The Coach's Take

The Season is Upon Us...

2011-12-21T12:11:00.000-05:00

With the holidays comes the much anticipated and delayed opening of the 2011-2012 NBA season. Hard to believe that after its four best consecutive seasons since the end of the Jordan Bulls era the league let a lock out potentially ruin the tremendous momentum it had built up. Luckily for everyone from players to owners to fans it appears eyes will be on flat screens and asses will be in seats come tip off this Sunday in what promises to be an exciting Christmas Day of hoops. As we have a few days to go a previewing the games is a bit premature, but what is timely is looking at a few key pick ups for teams in the hunt for gold and for teams that know it is time to compete:

Tyson Chandler, NY Knicks: It has been years, years, since the Knicks had a player who not only can, but wants to change games through defense, rebounding and his presence. That man is Tyson Chandler. Chandler, who was key to the Dallas championship run last season has openly stated (interview coming soon from ENEW FILMS) that he wanted to have the same affect on the Mavs last season as Kevin Garnett did when he arrived in Boston four seasons ago. He now brings that mentality to New York where the Knicks have not thought about defense since Marcus Camby was running around blocking shots and Kurt Thomas was bumping each opponent to enter the paint at every opportunity. The MSG crowd will not only be in a new look garden but will also finally have a taste of a new look attitude defensively which is necessary to advance in the east regardless of who you have on the offensive end.

Richard Hamilton, Chicago Bulls: Experience, basketball IQ, diverse skill set when it comes to scoring the basketball and hunger for another ring all apply to Hamilton as he spent the 2nd half of his prime in a negative situation in Detroit. With some gas left in the tank, the MVP handling the ball and a team that tasted eastern conference glory last season this is going to be a huge upgrade for the Bulls who were exposed in a big way last postseason as they did not have a consistent second scorer next to Rose. Now with Hamilton, Carlos Boozer and Luol Deng the Bulls attack can be a bit less reliant on Rose who can distribute the ball as well as he can score it.

Chauncey Billups, LA Clippers: Yes, they got Chris Paul, which I'll leave to the rest of the world to talk about. The addition of Billups along with Paul is going to pay huge dividends for the Clippers. First off, as solid a leader as Paul is, Billups has that many more years and the postseason battles to draw from to not only assist the Clippers younger talent but Paul as well. Second, is the versatility the Clippers now possess as Billups and Paul on the court together are a nightmare matchup for just about every back court in the league. You have two point guards with extremely high basketball IQ's, who are very strong pick 'n roll players who shoot a good percentage from three and are killer in the 4th quarter. Mix in Caron Butler, Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Randy Foye and Ryan Gomes and the Clippers are going to be very very tough over this 66 game sprint.

With the schedule at 66 games after an abbreviated training camp every night on the court is going to be highly magnified as the development of team chemistry all over the league will be crucial in what will be a very interesting and entertaining 2011-2012 season.

It appears the NBA is back...

2011-11-26T14:37:00.000-05:00

Going into the Thanksgiving weekend I had this feeling we would be coming out of it with an NBA season on the horizon. While enjoying a Friday lunch with my parents I turned to my dad and said "I think they are going to get it done this weekend, they kind of have too", in which he nodded in agreement as he was clearly enjoying what was left of on his plate.

With the NFL having a strong campaign after coming to an agreement in time to have a full season and the NBA having it's best four season run since the Michael Jordan Bulls era, this had to get done. In an economy that has people more than concerned about another damaging recession potentially on its way the billionaire owners and millionaire players seem to have come to their senses. Over the past several weeks I have gotten many messages about the lockout and many wondering if I would be okay without a season. While I am a huge fan of the Celtics and the league for that matter, it is the game itself that clearly trumps my love of the NBA. So what if there were no season? What would I do? Well between college, high school, grassroots and playing mediocre pickup I would more than manage. I guess we all get to a point in our lives where something like this which has given us great joy and will continue to do once the season begins just isn't as much of a priority any longer. Now that is not say my love for the Celtics and interest in the league will waiver, I guess I have just gotten to the point where if there were no season there would be plenty of other things, both basketball and non basketball related to keep me more than occupied and happy. Now that it is here I will welcome it, just with a different mindset than in the past. That is until the Celtics face the Knicks for the first time, that will be the night it will go down like it used to.

STAND UP...YES WE WILL

2011-11-14T13:05:00.000-05:00

As many of us have been caught up watching the disgraceful news from Penn State or the pathetically humorous republican party debates you may have missed what happened in the Midwood section of Brooklyn last week. Anti-semitism and hatred reared its evil face on the community on the anniversary of one of the most painful days in the history of the Jewish people, Kristalnacht, which occurred 73 years ago when the Nazi's took a drastic step in their quest for the "final solution" and destroyed countless homes and synagogues in Germany and Austria.

On Ocean Parkway in Midwood three cars were set on fire, KKK was written on a van and swastikas were written on a park bench. This sickening cowardly act prompted an immediate response from both authorities and the community. Midwood is a neighborhood where there is not only a very high Jewish population but a population of Halocaust survivors as well. Maybe these hateful degenerates don't follow the Jewish community and history enough to realize that this will only make us stronger as a people. Maybe these cowards don't have the intelligence to realize what "NEVER AGAIN" means. Amazing that with so much pent up hate and anger they have to tip toe around in the middle of the night after getting boozed up and light cars on fire and destroy public property with their message of hate. The Jewish people will not be intimidated by this ignorance and violence, which was obvious by their march in Midwood this past weekend. It is obvious because of organizations like Fuel for Truth (www.fuelfortruth.org) who are arming people with information and facts about what is really taking place in the world. The Jewish people in New York and all over the world will stick together in the face of hate and anti-semitism, it will take more than a couple of clowns hiding in the night to shake us.

The Ainzworth

2011-11-13T21:21:00.000-05:00

With each week presenting a new list of life and career things to get done sometimes getting out for Sunday football has to take a back seat. One place I wish I could frequent more often is the Ainzworth. Thanks to my childhood friend, a little league second base phenom named Dave Bloch I have an open invite each and every Sunday. Nowhere in NYC do you have Biggie pumping, the games playing and the beer flowing quite like here on the west 2-6. The women, the energy and the quality NFL viewing make this a true Sunday football club. Big ups to the Ainzworth for keeping it more than real for Sunday Funday.

Darkness Awaits...

2011-11-11T20:57:00.000-05:00

As I sit sipping brews with The Senator watching
the UNC Michigan State Careier Classic we are
also in view of the latest Penn State nightmare
headlines and it is only getting worse.
Mike McCrery is now in protective custody
as he is done as a coach at Penn State.
Within 36 hours this drastic change leads
me to believe that this is only getting worse.
With protesters, an emotional student body
and increased security set to all coverage
tomorrow in Happy Valley you hope that cooler
heads prevail in the nightmare situation.
As Coach Paterno is rumored to have
contacted high profile attorney J. Sedgwick
Sollers Who also represented George H W
Bush during the Iran Contra scandal one
Can only wonder what will be released to
the public next.

Penn State Disgrace

2011-11-10T10:14:00.000-05:00

As this nightmare of a story was developing I was waiting for all the facts to come in before I picked a side on Coach Paterno. With every detail that came in I got sicker and sicker to my stomach. Regardless of the educational institution you work at, or are a leader at, or an icon at, it is your responsibility first and foremost to look out for the safety of kids. It doesn't matter if they are your players, kids attending football camp, or just a kid walking around campus. Some are saying, "well, he reported it to his supervisor." We are not talking about someone walking out of the football offices with a computer in an act of petty theft or a fight between players in the weight room. This was a grown man, a coach at Penn State who had set up a charity to target and prey on kids, doing just that within the football walls at Penn State. How the GA at the time who is now a ten year staff member did not stop it in on the spot is unreal to me. But when you give long time coaches that much power, people get scared, people's minds get warped, and the little people, the victims do not become the immediate priority.

For me, you, anyone we know, anyone with any sense of moral responsibility there was only one thing that Paterno should have done which was called the authorities. If the "local" authorities tried to cover it up because it meant harming the University which of course plays a major role in everything that goes on in that college town then you call the state and federal authorities.

Should Paterno have been told in person that after 60 plus years he was out? In 99% of potential circumstances I would say a definite yes. But as easily as the Board could have gone to his home for the meeting Paterno just as easily could have picked up the phone years ago and had this nightmare ended before it got any worse.

Now we have students who are far from properly informed running all over campus thinking they are showing support.

One more game? One more game? What about the kids/victims who most likely never got to experience the game at all because of the life wound that was inflicted on them by that monster? That monster that could have been stopped and put away if only old Joe had took a step back and realized what his responsibility was as coach, leader and icon.

Sickening...

NBA Friday!!! Well, it would have been nice...

2011-11-04T11:19:00.000-04:00

Halloween has passed, Thanksgiving is closer than you think and tonight would have been a terrific evening to kick back, crack a seasonal brew and watch some hoop. With a slate of games that would have featured the Thunder hosting the Pacers, the Celtics in the ATL, the Lake show in Phoenix and an early battle for Texas with the Spurs hosting the champion Mavericks I would have been content. But as this goes from weeks to months, and both college and high school season begin (yes, I said high school) I think people are going to care less and less about the lockout and when, or if it will end.

If you love basketball, then you love basketball. Besides the ridiculous shifts in some major conferences college basketball is still of high quality. When that conference schedule begins and I can get a dose of Musburger and Knight from Lawrenceville on Monday, Vern and Raff from Stores on a Wednesday, or Nance and Kellogg from Chapel Hill on a Sunday afternoon the last thing I am going to be thinking about is wondering about who we could have been watching on TNT or the league pass instead. Being that I am in New York City I will have more than enough options to go see some high level high school in person and not pay $10 a beer or be pissed off when I ask for well done fries and they still give me the soggy joints.

With NBA 2K12 out in full effect and ESPN and HBO both giving us high quality content such as Unguarded and Prayer for a Perfect Season I am confident that besides missing my team in green just a little bit I will be fine with or without a season. This is coming from a basketball head who has been living, eating and breathing the game for quite a long time. So while I do not fault the players one bit as the owners put themselves in this position I have to say to both sides you best figure this out soon or the masses may start to sound like me.

UNGUARDED: CHRIS HERREN’S PATH FROM SUPERSTAR TO SALVATION

2011-11-04T10:53:00.006-04:00

When you look at a story, the way it is told and the driving force behind it, there are so many elements, so many moments where things could have been done differently. In ESPN’s latest film, Unguarded, director Jonathan Hock (Through the Fire, Off the Rez) goes behind the curtain and into both the highs and darkest of lows in the life of former NBA guard Chris Herren. This story, like Herren’s life, could have turned out and been told differently; but thankfully for all parties it wasn’t.

Herren’s story is one of both heartache and hope as he has been able to turn 15 years of a battle into a positive that is now helping many people. From kids to recovering addicts, the story in Unguarded is driven by Herren speaking with groups of people, as his presence both in the room and on camera is one like no other athlete I have ever seen. Hock was very honest during a Q&A following a screening in New York last week when he shared, “We got very lucky, as we weren’t sure how we wanted to tell the story. We chose to follow Chris with the camera on one of his speaking engagements, and after looking at 15 minutes of footage, we knew we had it.”

When looking at the peaks and valleys of what Herren went through, part of the amazement is the strength and support his family continued to provide him. Both his wife, Heather, and brother, Mike, play major roles – not just in this film, but in every day of Chris’ life. And to his credit, he fully realizes what he has. What makes this film so terrific is that it is brutally honest all the way through. From Coach Jerry Tarkanian nearly breaking down while introducing Chris at a function at Fresno State, to his brother Mike recounting the story of physically defending their mom in the stands at UMass, to Chris having the courage to return to the alleyway where he lay passed out after not picking up his wife and kids at the airport, Unguarded takes you through countless emotions.

Drug addiction, unless you have experienced it or been close to someone going through it, is a tough thing for most to understand. That is clearly evident throughout the film, as the ignorance of fans that taunted Herren and his family made my blood boil. On the flip side, the reactions and focus the kids, military personnel and recovering addicts that Herren was visiting with can’t help but captivate you and send chills down your spine.

From where Herren was with his addiction when joining the Celtics, to losing someone close to myself and my family because of addiction, to shaking Herren’s hand last week,Unguarded will have a separate place amongst my personal list of truly inspirational stories.

What should not be forgotten in all of this is that Herren was a terrific ballplayer. With that came great responsibility, which unfortunately at the time Herren could not handle because of addiction. It’s safe to say that he is making up for that now as a father, husband and role model. And thanks to ESPN Films, Chris Herren will become an inspiration to millions.

PRAYER FOR A PERFECT SEASON: THE LOVE OF THE GAME PREVAILS

2011-11-04T10:53:00.005-04:00

After last night’s dynamic and captivating premiere of HBO’s Prayer For A Perfect Season, I can’t help but smile at both the timing of its release and the purity that it represents. Director Marc Levin, (Brick City, Protocols of Zion and The Last Party, amongst other works) has always been known as someone that does not pull any punches as his high-stakes mentality explores the human element of each story he follow. Prayer For A Perfect Season is no different as the human side drives this film forward with every scene, floor burn and four-letter word – which starts and stops with love. The love of the game; thelove of team; the love of family; and perhaps most valuable of all, the love of the journey.

With four future Division I players, a nationally renowned head coach, a rivalry which words don’t do justice, and financial obstacles which are another example of a system gone wrong, St. Patrick High School (Elizabeth, N.J.) is quite easy to root for. With so much negative energy surrounding both our country’s economy and the current state of the NBA, it is wonderful to see the game on the big screen in its purist form.

Coach Kevin Boyle sets the tone of the film thanks to both his drive to will these young men to succeed, as well as his moments of weakness that can be attributed to both his competitive fire and at times impatience with the inconsistencies of youth. Boyle proves without a doubt that there is still a place for that “old school” approach to success both on the court and in the coach’s box, as his unfiltered raw emotion is both genuine and entertaining.

What hooked me right away was that these kids, starting with current Kentucky freshmanMichael Gilchrist, seem to appreciate both the opportunity they have and – just as important – each other. Between his 70-mile journey to school every morning and the national attention he was getting on a daily basis, Gilchrest’s ability to overcome a family tragedy – which is woven seamlessly into the story – is beyond impressive. He is a perfect example of a star player whose mere presence raises the level of those around him, which is evident in a number of the on-court battles that St. Pat’s finds itself in.

Throughout the film we are reminded of the burden that many of these young men carry with them, whether it is to be their family’s first to attend college, or in Derrick Gordon’s case, to carry on every day while his twin brother is serving five years in prison on a gun charge. This not only affects Gordon’s psyche, but also his health as he develops acid reflux midseason and falls 15 pounds under his playing weight.

