Odds and Ends

Random Recommendation: Grocery store pizza. I'm not talking about grabbing something from the frozen food section. Rather I'm talking about hitting up the made to order section of a Shaws, Big Y, etc. The pizzas are always reasonably priced, tastier than you may think and frequently come in a sweet party size. Give it a shot.

Article You Should Read: Things aren't going well for old friend Delonte West. Hopefully he get's the help he needs and returns to playing ball. Let's just flash back to happier days for a moment. Also Danny Ainge took a lot of heat for his youth movement back in 2007 that was allegedly lacking in talent. Well Big Al is legit (and we knew this), there was a ton of talk about how much the Cavs needed Delonte on opening night, Perk is one of the best defensive centers in the league, Rajon Rondo is stellar, and Gerald Green...never mind. So it hasn't been perfect. Passing on Brandon Roy comes to mind. But it's been great to watch. And the Pau Gasol deal was way more of an egregious farce than the KG trade.

Game of the Week: I'm just not overly impressed with Giants/Eagles right now, or the NFC East for that matter. I could see the division rounding into form, but we'll see. Meanwhile, the AFC east could be an under the radar solid division. Long story short I'm going with Jets/Dolphins. For the record I still enjoy Bill Parcells and wish he was guiding a NFC team.

Phrase I Can't Pull Off: "Git-r-done." And I'm okay with that.

Some NBA Thoughts:

1. I hope the C's don't devolve into a "Live by the 3, Die by the 3" type of team.

2. I turned on the Spurs/Bulls game and thought, "I didn't realize San Antonio still had Bruce Bowen. Of course I immediately realized it was Richard Jefferson. Not sure what to make of this except the Spurs are happy with the current situation. Also, throw me in the DeJuan Blair fan club. He might give the Spurs what some people thought Jackie Butler would a few seasons back.

3. Hypothetically let's just say the wheels come off the Rasheed Wallace in Boston experience. And let's say it happens in the spring while a recently activated Leon Powe gets buckets in Boston. That may be the point Tommy Heinsohn loses his mind, repeatedly shouts "I love Leon" and pours a scotch before they cut his mic.

MLB Thoughts:

1. I thought it was surreal to see Pedro pitch against Manny. And then Pedro went to the House that tons of money built. It was fascinating. Especially when Pedro pulled off the wily veteran role in the early innings.

2. In other news, I definitely caught more C's/Bobcats than Game 1 of the World Series. That's odd.

3. I hate the music Fox is using.

Closing Thought: In college we played football with a guy who wore gloves in the weight room. He took a fair amount of abuse for that. But he continued to wear them. I bring this up because I respect him more than the guy who shows up in them, gets some heat and discards the gloves. That's sort of how I felt about Brett Favre when I saw his Sears commercial. I'm still tired of the Wrangler ads, how much fun he's having out there, his bitterness towards an organization that he toyed with for a few years, the free pass he got on that abysmal pick he threw against the Giants that ultimately cost the Pats Super Bowl #4, how much of a factor his wife is in the news, and the general Favre circus. But I get a kick out of this:

Game 6: Some Quick Thoughts

The Internet trouble with the move is persisting, and I regret that it has both delayed and limited our capacity to react to last night. But, I have to say some things:

- First off, before we get in to any of the "what a great game" chatter, let's just get it out there that the Celtics blew this one in the final minutes. They had the momentum, they had the lead, and they couldn't score any buckets. The offense was pathetic down the stretch. But, the silver lining here is that we get to do it all over again tomorrow.


