By Mike Brilliant

The Celtics went 2-2 over the last week with tough losses to Toronto, by 2, and Orlando, by 3 at the buzzer. The injury bug has also finally caught up with the team. KG missed two games, and counting, with an abdominal strain. Ray Allen and Brian Scalabrine also missed games with the flu and James Posey missed two games with a finger injury. Then there’s the nagging ankle injury that won’t let Scot Pollard back on the court to contribute against the big centers. Fortunately, some of the deep bench guys have seized the opportunity to show they deserve some playing time. Even so, the team appeared to slip into cruise control versus Toronto and Minnesota for a couple of ugly outings. For the wild and unpredictable week overall, the following grades are assessed:

Coach Doc Rivers: B+

The Celtics began the season with a startling 29-3 record but have gone 6-5 over their last eleven games. Nonetheless, they still have the best record in the league by 4 games in the loss column, so who can blame this team for getting too confident and taking some games a little less serious? I think the combination of Garnett and Ray Allen missing games and the coaching/motivating of Doc has righted the ship. After lackluster performances against Toronto (no defense) and Minnesota (all around malaise), the team has since stepped up the effort even though they are currently undermanned. Rivers has brought Leon Powe out of the cobwebs to shine with the added minutes. He also invited Rondo, Tony Allen and James Posey to step it up with Garnett and Allen out.

Personally, I like how Rivers has stood up to KG and has kept him out of the last two games. Abdominal strains can linger throughout the remainder of the season if not healed properly. Let’s hope the coach sticks to the plan and keeps Garnett out of the Dallas game so he can rest an additional five days with a lull in the schedule.

Paul Pierce: A-

The numbers over the past week do not accurately reflect how well Pierce has been playing. For the week, he averaged 17.3 points, 7 boards and 6.3 assists while shooting 37% from the field. Certainly, those numbers for points and FG% are sub par for the Captain, but ever the crafty veteran, he found other ways to contribute, especially by grabbing some key defensive rebounds with the absence of the Big Ticket. He also stepped up his passing, as evidenced by those 6.3 assists per game, but even that number does not reflect how much of a playmaker Pierce has been over the last four games. Over that stretch, Pierce has been bringing the ball up the court and distributing the ball better than he has at any point in his career. How many times have we seen him drive to the hoop and earn Perkins, Davis or Powe a lay-up or slam, or start the break off a defensive board and advance the ball with a long pass leading to an open J or an easy lay in? Rivers put it best when he said after the Miami game that Pierce had a lot of “Hockey Assists”. The definition of a hockey assist? Where you pass to make the next pass. That has been Pierce’s game.

Kevin Garnett: A+

A certain player gets injured so badly that he has to go into the locker room for treatment. He then comes back on the floor late in the fourth quarter and makes a series of plays that end up winning the game for his team. Sounds familiar, like maybe a certain Celtics legend from the past? Larry Bird? No it’s the Celtics legend from the present, Kevin “Big Ticket” Garnett.

We’ve since found out that KG had this abdominal strain for a while. Maybe that’s what was affecting his recent rebounding slump? And yet he has still been amazing every game he participates in. Unfortunately, this injury caused him to miss the Orlando and Miami games. Fortunately, the team is so far up in the standings that they can afford to rest him for a short while. In the meantime, his absence has motivated the reserves to step it up, particularly a rejuvenated Leon Powe.

Ray Allen: C

Just when Ray Allen was starting to turn it up with games of 35 points versus Portland and 23 versus Philly two weeks ago, he has sunk back into a slump again. He played in three games last week while missing the Miami game with the flu. During the three games played, he only shot 34% and averaged 16 points per game. Regardless, when the Celtics need a clutch basket late in the game, Allen almost always seems to be able to step up. He hit a clutch shot at the end of the T-Wolves game and hit the big game tying three against the Magic. With the game on the line, Ray Allen may still be the Celtics’ best option.

Rajon Rondo: A

Bad hamstring, sore lower back, sprained ankle and perhaps some other mystery ailments that we haven’t even discovered. Rondo is fast becoming this year’s version of Delonte West, except Rondo plays through it.

For the four games he played this week, he had averages of 14-5-4, including a 23 point outburst in the Miami game. Is he hearing the footsteps from a looming veteran point guard? It sure doesn’t seem like it with his steady performances over the last few weeks.

Whether the Celtics bring in Stoudamire this week (doubtful) or Cassell in the coming weeks (hopeful) or nobody at all, I think the Celtics made it clear that Rondo is the starter and will play at least half the game no matter what the situation. I truly believe that Rondo’s confidence is sky high and that his game has elevated to another level this year.

While watching the Orlando game last Sunday, did anyone notice how much of a man-crush Hubie Brown had on Rondo? And for good reason, as Rajon was the key factor in the Celtics comeback with 6 steals as the the team nearly almost stole a win before the mad Turk brought them down with a carnival shot.

Kendrick Perkins: B

How about Perkins out-dueling his best bud and former teammate Big Al last week? Jefferson was coming off a career night 39 point performance the game before and scored 40 in the game after facing the Celtics. But for the game in between, Perkins’s line was 21 points, 4 boards and 3 blocks versus Jefferson’s 15 points, 5 boards and 2 blocks.

Perkins has turned into old reliable. You know what you’re going to get from him. Occasionally you’ll get a 20 point performance. Occasionally you’ll get minimal points and rebounds with a lot of fouls. But 90% of the time he’ll give you 100% effort in 25 minutes with 7 points, 6 boards and 1.5 blocks. Some say he’s a lumbering big man, others say he’s a backup player, but at the very least you know what you get from him. That kind of consistency holds a lot of weight with his teammates and the coaching staff.

