Penetrating Insight

• Are there now more television cops than actual cops? I’m pretty sure we’ve reached that point.
• I didn’t know Cursive was putting out a new record. But I iMeemed it and it was much better than “Happy Hollow”, so I bought it.
• Watched an episode of “King Of The Hill” before work yesterday morning. I was hoping I could watch “Saved By The Bell” but since I wake up at 5:30 a.m. TBS hasn’t started their morning block party of illness yet at that point. I never thought I’d like “King Of The Hill” but for some reason I always find it amusing.
• Working until 7 tonight. The next train to Providence post 7 is at 8:15, which means I won’t get home until 9:30. Fuck my life.
• Haven’t seen that Dhani Jones No Reservations sports show yet. Should be good.
• Stringer Bell on “the Office” was awesome. I heard he was coming in advance though. If I hadn’t I might have been concerned that he was there to take care of Michael Scott. With a gun.
• Mikki Moore has averaged 4.1 fouls a game this month. 4.1 fouls a game in an average of 18.1 minutes. Leon Powe is desperately needed.
• Look out for the Kansas City Royals this season…I have a feeling about that team…

Kelly Clarkson. Celtics. Sails. Inpatients.

That new Kelly Clarkson song “My life Would Suck Without You” is a pretty good pop single.

When I was at Spring Training it kept coming on.

The Patriots signed everyone over the age of 30. Joey Galloway. Fred Taylor. I’m sure they’re working on Jason Taylor as I write this.

Heard a story the other night that distrubed me.  I don’t live here anymore. And I don’t watch the news. I used to watch it more and read it more when it wasn’t all so horrible. But this story an old friend told me about last week. A lady fell on the escalator at Government Center. Her scarf got caught in it and it strangled her to death. People just walking by as if nothing happened. A guy and his sons topped to help but couldn’t pull the scarf out. They ran up to a bunch of people and asked for a knife of nail clippers, anything sharp to cut the scarf with. no one helped. They went to a nearby police officer and he didn’t help. They watched helplessly as the lady died.

I’m not going to pretend that this is symbolic of all human interaction and that the modern world is a cold dark place. Ultimately this is a tragic accident that people didn’t understand the gravity of (police officer included). I’m sure it all unfolded within a couple of minutes.

The clumsiness of life is what scares me the most. We’re all nothing but giant pieces of meat walking around and talking. One bad fall or false step is all it takes.

I flew JetBlue for the first time. I know I’m about 4 years behind the curve. I’m booking my first Virgin America flight to San Francisco for 2013.

How refreshing a nice airline is.

I don’t hate airports. Some people do. People who smoke probably. People who are impatient. I think you can get a lot done in an airport. Provided what you have to get done is not all that important.

Providence is nice. I’m trying to make peace with my homeland. It’s different though. Hills everywhere. Good practice for when I finally move to San Francisco. This was foretold by a fortune teller. She also said I would be married at 23 and that I would marry a girl with the initials ‘LS’. Nothing doing on those fronts.

An old friend from college got engaged this weekend though. A different friend got engaged last weekend. I’m going to the wedding of a couple I set up this Summer. I’ve officially entered the point in my life where there will be a wedding a year to go to for 7-10 years. I suspect it happens to everyone. Then you reach a drought where your friends are all married and your extended family is too young or old and things slow down a bit.

I love weddings though. Even though I’m not getting married anytime soon at all, a wedding is always a great time.

Barrack Obama inadvertently offended the mentally handicapped. Or is it ‘different-mentally-enabled’? I never know. You know what I am sick of though? The whole “He shouldn’t be doing an NCAA bracket/on Leno..etc.” That’s just stupid bullshit. George W. Bush was on vacation about 200 days a year. I’m fine with the President taking a half hour to make an NCAA bracket or going on a talk show to try to sell a new policy that will greatly impact the country. It’s the fireside chat in a new medium.

Yeah, he’s a celebrity. That’s what a President is.

Tonight the Celtics look to exact revenge on the LA Clippers. This Celtics team should be getting things together about now. They should be better. If they didn’t turn the ball over so much they’d probably be the best team in the NBA (even with the injuries). But what are you gonna do? Rajon Rondo really is growing up. He’s exciting. I’ll have to remember that hard in 5 years when Paul Pierce and KG and Ray are all retired…

Rankings: NBA Teams With Junk Food Equivalents

Last year I tried to make the case that even though the Western Conference had more great teams than the Eastern Conference, the West also had the worstteams in the NBA and it wouldn’t be logn before the East caught up.

That happened around mid-December this season.

The West is old. It is an old conference full of teams that are on their way down. The Mavericks? old. The Suns? old (all though adding Jason Richardson does help). The Warriors? done.

The only teams that seem to have made strides to get better this season in the West are the Nuggets and the Rockets…and Lakers.