- I don't know if I've ever watched a game quite like last night's, at least not with my emotions weighing so heavily in the balance. Sure, there have been close games and long games. In fact, there are other games in this series that rivaled last night. But, there was something different about game 6. I can't ever remember feeling emotions like this in a first round game. After Paul Pierce committed his sixth foul, he keeled over as if he had just drawn his last mortal breath. It had been an off night for Pierce, and no matter how hard he worked to try and will things to go his way in the overtimes (and he was working, you could see it), it just wasn't meant to be on this night. He looked more human than I can ever remember as he went to the bench, contending with the stitches inside of his nose that will serve as a painful reminder of a night I'm sure he'd like to forget. The same went for Big Baby, who was on the verge of tears as he exited this one. These men are hardened superstars. They are arrogant millionaires. They have become totally desensitized to the pressure and the emotions. They are supposed to block it out. But last night stretched these guys further than they ever thought, and it showed. Even the hardest of the hard couldn't escape this one unscathed.

- With a game like this, it feels almost foolish to talk about actual strategy, but I have to. First, I have to wonder why Ray Allen didn't get the last shot in regulation. My love for Paul Pierce is great, and definitely pushes the boundaries of heterosexuality, but he was off last night. He was stitched up, a little wobbly, tired, and he was looking for whistles. Ray, on the other hand, couldn't miss. You go with the hot hand, particularly when he's one of the greatest shooters in the history of the league.

- I'm changing my Tony Allen stance. While I've always been a proponent of bringing him in to guard the other team's best scorer, I'm beginning to wonder if the price on the offensive end is too great. The Bulls completely play off of him and really disrupt Boston's offensive rhythm. He also took two shots in crunch time last night (he should not EVER shoot, unless he's being fed an alleyoop). He's sloppy with the ball. Offensively, he's a wrench in the gears. Things appear much more disjointed when he's on the floor. Marbury, despite all the heat he's been taking, has actually been playing some pretty serious D in this series. He might be a better option.

- While I currently cannot think about this Bulls roster without getting incredibly upset, I have to respect them. Derrick Rose's block at the end of overtime 3 last night was an incredible play (and one that not many would have been able to make at that point in the game). I've always loved Hinrich (there's nothing quite as badass as a lockdown defender). Joakim Noah, I may never like, but he is good at what he does and he has grown leaps and bounds this year. His motor never stops, and all of his effort paid HUGE dividends as he came up with the most clutch play of the game. Because I'm a UCONN fan, I've always known what Ben Gordon could do offensively (the guy's a freak, he could squat 600 pounds in college). He has always been a lazy defender though, and I'm glad that hasn't changed. A guy as fast and strong as him shouldn't be stopped cold at every pick. Vinny Del Negro is not a good coach. I realize that doesn't fit with the theme of this paragraph, but it is what it is.

- All that said, there is nothing more frustrating than thinking about what would have been with a healthy Celtics front line. Mikki Moore should never have to play, and Big Baby and Scal should be coming in after KG and Leon. Tommy said it best last night "people are all over the bench...the reason the bench isn't producing is that the bench guys are all starting!"

- Speaking of Tommy, he was great last night. I can't imagine what people would be saying if his broadcast were a national one. He said many incredibly biased things, but perhaps none were as great as (as the crowd is chanting "rondo sucks"): "They're turning this kid into a villain, and it's all because of that slimy Brad Miller!". Just great stuff.

Celtics vs. Bulls

I apologize for the blurriness of the screen shot from Streak for Cash. However, if you can make it out it does make a nice point. 53.9% of people are picking the Bulls. I'm not saying those percentages make a ton of sense. And the Bulls are home. But it's a testament to just how different this Celtics team is.

Lingering Questions:

- Does Paul Pierce have a "carry the team" performance in him?
- How will Rajon Rondo fare?
- Do the C's now have the thinnest front line of any playoff team?
- Will Vinny Del Negro let Tyrus Thomas loose to block shots until his heart is content?
- First Derrick Rose. Then Ben Gordon. Who's next?
- More unlikable: Joakim Noah, Anderson Varejao or Bruce Bowen.

Couple of Random Thoughts:

- I'm convinced that a lot of NBA guys respect Chris Paul and secretly despise him.
- The difference between Boston and Chicago's respective benches is outrageous.
- This probably deserves it's own post, but I don't even remotely understand it. He's 34! He fumbled once and threw five picks in his last game! This is outrageous.