The journey that these young men, their families and Coach Boyle take is one of great emotion that I hope will carry all involved forward into their next chapters of life. Though they fell to arch-rival St. Anthony High School (Jersey City, N.J.) in the postseason, the film and their journey did not end in the locker room at Rutgers that evening. Instead, as it should have, it ended at their graduation.

THE BEST DAY!

2011-03-17T12:15:00.002-04:00

This is easily my favorite day of the year. Being that the first day of the NCAA tournament falls on St. Pat’s puts it on a BEYOND level. So without retracing some of the great first rounds and St.Pat’s days of the past which would be like a combination of a Jeff Bridges/Christopher Walken late 70’s early 80’s series of flashbacks here are my thoughts on the tournament.

In my eyes there is no clear best team or favorite to win it.

Yes, Ohio State is the top seed in the tournament but they just don’t blow me away as a great basketball team that will march to the title. And before you ask “what don’t you like?” I don’t know, I just can’t put my finger on it. They are well coached and very talented, maybe it is because they have UNC, Syracuse and Kentucky all in their bracket.

With the Big East tournament being so exciting last week my hope is that those teams represent themselves and the conference and play deep into the tournament. Obviously people are very hot and cold about UCONN as some think the five games in five days will have them running on empty while others think they will be just fine.

I like the Huskies to go the Elite 8, as Kemba Walker is becoming an NYC cult hero.

Here we go:

Upset specials:

Michigan State, Oakland, Missouri Richmond and Belmont.

Sweet 16:

OSU, West Virginia, Syracuse, UNC

Duke, Zona, UCONN, SD ST

Kansas Louisville Georgetown ND

PITT, Kansas St, BYU Florida

Final Four

KANSAS

PITT

DUKE

SYRACUSE

Kansas over Duke for the title.

Lots of games in first round I just have no feel for.

Look for St’ John’s Gonzaga, Butler ODU and Michigan Tennessee to be terrific games.

IT IS HERE LETS GO!

GO AHEAD, MAKE MY DAY

2011-03-15T23:21:00.001-04:00

If you read my piece on Danny Ainge and the Celtics a couple of weeks back, you'll recognize the brilliant piece of dialogue Clint Eastwood, as Harry Callahan delivers below in this famous scene from Dirty Harry.
I guess I was just in that kind of mood.

THE RUNNIN’ REBELS: HOW ONE COACH CHANGED LIVES IN SIN CITY

2011-03-15T22:18:00.000-04:00

Runnin’ Rebels of UNLV

At the age of 12 years old I saw UNLV absolutely dismantle the Duke Blue Devils in the 1990 national championship game. It was a blowout I would never forget as was the upset Duke pulled on UNLV the following March in the 1991 national semifinal. Runnin Rebels of UNLV, which debuted this past Saturday evening on HBO, reminds us how Coach Tarkanian, a university and a town never known for basketball became both a national power and target of the NCAA between the early 1970’s until 1992.

What Coach Tarkanian was able to accomplish from both building a program and being a father figure to so many young men is nothing short of admirable. He obviously did not see things the way the rigid NCAA did and then later the president of UNLV Robert Maxson who wanted to rid himself of Tarkanian and even went so far as to attempt to sabotage the program through the filming of “questionable” preseason workouts.

Runnin’ Rebels of UNLV takes us on a journey that changed with each decade as the 1970’s represented their fight to temporarily rid themselves of the NCAA microscope before finally being eligible for the post season again in 1983. Back in the early to mid 80’s, ESPN was just beginning to build towards becoming a broadcasting super power so the masses were not watching the likes of Sidney Green or Armon Gilliam until tournament time. Those teams and players set the table for what became one of the most infamous basketball teams we’ve ever seen.

Tarkanian had a great eye for both talent and for young men that needed inspiration. Some risks, like Larry Johnson, were not risks at all, others, like Lloyd Daniels, turned into dark clouds that hung over the program.

Speaking with Greg Anthony earlier he had this to say about Tarkanian, “Coach was a father figure to me and many others as he gave us hope. Many of us didn’t have anyone in our lives to inspire us, but that is what coach did. Coach Tarkanian along with my 4^th grade teacher Mr. Edgeworth and my high school coach, coach Allen, were the three most inspirational people in my life outside of my family.”

Greg Anthony, as noted in Runnin’ Rebels of UNLV, was the president of the young republicans on campus and represented who these young men at the time really were, not what they were perceived to be. The national audience and most certainly the old guard of college basketball was not yet ready for this brash group of African American young men from a campus located smack in the middle of one of our countries most controversial cities.

HBO has a way of mixing both highlights and history that keep you locked into whatever it is you are watching. The sequence that really peaked my interest is when Greg Anthony had his legs taken out and broke his fall with his face against Fresno St. Anthony broke his chin and jaw and needed surgery. Most thought he would be out for the year. Anthony, who was a team leader, knew what getting back on the court would mean to his teammates. With the injury happening on a Monday, Anthony was determined to play that Thursday. With his jaw wired shut Greg Anthony showed up at practice with a helmet and face shield on. “The guys were kind of in shock at first, it was not something that sparked laughter as it was a somber moment, Larry Johnson and Stacey Augmon both asked me if I were changing sports,” Anthony said.

That commitment Anthony and his teammates made, is what made them great as players and teammates and ultimately national champions.

Many will remember those Runnin’ Rebels as a controversial group of talented athletes playing in a program that was far from clean for a coach who played by his own rules. Coach Tarkanian was a pioneer of sorts, as he refused to operate by the narrow-minded standards set before him. Instead of ignoring young men that had made some mistakes he gave them new life and for many changed their lives forever. Academic standards and success should be and are a priority at the high school and college level, but what Tarkanian did for so many is so much more important than a high GPA or a spot on the dean’s list, he instilled hope and mentored many young men that without him never would have been given a chance by anyone in our society.

While the on court highlights and controversy make up much of Runnin’ Rebels of UNLV, learning what Coach Tarkanian gave to so many is what makes this a must see as this is another prime example of how both the game basketball and coaches can change lives.

THE FAB FIVE: THANKFULLY, THE REVOLUTION WAS TELEVISED

2011-03-14T17:02:00.000-04:00

“The first day the Fab Five stepped on the university of Michigan campus that was the start of a revolution, it just so happened that this revolution was televised,” confidently stated Jalen Rose, in last night’s dynamic and captivating ESPN premiere of the The FAB FIVE.

I was immediately transported back to a time as a teenager when I wasn’t yet sure who I was but I knew that I loved the game of basketball as the Fab Five were something we all paid attention to as middle school players with varsity dreams. We all loved the shoes whether it was the huaraches or the black flights with the black socks. My freshman year shorts in the fall of 1992 were just like the one’s Jalen Rose did not want to wear, but unfortunately Steve Fisher was not my head coach there to rescue us from the awkwardness of the uniforms in the late 80’s and early 90’s.

From the opening scene featuring the 1989 national champion Michigan Wolverines lead by Glen Rice in what was Steve Fisher’s third week on the job to how the signing of the Fab Five transpired I was mesmerized by the footage and sound bites taken from the extensive interviews that were conducted.

Director Jason Hehir did a tremendous job communicating just how genuine this brotherhood immediately became for these five freshman who all went to Ann Arbor with one thing in mind, winning. We are reminded that back then, college basketball was ruled by experienced talent, which explains the champions that came immediately before, during and after the Fab Five. But it was delving deeper into who these young men were at the time and how the culture around them made them feel. When faced with their first matchup with Duke in the regular season Jalen Rose and Jimmy King speak candidly about how they felt about certain Duke players and more specifically about race. As Jalen Rose bluntly states when referring to Grant Hill as an African American athlete whose parents were success stories, “they are who the world accepts, we are who the world hates.”

Learning about what fueled these five athletes to become a team that transformed not just college basketball but our culture shows us how powerful the combination of both sport and media can be. The brotherhood between the Fab Five, the coaches and the entire team for that matter took me back to certain important life experiences as both an athlete and a coach that I sometimes forget on a day to day basis.

From the trash talking, to the hip hop, from the scandal that later involved Chris Webber to two of the most memorable journey’s to the final game we have ever seen, ESPN’s the Fab Five takes us back to a time when barriers were broken, history was made and thankfully then and now it was televised.

An MSG Classic - Walker & UCONN March On

2011-03-11T01:47:00.000-05:00

It wasn't a question of who was getting the ball, only a question of what would he do with it. With the game tied and the clock under 20 seconds Kemba Walker in bounded the ball from the baseline of his own basket, knowing immediately he would get the ball right back and hold for the last shot against Pittsburgh. There would be either a win for UCONN or OT, as there was zero chance Pittsburgh would get the ball back. A high screen roll began to present itself with 10 seconds to go, and when Pittsburgh switched instead of trapping, Walker found himself with the ball, with the mismatch he wanted and the big east tournament fate of UCONN in his hands. With the MSG crowd on its feet, and Walker with exactly what he wanted he crossed over, hesitated and crossed over again before launching a step back dagger over the helpless Pittsburgh defense. It was pure from the release and as we alluded to earlier Kemba Walker has put UCONN on his back as they will be in the semi-finals tomorrow evening at MSG.

Trailing 30-20 in the first half, the huskies ended the half on a 20-11 surge. The building was rocking and loving UCONN from opening tip and this surge created some serious momentum. It was evident that Walker was taking the lead once again as his teammates were following him every step of the way.

As I sat just ten feet from the baseline the screens and box outs were real deal, as the physical nature and intensity of this game is as expected was at a very high level.

The battle continued in the 2nd half with Pittsburgh starting strong and UCONN surging back. UCONN had a serious issue keeping the Pitt offense out of the middle of the floor but Coach Calhoun was able to adjust the defense.

As Walker continued to wow the garden with his passion and energy, his teammates also raised their game with each possession.

With Coach Calhoun stoically standing with his arms crossed and Jaime Dixon in a defensive stance urging his panthers to stop Walker and the huskies, this was an epic big east battle, that both the coaches and players had a huge role in.

Back and forth this battle went, basket for basket, box out for box out and down the stretch stop for stop.

With the game tied at 69 with 3:26 on the clock Pitt switched to a 2-3 zone which slowed UCONN for a few possessions but the huskies hung tough and when Pitt switched back to man they seemed to take control before Gibbs tied the game with a three with eighteen seconds remaining.

With money time down to it's final moments in regulation Walker, Calhoun and UCONN made sure this classic would not reach OT.

Can UCONN Win the Big East? Kemba Says Yes

2011-03-11T01:40:00.000-05:00

Can UCONN steal the Big East Tournament?

That is the question I have been asking myself since they walked off the floor after a convincing victory over the favored Georgetown Hoyas yesterday, their 2^nd win in a s many days at MSG.

When it comes to conference tournament play some programs always rise to the occasion, but without the right leader on the sideline and on the court your program aura can only take you so far in a tournament that is stacked with contenders like the big east.

UCONN took it's second step towards being that team that could steal this tournament as they have both the sideline leader and floor general along with that aura to make a serious run at what has once again become the tournament of all tournaments during championship week.

Jim Calhoun is no stranger to this tournament and has a knack for getting his kids ready at just the right time. Bottom line, Calhoun is a big game coach and the coach with the second longest tenure in this powerhouse conference. Yesterday’s out right beat down of Georgetown is a great example of his ability to game plan and motivate.

Then there is the on court floor general, Kemba Walker. The player that should have been the Big East player of year (no disrespect to Ben Hansbrough) now appears to be playing with a chip on his shoulder as well. As I sat in my seat watching him score 28 points and control the game against the Hoyas it took my mind back to 2006 when Gerry McNamara lead Syracuse on a shocking and heart stopping run to the big east tournament championship. Sure, Gerry Mac shot the heck out of the basketball but he raised the level of everyone around him and eventually he had the entire garden in Orange delirium. That is what the great leaders find a way to do. That is what Kemba Walker appears to be doing as UCONN roles into Thursday to face Pitt at Noon.

Pittsburgh is lead by a backcourt featuring New Jersey native, Aston Gibbs and senior Brad Wanamaker will be tasked with slowing Walker today. During their previous matchup in December Walker burned the Panthers for 31 points and 5 steals, but it was Pittsburgh who was victorious on their home court.

Today is different, and on neutral and hallow big east basketball ground it will be the team that raises it’s level as one unit that will continue to march on towards the conference tournament championship. Walker and UCONN seem to have that very look necessary to keep playing. As we have learned in March, anything is possible.

Practice with St. Anthony's

2011-03-11T01:36:00.000-05:00

A True Inside Look at the St. Anthony’s Friars

We have read the articles, seen the news magazine specials, the documentary “THE STREET STOPS HERE”, the interviews with Danny, Bobby Jr. and many of the ex-players that thrived both on and off the court thanks to the skills that Coach Hurley provided them with at St. Anthony’s. But today I was lucky enough to do something that I never thought I’d have the opportunity to do, go to practice.

This wasn’t some casual day before walk thru this was real deal practice leading into tonight’s highly anticipated matchup with the other New Jersey super power, St. Patrick’s. These teams are ranked #1 and #2 in the nation as they enter the 8pm show down to be played at Rutgers University.

As I arrived the team had just begun its scouting session which entailed going over every single detail they could get their hands on about St. Pats from watching hours of tape and seeing the opposition play in person ten times this season. There were absolutely zero signs that St. Anthony’s has just won by sixty points on Monday. With the players seated against the wall behind the baseline and the coaches standing on the court in front of them assistant after assistant chimed in on different aspects of St. Pat’s, from tendencies, to sets, from how to defend certain players and how not to defend certain situations. It was evident these guys do their homework, and the players seemed to be locked in every minute. After each point the assistant speaking would send a slight glance towards Coach Hurley who was seated off to the side and with each glance would be a comment of reinforcement from Coach.

“If we try to block shots and aren’t on the same page with our rotations then we are going to get killed on the offensive glass.”

“One guy, the first help guy needs to step up and take the charge in the chest, we can pick up some easy ones on them guys.”

“We have got to fight them on screens, do not make it easy, bump the hip, not the upper body, as soon as you bump the upper body the dramatics begin and we get hit with the foul.”

Now it does not hurt that Coach Hurley has seven coaches by his side, each playing a different role, but what is so impressive about Coach Hurley is the trust he has in those coaches and how he lets them do their jobs. At the end of the day Coach Hurley knows each and every detail himself but having the quality staff allows him to look at the bigger picture when he needs too, along with adding in the smallest but most crucial details when necessary. For example body positioning needed by his defenders when they are fighting a curl screen or how important it is to consistently play three quarters against certain players in the post.

