First Half Report Card
January 26, 2005
By The Full Court Press Crew

The Boston Celtics have completed 41 games of the 2004-2005 NBA regular season, and used the last three months to prove that they have the consistency of baby poop. One day its green and runny; the next some combination of orange and purple yet hard as a rock. A few consistent themes have immerged since November: Mark Blount is a thief, the rookies can play but not every night, Ricky is better than we thought, Jiri is worse, and Gary Payton is a 37 year old point guard. Other than that, I can’t say that this team has grown thus far this season, and the team, as a whole, has less character than any Celtics team in 25 years. A number of crushing 4th quarter defeats, and an inability to share the basketball of long periods of time have been a hallmark of this team thus far. But, there continue to be positive signs about the future of the franchise, and the fans interested in the face of 0 point and 0 rebound performances by the team’s $40 million center.

In the vein of the great analysts of sport, the Full Court Press takes a look at each position and grades the players on their performance thus far. I’m sure Dr. Jack Ramsey and Kevin Mannix will be proud.

Sam
Point Guards:
The situation at point guard has on the surface has become increasingly muddy as the season has progressed (is this progress?). The team desperately needs a point guard for the future but, other than strong low post players, good point guards are the most valued commodity in the NBA. The future of the Celtics may indeed depend on how the point guard situation resolves itself in the next month and a half. The questions are; Will Payton be traded? Will Banks develop or be traded? Is Delonte West the answer for the future? What else is out there? Every team wants and needs good decision makers and when you find them you donít let them go, my guess is that they stand pat with what they have or that Banks is a goner.

Gary Payton started the season looking like he might save the team from itself and provide ballast to hold the young foundation of the team in place and meld the older guys who felt like they had the team swept out from underneath them with their younger (and in most cases more talented) counterparts. But Payton is old, and it has been showing of late. The extent of his injuries also is not known so we have to take what we see at face value. His thumb was broken, his hamstring was pulled and he is 36 years old playing for a team that is 5 games under .500 in the worst conference in the NBA. Most likely heís pissed off heís here and wants to get traded to one of five teams (Phoenix, Seattle, San Antonio, Miami, Detroit). Despite all this Payton has consistently shown why he is a Hall of Fame player. He has done a good job leading a rudderless ship, calling out teammates who have failed to show up, and deflecting criticism when it has been warranted. The most depressing thing to watch as a fan has been the flashes of brilliance he displays, when you see a window into what a
younger Payton looked like and you say If only he had been here all along.

Marcus Banks is a God damn a riddle. The fastest and most athletic guard I have ever seen don the Celticsí uniform, he is a guy that on one night can blow by the quickest players in the league, draw a rotating defender, and then lay down a perfect bounce pass to an open player right underneath the basket for an easy bucket and then the next night he can produce no assists and four turnovers while flailing around trying to select the right gear to run his motor. Being a point guard he best thing for Banks would be if his teammates trusted him, but it is quite clear that the veterans donít and most likely never will. The best case scenario is that Banks develops into a serviceable backup point guard (a la Travis Best) but the clock is ticking and with Delonte West just coming back and being given minutes ahead of Banks the signs point to Banks being in the doghouse or getting ready to be traded yet again.

Delonte West is my binky. There I said it. Maybe it is because he’s been hurt and having seen so little Iíve fallen for what is mysterious, but it was my belief that West was the furthest along of the first rounders coming out of training camp. Then the injury bug struck. We all want him to be Mike Bibby (isnít that what we all thought Banks was going to be) but I’ll have to wait to see how quick his feet are. Decision making is not a problem with West. He had great teaching in a great system with much of the load being on his shoulders at St. Joe’s. His court vision is outstanding, and he’s a tremendous shooter. The only questions I have are; is he quick enough? and is he really 6′4″?