Here are my rankings:

The Burger Divison:

• Los Angeles Lakers : Flame broiled Triple Whopper w/ Cheese. Somehow they just seem to want it more than most teams do. They play hard every night and I honestly don’t think they will lose more than 15 games if they continue the way they have played the first half of the season. Add in the fact that they really don’t have to play a super hard schedule in the West this year…I’d have to say they belong on top so far. The Triple Whopper w/ Cheese is an ungodly meal in a bun. Anyone who argues that Wendy’s or McDonalds make tastier hamburgers than Burger King is out of their mind. They’re the king for a reason GODAMNIT!!!
• Cleveland Cavaliers : Wendy’s Classic Triple. That is a delicious gigantic hamburger. I didn’t think the Cavs would be this good this season. I knew they would be good but I didn’t think adding Mo Williams would turn them into giants. The thing is though, if LeBron gets hurt for longer than three weeks at any point this season, they’ll probably go 3-7. He does EVERYTHING for this team. Without him, you’ve got a crew of decent role players and you go from being the Cavs to being the Knicks. LeBron is scary. Playing against him must be a daunting task. Like sitting down in front of a Classic Triple after you’ve already eaten dinner.
• Boston Celtics : Big Mac. Even though you knowa Big Mac isn’t as good as a Quarter Pounder, the name recognition and the history still make it tempting. It’s exciting toe at a Big Mac. It might not always taste great. It might play ugly defense and turn the ball over way too much but it is stillthe pinnacle of burgers. You may think it is all reputation, but when you actually eat one, it’s surprisingly good. Rajon Rondo is like that special sauce. You wouldn’t think it would make much of a difference. Sometimes you get too much of it. Sometimes you wish it had more of it on the burger. But sometimes you get just enough and it is more than a pleasant surprise. It is a delicious masterpiece of highlight reel moves and play-making.

The Chicken Divison:

• Orlando Magic : Popeye’s Chicken.Delicious. Spicy or original. Plain. Simple. Great rebounding. Great tasting. Dwight Howard can rip you in half. But I get the distinct feeling that this team still needs something else. I’m not sure what. They just seem too young. They still consistently get beaten by the Burger Division. But they are no joke. This is a delicious lunch or dinner of a team.
• San Antonio Spurs : Burger King Classic Chicken Sandwich. These things are awesome. They still taste exactly the same as they did when I was 12. Just like the Spurs. The year may change. You may still need to buy a new calendar because you aren’t sure what day it even is anymore. But the Spurs are still not to be effed with. This is a team that closes out games and does things right. This is a sandwich that fills you up and tastes delicious and will never leave you with buyer’s remorse. Its got lettuce, mayo, fried chicken and strange shaped elongated bun. Sure, the Italian or French or American versions are all well and good too. But the classic. There’s nothing like the classic.
• Denver Nuggets : McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets. It isn’t just the name. I would rather eat either of the above chicken junk food products than Chicken McNuggets, but Chicken McNuggets did this weird thing…They tasted the same forever. When I was a kid,t he meat inside was gray. It wasn’t white meat. And you know what? I didn’t care. I still enjoyed my shitty gray meat McNuggets because they tasted great and had awesome dipping sauces (still the best in the industry). The Nuggets? Same thing. They may have made the playoffs the last few seasons, but the team wasn’t going anywhere fast. They needed a change. A few years ago, McDonald’s switched the McNuggets to all white meat. ALL WHITE MEAT. Insane! Something that was always delicious is now en vogue and advertising would lead me to believe that people are making their wedding cakes out of them. The Nuggets trade Allen Iverson for Chauncey Billups and what do they get? A serious competitive team that gives a shit night to night. This team is the third most legit team in the West. Before this season I thought they might be the 7th or 8th best in the Conference night to night.

The ‘Delicious With Some Reservations’ Division:

• New Orleans Hornets : Cheesy Gordita Crunch. Sure, it may be fried and delicious. It may have sour cream and cheese and a whole bunch of other stuff on it. But with this team its like you can never tell if you’re gonna get the chicken or the beef (natural laxative). They’re fun to watch. And they might be great. But they might make you shit yourself.
• Atlanta Hawks : KFC Snacker.  Small and tasty. It packs a lot of punch in a surprisingly small package. They lose a lot though. Still, the psychology of not only making the playoffs with a young team last year, but also taking the eventual Champions to 7 games? This team can compete. And does.
• Houston Rockets : Anything From Arby’s.Sometimes it’s great. Sometimes things are clicking, they are playing great defense, everything on the menu comes out hot and tasty. You eat a big roast beef sandwich and wonder ‘why the hell don’t I come to Arby’s all the time?’. But sometimes it’s hard to tell if that roast beef was actually roasted or if it’s even beef. Injuries will happen. I can’t imagine who else they can get to get any better without giving up something major in return. Something tells me they’ll be out of the Playoffs before round 3 begins. Again.
• Portland Trailblazers : Whopper Jr. Delicious and compact. But is it really gonna be enough to fill you up?

The ‘Surprisingly Boring’ Division:

• Utah Jazz : McDonald’s Double Cheeseburger.  Of course it’s good…It’s a double cheeseburger! But…can I have some of that Spicy Mustard to dip it in? No? Oh…umm…good thing I can get free refills on my soda.
• Dallas Mavericks : Taco Bell Bean and Rice Burrito. Cheap. Involved in a stock market scandal. Tasty. Sort of. Needs some hot sauce…and more rice…and beans…
• Phoenix Suns : Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.  What the hell happened? It’s like they changed the peanut butter flavor or something. The thrill is gone. Maybe I’ve just gotten older and don’t care as much anymore, but these things used to be my favorite junk food and all of the sudden I just don’t care anymore.

Friday Playlist, Jamal Crawford Traded For Al Harrington, The Hold Steady.

