Opening Night Recap: Heat 120, Celtics 107

Paul Pierce was one of the few bright spots in the Celtics'

opening night loss to the Miami Heat.

I preface everything I am about to say with this: this is the first game of 82. This is not the time to push the panic button, but there were some things from tonight that were concerning.

The Celtics fell to the defending champion Miami Heat in a shootout, 120 to 107. Miami came out strong and never looked back. The Celtics definitely brought their A-game offensively, but they forgot to do so on defense. The big problem with this game was the defense. Enough with the broad thoughts, here's some specifics...



The good:

The Truth did his thing tonight, leading the green team with 23 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, a phenomenal overall game from their rock.

Brandon Bass had a nice game, scoring 15 points and pulling down 11 boards. He finished strong at the rim, hit his usual shots, but did more on the glass, something that he said he worked on during the offseason and definitely paid off tonight. One thing I will say though is that Bass deserves to be on the floor in crunch time at the end of games. Bass barely played in the fourth quarter even though he was one of the best players on the floor for the Celtics. It'd be interesting to see if Rivers recognizes this and makes an adjustment.

Welcome to Boston, Leandro Barbosa. Barbosa was absolutely on fire in his first regular season game with the Celtics. He only saw 15 minutes of action, but he scored all of his 16 points in the fourth quarter, hit his first six shots -- including 3-of-3 from beyond the arc -- and provided a much needed spark to an otherwise stagnant offense. He definitely earned more minutes.

A positive, but also a negative. This team actually responded well out of timeouts and executed the plays Rivers drew up for them. However, this was one of the rare times they looked in sync and fluid. Doc can't call timeouts after every possession and corral the troops and get them to do what they're supposed to.

The small lineup may be one of the most successful parts of this team. With Bass and even Jeff Green seeing minutes at the 5, the Celtics have shown they can load up on guards and beat teams off the dribble.



The bad:

Can the entire 3rd quarter qualify as a negative? From standing around on offense, to complaining to the referees (cough, cough, Jason Terry and Rajon Rondo, cough), nothing was working for Boston. They were outscored 31-22 and had no rhythm whatsoever. The low point came before the timeout with 4:40 remaining. The C's had two consecutive possessions in which people were standing around and were not making things happen.

The unthinkable actually became reality: Chris Bosh outplayed Kevin Garnett. Garnett, who has owned Bosh in the past few seasons, looked over-matched by Bosh while trying to fight for positioning on both ends of the floor. Bosh finished with a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds, while Garnett tallied 9 points and grabbed 12 boards.

Courtney Lee struggled mightily defensively on Dwyane Wade. Wade got free very easily on multiple occasions, cutting to the basket from the wing and along the baseline with ease. There were way too many easy baskets from Wade, and Lee needs to do a better job of sticking with his man instead of over-helping on defense, which cost him a few times tonight.

Doc Rivers mentioned yesterday that he was concerned about the defense, and boy does he has a reason. 62 points in one half, and they let up 31 points in each of the first three quarters. A lot of the struggles came when Kevin Garnett went to the bench. This cannot be an excuse for the Celtics. Garnett is going to need his rest, and the C's can't rely on their blanky to anchor the defense at all times.

Rajon Rondo quietly had a double-double of 20 points and 13 assists. He also had 7 rebounds. However, he needs to 1. keep his cool, and 2. remain aggressive. Rondo let Wade get into his head -- this led to his technical foul and flagrant foul at the end of the game -- and this affected his play. Although his stat line looks nice, he just didn't appear to be in control and didn't play with a vengeance the way he did in, say, game two of last year's ECF's. As Doc Rivers said before the game, this team will be most successful when Rondo is looking for his shot.



Miscellaneous:

*TNT does a great job with its "Inside Trax." Great soundbites from Paul Pierce, especially when he told Rondo to stop thinking.

*I know he has shown his versatility, but is Jeff Green really the best option at center? Green was at the 5 spot during the fourth quarter when Chris Bosh was off the floor, but why? He was practically non-existent tonight, so was this Doc's effort to get him involved and to make an impact? I was confused.

*I'm so glad we can finally move on from the whole Ray Allen thing. We can actually move on with the rest of our lives.

*To go off my last point, where were Chris Wilcox and Darko Milicic? I know they are coming off injuries, but they were both active and on the bench, and I know that the Heat are a small team for the most part, but why not try to exploit their lack of height?

*Steve Kerr made a good point during the TNT broadcast: During their scoring lulls in the 3rd and 4th quarters, that would've been the time the Celtics would've gone to Ray Allen off screens. They need to figure out how they'll work their bench when the starters are off the floor.

*While the C's made their last run, let's not forget that James missed most of the second half with leg cramps. With the way he was playing, he would've made a huge difference, and things wouldn't have gotten out of hand for Miami like they almost did.

Halftime thoughts: Heat 62, C's 54

After an intense first half from South Beach, the Celtics trail the Heat, 62-54.  Not a lot of defense is being played in this one, with the Celtics shooting 45% and the Heat shooting 51%. The chemistry still needs some development, as there has been some miscommunications on defense and with bad passes. But one thing is evident: this is a very deep team, contrary to last year's squad that battled valiantly against this Heat team in the Eastern Conference finals.

The much anticipated debut of Ray Allen has gone well for him so far, as he drained a three-pointer to beat the shot clock on his first shot. He already has 13 points on 3-of-5 from the field including 2-of-3 from three in just under 14 minutes of play.

Where's the D?: 62 points in one half is absolutely unacceptable and very un-Celtic like. Doc Rivers and team president Danny Ainge expressed concern over the inconsistency of the defense during the preseason and considered it the major concern going into the season. I know it is only one half, but there needs to be major improvements if the Celtics want to win this game. They need to limit their turnovers, a given against a team as phenomenal in transition as Miami.

Picking up where he left off: The big question surrounding James going into this season was whether he would bring that same aggressiveness that propelled the Heat to an NBA championship. He has answered that questioned, at least tonight he has. James has come out firing on all cylinders with 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists. He's playing with force, attacking the basket at will, getting his teammates involved, and

The Truth: Paul Pierce looks like Paul Pierce; he does not look like the worn out 35-year-old some thought he would be. Pierce is aggressive, looking for his shot and making them. He has come up short on a few gimme layups, but other than that, he has been outstanding. He leads the C's with 16 points.

Ray's greeting: Coming out of the first timeout, Allen went over to the Celtics bench and greeted some of the team including Rivers and assistant coaches Kevin Eastman and Armond Hill. The awkward moment? Allen went over and tapped Kevin Garnett on the shoulder, and Garnett remained stone-faced and did not even look at Ray. Classic KG.

What to watch for: Look for the Heat to come out aggresive to start the second half, but that shouldn't last too long as the emotion from the night should wear off. Also expect the C's to be more careful with the ball -- they already have 10 turnovers. The Celtics should be more focused and make the right adjustments to get back into this game.

Bass, Lee to start

According to CSNNE, it is expected that Brandon Bass will be in the starting lineup alongside Courtney Lee. The move makes sense. It's opening night, it's in Miami, it's on national television, and, lets face it, it's a big game. Having veterans like Bass and Lee in the lineup over someone like Jared Sullinger makes sense. Doc Rivers is just putting people in the best position to succeed. More to come in a bit.

Celtics lock up Bradley

Once he returns from his shoulder injuries, Avery Bradley
figures to fight for a spot in the starting lineup.

The Celtics announced today that they have exercised their 2013-2014 option on guard Avery Bradley. This was a given, but just another part of the business. The team held a fourth-year option worth $2.5 million from his rookie contract that he signed when he was drafted. After all he showed last season, this move is a steal.

Looking further ahead, Bradley could be looking at a qualifying offer of $3.6 million for the 2014-2015 season. When Bradley returns from his shoulder injuries, he will be added to the slew of guard depth on this roster that includes Jason Terry, Leandro Barbosa, Courtney Lee, Rajon Rondo, and maybe even Jeff Green, who played some shooting guard during the preseason.