There is a mission every practice, today it was that much more magnified, as this was the last day of prep before the game of all games. But you couldn’t tell by watching Coach Hurley, his voice consistently steady and commanding, as lets just say he has been here before. I have heard many speak about the fact that coach rarely uses a whistle in practice, as the players need to react to his voice. The moment Coach speaks all action comes to a halt. Whether it is a positive piece of reinforcement like “great job presenting yourself for the pass” or a higher volume gym stopping “what are you doing?” Coach Hurley as mastered the efficiency and power of communication with his kids.

Each segment is planned out to the minute as the clock runs, whether it is for a quick five or longer ten-minute segment. Following the scouting session, warm-up and some on court defensive rules that must be followed against St. Pat’s the team split up, Guards to one end and bigs to the other end. The bigs started on the blocks against coaches with the arm shields fighting for position and finishing to each shoulder aggressively. The guards at game speed working on their mis-direction dribble moves into pull up jumpers. Efficient and energetic, the gym was popping with five to six repetitions happening at once as all coaches were involved and Coach Hurley surveying the gym providing any input he thought was necessary. Again, his voice would always be heard over the sounds of the ball bouncing, sneaker squeaking and players communicating.

On it went, from a ball screen into dribble hand off two man game, to the impressive and multi layered half court sets and out of bounds plays my attention was locked in on the court and the message being sent, “do it the right way.” Practice wound down with the eleven-man drill to wind sprints into free throws. The sprints were to simply get their heart rate up and simulate what it will once again be like to have to step to the line in a big moment, catch your wind and knock down a pair. With each sprint the players pushed harder and harder as they know what is at stake and they know there is also only one way to do things, the right way. It was evident up close and personal that thirty-nine years of changing lives on and off the court does not just happen, it is a science and a process as each season is a journey of its own.

Coach Hurley is a proud and modest man that has dedicated his life to a craft, a craft that happens to be envied by many but only done in a manner such as this by so few.

YOUNG STOCK!

2011-03-08T11:03:00.001-05:00

With so much basketball on this week I try to game plan what I will watch each night and then adjust on the fly when need be. For example, as interested as I am in watching the new look Knicks there is no way that game was getting much run last night after they began blowing out the Jazz early on. Not with VCU almost pulling off a miracle against ODU in the CAA championship game or Derrick Rose and the Bulls back in action against the Hornets, sans Chris Paul. But the game of the night on my end turned out to be the WCC championship game in Las Vegas between St. Mary’s and Gonzaga. I have to be honest, I had not seen much of either team play this season which is unlike me as they are both locks for the tournament but that did not prevent last night from feeling like a do or die basketball game.

As I settled in with the remote and dinner I immediately noticed two things;

1) the St. Mary’s backcourt looks wise closely resembles the street toughs Leanardo DiCaprio rolls with in Gangs of New York and 2) David Stockton is the true mini me version of his father, the great John Stockton. As much as I liked the grit of St. Mary’s I couldn’t not root energetically for Stockton and Gonzaga last night The red shirt freshman is so fundamentally sound and so sneaky good it was a joy to watch. His ability to change speeds, kick the ball up the wing before the defense gets back and slither his way into the paint for a number of layups was quite impressive. Then you have the simplicity of his post entry passes. I haven’t seen a guard put that much attention and pride into a pot entry pass, well, since John Stockton. I wonder if YOUNG STOCK sits alone in triple threat position in a dark room watching film of his dad while handling the basketball. I know it sounds dark and mysterious and somewhat like point guard hypnotism if not brain washing but so what, how do the great one’s become great? By taking hard work to the next level and sometimes doing some crazy sh#t.

So with a number of NBA games feeling like playoff games lately and many bigger and higher profile schools getting ready to begin their conference tournaments it was refreshing to see YOUNG STOCK capture his first conference title and guarantee his first NCAA tournament appearance in front of his father.

Check out this video of YOUNG STOCK below, one word; CAGEY.

Tuesday's Clip: Sexy Beast

2011-03-08T00:10:00.000-05:00

I'll admit it, the madness has officially hit. I'm ready, and with it comes the movie angle.

Movies and hoops, film and basketball, the passions tend to merge especially when it involves the dramatic and blood pumping moments in March.

Ben Kinsley's performance in Sexy Beast fits the description.

FIve W's in a Row Post Perkins Says Many Things

2011-03-07T19:04:00.002-05:00

The smoke has cleared. The fans seem to be adjusting. The talking heads and so-called “experts” have piped down and the Boston Celtics are 5-0 since trading Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to OKC for Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic. The Celtics also created three roster spots by trading reserve center Semih Erden and rookie forward Luke Harangoody to the Cavs for a future draft pick and dealing the injured Marquis Daniels to Sacramento for cash. This then allowed the Celtics to sign power forward Troy Murphy, swing man Sasha Pavlovic and newly available reserve point guard Carlos Arroyo, who was released by the Heat to make room for Mike Bibby. As was discussed immediately following the trade, the move had many angles both short term and down the line for the Celtics. But it appears that Danny Ainge, again, knew exactly what he was doing.

Thanks to a coaching staff lead by Doc Rivers both Green and Krstic have been meshing into the flow with the Celtics very nicely. Both have shown some ingredients to their games that many were not aware they possessed. For example, Krstic runs the floor much better than many ever thought he could and he and KG are very much on the same page as far as their spacing goes in transition which is huge for Rajon Rondo with the ball and Ray Allen getting to the three point line uncovered without it.

Krstic also has a great sense of when to present himself as a target upon driblle penetration by Paul Pierce or Rondo and has been getting more comfortable being a target for the quick interior feeds that KG has become a master at in his time as a Celtic.

Then there is Jeff Green.

With 21 points Friday night on 8-11 from the floor, and another 11 off the bench last night in Milwaukee, Green, who is seeing major minutes with the starters as Glen Davis is out, is fitting in like he has been running with the Big 4 for a few months. From beating his man down the floor and finishing, to presenting himself as a target around the rim, to filling the lane at the right time Jeff Green is and will continue to flourish as a Boston Celtic. Despite the injuries right now the versatility of this team has reached a new level with Green. Yes, he will play some four, with KG next to him at the five, when the Celtics want to go smaller and faster. But he is also getting some time at the three, with Pierce at the two. When Ray Allen needs a breather this is a very difficult matchup for the opposition as either Pierce or Green will have a smaller defender on him to take down to the block. Put KG and Glen Davis, or Murphy out there and there will be open shots for everyone when the double team happens, if not then Pierce or Green will get whatever they want within ten feet of the hoop.

While Perkins was beloved, and a symbol of the Celtic toughness and defense, he was a player with a ceiling as mentioned last week. Green right now, with this team, has no ceiling. As we watch the Bulls continue to improve, the Heat continue to flounder against top teams, Magic start to find themselves again and of course the new look Knicks, the Celtics are feeling quite good about Green presently and beyond.

While Murphy and Pavlovic are learning on the fly, Ainge was able to add some serious depth to a roster that has been experiencing injuries to its support pieces the entire season. Currently Delonte West, Glen Davis, Von Wafer and Shaquille O’Neal remain sidelined (I am not counting Jermaine O’Neal at this time as he has been out most of the season) Those are players that can and have played import roles on this team at one time or another all season. Both Coach Rivers and Ainge have been extremely intelligent and patient in dealing with the depth and injury issues this team has had.

What bothers the Coach is that so many ripped on the Celtics when they made this deal. Meanwhile, Kendrick Perkins remains sidelined with a strained MCL and Nate Robinson will be out for the remainder of the regular season. Yet not many have come forward and given Ainge the credit he deserves for making at the time an unpopular and gutsy move. Wouldn’t be nice if certain sports journalists or media members were judged on whether they are right or wrong? There are some I would very much like to go one on one with when it comes to the world of basketball. As I type this my heart begins to beat faster, competition does that to the Coach, and since March Madness is officially upon us, I am going to pace myself,

My Monday Clip

2011-03-07T17:41:00.004-05:00

It's been a long and productive Monday after a bit of a wild weekend. As I continue to work and multi task at my desk a line of dialogue "Your money is no good here Mr. Torrence" entered my mind.

So with that being said here is one of the most beautiful scenes ever shot involving a bar, in Stanley Kubrick's, THE SHINING.

An All-Star Week to Remember

2011-02-26T14:42:00.000-05:00

In 2009 I was lucky enough to experience my first all-star weekend, and I did it right. Thanks to one of my cabinet members I was VIP for 4 days in Phoenix, accommodations, parties, events, everything, it was a special experience. But this time around in LA it was business as I was fortunate enough to both create a pair of basketball clinics thanks to Powerade and be a part of the Nike Los Fearless Event in downtown Los Angeles.

Thanks to Nike I was able to lead a basketball clinic to start off the day Saturday morning with participants from the Kids in Sports organization in LA. I was surrounded by a tremendous staff that included Robbie Davis of Game Shape Inc. and Rex Kalamian an NBA assistant coach with the Oklahoma City Thunder who made my job very easy, considering I was doing a clinic spread out over five courts that were set in a tunnel in downtown LA. It was an unreal set up.

As director of Chain Link Fundamentals I am fortunate to be in a circle where I do very positive on court basketball programming that translate into communicating the importance of life skills such as education, communication, teamwork and work ethic using basketball as the vehicle. I was lucky enough to connect with LA’s Best and the After School All-Stars, which are two youth organizations that provide positive after school activity and mentors for the youth of Los Angeles. To top it off I had a great coaching staff made up of local high school and AAU coaches and got to hold the clinics at a class-A facility, the Galen Center on the campus of USC.

Being able to work on such positive and dynamic events doing something I am both experienced in and passionate about puts me in a very fortunate position. As March Madness and the spring approach I cannot imagine what is next for me, but I am sure as always it will be exciting.

IN BALL WE TRUST.

Celtics Deadline Deal Has Many Angles

2011-02-25T15:31:00.000-05:00

For years I approached the trade deadline like a basketball holiday where surprise deals would loom, blockbusters would occur out of championship desperation and ultimately most deals would fall apart at the final hour but yesterday and the 48 hours prior were different. With the star power movement and the magnifying glass on the teams involved in the deals that occurred I expected the Boston Celtics who sit atop the eastern conference despite an injury riddled bench that is vital to their run at Banner 18 to add a small piece as in an Anthony Parker or Shane Battier to play behind both Ray Allen and Paul Pierce. Never did I see this coming.

I have respected and believed in Danny Ainge since the moment he took over in the spring of 2003 following a 2nd round thrashing by the NJ Nets where their team was exposed as one that as currently assembled would not have a shot at a championship. Despite harsh blow back from fans and the high and mighty Boston media Ainge brought in Doc Rivers and blew up the roster. No need to again retrace what occurred after that as we have all lived through it and despite some dark days before the summer of 2007 I always believed in Danny Ainge, because like Kendrick Perkins, Danny has always been, a Celtic.

So we have two sides to this deal yesterday, and if you choose to look deeper afterwards, two sides to each side. Kendrick Perkins was without a doubt the very valuable side-kick that Kevin Garnett worked so well with on the defensive side of the court that provided toughness, terrific post defense and the swagger that is so recognizable with the Celtics. He was a valued teammate and a guy that grew from a raw high school prodigy from Texas to a trusted member of one of the best teams in the post Jordan NBA era. We have all played the, what if game regarding Perkins and Game 7 of the NBA finals last season. What if he did not injury his knee in game 6? Would we have won game 7? Would Perk have been the difference? Unfortunately the team, all of the fans and worst of all Kendrick Perkins will never know that answer.

His motivation to rehab and come back a better player was clear from day one of training camp. The Celtics did what they had to do by adding the O’Neal’s who besides one tremendous stretch from Shaq have been as reliable as the New York City snow removal process this winter. Then, before anyone could believe it, Kendrick Perkins was at the scorer’s table early in the first quarter at the garden earlier this month about to check himself into the game against the Cavs. WOW! Perk is back before the all-star game! Damn, I got up off the couch and cracked a beer as the crowd showed him much deserved love with a monster ovation.

PERK was back!!! No need to worry about Jermaine’s bad knee or Shaq taking his mid season siesta, we had our glue guy back upfront. The guy that completed that special lineup that together had not lost a postseason series. Perkins was the guy that could guard Dwight Howard, Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol and Tim Duncan without even making you think you had to double down on the post. He was also the guy that along with Garnett put everyone on blast; this is our paint, period. But as teams started to add different pieces and as the hole began to widen in terms of the Celtics needing to add a versatile perimeter player to assist Paul Pierce and Ray Allen on both ends, specifically in potentially dealing with both LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony this post season the talents and high ceiling of adding someone like Jeff Green to the Celtics became very appealing. There are two other factors here, first of which that Perkins is a free agent at the end of this season and will be asking for somewhere between $8-$10 million per year, as he turned down a modest offer from the Celtics during his rehab process which was in the range of 4 years and $22-$25 million. To have Perkins test the open market and either drive the price up or risk losing him started to become a very dangerous thought to Danny Ainge and the Celtics. Then again, wasn’t this season supposed to be about Banner 18 and only Banner 18?

Then we have the ceiling of Kendrick Perkins as a player. Yes, he rehabbed the hell out of his knee like an Israeli special forces op getting himself ready to hunt Hamas but how much better of a player can and will Kendrick Perkins become over the course of his career. To me Perkins will continue to develop himself as a respectable starting center that gets it done based on his toughness, smarts and ability to be a piece to a terrific Celtics puzzle.

Then look at Jeff Green. Green is a multi talented forward that can play both the 3 and 4, score with his back to the basket and from deep despite his decrease in three-point percentage this season from last. He was in the closing lineup for the Thunder in every big game they have played between this season and last, and by all accounts is a team guy that at 24 years old doesn’t yet have a ceiling.

For a moment lets pretend there is no lock out next season and things resolve themselves. The Celtics will still have Rondo, Allen, Pierce, KG, Shaq, Davis, West (he owes his NBA life to the Celtics, though not yet under contract) and Green coming back for the 2011-2012 season. Then in the summer of 2012 only Rondo and Pierce will remain on the payroll, though you can likely add Green to that as well. That puts the Celtics in position to make a run at someone like a Dwight Howard while offering KG and Allen one last deal each if they so chose to keep playing in an effort to raise more banners as Celtics.

The late 1980’s and early 1990’s Celtics were haunted by the death of Len Bias and Red Auerbach refusing to move any of the old big three in order to rebuild the team on the fly, and you know what, I agree with what Red did because not one of those players should have ever worn another uniform, though the Chief ultimately did as he chose to stay in the league a few too many years. Danny Ainge was the guy that was traded in 1989, to Sacramento for Ed Pinckney and Joe Kleine, two younger, role-playing frontcourt players that provided depth behind Bird, Parish and McHale. With the emergence of Reggie Lewis in the backcourt it was a deal that Red had to make, though it was a very difficult one at that.

