Full Court Press: 1/12/05
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 Cs 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, thats the bad news, and Im glad to have it out of the way. Those two are holdovers from the OBrien era, which most of us now know was overrated in terms of its success. Lets 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 Cs 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.