Notes from shootaround

All's quiet down in Miami. Tipoff is less than 7 hours away, and the Celtics recently wrapped up their morning shootaround. Here are some tidbits...

*Doc Rivers joked that his team would be watching "Homeland" while the Heat receive their rings, so there's your answer to whether or not the Celtics would remain on the floor. However, he is downplaying the ceremony. Said Rivers, “It’s not that big of a difference because they’re going to start early. When we would be in lockerroom, anyway. The only difference is there will be 16 minutes on the clock instead of 20. Our guys don’t usually come out until about 17 minutes on clock, anyway. So, it’s not going to be that big a difference. The only difference is we’ll hear it in the lockerroom, you’ll hear all the speeches and the noise.” The ceremony starts at 7:30 and is expected to last 15 minutes. Once the ceremony ends, the countdown to tipoff will begin.

*Ray Allen update: Kevin Garnett, Rajon Rondo, and Paul Pierce are all unsure whether or not they will speak to Allen tonight. Something to keep an eye on. Rivers hasn't spoken to Allen and said he didn't know if he would or not.

*How did each of these teams do on their respective opening nights when receiving their rings? Well the Celtics beat LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers 90 to 85. When the Heat received their rings in 2006, they got blown out by 45 points by the Chicago Bulls. Its really a toss up as to how a team will play following such an emotional moment.

*And no, we still do not know what the starting five will be for the C's.“We’ll tell it later,” said Rivers. “It’s no big deal but we’ll tell it later.” He clearly hasn't been paying any attention to what the press have been writing about.

The calm before the storm

Literally and figuratively, the Celtics have been preparing for the a big storm. First, they flew down to Miami yesterday in order to avoid any trouble with Hurricane Sandy. The team made it safely down to Miami and is now making its final preparations for tomorrow's showdown. Some news and notes...

*The Celtics had their annual practice for the season ticket holders at the TD Garden on Sunday. Doc Rivers and his staff used the hour-and-a-half session as a real practice instead of just a scrimmage with their first game being so close. This practice is usually held earlier in the preseason, but the change worked out well as they ran through their sets and entertained the crowd with a 5-on-5 scrimmage to wrap things up. At the end of the session, a few players and Rivers addressed the crowd. Doc got the crowd fired up by starting the "Beat the Heat" chant as the team left the floor, and it spread quickly through the lower bowl.

*Rivers felt that practicing in front of a crowd was another positive for the C's."I actually like the fact that there was a crowd," said Rivers. "We hadn’t seen one in a while. Maybe that’ll help."

*We are less than 30 hours away from tip-off, and Rivers still has not given tipped his hand as to who the starting five will be."It is what is is," Rivers said. "Someone’s going to start. It’s the four guys and, like I said, every night -- not every night -- but we’ll have three different lineups. Jeff Green will start in some different games, Brandon will start some games and Sullinger will start some games." Rivers said on Friday that the players set in stone are the "Big Three" of Rajon Rondo, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett. He also mentioned that these three will include some combination Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, Brandon Bass, and Jared Sullinger. On Sunday, Courtney Lee and Brandon Bass spent a lot of time with the first unit, which could be a sign of things to come.

*Right about now would be the time for your daily Ray Allen vs. the Celtics fix....if there was one. At least no one on the Celtics wanted any part of talking about Allen on Monday morning. Pierce and Garnett offered their feelings on the whole thing.“I don’t have a take on him,” Garnett said. “I’m here to the play the game and get the hell up out of here, point blank.” Pierced chimed in,“We’re not going to make this into a Ray Allen vs. Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett or Rondo thing. Right now my focus is playing against the Miami Heat. Everything has already happened. He’s here, he’s happy to be here, you wish him the best for his family.”

*Although it is not official, it is expected that the Celtics will remain in the locker room during the ring/banner-raising ceremony. Rivers said yesterday that he is still undecided. When asked if he would make them watch it in an effort to motivate them, Rivers quickly shot that notion down. "If I have to use [the ring ceremony], then there’s something wrong with our guys," said Rivers. "I don’t think I need to use it as anything to fire our guys up. Listen, we gotta be fired up for 82 games, and not one." Count Rondo and Jeff Green among those who don't want to watch it, too. It'll be interesting to see what they do.

Lastly -- but certainly not least -- everyone please be safe during this storm. Stay inside and get yourselves ready for tomorrow night. Check back in tomorrow for a preview, notes from shootaround, and any other news there is to report. Nonetheless, stay tuned at all times. By the way, we're getting warmer.

Closing the door...finally

Jackie MacMullan has a phenomenal piece on the now infamous Ray Allen.

Here's my final thoughts on the whole saga...

Ray was a tremendous guy while he was here -- on and off the court. He was a professional on the court, with the media, and in the locker room. No one can take away what he meant to the success of the team during his stint in Boston. All emotion aside, this was strictly a business move, no matter what anyone wants to say. Its kind of hard to say that right now while the wounds are still fresh and aren't fully healed -- mine aren't either, guys, its still a tough pill to swallow -- but in time, people should be grateful that they got to witness the all-time three-point king for the past five years.

MacMullan has all the reasons why he left, and they just go to show that in this point in his career, Miami was just a better situation for Allen and his family.

Hey, you gotta do what you gotta do.

Check it out here.

Will the TD Garden crowd welcome Ray

Allen this nicely on Jan. 27th?

Update from practice

The Celtics got back to work today in preparation for next week's season opener. After two days off, the team went through a rigorous -- but efficient -- three-hour practice, something Doc Rivers referred to as the start of recap of the basics.

"We’ll work on every single thing that we do," said Rivers. "I’m not going into this week saying, ‘We’ve got to work on this one thing.’ It’ll be Basketball 101."

Not a lot of news from today, but there are a few tidbits I felt were worthy of mentioning...

100% attendance today for the C's (with the exception of course being Avery Bradley).

Leandro Barbosa practice for the first time as a Celtic today and is expected to be ready for Tuesday.  Barbosa received plenty of praise from his coach and his peers. "He had a great practice," according to Rivers. Rajon Rondo added, "He [Barbosa] was very vocal today. He was the point guard. He moved [Jason Terry] to the side and I think they both liked that situation. JET's more of a scoring point guard and Barbosa set a lot of those guys up today in practice."

Chris Wilcox and Darko Milicic -- who declared himself "100%" -- also fully participated in practice, both tremendous news for the big-men depth of this team. "It's the first day, so I didn't expect too much," said Wilcox, who missed the entire preseason with back spasms. Wilcox assured everyone he is feeling fine. "My back feels great, everything felt great. So, hopefully, keep it up. I'm coming from scratch right now, so everything I do is trying to improve, trying to get better. So, I'm just out here working and feel out where I need to be and get back in the flow of things." Meanwhile, Milicic, after receiving a cortisone shot last week, deems himself good to go. "It feels good," said Milicic. "I practiced today. It feels good." Rivers added, "He was heavily taped, but he was fine."

When asked what he thinks his free-throw percentage will be this season, Rajon Rondo answered with confidence. "100%, minus 10, so 90%," responded Rondo. Such a bold prediction for a guy who has not shot higher than 65% during the regular season from the charity stripe, but it wouldn't be Rajon if he wasn't super confident.

Downs and Kurz cut

The roster is finally set at 15. But the bad news is it came at the cost of two players. Camp invitees Rob Kurz and Micah Downs were waived today, finalizing the roster at 15 total players. Downs and Kurz were expected to be the last two to go, so the move does it come as a surprise. The two did not get a lot of playing time, but they were not put in positions to succeed in Sunday's final game. Any matter, it's go time.

2012-2013 Projections: Awards

Moving on to the next section of my predictions, I will predict who will win each major award this year.


MVP: LeBron James
There is no reason for the reining MVP to lose his crown. As many saw during the playoffs, LeBron is a different player. Although he had his moments against Indiana and Boston, he finally took that next step and became "the guy." You know what's scary about LeBron? He will only be 28 on December 30. Translation: he is only going to get better, an extremely scary proposition for the rest of the league.