Dan
Wings:
At the halfway point of what has been a disappointing first half of the NBA season, it has been easy to see that while the Celtics possess lots of potential in their future frontcourt of Al Jefferson and Kendrick Perkins, there main ready to play now NBA talent rests in their small forwards and shooting guards. Paul Pierce, Ricky Davis, Jiri Welsch and Tony Allen possess not only the most athleticism on the team, but also the best ability to score. They are also driving me insane with their inconsistent play. Let’s take a look at each individual:

Paul Pierce -Full Court Press has beaten the issue of Paul Pierce to death. “Should he be traded?” “What is he doing wrong?” “Where’s the effort?”…these are all questions that have been asked in association with Pierce. They are legitimate. Pierce is a true enigma to Celtics fans because we know what he is capable of at his best. And at his best, it would be insane to ever deal him. The problem is, he seems to have a hard time playing with intensity on a nightly basis. I honestly can’t remember if it was always like this with him, but I don’t think it was. Something just seems to be missing from his game, and often times, it feels like that “something” is the key difference in many of the Celtic losses. Eventually, you have to stop dealing with “what ifs” and realize that if this inconsistency is what Pierce is going to give you, it’s time to move on. You don’t need to have a self entitled “NBA Superstar” on your roster to win just 38 games. Pierce needs to decide what he is about as a player before it’s too late.

Ricky Davis-The most maligned player on the Celtic roster is probably
the least deserving, at least this season. The big knock on Davis (mostly from those who don’t watch him play every night) is that he is too in love with his own ego to ever care about winning. That could not be further from the truth. Yes, he loves to dunk, but that’s hardly a knock on the guy. If you focus on him every night, you will see a guy who plays defense with intensity, and who only shoots in the flow of the game. He understands the concepts and benefits of running the floor, and that type of play mixes well with his strengths. He is in an ideal role for him as an instant offense sixth man, and will only get better
as the players around him match him. It’s no coincidence that Davis seems to thrive with the far harder playing second unit while being seemingly bogged down by the starters.

Jiri Welsch-I am bitterly disappointed in this man. I mean, Jiri, can
you knock down and occasional open jumper for God’s sake? He possesses
great instincts for the game, but as soon as he starts thinking, his whole game falls apart. And, I am sick of it. He was probably my favorite player last year. Now, he does at least one thing per night that makes me curse at him. Dribble needlessly into traffic…miss open jump shots…throw a ball away on a three on one. I feel burned out. He plays hard, and will definitely be a good/consistent player some day…but he is not helping now. His minutes need to be taken up by…

Tony Allen-Sometimes, Tony Allen looks lost in the halfcourt offense… that’s the only negative thing I can write in what will by the time I’m done look like a love letter to the guy. Along with Al Jefferson, Tony Allen is the best thing to happen to the Celtics in a lonnnnng long time. He has a natural fire to how he plays the game that actually defines him as a player. It comes out in his defense, it comes out in how he runs the floor, it comes out in his toughness, and it most certainly comes out when he dunks the ball with an assault on the rim like it insulted his mother. The Celtics are a better, tougher, more athletic team when he is on the court-period. I don’t care if he misses
fifteen open jump shots a night, he needs to play big time minutes NOW. He is the only player on the team who’s desire is infectious to his teammates. The Celtics need more of this, and Tony Allen is the key.

Kevin
Power Forward
Remember when we were kids and we frequently used the phrase “make pretend” before spelling out an outrageous game or scenario? Well, I’d like to go retro for a moment and play “make pretend” just this one time with regards to the Celtics and their power forward situation.