James Posey: A-

Posey missed the first two games of last week with an injured finger. It’s not surprising that the Raptors scored 114 points in his absence and the T-Wolves nearly came away with at win at the Garden without him.

When Posey returned against Orlando, he had the added burden of filling in for an injured Garnett but he was nonetheless able to up his play. He had 16 points and 6 boards while shooting 4-6 from beyond the arc against the Magic. Against Miami, his former team, he had 9 points and 7 boards.

After 43 games in Boston, it’s no surprise to hear the Heat brass regretting letting Posey go. Throughout the season, both Pat Riley and owner Mickey Arison have continued to throw verbal bouquets at the feet of their former player. Perhaps to rub it in, while in Miami, Posey dressed in red and black attire and sporting his 2006 championship bling.

Eddie House: C

Fast Eddie had a poor first three games that some attributed to the contagious flu bug that also infected Scalabrine and Ray. For those three game, House scored a total of 9 points. Against Miami, however, without the services of Ray Allen and Garnett, House heated up again, going 5-9 from deep for a cool 20 points.

If the team signs another point guard over the next three weeks, House will be the one who will lose the most playing time. The team loves his instant offense but may hesitate to play him at the 2 because of the defensive implications.

Tony Allen: B-

Look at the scoring totals for Allen last week – 15 against Toronto, 7 against Minnesota, 2 versus Orlando and 20 against Miami. If Kendrick Perkins is Mr. Consistency then Tony Allen is a box of chocolates. At least his inconsistency is consistent.

Glen “Ticket Stub” Davis: C

The newly named “Ticket Stub” hasn’t seized the opportunity to be the first big man off the bench. In fact, he has lost that honor to Leon Powe, who has been superb recently. Davis is still playing fairly effectively when given minutes (he scored 8 versus Toronto and 7 versus Miami), but Powe has definitely outplayed him over that stretch.

Brian Scalabrine: D

The redhead from Waltham received two starts in the absence of Garnett. His lines:

Orlando – 22 minutes, 1 point, 1 rebound.
Miami – 17 minutes, 2 points, 5 rebounds.

Why is he even starting? I say give the starting PF spot to Powe until Garnett comes and use Davis off the bench. Scalabrine simply doesn’t deserve the time. Plus, his added minutes takes away from the overall towel-waiving efforts from the bench.

Scot Pollard: DNP

4 DNP’s, 1 injured ankle. Pollard’s ankle looks pretty sound on all those guest appearances on Celtics Now. Hey, this guy might be an award winning actor someday! An effective back-up center?…Not so much.

Leon Powe: A+

Powe only saw five minutes in the Toronto game. His minutes then increased to 11 versus the T-wolves, when he scored 7 points and collected 2 boards, thus showing all that he was earning his minutes. Powe’s big break came when Garnett wasn’t able to go against Orlando. Rivers elected to start Scalabrine, but Powe still saw the bulk of the minutes at the 4 and came through with 9 points and 9 boards.

Then, when both Garnett and Ray Allen couldn’t go versus Miami, Powe was given his first start of the year and contributed in 36 minutes of action. And did he ever produce: a team high 25 points and 11 boards.

Powe has established himself as a tenacious rebounded, especially on the offensive boards where the team has been struggling as of late. As noted above, it appears that his efforts have been good enough to supplant Davis as the first big off the bench for the foreseeable future.

Gabe Pruitt: Incomplete

With Rondo coming back from injury last week, Pruitt is back to seeing garbage time only. It also looks like the team is in the market for a point guard with experience so Pruitt may have seen his last significant action two weeks ago.

[Editors Note: FCP would like to offer our deepest condolences to Bob Ryan and his family for their terrible loss. We would offer more words but they would be inadequate and therefore trite. Prayers and sincere well wishes will have to do.]

By Shirley Coshatt

Is it fair to compare to compare this current Celtics team to the one that last won a championship in 1986? Certainly there are similarities between the two teams, most obviously in their win-loss records and the presence of a core “Big Three”. But is the comparison legitimate? We’ll examine both the similarities and differences between these two teams in an attempt to find the answer.

The clearest difference between the two teams comes down to the history of success (or lackthereof, in the case of the present Celtics squad) achieved together. The 1985-86 team entered their season with their starting five intact from the 1984 championship and the 1985 Finals appearance. In addition, the original Big Three had been together since the 1980-81 season when Auerbach traded for Robert Parish and drafted Kevin McHale. Danny Ainge also joined the team in 1981 and a trade brought Dennis Johnson to Boston in 1983. The current version of the Celtics, on the other hand, are all new to each other, with only James Posey possessing a ring among them. Unlike the successful Celtics teams of the 1980’s, the franchise is now starved for success after a 21 year drought from the finals. While the current team seems to have come together quickly and the chemistry has been good, the fact remains that this is their first season together and nothing can match the experience of fighting for a championship together.

The level of compensation, both in terms of sheer dollars and relative to the league salary cap, is another comparison factor to consider. A first glance at the salaries of the players reveals an enormous difference. Larry Bird, who was the highest paid player on the ‘86 team, made a paltry $1,800,000 that season. Kevin Garnett, who is the highest paid player on the current team, is set to make $23,750,000. The total payroll for the 1986 team was $6,560,000 (roughly the same as the combined salaries of Posey and Brian Scalabrine this season) whereas the total salaries for the current team is $74,626,104. While this appears to be a huge difference, a closer look shows that they aren’t all that far apart in relation to the salary cap of the day. The cap for the 1985-’86 season was $4.233 million and the Celtics’ team salary that year was at 1.5 times the cap. This year, salary cap is set at $55.630 million, with the Celtics’ salary at 1.3 times the cap. Therefore, relatively speaking, the 1986 team had a higher payroll in relation to the cap. However, it should be noted that they didn’t have to worry about Luxury Tax back then because that rule wasn’t instituted until 1999 and didn’t go into effect until the ‘02-’03 season.

