Basketball 180!!

blogging b-ball all day !

Posts Tagged Boston Celtics

Big Names Involved In Big Moves

Jul 1

Posted by kit in 2008 NBA Playoffs, 76ers, Baron Davis, Baron Davis Trade, basketball, Basketball Trade Rumors, Boston Celtics, Cavs Trade Rumors, Celtics Finals, Celtics Trade Rumors, Chauncey Billubs, Chauncey Billups, Chauncey Billups Trade, Chicago Bulls NBA Draft 08, Cleveland, Cleveland Cavaliers, college hoops, Delonte West, Detroit, Detroit Pistons, Eastern Conference Finals, Eddie House trade, Elton Brand, Elton Brand Trade, Gilbert Arenas, Indiana, Jermaine O'Neal, Jermaine O'Neal Trade, Kevin Garnett, Knicks Problems, Lakers Finals, Miami Heat, NBA, NBA Draft 08, NBA Draft Trade, NBA Draft Trade Rumors, NBA Fans, NBA Finals, NBA Finals 2008, NBA History, NBA Stats Playoffs 08, NBA Trade Rumors, New York Knicks, Pacers, Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Suns Trade Rumors, Pistons, Playoffs, Postseason, Rasheed Wallace, Rasheed Wallace Trade, San Antonio Spurs, Stephon Marbury, Stephon Marbury Trade, Tayshaun Prince, Uncategorized, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards | No Comments

By Sean Connolly

The free agent season has begun. Following an exciting post-season and draft, the NBA has found another way to keep us hooked. In the next couple of weeks there are to be some big names moved around and could possibly shape next year’s championship team. The Celtics made all the right moves during last year’s free agency and ended up taking the title. So, don’t be surprised if a number of teams take a page from their book. Here are some of the big names who could make a move.

Elton Brand

Although his intentions are to re-sign with the Los Angeles Clippers, don’t be surprised to see Elton Brand move. He has yet to be on a successful team and I’m sure he’s more than eager to cement himself as a marquee player. He is unable to do so on the lowly Clippers who will again have no chance next year in the overly competitive West. If the the right offer lands on Brand’s lap, possibly from his old team in the Bulls, or with the Knicks, Pistons, or Rockets who all need a player like Brand, don’t expect him to stay in Los Angeles.

Baron Davis

After the Warriors 06-07 run that included maybe one of the biggest post-season upsets of the Dallas Mavericks, Baron Davis could not find the same chemistry this past season. Davis has had trouble in the past season with Golden State and it seems like he may be headed out of Golden State after opting out of his contract. Davis averaged 21.8 points a game last season and would be extremely valuable to either a East or West Playoff team. The Detroit Pistons have showed interest in Davis in a possible sign and trade which may include stars Rasheed Wallace and Chauncey Billups. This may turn into the biggest trade of the off-season. Also showing interest are the aforementioned Los Angeles Clippers. If Baron Davis signs with the Clippers this may persuade Elton Brand to stay.

Corey Maggette

Elton Brand isn’t the only Clipper on the move. Corey Maggette has also opted out of his contract and will test the open market. Maggette is more likely than Brand to leave the team and could play an integral part in next seasons playoffs. There were rumors swirling last season of a trade of Maggette to the Suns, so don’t be surprised if that deal won’t resurrect itself. Another team showing interest looks to be the Utah Jazz who are one piece away from a championship team.

Wizards Aren’t Letting Agent Zero Turn Into Free Agent Zero

The Washington Wizards are planning to invest over 150 million dollars in both Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison. This seems like to much for a team who keeps getting knocked out of the playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers. I thought Washington would have to get rid of at least one of the two, but it looks as if the Wizards want to continue with Jamison and Arenas. Personally I would have let Arenas go because he did very little last year and we are still unsure about his knee. Jamison is turning himself into a fantastic player, averaging 20 and 10 last year and is bound to become better.

Here is a list of other notable names that could see themselves in different uniforms next season.