Specifically, let us make pretend that you’ve just dropped from outer space (See? Outrageous!) without having seen the Boston Celtics roster for the last five years. Your best friend, an ardent Celtics fan, describes your current starting power forward in great detail. He tells you that although your big man at the 4 stands at a lofty 6’11”, he’s not much of an inside presence. For the season thus far, he’s averaging a pedestrian 11 points and 7.5 boards per game. Most of his points come from the perimeter. And don’t let those 7.5 boards fool you, either. It’s not like he’s going all Rodman out there, getting tenacious on the glass. Rather, he just happens to be grabbing the balls that bounce off the granite hands of his inept starting center. Oh, and the “Fragile Frenchman”, your friend cackles with a Ron Borges-like disdain, happens to be making roughly ten million dollars a year and we’re stuck with him for the next several seasons. Suddenly, however, the sneer falls away from you friend’s face. He lights up like a child on Christmas morning as he glowingly describes your rookie backup. He uses the word “tough” a lot. The phrase “soft touch” is bantered around. “Mature beyond his years” is mentioned. You’ve heard enough. Pointing a finger accusingly, you say, “So if this rookie phenom so good, J-Dooze, why isn’t he starting?” Your friend smiles. “Oh, he will”, he says. “And soon. The tide is turning, my friend.”

Hopefully, you know where I’m going with this. Our overpaid veteran big man Raef LaFrentz is fading. He’s not a bad player, really. But he’s not all that good either. Halfway through Al Jefferson’s rookie season, we have seen enough evidence. The time has come to pass the mantle, and the majority of the minutes, to Big Al.

Regarding our talented rookie power forward, Chicago veteran Antonio Davis was recently effusive with praise about him (courtesy of Peter May’s Sunday Globe NBA Notes) “We were talking about him on the bench,” said Davis. “His touch, his size, his demeanor, his awareness. For a high school kid, it’s unbelievable. He really uses his body well. He doesn’t try to do things out of his element.” He added, “He tries to rebound. He tries to play defense the right way. He’s not forcing anything. He’s not hurting you in any way, so the kid has to play. Bottom line, the kid has to play. He doesn’t hurt you. If I’m not mistaken, that’s what you want to see.” You heard the man. The kid has to play. The tide is indeed turning, my friends. We finally have a kid that can put the power back in the 4 spot. Hail, hail, rock ‘n roll.

Mark
Centers, or how Mark Blount stole 3 Million dollars from the Boston Celtics:
Halfway through the season, and well things have not gone well at the center position.  This may be the understatement of the year, actually.  The Celtics gave Blount a 6 year 38 million dollar contract in the off-season, based largely on a strong second half of last season.  Last season he averaged 7.2 rebounds per game, about 1.3 blocks per game and a healthy 10.3 points per game.  In the Eastern Conference of the time (pre-Shaq) he was above average center.

Fast forward to halfway through this season.  His blocks per game (the weakest part of his game) has dropped a little, his scoring per game is about the same although he has been wildly inconsistent, and his rebounds per game has dropped to 5.6 and has also been incredibly hit or miss.  He has been projecting a sour image on the court, and while not being directly quoted in the local press it’s clear he is making his displeasure with the Celtics system & coaching known to the local scribes off the record.
 
Let’s look the only other true center the Celtics have at the moment, Kendrick Perkins.  He’s played a grand total of 199 minutes this year (to Blount’s nearly 1200).  In the 5 games where he’s played greater than 12 minutes he has done some nice things.   A few days before Christmas he played 25 minutes against the Knicks and had 4 points on 2 for 4 shooting but pulled down 13 rebounds, including 3 offensive. A few weeks ago, at the Bulls he played 18 minutes and while only had 3 points and 3 rebounds he had 5 blocked shots.  5 blocked shots, against a very young athletic team that has some good big men.  Kendick’s scoring has not really developed yet but if you look at his numbers, he’s not getting a lot of attempts. He’s shooting 20 for 46.  He’s averaging .4 rebounds per minute played (Blount is at .12), .08 blocks per minute (Blount is at .03) and seems to be getting more confident and comfortable each and every rotation.
 
What the numbers cannot show is that in his own way Perkins is upset to.  He’s upset because he knows he can make a contribution to this team, and his minutes have been few and far between.  In this situation, I can only see one resolution.  Free Kendrick.  I beg of you Doc, let the kid play.  He’s 20.  He’s as athletic as any player you have on the team.  He has something that most of the Celtics veterans lost years ago, a mean streak.  He’s not intimidated being on the floor against veterans.  We all know the youth of this team are the future of the Celtics.  I would suggest to you that the future is now.