Fast forward 22 years and Danny had to look down the gun barrel kind of like the bank robber in “Dirty Harry” laying on that San Francisco street with a bullet hole in his shoulder looking up at Detective Harry Callahan who just shot him. But in this case Danny is both characters. Did Danny fire six shots or only five? Did he lose track of himself in all this excitement? Or maybe he just felt lucky? Well, did you Danny?

The thought of making a run at Banner 18 and winning it without Kendrick Perkins is something I never thought I’d have to consider or even crazier, experience in the near future as a life long Celtics fan and basketball junkie that cares more about this team than any other team, ever, in my history as a sports fan. This team is a family on and off the court. To lose a key piece is not just something felt on the court under the bright lights but off of it as well which was evident by the comments made by Pierce, Allen and Garnett following last nights loss in Denver.

At the end of the day, looking at both the chance to get back to the finals and at the same time keep this magic Celtics victory ride going past the careers of Garnett, Allen and Pierce this could be a move that the Celtics and their fans thank Danny Ainge for making both this spring and for years to come. Today the Celtics fans are up in arms about this, as bloggers, writers and all the local and national talking heads for the most part are ripping the move. But for those that pay attention and understand what is happening on the floor between lines the Celtics definitely needed more versatility when looking at who they would be battling this post season in a quest for Banner 18. With the Orlando Magic fading and the Bulls and Heat both on the Celtics heels this deal may, just may, have saved the Celtics. Remember in 2008 when the Celtics ended almost every big win with KG, Pierce, Allen, Posey and either Rondo or House on the floor? The floor was spread, you couldn’t sag off of people or else the Celtics would slice you up. Well, now with Rondo being an All-World point guard instead of a stubborn second year protégé that everyone doubted he will have plenty of room to maneuver and plenty of wide-open teammates to get the ball to when the help defense arrives. Of course a return from Shaq would help as well as the addition of soon to be available Troy Murphy, but this move was about sacrificing one thing for another. I can applaud Danny for taking a risk, and in this case being the Dark Knight, as Celtics fans are portraying him as the villain. In order to get to Banner 18 Danny realizes he will have to be whatever Beantown and Celtics fans need him to be. Welcome to the Celtics Jeff Green and Nenad Kristic. Thank you Kendrick Perkins for the blood, sweat and tears as like Danny Ainge, you will always be a Celtic.

NRF - League Pass - ND Tragedy

2010-10-28T14:23:00.000-04:00

Last night I was a part of a forty-player tryout to get into the NRF league (Nike Recess Federation) on the lower east side. After a day trying to finish edits on a doc film and continuing to play catch-up on other numerous things Coach was not all that motivated until arriving at the gym. With the caffeine still keeping me amped up from my afternoon French Roast and some familiar faces from the “industry” world there to greet me I was able to flip the switch and turn in a good showing during the 5 on 5 audition. A few transition baskets, solid board work and a lot of chatter got the attention of the team “captains” who were on hand to scout the new candidates to fill their vacant roster spots. Guys that the Coach has battled with in the past both on the court and the football field, were paying close attention to my game, which of course is based more on intangibles and experience at this point more than athletic ability.

Following the run Coach headed back up to the Gramercy Garden to get the NBA League Pass fired up. League Pass has been a high quality part of the rotation for years, but it just got that much better. Thanks to changing to direct tv all the games have an HD option and two feeds to choose from. This is a basketball blessing, as I know longer have to listen to these mid west simpletons who do their game prep from a yahoo sports summary that comes out at 4pm online the day of the game. Between the some of the non HD surveillance footage and these broadcasters there have been many times over the past several seasons where I feel like I am stuck in some strange basketball nightmare, which I guess equals being a Knick fan before they signed the their savior, Amar’e “the Israelite” Stoudemire.

Following a team Dime trip to the green shack for lunch I caught the story about the student from Notre Dame who passed after being thrown from the tower where he was filming football practice from during a storm with winds reaching 50 mph. This is an absolute tragedy. Declan Sullivan was 20 years old and according to head football coach Brian Kelly, "Declan was a diligent student worker in our video department and had a tremendous personality and great sense of humor. He brightened the days for all that had the privilege to work with him, and the Notre Dame football family will dearly miss him." Well coach if he brightened that many days for that many people is there a reason why you let him up there in the first place? Obviously as head coach you are thinking about many many things before, during and after practice but your FIRST responsibility as a leader and educator is to ensure the safety of your football family which Declan was a part of. We know getting the film of practice is important, and before anyone asks the question, yes, I played four years of college football, and there is no way my head coach as clueless as he was at times would let anyone up on the tower to film PRACTICE in those conditions. When do we draw the line as a society and start handing out consequences for individuals who are completely careless and lack common sense? How many more accidents and tragedies do we need to have before people start to see the big picture?

Forget the fact there is no playoff system in college football and many of the games before October 1^st are boarder line unwatchable, but now a 20 year old college student, who was living a dream has his life short because those in leadership positions did not have their priorities in order. 50 mile per hour winds!!! Not 20 mph, which is what is being reported as being too high to have someone in a tower, but 50!!! To film practice!!! Not a game, PRACTICE!!! Can anyone imagine how his poor family is taking this? I can only imagine the spin the University and the Athletic Department is putting on this. This is infuriating.

TEAM: 1-0

2010-10-27T17:00:00.000-04:00

Obviously there was much to talk about following the Celtics victory last night over the Miami Heat. Between LeBron trying to carry the Heat like the Cavs, Shaq running the floor like a runaway dump truck for a two-hand finish, Chris Bosh having as much impact on the game as the Coach did from the Gramercy Garden and Rajon Rondo playing maestro to the tune of seventeen dimes some things became very clear: TEAM, CHEMISTRY, PREPARATION AND COACHING all matter.

In the post game Lebron was quoted as saying “Rome wasn’t built in a day”. Interesting first that he thinks of himself as a mighty roman, but even more interesting is the fact that the Heat don’t even look like they had a training camp. I wouldn’t even bring this up but I have to because the majority of basketball “experts” really have no idea how challenging it is to build championship chemistry. Take a quick look at the 2008 NBA Champion Boston Celtics. Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Ed House, James, Posey, Glen Davis and Leon Powe, arrive before training camp to get to work with Pierce, Rondo and Perkins. The team then goes to of all places, Rome, to train and practice before playing exhibition games in Europe.

With one heck of an afternoon French Roast coffee I was doing some homework and the 2007-2008 Celtics started the season 26-3 over the course of November and December. Twenty one of those twenty six victories were by double digits (imagine if I had bet the spread?!?!) which is pretty amazing considering some of the “experts” thought they would take time to gel and the “Big 3” wouldn’t be able to share the ball. When great leadership, meets great talent and everyone has the same end goal then something like that is possible. Better yet, Rome being built in a day, or over the course of a training camp and a preseason is not only possible it happened. Obviously it takes a unique group to do it, but all we have been hearing about is how the Heat put together a team that could win 65-70 games. What were the Heat working in training camp? I know last night was a small sample set, and no doubt the Heat will destroy the weaker teams in the league, but there was not much flow offensively besides Lebron’s hot streak and there was very little defensively that would make a quality opponent nervous when needing to get a great look in a big spot.

Speaking of getting open looks in big spots, is there anything better in terms of both team and clutch basketball then when the Celtics make the extra pass and get Ray Allen free for an open three from the corner? No, there isn’t. Seeing how genuinely excited Ray’s mother gets from her baseline home at the garden really excites some of my inner circle, so much so that they want me to invite her to an NBA Friday at the Gramercy Garden when the Celtics and his wife are on the road. I know, very interesting.

Few things really inspire me as much as great team basketball as it represents just how much people in our society could accomplish if they put their egos aside and worked together. One of those things though is a great film, which is exactly why you need to see The Social Network. I am not going to give anything away here, just know these three things: it is not meant to be a history lesson on the invention of facebook, it contains some tremendous dialogue thanks to a kick ass script thanks to Aaron Sorkin and there are multiple top notch performances thanks to awesome direction by David Fincher.

Tonight Coach is trying out for the NRF, which is the Nike Recess Federation basketball league, which is run for individuals in the “industry”. Not sure what to expect, but as long as I my wind holds up out there I will do my best to channel my inner KG against the competition. As long as I have a better showing than Chris Bosh I should be good.

TONIGHT!

2010-10-26T12:29:00.000-04:00

With game 7 of the 2010 finals lingering less and less in my mind and a crazy off-season behind us it is finally time to start all over again. Amazing what the NBA will do to you if you are both a passionate basketball fan and your team is a title contender. Evenings are crossed out on the calendar for games to attend or watch on TV, fantasy basketball re-emerges as you always think your team is stacked, and that amped up feeling starts to come back. For me it is both a level of excitement that has steadily been building over the last six weeks and a sense of pride as being a Celtics fan has always been about that for me.

When you start a season with a roster that consists of KG, Pierce, Allen, Rondo, Shaq, J O’Neal, Nate Robinson, Glen Davis, Delonte West and Marquis Daniels after losing a heartbreaking game 7 after an amazing run to the finals and you are playing the Miami Heat, the easiest team in the world to hate unless you live down there you know you are in for a heck of a ride. Thankfully tonight is a Tuesday and besides some of the Dime crew coming through for the game it will be a somewhat calm evening, well, until it starts.

What is great about tonight is that it proves the old angry NBA hater theory of “the NBA regular season is completely meaningless”, completely wrong. Is it one game? Yes. Is it a long season? Yes. But this game, in this setting, between these two teams is going to feel and sound like a playoff game from the moment these teams come out for warm-ups. Kevin Garnett has been waiting for this opportunity for over four months. The opportunity to be as healthy as he has been since 2008 and to start a new journey towards another title, a title that was just so close last year that they could not close out. The real laugher here though is that all the “experts” are giving the Heat the eastern conference championship already. Coach really loves that. Just like last year when no one thought the Celtics could put it together, the basketball media guru’s are picking against them because the Heat were able to put James and Bosh next to Wade. If only the games were played on paper. If only chemistry needed to win the title happened overnight. If only coaching and managing the personalities of these players really didn’t matter, than maybe some of these predictions that the Heat will DEFINITELY win the east wouldn’t annoy me so much.

The Celtics will have stretches where they look like a well-oiled machine tonight, and while Lebron will have some spectacular moments, the better TEAM will come away with both the win, and their first major statement on their way to BANNER 18.

NFC's Best?

2010-10-26T09:14:00.000-04:00

Last night while drafting a very strong fantasy basketball team at Traffic Bar (my man Joey X taking care of the crew as always) I simply stated that the Giants have the opportunity to bury the Cowboys alive tonight in their own stadium. After another interesting Eli Manning start, that is exactly what they did, well, until Eli made yet again another JV decision with five minutes to go in regulation leading by 18 points on a 3^rd and 5 where he threw the ball blindly off of his back foot, across his body into the left flat where of course it was intercepted by Dallas. Now, this should not have been a big deal, but it was for both the Coach and the Giants as my opposition in the fantasy football world last night was Jason Witten, and Eli made the Giant defense come back out onto the field instead of the offense smashing the ball down Dallas’ throat, eating up the remaining time on the clock and as stated above, finish the job of burying them alive in their own stadium. Instead, Witten gets the two point conversion to put my team to bed for the week once again on Monday night and the Giants have to hold on for a 6 point win, instead of a more psychologically convincing 18 point beat down in big D. At least the President and the Pistol got a great laugh out of the Witten situation. In between the 4^th quarter turnovers and fantasy meltdown warnings a question arouse within the hallowed Gramercy Garden, who is the best team in the NFC? Is it the Giants? The Falcons? Does it change week to week? You’ll get my take on it soon enough, if you would, leave yours below. BIG DAY!!!

Fall Excitment

2010-10-26T08:55:00.000-04:00

With the crisp Autumn air here and Halloween somehow staring us in the face it is time for THE RETURN, for the return of THE COACH’S TAKE. There will be some new flavor, a lot more posts and a lot more to say coming from the Coach and his network.

We have had quite a few weeks of action this Fall that looks as if it will only get more and more exciting as we move into November. Though the Yankees Phillies re-match, which many including the Coach wanted to see, will not happen thanks to poor New York Yankee pitching and Ryan Howard somehow thinking he would actually draw a walk, the World Series will most likely be a real good matchup, too bad many will not be watching as both the NFL (off to a very strong start after 7 weeks) and tonight’s NBA tip-off of what promises to be one of the most exciting season’s ever is upon us.

Our preferences as viewers have changed do to the times, technology and shifting tastes. Baseball, when markets like San Francisco and Texas are fighting for the World Series trophy just doesn’t really do it for us out east, especially when the NFL and NBA are on the upswing.

So while you may be completely burnt out on ESPN over killing anything and everything that is a big sports new story, we promise to keep it fresh here and offer some views with reasoning and insight, instead of jamming catch phrases and numbers in your face 24/7.

With the NBA set for one of the most anticipated regular season games in league history to open its season tonight, we bring you the return of THE COACH’S TAKE.

FREE AGENT ALERT BOOZER TO BULLS

2010-07-07T18:15:00.000-04:00

Carlos Boozer is the latest domino to fall, agreeing to a five-year, $80 million contract with the Chicago Bulls.

This to me signals that Chicago is OUT of the Lebron picture. If LeBron was leaning towards the Bulls I think they would have waited on Boozer until the weekend. Yahoo sports is reporting the LeBron choice is down to Miami and Cleveland but the Coach again thinks he is heading to NYC. As I have stated Lebron will have a chance to create his own immortal legacy in the greatest city in the world if he comes to the Knicks, period. There is a ceiling in Cleveland, besides the fact that they are not even close to a championship caliber team at this point. If he goes to Miami he is part of a fantastic trio, but it wouldn't be "his" team. In New York, Amar'e will gladly be his sidekick and LeBron will be consulted by Walsh and D'Antoni on each and every personnel move after he puts on that blue and orange tomorrow night. Looks like we may have some real deal Celtics Knicks games for the first time since the early 90's... SEND IT IN!

Back to Boozer real quick, real good fit for the Bulls. He can post up, run the court, play pick n roll and pick n pop as well as rebound the ball. Noah, Boozer and Deng is a well balanced front line that will work well with the continued emergence of Derrick Rose at the point. Lots of Rose to Boozer this season with Noah cleaning up the leftovers. Time to roll downtown... GET YOUR TAKE ON!

