Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

Tickets go on sale at 1 o clock today, so I figured now would be a good time to start the thread.

I am very, very excited about the upcoming season. Then again, I always am very, very excited about Celtics season. I loosely follow the Patriots and UMass basketball, but the Celtics are an absolute obsession for me.

I went to Vegas to see non-roster scrubs play glorified pickup games. I read wayyyy too many rumor mill articles in May, June, and July. I get excited about the signing of players like Brandon Wallace and Jackie Manuel, frantically researching their basketball history.

This year is a weird feeling. For the first time in living memory, the Celtics are going into the season with expectations of making the NBA Finals. They have a legitimate franchise superstar in KG, and two all-star wing scorers in PP and Ray Allen.

Beyond the big three, I'm looking primarily at Rondo, Perkins, Posey, and TA to be the primary minute earners.

My concerns about the upcoming season

- Health of everyone, especially TA. There were several games before his injury where he was easily the best player on the floor. This includes a game last year that he harassed new teammate Ray Allen to a 15 point, 7 of 20 shooting, 5 turnover game, while scoring 23 points himself. He has been cleared to play, and is currently at "70 percent," whatever that means.
- Rajon Rondo is being praised by every basketball stat nerd, but he played MANY of his minutes during garbage time. Will he fare as well against Chris Paul, Baron Davis, and Jason Kidd as he did against that 14 year old looking kid on the Heat?
- Kendrick Perkins regressed from his '05-'06 form last year. He played injured, and I look for him to be at 7 boards, 1.5 blocks, and playing good D alongside KG.

I love the Celtics, and will be that guy watching pre-season games over Red Sox World Series games, or Patriots Monday Night Football, or anything else. Bring on the season, and banner 17.

GO CELTICS

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

Gowe Gowe Leon Powe!

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

I watch an average of 3-4 college games a night (dual tuner Tivo ftw) and I'm still probably going to buy the NBA package this year because of this Celts team. My main concern is whether I can stand a full season of watching Doc Rivers "coach."

It's great to have a Celtics team to get this excited about. We gave up a lot in the Garnett trade (Jefferson is a stud, of course, and I hate to see Gomes -- my favorite Celtic since DJ -- go), but I'm just glad we're taking the opportunity to win a chip when we have it.

What I like about this team outside of the Big Three is that the supporting cast is fairly strong defensively. If Rondo and Posey and T. Allen have deficiencies, they are mostly on the offensive end. That's much less of a problem now than it was when we just had Pierce and Jefferson as offensive weapons. It's a good balance.

Already have January 12 and April 9 on my calendar, as that's when the C's come in to play the Wizards.

-McGee

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

Wow, it's unbelievably unreal how things have turned around since that nightmare day when we lost the Lottery. Even without factoring in Oden's injury, it could be argued that the Celts are better off now than if they had won the first pick.

My one concern: Health, if we stay healthy it's going to be one helluva year.

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

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Even without factoring in Oden's injury, it could be argued that the Celts are better off now than if they had won the first pick.


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Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

Clark,

Let's not get into this debate. It's been done. You think the Cs got raped on the trade, we think the shot at a title is worth it. blah blah blah.

edit: I just woke up. It's not the same debate. Anyway, let's still not have it.

All,

Don't get your hopes up about Tony Allen. I think he's going to suck realll bad this season. He probably shouldn't even play until February.

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

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Even without factoring in Oden's injury, it could be argued that the Celts are better off now than if they had won the first pick.


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I know you think the Celts gave away too much so I'm not going to argue about it. We'll revisit in one year and see if you still feel the same.

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

I'm not really talking about the KG trade as much as the healthy Oden part. I find it hard to think that healthy Oden + AlJef + Gerald Green + Gomes + 1st round pick + Wally + expiring contract is actually <<<< Allen + KG.

I would hazard a guess that at the time of the draft, Minny would've traded KG for Oden straight up. But, that's obviously pure conjecture.

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

yeah, I realized that's what you meant after I posted. I agree with you in that case.

Last night I almost jumped the gun on this thread even though I figured GKA should start it. It's because I read this at CelticsBlog. Best part:

[ QUOTE ]
Mike Gorman capped off the event with a story about recently driving up to the statehouse and getting impatient, passing a line of cars, waiting to make a right turn, going up Beacon street. As he pulled out, a state trooper stepped off the sidewalk and motioned for Mike to stop. When he rolled down his window, anticipating a ticket or a reprimand at best, the trooper said: "Mike what do you need?"