After a brief hiatus for the holidays, the Full Court Press has returned to examine all that is right…. and wrong, in the land of Celtic Pride. In this edition, the FCP crew are taking a look at the team as a whole: Where does the team sit? What needs to be improve? etc. So, without further ado….

Jon
When we last left our guys in green a number of young players had begun to emerge, but the team was marked with wildly inconsistent play. Over two weeks later, not a whole lot has changed. A bettor’s nightmare, it seems quite difficult to determine which Celtics team will emerge: The team that annihilated the Magic on Monday evening or the embarrassingly pathetic team that laid down for the Bulls on Saturday. Such wild swings are normal for a young developing team, but there are many who thought the considerable veteran presence on the squad would keep this inconsistent play to a minimum. These prognosticators could not be more wrong. In fact when it comes time to assign blame, the finger is normally pointed towards those who were counted to provide ballast to this rocky ride.

Aside from Gary Payton, who could be considered the MVP of the first 35 games in the Celtics schedule, the veterans on the team have often brought little to the table and in a number of key instances (including in the 4th quarter of the game in Chicago) actually killed momentum gained while the 2nd unit patrolled the pine. Finally, after 34 games, Doc Rivers saw this disturbing trend, and allowed the kids in the 2nd unit to close out the game in Chicago. Rivers noted after that game that players would be rewarded with playing time when a maximum effort is given. Not to be confused with the term “maximum effort” is center Mark Blount. Blount is without question the biggest disappointment of the young season, racking up 3.. count ‘em 3 rebounds in two games last week. And, this would also be the same Mark Blount who cashed in on a major contract last summer, labeled his own effort “in and out”, and has claimed that the Celtics’ “basketball people” don’t want the best for him. Well, I do. I want Mark Blount to soar… soar to some other city because the guy is absolutely killing his team. Offense, defense, rebounding… you name it and Mark Blount has lacked effort in that area. Forget Will McDonough’s characterization of Roger Clemens as the “Texas Con Man”; Mark Blount is the biggest fraud the Boston sports scene has seen in years. I cannot express how deeply I want him out of a Celtics uniform.

In other disappointing news, captain Paul Pierce has taken to uptempo basketball like Peyton Manning has to going to Gillette Stadium. It just isn’t working for him, but Pierce has only himself to blame. The newly engaged Celtics star (Love ya, Swollen Manatees!) looks like he is being held hostage at certain points during games, and seemingly believes that 3 time All Star shooting guards no longer need to play defense. Interesting theory, but being “Like Mike” isn’t being him. The shooting guard stars of the late ’90’s, early 2000’s all grew up in Jordan’s shadow. They believe Isolation plays are not only how they make their bread, but show they are The Man on the court. Like the idea of keeping wives in the kitchen, that idea is for the Bronze Age. The Boston Celtics, under the direction of Doc Rivers and Danny Ainge, do not wish to return to those days and instead the team wants to play uptempo basketball, with an emphasis on sharing the ball and taking the best shot. This doesn’t fall into Mr. 20 foot-fall-away-jumper-with-a-hand-in-my face’s vocabulary, and thus he has struggled to embrace Rivers’ concepts. A coach doesn’t expect his star scorer to give 110% on the defensive end because he needs his star to score at the other end, but no team can succeed when any player gives less than 50% as Pierce is.

Now it is patently unfair to place all of the blame for a 16-19 record on two players shoulders. For all we know this could could be 11-24 were it not for the contributions of Blount and Pierce, but we do know that their production does not match their salary. The same could be said of Raef LaFrentz, but LaFrentz, in my estimation, has done a good job after nearly an entire season on IR. The Fragile Frenchman may not be as effective in the 4th quarter as in the 1st, but his efficient scoring and rebounding have kept the Celtics in games early that they may otherwise have fallen out of. LaFrentz also seems willing to share the basketball and buy into Doc Rivers’ gameplan.