Miami Bound

2010-07-07T08:34:00.000-04:00

Just when you thought the hype around the LeBron announcement on ESPN would grab all of the attention we have a major development that surfaced last night, and it makes perfect sense, Wade and Bosh to the Heat. With Miami in danger of getting no one because of Wade's interest in Chicago (or his supposed interest as he is making a documentary about his role in the free agency drama) the Heat appear to be close to bringing Wade back with Bosh as his front court side kick. Obviously there are other holes to fill on the roster but this immediately makes the Heat a real contender and, no pun intended puts the Heat on the Knicks, Bulls, Magic, Cavs and Celtics to either make necessary roster improvements and/or make a big signing.

Again, I think LeBron is signing with the Knicks, which leaves the Bulls and Nets without being able to make a big free agent splash. Don't look for the Nets to sign Boozer just for the sake of making a move as they like their cap flexibility and top draft pick Derrick Favors at the forward position. Boozer to the Bulls to play up front next to Noah and to effectively play the screen roll game with Rose makes some logical sense for Chicago. David Lee also remains in the mix, as a sign and trade piece or to go where he choses which seems more likely with LeBron about to sign with the Knicks in 36 hours.

Off Court Drama at its Best

2010-07-07T00:02:00.003-04:00

The fans have made a special request...during a special time and maybe, just maybe this IS, that TIME. The epic seven game series between the Celtics and Lakers which followed an improbable and extremely emotional run through the playoffs by the Green really had me just watching in awe as each night was more draining watching from the Gramercy Garden. BBQ's, beers, laughs and insults went on for 6 straight weeks up until the evening of game 7. And while losing the game in the fashion they did was flat out heartbreaking as a fan it was an incredible ride that I am so thrilled to have lived through as a basketball junkie.

But what is currently happen now smack in the middle of the free agent frenzy of 2010 is almost as ridiculous as watching Quagmire change Joe's diaper (Cartoon Network HD to the tin!)

The conversations, predictions and affect these decisions will have on the next 10 years of NBA basketball is quite monumental. I think it is pretty certain 90% of the analysts, writers, bloggers, uninvolved gm's, involved gm's, sports agents, actors and entertainers who pretend to be basketball fans and any young fan out there with a clue that either LeBron or Wade would have been the first big name to sign starting a domino effect that would trigger the signing of the rest of the big names and down the line. Enter the Knicks, they had both the foresight and the guts to sign Amar'e to a max deal completely throwing off all the other teams in the race. Miami, Jew Jersey, Cleveland, and Chicago are now feeling even more pressure to make the proper moves and make them quickly.

Here is the thing with LeBron that my associate from the dark side Doctor Stock shared with the News Team earlier, "He'd be a pussy not to. He owes nothing else to Cleveland." Well, my man Stock always speaks his mind which is why he is such a valuable member to the Coaching Staff but there are other reasons why the Coach thinks the King has now shifted much of his attention to playing in the holy city. I think if he was going back to Cleveland he would have simply done it already. The Amar'e move got him leaning back towards New York and realizing a 2-3 year wait to potentially get all the pieces in place in New York is really not that long considering what the rewards will be, which of course will be unimaginable financial success but even more so the possibility of living in New York lore as a champion.

So with LeBron and ESPN now building this off the court business drama towards Bauer Season 2 like heights, all we, the other free agents, gm's and all others checking their twitter accounts a dozen times per minute can do is sit back and wait until Thursday night at 9pm. With forty five hours to go I think the Knicks have moved into the lead...

X's and O's & The Celts off to a great start... as expected

2009-11-10T09:05:00.000-05:00

Is a 7-1 start for any NBA team a great sign? Of course it is. But when it comes to the Celtics it was clearly expected. Eight games in twelve days to start the season is a great test to see where your team is coming out of training camp and the Celtics are locked in as predicted. The scary thing is that Kevin Garnett is just showing signs of finding his offensive rhythm, while Paul Pierce is off to a very productive and efficient start to the year. Welcoming back the Green to my life on a day to day basis again is a wonderful thing.

Now when November comes around it is more than just NBA and the Celtics, it is time for the Coach, well, to do just that, Coach. With Five-Star Basketball NY, which is my instruction and training program that began in September in full swing, it is time to turn to the team building at my prep school. In a growing school (we just started our first 9th grade) I am the guy that is building the boys program as I coach our 7th-9th grade team and our younger 5th and 6th grade team. To say that this is a challenge is a slight understand. Don't get me wrong, these are some of the nicest kids I have ever worked with, but that is part of the problem. Getting them to focus, work hard and compete on a day to day basis is quite a challenge. There is such a difference between coaching a city public school kid versus a private school kid. I work with both on a consistent basis, needless to say I need to adjust my approach a bit from one to the other.

A new season is always exciting, the flu running rampant is not helping but the Coach is gonna find a way to get it done this season as exhausting as it may become. Speaking of exhausted, I am still reeling from my trip to Philly two weekends ago where I attended Pearl Jam who was there to close the Spectrum, the World Series and the Giants Eagles matchup. While the football game was terrible the whole experience was pretty awesome, and thankfully much of it was captured on video which I am turning into a documentary, editing has just began. I'll say this from my Philadelphia experience, I have never been prouder to be from New York. I'll let the footage do the rest of the talking.

This past weekend with the LeBron madness in NYC I did some work for Nike as they were sponsoring open runs for youth basketball players all over the city. Friday night we got it in before the open gyms on Saturday. What a night! It is great when I can catch up with a whole group of people I don't get to see very often at the same time. Great look Friday night... Coach was up LATE...

TONIGHT!!! Let's Go!!!

2009-10-27T08:48:00.000-04:00

Well tonight is the night, it is here, the 2009-2010 NBA season finally begins. And amidst all the excitement Big Baby Davis of the Celtics, a key piece to their second unit breaks his thumb in a non basketball altercation and will be lost for at least 2 months if not longer. Are you kidding me? This is why these guys need LIFE MANAGERS. Not just an agent for the contract or a marketing guy for the side stuff like camps and appearances. LIFE MANAGERS. Each team should have a LIFE MANAGER for any player under the age of...hmmm....27 years old? Have that with your breakfast and let Coach know what you think.

Back to the positive, tonight's opener in Cleveland. The Celtics and the Cavs do not like each other as they are both after the same thing. LeBron is coming off of an MVP season but a disappointing exit from the post-season prompted them to go out get Shaquille O'Neal to man the paint as well as add Anthony Parker and Jamario Moon to the wings. With Delonte West appearing to go completely off the deep end (Coach is saddened by this as Delonte was a beloved Celtic) the Cavs have upgraded overall from last season.

We all know what the Celtics did personnel wise, now it is time to see the results on the court. KG is back, he is full go, he is ready, he has a chip on his shoulder, best of luck to every other front line player that has to compete against him this season. This is a 60 plus win basketball team barring any missed time from the big three, Rondo or Sheed. This is a team focused one thing, getting that Chip back.

Tonight is one game in a marathon season, but as basketball fans we know this is a top heavy league and these big time regular season games say something about your team, especially when you are going on the road. Cleveland will no doubt be rocking tonight as this is their only respectable pro team at the moment as the Browns are an embarrassment and the Indians, well the Indians have decided that they enjoy watching their players play for other teams in the playoffs and World Series instead of holding
onto them, see: CC Sabathia, Cliff Lee, Casey Blake, Ronny Belliard and Ben Francisco. While this has zero effect on tonight it is happening at an interesting time, a time where Cleveland cannot afford to watch LeBron James walk out of Ohio. Will tonight be LeBron's last opening night as a Cav?

Coach has an all-star team coming to the Gate tonight, basketball guys, guys you'd want to go to battle with. Sounds familiar to the guys wearing the green uniforms. Today promises to crawl along, it always does when you are hyped for something 12 hours down the line.

I'm just lucky to have a team like this to be passionate about and enjoy watching. Coach has a goal for this season, enjoy the heck out of the Celtics and the NBA. It starts tonight, go get it Green!

It is OFFICIAL!!! WWW.THECOACHSTAKE.COM

2009-10-23T16:13:00.000-04:00

To my loyal readers, my friends and those who are lucky enough to have my thoughts forwarded to your inbox, it has finally happened, a real domain name. It has been a long haul, the Coach has been trying to get The Take to the point where it is looked at as something more than just my basketball and life insanity on some blogger page, well, this is the first step of many to come.

With that being said, it is Friday, finish your work day, get that workout in, have a scotch, give the lady in your life what she needs and just know from this day forward you will be visiting:
www.thecoachstake.com

The video below is my first online foray into incorporating cinema on The Take and it is for all of you who want to let out a loud yell or a large number of four letter words on this Friday. Just make sure your boss isn't standing next to you. Enjoy your weekend!

Maccabi!!! Maccabi!!! Maccabi!!!

2009-10-19T12:43:00.000-04:00

The Coach had quite a weekend between running workouts and running this town, but there was some time to hit MSG Sunday to get a look at Maccabi Tel Aviv who was in town to play the Knicks. The game which was set up to raise money and act as a bridge between Israel's top team and the NBA turned into much more. With just over five minutes left in the 3rd quarter Maccabi Coach Pini Gershon was given his second technical foul and ejected by referee Ben Taylor. It happened right in front of the Maccabi bench, which Coach was sitting 25 or so rows directly behind (Coach rarely sits much further from the court than that if he can help it) and what happened next was both entertaining and a bit bizarre. COach Gershon refused to leave the bench. Plain and simple he felt disrespected by Taylor, a replacement referee and he was not going to leave quietly. The director of security for Maccabi came quickly to the sideline, and before you knew it he was on the phone, most likely with the NBA I was told.

Ok, a few things:
1) If you are Taylor you can't be the guy that ejects the Maccabi Coach during a charity game at MSG in New York, you don't want to be that guy!!!
2) If you are Gershon, regarded as the Bobby Knight of Israel, can you really allow yourself to get that crazy where you get ejected? Then again, it is not reported that he dropped an M-F on Taylor which is really the only thing that warrants an ejection in a game like this, I guess threatening physical harm would also qualify but that is not what happened. Gershon was unhappy that the Knicks were getting a majority of the calls. After picking up his first technical the Knicks Al Harrington was whistled for an offensive foul in front of the Maccabi bench. Harrington reacted by firing the ball at Taylor and then getting in his ear about it which did not seem to bother Taylor. That is what set Gershon off and lead to his ejection. Was he right? No. But Coach understands his point. While Taylor and the other officials were in a tough position as replacement officials, officiating what is essentially a charity game is not easy when you have everyone barking at you, the officials needed to stay consistent on both ends and they unfortunately did not do that.

So as Gershon was still lingering court side refusing to leave Rabbi Grossman, who was one of the men that made this game happen, came to the bench to reason with everyone. Finally after ten minutes Gershon realized the right thing to do was to leave the court. But before that occurred something quite surreal happened in the Garden, the crowd started to loudly and aggressively chant Mac-ca-bi...Mac-ca-bi...Mac-ca-bi. It was pretty intense for about thirty seconds to a minute.

What was supposed to be a quick stop in for the Coach turned into quite a happening at MSG.

I think what Gershon was ultimately trying to do was send the message, "Don't f#ck with me." Especially since it was a young official, Gershon wanted to make the situation as impossible for Taylor as it was for himself. Ultimately though, this was not the best look for Maccabi Tel Aviv or the game of basketball.

After things settled down Coach left the Garden and headed to Brother Jimmy's for the second half of the 1pm NFL action and some chicken wings (Coach put wings away yesterday like a tuned up Leon kicking it at LD's crib) and some Octoberfest. While both New York teams should be in the playoffs this season, (Giants are a clear Super Bowl contender despite yesterdays loss and the Jets will bounce back from this rough stretch) which is great for the city and the NFL, Coach just isn't feeling the games so much thus far.
Much of it has to do with the fact that I am a man without a team as my once proud franchise actually thought it was a good idea to hire Eric Mangini as their head coach and trade their two most talented players in Kellen Winslow and Braylon Edwards. Coach has had enough of the nonsense, not enough time or energy for this pathetic franchise.

Thank goodness for the Celtics. And quietly we are 8 days until tip off...YES!!!

Friday Thoughts...The Season Creeps Closer

2009-10-16T13:30:00.001-04:00

On this rainy fall Friday in October the Coach is in many places. Physically my ass is at my desk at easily one of the strangest places anyone could ever work regardless of their profession.

Mentally, my mind seems to be all over the map even more than usual. The season is coming but there is just so much change going on that it is hard to keep up and roll with it all at one time…PAUSE.

As I am sitting here at my desk with some of the music Quentin Tarantino used in Inglorious Basterds blasting away, I was just interrupted by the head of the lower school where I work, who is one of the biggest schmuck’s around (I think I am being to kind, how about dick weed?)

He walked to my door, which is located 6-8 feet outside the elevators and asked “Do you know who is operating this elevator? First off, how about a good morning??? Secondly you are one of the heads of school and you spend each morning marching around making sure the elevators are being run like Charlie Company, enough!!! No Coach don’t know who is operating this elevator, Coach be sipping his coffee and painting a picture with words with a World War II soundtrack!!! Get out of my space!

So back to what I was saying, shit is changing, and life keeps getting more complicated but things always seem to simplify themselves when the season arrives. You get in that groove and seem to hit your stride when you know it is game night, whether you are coaching it or just watching it.

Though Coach bleeds Celtic green there is nothing like walking into Madison Square Garden in New York for the first time in a young season, whether it be college or pro (Yes, despite their record there was a good Knick buzz in the building for a large part of last season) You always manage to run into someone you both want to talk to as well as someone you want to avoid the stop and chat with at all costs. (LD and the Coach are very much alike in that way, as well as enjoying the company of such a fine man as Leon.)

Yesterday during an email thread with the fantasy basketball league members for this upcoming season I received an email from a friend and a fan of the coach which read, “When coach takes it baseline he takes it hard to the tin!" -- Coach! At some point last season I guess I had resorted to talking about when I used to have a little game on the court and my love for the baseline drive in one of my posts. It always makes you feel pretty when someone is quoting you, well usually. After reading it a few times it made me think about the fact that we only get one shot at this thing, this game of life, it's time to start leaving it all out there again like the playing days of the 90's.

On Wednesday Coach was fortunate enough to be a guest of the Pistol at the Jimmy V dinner to benefit cancer research. Always a great night, always a time to reflect on how lucky we are to be healthy. When the Pistol almost got sucked into a 5K party package at the Zone there was a big buzz in the room a he was working the crowd the way Brandon Tierney couldn’t do that night (damn, he was painful) When Hannah Storm mentioned that Charles Smith was in the audience Coach couldn’t help but consider doing the unthinkable, “Smith…Smith….Smith again” out loud, which was also presented in my twisted head during All-Star weekend. Thankfully Coach restrained, though the bidding and auction portion of the evening needed another bolt of lightning.

