Observations from Monday night’s Boston Celtics – Utah Jazz game:

Note: all images obtained from a Google image search at google.com

·         My first blog column was about how F Jeff Green will be a nice addition in Boston.  Unfortunately, he and Doc aren’t exactly making me look like a genius.  Why exactly is coach Doc Rivers not using his new toy? He only played 17 minutes in his first game in green (no pun intended).  And in his 2^nd game, while he somehow ended up with 27 minutes (really not sure how that happened, since that number was at 7 in the 3^rd quarter), he still only scored 5 points on 2-6 shooting.  I do understand it’ll take time to get him acclimated (it was a point I made in my first column).  But still, for the sake of the starters, give this kid some run.  He can play.

Chin up, big fella.

·         Jazz PG Devin Harris has at least one “are-you-KIDDING-me” moment every single night it seems.  He has to be one of the most underappreciated players in the game.  He’s 13.2 point-per-game career scorer, chipping in 5 boards and a decent 44% clip from the field, and has absolutely incredible speed in the open floor (he had some John Wall-esque drives on Monday night).  But it begs the question: why has he been traded twice in his career, three times if you count the 2004 draft-day trade?

New kids on the block.

·         Derrick Favors had a couple “WOAH!!” dunks, out of the Blake Griffin playbook.  If he turns out to be worth that #3 overall pick in the 2010 draft, Jazz fans will be saying “Deron who?” in just a couple short seasons.

·         Doc is in the process of severely burning out his starters right now.  Out of a possible 240 minutes, Boston’s starting 5 played 176 of those, including PG Rajon Rondo’s 42. Delonte West rode the pine from start to finish thanks to a sprained ankle, and the rookie from Texas, Avery Bradley, got off the bench just long enough to sit back down again (2 minutes).  Let’s just say the absence of C Kendrick Perkins and G Nate Robinson are noticeable right now.  Mike Bibby signing with Miami yesterday hurts too after being bought out by Washington hurt too.

·         C’s fans: why did Rondo ditch the head band?  Was he really that upset when the league forbid him from wearing it with the logo on upside-down?  I miss it; it was a nice look.

Rajon! Bring the headband back!

·         Rondo’s jumper has not even remotely improved since he came into the league.  He also shoots a shockingly-bad 62% from the free-throw line.  This continues to be a huge weakness in the Boston offense, one that could be a huge difference in May and June.  Fortunately, his jumper with 24 seconds to go iced the game for Boston.

·         RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY ALLENNNNNNNNNNN FORRRRRRRRRRRRR THREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!! Hahaha, I never get tired of that.

·          KG has gotten be number one trash-talker in the NBA.  I don’t even think it’s up for discussion.  I guess we must have just either a) not noticed or b) not cared when he was in Minnesota, because it’s not like this is something new and unique to Boston.  I’ll never forget watching him in the ’04 West finals when, on a replay, the camera would zoom in on him as he’s running down the court in slow motion with him mouthing expletives.  Always comical.

Settle down, KG. It can't be THAT big a deal.

·         It remains to be seen how the Jazz will score consistently in crunch-time.  The Celtics immediately doubled Al Jefferson, and Devin Harris (30% career from 3) missed a potential go-ahead 3 with 2 minutes to go.  If Jefferson can’t beat double-teams either by spinning away before it gets there, or making accurate passes to create plays for others, the Jazz may lose more close games than they win.

·         Ray Allen: best pure shooter in the history of the league.  Book it.

Why the Jeff Green trade doesn't suck for Boston, and some other (UMD bball) thoughts

Note: all images obtained from a Google image search at google.com

Time to change unis, boys.

Change or die.

This is the old adage Boston Celtics GM Danny Ainge clearly believes in, and was displayed first hand during Thursday’s NBA-deadline deal sending C Kendrick Perkins and G Nate Robinson to Oklahoma City for F Jeff Green and F Nenad Krstic.  Predictably, Celtics fans are perplexed at best and infuriated to the point of tears at worst.  A good friend of mine from college, one of these loyal Celtics supporters, was catatonic when he first heard of the deal and had to talk with me about it as part of the overcoming of his grief and shock.  I also was taken aback by the deal, simply because it greatly shakes the foundation of two franchises that are both headed for top 4 finishes in their respective conferences.  However, I don’t feel the same way he, and most C’s fans, feel about parts in the deal and how they affect each team.