Mike's punchline: "We're back!" was met with a room full of knowing laughter, as the realization hit home, that the dramatic turnaround in the public perception of the Celtics has happened almost overnight.

[/ QUOTE ]

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

I love this team on paper but our biggest problem as any true Celtic fan knows is Doc Rivers.

Will Doc run our big 3 into the ground by playing them heavy minutes? Most likely

Will Doc do some stupid subs at the end of the game such as going small and putting Pierce at PF on DEFENSE? Most likely

Will Doc win coach of the year even though anyone with half a brain knows he is one of, if not the worst coach in the entire NBA? Most likely as I puke of the thought

Will Doc cost us our shot at a championship this year? I hate to say it, but most likely.

[censored] Doc Rivers I hate you.

EDIT: There are a ton of other thing's Doc will do to screw up this team, I am just too lazy to list them all.

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

WHAT THE [censored] CELTICS I HATE YOU.


MISSED OUT ON PRESALE BECAUSE I WAS IN INTERVIEWS.


THEN I SEE THAT THE $10 BROOKS FAMILY SECTION LIMITS YOU TO TWO TICKETS.

The whole feckin point is that the tickets are inexpensive enough that you can bring the family. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

Sounds to me like they're on to you, Noah.

-McGee

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

Thread title is busted. I have PMed Matt to fix.

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

I'm not as worried about Doc's coaching as much as some of you. The NBA is a player's league. With a veteran team, Doc just needs to let the guys play and not do too much, ala KC Jones during the Bird Era.

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

It's true that there are far fewer ways for Doc to mess up this year. He's going to be forced into a shorter rotation, which means guys like Rondo are going to get the minutes they deserve.

I still don't think he can x-and-o at all, though, and I hate how any fourth quarter where we have a lead turns into us standing around watching Pierce try not to dribble off his knee.

That's what seems to happen whenever they play Washington, anyway, which comprise most of the games I've seen over the last few years.

-McGee

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

just bought $10 Brooks seats baby! 2 games. 1st Celts tickets I have bought in many years.

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

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I'm not as worried about Doc's coaching as much as some of you. The NBA is a player's league. With a veteran team, Doc just needs to let the guys play and not do too much, ala KC Jones during the Bird Era.

[/ QUOTE ]

Minutes are a huge deal, and that's Doc's biggest problem. Even with the shortened roster, he'll probably go overboard and have KGPPRA play a combined 120+ a night, when it should really be somewhere in the 100-110 range. He'll play Scal too much, Powe and Pollard not enough (he's my sleeper pickup of the year. He's been a very productive player in his career and fits perfectly for the back up roll). He'll play around with PG position for about the entire season, rotating between Rondo, Ray Ray, TA, and Scalabrine.

He'll be too hard on Perk, benching him too quickly for mental lapses and to compound mistakes, shift KG over to the 5.

Even with KG on his roster, one of the best defenders in the league, he'll still manage to screw up defending the pick and roll (making it 4 straight years of complete ineptitude in this regard).

He'll be really great with the media so he won't get skewered too much by the Boston press, and when a few people speak out against him, they'll rally behind him and defend him in print.

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

haha, you Celts fans are great.

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

Celtics should improve this year, but that's not saying much after the last two seasons. Truth is they have no more depth than the Nets right now, so why all the excitement? I'll still take LeBron and the Cavs over this thin roster any day. ..

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

well, for one, even with the same exact depth, our big 3 is much better than the Nets big 3. I'd call Kidd and KG a push, maybe even give Kidd a slight edge (seriously, even with his star status, Kidd is severely underrated). Pierce > Carter, Allen >>> Jefferson (pretty overrated).

Sure, the Cs are thin, but they've got some solid talent and made some nice pickups. Perkins is adequate, Rondo shows promise, though is largely a question mark going into the season. Posey was an awesome pickup. Pollard is a solid back up at the 5 more limited minutes. The rest is pretty meh, at least until Tony Allen gets healthy (though I largely count him as done for the season).