Rookie of the Year: Anthony Davis
What's not to like about this kid? He needs to improve offensively for sure, but he does have a decent jump shot and can handle the ball pretty well for a guy who is 6'10''. This kid has the potential to be a perennial Defensive Player of the Year candidate -- although that honor still belongs to one guy in particular for the time being.

Coach of the Year: Rick Carlisle
Carlisle has already been dealt with adversity more than a week before the start of the regular season, as his superstar Dirk Nowitzki will be out 6-8 weeks after knee surgery. How will he adjust? Well, he helped lead Dallas to an NBA title two seasons ago -- with a less-talented roster may I add -- but now he has reinforcements thanks to Mark Cuban. Now it's up to him to make it all work and help these guys hold down the fort until Nowitzki returns. And I believe he will.

Executive of the Year: Danny Ainge
Things looked really bleak on June 9 back in Miami when everyone thought that the Celtics were done. The way Doc Rivers hugged Kevin Garnett, the emotions on the sideline, and the hugs and words exchanged after the game resembled the atmosphere of a funeral. The whole offseason centered around Kevin Garnett, and as KG mentioned at the team's media day, he still has no idea how Ainge talked him into a three-year deal. Ainge got his man in KG and added a multitude of weapons. The KG deal couldn't have been managed any better, and it allowed him the flexibility to improve the roster. He added Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, Leandro Barbosa, and re-signed Chris Wilcox and Jeff Green. Ainge did a lot with little money to work with, and if it works out, he will look like a genius.

Defensive Player of the Year: Dwight Howard
Its mind-boggling how Shaquille O'Neal believes Andrew Bynum and Brook Lopez are better centers than Howard, and that's no disrespect at all to those two. But Howard does it all. He scores, rebounds, blocks shots, and he's durable, with the exception of last season when he injured his back. He has played in 95% of the games in his first 7 seasons excluding last season. People have expressed concern over the transition defense of the Lakers and how those old legs will manage to get back against the young and fast teams of the league. Well, that's why the have Howard. Only 26 years-old, Howard is a three-time DPOY and has been on the All-Defensive 1st team four times. Now that he's healthy, why should anyone think he won't return to this form?

Most Improved Player of the Year: JaVale McGee
A lot of people have gotten on McGee over the past few seasons for his lack of attention and has attitude. Now he is in the perfect situation with a coach who will make sure he is always in line. George Karl will not take any nonsense from McGee and make sure he is engaged at all times. McGee's got tremendous talent, and Flip Saunders clearly did not tap into his potential the way Karl should be able to. Yet, he still almost averaged double-digits last season. With a full training camp and season with the Nuggets and their system, watch out for McGee.

Sixth Man of the Year: James Harden
Like James, Harden should clearly retain this award. He has been the third leg of Oklahoma City's big three, but that is quite all right with him. The 23 year-old has gotten better every year, and it's really hard to believe that he is only going into his fourth season. Maybe it's the beard that makes him look older.  One thing to look for this season is his aggressiveness. He struggled mightily during last year's Finals, but he never let that affect him, as he still averaged nearly 10 shots a game. Look for him to be motivated and ready to prove that he is a big-time player when it matters the most.

Can this just end?

It's clear Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen will never

be as close (physically and emotionally) as they 

were in this picture.

The Ray Allen-Rajon Rondo saga continues to linger. Last week, Allen went on a Miami radio station and talked about how all of his friends and family urged him to leave Boston. He also said that the Celtics did not put a good offer on the table, a truly absurd statement considering he signed with Miami for half of what the Celtics offered him. For some strange reason, Allen just can't stop talking about his former team.

In yesterday's Miami Herald, Allen gave a little background as to how the friction between him and Rondo began.

According to Allen, back in 2009, Doc Rivers and Danny Ainge proposed a trade that would have sent him and Rondo to the Phoenix Suns for Amar'e Stoudemire, Leandro Barbosa, and the 14th overall pick in the 2010 draft. Allen also said that, at that time, Ainge and Rivers "did not get along" with Rondo.

"So, I called him and I told him, ‘hey they’re supposedly trading us to Phoenix because you and Danny and Doc don’t get along,’” Allen said. “‘So, whatever you can do.’ So, for some reason, I guess he thought that I was … that I had something against him, or there were some issues. And I had no issues with him. I won with him.”

Look, the two obviously had issues. There's no question about that. One thing I will say is that both did an exceptional job of putting their differences aside while on the court and doing what was best for the team. That's the sign of true professionals. Rondo has been a total pro throughout this whole process, never bad-mouthing Ray or making any derogatory comments. Allen, on the other hand, has slowly opened up and has talked more and more as time has gone on.

I know Ray went to the Celtics' arch-rival. I know he left on bad terms. With these two things in mind, Celtics fans might call him a traitor or a Johnny Damon. But to his credit, Allen did not chase the money. He left for a "better" situation, though that could be debated.

Here are my last thoughts on the whole issue. Ray, you have bigger things to worry about. First off, you need to get your ankle right, considering you even said surgery did not fix it. Second, you won't even be starting in Miami either, so why was that such a big deal in Boston? Finally, why are you still talking about the Celtics? Weren't you the one that decided to move on, so why don't you act like the professional you make yourself out to be and move on.

One last thing, Ray, make sure that ring fits when you put it on Tuesday night. Oh wait...

2012-2013 Projections: Northwest Division

I finally round out my divisional predictions for the upcoming season with the Northwest Division. My next prediction post will be all the awards.

Denver Nuggets

2011-2012 Record: 38-28

Place in Division: 2nd

Head Coach: George Karl

Key Additions: Andre Iguodala

Prediction: 45-37

Scoop: It's amazing how George Karl always manages to get his Nuggets teams into a competitive spot in the Western Conference. After averaging the most points and assists per game in the NBA last season, the Nuggets should see this trend continue. Andre Iguodala is a tremendous addition to this team. He will definitely help this defense that finished next to last in points per game with 101.2 He has the ability to do many different things as he proved to be one of the more versatile players on the U.S. Olympic team. Ty Lawson will be better, Kenneth Faried has only tapped into his potential, and the size is there to keep them in the top ten in rebounding. Look for the Nuggets to have another nice season.

Minnesota Timberwolves

2011-2012 Record: 26-40

Place in Division: 5th (last)

Head Coach: Rick Adelman

Key Additions: Brandon Roy, Greg Steimsma, Andrei Kirilenko

Prediction: 31-51

Scoop: Having their two best players injured to start the season is deflating to the Timberwolves. Without Kevin Love and Ricky Rubio, where do they go from here? JJ Barea is a nice player, but is he supposed to be their best player for the time being? And what about the recently-unretired Brandon Roy. Will his knees be able to withstand an 82 game season? Andrei Kirilenko and Derrick Williams are good players, but who else do they have? This is not a very deep team that Rick Adelman has been given.

Utah Jazz

2011-2012 Record: 36-30

Place in Division: 3rd

Head Coach: Tyrone Corbin

Key Additions: Mo Williams, Randy Foye, Earl Watson

Prediction: 41-41

Scoop: The Jazz are a good team. They are sold up and down the roster. No one really stands out, and they have a lot of players that do a lot of things very well. Al Jefferson, Derrick Favors, and Paul Millsap are their building blocks -- and very nice fantasy players I may add -- and Mo Williams is a nice scoring punch for a team that was fourth in the league in points per game with 99.7. The only question with this team is defense: where will that come from?

Portland Trail Blazers

2011-2012 Record: 28-38

Place in Division: 4th

Head Coach: Terry Stotts

Key Additions: Jared Jeffries

Prediction:

Scoop: The lasting image I have of the 2011-2012 Trail Blazers is their embarrassing loss in Boston on March 9. They looked lifeless, players just acting miserable and going through the motions. It's sad because Portland used to be such a big basketball town. Now, it's the closed off, lonely upper-corner of the basketball world. Nicolas Batum is solid, but can he step it up? LaMarcus Aldridge is the real deal and is a proven star in this league. It reminds me of another big talent in the Northwest in the MLB: Felix Hernandez, a guy whose talents are being wasted on a losing team and the entire country is missing out on what each guy has to offer on a bigger stage. Things look bleak for Portland.