Foil in the Oven: The Deep Sigh of Relief

With about 8 minutes left in the fourth quarter, and the Celtics up 92-91, Rajon Rondo lost the ball out of bounds. The Bulls inbounded to Derrick Rose, who pushed the ball up the court ahead of the entire Celtics team and laid it in to give Chicago the lead. "Jesus, that was pathetic" I yelled (sprinkled with expletives). The next 5 minutes were probably the lowest point of the past two seasons for me. The defense was lazy, Ben Gordon couldn't miss, and at the end of it the Bulls had a five point lead and all of the momentum. I was furious. I couldn't believe that this team would allow their defensive effort to dissipate in the closing minutes of this one, wasting special performances from Big Baby, Rondo, and Perk in the process. They were going to lose, and it was going to be a death blow.

At this point, Doc called a timeout and ripped his team a new one for their lack of intensity. We all saw how it went down after the time out, and it was great. There was so much to feel good about after that win. However, I have a lot of concerns, and those need to be addressed first.

- Things are going to get much more difficult if Leon is not able to return in this series. It only took Mikki Moore 8 seconds to commit his first foul last night, and Doc's supply of front line minutes is getting more and more depleted.

- It's hard for me to even string together a rational thought about the repercussions that the Cs would face if Rondo's ankle blew up like a balloon last night and he's unable to go in Chicago.

- The bench was absolutely horrendous last night, accounting for only 9 of the Cs' total 118 points. Great bench play was an essential piece to last year's championship run. The Celtics are going to need more from these guys, especially Eddie House, going forward.

- Speaking of the bench, Tony Allen did not play a single minute last night and I don't know what to make of it. Last night seemed like the perfect opportunity for him to see heavy minutes defending Ben Gordon. At the very least, I expected to see him come in at the end with the Celts up 115-113 to defend Gordon. He didn't, and Gordon tied up the game. So, what does this mean? If we can't call on Tony Allen to come in and give good defensive minutes, especially against a team with such good scorers in the backcourt, things are going to be a lot tougher.

- I can't tell if Paul Pierce is hurt or if he is just worn down. With Deng out, I expected him to control this series and he hasn't been up to the task. He's passing up shots (huge red flag!), he is having trouble getting back every time of defense, and he hasn't seemed to be able to break down anyone off the dribble. I thought Salmons (especially with a bad groin) and Hinrich would be great matchups for him.
I guess the true indicator of whether or not PP is hurt will come in Chicago. We've seen him worn down before, and he usually manages to spring back just when we need him most.

- As was the case on Saturday, there were lapses in Boston's intensity and execution. It's frustrating, and I feared it would once again cost them. It's held true over two games now: they must make getting back on D the number one priority. Although they did a better job yesterday, they still gave up far too many easy points (Chicago shot 50% from the field. Abysmal).

To alleviate this, I think Doc needs to rotate in more bench minutes. In particular, why haven't we seen Bill Walker? I know he's inexperienced, but it's not like we'd be throwing him out there against the Lakers. This is a young Bulls team. Walker would allow more rest for the starters, and I think he could match Chicago's intensity. A fucking spark! That's what this team has needed throughout this series. I really think, in this specific case, Walker can provide that spark.


So, yes, I still have a lot of concerns. But, I'm confident that things are going to pick up. Our readers all know that I have a pretty serious mancrush on Paul Pierce. Hearing his distinct, sultry voice tell me that "our best is yet to come" brought me great comfort.


Now, not to overlook the positive:

- 28 second half points for Ray, who looked like his old self down the stretch. We can all stop panicking now about a repeat playoff slump.

- It's incredible how much Rondo and Big Baby have improved their outside shot, and it gives me so much hope for the future of the Celtics post-big three. Both of these guys can now make teams pay for playing off of them (and Big Baby did, over and over again last night). This will make the Celtics even more dangerous when they are back at full strength next season.