So as this is the time for some tough decisions and the time to take some big shots for the Coach lets all embrace the 2009-2010 season which is right around the corner. Time to get that Chip back…

The Blank Banner is Brilliant!

2009-09-29T11:53:00.001-04:00

For the past two seasons the Celtics have successfully combined talent, teamwork, basketball I.Q. and toughness into a combined 128 regular season victories and a championship. What sometimes goes unnoticed in sports, specifically basketball is the psychology that goes into playing, coaching and team building.

When the Celtics went to Rome to during the pre-season in 2007 I thought it was a terrific way for that team made up of mostly guys that had never played together to build chemistry and bond as a unit on and off the court, and as we know that is exactly what happened. Ubuntu was the rallying cry all season which was more than just something you say before leaving the huddle, it is a belief, it is a philosophy and it was followed all year long.

This season the team has a new trick, a blank championship banner hanging next to the 2008 banner. It can be interpreted a few different ways:

-A blank canvas for the team to show their new body of work on.

-Coming up short last year means unfinished business lays ahead
which means nothing short of 2010 Champions will be acceptable.

-A daily visual reminder of why they do what they do, to win.

Whichever of these, or combination of these that motivated the Celtics to hang the blank banner doesn't really matter in comparison to the fact that this team is loaded, healthy and all business as we enter the 2009-2010 season.

The Coach couldn't be more excited as we are one month from opening tip.

The empty banner will prove to be brilliant as Ubuntu continues to be...

Get your blood pumping-25 Years Ago-Wow!!!

2009-09-10T12:27:00.000-04:00

The Lakers are the defending champions. They added Ron Artest.
The Celtics lost in the second round to the eventual eastern champion Magic, then they got Sheed. It feels like the 2008 Finals was 5 years ago.

This is the intro from 1984, 25 years ago.
Fifteen years after Bill Russell's last game and championship from 1969, which was one of the greatest Game 7 stories in any sport of all-time.

Does anyone else have that special feeling about the upcoming season?

CBS. Vintage. Enjoy.

The season is still so far away...

2009-09-09T23:13:00.000-04:00

It is September 10th, some players are still on vacation, some have reported early to polish their craft or work on chemistry with teammates, others are still at the beach but the writing must begin again as I am losing my mind not talking, writing or debating about ball.

The one positive about taking a long ass vacation from the Coach's Take is that there is a lot of TAKE to catch you all up on and a lot of adjustments the Coach will be making, the way only the coach can. It has been a wild summer of basketball camps, moving from the ESTATE to the GATE, weddings (I'll need separate posts for those) and of course everyday Coachness.

So as we get closer and closer to training camp I'll be bringing you back up to date with the Coach, the league, the Celts with the addition of some interesting twists.

First things first, since many of you forgot since the finals were so damn bad, the Lakers are the current NBA Champions. The COACH is guaranteeing right now 3 weeks before training camp that the LAKERS will not be repeating as Champions. Plain and simple.

Glad we got that out of the way, please pass a chilled Shelly, thank you very much.

So in an off-season that saw the Lakers land Ron Artest and figure out how to bring back Lamar Odom, the Spurs add Richard Jefferson, the Cavs adding Shaquille O’Neal, the Magic replacing Hedo with VC as well as adding front court depth in the form of Brandon Bass and of course the Celtics adding Rasheed Wallace, Marquis Daniels and finding a way to keep Big Baby in the crib for two more years these teams are going to give us plenty to talk about very soon. But why not now? I think the RJ and Shaq moves have been underrated across the board. Richard Jefferson is a very good basketball player whose skill set and athletic ability have been missing from the Spurs for quite some time. His ability to slash, defend and finish at the rim give them an explosive dynamic next to one of the best big 3's in the league.

The Coach as a Celtic fan is a bit concerned with Shaq teaming with LeBron and I will tell you why, LeBron can rest from time to time on offense. The King has never had the chance to team with a true post presence in Cleveland, now he has Shaq, who as we saw last season can still bring it, especially as a number two or three option on the offensive end. His ability to draw double teams, pass out of the post and get teams into the bonus situation will pay off big time for the Cavs.

Sheed to the Celtics is a beautiful thing. He fills multiple voids for the Celtics as their big man off the bench as his ability to defend, rebound and stretch the defense with is perimeter shooting along with his basketball IQ will be a great addition to a team that will be foaming at the mouth to get back to the finals. Also, can you imagine what the hell will be going on during the pre-game huddles both home and away with Sheed, KG and Scal in there?!?! I am not even gonna think about the post game parties, off the hook. While Marquis Daniels is not a marquee name his versatility and length offensively will give the Celtics needed depth at the wing position being Pierce and Allen. Nice job Mr. Ainge.

Speaking of Mr. Ainge, Coach had the opportunity to assist with an exposure workout for players trying to get contracts overseas and the NBDL in Baltimore two weeks ago, on hand were Austin Ainge who is the head coach of the Maine Blue Claws of the NBDL and Dee Brown, who is the coach of the Springfield Pride. Both are real good guys as Coach had the chance to talk Celtics past and present with both of them. Worth the train ride down and back for sure. Nothing like Penn Station in Baltimore at 11pm on a Thursday night...a tad shady.

Next on the Coach's Take:
AI to Memphis
Ranking Minnesota's 2009 Rubio Draft Disaster
and Labor Day on the Jersey Shore

Go get it!!!

Draft Mania Has Begun With...Yes...a Trade

2009-06-23T19:22:00.000-04:00

We are 48 hours away from the NBA draft and a major trade has gone down in the association.

The Milwaukee Bucks have traded Richard Jefferson to the San Antonio Spurs for Bruce Bowen, Kurt Thomas and Fabricio Oberto.

This move is very clear from both sides. The Spurs needed to get younger and add some more perimeter scoring, they have done that successfully with Jefferson.

The Bucks needed to stay away from the luxury tax as they are trying to resign restricted free agents Ramon Sessions and Charlie Villanueva.

To the Coach this is a steal for the Spurs and an unfortunate MUST DO for the Bucks.
The Spurs if healthy will have a chance to be in a great position to challenge the Lakers for the Western Conference next season. San Antonio will have to add another big to play with and behind Duncan, but know with Jefferson in the mix it needs to be a role player who can defend and rebound, not necessarily score. Antonio McDyess anyone?
He can play the 4 or 5, defend the post and knock down the mid range jumper, he must be on the Spurs radar.

With draft night less than 48 hours away this is just the beginning of a flurry of moves.

Stick with the Coach to carry you through the craziness during draft week and this summer.

What Champions Do...

2009-05-11T08:53:00.000-04:00

When the Coach arrived back at the Gramercy Estate following some mother's day family dining he knew that the Game 4 waiting for him on his DVR was simply the season on the line for the Celtics. Last night's Celtic win in Orlando is simply why so many of us still watch and still care.

It was a perfect example of a team digging deep and finding a way to stay in a must win game with their somewhat fatigued and at times this post season inconsistent best player and captain leading the way despite foul trouble.

It was a team so thin on the front line finding a way to create points in the paint early and then rotate players just enough and at just the right times to stay out of serious foul trouble.

It was a six foot point guard grabbing 14 rebounds.

It was a big man with a chronically bad left shoulder battling Superman every second he was on the floor.

It was Big Baby's extra jump shooting on the day off in between games 3 and 4 clearly paying off.

It was Doc Rivers yet again drawing up a masterpiece in the huddle and the players trusting it and running it every step of the way.

It was a defending champion refusing to believe the talking heads.

It was pure guts.

It was Celtic Pride.

Say what you want about the shorthanded Celtics, be a hater, jump on the Cleveland, Orlando, Denver or LA bandwagon's, please, please do the Coach and the thousands of other Celtic die hards that favor, we don't need you or want you for that matter. This is about something more than flashy highlights, no look passes and dunks on the fast break.

This about giving 100% of yourself to the team no matter the circumstance, no matter how the deck seems to be stacked against you.

This about having your teammates back because you know he will do the same for you.

This is why basketball has the ability to be an incredible teaching tool for people whether they are young or old, no matter the location, the socioeconomic situation or the skill level.

This is why the Coach became the Coach.

Big Baby!!!

2009-05-11T08:52:00.001-04:00

House on Fire, Tempers Rise Out West, GIVE ME MY LEAGUE BACK!!!

2009-05-07T13:14:00.000-04:00

As Coach expected the Boston Celtics responded with a game 2 win last night to even their best of seven second round series at 1-1 with the Orlando Magic. While the Celtics are still the champs this team has become so unpredictable mainly because of injuries which we have been hearing about for weeks. Last night Eddie House and Rajon Rondo were the key ingredients that dismantled the Magic. It is very simple, with Garnett out next season (yes coach has given up hope that KG is not coming through that door until the fall) the Celtics have to outscore people, which means running and being the aggressors. It starts with Rondo. When he attacks and penetrates they are a different team and he is a different player. Then guys like House and Ray Allen especially thrive in transition and knock out the 3 ball. Last night was a perfect example.

A few points about this series:
*While the Celtics were definitely a bit fatigued when game one came around it was their focus and lack of 1st half intensity that lost the game, not being tired.

*Kendrick Perkins is handling Dwight Howard pretty well. Howard is going to get a certain amount of rebounds each night, there is nothing you can do about it. What you must limit are his touches within seven feet of the hoop and limit his offensive rebound opportunities. The man of course is going to be in double digits in defensive rebounds unless the Celtics just don't miss.

*The Celtics back court is KEY in the series. Rondo, Allen, House and Marbury should be able to destroy Orlando's thin and slow back court.

*Paul Pierce is well rested as the Celtics go on the road to Orlando, he only played 16 minutes in game 2, scary if you are the Magic.

*Rafer Alston slapping Ed House in the head was one of the dumbest things I have seen a player do when getting their ass kicked in a long time. You have now fired up the champs and the Hot House even more so for their trip to Disney World. BRILLIANT!!!

Last night out west the Lakers evened things up with the Rockets at 1-1 as Kobe Bryant took matters into his own hands delivering 40 points. While Kobe's scoring was of course huge for the Lakers it was the escalating physical play in his match-up with Ron Artest that needs to be discussed along with the actions of Derek Fisher and the officiating decisions. The Kobe Artest match-up has the potential to be more than just memorable. These are two of the most unique players we have ever seen who play to their strengths and will never ever give in. The Kobe elbow to Artest's throat on a box out in the 4th quarter prompted Artest to charge Kobe and lead to his ejection. Was it an intentional dirty play by KB24? I don't think so, but have you ever been elbowed, punched or kicked in the throat? Coach has, and that shit not only hurts but it is scary as all hell. I can't fault Artest for that reaction, he simply was going to send a very clear message that he will not allow that again from Kobe, can you blame him? Now the question I have is this: if that were Shane Battier, Chauncey Billups or Brandon Roy who got caught with an elbow and then charged Kobe the way Artest did would they be thrown out? I think not. I think Artest was a victim of his own history last night which is too bad because he is playing great basketball.

Derek Fisher was also shown the door last night as he jacked up Luis Scola as Scola was setting a ball screen on him. Fisher obviously wanted to send a message that the Lakers were not going to be pushed around by the Rockets but for Fish to do it in such a manner on an open court pick and roll situation was some what foolish. I don't happen to agree with the ejection as that was a flagrant foul level one at worst.

That leads me to say this: GIVE ME MY LEAGUE BACK!!! The style of play, aggression and trash talking should not be dictated by the fact that there is more tv and internet coverage than ever before. It is ridiculous. DO I want guys to get hurt? NO. Do I want to see cheap shots? Hell No. But a clean hard foul is a clean hard foul. When 2 big, strong, explosive athletic bodies met in mid air and one is trying to yam on the others head in front of 20,000 people in person and millions watching the guy defending the hoop, his team and his city is going to make some body contact from time to time. As long as it is without intent to injure and there is a play being made on the ball then it should be accepted as part of the game.

Some of the best postseason basketball we have seen in the past 25-30 years involved very physical competitive play. The Celtics battles with Philly, LA and Detroit were second to none throughout the 80's. The Bulls battling the Bad Boys for 4 straight years and finally breaking through in 1991 was unreal. The Knick battles with the Bulls, Heat and Pacers were fierce.

Obviously as a Celtics fan the Coach loves how hard his team plays. This Lakers Rockets series has the potential to be a great one, I just hope the officials and the league are able to keep the players on the court for what could be a classic seven game battle.

One last thing: I know Lebron is the MVP, Congrats Thy King, but having the Celtics and Lakers play on the same night is not cool. I know the Cavs have the best record but Boston v Orlando and Houston v LA are going to be the best 2nd round matchups, why not market the Cavs and Lakers on the same night? King at 8, Kobe at 10:30? Of course the Coach is looking out for himself on this one.

Playoffs 2009...Brace Yourself

2009-04-20T17:35:00.000-04:00

With so much happening in the few days before the playoffs involving the defending champs I chose not to do a playoff preview. Instead you will be getting playoff analysis throughout the first round with some picks later down the line. As bad as things appeared for the Celtics last week before game one referring to KG’s injury and Danny Ainge’s minor heart attack (he is comfortable and out of the hospital) they got worse once the game started on Saturday. After a full Saturday of clinics, practice and workouts Coach returned home to the Gramercy Estate to watch the game which thanks to DVR was awaiting me. I really had idea what I was in for. Let me say this before I speak on the outstanding performances, the Celtics lost that game early, I mean first half early. When you are a home favorite and your motto is intensity and defense, you have to come out with those two things as the PRIORITY. The Bulls were able to get into the paint with ease and played harder than the Celtics in the first half, hence their continued rise in confidence throughout the game . Paul Pierce can’t take 4 shots in the first half of any playoff game especially one as significant as this one.