At Chair, we have tried to introduce various regular segments. Some have lasted (Enigma’s Fantasy Football Review For Lovers) some have quickly faded out (An Open Letter).

We’re still learning how to do this whole “writing in English” thing.

But something we do want to introduce is a weekly Friday Playlist.

This week’s playlist features Teenage Fanclub, The Replacements, Pavement and The Hold Steady.

Check it out:

Friday 11/21

Oh, also the Warriors traded Al Harrington for Jamal Crawford. Isiah Thomas is spinning in his grave. Don Nelson wishes he was still playing for the Celtics.

Celtics Beat The Hawks In Crazy Game. Paul Pierce Hits Game Winner.

Paul Pierce has certainly looked great the last couple of games.

It became pretty apparent last night that the Atlanta Hawks are definitely for real this season. They were playing defense, finding the open man and hitting shots. The only things they could have done better in that game were 1) rebounding (they need some help here) and 2) getting in the paint. Granted the lack of penetration certainly didn’t stop them from putting up points, but I’m sure if they forced the issue a little more they would have gotten to the line and that might have made the difference last night.

But what the hell is with the slow starts?

The Celtics have been outscored in the first quarter 7 of their 9 games this season.

It just seems like they don’t get committed to playing defense until they’re losing by 10…And even though they’ve been successful so far, it has taken two incredible nights by Pierce to get them out of the hole.

They can’t keep doing it.

Also, Leon Powe is clearly one of the most valuable bench players in the NBA this season so far. The guy is averaging 8 points per game, he rebounds and he draws fouls like you wouldn’t believe.

One of my favorite things about Leon is that he also always knows his place. He doesn’t force shitty mid-range jumpers. He knows it is his job to get in the paint, knock people around and fight like hell for rebounds.

Who doesn’t love Leon?

By the way, this schedule is absolutely brutal. 6 back to backs in November. 5 games this week. Only 13 off days in 30 days. At this pace, the Playoffs will seem like a vacation.

To Love And Feel No Love (To Be A Fan).

It’s a funny thing being a sports fan. 

Every time I try to quantify it or measure why it matters or why I care, I really have a hard time putting it into words.

What does your local team winning a championship mean really, at the end of the day?

When I was a kid I thought that it always meant that the team that won was the best city in the country somehow. That in some way, when the Blue Jays won the World Series back to back when I was young, Toronto was actually a better city than anywhere in America. 

From the outside, I had a lot of envy for the successful cities. 

I hated Dallas. I hated the Cowboys because of how great they were, but more-so because of how arrogant they seemed (and their fans seemed). 

Dallas winning Superbowl after Superbowl only served to further the notion that where I was living was one of the worst places in the country. The Patriots were horrible at best, the Red Sox were one year of futility after another, the Bruins were always good but could never get it done and the Celtics just always seemed like a team that’s glory days were over when I was just a baby. 

“You should have seen them when Larry was playing.” my Dad would always say. 

To put it into perspective, the day Larry Bird announced his retirement, my family was on vacation at a log cabin in New Hampshire. I had wandered into the woods and my Mom was ready to kill me when I came back an hour or so later. Because I was like 7 or 8. When I came back inside, my Dad was listening to the radio. He told me Larry Bird was retired. I had no idea what that really meant. 

I know it might seem like an odd time to reflect on this. The Boston Red Sox are in the ALCS. The Patriots rebounded big against the 49ers. The Bruins might even be strong this season. And the Celtics are coming off their first Championship in two decades.

For me, this is like living a dream.

But a lot of things happen when your city starts winning championships.

It is way harder to get tickets, for starters.

Even if you can still get tickets, the prices go way up. 

Everyone in all of those other cities starts hating your teams. Some of them (the ones who still haven’t figured out as I did as a kid, that winning a championship does not make your city more important or better somehow) hate your city.

But the worst, by far, is that something that was once so personally your own becomes a commodity for everyone.

It is sort of like when your favorite band that you have been following and listening to for 5 years all of the sudden has a crossover hit on the radio. They aren’t yours anymore. They aren’t some secret that only you know about.

Secrets aside, something you spent so much time invested in and so much time thinking about and talking about (and writing about) is instantly accessible by everyone. They don’t have to work to find the band. They don’t get to see them grow gradually. They weren’t there when they were playing to 15 people at TT The Bears or The Met Cafe. 

But now, because they are so clearly not your own anymore, you can’t even see them without going to some arena (where you pay 18 times as much to see something that was yours before that hit single).

Some people get bitter.

I’ve cared about sports my whole life.

Even when I was 16-18 and thought I wasn’t allowed to care about sports and music at the same time (for some reason…) I couldn’t resist watching the Red Sox or Patriots or Celtics. I actively tried not to care that much. But I couldn’t just stop being myself. 

The question is, why do we care?

In Boston right now, there’s nothing unique about being a sports fan. Everyone is a Boston sports fan. Even people who wouldn’t have been caught dead watching a Red Sox game 6 years ago. But I don’t watch sports to be unique.

Being a sports fan is expensive. You are constantly spending money to go to games, for cable (I really probably would not have cable if not for the Celtics, Red Sox, Patriots, Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations, HGTV, Food Network, Bruins and ESPN [in that order]) to buy merchandise…etc. 