Sam Cassell- Boston Celtics- Unrestricted FA

Eddie House- Boston Celtics- Unrestricted FA

Emeka Okafor- Charlotte Bobcats- Restricted FA

Luol Deng- Chicago Bulls- Restricted FA

Ben Gordon- Chicago Bulls- Restricted FA

Delonte West- Cleveland Cavaliers- Restricted FA

Allen Iverson- Denver Nuggets- Early Termination Option

JR Smith- Denver Nuggets- Restricted FA

Steve Francis- Houston Rockets- Player Option

Jason Williams- Miami Heat- Unrestricted FA

Stephon Marbury- New York Knicks- Early Termination Option

Andre Iguodala- Philadelphia 76ers- Restricted FA

Michael Finley- San Antonio Spurs- Unrestricted FA

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Too Little Too Late For Struggling Lakers and It’s Kobe’s Fault

Jun 9

Posted by kit in Boston Celtics, Celtics Bench Finals 08, Celtics Finals, Doc Rivers, Eastern Conference Finals, Game 7, Garnett Bryant matchup, Kevin Garnett, Kevin Garnett 1st Finals, Kevin Garnett Playoffs, Kobe, Kobe 08 Finals, Kobe Bryant, Kobe Bryant 2007-08 MVP Season, Kobe Bryant Free Throws, Kobe Bryant Playoffs, Kobe MVP, Kobe MVP 2008 NBA Finals, Lakers 4th Quarter Comeback NBA Finals 08, Lakers Bench Finals 08, Lakers Finals, Lamar Odom, Leon Powe, Leon Powe 08 Finals, Los Angeles Lakers, Michael Jordan, NBA, NBA Finals, NBA Finals 2008, NBA Finals Lakers Celtics, Pau Gasol, Paul Pierce, Paul Pierce Defense, Playoffs, Postseason, Ray Allen, Sasha Vujacic Finals 08 | No Comments

By Sean Connolly

Kobe says he can take over a game whenever he wants. So why would he wait until his team is down 24 points in the fourth quarter. Kobe and the Lakers nearly mounted the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history but came up short tonight and for the second game in a row, Kobe is to blame.

Throughout this entire game the Celtics had the heart, determination, and sure fire offense that compiles a championship team. An unlikely hero in Leon Powe who put up an astonishing 21 points in just under 15 minutes. Powe looked unstoppable as he dunked his Celtics to what looked like a blowout early in the fourth quarter. I have to say, Powe looks like a huge X-Factor coming off the bench for these Celtics who already have the best threesome in basketball in Garnett, Pierce, and Allen. If Powe could just stay out of foul trouble(he had 4 tonight in his 15 minutes) he is going to be a huge help in this 08 Finals for the Celtics.

Powe was just one of the players for the Celtics who came off the bench to solidify a Celtic win. Both P.J. Brown and James Posey put in quality minutes for the Celtics who are now up 2-0 on the Lakers. Coming into the finals, the Lakers bench was considered its most crucial facet. The Lakers’ bench was outscored by the Celtics’ bench 35-23. The Celtics’ bench also played extremely smart. No one coming off the bench for them turned the ball over and shot 68.7% from the field. Not only has getting to the line affected Kobe and the Lakers’ starting lineup but the trend has gotten to the bench as well. No one had a free throw from the Lakers bench while the Celtics bench piled up 15 free throw attempts, more than the entire Lakers team with 10.

If you’re a Lakers fan you can blame the bench for not putting up numbers or poor defense from Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol, but the blame in games like these will always rest on Kobe’s shoulders. It’s a little unfair but it’s true. Kobe waited too long and took too many outside shots early in the game and allowed the Celtics to run away with the game. He got into foul trouble early, leaving him on the bench where he becomes absolutely useless. He turned into the Kobe of the past couple years in the 3rd and 4th quarter, forcing shots and trying to make the superstar play. Whenever there was a scoring run by the Lakers, it was fueled by excellent passing and smart decisions by Kobe. But he quickly got away from that when the Celtics countered with a run of their own causing the Lakers to fall in too deep of a hole.

