After submitting hundreds of e-mails and drunk phone calls to the basketball jones, I finally decided to up my game and make a video. I submitted a question about the NBA All-Defensive team that was first brought up on this site when Babcock, Casten, and I did a NFL picks podcast last season. I am proud to have sparked such enthusiastic discourse.
My question comes 12:24 into the episode below (although the whole episode is great, so watch all of it). It's nice to get Boner Salad some international exposure.
The Basketball Jones is hands down the best podcast out there, and everyone should be helping them out. You should email feedback@thescore.com (Canadian television network, and also international website that features great liveblogging and Jones videos) and let them know that you want to them to include more basketball jones.
We've got quick-hit picks this week. Here they are:
NEW ORLEANS -7 over Dallas
Green Bay +2 over PITTSBURGH
Miami +3 over TENNESSEE
NEW ENGLAND -7 over Buffalo
Arizona -12.5 over DETROIT
PHILLY -8 over San Francisco
JETS -4.5 over Atlanta
Chicago +11 over BALTIMORE (seems like a steep line to me. But I don't really recommend this. If anything throw Baltimore into a teaser)
KANSAS CITY -2 over Cleveland
Houston -12.5 over ST. LOUIS
SAN DIEGO -6.5 over Cincinnati
DENVER -14 over Oakland
SEATTLE -6.5 over Tampa Bay
MINNESOTA -9 over Carolina
NY Giants -3 over WASHINGTON
10 point teaser of the week: Baltimore -1 over Chicago, Denver -4 over Oakland, and San Diego +3.5 over Cincinnati
Lay it down.
A few tunes to get you through this frigid weekend:
The story says that KG was at a commercial shoot at Conseco Fieldhouse this summer, and when he was asked by a Pacers assistant on his way out to meet the Pacers rookies Tyler Hansborough and AJ Price he responded by saying "Fuck your rookies!" and walking out.
I love this story. Unless by "meet" this assistant coach met "have sex with their wives", I'm not exactly sure what he was expecting. People can hate KG all they want, but I stick to my guns that he hasn't changed a bit. He's always been this way, and he was appreciated for it when he was in Minnesota. The only thing that's changed is the quality of his teammates and the size of the market he plays in. People can say what they want, they wish they had guys like this on their team.
Cs at Magic tonight. Fuck their rookies too....and their veterans....and their ron jeremy look alike coach.
And, as if you needed more, don't forget that the world's greatest band will be playing at the Middle East on Saturday night (I know I've posted the Gnashing several times lately...I guess sometimes a song does that to you):
Baroness will be coming back around again this Saturday (11/21) at the Middle East in Cambridge. People get sick of us plugging no band but this one, but I am unphased. In a perfect world, this would be the highest grossing tour in history. I can honestly say that there isn't a show I can think of that I would see over them. Obviously, you should be there.
Not that I want to bump this post down the blog. However, The Basketball Jones podcast is back. This is a truly awesome development. Bonus points because our own Nick L is referenced in the inaugural show of the season and makes a comment on the previously linked TBJ post. Between watching the C's last night and listening to the Jones this afternoon I was so fired up that I snapped on a co-worker who derisively said, "They don't play defense in the NBA." Foolishness. As a side note, is it just me or is Nick L. one of the biggest Wayne's World fans out there? Just something I was thinking about.
Time for the Celtics/Bobcats, which hearkens back to the good old days of an intense, inexplicable rivalry between a lowly Tampa Bay Devil Rays squad and the superior Red Sox. Awesome.
Many fans (myself included) have been contacting the Basketball Jones endlessly in search of an NBA draft episode. Well, it looks like that won't be happening. But, instead, they have provided all of us with this preview of last year's draft. In retrospect, it's really amazing how dead on these guys were about everything that went down last year. Take a look.
5- Friday, March 20th, 2009: What a great night, and a great all around sports weekend. It was the first day of spring in 2009, and the concluding night of the first round of March Madness, a night in which previously top ranked Wake Forest was upset by thirteenth seeded Cleveland State. It was an evening of new beginnings, a chance for all of us to put the trials and hardships of winter behind us as we forged ahead to happier times. Nowhere in America was this feeling more palpable than in the city of Boston, where Celtics fans watched (on television) their savior return to action after missing 13 games to help give his team a lift in a tough road matchup with the Spurs.