Buying tickets is never a problem to me. I go to games with my girlfriend or sister or best friends. Really, it isn’t that much more expensive than going to a movie or going out to dinner ($10 Celtics tickets are cheaper in both cases, and also way more fun). 

Cable is nice.

And the merchandise trap is something I generally avoid. Or anyway did a great job avoiding until the 2007-2008 Celtics season.

There was something about that team that changed me as a fan. It wasn’t that they were winning. I’ve experienced a lot of winning teams over the last 8 years. It was something else. 

Maybe it was redemption. Maybe it was that (unlike the Red Sox) I could remember the exact day everything changed for the Celtics. I could remember where I was and what I was doing and all of the nightmares that followed (Reggie Lewis’ death, years of futility, Rick Pitino, Antoine Walker). 

Something about seeing my team. A team that I was raised on. A team I was brought up to love, finally get better or at least have a serious chance, made me feel different.

When I bought a Rondo shirt at the first game I went to in 2007, I felt great about it. I would wear it on game days and it made me feel happy. Just wearing a stupid shirt. I bought more Celtics shirts as I went to more games and I always wore one on a game day all season long. I’m not exaggerating. Just wearing the Celtics colors made me happier. Listening to “Roc Boys” or “Ayo Technology” (two songs the Celtics played during warm-ups at the Garden all season) in the gym gave me more energy and made me run faster and work harder. Knowing I had the pleasure to watch them (on TV or in person) helped me get through even the toughest winter days. 

I tried to explain it in my season ending column after the parade in June. I don’t know if I did.

I love the Celtics. I love this core of players. I love the way they play. I love the way they act together. I love that I am living through some new “good old days” because there was a while, most of my life, that I never thought I would. 

But for all of the love I have for the Boston Celtics, they don’t even know I exist. I don’t say that to be dramatic. It is just a simple fact. I am just a credit card number on some gate receipts to them. 

That is all that fans are to their teams really.

We watch, we buy, we digest, we discuss and we get nothing tangible in return.

It is the most beautiful and horrible unrequited love there is.

How can you love something that doesn’t love you back?

Maybe this is a question better suited for a priest, a rabbi and a philosophy professor but I think I get it now.

Maybe they don’t know who I am, but when I think about them, it can make me feel happier. I can think about some great moments and smile. If I’m having a terrible day at work, I can look at the calendar and say ‘at least the Celtics are on tonight’. They are always there. They were a part of my Grandfather’s life and are a part of my Father’s life and will be a part of my kid’s lives one day as well. They inform the way we meet and interact with the people around us. They link us to complete strangers. They give us something to talk about when there is nothing to talk about.

Being a fan means that you believe in something. Something that can lift you up and something that can crush you. But just like anything else, there is always another chance, another opportunity in the future.

The simplest way to explain why I love sports is that it always gives me something to look forward to.

Like most people, I think I want to believe in something. And believing in the Celtics means a lot. 

Tonight was their first pre-season game. Towards the end of the first half rookie Bill Walker got an alley oop dunk that was outstanding. two possessions later, he followed it by dunking in traffic. On the bench, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo and everyone else went crazy as if it were a playoff game.

It gives me hope. Some people get to do what they love for a living and sometimes we’re lucky enough to watch them or see them or listen to them or hear about them.

Maybe you think I’m just a crazy obsessive fan or that I’m oversimplifying something that is very complex or that I’m making something that is very simple out to be this big important thing…the thing about believing and loving anything is that it is personal. No matter who else loves it or who else has loved it, the way you feel about it and the way it affects and informs you is uniquely your own. 

One of my co-workers told me she was moving to the North End a couple months back and I told her “I wish I lived in the North End. I’d be closer to the Celtics there.” This was probably in August, so she gave me a puzzled look and laughed a little.

For whatever reason it makes me happier that this team exists. They won’t be this great forever but that is like everything else in life. I will enjoy this and never take it for granted for a second. 

It doesn’t matter that they don’t know me or that we don’t have a direct relationship or communication.

I believe in them. I appreciate everything they do. And as a result, even when they lose and I’m disappointed, it is a passing feeling. Because there is always another opportunity in the future. And sometimes just knowing that is enough to carry you through the hard times.

Eddie House and Tony Allen Will Return To The Celtics

This is good news after some horrible news.

I don’t know if Tony Allen is worth big money. I mean, he might be. It isn’t huge money. It isn’t Elton Brand money or Gilbert Arenas money, or even James Poesy money. But its something.

Best case scenario, Tony Allen will continue to develop on the offensive end of the court, his knee was not fully recovered last season and maybe we will see him as a nice defensive off-the-bench presence who can sometimes hurt teams at close range.

I don’t think that is too much to ask…

Eddie House must just be happy to be living in one place for more than a year. I think he is a really good signing, especially if it is only for $2 million to $3 million per season. He will consistently contribute to the offense and defense off the bench, just don’t let him take the ball up the court and he’s great.

Maybe the Celtics still have a little more wiggle room left.

Maybe not.

But these were good decisions by Danny Ainge. Even if Tony is an offensive liability, it is nice to have some proven defensive presence on the bench just in case.

James Posey and Eddie House Say They Want To Stay In Boston.

“Let’s buy a house in Arlington! Yeah!!”

There were a few really important things the Celtics needed to do this offseason.

1) Get some rest. 107 games is a lot. There were some surgeries and MRIs to get done. Relax. Get a 4 hour massage or two. Go to some Vegas fights. You know, have fun. But get some rest.