Oklahoma City Thunder

2011-2012 Record: 47-19

Place in Division: 1st

Head Coach: Scott Brooks

Key Additions: Perry Jones

Prediction: 61-21

Scoop: This was a very tough call, but after much thought and looking over their respective schedules and rosters, I believe Oklahoma City will finish with a better record than the Lakers in the regular season. This is not to say that the Thunder will go further; this is just a regular season prediction. However, you have to look at what Scott Brooks and Sam Presti have built in Oklahoma. They have their superstar in Kevin Durant, an All-Star point guard in Russell Westbrook, and a perennial Sixth Man of the Year candidate in James Harden. This core group has been together longer, they are selfless, and they have the best home-court advantage in the league in the rowdy Chesapeake Energy Arena. They have gotten better and better each season, starting by advancing to the Western Conference semis in 2010, the conference finals in 2011, and the NBA Finals in 2012. The next logical step would be for them to win the whole thing, right?

Ending on a low note: Sixers 88, Celtics 79; Game recap and other notes

Kevin Garnett hands the ball off to Jeff Green in a Celtics loss on Sunday.

The most dreaded time of the year -- for players, coaches, all parties involved -- is over, and the fun is about to begin. The Celtics wrapped up their preseason schedule with a loss to the Philadelphia 76ers at the TD Garden on Sunday night. But now comes the hard part for a few people: the coaches and management who have to make roster decisions, and the players, who now have to take things a bit more seriously. But before we look ahead, just a brief recap of tonight's action.

The good:

For starters, Courtney Lee did a serviceable job defensively on Nick Young. Young, who signed a one-year deal in the offseason, was acquired to provide this team with a scoring punch. Lee's defense was evident off screens, as he would fight through them and continue to stick to Young. Although he had 15 points, they were a tough 15 points, and Lee made sure he earned every single one of them. 

Jeff Green was anointed the informal preseason MVP by Doc Rivers, and deservedly so. Green ended his preseason on a high note with a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds to go along with 2 steals. His preseason averages were 13.9 points per game and 4.9 rebounds per game. This is the player the Celtics thought they were getting when they traded for him. This is the preseason he needed to have in order to build some much needed confidence heading into the regular season. 

Paul Pierce looks like he's in fantastic age. Mr. Groundhog Day keeps on keeping on. This is an overall positive for the C's, not just a positive from tonight.

Jared Sullinger continues to impress many -- including myself. He had another solid game tonight, scoring 11 points on 3-of-5 shooting including 5-of-7 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed 6 rebounds. Although none of them were offensive, Sullinger made his presence known on the offensive glass, fighting for nearly every ball off the glass and sticking his nose in there. For the preseason, Sullinger averaged 10.9 points per game on 56% shooting and 7.0 rebounds per game. The more I see Sullinger play, the more I'm impressed and think that, a. he was an absolute steal in the draft, and b. he will be a starter for this team. 

The bad:

For one of the few times this preseason, there was actually not that much good in this one. While five guys had double-figures in points, the Celtics struggled on the defensive end and never found any sort of groove. While there is a lot of hype surrounding this team -- especially on the offense end with marquee offseason acquisitions -- this team had a lot of struggles defensively this preseason, something uncharacteristic of what we expect from this team. "I don’t want us to think we’re just going to outscore teams," said Rivers. "But if we can stop teams, with what we have on offense, I think we can be really good." He also said, "I like our team. I think we still have to be a better defensive team, consistently, to be a great team." 

The crowd at the TD Garden was very lackadaisical. You could definitely tell that this game meant nothing.

This team was very flat in the first half, and the Sixers closed the first half out on a 10-0 run.

Miscellaneous:

For those of you wondering, Jason Terry was told that he would not play in tonight's game. That concluded his preseason, a preseason in which he finished 18-of-26 from behind the three-point line, equaling out to 69%. Compare that to the guy he replaced in Ray Allen: 6-of-22 for a mere 27%. Seems like Danny knew what he was doing in letting Ray walk. This stat was courtesy of Sean Grande, the radio voice of the Celtics on WEEI.

And for those who were expecting to see Leandro Barbosa, he was all set and ready to don his number 12 Celtics jersey for the first time, until he was informed of a visa issue. Barbosa had to settle this minor issue, so he was unable to play. 

Rivers said after the game that he is not concerned with Darko Milicic's wrist injury and does not see it as a problem going forward. 

One injury that looks to be a problem is the back spasms of Chris Wilcox, who did not appear in a preseason game. Wilcox is coming off the same heart surgery as Jeff Green, and to see him hindered by this lingering back issue is a shame. Let's hope he can get back on the court as soon as possible. This team is going to need him too, as he provides the C's with size, energy, and the ability to run the floor. 

It seems that Kris Joseph has won the 15th and final spot on the roster. After back-to-back solid efforts on Thursday and Saturday night -- 11 and 13 points respectively -- Joseph came out and played another solid game tonight. He definitely helped himself and stepped up at the right time. When asked about Joseph, Rivers said, "I thought Kris Joseph really helped himself; I thought he played terrific. And we put him in terrible positions. We put him on the floor where him and [6-foot-7 camp invite] Micah [Downs] were the point guards. I mean, that's not fair to anybody. But he did other things. He's a terrific offensive rebounder at his position. So you like that in him." Doc also indicated that cuts to get the roster down to 15 could come as soon as Monday, and the team will be off until Wednesday.

And finally, last but certainly not least, the answer to the most pressing question of all of camp: who will be in the starting five? We finally have the coveted answer. But, there's one problem: Doc won't tell us. "I know exactly what it is," Rivers responded when asked about the lineup. 

And by the way, the countdown is on: 8 days. Bring on Miami.

Celtics 109, Knicks 98

Missing Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Darko Milicic, and Brandon Bass seemed to really affect this team for about the first quarter and a half. At around the 7 minute mark in the second quarter, the Celtics that were active participants decided that they had had enough. Boston ended the second quarter on a 24-9 run, cutting a 13 point deficit to 5 at the half. From there, they never looked back, beating the short-handed New York Knicks 109-98.

The good: 

Not to sound like a broken record, but Jeff Green is one of the many bright spots from this game. In most likely his best preseason performance, Green scored a team-high 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting in just under 38 minutes, a heavy load during the preseason for the 26 year-old. He may have had the play of the game as well. New York's Mychel Thompson had what looked like an easy transition layup off a Micah Downs turnover, but guess who sprinted down the court to make a highlight-reel rejection from behind: none other than Mr. Green.

Another game, another double-double for the self-proclaimed "smartest player in the league" Rajon Rondo. He had 13 points, dished out 11 assists, and even grabbed 6 boards. He was instrumental in leading the comeback from a 20 point hole in the first half. 

The C's outrebounded New York 39-33. They have had more rebounds in 4 of their 7 preseason games, a positive stat that, although it isn't eye-popping, should be a continuing point of emphasis.

The JET has been cleared for takeoff. Well, he took off on Thursday. After scoring 15 points on 5-of-5 from downtown on Thursday, Jason Terry followed up with another tremendous performance tonight, scoring 22 points on 7-of-13 shooting. He stayed red-hot from three, going 4-of-6. His consistency is something the Celtics are going to rely on and shouldn't take for granted. 

The bad:

After outscoring the Nets on Thursday in the first quarter 27-15, the Celtics came out flat in the first frame tonight as the score after one read 28-15. This was probably due in large part to the absences of Garnett, Pierce, and Bass, but the Knicks certainly didn't roll out their best starting five either. 

If there is one facet of Rondo's game to needs some improvement, it would be his turnovers. Rondo had 6 giveaways tonight, a team-high. Although he is the point guard -- point guards tend to turn the ball over more than the average player due to the fact that they have the ball more often than other players -- Rondo needs to limit his turnovers as much as he can. Turnovers have been a constant problem throughout this preseason, and look for Rondo to address that over the week before the season opener. 