In terms of home record, it has already been established that the ‘08 Celtics won’t be able to match their ‘86 counterparts in that area. The ‘86 Celtics lost only one game on their home court all season. They suffered their only home loss on December 1st to the Portland Trailblazers who finished the season 40-42. This year’s team has already lost four games in the Garden. Even if they don’t lose another home game all season, they cannot match the home domination of the last championship team.

Looking back one thing that stands out in particular about the 1986 team is that they remained relatively healthy throughout the season. McHale was the only player to miss a significant number of games, missing 14 in total that season. Bird played in every game while Parish missed only one, Ainge two and Dennis Johnson four. This year’s starting five are all well known to play through injuries, yet have nonetheless missed nine games combined. As with Garnett’s abdominal injury, many of the games missed are more precautionary than serious and have been mandated by the coaching staff. Like their ‘86 counterparts, the current team will need to stay healthy in order to win it all.

In terms of age, the averages are similar but the spread of years is disparate. For example, the average age of the starting five 1986 was 29.2 versus 27.6 on the current team, which is skewed downward by the youth of Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins. However, the three stars are older than their 1986 counterparts, with the average age of the 1986 Big Three at 29.7 versus today’s average of 31 years. In short, while slightly older overall, the ages of the 1986 team were more balanced while the current team has the extremes of Ray Allen at 32 and Rondo at 22.

The make up of the two teams is also somewhat similar. Larry Bird and Paul Pierce at the small forward position are the all-around players who can adjust to do whatever their teams need on any given night and who want the ball in the clutch. Garnett and McHale are the premier power forwards who play inside, rebound and block shots, although McHale played more with his back to the basket while Garnett prefers to face the basket more. At center, Parish was more of a scorer than Perkins, averaging 16.1 ppg that season. However, both are enforcers that play mostly in the paint. Ainge and Ray Allen are both scorers and three point threats who can spread the floor and knock down the outside shot. The biggest difference between the teams is at floor general. Dennis Johnson was a veteran point guard who excelled in the half court game while Rondo remains in his second year and plays best in the running game. However, both point guards are/were adept at finding the open man and running the offense.

The biggest similarity between the two teams is found in their records, as both had a 34-8 record after 42 games. Of note, the current Celtics are struggling in January, losing five games in the month so far. The ‘86 Celtics suffered their biggest stumbles in December, losing five games in that month. They went on to finish with a 67-15 record for the year, shooting 51% from the field while allowing 46%. The current Celtics are shooting 47% and allowing 42%, with both teams enjoying a 5% positive differential.

Assuming the current team continues along with its winning ways this season, it seems clear that the comparisons to the 1986 team will persist. In the end, however, the only similarity that matters is the one that involves handing out gaudy rings and raising crisp white banners to the rafters. Only time will tell but, based on the similarities examined above, the signs certainly look good so far.

By Kevin Henkin

I’m not ashamed to say that the Friday night win against the Timberwolves was my favorite of the season. Not because of the superior play of the Celtics or the level of competition they faced, because neither claim would be true, but because of the way the team pulled out the victory. This is exactly the kind of game that the Celtics of last season would have lost, against a team with seasoned veterans who are familiar with answering the call at gut-check time. The Celtics are now the team of veteran savy, and how gratifying it is to be on the other side of that equation again. Anyway, I was fortunate to witness the game in person and came away with the following stream-of-consciousness observations as the game progressed:

Pre-Game

Gerald Green spends the vast majority of shoot-around gabbing with Marko Jaric, Ryan Gomes and Cedric Maxwell. After all, slam dunk champions don’t need warm-up shooting drills.

During the line-up announcements for the Timberwolves, it goes as follows: Sebastian Telfair is met with a fair amount of booing and grousing whereas Ryan Gomes receives a strong cheer and Al Jefferson is given a standing ovation. Sounds about right to me.

First Quarter

The former Celtics start out fast out of the gate. Jefferson scores 8 quick points before sitting with 2 fouls while Telfair and Gomes combine for 10 points. There is much hooting and hollering by the Timberwolves cast after baskets while the Celtics go about their business in a far more reserved fashion.

The end-of-quarter results show that the Timberwolves shot 63.2% from the field, although only 2 of 6 from international waters. Of particular concern is that the Wolves shot 10-13 from within the arc. It seems very unlikely that they’ll keep up at this pace. Right? I’m a little concerned by the play of both teams at this point. This has “embarrassing upset at home” written all over it.

Second Quarter

Leon Powe starts the quarter and is the quick recipient of two sneaky passes by Pierce out of the double team, converting on dunks and filling the Perkins role of “ignored big man” quite nicely.

During a time-out, the Celtics dancers arrive on court wearing their black leather pants outfits. The crowd immediately stops talking and stares in rapt silence. From my vantage point, I did not see one person speak during the performance. When the dancers arrive on the court wearing these particular outfits, in the words of Eddie Murphy, “the fish stop swimming.”