2) Resign James Posey and (to a lesser extent but still important) Eddie House.

I’ve gone on and on and on about how much James Poesy adds. Eddie House adds a lot too. The only concern with him is his shaky ball handling. But House was a defensive presence this season as well. Remember the November 24th game where he stole the inbound pass from the Bobcats, kicked it out to Ray Allen and Ray Ray nailed the game winner with no time left? Yeah. That was thanks to House.

Anyway, last night at the premiere screening of the DVD of the season Posey said his number one team would be the Celtics.

Danny, I know you read the blogs. I KNOW Doc reads the blogs. Listen Danny, DO NOT SCREW POSEY! Just resign him for a little extra, throw in an extra year. Whatever. Get that shit done. He is the centerpiece of a successful Celtics bench. The Defensive leader when KG and Pierce are off the court.

GET IT DONE.

Also, I’m miffed that I wasn’t invited to the premiere. Do you know how important I am to this team!?!?!

Wouldn’t it be great if sports fans everywhere had an attitude like that. Like overnight we all decided that our teams actually NEEDED us and demanded absurd things from them?

Typical Conversation:

“So Flip Saunders really blew the Milwaukee game even after I told him to take Tayshaun Prince Out.”

“I know. What did you do?”

“I walked over to him and said ‘I’M LEAVING AND NOT WATCHING YOUR TEAM FOR 6 DAYS!’”

“Wow. Strong words.”

“And you know something, he STILL hasn’t apologized.”

“Asshole.”

“I know.”

etc. etc. etc.

James Posey needs to come back. Eddie House probably just wants to play ANYWHERE for longer than a season. He’s like a College Kid still, moving EVERY YEAR. Can you imagine living like 12 years straight and moving once a year throughout that time period? Insane. His son is basically a military kid.

Get it done Danny. Get it done today!!!

 

Elton Brand Gets Offer From Warriors (REVENGE OFFER!), Josh Smith Talks to Sixers, Gerald Green and DeSagana Diop to Mavs.

Yes Bombs, I will certainly spend 1,000+ words talking about Clay Shit Face Bennett and the giant piece of trash that is David Stern. Of course I will.

I just need to get this out there first.

In a revenge offer, or maybe just because Chris Webber is retired, the Warriors have offered Elton Brand something to think on. Hard.

$18 mil a year for half a decade is nothing to sneeze at. Especially considering what he’s gone through with the Clippers (the whole being shitty thing).

Looks like the Clips might be handcuffed.

In which case, they had better make some serious moves for some other top tier player(s) because spending all that money on Baron Davis is just foolish otherwise.

Josh Smith who was last seen making me nervous as hell every time he touched the ball in Round 1 of the 2008 Playoffs (and the “nervous as hell” is not meant in the same way that I was “nervous as hell” every time Sam Cassell touched the ball in the Playoffs) has reportedly met with the Sixers. I guess he’s serious about possibly moving up to Philly. Which might be able to help them become a more rounded team, as Smith certainly didn’t look like a scrub in the Playoffs.

I really do think the whole “The West is way better” thing would become a completely moot point if the talent distribution wasn’t as equal as it is on the lower teams in the East. In other words, take the best and/or second best player away from the 5 worst teams in the East and throw them onto the top 8 teams in the East and I’m sure you’d see a similar talent level across the board. Which is why I love the idea of someone leaving the Hawks for the Sixers.

 

Gerald Green and DeSagana Diop have signed with the Mavericks. Which is nice. Hopefully Gerald Green gets his career on track. He’s a guy that has a lot of potential. I’d hate to see it wasted.

“Sure, it’s been humbling,” agent Colin Bryant told The Associated Press. “If you’re out of the league, you have a lot of time to think about it. That’s where his hunger and focus come from. It’s a brand new Gerald Green. The rest of the league will soon find that out.”

Still a lot of moves to be made.

Celtics Win, NBA Season Ends, York Misses Basketball Already, KG Goes Crazy, Big Baby Shirtless, Scalabrine Talks Some Trash, I love 2008.

 

It’s over.

 

The Boston Celtics have done what a lot of experts said they couldn’t or wouldn’t, what I thought they probably would and what they haven’t done in 22 years. Win an NBA Championship.

I feel like they all must have read my game 6 preview…otherwise how do you explain Big Baby getting some minutes, Rondo playing like he has superhuman speed and agility, Paul Pierce staying focused and STILL getting 20 points even though his shots weren’t falling for an entire half, Kevin Garnett hitting seemingly every shot he took, Ray Allen setting a record for 3’s in a Finals game and the Celtics absolutely dismantling the LA Lakers?

Oh…right…This is EXACTLY the team they were ALL SEASON LONG.

Let it also be known that we saw exactly 0 series upsets in these NBA Finals. The team with the better record won every single series. The Finals were no different.

Let is ALSO be known that if you had to rank the top 5 teams in the NBA for 2007-08, they would HAVE to be:

1) Boston Celtics

2) Detroit Pistons

3) LA Lakers

4) San Antonio Spurs

5) New Orleans Hornets

I suspect we might start hearing a whole lot less about the (L)Eastern Conference being shitty come 08-09. Particularly if The Heat stay healthy, Beasley is as good as advertised, the Magic make improvements, the Bulls get stronger, the Cavs get SOMEONE else, The Hawks play defense and the Raptors get better. Granted these are a lot of “ifs”.