The C's wrap up the preseason tomorrow as they host the Philadelphia 76ers. Doc said after the game that he wasn't sure if Pierce will play, but KG will definitely see action -- but only for the first half. It is still unknown if Leandro Barbosa will play. Also, look to see a decrease in Rondo's playing time. It's the second night of a back-to-back, and it's the last game of the preseason, so there's really no use for him to even be out there, right? When asked if Rondo would not play a lot to try and save his legs, Rivers responded, "Rondo's young; what's he saving them for?' Classic Doc Rivers.

News & Notes

A few tid bits going into tonight's tuneup with the Knicks...

Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Darko Milicic will not play tonight according to Doc Rivers. "We told them before the Nets game that they were off (Saturday)," said Rivers.

Pierce and Garnett saw a good amount of action on Thursday night, each playing 22 minutes -- the first time Garnett has reached the 20 minute plateau this preseason.

On the other hand -- no pun intended -- Milicic has missed the last two games after re-injuring his right wrist on Monday against Philadelphia. He received a cortisone shot prior to Tuesday's game. The team does not know when he will return, although Rivers hinted he could possibly be back for the final preseason game on Sunday.

Newly-acquired Leandro Barbosa is in Boston getting some business -- his physical and meeting with Celtics brass -- taken care of. Rivers thinks Barbosa could play on Sunday as well. "You have to go through so many physical related stuff. So if he finishes, yeah he'll play."

Check back after the game for a recap.

Now that's more like it: Celtics 115, Nets 85

Kevin Garnett led an outstanding defensive performance by 

                                                       the Boston Celtics.

All preseason long, Doc Rivers has felt that his team has been lacking an edge on the defensive end, something that has been a staple of this team and crucial to its success over the past half-decade. Tonight, that edge came back. The Celtics stormed out of the gates and dominated both sides of the ball. They had the edge in the turnover department (14 to 18), the rebounding department (43 to 40), and in the three ball department (58% to 28.6%). All of this added up to a 30 point demolition of the Brooklyn Nets.

After letting one slip away from them on Tuesday, the Celtics came out ready to play in the impressive Barclays Center.

A few thoughts from tonight...

The good:

Leading up to tonight, the Celtics had given up an average of 94.8 points per game. Their defense has been inconsistent to say the least, allowing 97 points in the first game, then bouncing back with allowing 75 in the next, but then got worse by giving up 105 and 97. Tonight, they woke up. They held the Nets to 15 first-quarter points and only 85 on the night on only 37.2% from the field. After the game, Rivers claimed, "We had yet to show up defensively. And tonight, that's us. That's our defense."

While playing good defense is one of the most important things when it comes to winning, the other is scoring points, and boy did the Celtics score. They hit 56.5% of their shots, and they scored 55 points in the first half while pouring in 60 in the second half.

Doc Rivers wants to see more out of Kris Joseph, but it's hard to see more from him when he isn't seeing much playing time. "You can see the ability there. He really hasn’t done anything yet," Rivers said before Tuesday night's game with the Nets. "But we look at a lot of things when we decide to keep a guy or not keep a guy, and we like what he potentially can be. But he hasn’t done anything yet." On Thursday, he may have done something. Joseph was very productive in limited minutes, scoring 11 points on 5-of-7 from the field while grabbing 5 rebounds in exactly 12 minutes. It was clear that whenever he was on the court tonight, Joseph was trying to be aggressive and make the most out of this rare and precious opportunity to show Doc and his staff that he belongs on this team.

Courtney Lee looked outstanding on both ends of the floor. Lee, in nearly 33 minutes of action, finished tied with Paul Pierce for a team-high 18 points. From the start, Lee was assertive on the defensive end, picking up 2 steals in the first quarter and finishing with 4 on the night. One thing that will not show up in the box score was Lee's ability to run in transition and get multiple open shots from the corner. At least 5 times in the first half, while the Celtics were on the fast-break, Lee made himself open in the corner and got himself tremendous shots.


The bad:

There is no such thing as a perfect game. But this was pretty darn close. Nonetheless, the one concerning aspect from this game was that this team got a small visit from the injury bug. Both Pierce and Brandon Bass left the game with minor injuries. Pierce twisted his left ankle after landing awkwardly on it after a missed three-pointer in the second quarter. He left the game to get his ankle retaped and returned for the second half. Meanwhile, Bass suffered a bruise on his left knee during the first half and did not return. Both injuries are not considered serious, and both are expected to play in Saturday's tuneup with the New York Knicks.

Miscellaneous:

The Barclays Center looked phenomenal. There was a lot of hype about the place: its a perfect location with all of the subways nearby, there's a shopping mall close by, and, of course, its brand new! The TNT broadcasters talked about the "stage-like lighting" being similar to the Staples Center. They mentioned how its perfect for the players (especially shooters) to focus on the basket and not have any lighting distractions. So, hey, I guess that's a positive, too.

This was the first complete game this team has played this preseason, and it was a sign that things are starting to come together. Many players played well tonight across the board, something that should be expected from this team with the kind of talent that they have from top to bottom.

Leandro Barbosa is NOT this year's Mickael Pietrus: a semi-big name free agent added right before the start of the season. Last year, Pietrus was hurt coming into the season and his production was an uncertainty. Barbosa is healthy, younger, and can handle the ball, something the Celtics needed. Barbosa should fit right in with the array of guards the Celtics now have. Barbosa is not the same player who won the Sixth Man of the Year award six years ago, but with limited minutes and with Doc Rivers's ability to get the most out of his players, this is the perfect opportunity for Barbosa to recapture something extremely close to his old self. After back-to-back disappointing seasons with Toronto and Indiana, Barbosa impressed many during the Summer Olympics, averaging 16 points per game and shooting 40% from three-point range. Hopefully he can carry this momentum into the 2012-2013 campaign.

With all this being said, I still think the Celtics need a legitimate backup point guard. Barbosa is more of a shooting guard with the ability to handle the ball. But again, like Jason Terry, Barbosa is more valuable as a scoring threat, not someone to run the offense. That's not to say that he can't do it, but it's not what he should be doing. This team needs someone whose main job is to run the offense and not score the ball. Is that guy still out there?

What's next for the Celtics? They trek up to the capital of New York -- Albany, for those of you who had no idea -- for a rematch with the Knicks on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m.

The One True Constant

People have always overlooked him. From the doubters as a teenager at Inglewood High School, to his skeptics during his time as a Kansas Jayhawk, even slipping to the 10th overall pick, Paul Pierce has always been underrated. His credentials and achievements prove other ways, but for some reason, when it comes to talking about the best in the game, Pierce is never mentioned in the same breath as someone like LeBron James.


To Pierce, none of that matters. He is second leading scorer in Celtics history, an NBA champion, an NBA Finals MVP, and a ten time All-Star, so the proof is in the pudding. But Pierce has been the captain, the rock, and the leader of this team. In this day in age with free agency and trades, it is very rare to see an athlete spend his or her entire career in one place. Pierce had a few opportunities to get out of town when times were rough. These instances coming after Celtics' horrific 2006-2007 campaign of 24 wins and 58 losses, and even last season when his name was mentioned in trade rumors as the team was sputtering under .500. But he chose to stick it out, demonstrating his loyalty to the franchise.

In this sense, Pierce is not like most athletes, as he recognized what this city has given him over the years and the passion that comes with playing in Boston. In addition to being loyal to Boston, he has always made it a point of emphasis to be among the best small forwards in the game, but at the start of this year -- as he has always done at the beginning of each season -- he made it clear that his main goal is to win a championship.

When asked who the leader of this team is, many choose the popular picks, ala Rajon Rondo and Kevin Garnett. Both are tremendous leaders in their own right, and both provide different styles of leadership, but when you talk about who the heart of this team is, it is without a doubt Paul Pierce.