Despite the 2055 miles that separate the cities of Boston and San Antonio, you could sense the energy that Garnett's return brought to the hardwood on this night. He logged less than 15 minutes of actual playing time, but you could see the impact of his presence manifest itself in the swagger that each and every Celtics player carried onto the floor with them. This was most evident in Kendrick Perkins, who played tremendous physical defense on Tim Duncan. The player of the night, hands down, was Tony Parker, who seemed to be in control of the game all night long. Parker finished with an impressive 25 points, 8 assists, and 7 boards. Ironically, Parker's very uncharacteristic four straight missed free throws in the final minutes cost his team a victory.
And so it was, for one night, that all seemed right with the world. Spring was here, and with it came a reawakening of the senses, the spirit, and the ability of the Celtics to defend the pick and roll. Kevin Garnett had not been able to contribute much. But, his 15 minutes at 75% and the emotion he injected into his teammates allowed the Celtics to beat one of the league's best teams on the road. How would any team be able to stop them once he worked his way back near 100%? The drive for banner 18 was back on schedule.
Of course, we all know how this turned out. That's why you have to stop to enjoy all of these moments.
4- Tuesday, May 12, 2009: Eastern Conference Playoffs, Round 2, Game 5. I'd like to think that the Orlando Magic were forged into a championship caliber team during their series with the Celtics. Sure, they were always talented. Sure, they could always create mismatches. But, they lacked a certain something. They couldn't finish. They seemed incapable of stringing together 48 solid minutes, and they couldn't hold a lead. They learned a series of tough lessons against the Celtics. Game 5 was the final lesson, and it is the moment I will look back on as the turning point if the Magic do end up hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy in June (similar to the Giants close loss to the Patriots in week 17 of the 07-08 NFL season).
Orlando led by 14 at one point in the second half. They led by ten with five and a half minutes remaining in the fourth. And yet, the outcome seemed completely predictable, because this Magic team could not finish. The Celtics played 5 good minutes of basketball on this evening, and it was enough. I will always remember Stephon Marbury fondly for his performance in the fourth quarter of this game. With Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, and Kendrick Perkins resting on the bench, Marbury scored 12 points in the first 6 minutes of the fourth, ensuring that the Celtics would not fall behind further before their defensive stars returned. The fact that Doc Rivers felt comfortable with this strategy speaks volumes to what kind of team the Magic were.
This game totally altered the course of the 2009 playoffs, because the Orlando Magic that we all knew died that night at the Garden. The team that always folded in the face of adversity and seemed to acquiese to the will of their opponents ceased to exist. What grew in their place was a team that finally understood what it needed to do to to be a championship contender. This change was most evident in Dwight Howard. Previously criticized for his happy-go-lucky demeanor, Howard suddenly appeared frustrated before the media, calling out his coach and demanding more touches. In Game 6, the Magic overcame a horrendous shooting night and a ten-point second half Celtics lead to force a game 7. Orlando then came out in game 7 with the look of a team on a mission. They were determined to TAKE the game, rather than simply hoping it would fall their way. They played with a high intensity for the entire night, and they finally showed the ability to play with a lead, as they matched every Celtics run by tightening up on defense and knocking down big shots.
Coming back from a 15 point halftime deficit to take game 1 in Cleveland; Being down 23 in the second quarter at Cleveland and forcing LeBron to beat you with a miracle heave; grinding out a tough OT victory in game 4: none of this happens without game 5, the night on which the Magic turned the corner.
Of course, I knew none of this as I exited the TD Banknorth Garden on May 12th. I felt, for the first time of the postseason, like the Celtics actually had the stuff to make a run at the finals. Again, this is why you have to enjoy the moment while you're in it.