- Rondo is a tough motherfucker. I've heard some talk from the anti-Celtics camp that he likes to ham it up a bit when he goes to the floor so that people will give him more credit for his toughness. First of all, that's ridiculous. He hits the floor hard every night. Secondly, nobody can deny that ankle last night. It was clear as day on the replay. To come back from that and still finish with a triple double is ridiculous. Add 5 steals to those triple double numbers. Hands down the most important player of the series so far. I wish he'd start padding himself up like Dwayne Wade does. It makes sense.

- The Celtics returned to their old ways and dominated the glass in this one. In particular, credit Rondo and Perk with 7 offensive boards apiece. Big Baby made up for his poor rebounding performance on Saturday, and it made his 26 points all the more impressive.

- Perk did everything in this game. He pulled down tough rebounds in traffic, he blocked a key shot at the end of the game, and his ability to work Chicago's front line on offense appeared at times in the first half to be the only constant for the Cs.

- The Bulls came in to this determined to get a split in Boston. They did a hell of a job with it. Back to back career nights from different players. However, they will not have guys step up like that every night. They can't. Just as Rose came back down to earth last night, Gordon will come down on Thursday.

- We finally saw life from this team in the second half. It came quickly once they started to build some momentum. They are better than this Chicago team, which is why I can't understand the sheepishness with which they have approached their business for much of this series. They are the world champs, and I'd like to see some front running. They play better and with a hell of a lot more intensity when they carry that attitude with them. I don't care if it takes KG taunting opponents from the bench and picking up technicals. I don't care if it takes Perk putting Noah down hard (by don't care I mean I'd fucking love it) and taking a technical. The swagger needs to return. That will get them back on defense. That will lead to more scoring. That's when the Celtics are at their best.




Final note:

After the game, my fiancee and I went across the street to the Four's for some beer and nachos. After leaving the Garden, there was no way we could just go home. Well, the next thing we know, Tommy Heinsohn is sitting in the booth right behind ours. I had a dead on view of him, and took in as much as I could. I started thinking to myself....is there a more significant Celtic that I could be looking at right now? Heinsohn won 8 rings as a player and 2 more as a coach. He was a six time all star and coach of the year. He's the face of the franchise as an announcer. Really, there is no question that this was more significant than drinking ten feet away from Larry Bird. I guess the only guy you could argue would be Bill Russell.

I kept in close contact with his waiter. He drank bloody marys and ate shrimp cocktail. That's a meal very heavy in tomatoes (lycopene, good for the prostate). Bloody Marys late at night? The man is an animal.

3 Questions

1. How does Ray Allen still get open at the end of games?

2. How did the Bulls not have any timeouts left at the end of the game? They could have used one, unless of course Vinny Del Negro was planning to draw up a half court heave by one of the Thomases, in this case Tyrus.

3. More confusing reaction to Ray Allen's game winning 3 - KG or Doc Rivers?

Day 1: All Rise

Check out my playoff predictions here.


Before we begin the celebration, a reading from the book of Halberstam:

"It was clear at the end of the season that he would not be coming back. He and Snyder had a meeting. 'I think we should change coaches,' Snyder said. 'I think we should too,' Ramsay said. 'How do we do it?' Snyder asked. Ramsay sensed immediately that it was a question of the deferred money and that Snyder wanted him to quit in anger so that he could avoid paying it. 'Well, I think you should go ahead and announce that there's going to be a coaching change," he said.

So it was that Jack Ramsay left Buffalo, neither fired nor rehired. Stu Inman, looking for a coach, had seen the final game of the Washington playoff series, and asked Ramsay about coming to Portland. The first thing Ramsay thought of was not how far west Portland was, it was no longer near Japan; the first thing he thought of was that Bill Walton played there and Walton lived by speed."

--Breaks of the Game.


Here's to new beginnings everybody.







Today's Festivities:





Chicago at Boston, 12:30


Celticsblog: "Just in case the world hasn't met Rajon Rondo yet, they are about to get a steady dose of reminders that the kid is grown up. Its no longer about "potential" with Rondo. He is, hands down, one of the best point guards in the game. He can dominate a game without taking a shot outside of 3 feet but don't look now, he's also adding that 12 foot jumper that everyone said he needed. Rondo's already a star, it just may take these playoffs for everyone to notice."


