars - Kevin Garnett Edition

This is a great clip of teams discussing prior to th 1995 draft, the merits of drafting high school student Kevin Garnett. Isaiah's approach is pretty interesting, although I doubt he would have followed through on it.

A couple of months ago, an incredible moron hijacked my blog and wrote an insane post something to the effect of " Why I'm not happy my favorite basketball team traded for my favorite player". This incredible moron made some great points that All Star teams never work and that Gerald Green would haunt us the way that Chauncy Billups haunts us.

Well, if we want Gerald Green back we can sign him at the end of the season since Minnesota didn't extend his rookie contract. As for the All Star Teams never work, I guess Bird McHale Parrish DJ and Walton must have never played in All star games.

As much as I have always loved watching Kevin Garnett play, his value to the team far transcends the numbers. To appreciate how good he is you have to watch him over several games do the little things that do not show up in box scores. For the first 30 games he has put up some of the worst numbers of his career, yet is the consensus MVP over the first 30 games.

There are many great players in the league. I would argue that there are more great players in the league now than at any point in the history of the league. But there are few special players that are special players that are not only great themselves, but also make their whole team better. Bird did it, Magic did it, Jordan did it, and Garnett does it. (Kobe, not so much)

Paul Pierce is having a career year on both sides of the ball. On offense you can attribute his performance to having Garnett and Allen free him up from doubles and triple teams. On defense, Paul has long been considered a weak defender (although his rookie year he was a very good defender). The difference this year is that everyone feeds of KG's energy and nobody wants to be the cause of a let down.

Tonight against the Rockets, it was the first home game after a quick but draining West Coast trip. When you could see the Rockets take control of the game because the Celtics were wiped out, Kevin Garnett picked up the team by himself and pulled out the game. During a late time out when the game was decided, Paul Pierce jumped on Kevin Garnett's back illustrating what was visible for anyone watching the game.

The Celtics now have a 7 game winning streak, it is their third of at least that length in their 30 game season. They are playing the most inspired basketball in the NBA and have sparked renewed interest around the league.

So all I can say is that whoever wrote that incredibly stupid post in July was icredibly wrong. I will tighten security to ensure that it doesn't happen again.

6 down 76 to go

I gotta admit, I am very pumped up for this Celtics team. I have watched or attended all of the games this year so far and can not believe how good this team is. Last night they played their worst game of the season and won by 15.

This is the portion of Bill Simmons predictions for the east:



1. BOSTON CELTICS
Preseason prediction: 49 wins (third)
Revised prediction: 62 wins



We're not sure that KG couldn't match William Wallace in pure, unadulterated fury.
There's no comparable situation in sports history to Pierce, Allen and KG finding each other at the same exact, "I don't care about stats, I don't care about credit, I just want to win" point of their careers. These guys aren't just hungry, they're Fat Dickie's Hungry. (I'll explain in a second.) They've played six straight games like they were playoff games, and even when they were winning by 35 against Denver last week, none of those three guys wanted to let up. It's like they were avenging every blowout loss that happened to every crappy team they played on these last three years. Can they maintain that passion for nine straight months? Frankly, I don't know.

But here's what we do know: Defensively, they have a chance to become as good as San Antonio. Offensively, they have a big man who draws double-teams and two perimeter guys who can create quality shots whenever they want. And they're nearly impossible to beat at home because of the reborn crowd and KG's ongoing William Wallace impression. The first half of the Denver game was the single greatest display of basketball by a Celtics team since January 4, 1991, and that team could have won the title if Larry Bird's back never went out. For all the die-hard Celtics fans who spent the next 16 years wondering if their team would ever matter again, watching the Nuggets get eviscerated was like watching a beloved relative emerge from a coma or something. It's one thing to have a good team; it's another thing to have a great team. These guys didn't want to just beat Denver, they wanted to break the Nuggets' will. And they did. This team will win 60 games if it stays healthy. At least.

(As for the Fat Dickie's reference … when I was in college, every once in a while, my buddy House and I would get tired of campus food and drive to a barbecue place called Fat Dickie's. Then we'd order an obscene amount of food and chow down -- we wouldn't even talk; we'd just be intensely plowing through the barbecue and occasionally nodding at one another. That's what Pierce, Allen and KG have been like all season. They're Fat Dickie's Hungry. It's a whole other level.)

Reason No. 12,366 why I love the NBA: You can't even imagine KG's crazed demeanor during these home games in Boston with a great crowd pumping him up. He looks like Jonathan Papelbon coming out of the bullpen with a one-run lead, only he stays like that for two and a half solid hours. It's incredible. His teammates are alternately enthralled and terrified by him, and honestly, so are the fans. He's a man on a mission. He's possessed. He's a borderline lunatic. Remember when Ronnie Lott had half of a broken pinky amputated so he wouldn't miss the '85 playoffs? You get the feeling that KG would do the same so he wouldn't miss a mid-January home game against the Hornets. And after admiring him in person for five games, my delighted father (a 34-year season ticket holder) revised his "Favorite Celtics Ever" list, bumped Dave Cowens down a spot and named Kevin Garnett "1B" behind Larry Bird's "1A." Five games! That's all it took. I'm going out on a limb and saying this was a good trade.