With two of the team’s anchors, and I do mean anchors, holding the team back at times; it is amazing how great the 2nd unit has played as the season has progressed. Even with a dour captain, straining to congratulate others after a solid play, these kids have shared the basketball, played tough defense, and outscore the opposing bench more times than not. Al Jefferson is a godsend and is now becoming a regular double-double threat. Tony Allen, in addition to a tenacious defense, is showing the ability to slash to the rim at will or pick up a number of weakside rebounds he has no reason of getting. Kendrick Perkins, who after a long string of DNP-CD’s to start the year, has had nice contributions now that he is finally receiving consistent minutes. Marcus Banks may be rounding the corner towards a more consistent production, though Delonte West is not far from returning to the lineup and will push Banks for minutes. Lastly, not enough can be said about Ricky Davis and his improvement this season. Not only has Tyree Ricardo played well under control, with minimal showboating, but his efficient scoring has made him a “go to” player in Pierce’s absence.

I might be as patient as most Celtics fans go, but I have officially tired of Mark Blount and Paul Pierce. Their attitude is only a detriment to the development of the younger players, and they are doing nothing but hurting the present team’s ability to win now. Therefore, Danny Ainge needs to seek a trade. With Gary Payton likely to depart from Boston after this summer, a pair of first round picks, and expiring contracts in Yogi Stewart and Tom Gugliotta, there a number of chips Ainge can use to create the right trade. With Baron Davis, and potentially Jamaal Magloire, on the block; perhaps a three team deal with New Orleans and the LA Clippers would allow the Celtics to acquire Davis and Magloire and send Pierce and Blount away to greener pastures. Pierce would head to the Hornets, who potentially may move the franchise to Kansas City… not far from Lawrence, Kansas, where Pierce called home during his time as a Jayhawk. Davis, while an inefficient volume shooter now, would be back on a team that could score and would allow him to create opportunities for others, which he did before the Hornets lost their talent. Obviously the Celtics would need to include more than Pierce and Blount, no doubt picks and the expiring contracts listed above would be needed to complete such a massive trade, but this is a deal that could benefit all sides. The Clippers obtain expiring contracts to re-sign Bobby Simmons, the Hornets get a marketable star in their new home and a young big man in Chris Wilcox, and the Celtics get a top notch, 25 year old NBA point guard who can create shots for others or himself. Davis will push the tempo, and Maaglore is among the top centers in the league. Sure this is a pipe dream, but don’t be surprised if Ainge makes move of this ilk to rid himself of the soul less bodies who wear numbers 30 and 34.

Mark
I have been struggling against the flu of late, and so I resort to the cheapest of writer tricks (if the wild rantings of a fan on a website can be called writing):  the random thoughts article.  Without further ado, Celtics observations from the commonest of the common fans…
 •
I understand Doc Rivers’ reluctance to have both Al Jefferson (rook) and Kendrick Perkins (sophomore, and barely 20) on the floor at the same time but it’s nice to see him start to spread the time a little more evenly.  These guys are the Celtics big men of the future, and they both need playing time to develop.  While Jefferson is more polished offensively, Perkins adds a dimension (rebounds and blocked shots) that the C’s desperately need in most games.  There is a Kendrick Perkins replica jersey in my future, by the way….so take this all with a truckload of salt.
• I think we may well be seeing the end of the Paul Pierce era here in Boston, and I am utterly conflicted about that.  On the one hand he’s been the cornerstone of the franchise for several years.  On the other hand he is all too aware of this fact.  Any semblance of a defensive game left Pierce the day Dick Harter and Jim O’Brien exited the team, his rebounds seem to be more luck than effort.  I have read from several sources that say it would be best to trade Pierce in the offseason, and while I see the logic behind that….I hold to 1 truth in NBA trades:  good value is good value.
• Can anyone tell me what purpose Walter McCarty serves on this team??  Unless he’s waxing the floor post-game….he’s being overpaid.
• I still think that Marcus Banks is going to be a big-time point guard in the NBA, but he is wildly inconsistent.  His game by game log looks almost manic-depressive.  I keep waiting for the switch to change over for good.
• Gary Payton at 36 is still the best point guard this team has had in eons.  A joy to watch.  A shame that he is realistically gone by summer.
• Seriously, Walter McCarty??  Who’s got the straight dope on this?