Celtics Hub: "Can the Bulls stop the Celtics? I don’t see it. Derrick Rose cannot guard Rajon Rondo, and nobody on the Bulls can guard Paul Pierce–especially not with John Salmons nursing a gimpy groin. The Bulls starting shooting guard, Ben Gordon, is not tall enough at 6′3” to effectively check Ray Allen. Perk could average 12 points a game given the size advantage he’s going to have and his recent uptick in offensive activity; he averaged 11-9 in March, a career month, and he’s only slowed down a bit this month. He’s put up a KG-esque 16-9 against Chicago this year. I mean this sincerely: Perk can be a weapon in this series."



Blog a Bull: "So while we've seen in the past where Thomas and Noah are completely thrown off their games against Garnett, this series can provide a chance for them to finally give it to the Celtics. For Noah to crash the offensive glass instead of picking up fouls. For Thomas to force the Celtics to foul him instead of settling for a jumper while Tom Thibodeau grins.

Both have made strides this season, though it wasn't exactly a breakout campaign for either, and questions remain in terms of how they can handle themselves against the elite teams. But Noah's certainly gotten stronger (literally, even) after a bad offseason and start to the year, and Thomas keeps showing more and more reasons to even consider not trading him for Amare Stoudemire, which is more than can be said the season prior. Thomas in particular can really raise his status with a great playoff performance."


Roomofzen note: respect Perk or get your feelings hurt.





Detroit at Cleveland, 3:00


Cavs News: "The point is that even when the Pistons were a legitimate contender they never had much success guarding James—and this year’s Pistons are not nearly as good defensively (or offensively) as the 2006 and 2007 versions were, while the Cavs clearly have a much more talented and deeper roster than they did back then. The Pistons still have a fine midrange shooter (Richard Hamilton), a good wing defender (Tayshaun Prince) and their rotation of bigs—including Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess and Jason Maxiell—can do some damage but overall the Pistons do not match up well with the Cavs, who won three of the four regular season meetings. Detroit’s lone victory against Cleveland came all the way back on November 19 and the since banished Allen Iverson played a prominent role, scoring 23 points on 8-16 shooting; that was during a stretch when Detroit won four out of five games–including victories over the Cavs and Lakers—by featuring Iverson and Rasheed Wallace in screen/roll actions that were very tough to defend: give Iverson space and he would jet to the hoop but give Wallace space and he would drain three pointers (3-6 from long range versus Cleveland in that game).

Fortunately for the Cavs, the Pistons inexplicably abandoned the idea of using Iverson effectively, tried to turn him into a sixth man and later asked him to stay away from the team for the rest of the season. With Iverson out of the picture, young guards Rodney Stuckey and Will Bynum have to shoulder heavy responsibilities, though Prince or Hamilton can also assume some playmaking duties."



Need4Sheed: "I have my own bright spots here and there like the surprising and refreshing play of Will Bynum, the heart and determination of Antonio McDyess, Rip Hamilton’s return to the starting lineup, the defense of Arron Afflalo and iron man Tayshaun Prince, but all those things just don’t add up to what it takes to beat (and I hate saying this) a powerhouse like the Cavs.

The Cavs are 66-15 and have won 18 of their last 20, and like I mentioned before have lost just one at home. The series starts with the first two games in Cleveland. LeBron has dominated Detroit in the playoffs and to this day he’s responsible for my worst memory of the Palace (remember that fateful game 5). Add in the Cavs defense, the calls they get and it’s a recipe for disaster."


Roomofzen note: Pistons will lose game 1 by double digits and then steal game 2. That's their style.