Tony Allen appears mobile and is aggressive on an attack to the basket. Subsequent possessions show a tamer TA in his approach to the lane, which means he’s still tentative with the knee. What I’ve noticed primarily about Allen is this: When he’s on offense with the ball and surrounded by aggressive defenders, he still looks cautious. However, on defense, he’ll shock you by his elevation by grabbing a rebound high above the other players. This happens several times over the course of the game. I can’t climb into the mind of Tony Allen but based on that observation, it seems clear that his knee is sound and at this point, the remainder of his recovery will remain on the mental side of things. Not a newsflash, just some food for thought.

Craig Smith comes into the game, looking, um…large. Actually, he looks like he just ate Al Skinner. He’s obviously on the Kedrick Brown diet plan.

Third Quarter

Jefferson throws a nifty triple pivot move at Garnett and converts a tough basket. Kind of reminded me of Kevin McHale. Hmmm…

It’s good to see that Gerald Green still has that selective crazy glue stuck firmly to his hands. The glue apparently prevents him from releasing the ball horizontally to any teammates but rather only vertically in the direction of the basket.

Fourth Quarter

Before the quarter begins, the “on-court entertainment” consists of a three-way dance competition. First up is a reserved matronly woman who does not fare well with the crowd. Next up is a heavy gentleman with some fairly deft and creative moves. In my experience, fat guys are always the favorite in these types of competitions. Crowds love watching fat guys dance. However, an attractive young woman grinds her way to a remarkable upset victory.

Tony Allen attacks the basket again but it’s difficult to assess his lift because Craig Smith aggressively grabs him in the lane and tries to eat him.

The Celtics are still losing and looking flat but the crowd remains upbeat. The game has a definite Scooby Doo feel to it. In other words, the gang suffers a usual minor scare but they rally at the end and inevitably come out on top. Those watching are rarely worried about any harm coming to the gang in question. Yeah, it’s like that. At least until…

Kevin Garnett leaves the court due to an abdominal strain with 6:19 to play and the Celtics down 75-69. Worry of a loss officially creeps into the building.

With the Celtics down by three, they get away with missed calls on traveling violations on the same possession before Ray Allen nearly drains a three that would have tied it. It would have been a proverbial back-breaker for the T-Wolves had the shot gone down. Alas.

After another Timberwolves basket, I utter five words I thought I would never hear myself say: “Sebastian Telfair is killing us!”

Garnett returns with 2:19 to go and the Celtics down by 6. The crowd erupts.

37.5 seconds to go and down by 3, the Celtics have the ball coming out of a timeout. During the timeout, I see many people singing along enthusiastically to “Living on a Prayer” and observe that tense, tight ball games apparently cause people to like Bon Jovi.

After a wild melee under the basket, Pierce makes a put-back to bring the Celtics within 1 but the possession has used up too much time, leaving 23.2 to go. Barring a miracle, the Celtics will need to foul and hope for either a miss or a subsequent tying three pointer.

The Timberwolves commit a five second violation trying to inbound the ball. Euphoria ensues and the Celtics call a timeout. “Footloose” blares on the PA system. I observe that tense, tight ball games do not cause people to like Kenny Loggins.

You know the rest. Perkins cleans up Ray Allen’s lay up miss. Garnett schools Sebastian Telfair. The crowd goes bonkers upon the defeat of the team with the worst record in basketball. It doesn’t matter. On their way off the court, a frustrated group of Timberwolves grouse that they would have gotten away with a win if it wasn‘t for that meddling Kevin Garnett. Alas, the Scooby Doo ending, indeed.

By Shirley Coshatt

After the Celtics lost to the Bobcats, there were initial rumblings of concern over the team’s lack of intensity and the fact that they’d lost to an inferior team. Then, they lost to the Wizards and those rumblings grew a little louder. Then they lost a second time to the Wizards, on home court no less, and those rumblings officially elevated into grumblings. At that point, the team had lost three of their last four and for the first time had lost two in a row. This new trend of losing suddenly spawned a series of doom and gloom articles that popped up everywhere in sight. The Celtics are vulnerable. The Big Three look tired. They are wearing down. Their championship dreams are slipping away. Seemingly everyone had revolutionary theories on how to fix the ailing Celtics.

A look at history, however, shows that there is no need to panic. There is no need to make big moves to fix the Celtics because they are not broken. Rather, they are simply following a normal course of an 82 game season. When a team starts out as quickly as the Celtics did, it puts a bulls-eye on their backs and teams begin aiming for them They are actively scouted and teams make adjustments with the sole goal of beating the Celtics.

As for their championship hopes slipping away, a look at past champions shows that there is nothing to worry about. For example, check out last year’s Spurs, who after 42 games had a 29-13 record. They had their first back-to-back losses in November of that season and then suffered three and two game losing streaks in January. As for losing to teams they should have beaten, the Spurs notably lost to the Celtics in San Antonio last season for the first time since they drafted Tim Duncan. Enough said.

The prior champion, the 2005-06 Miami Heat, had a 25-17 record after 42 games. Unlike the Celtics’ fast start, they lost 3 of their first 5 games. They then lost 3 out of 4 games in late November, then another four in a row in early December. They lost two other back-to-backs in January and finished with a pedestrian 52-30 record for the season.

A look at the 2004-05 Spurs shows that they fared better than most with a 33-9 record after 42 games. However, even they had 2 two-game losing streaks in late November and early December and lost 2 out of 4 in January. For the season, they finished with 23 losses.

The 2003-04 Pistons were 29-13 after 42 games. They had their first 3 game losing streak in November and had a four game losing steak in December, then lost 3 of 4 later that month. They then went on a 13 game winning streak and followed that with a 3 game losing streak in late January. What sticks out the most, however, is the startling (in retrospect) stretch in February where they lost 6 in a row and 8 out of 9. I guess even a 6 game losing streak in February isn’t the end of the world, although judging by the recent reaction around here to the 2 game losing streak, six consecutive losses would have some clamoring for their closest bridges.