Reebok Nation

If you haven't seen this Reebok ad it is the best use of athletes in an ad since Bird and MJ played horse for a Big Mac (which if you would like to stroll down memory lane can be found at the end of the post). Without further ado, here is the ad and Globe write up on the ad. Enjoy








Menino pitches for Hub in new Reebok ad

By Andrea Estes, Globe Staff | October 30, 2007

Mayor Thomas M. Menino of Boston made his pitching debut on the mound at Fenway Park over the weekend, in a commercial television spot.

Menino was the only nonathlete - with the exception of the narrator, Dorchester native Donnie Wahlberg - appearing in a 30-second advertisement for local footwear maker Reebok.

The company lined up star power endorsers including David Ortiz, Bruin great Bobby Orr, former Boston College and Patriots quarterback Doug Flutie, and Patriots running back Laurence Maroney.

The ad, hastily produced by Reebok staff last week without benefit of an advertising agency, flashed photos of the city and its athletes, as Wahlberg asked: "What do they all have in common? They all play right here, and they all wear . . ." He doesn't finish the sentence; the word Reebok appears across the screen.

Flutie says, "This is Reebok Nation."

Amid the images of sports stars, Menino, dressed in a business suit, appears on the pitcher's mound at Fenway Park with outstretched arms, and says: "Welcome to the greatest sports city in the nation."

Menino recently joined the ranks of the fitness-minded by demonstrating his cycling prowess around his Hyde Park neighborhood. But he said it was his talent trumpeting the city that earned him an invitation to appear in the ad from his longtime friend, Reebok vice president Paul Foster. He was not paid for his appearance.

"I saw the script and said, 'Why not?' " said Menino. "If you were mayor and someone said we're going to run a commercial to promote your city, wouldn't you do it? It doesn't make any difference. Anyone who asks me to sell the city, why wouldn't I do it?"

Menino called the final product "clear and precise."

"Some of those commercials, you don't know what they're about," he said. "I thought they did a magnificent job."

The company "chose people who really represent Boston," Foster said. "You see them and you know this person equals Boston. The mayor was another iconic personality that represents Boston."

The others, he said, are endorsers of Reebok or members of teams that are outfitted by Reebok.

Menino said he didn't contact the State Ethics Commission to make sure that appearing in the ad did not violate the state's conflict-of-interest laws, which prohibit public officials from using their position to gain an unfair advantage for themselves or others. He said he did not believe there was anything wrong with appearing in the ad because he was promoting the city and not a product.

The only time the commission has publicly reviewed such a case, in 1984, the commission ruled against a district court judge who asked if his name could be used in a TV ad endorsing a product, even if the judge was unpaid. "The use of your name clearly would be benefiting a private interest," the commission wrote.

Menino's advertising premiere was viewed with amusement and goodwill by several observers.

"This is kind of the golden age of Boston sports," said Councilor John Tobin. "Success of this kind has never been seen around here as it is now and probably won't be seen again for another 100 years, which will coincide with the end of the mayor's 24th term. He looked good, but I don't think he'll be getting a Screen Actors Guild card anytime soon




What is up with Jordan's outfit?? I thought this guy was fashionable.

Taking Prisoners

I attendemy first Celtic game of the new Kevin Garnett Era tonight. I was in a suite with several co workers who were given pregame instructions not to talk work with me because I was there for the game. Unfortunately, there was no game, only an exhibition. The Celtics scored 77 points by half time and at times were running over a 40 point lead. It wasn't even that close. This was against a very talented Denver Nugget team.

A few observations:

Kevin Garnett is very intense, but he makes every move look effortless if that is possible. He plays very well with Pierce.

Ray allen still looks like he is finding his role, and seems the most out of the flow of the players on the team, but he is still scoring points in bunches because of the sagging defense.

This was a very good test for Rondo facing Iverson after TJ Ford lit up the C's on Sunday. Not only did he pass, but he got an A. Great defense, solid offense, good floor general. He played well beyond his years tonight.

When Pierce came into the league, people forget how good defensively he was in his rookie season. As the team became solely dependent on him, he could ill afford to pick up cheap fouls so he backed off on defense. From what I have seen so far, he is back to his early defensive mindset. Offensively he is getting his points in the flow of the game. He also made the two best passes I have seen him make as a Celtic (and I have watched more games than most.

Other role players looking good are Eddie House, Kendrick Perkins and James Posey. These guys know their role and are not trying to do more than that. They are good pieces to the puzzle.

Doc Rivers may be the perfect coach for this team. He has them committing to defense and is playing th KC Jones coaching role on the team.

So what are these guys missing??? A back up point guard who is for emergency purposes only. A guy like David Wesley, Gary Payton, or even Dana Baros (fromer C's are always preferred for that championship ride)/

It is too early to make these guys front runners (although ESPN has them ranked @2 in their power ranking). It is a long season, but I thought this team would take longer to gel but they appear to have made a lot of progress from game 1 to game 3.

Fun stuff.