I actually like the deal for Boston, and here are 3 reasons why:

·         The deal fills a GAPING hole in perimeter defense

Green is an athletic small forward with great size (6’ 8”, 235) and good lateral quickness that should improve the Celtics’ ability to defend the great small forwards they will be facing come playoff time.  Boston could easily face Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant in their path to championship number 18, and Green gives them an additional player to help them defensively.  Paul Pierce was the only player on the roster who could defend these types of dominant opposing scorers (although Ray Allen had his moments against Kobe in each of their Finals matchups over the last 4 years), and Green’s length and athletic ability should make Boston a better team on the defensive perimeter.

Don’t look too much into Green’s first game in a Boston uniform, either (18 minutes, 2-5 from the floor, 7 points, no 3-point attempts).  It is going to take some time for Green to acclimate to the Boston system.  However, once he gets going, it will be easy to see why the Celtics have coveted him since he came out of Georgetown (the C’s took him with the 5^th overall pick in the 2008 draft, remember).  He averaged 15 points per game with the Thunder this season, is a very capable shooter (he shot 38.9% from 3-point land two seasons ago), and adds an element to this Boston team they so sorely lack: versatility.  They have the ability to play a bit smaller now with Green at the 4 and Kevin Garnett at the 5, making them quicker, more agile, and more athletic for when playing against teams like New York and Miami.  Personally, I’m excited to see the unveiling of this new-look Celtics with Green creating new matchup problems for defenses, and see if his 33.3% shooting from 3 this season can improve with Rajon Rondo now getting him the ball.

Of course, in a trade, you have to give up something to get something, and Green didn’t come cheap.  Gone is Kendrick Perkins, the young Celtics center with tremendous girth (6’10”, 275) who was a great post defender and gave Boston a huge advantage in interior defensive (he is largely responsible for neutralizing the biggest weapon of the Orlando Magic, Dwight Howard).  His loss will definitely be felt, especially in the short-term, as both Shaquille and Jermaine O’Neal remained sidelined with injuries (not that Jermaine gave them much of anything during the short time he actually played).  In addition, Perkins had a toughness about him that really resonated not only with the team but the fanbase as well, and this is as big a reason as any as to why the trade is so difficult to accept for Boston fans.

But Danny Ainge’s job isn’t to appease the fanbase.  It’s to put the best team on the court to win a championship, while also giving a look to the future.  This trade very well may have accomplished both of those goals.

·         The deal helps ease Celtics into the post Big-3 era

Oklahoma City just signed star SF Kevin Durant to a contract extension and will soon have to do the same with all-world PG Russell Westbrook as well as young and up-and-coming PF Serge Ibaka.  Green is also going to be restricted free agent this offseason, and the Thunder had to move one these pieces while their value was still high.  Green was that guy.  However, I’m sure this was a difficult decision for them, as Green is a quality number 3 scoring option on a championship-contending team, and will not be an easy void to fill in Oklahoma City.

Conversely, Green gives Boston a strong building block alongside Rondo as Boston begins early preparations for the post-Big 3 era.  We have to remember that Green is still only 24 years old and has missed only 6 games in his NBA career.  That level of durability is invaluable, especially with a player with as strong a pedigree as Green has.  Speaking of durability…

·         The deal relieves the Celtics of the obligation of having to sign Perkins to a hefty extension

Perk already has had knee surgery following a torn MCL and PCL in his right knee in game 6 of last year’s NBA finals, and is currently out with a strained MCL in that same knee (he’s played in just 12 games this season).  He’s had previous knee and shoulder surgeries as well, and just going by the eye test, to me, he just doesn’t get up and down the court with a great deal of ease and grace.  And most importantly: he’s going to be due a big raise following this season, and clearly, that was of no interest to Ainge.  Perkins, despite his defensive prowess, will never be confused with Wilt Chamberlain on the offensive end, as he’s only a career 6.4-point-per-game player.  And with an contract extension in the neighborhood of $10-million-per-season potentially coming to Perkins this offseason, the Celtics brass determined, given their current cap situation and composition of their roster pre-trade, that that extension simply was not prudent, and that they would better served giving that money to a young, versatile small forward whom they’ve liked since he got to the NBA.