The Nets, though, are really bad. Besides Krstic (who I like a good bit), they've got no above average talent. Nachbar might make that jump this season as a scorer. Boone and Marcus Williams are both fairly solid young guys who will improve, but they've got a ways to go. They didn't do so hot in the offseason (drafted a raw headcase, signed Magloire). Who else is any good on that team?

I do love me some L-Frank, though. I'd trade Doc for him in a heartbeat.

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

Celts should cost throughout the regular season, save themselves for the playoffs.

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

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Celts should cost throughout the regular season, save themselves for the playoffs.

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things like this would never occur to doc rivers.

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

Or KG, for that matter. I don't know if I can buy into the concept of "coasting" through the season anyway. If by "coast", you mean limit KGPPRA's minutes, then I agree. If you think they can just "take it easy", well, they can't. They're pro athletes. They play hard. And frankly I'm not dropping $60 bucks on a ticket and $150 on a leaguepass to watch them do anything but play hard and to win every game possible.

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

Might take time for this team to gel, so building an early-season division lead then "coasting" away might not even be an option.

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

Duncan, Ginobli, and Parker averaged 34, 27, and 32 minutes respectively last year.

Who was fresh in June?

Look how banged up Nash is every year by playoff time.

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

As I've said, I think KGPPRA should average a total of ~105 MPG. That'd be 35 MPG per guy. They've all got career averages of ~38. I'd prefer keeping KG somewhere ~38 or 39, Pierce ~35, and Allen ~32. We don't have the luxury that SA does with limiting minutes (plus, Duncan needs it a lot more than KG).

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

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Look how banged up Nash is every year by playoff time.

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Ban.

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

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Look how banged up Nash is every year by playoff time.

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Ban.

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If only they had a MLE to spend on a backup point guard...


http://www.nba.com/media/act_marcus_banks.jpg

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

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[ QUOTE ]
Celts should cost throughout the regular season, save themselves for the playoffs.

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things like this would never occur to doc rivers.

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GKA - seriously? Big 3 are not exactly young guys anymore, think any idiot would be very conscious of their minutes.

-Al

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

I'm buying the package for this team. I'm really looking forward to it. It may not be #17 but they're going to be much more fun to watch. I look forward in watching Paul play with the two best players that he's ever played with.

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

I have 9th row to both bulls celtics games ship it

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

Are you kidding me?!?!?!

Larry Brown has to be playing up the press here, right? There's no way he'd take a seat BELOW Doc Rivers.

The link does mention another good point, though. We did sign a great defensive asst coach this offseason. That should help lots.

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

There is no way that is true. That would be like Steve Nash backing up Marcus Banks.

It's nice to have an NBA thread to post in by the way. Thanks, you obsessed Celtics loons.

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

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There is no way that is true. That would be like Steve Nash backing up Marcus Banks.

It's nice to have an NBA thread to post in by the way. Thanks, you obsessed Celtics loons.

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The only way it makes sense is if the job was promised to Brown as soon as Doc did something stupid.

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

Why all the harsh criticism for Rivers? Ainge is making the bone-headed player moves here. Now everyone expects Rivers to coach Ainge's "over-the-hill gang" to an NBA Chamionship? I can't wait to bet every underdog vs. Celtics this year...

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

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There is no way that is true. That would be like Steve Nash backing up Marcus Banks.

It's nice to have an NBA thread to post in by the way. Thanks, you obsessed Celtics loons.

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The only way it makes sense is if the job was promised to Brown as soon as Doc did something stupid.

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New coach Nov 3rd ftw.

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

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Why all the harsh criticism for Rivers? Ainge is making the bone-headed player moves here. Now everyone expects Rivers to coach Ainge's "over-the-hill gang" to an NBA Chamionship? I can't wait to bet every underdog vs. Celtics this year...

[/ QUOTE ]

Give me and over/under line and put your money where your mouth is.

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

No offense, honey, but I live in Vegas and don't bet illegally. I'm talking point spreads anyway, not season win total...

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

[ QUOTE ]
No offense, honey, but I live in Vegas and don't bet illegally. I'm talking point spreads anyway, not season win total...

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I want an over/under on you being a previously banned account, but nobody will take that action unfortunately.

Re: Boston Celtics \'07-\'08 Banner 17 Thread
 

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