But this isn’t about the Eastern Conference. This is about the Celtics.

One team that won it all because of team unity and chemistry and amazing defense.

 

 

 

 

Paul Pierce has cemented his place in Celtics history. Pierce essentially carried the Celtics through the playoffs when Ray Allen and KG were struggling. He was The Captain and The Truth. I think in Boston we have felt for years that Pierce has never really received the respect that he has deserved. He is a complete player. He is a leader. He can take over a game when they need him to.

 

Paul Pierce will finally get some of the love that goes along with not only being a champion, but being one of the best.

Before the 2008 Finals most people would never have considered Pierce to be one of the top 25 players in the NBA. Right now? I don’t know how you could NOT put him in the top 25.

In the Playoffs this season (the best 16 teams) there were only a few guys who showed signs of being able to carry their team through tough times. LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Manu, Joe Johnson (who LOOKED like one of the best guys in the NBA in the Atlanta/Boston series). I’m having trouble thinking of anyone else who single handedly carried their team through any portion of the Finals or who just completely took over multiple games. Please let me know if I missed anyone.

Anyway, if you argue that the absolute best players in the NBA make it to the Playoffs (a slippery slope that is essentially what GOT Pierce ignored or forgotten about for so long), Pierce would HAVE TO be the alpha dog of that list this season (Chris Paul would be 2nd only because he didn’t end up winning it all).

I’m not trying to argue that Paul Pierce is the best player in the league. However, if you want to talk about the top 25 in the league based on their performances, Pierce now HAS TO be in that discussion.

Let’s just remember that Mr. T Mobile himself, Dwayne Wade, got that respect from corporations and the NBA how? Oh yeah, by CARRYING the Heat to a championship. It’s been disappointing how injured he has been lately too, because he is one guy I really respect and enjoy watching.

Maybe next season Charles Barkley can be harassing Paul Pierce is all I’m saying…

“GET ME THEM SOCKS!”

 

 

 

 

You know who I never want to hear “he’s not good enough in the clutch” about again?

 

Yeah, he’s holding the trophy above with young Greg Oden.

(Oh…that’s Bill Russell? Could have fooled me.)

Kevin Garnett was INSANE in the post-game interview. The guy was clearly still in 30,000th gear and honestly had the look of someone who was exhausted in every way possible, who had not slept in weeks and who was emotionally overjoyed. He even told Michelle she looked good! (everyone knows that’s Doc’s job. Also, on a Michele Tafoya related rant, ever notice how Paul Pierce calls her “baby” after every interview? It is hilarious. It sort of makes me wonder if they all talk about her in the locker room after games. I can just imagine them being like “Did you see Michele tonight? She looked fine. Yeah, I’d totally hit that.” etc. )

Kevin Garnett was breathing fire and spitting venom in game 6 (just as I predicted and hoped he would). He was making hard fall aways look easy, he was making jumpers over Pau Gasol’s ugly head look like he was wide open. That shot he took in the second quarter after he got fouled, the line drive off the glass? Amazing).

 

 

 

Doc Rivers proved EVERYONE wrong.

 

He might have made some mistakes; he might have made some strange instinctive decisions. But there is no doubt in my mind at all that Doc Rivers wanted nothing more than to win it all and the fact that he is so loved by his team just shows that there is definitely a lot more to him than meets the eye in some situations.

You can play the “well, the Celtics have 3 probable Hall of Famers, Doc didn’t need to do all that much to get them to perform” card. Fine. If you want to play it that way, that’s fine.

But what Doc DID do was:

1) Stick with a Sophomore Point Guard who EVERYBODY had questions about last season that sometimes looks like he IS the future of the Celtics.

2) Keep the respect of ALL his players even while not keeping a consistent rotation or guaranteeing any set amount of playing time for anyone. Try to imagine Stephon Marbury or Vince Carter or Shawn Marion playing on a team like that. What’s that? You can’t? Simply due to the horrific egos? Really? Oh. Ok. Cool.

3) Doc sold EVERYONE on the ubuntu concept. And it was beautiful to watch. This was a team that did EVERYTHING right even when they were doing things horribly wrong.

4) Develop the younger players by playing them when they were hot. Big Baby carried the Celtics through a regular season win in Detroit. Leon Powe carried the Celtics through a series of wins while KG was injured. There were ALWAYS young guys stepping up (even Gabe Pruitt got a little playing time at the end of the season).

Doc Rivers seems like a brilliant player manager (similar to Terry Francona) because he protects his young players and lets them develop and he lets his proven veterans be who they are. I really think that this type of balance, regardless of everything else, can result in great things.

And Paul Pierce with the Gatorade? Priceless. Even though The Truth has a sponsorship deal with POWERade. And speaking of POWERade, there has NEVER been a situation where one of your spokesmen getting a DUI (and generally being an asshole) has resulted in GOOD FORTUNE for a company. Before the playoffs began there were ads for POWERade all over Boston with Shawn Merriman, Ryan Howard and Carmello Anthony. After CMel got arrested? He was dropped from the ads, they changed the POWERade liquid color from blue to yellow and photo shopped Paul Pierce in CMel’s place. Bang, PERFECT! Also, why would you choose Carmello Anthony to begin with? The guy just seems like a giant asshole. I’ve never spent any time conversing with him, but I get a really bad impression based on what I’ve seen. He seems like he’s striving to be this generation’s Stephon Marbury, a guy who has a shitload of talent but cares more about himself than his team or doing what it takes to win or maybe he cares about both of those things but his ego and personality get in the way. That is why I say he should go to the Knicks. He can put up a double double every night, never have to worry about going to the playoffs and he won’t have to be a cancer to any team that is actually trying to improve.