Well, that’s about it for now.  I would have more insight, but I am too busy constantly clearing my throat.

Dan
Right in the middle of the Orlando game the other night, I had a revelation while watching the Celtics.  It came right after the Tony Allen drove the lane on a break and dished off to Kendrick Perkins for a dunk and three point play.  First, I knew I was watching some entertaining, high energy basketball.  Second, I knew I was watching part of the future of this franchise.  Then the third thing happened.  The cameras panned to Paul Pierce on the bench giving a polite applause over the play, and I got irritated.  Why did this play leave me, a mere fan, more inspired about its significance than the guy who is the cornerstone player on the team?  It was then that I realized that if it was I was who was running this organization, I would recognize Paul Pierce as the past and present of the franchise, but someone who was longer part of the future.

As enjoyable as the C’s have been to watch this year, they have also been as frustrating.  There seems to be a disconnect in terms of the sense of urgency between the young guys and some of the veterans.  Ok, two of the veterans:  Paul Pierce and Mark Blount.  Both play the games with an arrogance that baffles me.  Pierce has a history of success in this league.  When he is at his best in terms of effort and intensity, he is capable of playing like one of the top 5-10 players in the league.  But what is lacking is the all out effort and intensity 48 minutes a night.  He shows it in spurts, but he inevitably hurts the team in moments he does not show it.

Blount has been a disaster this year.  He got the big contract and along the way forgot the things he had been doing to earn that money.  He only plays defense and attacks the backboards as a passing thought.  He seems more concerned about his own scoring than I have seen him at any point in his career. 

Ok, that’s the bad news, and I’m glad to have it out of the way.  Those two are holdovers from the O’Brien era, which most of us now know was overrated in terms of its success.  Let’s talk about the future of this team, which is what really matters in terms of the state of the franchise.  Al Jefferson, Tony Allen, Kendrick Perkins, Delonte West, Jiri Welsch, Ricky Davis, and Marcus Banks comprise a very solid nucleus for this team moving forward. They play the game with fire, athleticism, and speed. Throw in the veteran leadership of Raef Lafrentz and Gary Payton, both of whom come to play every night, and we have a team that could make some noise in the Eastern Conference the second half of this season. 

The key to whole thing is Pierce.  Can he get himself motivated to match the effort of the second unit of this team, scratching and clawing every night as if his survival in the league depend on it, or does he continue playing with a sense of entitlement often associated with an NBA superstar?  The answer to that question will do a lot to define what happens to this team in the second half of the year.  It is inevitable that the C’s will have to trade one of their swing men (Welsch, Pierce, Davis) in order to create more playing time for Allen. If Pierce does not show the desire soon, it will be him that is packing his bags.

By Jon Duke
January 3, 2005
Celtics 108 Hornets 90

“UHHHhhhhhhhhhhh…”

You know things aren’t going well for the Boston Celtics when the only commentary Tommy Heinsohn can offer is a series of groans and exasperated grunts. During the second quarter of this evening’s game even a somewhat restrained Heinsohn couldn’t contain his extreme displeasure with the guys in green. The chief culprit of the Celtics difficulty in playing the game of basketball was the absence of their floor general, Gary Payton. After only two months in Celtic Green, Payton has become the most valuable player on the court for a team where many of his teammates are more likely to ask Payton’s daughter out than hit the town with the old man himself.