Finally, let’s go all the way back to the Celtics’ last championship team from 1985-86, who finished 67-15. They were 34-8 after 42 games, which is pretty close to this year’s edition. But even that team, which is considered by many to be one of the greatest in NBA history, lost 4 of 6 in their January stretch. This included the infamous Christmas day massacre in which the Celtics blew a 25 point lead and lost to the Knicks in overtime.

The Celtics are now back to their winning ways, but chances are, they are going to suffer a few more losing streaks over the course of their long season. During those rough patches, it’s important to remember that even the best teams suffer their fair share of ups and downs. Bearing all of the above in mind, the next time the Celtics hit a few bumps in the road, don’t get too wrapped up in the negative hype. Instead, take comfort in the history of past winners, stay off those ledges and enjoy the season, losses and all.

By Mike Martin

Tony Allen should be playing more minutes.

I am not panicking. I am not crazy. With Allen, you pretty much have to make those disclaimers up front after leading off with a sentence like that.

Yes, I see all the other stuff he does out there too. Fouls of jump shooters after the barest of up fakes. The crossover dribble turnover in traffic that you can see coming two passes before he gets the ball. And a new favorite for this season, the dribble where his hand just misses the ball on the way up and it flies up over his head like he’s a third grader losing focus as he dribbles through the cones.

But as of right now, this Celtics team needs Tony Allen or someone like him to produce in some bigger minutes, and until some other move is made you may as well play TA. Not just because they don’t have anyone else, but because he contributes in ways that are easily obscured by some of his questionable decision-making (and at this point we’re not talking about bar brawls or post-whistle dunks).

To the surprise of many, the Celtics’ calling card this year has been their defense. Credit has largely gone to Kevin Garnett, with a side order of Xs and Os from Tom Thibodeau. But defense in the modern NBA requires five guys working together to help and recover, expending effort to rotate, challenge shots and clean the boards. A key piece to this puzzle has been James Posey, a savvy veteran who knows his way around on the defensive end, and someone to whom Tony Allen is invariably compared and found wanting.

But lost in those comparisons is the fact that Posey’s value has been heightened because of the team’s ability to play him as a power forward. Posey can play physical enough to force a stalemate down low, but is more mobile than the traditional plodders that play the position. As illustrated by Shawn Marion in Phoenix, the modern NBA rewards the small forward who can defend bigger guys on the defensive end and cause matchup problems by spreading the floor on offense. If the Celtics had to play Posey for big minutes at the wing position they would lose all of these potential benefits. As the team’s primary wing sub, Allen allows Doc Rivers to work Posey’s matchup advantage to its greatest effect.

Similarly, a more consistent contribution from Allen would solidify the point guard position as well, at least on the defensive end. Rajon Rondo has exceeded expectations on offense, hitting the open jumpers more often than not and providing a faster pace that has been sorely missing during his absence over the last week. However, on the defensive end his reputation has exceeded his effectiveness. He is excellent off the ball gambling for steals in the passing lanes. But in terms of stopping opposing point guards Romdo has been far from the “beast” that Peter May described him to be in a column earlier this week.

Rondo’s highest profile difficulty has been with Chauncey Billups, but both T.J. Ford and Jameer Nelson have also had extremely productive games against Rondo and the Celtics, which is distressing considering they play for the three primary contenders in the East. Allen allows for a change of pace in defending at the lead guard slot, a bigger player who won’t be muscled into the post but can still hang with a dribbler. The point guards rumored to be on the buyout market (Stoudamire, Cassell, etc) are all undersized and/or poor defenders, so this happens to be one role that the Celtics won’t be able to fill better than with the guy they have now.

On offense, Allen’s contribution is less immediately evident, but no less important. The one thing this Celtics team is short on is players that can create offense by getting to the rim. Right now, Pierce, Rondo and TA are the only players who can draw help and create openings. Without one of them on the floor the offense is stagnant, with a bunch of standstill shooters and reluctant post players all making a halfhearted fake, taking a tentative dribble, and passing the ball to the next guy for the same routine. While Allen has been anything but efficient, there have been games like the game at the Lakers a few weeks ago where he was the primary catalyst for a very productive offense.

So what am I asking for? More consistent minutes. Minutes at the expense of Eddie House, who I otherwise love. Minutes at crunch time of a regular season game against a middling team when you’d otherwise want better free throw shooters on the floor. Minutes at point guard when he’s dribbling like the ball is covered with broken glass, no matter how many years it takes off Tommy Heinsohn’s life to watch it.

I’d say this for anyone in Allen’s position. The team has established that it’s going to be among the league leaders at the end of the year. They should treat the regular season like the Spurs do: a shakedown cruise in January and February that leads to the team peaking at the right time in April and May (and June). Now is the time to give guys like TA more minutes than they really deserve, so long as it’s for the greater good of the team.

Monday’s loss to the Wizards was a case in point. During the first half of the fourth quarter the Celtics were playing ugly offense, as the Wizards extended the defensive pressure to take advantage of Allen and House’s weak handles. The Cs couldn’t get a play started before 13 seconds were left on the shot clock, but they scraped together a few hoops and in the meantime they were clamping down on defense like they had in so many wins this year. They went on a 14-4 run and a minute or two later Ray Allen came in for Tony. That was a prime opportunity to leave TA in, not only to keep the defensive effort strong but also to give Allen some minutes learning how to play with a lead in crunch time.