End tangent.

 

 

 

 

On Wednesday, Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett were on Letterman together. I think this was kind of a great idea (having two members of the Celtics as opposed to any single member) and they both did a really nice job. Ray Allen just comes off as the nicest guy in the world. I don’t know how you could possibly NOT like him as a person.

 

Me? I’ve always loved Ray Allen. Even when Bill Simmons was shitting on Danny Ainge last Summer when the Celts acquired him in exchange for their first rounder and some parts (Delonte, Wally – that ended up playing AGAINST the Celtics on Cleveland in the playoffs…it was a strange season…) because he (and not JUST him, but almost EVERYONE in the sports media) thought that Ray Ray was all done before the season even started.

They were wrong.

Ray Allen is just amazing. He’s a natural shooter. He can drive to the basket (just ask Sasha RayAllen’sBitch) and he has excellent ball handling skills.

Additionally, by all accounts, Ray Allen IS a great guy. he always conducts himself professionally. He is a sharp dresser. He is a surprisingly good actor and he can ball.

I loved Ray Allen when he was in Milwaukee, I loved him in Seattle (especially when he said that Kobe was a selfish bastard) and I was very excited when I heard he was coming to Boston. I think even without KG, the Celtics would have definitely been a playoff team with Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Al Jefferson. They probably would not have gotten past the second round with that lineup, but who knows (and while we’re talking about Al Jefferson, there is a guy who might be destined to play amazingly for years and be on a bad team. Maybe McHale can trade him back to the Celtics for Sam Cassell straight up…?) 

 

 

 

 

The parade was…Well, look at the pictures.

 

Leon Powe got a great reaction. Big Baby had his shirt off. Everybody had a cigar. It was incredible.

When Ray Allen came by, everybody was chanting “Shut-tles-worth!”.

Doc looked as happy as a father on the day of his son’s wedding.

It’s amazing how things can change so quickly. And yes, this was a trade-era championship. Yes, the Celtics did bring in all stars and yes, them winning a championship had A LOT to do with re-building in the off season.

But so what?

The Celtics had to move a lot of young guys with a lot of potential to get to this point. Danny Ainge still  had to make some swift free agent acquisitions even after the new three had come together. And furthermore, you can have all the stars in the world on your roster (look at the Karl Malone Lakers) but if they don’t click, if it doesn’t come together and if they aren’t all on the same page, you still aren’t going to win a championship (ahem, 2000’s Yankees).

Furthermore, the reason why these trades were so risky is that this team is clearly a time-sensitive team.

Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce will almost definitely all be retired by 2015 (if not 2014, 13, 12 or 11) and in addition, its not like guys in the NBA are age-proof. You get older. Your body cannot do a lot of the things it used to. They all have a couple years of prime basketball left (maybe 4 for Pierce, 2 for Ray and 3 for KG). If they didn’t win soon, they probably never would.

And another great side effect of having three legitimate All Stars on one team is that it makes EVERYONE around them not only play better as a player but also act better as a teammate.

Rajon Rondo was a big question mark coming into this season. After game 6 of the Finals? He looked like he could be quickly becoming one of the top 10 point guards in the NBA (qualifier: he still needs to improve his jumper and get some more range shooting, drive to the basket more fearlessly to get easy buckets and/or to draw fouls [imagine if Rondo got to the line 10 times a game? Paul Pierce needs to teach him how to tactfully take a soft hit and make it look like he got shanked] and improve his awareness [sometimes he throws it away or misses an open man]. But with all of that said, Rondo steals like Rickey Henderson, Rebounds like he’s 6′10″ and runs like he’s Chad Johnson. He’s got a lot of potential and I don’t think hanging out with three future Hall of Famers is going to make him any worse.

Big Baby was rookie. And even though he would make some mistakes, its clear that he has a lot of intensity, the determination to become a better player (the guy has lost like 60 lbs. since college) and the fearlessness of a proven veteran (even if he doesn’t always have the skill  of one).

Leon Powe is the same age as me. He looks like he’s in his 30’s. He’s fearless. He works hard. And he has a presence that let’s you know there ARE nights when he can carry the team (OFF THE BENCH MIND YOU!).

Tony Allen is kind of a fifty-fifty guy. He’s sometimes a great defender. Sometimes a liability on offense. Sometimes amazing. Sometimes not so good. If he can develop some consistency, he could be a solid bench option.

Kendrick Perkins…He is a legit big man. He pushes and shoves, rebounds like a beast and even hits the occasional spot up shot that seems  surprising even though it shouldn’t be. The guy can play Center.

And outside of the young guys, the veterans they brought in, Posey, House, PJ Brown, even Scott Pollard at the beginning of the season, all played quality basketball.