Derrick Rose. Wow. That is all I could keep saying which each possession. While his confidence grew his calm stayed as steady as Harry Callahan preventing a bank robbery while chomping on his lunch time frank. When the Celtics went under the screen on pick and roll he’d calmly nail the mid range jumper. When Rondo or Marbury came out to pressure him he’d patiently wait until the floor was spread properly and then drive it to the tin. When body contact came from the help defense he’d take it and make the Celts pay from the line. Wow. Wow. Wow. His explosiveness not only on the break but also in traffic is something we have not seen in a while from a point guard. I am not saying he is on par with CP3 or Deron, but his game one performance leads me to think that is the fast track he is on.
The third quarter of that game was a track meet as Rajon Rondo and Rose simply went at it. Going up and down like juiced up race cars attacking the basket at every opportunity and taking the crowd to a very exciting level in Boston. KG was unable to handle sitting on the bench for the second half as his level of anxiety was just too much, he chose to watch the 2nd stanza and OT from the locker room. With or without KG on the bench there was nothing to stop Ben Gordon and Tyrus Thomas as they started hitting late which signaled doom for the Celtics in game one. Pierce played a terrific second half but Ray Allen, Ed House and Leon Powe did very little to help the Captain in the scoring department as the Bulls earned, not stole, earned their victory in game one. Game 2 should bring some desperation from the Champs as it is a MUST win. (Just a side note, KG was reportedly was in full practice gear on Sunday as I am sure he is mentally willing his knee to reach a level where he can run, we all wish it were that easy.)
In the east the series that many including myself would be most intriguing got started in blowout fashion last night in Atlanta as the Hawks dismantled the Heat 90-64, which included a 35 point 2nd quarter and then held the Heat to a seven point 4th quarter, really? Seven points? Seven? Really? The Heat have their work cut out for them as the Hawks look like a team that is real locked in. Atlanta took last year’s first round experience and applied what they learned from that seven gamer against Boston to growing this season and now look like a team that could potentially give anyone a headache (most likely Cleveland) in the second round. Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Mike Bibby, Al Horford and Marvin Williams are going to be too much for the Heat to handle. Atlanta needs to keep the pressure on and keep running. Miami does not have the size, length or experience to stop the Hawks if they are playing at the top of their game. Yes, I know how great Dwayne Wade is, and yes, he is battle tested in the post-season but this Miami team is not. Atlanta needs to get this series over with in 5 games so they can get ready for thy King and Co. from Cleveland.
The first real onions shout out goes to Andre Iguodala as last night in Philly he made one ridiculous buzzer beater that felt like the final seconds of a Bauer rescue. Not only did AI recue his team, he rescued himself from a world of criticism as just moments earlier he missed a pair of free throws with Philly trailing by one point. The Philly comeback itself was down right unbelievable as they trailed the heavily favored Magic by 18 points with one minute to go in the 3rd quarter before a furious rally. As well as the Sixers played in the 4th (which included 3 three pointers by non other than Donyell Marshall, Bob Horry like last night, anyone?) are the Magic serious? You are the #3 seed, you have Dwight Howard, you are home up 18 and blow the game? A perfect example of a few things: 1) Dwight Howard is not yet an elite player. 2) Stan Van Gundy is not a great coach. 3) Orlando is no threat to win the East. If you need more reasons, leave a comment and I’ll help you out.
Out west the Lakers did what was expected, handled their business in Game one against Utah. Every time the Jazz seemed to be on the verge of making a run the Lakers would make that staggering play. A Trevor Ariza reverse dunk on the fast break, a Kobe dagger, a Gasol put back. That is what the great teams do, they don’t let visitors especially in the first round make runs on their home court. You hear that Celtics? Magic? Spurs? Blazers?
The Spurs seem tired and somewhat overwhelmed entering yet another series against Dallas, this time without Manu Ginobilli. The Mavs, who were in danger of not being in the playoffs mid way through the year are surging as there is a fine balance and a new level of confidence they are now playing with. After a full season you can see the benefits of Jason Kidd’s leadership, Dirk Nowitski’s efficiency (I know he did not have a big game one but he had a terrific season under Rick Carlisle) and backcourt depth featuring Jose Berea and Jason Terry. The Spurs are the first round favorite in the most trouble right now after one game. Yes, more than Boston and Orlando, and though Portland has home court many favored the Roc kets including the Coach. Houston man handled the Blazers in game one as Yao Ming and Luis Scola combined to go 16-18 from the floor, showing just how strong the Rockets are upfront. Combine that with Aaron Brooks’ 27 point 7 assist effort from the 1 and the Blazers didn’t stand a chance. As talented as the Blazers are they are facing a veteran team who is starving for a playoff series victory. Houston has not moved on in a series since their line included Charles Barkley, Matt Maloney, Clyde Drexler, and Hakeem Olajuwon. One prediction I will make now and stand by is the Rockets will give the Lakers all they can handle in the second round, you can count on it.

Many hoop heads found themselves doing double takes when Denver grabbed the two seed in the west. When the Nuggets acquired Chauncy Billups earlier this season most thought it was to get rid of Allen Iverson and remain respectable. Well that was not Chauncy’s goal as his leadership, toughness and game gave so much to Denver this season. It took needed pressure off of Carmelo Anthony on the court and George Karl on the sideline. Karl had not had an extension of himself on the court since he coach Gary Payton and Billups finally provided that. Plain and simple Billups must be mentioned in that second tier of MVP candidates behind LeBron, D Wade and Kobe this season, he is the reason Denver had the year they had and his eight three pointers made in game one remind everyone of what a money player he is in the post season. The Hornets are wishing they drew the Spurs in the first round.
Lets hope the Bulls beat the Celtics tonight so tomorrow can be a positive recovery day for Danny Ainge...

A Blogging Hiatus...a regret but needed

2009-03-24T11:29:00.000-04:00

So the Coach has been getting some heat for being away from the blog for a while and rightly so, well, maybe. As many of you know the Coach lives an action packed life, and in order to live that life one needs a certain amount of paper in the account to do so, which is part of the reason why you have not heard from the coach. The other of course has been the NCAA tournament which needs my full attention, so doing any sort of madness blog as fun as it would be to read has not been possible simply because I have been glued to the screen.

I am not going to lie, it has been an odd stretch since my last post which had Marbury land with the Celtics. Since then though the Celtics have been tough to watch and talk about simply because KG was still out and the team was starting to really labor without him. The injury bug continued to hit, next taking Rondo, then Baby, now Leon, all while Tony Allen (thumb) and Brian Scalabrine (post concussion syndrome) are out indefinitely. At first I wasn't nervous as I thought the rest would do KG just fine for the playoff run as long as he came back when the knee was ready. But here is coach's current concern: will the chemistry be there when the second season starts next month? That is the chief concern along side getting EVERYONE healthy.

Now some of you are sitting there actually thinking about the Celtics while others are saying "I still don't understand why three weeks have past since his last blog?" Like I mentioned above things have been happening so when I say "things" I mean my basketball program that I launched last fall in NYC, Five-Star Basketball NY. We have gone from instruction, programs to clinics and training now to travel/AAU teams and training this spring, it has taken up a lot of time. Coach is also recruiting public school players for his prep school program in lower Manhattan for next fall and beyond.

One thing I regret not blogging live was the 6-OT Syracuse UCONN game that Coach caught live with the Pistol during the Big East Tournament, that was something special, something memorable and something exhausting. Flynn, John Flynn was like no player I have ever seen in a multiple overtime situation, he refused to let fatigue set it, he is a special player. Speaking of special how great was Sunday? Pittsburgh and Louisville both pushed to the final minutes by Siena and Oklahoma State, awesome. Coach loved day one at home then at Barfly for the night games and day two last Friday which was quite the day and night. Friday was a marathon day of viewing as some of my boys I don't see much met me in the neighborhood for the afternoon games. With Cornell on at 3pm against Missouri I was real hyped up to see my man Steve D and the Big Red give Missouri everything they could handle, well for about 25 minutes.

Saturday evening's thrillers were viewed from one of the hottest birthday parties in the tri-state area as the Dude turned a real crusty 31. But there was nothing like Sunday at home, bagel spread, iced coffee, blackberry in the other room, one bracket out on the table just watching the games. Appreciating each big hoop, each time Raf said onions, each time Gus Johnson's voice went from grown man to pubescent teen and each time a player would sacrifice their body for the good of the team is what the Madness is all about for the Coach.

Coach is on his way to Island Garden to go over some AAU scheduling for the upcoming Spring season, followed by a trip to the South Shore for some family insanity, well hopefully it will only be dinner.

Spring is almost here which means I am grabbing and icy joint.

The Sweet Sixteen awaits, Coach will be back sooner than you think...

MARBURY A CELTIC...It is Official

2009-02-27T15:29:00.001-05:00

So today is the day. I know many of you have been waiting for this day just to snicker or perhaps some of you want to see the Coach blow a gasket. Others are surely going to be rooting hard for this to fail, and fail miserably. But Coach is going to keep the faith, keep it even though his favorite team, heck one of his favorite things in life is about to let in the ultimate NO into their family. That is correct, today is the day the Boston Celtics sign Stephon Marbury for the remainder of the season. (I have a shooting pain in my left shoulder, no shortness of breath...yet) The Celtics hungry for depth in the backcourt and scoring from the wing definitely get that from Marbury if he is able to fit in and if he is in game shape, IF.
We all know the rep. We all know the locker room stories. We saw the decline of his sanity while playing under the Thomas / Dolan regime. The Sunday night on Mike’d Up (Mike was out with Chicken Parm-itis that night and Ithaca’s College’s own Bruce Beck filled in admirably, BOMBERS!!!) when Marbury was acting as if he were on a combination of meds that Richard Dreyfuss and Chevy Chase used to hammer down before their epic 80’s film shoots. Do we all remember this? The beautiful thing here is that I don’t even have to start quoting the interview because Coach has it below. This really is one of the oddest, disturbing and entertaining 9 plus minutes of live television the Coach has ever seen (I feel blessed that I saw this live with Pistol, Wolf and crew back in the tree house days)

There never was any doubt in Marbury’s physical gifts. Strong, explosive, and quick at the point with a very good jumper both off the bounce and on the catch. He could iso you or play the pick n roll game, as well as be very very good in transition. But his career has not been defined by that. It has been defined by him demanding out of Minnesota (how does a 3rd year point guard at the age of 21 want to leave Kevin Garnett?) then being the guy the Nets traded to the Suns to get Jason Kidd, and of course coming back home to New York in the ideal situation to lead the Knicks back to respectability and having it become one of the biggest soap opera’s this proud basketball city has ever seen. The thing about Marbury on the court that fails him is that while his career average for assists is just under 8 per game he never became a floor general that raised the level of play of his teammates. The greats do that. Point guards like Magic, J-Kidd, The Glove, Zeke, Nash and CP3 not only get their numbers they raise the bar for their supporting cast. Allen Iverson who has had his critics since he entered the league was a guy that was always being mentioned in the same conversation with Marbury. But unlike Marbury, Iverson’s desire, will to win and ability to inspire his teammates got him to an NBA final back in 2001. Do you remember his supporting cast? Coach sure does, Big Deke, Aaron McKie, Tyrone Hill, Eric Snow, Derrick Coleman and George Lynch. Marbury in his prime was arguably as talented as AI, but it was everything else that goes with it that has been missing with guy.

As a Celtics fan I am trying to be objective and put personal feelings aside but it is a challenge. Back in the summer of 2005 I was directing basketball camps in Manhattan at Basketball City we had a week of Marbury camp. Usually when the player puts his name on a camp they show up 2 or 3 of the days out of the 5 day week. Showing face is good for everybody, the kids, the facility, and most importantly the player. Well Stephon showed up exactly once, on the last afternoon. When he walked into the bubble he immediately rubbed the Coach the wrong way as he didn’t take the time to say hello to any of our coaching staff who had been working hard with the kids to give them a great experience all week. Marbury then demanded that each kid get a basketball and spread themselves out over 2 of the basketball courts. So there we are 100 plus kids and Starbury with the staff waiting to see what he wants to do, maybe some ball handling, perhaps a story from when he was a youngster in Coney Island that could lead into a drill that he used to do on the playground that we could show the kids, nope. He told each kid that when he holds his hand to his hear they need to scream “I love this game.” That was just the beginning. He told them you have to want it to get somewhere in this game, yes, yes Stephon you do, you have WANT IT if you want to get anywhere in this world. So his instruction to them was this, “Everyone has to hold the ball over their head, last one to put it down gets $20.” That was it. That is what he brought to the table. Now I understand he came from a tough upbringing but these are city kids who paid to go to his camp. The look on some of the coaches face’s were priceless as we sat there and watched him make fun of kids whose arms got tired. In the end it was just a big joke to him, a quick 15K to give to his brother who sat on his rear all week off to the side yapping on his cell piece.

From the Celtics perspective this is worth the risk and I will explain why in clear Coachness terms. The Green have 2 needs. Marbury IF in shape and behaved fits them both. They need another ball handler off the bench and they need more scoring from the perimeter. As well as Ed House has played the last two seasons he is not the player you want handling the ball with the second unit on the court, he is however the guy you want shooting it. Marbury’s ability to create on the dribble, penetrate and yes pass will prove to be very valuable to the Celtics who will now have the opportunity to find a few extra minutes of rest for Ray Allen, Paul Pierce and Rajon Rondo if needed. A lineup that includes Marbury and House with either Pierce or Allen playing with the front court reserves (Yes, I know they signed Mikki Moore, another on the long list of guys that owes J-Kidd a royalty check each month) is quite an explosive combination of scoring from the perimeter.

I wonder what the first conversation in person will be like when Garnett and Marbury interact, Coach would do anything to be in that room. Would Steph finally say to KG, “So this is what I have been missing out on because I have been a complete clown?” Would KG simply say “Welcome old friend, this is an opportunity of a lifetime, but if you f#*k with this chemistry I’ll put you in the river Jimmy Markum style?” I am sure there was a sit down with Doc and the Big Three today. I am sure the law was laid down. I am sure there were handshakes, nods, looks of intensity as this team is about one thing, winning. But what Doc, Danny, the fans, the critics, the players and Marbury do not yet know is whether or not this will work. For the sake of Marbury’s basketball future and present he better make it work…Marbury in the glorious green and white begins tonight at the Garden, 7:30 tip against the Pacers. I'll be takinig a deep breath and hoping for the best...

The Coach at ALL-STAR

2009-02-17T17:04:00.000-05:00

When the Coach finally realized where he was headed after a very long Thursday he realized that something special was right around the corner (Ben Buttons?)

Fearing he’d oversleep and miss his 6am flight Friday morning Coach chose to nap before the gutty Celtics win over the Mavs in Dallas. After the win which included 18 4th quarter points from the Truth and a very timely pair of technical fouls by coach Doc Rivers which fired up the champs the Coach packed, then went to his local spot for a couple of beverages before the his ride was scheduled to pick him up at 4am. So with a carry on, a steamy bag of Newman’s Own and some major anticipation Coach got to the LGA in plenty of time. Everything seemed smooth, even at security where three security guards cheered me on as I chugged the white tea that I forgot I had to drink before I passed through the gate. But then I got on the plane it was like some enemy from the past wanted to keep the coach from getting to Phoenix. Was it that referee that Coach challenged last week? The girl from a couple of weeks ago that Coach just wasn’t that into? Maybe a D-Back that got poco’d back in the day thanks to the Wolf? We’ll never really know, what we do know is that the plane sat on the runway for an hour and a half which caused Coach to miss his connection in Dallas, and ultimately meant a 4pm arrival in Phoenix instead of noon.