3- Sunday, May 10, 2009: We always hear coaches talk about the importance of role players stepping up in key spots, and how it is virtually impossible to win a championship if this doesn't happen. This was perhaps never more evident than in game 4 against the Magic. Glen Davis went through many ups and downs during the final minute of this game, but in the end, he stepped up to give his team the win. Davis scored a big bucket with just over 30 seconds remaining to give the Celtics a one point lead. Back on the defensive end, he was once again abused by Rashard Lewis (a perpetual occurence in this series), sending lewis to the free throw line to put the Magic up 1. Earlier this season, something like that might have shaken Davis. Maybe it was the influence of Kevin Garnett, maybe it was the fact that he was completely desensitized to Rashard Lewis making him look like a fool. Whatever it was, Davis took the floor on the offensive end, and sunk a game winning jumper as time expired (see above video). In doing so, he gave the Celtics new life.
Note: It was in this joyous moment that we all got acquainted with Ernest Provetti, who demanded an apology after Davis accidentily bumped his son Nicholas after the shot. Provetti would later rescind his request, essentially admitting that he had completely failed as a father and as a man.
2- Monday, April 20, 2009 It was Patriot's Day. The day of the Boston Marathon. We were just getting acquainted with these new Bulls at this point. This Bulls series felt like it lasted for months, and it seemed to have 4 distinct phases for Celtics fans. Games 1 and 2 were the "they had key guys turn in huge performances, and we were way off. this series won't be close" phase. Game 3 was the "See, we knew these guys sucked" phase. Games 4,5, and 6 were the "oh shit, wait a second, these guys are actually pretty good. im a little bit worried" phase. And, finally game 7 was the "cut the bullshit and win this game" phase.
In game 1, it was Derrick Rose who turned in a monumental performance for the Bulls. In game 2, it was Ben Gordon, who finished with 42 points. His final two came with 12 seconds left, and tied the game up at 115. Heading into the final Celtics possession, there was no question who was getting the ball. Ray Allen, who at that point had put to rest any worries about him being in a shooting slump by scoring 25 second half points, was the hot hand (and, not to mention, one of the best clutch shooters of all time). With Paul Pierce struggling, everyone watching knew that Ray would get the last shot. The Bulls knew it too. And yet, somehow, as he always does, Ray got open and knocked down a game winning 3 (see above video). There were 2 seconds left on the clock, which ordinarily would have made me nervous given the way Gordon had played. But, luckily Vinny Del Negro was out of timeouts, and a Tyrus Thomas desperation heave was all his team could muster. I don't know what's better: the fact that this happened, or the fact that this was not the only time in this series Del Negro found himself out of timeouts in a key spot.
Going down 2-0 to this Chicago team, who I still didn't think was for real at this point, would have been disasterous. Now they had new life, and Ray had found his shooting touch again. We shuffled across the street to the Four's in search of some celebratory beer and nachos. I will never forget what happened next. Suddenly, I look over, and Tommy Heinsohn was taking a seat in the booth right next to ours. As he sat down, he exclaimed "it's time to wet the whistle!" I observed him carefully, and kept in close contact with the waiter about what he was ordering. 1 shrimp cocktail, and several bloody marys. Very tomato heavy (lycopene: good for the prostate). 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. In fact, the only member of the Celtics organization that may have been more significant is Red Auerbach, who is no longer with us.
I reported my encounter, among other things, to the basketball jones that night. I called and e-mailed many times. I had been out of town all day, and had not seen the show. I think I was having withdrawals. Anyways, in a moment that made me very proud, and made my friends and family hang their heads in shame, here is the episode:
1- Tuesday, November 28, 2008: It's strange to think that the top moment of a season could take place before a single minute of regular season basketball has even been played. But, I don't think that anybody could take me to task for choosing this as moment #1. Certainly, in a season in which I saw many memorable moments in the Garden, this is the one that will stick with me the longest. The lights were turned down, and suddenly there was a spotlight on Paul Pierce at center court. We then saw John Havlicek, Bob Cousy, Tommy Heinsohn, Satch Sanders, Jo Jo White, M.L. Carr and Cedric Maxwell, carry out the Larry O'Brien out to Paul Pierce, who was already in tears as he took it from them and lifted it in the air to the roar of the packed house.