Posey MUST BE RE-SIGNED. The Celtics need that toughness. There is no better sub for Paul Pierce in the NBA. James Posey just imposes his will on guys defensively AND can shoot and aside from those two great elements, he’s just a bastard on the court. The guy will shove anyone after a whistle or play for that extra second. He’d the type of guy I would HATE if he were playing against my team, but on my team, he’s one of my favorites.

Eddie House should also be re-signed. He is a lights out shooter who stepped up big in certain crunch-time situations for the Celtics all year long. Remember that game in Charlotte the day after Thanksgiving where he somehow tipped and stole an inbound pass, got it to Ray Allen and Ray Ray hit the game winner with nothing left on the clock? Yeah. That’s what Eddie can do. He might not be the best ball handler, but he is a solid defender and always an offensive threat on the court.

Sam Cassell should probably not be resigned. He’s well past the wrong side of 30 and even though he hit a few nice shots for the Celtics, nothing was life-altering enough to make me think that they couldn’t live without him. However, I will give Sam credit for a few things, first, the guy is a three time champion, he always plays hard (even if it isn’t always great play) and he is never afraid to take big shots (even when he misses). The greatest thing about having Sam on the Celtics this season was definitely that he was on the bench with the guys to keep them intense and tell them how to play championship basketball. The guy is a natural coach. He seems to be someone who, even if he didn’t contribute so much on the court this post-season, he can definitely (and DID definitely) help any team on the bench. For these reasons, I think that the Celtics should shrewdly offer him an assistant coaching job for next season. Don’t let him go on bad terms. Give him a chance to continue to help the team in a great capacity. He clearly gets people pumped up and he LOVES to talk. I wouldn’t want to lose that element. Maybe Sam will decide that going out with a ring would be the perfect book-end to coming in with a ring (which he did in Houston in 1964…I mean…).

I don’t expect PJ Brown to play another season. Even though he did save the Celtics from the Cavs. He was more than they could have asked for in the playoffs. I think that PJ should probably ride off into the sunset with his championship ring (but if he wants to come back, shit, I’d take him!).

Scott Pollard is probably gone.

Brian Scalabrine doesn’t seem to be part of the long-term plan. But I will say that Scal had the funniest post-game interview following game 6. He really does seem like a good guy. If he goes I will certainly miss chanting “SCAL-A-BRIN-E” at the end of games to convince Doc to let him play a couple of minutes (which he did. Doc always gives the fans what they want when the Celtics are up by double digits and it is late in the fourth in the regular season).

 

 

 

After the parade I was a little let down. 

 

Another season of NBA basketball has ended.

And even though I have never in my life been able to watch and comprehend a Celtics team playing as well as this one did and I wanted them to win it all, part of me hope this season would never end.

Don’t get me wrong, a major part of me wanted to be able to go to sleep before 1:00 a.m. every night during the Playoffs (David Stern is a giant piece of garbage. By the way, during the Larry O’Brien trophy presentation when everyone was booing him [rightfully so] he said ‘oh, you’re saying Truth’, I would have tried to start a “No-One-Likes-You” chant, the only thing I fault the Game 6 crowd for NOT doing).

THIS is an exciting league again…and I’m not just saying that because the team I root for won it all.

Next year:

The Portland Trailblazers SHOULD be a force. That is a team of young, big, talented, hungry guys. Brandon Roy is just plain exciting. Greg Oden could be amazing. They should be something really special.

The New Orleans Hornets WILL BE even better. If that team makes any type of off season pick ups, they can improve. Chris Paul is just a phenom.

The Suns and Mavs will adjust somewhat and we’ll get to see if they start to get old or if start to grow. The Suns are the single team this season that absolutely embarrassed the Celtics (February 22nd). Both teams still have some really talented guys.

The Golden State drama will play out and we’ll see what happens. I love Baron Davis and I hope he sticks with them.

The Heat and Bulls could both be exponentially better next season. Both teams were NOT expected to be complete non-factors in 2007-08. I think both will rebound and would not be surprised to see both of them in the playoffs next year.

The Wizards were the only team that consistently flustered the Celtics and we will wait and see what happens with Gilbert Arenas, but they have some really good players.

The 76ers will continue to grow. Andre Igudola looks like someone who could be something special.

The Hawks made a nice run at the Celtics. If they get their act together, they could be a solid team all year. They have a lot of talent.

The Pistons are probably going to make some kind of deal. But if they retain the core of players they have (most of it) they’ll be in really good shape again. Did I ever mention that Rodney Stuckey is going to be HUGE?

The Magic have Dwight Howard. That guy is a monster. And they have Ron Jeremy coaching. What could go wrong?

The Lakers will probably win 60 games next season if Kobe returns and stays healthy along with a healthy Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them in the Finals again next season.

The Spurs are still the Spurs. Until Tim Duncan retires, they will be the Spurs. Even when Tim Duncan retires, they’ll still have a great point guard and Manu (who is somehow amazing almost all of the time).

The Raptors will attempt to sign every foreign-born free agent on the market.

The Sonics will hopefully stay in Seattle where they belong. And Kevin Durant will hopefully continue to improve and be one of the most exciting young players in the league.

Next season, I predict that the Celtics have the best record in the East, The Lakers have the best record in the west, the Timberwolves, Grizzlies, Kings, Bucks, Sonics and Knicks finish near the bottom and viewership improves substantially (but not because of ANYTHING David Stern does).

It is an exciting time for the NBA.

The best TEAM won this year.

And now I have to watch baseball for four months.