If Kobe completed the fourth quarter comeback, in which the Lakers were down 24 and brought in down to two, I probably would be singing Kobe’s praises and I would have forgotten all the mistakes he and the Lakers made. But they didn’t come back.

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sorry Garnett, This One Is Kobe’s

Jun 1

Posted by kit in 2008 NBA Playoffs, basketball, Boston Celtics, Celtics Finals, Detroit, Detroit Pistons, Eastern Conference Finals, Game 7, Garnett Bryant matchup, Kevin Garnett, Kevin Garnett 1st Finals, Kevin Garnett Playoffs, Kobe, Kobe Bryant, Kobe Bryant 2007-08 MVP Season, Kobe Bryant Free Throws, Kobe Bryant Playoffs, Kobe MVP, Kobe MVP 2008 NBA Finals, Lakers Finals, Los Angeles Lakers, Manu Ginobili, Michael Jordan, NBA, NBA Finals, NBA Finals 2008, NBA Finals Lakers Celtics, Paul Pierce Defense, Pistons, Playoffs, Postseason, Ray Allen, San Antonio Spurs, Uncategorized | No Comments

By Sean Connolly

It’s the series the NBA has been waiting for. Lakers, Celtics. What more could you want? This series though won’t even be competitive, because it will belong to the best player since Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and there’s nothing Garnett can do but scream, yell, and hit his head on the hoop like he always does.

This series is a match made in basketball heaven. You’ve got the best player in the game playing on a team with a bunch of average to above average players in Kobe and the Lakers. You’ve got the most talented threesome in recent years in Pierce, Allen, and Garnett in the Celtics. So, the series should be great, right? I’m afraid not. The Celtics don’t stand a chance against Kobe. Although Pierce’s defense has improved considerably, he will be no match for Bryant.

Watching Kobe in the series between the Lakers and Spurs showed me just how talented he really is. Throughout the series Kobe stayed out of the paint and continually put up jumpers. He barely got to the free throw line and still was able to average 29.2 points a game in the series. He only averaged 2.2 free throws a game throughout the series and was still able to control the game. He shot 53% and took over when ever he wanted.

Whenever Kobe plays you just know he is going to take over. It’s just a matter of when and against the Celtics in the Finals, it will be every game. Kobe is to close to a title to try and take it away from him. Sure, people say the same about Garnett but Kobe’s fire and desire to win the game just seems so much more natural to me. When the time comes for him to step up, he isn’t yelling or hitting his chest. He looks calm, composed and eerily similar to Michael Jordan. Garnett on the other hand fades away and allows others to take over the game, which is fine and he played well enough to get the Celtics to the Finals, but the Celtics need him to take over in late game situations like that if Pierce isn’t shooting well. In the final game of the western conference finals, Kobe had 39 points, 3 assists, and 3 rebounds. Garnett in the final game of the eastern conference finals only put up, 16 points, 7 rebounds, and had no assists. That isn’t enough out of someone who was being claimed as the MVP during the season.

The best example of Kobe’s Jordanesque appearance and was in game 7 when he was isolated at half court against Ginobili. Right before Ginobili stepped up to him he calmly let the ball bounce in front of him while he adjusted the sleeve on his arm. Manu began badgering Kobe a couple feet from the half court line trying to rob Kobe. Kobe simply turned his back shielded him off took some time off the clock and then turned around and got space. With the shot clock running out he began to approach the basket, he sped up, hesitated to make Duncan, who was behind Ginobili commit and he took the space and laid the ball up for two points and ultimately the game. When I saw that entire sequence I just laughed and said this is Kobe’s year.

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

NEW YORK NIX

Mar 23

Posted by kit in Bill Russell, Bob Cousy, Bob Loscutof, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Frank Isola, Frank Ramsay, Isiah Thomas, James Dolan, Kenny Sears, Kevin Garnett, Los Angeles Lakers, Madison Square Garden, Marty Glickman, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Ray Allen, Richie Guerin, San Antonio Spurs, Stephon Marbury, Sweetwater Clifton | 6 Comments

It’s Sunday morning and I have a few hours before I plunk myself in front of the TV for CBS’ continuing coverage of the Men’s NCAA tournament. It was sad to see Michael Beasley go the way of O. J. Mayo, but as always there were some great games.