But leaving aside those points, for Allen there is even more reason to feed him all the playing time he can handle. In each of Allen’s first three years there has been a period at the beginning of the season where he has struggled. Then at some point a switch is flipped and suddenly Allen is playing like you had always wanted him to (and never thought he would again).

Last year was a prime example. Much like this year he was coming off an injury, and at first he seemed uncomfortable with the limitations on his previously high flying game. But then in December he started playing very consistent ball, ending his season with 14 consecutive double digit scoring games. Revisionist historians recall this burst as being driven by Pierce’s absence, but in fact Allen averaged 18.5 ppg in the 4 games before Pierce got hurt.

There’s no way anyone can know whether Allen will ever regain the lift that made him a special talent in his rookie year. But a wise investment in minutes now could result in the team having a more confident player able to fill needed roles come playoff time.

It just won’t be easy on the eyes.

By Mike Brilliant

I guess the proverbial “Bump in the road” had to come at some point. That said, I thought it might come on the prolonged road trip in Texas or when Pierce or Garnett would be nursing injuries. I also didn’t expect the Celtics’ offense to struggle so mightily or their crunch time defense to revert back to the 2006-2007 version. Bearing in mind the 1-3 record last week, the grades will not be pretty. Remember, all grades are relevant to how the team has been playing so far this season….

Coach Doc Rivers: C

The offense was the biggest problem during this past week. The Celtics scored 83, 86, 78 and 83 points the past four games after only scoring less than 86 in two of the first thirty-two contests. The offense has recently become reliant on taking threes without Rondo running the offense. This isn’t a bad thing when you shoot 40% from 3’s (like in the first 30 games) but during this stretch the Celtics shot just 30% (25-83). And, to make matters worse, 30% of their field goal attempts have been 3’s. In response, Rivers needs to stress more ball movement and fast break opportunities to facilitate the offense. Even giving Gabe Pruitt a shot at running the point seems essential until Rondo’s back and the hamstrings are fully healed.

Without a true point guard most of the week, turnovers were also a major problem. The team averaged over 16 turnovers in this stretch and it seems like they have occurred at the most inopportune times.

Lastly, Rivers also needs to enlist Clifford Ray to run a boxing out refresher course. What has happened to the Celts rebounding lately?

Paul Pierce: C+

Pierce averaged 16 points, 6 rebounds and 4.5 assists in the last four games, all below his season averages. He also had two games where he turned the ball over 5 and 6 times, which is much too high considering the offense has been flowing through him more with House and Allen manning the point. I was also left to wonder what has happened to Pierce using his 230lb body to drive to the hoop and get to the line? This is a Paul Pierce staple. He only shot 17 free throws this week yet he managed to jack up 19 threes, many of the ill-advised variety. For any meaningful stretch, Paul Pierce simply cannot be shooting more threes than free throws. It’s just not beneficial for the Celts. On the plus side, Pierce has maintained his strong defensive efforts. All of the players he covered this week scored below their average with the exception of Jason Richardson, who was silly hot in that game.

Kevin Garnett B-

KG averaged 21.5 points, 8.5 boards and 3.75 dimes on 52% shooting. The number that stands out the most for me is 8.5 boards. Garnett’s season average has dipped below double digits for the first time all year. For the sake of perspective, he hasn’t averaged below 11.4 rebounds in a season since 1998-99. I thought Garnett’s scoring output would definitely take a hit playing with the Celtics this year but I also thought his reign of four straight rebounding titles would continue in Boston. Why isn’t he averaging around 13 a game with no established rebounders on this team? I don’t get it.

Ray Allen: D

Is this the broken down 32 year old, 13 year veteran that NBA scribes were talking about when the Celtics traded for Ray Allen on draft night? It sure seems like it of late.
Allen averaged 13 points in 3 games this past week. He missed the Charlotte game with a pinched neck. Unfortunately, when he came back, he didn’t play very well and was frequently subbed out in favor of Tony Allen. Is it time for the team to rest Allen for an extended period of time (a la Curt Schilling)? Or is that not the issue? Regardless, shooting 41% on the season has to change. After all, they call it “Shooting Guard” for a reason.

Rajon Rondo: Nice try

Rondo came back from injury to play in 2 ½ games this week. Of course, he injured his back during an awkward fall on the lower step under the basket in New Jersey. Then we find out the hamstring problem that kept him out of the Lakers game, is still hanging around. One of the biggest questions before the season was if Rondo could live up to playing with three all-stars. Rondo was deemed by many to be the “weak link”. Ironically enough, Celtics Nation is now asking the question: “How does the team survive with Rondo out?” He is the facilitator of the offense. He starts the break and penetrates often, hitting the floater with more and more consistency. Rondo also rebounds well for a point guard which frequently helps to start the break.

Kendrick Perkins: C

Perkins is just the hard working big guy that gets lost in the shuffle and limelight that comes with a 30-6 start. Regardless, he must continue to rebound and play defense effectively. He had two games with rebounding totals of 4 and 3, which is simply unacceptable for a starting center playing serious minutes. There is no reason that Perkins shouldn’t be pulling down at least 7 boards a game except in the cases of injury or foul trouble. Even thought the statistics don’t overwhelmingly prove it, it sure seemed like Brendan Haywood outplayed Perkins in both Washington games. I agree that Haywood has lost some weight and has definitely improved since being drafted out of UNC, but Perkins still needs to take this match-up 9 out of 10 times.