This heart and leadership is always on display, but this was especially the case last night. After an embarrassing loss in Philadelphia the night before, Pierce made it a point to be aggressive on the second night of a back-to-back. And boy was he aggressive. Pierce scored 29 points on 10-of-17 shooting (6-of-8 on three-pointers), grabbed 5 rebounds, and blocked two shots in just about 27 minutes. Pierce even made a few hustle plays -- many Celtics fans would call them "Tommy Points" -- as he took a charge and saved a ball from going out-of-bounds each within the span of a minute. Pierce definitely set a positive tone last night, and with the regular season opener less than two weeks away, Pierce knows the importance of getting things going in the right direction.

"It’s at the point right now, halfway through the preseason, two weeks left before the first game, I was just trying to establish a rhythm -- how I’m going to play the rest of the year," said Pierce after the game. He went on to say, "It’s a combination of being aggressive, learning my teammates, learning a new offense also, and understanding where shots will come from. But you know when I’m aggressive like that, when I’m taking the lead, everyone else follows and I think it’s pretty contagious."

Nights like these might be few and far between for Pierce going forward, due to the fact that this team has so many weapons, but also because Pierce cannot be expected to handle a huge workload as he continues to get up there in age. However, going into his 15th season, Pierce is still the team's go-to man for scoring. As Rivers put it, "He's our scoring rock. He's been here so long he's kind of like Groundhog Day; you just assume he's coming back." Pierce is a 22 point per game scorer in the regular season, and a 21 point per game scorer in the playoffs. Even while he's had to sacrifice his game with the additions of Garnett and Ray Allen, Pierce was still "the man," as he's led the Celtics in scoring every season since 2000-2001.

The main concern this season is limiting Pierce's minutes. For someone who has been a constant on the floor -- besides his rookie, injury-plagued, and strike-shortened seasons of 1998-1999, 2006-2007, and 2011-2012 -- Pierce has never really been hobbled, with the exception being his knee sprain in last year's playoffs. This injury inhibited him from moving laterally and jumping explosively, and yet he continued to grind it out, averaging nearly 19 points per game and 6 rebounds per game. So far it appears that Pierce is healthy, but Doc and his staff should make it a priority to limit Garnett and Pierce's minutes to keep them fresh throughout the season and heading into the playoffs. These two are needed in the regular season, but more importantly the postseason.

Shaquille O'Neal said it best: "He's 'The Truth.'''

Leandro On Board?

According to Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, the Celtics have signed free agent guard Leandro Barbosa to a one-year deal.

Barbosa was a member of the Indiana Pacers last season, and has averaged 12.5 points per game over his 9-year career. The soon-to-be 30 year-old is a career 39.1% 3-point shooter.

Barbosa is another top-notch addition to a tremendous list of guards that the Celtics now possess. The team's guard depth looks as follows: Rajon Rondo, Avery Bradley, Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, and now Barbosa. Coach Doc Rivers said at the beginning of the preseason that he would take his guards over any combination of guards in all of basketball, and now with Barbosa on board, Doc's claim is that more legitimate.

What is everyone's thoughts?

Down to the Wire: Nets 97, Celtics 96; Recap and Other Thoughts

Paul Pierce puts in one of his six three-pointers on the night for a game-high 29 points.

Well that was interesting. Being inside the TD Garden for the first time this season is totally different from watching a game on television. You could feel the energy in the building. This game had a playoff-like atmosphere, and it was a nice sized crowd as well. 

Although the Celtics eventually lost the game, there was a lot of good things to take away from this game. 

The good:

How can you not start with Paul Pierce. From the get-go, Pierce looked like he was 25 instead of 35. He was absolutely on fire as he scored a game-high 29 points on 10-of-17 shooting, including 6-of-8 from behind the three-point line. To go along with his scoring, Pierce grabbed 5 boards, and hit three consecutive threes at one point in the second quarter. He even saved a ball from going out-of-bounds and also took a charge within the span of a minute.

The Celtics started off sluggish, but nonetheless managed to wake up in the second half. They only had 17 boards and 7 assists on 39% shooting, but they finished shooting 47% from the field, tallied 22 assists, and nearly duplicated their rebounding total by finishing with 35. It was clear this team made adjustments at the half and came out real strong to start the third.

Kevin Garnett continues to be Kevin Garnett. The intensity he brought tonight was flat out awesome. In the 3rd quarter, he had two highlight-reel blocks, knocked down three of his signature turnaround over the shoulder fade away jumpers

Jared Sullinger is going to get some serious Rookie of the Year consideration. He started tonight and deservedly so. He was a force on the boards tonight, 4 offensively and 5 defensively, which is something the Celtics have lacked over the past few years. Sullinger has quickly picked up the team's defensive rotations, as evident in tonight's game. He plays like a veteran, and he even battled nicely on the low block with Reggie Evans. 

The bad:

Although he's one big human being, Jason Collins was getting beat constantly tonight by Brooklyn's big men. Collins did score 5 points in just under 15 minutes of action, but he did not grab a single rebound. He's only 33, and for a 7-footer, he should be able to take control in the paint on both offense and defense. He was over matched by the likes of Reggie Evans, Tornike Shengeila, and even Andray Blatche. And to think he was signed because of his ability to defend big men like Dwight Howard and Brook Lopez...

The lack of a backup point guard on the roster is a concern and, to me, is the only weakness on this team. The lineup that started the 4th quarter of Brandon Bass, Jason Terry, Courtney Lee, Sullinger, and Green did not play well together. This combination forced Terry to play the point, a position he can handle, but is not one that will benefit this team. By Terry playing the point, it takes away from his play-making ability and his ability to make his own shot, things that are of more value to this team. It'd be interesting to see if Danny Ainge and company look to add a veteran point guard -- maybe Derek Fisher -- to solidify that spot. 

Miscellaneous:

The more I see Jeff Green, the more I like him. It's amazing to think that shortly under a year ago, Green underwent heart surgery, and to see him gliding up and down the floor is phenomenal. He is sneaky fast and very athletic, something you wouldn't be able to tell by just looking at his body. 

Kevin Garnett started and played in only the 1st and 3rd quarters. Why didn't he play that much if he did not play the night before? Well, why not? He's 36 and one of the most important players on the team. Burn him out in April, May, and June, not October. 

I guess Doc had a half-day today. After coaching the first half, Rivers never returned to the court, as he elected to watch the second half from the locker room. Perhaps he just wanted to watch the presidential debate. Wouldn't blame him. Just make sure you're on the bench the entire game in two weeks, Doc.

I still can't get over the energy in the building tonight. It was nice to be back in the TD Garden, and it was nice to see the arena fill up as much as it did. There were more people there tonight then there were at any regular season game during the 2006-2007 season.

Assistant Coach Armond Hill, who took over head coaching duties in the second half, drew up a great play with 4.6 seconds left in the game. The play was a designed pick-and-roll, and rookie Micah Downs rolled to the basket for an alley-oop off the in-bounds pass from Courtney Lee. The pass was perfect, the Nets weren't expecting it, and Downs got a good look, except from the fact that he couldn't put the ball in the hoop. Although, to his defense, it did appear that Downs was fouled on the play, inhibiting him from scoring. 

This is the most complete team the Celtics have had in a long time. It's big, fast, quick, athletic, young, and exciting to watch. If the Celtics are going to win a title before the retirements of Garnett and Pierce, this is their best shot.

The view from the section 329 in the TD Garden.

First Two Down

According to various reports, Dionte Christmas and Jamar Smith have been cut. Christmas and Smith were both signed after impressive stints in the summer league, but through four preseason games just did not show enough for Doc Rivers and his coaching staff to keep them on board.

Christmas lit up the summer league like a Christmas tree (no pun intended), scoring 13.2 points per game while shooting nearly 48% from the field. Smith, on the other hand, had a shot to win the backup point guard spot, but turnovers and the inability to handle the offense on the whole are key factors in this decision.

The Celtics tip off in just about three and a half hours. Check back in afterwards for a recap.

Giving It Away: 76ers 107, Celtics 75

Paul Pierce drives to the hoop for 2 of his team high 16 points.