Nevertheless, Doc Rivers needed to take Payton’s hamstring injury and make FleetCenter priced $7.25 Lemonade. Marcus Banks was inserted into the starting lineup and after a foul plagued first half, Banks helped to push the Celtics to a 17 point lead after 3 quarters. Of course, those who saw a glimmer of hope in Delonte West’s all too brief two game appearance are wishing the St. Joe’s product was available to show what he could in a much larger role in Payton’s absence. But as a certain Gary Busey look-a-like once kinda said “you are what you are.”

Also absent was Mark Blount, not in person, but Blount’s game has been missing for nearly two weeks. I’ve heard on the “Inta-net” that Wyc has authorized the placement of ads on milk cartons across the west coast in hopes that someone will call John Walsh at “America’s Most Wanted” with a tip on where Blount’s game has been hiding. The number is 1-800-CRIME-98 if you, or someone you know has information relating to the safe return of Mark Blount’s game.

But, here’s where I get to take Doc Rivers PhD. to task for what I see as poor decision making. Given that Payton and Mark Blount’s game were missing from this game, one would think the arrival of the 2-26 juggernaut New Orleans Hornets would herald more minutes and responsibility for Messrs. Allen, Banks, Jefferson, and Perkins. Regrettably, this didn’t happen nearly to the level it should have. Banks is literally operating with one of the harnesses parents of young children use, it is incredibly embarrassing… especially when his play doesn’t warrant such a short leash. If Doc wants to see what Marcus Banks can do, the very last thing Rivers should do is put Marcus in the game to stand in the corner and watch a known great distributor like Paul Pierce rather than the proverbial Point Guard of the Future and see what he can do with it.

Down low, Kendrick Perkins and particularly Al Jefferson continue to play effective minutes, but incredibly Jefferson and Perkins log significantly less minutes than “Casper” Blount. Perkins does need help on the defensive end (his rotations are slow), but his rebounding and presence on the blocks more than make up for these deficiencies. And Wheezie continues to look good out there (he even shaved that line beard thing), even if Doc keeps saying he doesn’t know what he’s doing out there. In recent days, Doc has made a point in the media that Al has struggled recently, and he had before a very nice performance Sunday night in Detroit. Yet, for whatever reason, Blount continues to play a lot more than those young studs….”uhhhhhhhhhhhh.”

On the FSN broadcast Tommy gave credit for the Celtics resurgence in the 3rd quarter to Walter McCarty, but to these untrained eyes, Tony Allen was again a huge factor in spurring on the Celtics with his defense. Even in last night’s loss to Detroit, Doc played the kids with 7 minutes to go and, with Allen’s energy, the C’s cut the lead in half. I’m not sure this can be said enough, “TONY ALLEN MUST PLAY MORE!!!!” The kid does what no one else on the team can do, play defense on the perimeter at a very high level. Too bad Doc doesn’t see it.

Of course the Globe and Herald will probably lead their stories tomorrow pointing to Paul Pierce’s 4th career triple double as key to the Celtics win, but much of Pierce’s contribution went below the radar. On the surface this could cause some consternation, but the more that Pierce can fade into the background, and still be very productive, the better the team around him is playing. Also of not was a great first half from our favorite “Fragile Frenchman”. Raef LaFrentz had 9 points and 8 rebounds in the first 24 minutes; to continue a string of good games over the last 2 weeks. Maybe it would be a good time to mix up the starting line up and shift Jefferson into the starting 5 with LaFrentz and play Blount with Perkins or, godforbid, Walter. Failing this, Doc needs to get more out of his post players and as of now, Blount is the weak link in the chain.

More games at home this week, but the possible absence of Gary Payton could play a huge role in how these games play out. Next up are the vaunted Golden State Warriors who beat the C’s in a heartbreaking fashion just under a month ago. Revenge will no doubt be on the mind of those in the home whites.