Stand Tall, Stand Strong

Posted by Randolph Charlotin May 4, 2008 at 5:22 pm

The most important play of the game might had been a foul called on Kevin Garnett. I’m refering to his pick of Zaza Pachulia that dropped Atlanta’s big man better than a UFC knockout punch.

It’s not about retaliation, even though from that perspective, it was gratifying to watch. It’s more about what it says about Garnett and the example he set for his teammates.

That pick showed toughness from Garnett I’m not familiar with him showing. It’s one thing about being resilient, but it’s another thing to fight back.

The Celtics did the right thing following Marvin Williams’ flagrant foul of Rajon Rondo. They didn’t get into a confrontation with Williams and his teammates. What the C’s did was file that play away in the back of their minds and remembered it. The best way to get back at the Hawks was to make a bad beating even worse. The first statement was Ray Allen, who was cold all day, hitting a three following Rondo’s free throws.

But Garnett’s pick was the exclamation point. That was showing he won’t back down to a team that gets rough. If opponents can dish it, Garnett will dole it out as well.

A lot of noise was made when New Orleans forward David West tapped Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki on the face during the playoffs with Dirk did nothing in return. Nothing. Dirk didn’t even stand up for himself at that moment. As the leader, it set a bad example. His teammates saw that and felt Nowitzki wouldn’t have their backs if they got into a confrontation.

But Garnett got payback for Rondo by putting a little extra into his body check of Pachulia. It’s like in baseball when the pitcher hits a batter after a teammate was plunked. It says, “I’m there for you.” With KG setting the standard, the rest of the Celts understand their responsibility to stand up for each other when they have the opportunity.

This is playoff basketball. There will be hard fouls, cheap shots, and non-calls. It’s expected. This is not the time to turn the other cheek. The Celtics have to be willing and able to return the favor to let opponents know that they won’t back down.

Remember what happened after Kevin McHale clotheslined Kurt Rambis during the 1984 Finals against the Lakers? LA dominated the Celts in game three. After McHale’s hard foul, the game and series turned around. The Celtics won the game in overtime and tied the series. In game five, the Celts blew out the Lakers and ultimately won the series and championship in seven games. Hopefully Garnett’s pick has a similar effect on the team.

Cleveland won’t give up the lane when they come to Boston. The Celtics must make the Cavs earn it as well. Round two will be like a street fight. The Celtics won’t beat the Cavs unless they throw punches of their own.

Can I Get an “E” For Execution?

Posted by Mike Giardi May 3, 2008 at 10:19 am

Put simply, that was about as an atrocious display of late-game execution as you will see, short of watching the Washington Generals. Seven seconds to get off a shot, and the best you can do is a 26-footer from Rajon. This, after not a single pass? Awful.

But lest you think that was the only egregious error by the C’s, fear not my friends, there were plenty more. How does Paul Pierce get a technical - at that stage of the game - following his 6th foul? Was it a good foul call? No, but he did foul Zaza. Don’t compound that with an emotional reaction. “The Truth” is, Pierce continues to lose his composure at the most inopportune time. That’s not befitting a captain.

Ray Allen didn’t have his stroke going, so with the C’s needing a two to tie in the closing minute, he fires up an off-balance three. I mean, for a craftsman like that to hurry a shot without having his feet even pointed in the direction of the basket…what the heck is that?

The “Big Ticket” doesn’t escape either. The knock has been that KG is too unselfish in big games. Twice in the final 5 minutes, he had open looks within an 8-to-10 foot radius of the hoop and passed up shots for tougher ones from teammates. Can someone, anyone, take hold of this team? Lose once to Atlanta? Okay. Twice…well, if Bob Ryan says it can happen, then so be it, it can happen. But three defeats to a team that had 29 less wins than you did in the regular season? It would be hard to explain if we hadn’t witnessed the entire debacle with our own eyes.

Do th C’s survive tomorrow afternoon and advance to Round 2? Yes, but the point is, they’ve done nothing to make us believe that amazing regular season is carrying over to the postseason, and anything less than a trip to the NBA Finals is a massive disappointment. Seems like the Celts have been playing with that weight on their shoulders, at least thru the first 6 with Atlanta.

Celtics Fans: No Need to Worry

Posted by Craig Kolodny April 30, 2008 at 1:05 pm

There’s definitely a lot of angst in Boston tonight as the Celtics head into Game 5 against the upstart Hawks. There was never supposed to even be a Game 5. And then after Atlanta won Game 3, tonight’s game was viewed as a chance to win the series on home soil. Oh how things have changed.  After tonight, Celtics fans probably don’t want to see the Celts on the parquet until Game 1 of the next round. Win Game 5, take Game 6 on the road, and we’ll pretend this series never happened.

And I’m here to tell you that is exactly what’s going to happen. Yes, I’ve seen Games 3 and 4. There’s no way Joe Johnson could do that again. But I also saw Games 1 and 2 in Boston. The Hawks had no chance in the Garden. The green team only lost 6 times at home all season. Kevin Garnett and company have come too far to go and mess it all up in round 1. We’ve already had enough 1 vs 8 drama in the postseason around these parts (I’m talking about the Bruins in case you forgot).

I’ve heard from enough people that now is the time to panic, and all I can do is laugh. Yes, the series shouldn’t have gone this far, but unlike the Super Bowl, this is a 7 game series and most of the time, the better team will prevail. The Celtics were 29 games better than the Hawks this year, and it will show over the next few games. Boston makes a statement tonight in another double digit win at the Garden, and everyone around here will be singing a different tune, anticipating a (probable) showdown with LeBron and the Cavs.    