Dallas at San Antonio, 8:00


Mavs Moneyball: "The Mavs are peaking in only one way: Their offense has evolved into such a deadly weapon that it is overcoming troublesome weaknesses on defense. As you look at the last ten games of the season, it is clear that Rick Carlisle has achieved what Mavs fans desperately needed after the last three playoff series: An offense that is not only potent but varied in its attack and difficult to stop even with the preparation you see in a seven game series.The Mavs are not peaking at all on defense. They are better than they were during the entire season, but they are just as inconsistent and far from dominant or even very good. This has been hidden by the devastating effectiveness of the Mavs offense, but make no mistake: The defensive flaws are still there."



Pounding the Rock: "But the facts remain that the Mavs, those stupid, ugly, dirty, foul-mouthed, devil-worshiping, gun-running, heroin-trafficking, Ozone-ruining, wife-beating, animal-abusing, child-pornography viewing, non-recycling, Grisham-reading, drunk-driving, seal-clubbing, Holocaust-denying, binge-eating, Taliban-supporting, ESPN-viewing, GOP-voting, puppy-murdering, Christian rock-listening, reality television-loving, Jagermeister drinking* Mavs are relatively healthy while my Spurs are without the services of one Emanuel David Ginóbili, our talisman, fourth quarter savior and resident force of nature.

While Ginóbili has spent most of this season in a jacket, delighting crowds with his comic timing and romantic flair, he’s generally been more valuable in the past as a postseason assassin. In losing him the Spurs are missing their only penetrator besides Parker, their peskiest defensive playmaker, their most clutch free throw shooter and just a guy who manages to make the momentum turning play more often than not. We at PtR would contemplate sacrificing a carnal evening with Mila Kunis for a healthy Manu Ginóbili (in the end we’d still probably opt for the former, but at least we’d have contemplated it)."



Roomofzen note: Any team that sent Devin Harris and two first-round picks away for Jason Kidd in the twilight of his career does deserve to get out of the first round. I believe this with every fiber of my being.








Houston at Portland, 10:30

Blazers Edge: "The problem for the Blazers is the Rockets have more experience, more defense, and more potential for physically punishing play. If this series is only going to be ground and pound it looks good for Houston. Portland cannot and should not abandon the high percentage offense, interior bulwark defense, and strong rebounding style that got them this far. But the Blazers need to throw in some tempo-changing wrinkles of the variety we saw late in the regular season. They cannot simply walk the ball up, try to match their offense against a set Houston defense, allow Houston to do the same at the other end, and expect to sustain an advantage. Here's the mantra from the Blazers' end of things for this series:
'The slower we go, the faster we lose.'"



The Dream Shake: "Yao Ming struggles with one brand of center: a small, agile post player with a low center of gravity and quick feet. Luckily, Portland suits up two giant slow people in Greg Oden and Joel Pryzbilla. While Oden and the Pryz may be solid low-post defenders and great shot-blockers, they play the kind of old-school, post-on-post defense that Yao thrives against. No post player in the NBA has a better post move arsenal than the Ming Dynasty, and his will be on full display for the duration of the series.

Brandon Roy is one of the best young talents in The Association, but Houston has two shutdown defenders in Shane Battier and Ron Artest that serve as the perfect remedy for Roy. Remember, in the first meeting, Roy was guarded by an ailing Tracy McGrady, and was able to have a good game. This time around, he’s going to struggle with not one, but two premier perimeter defenders known collectively as "White Pills" rotating on and off of him."


Roomofzen note: I really think the matchups favor Houston in this one, which is why I picked the Rockets to win this series. The game that Dream Shake mentions, in which T-Mac attempted (in his own special way) to defend Brandon Roy was THE ONLY game in which the Blazers defeated the Rockets this season. And, they needed Roy to hit an improbably buzzer-beater to pull it off. I know everyone is high as can be on Portlant right now, but I just don't see it. Houston will advance.

This Guy's The Man.

See more here on Ball Don't Lie . The President attended Friday night's matchup between the Wizards and his hometown Bulls. It probably shouldn't matter to me that he enjoys taking in an NBA game and drinking a beer. I did the same in Boston on Friday night. Perhaps we are of the same minds. Is that a good thing or a bad thing? Leave your thoughts.