Not to sound like a broken record, but it's only the fourth game of the preseason. There is still plenty of team to work out the kinks, but this was an ugly performance by the Celtics. But thankfully, it's October 15th, the games don't count until the 30th, and they really don't count for another six months. Just a brief recap from tonight's game.

The good:

"The Truth" looked like "The Truth." Paul Pierce scored a team-high 16 points on 5-of-10 shooting while pulling down 6 boards. The Captain only played 21 minutes, which is the only thing Doc Rivers and Pierce should be concerned about at this point in time.

Brandon Bass had a Brandon Bass-like game, nearly matching his averages from last season as he scored 11 and collected 6 rebounds. Bass continues to provide that consistency that may lead to him winning his starting job back -- sounds really weird considering he started the majority of games at the power forward spot in the second half of last season.

The bad:

Those dang turnovers continue to be a problem. The Celtics turned the ball over 14 times in the first half and compiled 20 for the game. Comcast SportsNet color analyst Brian Scalabrine pointed out how sloppy the game was and how its clear that chemistry still needs to develop. This unfamiliarity with each other is a direct correlation to the amount of turnovers. Again, its not something to stress about, but something to keep an eye on.

What's next for the Green? Well, they have a quick turnaround, as they will experience their first back-to-back of 2012-2013. It's not too bad though; they travel from Philadelphia back to Boston for their first game at TD Garden to play host to the new-look Brooklyn Nets. Kevin Garnett, who was given the night off, is expected to be back in the lineup.

Recap: Knicks 98, Celtics 95

Paul Pierce was hoping for a win on his 35th birthday, but 12 

points and 4 rebounds aren't bad birthday presents either,

It was a not-so happy birthday for the newly turned 52 year-old Doc Rivers and 35 year-old Paul Pierce as the Celtics dropped their first preseason match up back in the states to the Knicks 98 to 95. This one needed five extra minutes to decide the outcome, giving the young guys more of an opportunity to strut their stuff, and they didn't disappoint. Some up and down moments from this one..

The good:

The goal of this one: get everyone out of there in one piece. Boston starts a grueling stretch of six games in nine days, and with the regular season opener in 16 days, the last thing Rivers and his coaching staff want to do is burn out their guys in meaningless games. So to see that no one played over 29 minutes in a 53 minute game is reassuring.

Jared Sullinger continues to shine. The 20 year-old scored 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting while pulling down 7 rebounds. Sullinger looked like a man amongst boys, finding ways to score around the rim and get into an effective offensive position on the block nearly every time down the court. "Sully," the nickname coined by Kevin Garnett, just keeps showing why he deserves a starting spot.

It's clear that one of Rivers's major points of emphasis so far has been rebounding, and it's clear that his players have listened. Last night his team grabbed 50 rebounds for the second game in a row, something unheard of last year. The stats are impressive -- 6 out of the 14 players that appeared in the game had at least 4 rebounds -- and it's a trend that has to continue. 

To add on that rebounding note, camp invite Micah Downs pulled down 7 in less than 14 minutes of action. For the time he was on the court, Downs gave it all he had, hustling and doing the right things. The 26 year-old continues to do the little things it takes to get noticed on this team.

The bad:

Not that it matters, but the Celtics' jayvee lineup blew a lead late leading to overtime. The Knicks made it an effort to tie the game and try and win, something all teams should do. But in the preseason, come on. There's nothing worse than overtime in the preseason.

Jamar Smith did not help his case tonight, scoring 5 points on 2-of-7 from the field while turning the ball over 3 times in 17 minutes. Smith needs to show that he can handle the backup point guard position in order to have a chance to make this team, and he was on the floor when the Knicks made their furious late comeback. Smith needs to do a better job of managing the team when he's on the floor. 

19 turnovers isn't going to get it done either.

What's next? A trip to The City of Brotherly Love to see the new-look 76ers on Monday night. Should be interesting.

2012-2013 Projections: Pacific Division

My predictions for one of the most top-heavy divisions in the league...

Los Angeles Lakers

2011-2012 Record: 41-25

Place in Division: 1st

Head Coach: Mike Brown

Key Additions: Steve Nash, Dwight Howard, Antawn Jamison

Prediction: 58-24

Scoop: On paper, they are the best team in the Western Conference. The main question for them is how they will be able to mesh. The x-factor in this whole equation is the Black Mamba himself: Kobe Bryant. If Kobe is able to play without the ball in order to include Dwight Howard, Pau Gasol, and Steve Nash, the Lakers will be unstoppable. Expect the Thunder to have something to say about that.

Los Angeles Clippers

2011-2012 Record: 40-26

Place in Division: 2nd

Head Coach: Vinny Del Negro

Key Additions: Lamar Odom, Jamal Crawford, Grant Hill, Ronny Turiaf

Prediction: 49-33

Scoop: After taking a step in the right direction last year, the Clippers took the necessary steps to address their needs this off season. The additions of Jamal Crawford and Lamar Odom were very underrated. The latter should return to his normal, effective form, as he returns to his comfort zone in L.A. Chris Paul and Blake Griffin are still the catalysts, and Grant Hill will provide much-needed veteran leadership as well as quality defense. This team should take a step forward, but it just depends on how big that step will be.

Golden State Warriors

2011-2012 Record: 22-43

Place in Division: 4th

Head Coach: Mark Jackson

Key Additions: Andrew Bogut, Jarrett Jack, Richard Jefferson

Prediction: 31-51

Scoop: In my opinion, the Warriors got the better of the deal with the Bucks. They got a proven scorer in Monta Ellis and a legitimate center in Andrew Bogut. The biggest question with this team will be if they can stay healthy. Their other scorer, Stephen Curry, has dealt with multiple ankle issues over the past few seasons, and Ellis and Bogut have dealt with their own issues. Mark Jackson is the perfect guy for this young team. They seemed to buy into the system last season, and it's only a matter of time before they start to become a prominent team.

Phoenix Suns

2011-2012 Record: 33-33

Place in Division: 3rd

Head Coach: Alvin Gentry

Key Additions: Michael Beasley, Luis Scola

Prediction: 36-46

Scoop: This team is well-known for their offense, but can their defense ever step it up? This has been the question that the Suns have not been able to answer the past four seasons. They're notorious for their run and gun offense and getting into high-scoring affairs. If they had any defense, they would be a legitimate playoff team. Last year, they allowed 98.6 points per game while scoring 98.4 points a game, a mix that led to the .500 record they had last year. Losing Nash is an immense loss for sure, and I'm not sure they can recover this season to compete for a playoff spot.

Sacramento Kings

2011-2012 Record: 22-44

Place in Division: 5th (last)

Head Coach: Keith Smart

Key Additions: Aaron Brooks

Prediction: 24-58

Scoop: You have to feel for the Maloof brothers, no? They tried desperately to get a new arena, but the plans fell through. And now they are stuck in a terrible arena with a terrible team. The Kings have decent individual talent -- DeMarcus Cousins, Tyreke Evans, and Marcus Thornton to name a few -- but just cannot seem to put it all together. They were in the top ten last year in rebounds and points per game, but the trouble came on the defensive end: they were dead last in points allowed per game with 104.4. Don't expect this problem to get any better.

It's Not How You Start

Fresh off their overseas excursion, the Celtics were back on the practice court for the first time on their home turf. Many of the Celtics acknowledged that the trip did indeed bring them closer together, including Kevin Garnett. Said Garnett,"I thought we bonded. Lot of good things came out of this trip. Turkey and Milan, especially Milan, was a real good bonding trip for everybody. But overall, a success. It’s good to be back home, but overall, yeah, good trip." Rivers chimed in by saying,"I think when I put that first piece of pasta in my mouth in Milan, that might have been my favorite moment. That was terrific. The restaurant I went to was unbelievable. I actuality tried to get my coaches to go for lunch the next day and dinner the next day."

The key aspect of the trip was the formation of chemistry. Building chemistry takes time. Chemistry requires stability, sustainability, and trusting one other. Trust not only amongst themselves, but with their coach. In other words, Doc Rivers is considered a lineup change. And for those of who you thought that Doc starting rookie Jared Sullinger and guard Jason Terry was just a way for him to see how different players mesh, you're right, sort of. After practice, Rivers hinted at the very real possibility that the starting lineup could change from game to game. When asked about that possibility, Rivers replied, "I don't know if we will do that, but we may. I've said before if you can take a starter and put him on the second unit, that's good for the second unit."