C’s Suspensions Looming?

Posted by Mike Giardi April 29, 2008 at 11:06 am

This will be hard for Celtics fans to swallow, but so be it. Kevin Garnett and Kendrick Perkins should be suspended for their actions in last night’s Game 4 loss. The Perkins thing is a no-brainer. He left the bench. That’s an NBA no-no. So he should expect to be in a suit tomorrow night when the series resumes at the Garden.

As for “The Big Ticket,” it is difficult to determine intent. If Garnett thought he was being restrained by a teammate, then fighting out of the hold is understandable. But that doesn’t get him off the hook. You can’t do that to a ref. Period. End of story. And KG knows that. As a leader, as a “do as I do, do as I say,” player, Garnett allowed his emotions get the better of him, and there can be no excuse for even putting himself in that situation.

Now take a look at the bigger pitcure. The C’s have allowed the Hawks to get under their skin, and have made this a series. Anyone else surprised? Shocked? Hard to predict this, that’s for sure. Tomorrow night, you’d expect the Green Teamers to respond - whether or not they’re missing two starters from the lineup - but then again, you thought that would happen last night. To say this is disappointing would be an understatement. The C’s are now faced with adversity, maybe for the first time all season. Quite frankly, its too soon for this.

Celtics beat Hawks 96-77 to go up 2-0 in series

Posted by Boston.com -- Boston Celtics news April 23, 2008 at 11:00 pm Kevin Garnett had 19 points and 10 rebounds, and Rajon Rondo added 12 points, eight assists and six rebounds to lead Boston to a 96-77 victory over Atlanta on Wednesday night and a 2-0 lead in the first-round series.

It’s Time For Garnett to Shine

Posted by Craig Kolodny April 17, 2008 at 12:37 pm

A little over a week ago, I wrote on how Kevin Garnett should be the NBA’s MVP this year. No, I haven’t changed my mind in that time frame, but we’re now approaching the time of the year where KG has typically faltered. Most say the intensity with which Garnett plays with every day eventually catches up with him come postseason play. KG has been in the playoffs 8 times previously and only advanced past the first round ONCE. Is this a cause for concern?

I know, I know, he never quite had the talent surrounding him like he does as the Celtics enter Game 1 Sunday vs Atlanta. I don’t think there’s anyway the green team loses the series to the Hawks. In fact, Atlanta probably doesn’t even win a game. But I’m looking down the road. After leading the greatest turnaround in league history, there’s a lot of pressure on KG now. Expectations have skyrocketed for a franchise that hasn’t seen a legitimate title contender in 20 years or so. If Celtics fans expect to see banner number 17 come June, Garnett must assert himself (read: be selfishly aggressive down low) as the go-to guy against the rest of the league’s elite. If he doesn’t, not only will the Celtics not reach their ultimate goal, but there will always be people out there capable of saying he was just a great regular season player. Garnett may have the most pressure of anyone in the playoffs, but I expect him to shoulder that until the NBA finals at a minimum.

Who’s the MVP?

Posted by Craig Kolodny April 9, 2008 at 11:41 am

There’s a lot of debate among NBA pundits on who should win the NBA MVP award this season. Should it be Chris Paul or Kevin Garnett? Some might include Kobe Bryant or LeBron James in this conversation, but right now I’m just looking to compare the two best options in my mind. Let’s break it down.

Most would agree Paul has clearly done the most with the least, but don’t knock the talent around him. David West is a legit player in this league (just ask Celtics fans), Peja Stojakovic gives them a viable 3 point option (a la Ray Allen), and Tyson Chandler is averaging more rebounds a game than Garnett. Combine that with energy guys off the bench, and you have the makings of a pretty good team (54 wins to this point). Just for the sake of throwing out stats, CP3 is averaging 21.4 ppg, 11.4 apg, and 4 rpg, and 2.7 spg. It’s even more impressive after you type it.

But even as a vertically challenged person who normally roots for the little guys, it has to be Garnett taking home his 2nd career MVP award. The Big Ticket has changed the culture here in Boston, and it started at the new “Big 3″ introductory press conference when they were holding up their new jerseys (a moment I will never forget). People were thinking 50, maybe even 60 wins. The Celtics then flew out of the gates, going 29-3 to start the year, looking like they might win 70 games. They’ve been on cruise control ever since and are looking to bring home banner number 17 this June.

Being the MVP isn’t always about the numbers you put up. Perhaps KG’s best attribute he brought is the defensive mentality you need to bring to the arena every night. The Celtics give up just 90 points per game (best in the league), and he’s made at least two other starters on the team infinitely better on defense (Paul Pierce and Kendrick Perkins). Pierce had never played the kind of D he is today. Garnett has made Rajon Rondo a better player, he’s integral in getting Ray Allen and Eddie House open looks, and he’s also helped with the improvement of Leon Powe and Big Baby. Sure the talent around KG is probably the best in the league, but that still doesn’t guarantee constant effort each and every night. The green team has only lost 2 games this season by double digits.

If you notice, I haven’t included any of Garnett’s major stats in my argument. I could look them up just like you, but I’m choosing not to. Sometimes you have to look beyond the numbers, and Garnett has done way too much for the Celtics franchise to be shut out of the award this season. But then again, if you listen to him, it doesn’t matter. Much like a lot of athletes towards the second half of their career, KG just wants a ring.

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