James Posey: B-

Posey played like his usual super-sub the first two games of the week against Charlotte and New Jersey. He received extended minutes (35 and 30) with the absence of Ray Allen and then Rondo. Unfortunately, he then tailed off both games against the Wizards with averages of 5.5 pts, 1.5 boards and 1.5 assists. If the team is going to continue to struggle on the boards, Posey needs to step it up. At 6’8” and generally playing against 2’s and 3’s, Posey will almost always have the height and strength advantage.

Eddie House: C-

House picked exactly the wrong time to lose his shooting touch. He shot 32% for the week, but more importantly, he received extended minutes with Rondo being hurt, which further magnified the impact of his poor shooting. As with any pure shooter, there are going to be stretches during the season where he struggles. However, considering his defensive limitations and the fact that it takes him ten seconds to set the offense, then he must hit those open shots to be at all effective.

Tony Allen: D

Doesn’t it seem that T.A. can never be just steady? He’s always either spectacular or sub par. There’s never an in-between. He played so well versus the Lakers a few weeks back, but with extended minutes since then, he hasn’t come through. He has problems bringing the ball up court because he can’t dribble, and he continues to take 20+ footer jumpers even though he can’t shoot particularly well. Let’s make this point clear. Tony Allen is definitely not the solution at point. However, with Ray Allen and Rondo hurting, Rivers will be forced to continue to give T.A. the minutes.

Big Baby Davis: C-

Big Baby saw action in three games this week. One was what we come to expect – against New Jersey, he had 7 points and 4 boards. However, in both games against Washington, he was a big waste of space, totaling 2 points and 0 boards. Considering the team’s recent struggles on the boards, this should be Davis’ chance to become a permanent fixture in the rotation. He’s just got to earn it with some greater consistency.

Brian Scalabrine: C-

Besides Leon Powe, Scalabrine has turned into the last guy off the bench. Maybe his 31% shooting has something to do with it. Hmmm…The only reason he gets a C is for that jiggy where-the-hell-did-that-come-from dunk against the Wizards.

Scot Pollard: D

Pollard only played against the Bobcats. In 10 minutes he got 1 board and 1 block. The Celtics are going to need a bit more production from Pollard when he gets into games like this.

Leon Powe: Incomplete

4 games. 4 DNP-CD’s.

Gabe Pruitt: Incomplete

Played 31 seconds in the Nets game. I have a feeling that Pruitt will start to see more minutes as the backup PG if Rondo’s ailments persist. With an 11 game lead in the division and a 4 game lead in the loss column within the conference, this is the time to see what the rookie can do. If he performs, then great, we have our backup/3rd PG. If not, it’s time to see what Danny Ainge can get on the waiver/trade/buyout market.

By Tom Lambert

The man on the television appeared to have aged dramatically since we’d last seen him. Just how old is this famous person, we wondered aloud?

“I’m going to say sixty two,” said one of my friends.

“No, I think he’s sixty” said another.

Eventually, we decided to settle the debate as gentlemen, and four dollar bills were placed on the bar. Guesses ranging from 58 to 63 were placed. I had the low number of 58, which was determined in true Price is Right fashion. I quickly pulled consulted my blackberry for the answer and was stunned by the result.

George Howard Brett was born on May 15, 1953, which makes him 54 years old. Always a fan and media favorite, Brett was being interviewed while attending a basketball game last night. We all marveled at how much he had aged over the last few years and then speculated on the cause of his accelerated wear and tear. Was it booze, floozies or some other fast and regrettable lifestyle that had aged the silver slugger so quickly? Or maybe it the well-publicized bouts of hemorrhoids that did him in? Unfortunately, this subject (aging, not hemorrhoids) acted as a smooth segue into a debate of the play of Ray Allen. Much like Brett, Ray Allen is a terrific offensive player as well as a fan and media favorite. Unfortunately, the similarities don’t end there. But before I present my case, a quick aside:

The initial plan was for me to write this column about attending my first game of the season. I would comment on the atmosphere and how it has changed as opposed to the last few years. I was not twenty feet from the mouth of the Green Line when the changes were abundantly clear and in evidence. By my count, there were nine scalpers standing and chirping along Causeway Street, which obviously represents a dramatic change from years past when there were maybe one or two sad looking guys making the rounds. Speaking of those guys, I always found it funny that they would always stand near the “Jesus Saves” guy. It was almost as if they were in business together. And maybe, in a sense, they were because one would wonder about the most assuredly damned soul of someone who would actually purchase a scalped ticket last year. Anyway, there really isn’t a need to speak any further about the changed atmosphere. You can turn on ESPN and wait for the Denny Green Coors Light commercial to get my feelings on the subject. For me, the play of Ray Allen was more compelling than the surrounding atmosphere. Specifically, I came away truly amazed that, almost halfway through the season, we have a shooting guard that shoots this poorly. Here are some numbers to illustrate the point:

Player A-
FG%.411
3pt%.367
PPG-17.6

Player B-
FG%.424
3pt%-.388
PPG-17.8

Player A, as you probably guessed is Ray Allen. Player B is none other than George Brett, last year at the YMCA. Just kidding. Actually, Player B is Dominique Wilkins in 1994-95, his lone season with the Celtics. It was a season that has become a derisive punch line to many Celtics fans over the years. It serves as a litmus test of failed Celtics’ signings. And the scary part is that the Celtics didn’t owe Wilkins $34 million for the next two years like they do with Allen. The reasons for Allen’s decline so far have been well documented. That’s the beauty of being a media favorite. Anyone that watches this team realizes the guy is not 100%. Effort is not the issue and neither is character. No, the sad realization is that Ray Allen is a lot older than his age states and will likely not become a lot healthier over the course of the long season.