Danny Ainge deserves a ton of credit for not being satisfied with the makeup of his Boston Celtics team, addressing a big hole with a player that can help his team both this season and beyond, and best of all, understanding the type of backlash he would take by making a move of this magnitude, and making the move anyway.  The deal is a risk, there’s no question about it.  But Ainge has never been shy about taking these types of risks (trading for Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett in the same offseason while completely blowing up the team’s core), and the Celtics will be better served for it.  

Notes from tonight’s Terps-UNC game:

·         Harrison Barnes is a terrifying matchup in college basketball, and it is easy to see why NBA scouts are so high on him.  He hit 3 3’s in the 1^st for minutes tonight against my beloved Maryland Terrapins, who had no one that could remotely contain him (sorry, Sean Mosley).  He did seem to disappear for a long stretch of the game before reasserting himself mid-way through the second half, but with everyone else contributing to the Heels’ decisive win, this is forgivable.  Besides, he’s still just a freshman learning how to play at a high level and live up to his lofty status as a unanimous pre-season All-American.  He has crazy athleticism and a nice outside shot that should serve him well at the next level.

These kids are legit.

·         Speaking of pro prospects: Maryland made John Henson look like the second coming of Alonzo Mourning on Sunday night. He had 4 blocks in the first 11 minutes and 7 for the game, and changed several other short Maryland shots near the rim.  His wingspan is easily over 7 feet, and he can run like a deer.  Another Carolina player that should be a nice role player at worst for an NBA team.

·         Carolina is definitely a better team than Maryland, and it showed on the floor.  And when Carolina makes outside shots like they did Sunday, it makes for a long night for anyone.  But Terrapin fans have to nonetheless be very disappointed with the effort put forth by the team tonight.  Coming off 2 quality home wins in which the team played quite well, Maryland failed to capitalize on any positive momentum coming into the game, displaying a lackluster effort seen too often this season (the home game versus Virginia Tech, anyone?). For the game, the Tar Heels finished with 19 offensive rebounds, and while they enjoyed a considerable size advantage over Maryland, this stat speaks more to effort than anything else.  What hits home the most: this was a game that could have firmly put the Terps in the bubble discussion for an at-large berth in the NCAA tournament, and the team didn’t respond.  Sure, a 19-11 record with a 7-7 mark in ACC play would typically look good to the committee.  But in a significantly down year in the conference, and when your best wins are at home against Florida State (without their best player) and at Penn State (Really?  That’s a “key win”?), barring a run to the ACC tournament final, Maryland is NIT-bound.

·         The evening was not without its positives, however, and I would be remiss to not mention the continued ascension of Terrapin freshman point guard Terrell Stoglin, who is looking more and more impressive with each passing game.  The rook poured in 28 points on 55% (11-20) shooting from the field, almost single-handedly keeping the Terps in the game against the running-and-gunning Tar Heels.  With the addition of Nick Faust, Sterling Gibbs, and Martin Breunig next season, along with the return of Stogie, Pe’Shon Howard, and Williams, the future of the Terrapin basketball team is certainly bright and exciting.

Point guard is in good hands in Terrapin land.

My final thought:

·         ESPN the Magazine’s December 27^th issue included a column naming 21 rules to make various sports better.  One of the rule changes was to eliminate the last-second “icing” of field goal kickers in which timeouts are called by the opposing coach a split-second before the ball is snapped.  Am I the only problem who has no problem with this act?  Sure, it might be a little bush league, and annoying to a team’s fans, but its well within the rules.  If you can call a timeout with 1 second on the play clock in any other situation, you should be able to call a timeout with 1 second left on a field goal attempt.  Just my opinion.

Hope you enjoyed the first post!  Many more to come!