Even now, it's hard for me to get past the emotion of this scene and the uniqueness of Pierce's situation. This championship meant the world to Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, who had worked tirelessly for their entire careers to get it. But, it meant more to Pierce, if that's even possible, because of the circumstances. When, in this era, do you ever see a player spend ten years as the leader of a franchise that sees such dark times? You don't. Despite all the changes that have gone on around him, Pierce has remained the face of this franchise for a decade. This team was as far as they could go in the rebuilding process: lots of young talent, expiring contracts, and Paul Pierce. Things were not always smooth, and both sides have acknowledged that. In fact, in his speech on this very night, he talked about being frustrated and asking to be traded. Earlier that day, Danny Ainge had gone on WEEI and stated categorically that going into the 2007 draft they were determined to either trade their pick or trade Paul Pierce. The relationship between Pierce and the fans of Boston has been much rockier than has been the case with previous Celtics superstars. But, there were two men who always believed in Paul Pierce: Red Auerbach and Danny Ainge. That will get you pretty far in Boston.
And, I have to believe that even the Pierce detractors that wanted him gone (and I sit next to two of them at the games) had to appreciate what he has done on this night. He has grown up as a player in this city. We've seen him at his highest and his lowest. At times, we've both said things we wish he could have back. He's like family. He's ingrained in this city, and it would have been terrible to see him in another uniform. Players always thank the fans after they win championships, but I don't think anybody in history has ever meant it as much as Paul Pierce meant it, and I don't think any fanbase has ever appreciated a player's individual moment as much as the fans of Boston appreciated this one. This, in my mind, is a top ten moment in the history of this great franchise. And, there is no question it was the highlight of the season.
Again, www.thebasketballjones.net . You should be there every weekday during the NBA season and postseason.
I definitely promised all of you part 2 of the top ten moments of the Celtics season today. But, some memorial days can be more consuming than others. It will be up this week. If you didn't catch part 1 (moments 10-6), here it is.
The Basketball Jones has outdone itself again, producing this gem with thescore.com. This also aired three times today on The Score Television Network (Rogers Cable Provider, Canada). It makes me really psyched to hear that the Jones made it on to television (as I have always called them the best show on television, even though they are not on television). These guys should be doing playoff commercials on TNT and ESPN. If you can't find 20 minutes in your day to watch them, I really wonder what you're doing with your time. Eating lunch? Exercising? Working? Stop it.
And, it was the great Tas Melas who gave me the words I always say over and over again to myself when I start to question the refereeing (from hands down the greatest episode ever): "There is no conspiracy in this league".
(note: we're going old school with that above logo)
It's a strange, strange world we live in when the best show on television isn't even on television. As I always say, I can't recommend the Basketball Jones enough to all of you. It is exactly what you need to get through a work day. These are the discussions I'd like to have with all of my co-workers, but obviously it isn't the appropriate forum. I'm sure these guys get sick of me calling and e-mailing them my rants, but sometimes I still get on.
That makes today a good day, especially since the Cs won last night and I'll be wearing my brand new Marbury jersey T to the Mastodon show tonight at the House Of Blues:
When I witnessed Tommy Heinsohn in all of his glory taking down bloody marys late last night, I knew that I had to get the word immediately to the finest source for basketball coverage in North America (which also means the world):
For the record, I don't generally call 3 times per day or at all. Although, I do try to e-mail at least a few times a week. Really, if you're not taking in the Basketball Jones everyday, you should be.
I also learned today that Frank Thomas drinks ZizZazz:
"I don't need your fucking sympathy, man. I need my fucking johnson"
--The Dude
I woke up this morning being 26 years old for the first time. That, in itself, is a lot to deal with. By the time we hit ten o'clock, I was trying to somehow make sense of the announcement that not only was Kevin Garnett not playing in round 1 of the playoffs, but he was most likely out for the entire postseason. I had resigned myself to the fact that he just needed rest. I didn't see this coming. Then, around 3:00, the news comes that John Madden is retiring from broadcoasting. I, personally, would have appreciated a little notice before his last game. By 5 o'clock tonight, Danny Ainge had suffered a heart attack. The guy is in great shape. And, he's only 50. I'm now more than halfway there. Needless to say, this was a very complicated day. A lot of ins, a lot of outs, a lot of what have yous. Fortunately, we've been adhering to a pretty strict drug regiment here to keep our minds, you know, limber.