That is not to say that he can or will not rebound this year or next. In 1984, at the Age of 31, George Brett hit .284 with an OBP .344 while appearing in 104 games. In 1985 he rebounded to hit a career high in home runs while hitting .335 and winning his only gold glove. We can hope that Ray rebounds the same way, although unfortunately, it won’t likely be this year.

To our bakers dozen of loyal readers out there, consider this to be an open invitation to write for Full Court Press. We need passionate articulate followers of the Celtics who are interested in writing the occasional piece for no pay and little glory. What I can offer you in return (at least until we start making some money) is guidance and hands-on experience in the world of freelance writing as well as a built-in readership that comes along with the association with Bruce Allen’s successful Boston Sports Media blog. Also, we need girls and we’re not ashamed to admit it. To clarify, there aren’t many women bloggers out there covering the Celtics and we would love to be the site that adds their voices into the mix. Regardless of your gender, however, experience is not necessary. That’s what editors (me) are for. Much like when Dick Vermeil held open tryouts for the Philadelphia Eagles in the mid-seventies, I expect some fat guys wearing capes to show up to audition. This is fine with me. In my humble opinion, there’s nothing better than fat guys wearing capes acting jolly and mucking up the works. Anyway, if you want your Celtics-related thoughts to be digested by the smartest readers on the entire web, reach out to me by sending an e-mail to Kevin@bostonsportsmedia.com. I look forward to hearing from you.

By Kevin Henkin

See, here’s what occurs to me about the Celtics or, specifically, about covering and rooting for them: Despite the rough weekend, things have never been so good. Not for my generation anyway. Following the surprising second loss in three games against inferior competition, I recalled a moment from my youth during the early-to-mid eighties. I had woken up on a Saturday morning to find that the Celtics had suffered the second of rare back-to-back losses out on a West coast swing. Looking up from the paper in disgust, I muttered something to the effect that the Celtics “sucked”.

I’ll never forget the look of astonishment on my father’s face. It must have taken him a moment to realize that for as long as I had been rooting for the Celtics, they had always been exceptional, always been a contender. As far as I knew things, Larry Bird, Robert Parish & Co. had always been there chalking up a steady stream of wins. As a result, I completely lacked the perspective to understand what a couple of unexpected mid-season losses meant, which is to say: not much.

Having learned that valuable lesson long ago, I advise you to erase these losses from the memory banks as quickly as possible. Chalk them up to fatigue or perhaps a bit of a timely karma reality check. Perhaps people will now quit all those useless speculations about the team’s chances of surpassing 72 wins and remember that the regular season serves most usefully as a qualifier for the playoffs. By now we already know that barring a Garnett injury, this team will glide to a division title in its sleep. In the meantime, they’ll certainly try to win every game they play but will also understand the greater importance of keeping their key players healthy and rested while otherwise continuing the learning process together and sorting out who else can contribute under various circumstances.

For the rest of us who love the team and the sport of basketball, it all remains ever so compelling, even on a daily basis. Think of all the storylines to follow. Will Tony Allen ever stabilize and evolve? Is Big Baby the real deal as a draft night steal? Is Garnett’s gravitational force on the team’s intensity sustainable? Will Kendrick Perkins eventually snap and go gladiator on a slew of terrified opponents? All of the above sure beats watching another year of Paul Pierce aging through his prime in misery while Bassy Telfair and Gerald Green continue to not get it.

As for the rest of this season, I hope we can all take a collective step back from placing so much grave importance on these regular season games. Leave that useless hysteria for the new generation Red Sox fans. The Detroit game? Yeah, that mattered because it served as a litmus test of whether the newly constructed Celtics could stand up to the uber-battled-tested and long assembled Pistons. A disappointing yet meaningless loss to the Wizards? Ummmm…not so much.

To reiterate: 30-5. An .857 winning percentage. Front-runners for home court advantage throughout the playoffs. And as if life couldn’t get any better, those guys who somehow beat the Celtics a couple nights ago? They have the misfortune of having to face them again immediately thereafter on the parquet floor. And you thought Garnett looked irritable during nine game winning streaks? Pass the popcorn, boyos. This ought to be good.

To pass the time until the Celtics can redeem themselves on Friday against the Nets, I offer the following abbreviated version of Quotable Quotes:

“You never know. Some teams can jell quickly. I thought that they would take longer to jell, but they’ve proved everybody wrong. They’re really, really good.”
-Shane Battier before the Rockets’ loss to Boston

“Everybody glorifies their Big Three scoring. You [also] have to glorify the defensive side of basketball for them.”
-Rafer Alston before that same Rockets loss

“They look at us, it’s crazy, but as much publicity that they’ve gotten, they’re looking at us like we’re the big dog, And that’s validation of that; when they win a game like that they go crazy like it’s the Super Bowl.”
-Chauncey Billups, reflecting two days after the Detroit loss to Boston

“They were so good. We just really, really started to dislike — not dislike — close to hate (them). It would just make me sick to see Bird do what he was able to do as a basketball player. And as it went on, it got more intense and more intense, and then we ended up with all of the things that happened. You know, slugging each other, all of that sort of thing, and some fights. That went on because of the rivalry. It was pretty brutal at that time”
-Former Coach Chuck Daly on the Celtics-Pistons Rivalry in the 1980’s.

“We still look at Detroit as the cream of the crop in the Eastern Conference, and I’m pretty sure that they don’t look past us as being one of the top teams in the Western Conference.”
-Jerry Stackhouse on the Pistons, following Detroit’s loss to Boston

“Why the hell can’t they stop Nazr Mohammed?!”
-Kevin Henkin, shouting to no one in particular during the Celtics perplexing loss to the Charlotte Bobcats