But that’s not what I’m writing about today. I was in Tune Street yesterday – our great local music & electronics store – and overhead a New York Knick’s fan share his agony.

What got me was this: “Here am I at home, paying $170 for NBA League Pass just to stick with my beloved Knicks, and I’m yelling at the TV: ‘Fire Isiah!’ I’m like screaming at the television set as if I paid the big bucks at the Garden. And of course I know the dude can’t hear me but I can’t help myself.”

isiahsuzyallmannyt.jpg

Knick coach Isiah Thomas – Photo Suzy Allman/New York Times

I felt for the guy and in return for my not mentioning his name, he agreed to talk more. If you love B-ball and you understand the joy and pain of rooting, you may appreciate this. He’s an older guy and started by telling me some of his history:

“I grew up in the Bronx before the games were on TV and listened to every Knicks game on the radio. Sweetwater Clifton, Richie Guerin, Kenny Sears … and in those days if you were going to high school in the city you had a G.O. discount card which got you into the Garden for 50 cents, up in the top most section of the balcony.

“In those days the NBA played doubleheaders, so if you loved basketball there was no better place than the old Garden. You get a Nedicks hot dog and an Orange Julius and head in for hours of great b-ball.

“The team that killed us was the Celtics – they manhandled the Knicks with Russell and Cousy and Frank Ramsay and they had this goon of a guy Jim Loscutof who literally would throw the Knicks around. Of course they played the best team basketball around too, but we hated them.

cousyvknicksphoto-by-wm-c-greene.jpg

Bob Cousy vs. The Knicks – Photo: William C. Greene

“So you can imagine what it feels like now all these years later to watch the Celtics steal Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett and out together a gem of a team while Isiah crashes and burns the Knicks.

kevingarnett.jpg

Kevin Garnett – Celtic Saviour

“We’re talking absolute agony. I gotta pray the Pistons take them out or whoever wins the West – Phoenix or San Antonio or even the Lakers!”

That, folks, is what rooting is all about. This guy is already hoping the Knicks blow every game left so they have a shot at Derrick Rose.

Even the New York City sportswriters are dripping with anger at what has happened to one of the most storied franchises in pro basketball. Frank Isola, the beat writer at the New York Daily News wrote about why he hates this version of the New York Knicks:

• The team I grew up rooting for has become a running joke.
• Few in the organization care about the team’s history.
• Patrick Ewing doesn’t work for them.
• They have had seven straight losing seasons.
• James Dolan once said that “the worst year yet” was 1999; yes the year they reached the NBA Finals.
• Isiah Thomas thinks he’s doing a great job.
• Stephon Marbury thinks he’s done nothing wrong.
• They don’t play defense.
• They ripped out the Marty Glickman radio booth for the sake of the almighty dollar.
• Few of the players have earned the fat contracts they’ve received.
• They are 19-48 in an Eastern Conference that except for three teams – Boston, Detroit and Cleveland – has to be the worst ever. How can the Knicks not even be in playoff contention in mid-March?
• Yes, I must confess, I hate the Knicks. These Knicks.

Mark Berman of the New York Post reported on the Knicks’ embarrassing lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves this way:
“The Knicks fell behind 42-24 after one quarter, with the Wolves converting 17 of 23 shots for a 73.9 percentage in setting their franchise high for most points in the opening stanza.
The Knicks might as well have taken the charter plane home then with their 50th loss in the bag.
Yes, it’s now 19-50. Mindboggling.
Ten fastbreak points to zero for the Knicks in the first 12 minutes.
‘The first quarter was a nightmare,’ Isiah Thomas said afterward.
No. The season – and the last four years – have been a nightmare. Thirteen games to go. And counting.”

Now add the fact that the Celtics are playing great basketball with a terrific chance to win the NBA title and you get a better idea why just about every New York Knicks’ fan from New York City to Los Angeles are having a hard time sleeping.

Technorati Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,