This is a very interesting tactic by Rivers, if he does indeed follow through and consistently mix up the lineup. Remember, Rivers is the same guy who repeatedly let everyone know that the same starting lineup of Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Kendrick Perkins had never lost a playoff series from 2008-2010 when Perkins tore his ACL in Game Six of the 2010 NBA Finals. For a team that valued that camaraderie and consistency, its certainly a different approach, but with the Celtics in a stage of transition, Doc needs to adjust his methods for the benefit of the team. Furthermore, Rivers is notorious for not giving his rookies any significant playing time (with very few exceptions), so to see him toying with the idea of inserting Sullinger with the first team is a tremendous compliment to the rookie forward.

The idea of mixing up the lineup is one of the reasons Ray Allen departed for South Beach. Allen never really accepted his role off the bench, thus leading to an uncomfortable situation for those involved. (He's probably coming off the bench in Miami too, which to me makes no sense, but whatever) However, the concept of putting a starter into the second unit can only help, and Rivers's thought process with Allen was to have a colossal edge in scoring when the Celtics matched up with their opponents' second team. The same can be said for this year's team, except that many players could go through the revolving door from the starting five to the bench, which can only a positive thing.

Brandon Bass is one who could fill this role. Bass earned the trust of his teammates and coaches as last year progressed by stepping up during big moments -- he covered LeBron James during Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals last season -- and that he can play with the first unit and second units. Having someone like Bass who can defend, finish strong at the rim, and can shoot at a high level coming off the bench would be huge for the second unit.

On the flip side, adding another proven and potent scorer in Jason Terry to the starting lineup will just make the Celtics a nightmare for opposing defenses right out of the shoot. Terry's versatility lies in his ability to create his own shot, scoring off the dribble, being able to back up Rondo (another issue for another time), and spotting up in the corner for three-pointers. Whether he starts or comes off the bench, his production doesn't change. In 2006-2007, Terry started 80 games and averaged 16.7 points per game. In 2008-2009 when he won the Sixth Man of the Year, Terry played in 74 games and started only 11, and his production improved; he averaged 19.6 points per game. Terry has said all the right things throughout his time here so far. The only thing on his mind is banner 18, just check out his new tattoo. Why wouldn't you believe him knowing that?

Rivers even mentioned throwing Dark Milicic into the lineup as well. Darko has shown a lot in training camp so far, and Rivers is hoping for more of the same from him. “I know what my job is,” Milicic said on Thursday. “I’m not looking to go crazy on offense.” Through the first two preseason games, Milicic has compiled 15 rebounds and blocked 6 shots. “He just needs a chance. He just needs a team that wants him to do his job without asking him to be the No. 2 pick in the draft,” Rivers said. “We’re just asking him to be part of a group and part of a team. We give him roles on the team. I think he likes the roles that we’ve given him and he didn’t feel any extra pressure. So far, so good. We just have to keep him in that frame of mind that he’s in now.” Ever since being that elusive number 2 overall pick in arguably the best draft in NBA history, Milicic has tried too hard to live up to unfair expectations. “You can see that he gets frustrated easy,” Rivers said. “So we’re trying to eliminate those episodes.

Finally the x-factor in all this: Jared Sullinger. According to Rivers, after a playmaker off the bench, the second most important need the Celtics needed to address was size. Not to knock Greg Stiemsma and Ryan Hollins, but after Kevin Garnett, the Celtics had no legitimate backup big men. With the additions of veterans Jason Collins and Milicic, Boston took action to address the issue. They also may have gotten lucky with their selection of Sullinger.

Many have compared him to Glen "Big Baby" Davis. Although both have some similarities in their games, I find this to be condescending. Sullinger has a lot more to offer. He can post up on the low block, run with Rondo on the break, can drive to the hoop, and most importantly, he can rebound. And although they aren't the tallest power forwards in the league -- they are both 6'9'' -- Sullinger has used his height and girth to his advantage, as he averaged 9.7 rebounds per game in his two seasons at Ohio State while Davis has averaged 4.4 rebounds per game in his five seasons in the NBA. He has received high praise from his peers. Said Kevin Garnett, "Sully is very intelligent player. Very, very high IQ basketball." When asked what distinguishes Sullinger from other rookies, Rivers responded, "His IQ. He doesn't think like a rookie, he thinks like a veteran. He plays at great pace, he’s one of our best rebounders, he can pass the ball -- so he does a lot of things that help our team." The one who had the highest praise? Rajon Rondo. Rondo said, "[Sullinger is] probably the smartest rookie we've had since I've been here," said Rondo. "He's very intelligent, high basketball IQ, and he's very unselfish. He doesn't need a play called for him. He's been getting his points just off the little dirty work."

In the end, its only the preseason, and experimenting with different rotations is part of getting to know your players. Considering there's eleven new guys on the roster, Rivers needs to see who works well with who.

Who do you guys think should start? Is Rivers doing the right thing? Does it even matter? Let your voice be heard!

Righting the Ship: Celtics 105, Armani 75

Well that's more like it. The Celtics came out on the attack and never looked back. Doc Rivers came up with an interesting group to start the game by inserting Jason Terry and rookie Jared Sullinger for Courtney Lee and Brandon Bass. And it definitely seemed to work: a first quarter explosion of 34 points led by Rajon Rondo (17 points on 7-of-7 shooting) got the Celtics started on the right foot and set the tone for the rest of the game. Some positives and negatives...

Rajon Rondo drives to the hoop as part of his first quarter outburst on Sunday.

The good:

The aforementioned Rondo came out and looked for his shot, something Doc Rivers said he wants him to do more of this season. Rondo did not score any more points after the first, ending up with 17 points and 6 dimes for the day.

Jeff Green picked up where he left off from Friday, with another efficient performance of 17 points on 5-of-9 shooting. Having a healthy, confident, and effective Jeff Green off the bench this season will do wonders for this team, and he will quickly show Celtics fans what a big difference he can make in all facets of the game.

Courtney Lee bounced back nicely, pairing with Brandon Bass and Jason Terry to score 11 points a piece.

Summer league standout Dionte Chrismas had a nice game, chipping in 9 points on 4-of-6 shooting. Christmas has a legitimate chance of making this team. He proved he can score during the summer league, and he showed this ability today. Today's game just improves his chances of being with the club in Miami on October 30.

The turnover issue was corrected. Although still a bit high -- Rondo finished with a team-high 4 -- the team went from 25 in the first game to 14 today, a significant game-to-game improvement. 

Don't look now, but your Boston Celtics have 89 rebounds in the first two preseason games combined. They pulled down an astonishing 54 tonight. If you told me after a game last season that the Celtics pulled down more than 50 rebounds, I would've played along with the joke. Let's see if they can carry this pace into next week's tuneup with the Knicks and into the regular season. 

The bad:

Hard to find any negatives from a 30 point victory. But if there was an area I'd like to see this team improve, it would be first quarter defense. After allowing 26 points in the first on Friday, they allowed 31 in the first frame today. I know Doc is still testing some things out, as evident with the starting lineup today. That starting five is not the best defensive group the Celtics are capable of putting out there, but Doc wants to see what he has. This early defense issue is not something to stress about, but something to keep an eye on.

Something to watch going forward is Chris Wilcox's health, who was a DNP again due to ongoing back spasms. This can be a very tricky injury that, if not treated properly, could be a lingering issue, something the Celtics do not need. This team is relying on Wilcox to be one of their primary bigs off the bench who has the uncanny ability to run the floor with Rondo and finish strong at the rim. If the Celtics are to be without him for any period of time, it might be a problem. 

What's next:

The Celtics head back to the states tomorrow after a successful trip overseas. They will begin preparing for their next tuneup with the New York Knicks on Saturday night in Hartford, Connecticut.