I can't speak fully to the KG injury right now. All I can really say is that I have never been anywhere near this deflated by an sports injury. If there are any Patriots fans out there (so pretty much 3/4 of our readers), please leave some comments about how this stacks up against the Brady injury.
The one thing I was finally able to arrive at that gave me the strength to push on with my day and pump out these predictions was this:
at least this didn't happen last year.
Really, can you imagine how devastating this would have been last year? It's not much, but for now it's all I've got.
So, let's not wait any longer. Here are the picks (the West picks are without comment because I certainly don't watch enough of the West to say anything meaningful).
ROUND 1
EAST
Cleveland vs. Detroit:
The Pistons gave up on this season the minute they sent Chauncey Billups to Denver. They were, of course, open to the possibility of catching lightning in a bottle with AI, but more than anything this move was about Joe Dumars conceding that his group was no longer good enough to make it out of the East. As things currently stand, with a record below .500 and AI literally paying no dividends on the court (I hope this ungraceful exit is not the last we see of him), the question now becomes not who will win this series, but what type of series it will be.
The Pistons have played the Cavs tough this season. Rasheed Wallace has gone on the record as saying that he expects his team to re-gain their swagger once the post-season begins. I do believe in Detroit’s veteran leadership. I believe in the power of their home crowd and in their ability on defense to make LeBron James have to beat them all on his own. However, I also believe I’ve seen him do that before. Since then, he’s gotten better and Detroit has gotten worse.
The pick: Cleveland in 6.
Boston vs. Chicago:
This Bulls team is not the matchup I wanted for round 1. They really improved themselves at the trade deadline, and they've had the look over the past month of a team that could shake up the post-season. All that being said, they have no shot here. If they were a legitimate threat, they would have beaten Toronto last night (the news about KG wasn't out yet, they had something real to play for) at home. The absence of Luol Deng means big production for Paul Pierce. Kendrick Perkins will swallow Joakim Noah. Derrick Rose had a great season, but Rajon Rondo has blossomed into one of the league's premiere point guards. The Celtics have the advantage in every matchup.
The pick: Boston in 6
Orlando vs. Philadelphia:
There is no way Philly takes this series. They have no answer for Dwight Howard and don't have anybody that can shoot, which should translate to a lot of easy buckets in transition off of missed shots for the Magic. The Sixers are also horrendous in the half court, and Orlando’s ball movement should lead to a lot of good looks both on the interior and from long range.
I wanted to actually analyze the matchup here, but all I really needed to do was point out that the Celtics beat Philly on Tuesday night without KG or Ray Allen, and that it took overtime for the Sixers to knock off Cleveland’s athletic training staff last night.
The Pick: Orlando in 5
Hawks vs. Heat:
These should be great games to watch, regardless of the score is when you flip to them. It’s hard not to get excited about a team as athletic as the Hawks facing off against Dwayne Wade. I really want to take Miami here. I think that D-Wade has been just as spectacular as LeBron this season. I’m also excited to see how Michael Beasley performs in his first playoff series. If he is able to elevate his level of play, he could give his team the edge. Miami has really impressed me over the second half of the season. However, while most of the national media has been ignoring the Hawks, they have been playing incredibly consistent basketball. It’s hard not to give Atlanta the edge when you weigh the matchups. The Wade/Johnson matchup will be great to see, and I will be interested to see how much Miami gets out of Jermaine O'Neal. This is hands down the toughest one to pick, so I’m going with my gut:
Even though it doesn’t make sense: Heat in 6.
ROUND 1 WEST (ABRIDGED):
Lakers over Jazz in 4:
Nuggets over Hornets in 7: Note: I don't want to miss one minute of this series.
Houston over Portland in 6:- I know people are saying "nobody wants to catch Portland right now", but I think Ron Artest provides Houston with the mentality they need to advance to round 2.
San Antonio over Dallas in 6:
ROUND 2: EAST
Cleveland over Miami:
Regardless of whether they see Atlanta or Miami, I wouldn't be surprised to see Cleveland coast in round 2. Detroit is a tougher matchup.
The pick: Cavs in 5.