The Truth Has Been Set Free

Opening night for the Celtics was last night and they performed as advertised. Not all nights are going to be 20 point blowouts, but the team does look dominant. It is a far cry from the team that lost 18 straight last year,

Paul Pierce has endured many bad times in a Celtic uniform. He has had many opportunities to doubt the personnel, the owners and the GM. For the most part he has bitten his lip and kept his complaints out of the media. He has never asked to be traded publicly.

Now Pierce is rewarded by being on a team everyone wants to play on. Just today Sam Cassell and Juwan Howard have expressed interest in playing for the Celtics. All summer they had more interest in playing for the Celtics than in many many years. When Posey signed with the Celts, he said it was because it gave him the best chance to win a championship. Posey played with Shaq and Wade in Miami last year. Boston is not necessarily a destination location as lets say South Beach, or Phoenix, or LA for that matter.

Which brings me to Paul's polar opposite Kobe Bryant. Kobe is one of the best players in the league if not the best. He plays in a big desirable market for a coach with nine rings. He currently is sulking because the Lakers have not surrounded him with a good enough team. Maybe he should have thought of this before he drove Shaq out of town.

He had Shaq, Karl Malone and Gary Payton on his team before it imploded with infighting mostly caused by Kobe. Even with those guys gone, you would think that free agents would flock to play in LA with Kobe. Guess not. What star is willing to stand around while Kobe hoists up 45 shots?

Sometimes you get what you deserve. Paul is getting his first season with a dominant contender while Kobe sulks for a borderline playoff team.

Primetime

These are some of the most electrifying athletes of my life time. Obviously this is a very subjective list, but my only criteria in coosing them is in order of who I would pay to see?

10. Michael Jordan. I know having HIM this far down the list is heresy to some. He is probably the most gifted athlete of all time. Even though he is widely considered the greatest player in history of his sport, he left in his wake an NBA that was less entertaining than he arrived. Too much isolation and individual play which he ushered in almost killed the NBA with it's fanbase. It is only now recovering. Still, as I said...the most gifted athlete of all time.




9. Wayne Gretzky. Back when hockey was a sport, the Great One was the best ever. Like Magic Johnson with skates.



8. Jimmy Conners. yes Jimmy Conners. Tennis was more entertaining when it wasn't all about a big power serve. Jimmy was all about hustle.



7. Magic Johnson. Good for several passes a game that leave you shaking your head.




6. Marvelous Marvin Hagler. Mike Tyson, Mohammad Ali, and Sugar Ray Leonard were probably better showmen, but to me Hagler was the best boxer I ever saw.



5. Pedro Martinez. I am a bigger Clemens fan than Martinez, but boy can he pitch. He changed himself from one of the greatest power pitchers to one of the greatest finesse pitchers.

sorry no Pedro videos.

4. Jerry Rice. Greatest football player ever(despite the fact I list someone higher). May not have been the most glamorous, but definitely the best. Incidentally was on Howard Stern's radio show and gave the most interesting interview I have ever heard him give.





3. Tiger Woods. maybe the most amazing shot I ever saw him hit was from the deep rough 191 yards out over a tree within 4 feet of the cup WITH A PITCHING WEDGE.



2. Larry Bird. I feel like I am cheating on him by listing THE GREATEST BASKETBALL PLAYER OF ALLTIME as #2. Do not dispute this. Larry was a better passer, rebounder, outside shooter than MJ. Not as good of an individual defender but played great team defense (didn't he Isiah?)




1 Barry Sanders. If you were a defender, at any moment of any game you could put your head down to make a tackle only to come up with air and have to relive your missed tackle on every highlight reel.

without further ado.....



Honorable mentions to Pete Rose Jack Nicklaus, Deion Sanders, Derek Jeter (yes Derek Jeter), Roger Clemens, Joe Montana, Shaq O'neil, and Carl Lewis.

Quick Links

Today's quick links is going to be politics free in keeping with my promise to have a politics free weekend.

With that promise in mind, this is a fascinating look at the hunt for Bin Laden done by Newsweek. Note: there are some elements of politics in this story, but it is primarily a news story.

Honda has a case of Prius envy. Read on to see what they are doing about it.

About 10 years ago, Latrell Sprewell choked his coach PJ Carlissimo. While for several years it seemed that Carlissimo's reputation was hurt more than Sprewell's. 10 years later it seems like the tide has turned. SI has an article discussing the changes in fortune.

pro Football Talk has a feature called Turd Watch. It lists out the NFL's police blotter. It includes an entry that says Michael Vick was charged with tresspassing in Feb 2007. Sounds like the least of his worries. So much for being a first time offender.

When we put our house on the market in May (we had already moved) we were prepared for te worst. We sold it within one day and pretty close to the tope end of what we were looking for. The NYT has an article that speculates that the median price for homes is going to drop for the first time on record and could continue in 2008 and 2009.

Politics Free Weekend (if it kills me)

Since I have been told by more than one person I have been too politcal of late, I am going to have a politics free weekend. I think I can make it through. Tonight I will start with clips from my 5 favorite movies. Thank you YouTube. I couldn't do it without your copyrighted material.

Gladiator


Return of the King


Hoosiers


Godfather 2


Rudy