Boston over Orlando:
I'm not sold on Orlando, and there is nothing they can do against Philadelphia that will convince me otherwise. I can't help but wonder if the people who wrote them in as championship contenders last month have been paying any attention at all to what has been happening this month. They were certainly impressive in March (12-2), but they have come crashing back down to Earth in April (4-5 this month, including losses to Toronto, New York, New jersey, and an 18 point loss to the Bucks).
On March 25th, the Magic defeated Boston by 2, and moved the Celtics down to third place in the East. This was the last game in which Kevin Garnett was able to play (and his role was very limited). Leon Powe, Tony Allen, and Brian Scalabrine were all out as well. How could Orlando not have held on to that 2 seed? It's inexplicable. They are not contenders.
Kendrick Perkins will be the key to Boston's success in this series, as he is the NBA's premier Dwight Howard stopper. Throw in the fact that there are serious questions about the health of Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis, Boston is tough at home, and that there isn't anybody on the Magic capable of defending Paul Pierce, and this all adds up to a victory for the Cs.
The pick: Celtics in 7
WEST ROUND 2 (Abridged)
Lakers over Rockets in 5:
Spurs over Nuggets in 6:
Eastern Conference Finals:
Cavaliers over Celtics: There are many out there who say that the Cavs win this series even if it involves a healthy KG. I'm not one of those people. I think the Cavs are flawed, and I've felt all season long like the Celtics were the superior team. The two games the Cavs took from Boston this year were, in my opinion, two of the most uncharacteristically bad performances the Celtics turned in all season. Easter Sunday's performance was the worst (Pierce 4-17, totally flat performance, shooting 35% as a team). The statistics in these performances indicate that the Celtics would have lost to most NBA teams on these days. When they play at a level more aligned with their season averages, they have beaten Cleveland twice, including once with Kevin Garnett out.
So, just to clarify, if the Celtics were coming into this series with Kevin Garnett healthy, they would win. They simply have too much front line depth (KG, Perk, Big Baby, Leon, Mikki Moore) for Cleveland to handle.
But, we're dealing with reality here, and the reality is that I can't pick the Celtics to win this series. On paper, the Cavs seem harmless. Mo Williams? really? That's the other big gun? Delonte West? Don't try that shit with me. I'm well aware of what he can and can't do. When you look at the roster, and then you see how much LeBron is able to raise the level at which all of these guys play, you can't help but cast your MVP vote for anybody else. And, believe me, I'd like to.
The pick: Cleveland in 6
Western Conference Finals (abridged):
Lakers over Spurs in 5.
NBA Finals:
Lakers over Cavs in 5.
This is the Lakers' year, and nothing LeBron James does can change that. The Cavs will be totally outmatched in this series. There is no way they can compete with a front line of Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom. Number 24 is pretty good too. Even though he hasn't averaged so few points per game since 2004, I've never been more in awe of him.
We've been dreaming of doing podcasts for a long time. Babcock and I stumbled upon some technical information this week, and figured we'd go ahead and try to pump one out in about 2 hours. Well, as it turns out, it was two hours before we could even figure out how to record. We finished recording at about 10:45 last night. It is now 7:13 AM, and I can finally publish this post with some confidence that the file we created will actually play.
Is it good? Not really. But, we had a blast. I definitely say "real fast" 3 times in the first 20 seconds. We say that Dan Orlovsky stepped out of bounds last week when it was really 3 weeks ago. I also utter the phrase "Leon Powe has the ability to score at will." But, those things aside, it's not bad. We discuss the Celtics opener on Tuesday, the prospects of the Cavaliers this season, week 9 in the NFL, and Mike Singletary as the 49ers new coach. Babcock loves Singletary in that role, and how could you not after reading this story about his motivational techniques at halftime last week. All in all, it's 69 full minutes of fun. Please enjoy.....
We've got a long way to go if we ever want to approach the level of the BS Report or the Basketball Jones (TBJ in my mind is the sickest podcast out there). But, we've been successfully improving the site all along. Next week: look for us to get more of the staff involved, we will work on a musical intro, we will do some more scripting so we don't ramble as much, and we will answer our podcast e-mail question sent in from Matt in Seattle (sorry Matt, we were rambling, and then suddenly we were well over an hour. We'll get you next week).
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