As soon as I got on the ground and took a deep breath of that clean southwestern air and I felt something great. I was at ease. This has been a stressful time of year and time away was needed. Friday evening proved to be a great lead in to the weekend. Some down time at the Intercontinental resort and a bath, yes, Coach loves a bath on the road when the tub is large enough and it got me right to start the night in Scottsdale. Dinner, drinks and some conversation while watching KD destroy the rookies on the flat screen in front of us took it until about midnight.(Chicken tacos and sirloin sliders were off the gage!) Following an interesting piece of Arizona police work where they pulled over the cab we were in because of where the driver picked us up (a clear case of racial harassment) we made it back to the Intercontinental for the Chicken and Waffles party thanks to the worldwide leader. It was a good late night activity but would have preferred more ladies and music on hand to go along with the spread instead of perhaps some of the TV personalities that think they are celebrities. You read off of a teleprompter, yes a lot people know your name but stop trying to be THE MAN!

Saturday is where things got really cooking as following the $20 hotel breakfast buffet (both the coffee and fruit were a big help for the Coach’s flow) we then headed to the Phoenix Wyndum for a special VIP sneak preview of Spike Lee’s new joint “Kobe Doing Work.” Thirty cameras were on the Black Mamba last April as the Lakers played the Spurs in a pivotal late season game to determine playoff seeding as well as influence the MVP voting.

Spike was given full access to pre-game, halftime and post game along with capturing each possession of the game while Kobe was on the court or on the bench with the rest of the Lakers. It was a tremendous piece of work by Spike Lee who made some awesome editing decisions as well as showing what the Lakers communication is like both in the heat of battle as well as during their lighter moments. (Kobe has some great exchanges with Sasha Vujacic, Jordan Farmar and Pau Gasol, some not so great one’s with Vlad Radmanovic and Luke Walton) One of the highlights for the coach from the basketball side was the physical contact Kobe had to endure during the game along with how active he was as a help defender from a communication stand point (Manu Ginobili did not play for the Spurs so Kobe was defending off the ball most of the game) After it ended some walked out amazed, others disappointed but if you can’t see the magic from both the artistic side and the basketball side then there is no way you will be able to really appreciate what Spike Lee was able to create.

After a quick walk around the all-star festivities and Thunder Dan Majerle’s Bar and Grill the Coach returned to the International to have late afternoon lunch and a drink poolside before charging the battery for the Saturday night festivities.

Now I am not going to lie, I have been very fortunate for quite some time in regard to getting taken care of as friends at ESPN, Nike, Dime and the NBA have really looked out for me when it comes to my best interests as well getting me to events. Saturday was an amazing example as my seats were just straight silly for the three point shoot out and the dunk contest. The shootout however was quite a disappointment (We had a four man pool going, it got confusing, no one picked Cook, Coach tried to buy back in but Tubbs disallowed it, Tubbs you owe Coach a crispy $20!) I was pulling for #33 from Indiana, I know quite a shock with my track record, but in the end it was DeQuan Cook who outlasted the others. It was real weak.

The dunk contest on the other hand was flat out fantastic. Between the dancers to our left, the high flyers right in front of us and the storyline involving Dwight and Nate it was some serious entertainment. You all saw it, and while Nate definitely deserved the win there was nothing like watching Dwight walk into the phone booth right in front of us.

As much fun as the dunk contest was the party following it that we got access to was fantastic. Thanks to an NBA connect Coach and crew were able to walk into the NBPA party which had a very tight door guarded by none other than Roy Hinson. But thanks to the development of a recent relationship we walked right in and who do I walk into, yes, the Truth himself, who unfortunately happened to be on the way out and really wasn’t interested in speaking. Crazy, right? Maybe I did not hit him with the right thing, perhaps it was the timing, but either way the encounter that could have been amazing with one of my favorites ever fell by the wayside (Just a reminder I met Larry Legend in 2000 and nothing will ever touch it) So Coach had a decision, be disappointed or hit the bar for drink tickets. Before you knew it we had beverages in hand with a fired up T.I. on stage and were part of a big bumping party.

In the midst of the madness you see which athletes are there and which people are there to be seen with athletes. It was quite an experience. I only approached a few people all night to chat it up with but all exchanges post Truth were real good. I also had the chance to catch up with some of my NYC guys that were also in town. After speaking with Shaun Rogers of the Cleveland Browns (great dude) I was finally able to speak to Steve Smith about his NBA TV co-host Rick Kamala who has got to be the most intense studio guy in the business. Smitty and I also talked about his Atlanta Hawk days when he used to drop daggers on people, especially the Knicks at MSG. It was a terrific conversation with the former Spartan star.

But then there was the highlight of the night and the weekend. Pistol and I were walking towards the front just to take a peek at the entry area and we walk straight into the Glove and C-Webb, WOW!!! Not only were we huge fans of them as players but their NBA TV studio show with Ahmad Rashad has turned into pure entertainment at the Gramercy Estate as those guys are just straight chillin on set. We hit Glove with his Celtics and Bucks days which caught him by complete surprise as well as talked about what it would have been like to have had him in New York for his career. My man Pistol hit C-Webb about his studio lean which Chris got a kick out of and then we took quite a picture as you can see below.

Sunday was a day to enjoy to the hotel, chill at the LRG suite near by where Mr. Durant rolled through fresh off of his dominant performance on Friday night and enjoy one heck of a steak before arriving at the arena for the All-Star game. At this point the weekend had already been a unreal, the game was just the icing on the cake. Hats off to the city of Phoenix for hosting one hell of an event. Special thanks to Pistol, Tubbs, PR, Dime crew and of course the NBA for one memorable weekend for the Coach.

What a Show!!!

2009-02-12T13:34:00.001-05:00

The Coach has been real busy planning clinics, attending games and of course coaching. Last week marked a special week for pro basketball especially in New York City. Though the Knicks ended up dropping three games to the three best teams in the league they competed and now know where they stand and how much further they need to go to be a legit NBA contender. The individual performances of Kobe and LeBron and then the gritty team performance of the Celtics were all great to watch at MSG.

Wednesday's blog from LeBron's almost triple double:
Coach's hump day this week was crazy as I went from the financial district with my 5/6 troops minus my mini Ray Ray to the upper east side, then back downtown then to headquarters on the east side for a quick wash and change. Then I finally was able to jump into a cab on say “take me to the garden.”

Coach was on his way to see the King and the level of excitement grew with each honk of the horn and each traffic light in the rush hour frenzy we all know to well.
After meeting the Pistol at the establishment formally known as Cosby’s (they were out of Gerald Wilkins road medium’s, sorry Wolf I know you like em snug) we walked into the Garden and you could feel the buzz. It was clear that thousands were expecting LeBron to put on a show similar to what Kobe did on Monday.

It was evident from the opening tip that Lebron had that mindset. Iso's against Q-Rich, jumpers over D Lee and dribble drives acted as the jabs, crosses and hooks as it was clear Lebron is going after Kobe's 61 points like a boxer would to get his belt.

After the first quarter Lebron had 20.

Random question for my insightful audience? Who the #*#* gets cotton candy at a basketball game? The guy is always standing in Coach's sight line during the game and he is never close to selling half of that crap.

You have heard the Coach say this recently but I just want to reiterate that Knicks are playing very hard and quite well at home. Defensively there is no one in the league or the world for that matter that can check LeBron in a one on one situation and the Knicks are a team that does not have a perimeter STOPPER right now. Is Jared Jeffries effective at slowing down certain types of players? Yes. But Wilson Chandler, Quentin Richardson and Danilo Gallinari did not have a prayer against King. Speaking of Gallinari he is going to be a pretty good player in this league. Very good help defender and a dangerous three point shooter on the catch.
Gallinari holds his follow through like Dave Hopla in front of the masses...definitely some Petro in the Italian.

LeBron slowed down a bit in the second quarter but the flow was back out of the locker room to open the 2nd half. I stopped counting points in the 3rd quarter as I was very into the game and how aware LeBron is of situations and court spacing. With King at 34 points and counting he is still conscious of kickin to the open Walter Szcerbiak when Walt finds 1 of his 2 sweet spots on the floor. 7:07 left in the 3rd and King has 34 8 and 7...

Random question about seating celebs and ex-players at the garden. How in the world does Whoopi Goldberg sit courtside when Willis Reed is up in the 200's somewhere? Reed provided the franchise not only with a hall of fame career but also with its most memorable moment during Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals. How does Whoopi have a better seat? Why is she still considered such a big deal?!?! This world is crazy.

Anyway back to the King. As the game wore on the text messages keep rolling in along with the everyone in the garden wondering if he'd get 60 like Kobe did. But this was different. While King was putting on a show it was a show of all-around dominance and his was finding one teammate after another for dunks and open treys. The guy is a tank, a tank that can flat out pass the rock to an open man, a tank that can dribble penetrate with ease and put an unreal amount of pressure on the opponents defense to the point where there are no answers.

Seeing the King score 50 for the second time in person at MSG was something I'll never forget but it was the rebounding, passing, presence and most of all swagger that will stick with the Coach as Lakers at Celtics looms tomorrow.

A memorable start...

2009-02-04T09:42:00.000-05:00

Monday night Kobe Bryant went to work on the MSG floor. With the news of center Andrew Bynum to be out 8-12 weeks with a MCL injury to his right knee Kobe Bryant wasted no time reminding everyone that he will do everything in his power to keep the Lakers on the championship track. Kobe went for 61 points in thirty six minutes of action. He was a perfect 20-20 at the free throw line and dissected the Knicks with a variety of jumpers, leaners and spin moves. While watching the game with the “Pistol” the DVR remote was in full use as Coach kept rewinding to check Kobe’s footwork. On multiple occasions Kobe was able to spin completely around on his left foot, keep his balance, then raise up and release his shot while being contested, just an unreal display of balance and strength.

Kobe's performance Monday night immediately took the Coach back to Michael Jordan’s 55 point game at MSG in March of 2005. Coach was a basketball crazed teenager back then whose Celtics had already entered their dark days of the 90’s so getting excited for Michael Jordan’s first game back at the garden in his #45 get-up was not difficult at all. Mind you the Coach is NOT comparing Kobe or anyone else to Michael Jordan, who did most of his damage on that night against non other than John Starks.

Yet this was a new Jordan that people had no seen much of before. He had yet to regain the explosion that left the game with him following the 1993 finals, so he relied on a variety of fade away jumpers, post moves and of course his high basketball I.Q. on that memorable night in the garden. (Random flashback from the coach: when I shared an apartment with fellow Celtic fan Jayme Goldstein on Madison Ave back in 2005 I would fill the DVR box with NBA’s greatest games which included this Michael Jordan game. In that game it is a play by Scottie Pippen that got the most run on the DVR especially on party nights, as an outlet pass from Corey Blount to Pippen after a Starks miss resulted in Pippen dunking on Charles Smith in one of the best regular season plays and Marv Albert calls no one remembers: “Pippen all the way!!!”)

Though Jordan scored 55 that night it was his game winning pass to Bill Wennington for a two hand dunk off the left block that is most memorable. This is one of the best examples of Michael Jordan turning himself into Obi-Wan Kenobi I have ever seen. Jordan looked as if he was setting up his turnaround jump shot as Patrick Ewing came charging up the lane, which of course is what the great one wanted to happen. ("These are not the droids youa re looking for.") The rest of the Knicks were slow to rotate and Jordan zipped the ball down to Wennington for the finish.

It is interesting watching Kobe at this point in his career as certain plays he makes in the triangle offense whether they be moves to free himself or setting up his teammates remind me of certain Jordan moments. What Kobe has also developed which was evident last season especially after the Pau Gasol trade is trust in his teammates. To watch a player put on a performance like that in New York is something that reminds us of why we watch. The Coach loves big games and big moments and Kobe had that assassin look in his eyes from the get go Monday which made many think he’d have a night like the one he did. Even as a Celtics fan I wanted to see something great on Monday and I got it.
Dream week continues tonight at the Garden, as the King is the building with his Cleveland troops, do you think LeBron will be ready for put on a show? The Coach will be there to find out.

A DREAM WEEK FOR COACH

2009-02-02T15:05:00.000-05:00

The Dream Week - Part I

After an awesome Super Bowl to cap off the NFL season and a ton of food consumed by the Coach (italian hero with spicy mustard, wings, cupcakes, some suds, wings and some more wings)the Coach and all of you basketball heads had exactly one tiring Monday to get ourselves ready for a dream basketball week. Coach is trying to figure out his schedule as this is going to be one of the craziest regular season weeks of basketball in a long time. Heck, this past week Coach was lucky enough to wake up to sets sketched on his white board labeled Izzo and Harrick by the Buck Man himself down from Bristol for the night to share some knowledge. He of course left town before we could go set for set, but I’ll get him soon. Back doors, short corner traps, pick n pops…it will all happen.

Back to dream week, it starts tonight at 7pm with #2 ranked UCONN visiting #7 ranked Louisville.

These are two teams playing at an incredibly high level, lead by two hall of fame coaches.
UCONN has 4 players averaging in double figures including two players averaging a double-double scoring the ball and hitting the glass. Sometimes you take for granted what an unreal program Coach Calhoun has created in Stores. When the Coach sits and thinks about all the great Big East and NCAA moments he has experienced both live and watching on the big screen many involve UCONN. I could take it back to Tate George, Scott Burrell and Doron Sheffer but that may be a little much for all of us on a Monday.

Coach remembers the 1999 National Championship like it was yesterday. The State Street house on the corner, the beat up living room, mediocre snacks and Khalid El-Amin, Rip Hamilton and Kevin Freeman shocking favored Duke who if you remember was stacked with Elton Brand, William Avery, Shane Battier, Chris Carawell, and Trajon Langdon. Coach and crew were really pulling for UCONN in that one as our college buddy Stevie Chains is a Bolton, CT native. In 2004 the Pistol and I were in San Antonio for the final four as Emeka Okafur put UCONN on his back in the 2nd half of the semi final against Duke to win a dramatic battle. UCONN then blew out Georgia Tech to cement themselves as one of the best individual single season teams we have seen in the last 20 years. That was the third of back to back to back final four’s the Coach was lucky enough to attend thanks to the “Colonel from Cornell.” (The Big Red appear to be in position to dominate the Ivy League once again this season as they are off to a 4-0 start.)

Now as good as UCONN is right now there is a team out there playing at the same level. Louisville is smoking hot right now. Coach Pitino has recruited some serious next level talent and the Cardinals have caught the Coach’s attention. As my readers of course know Coach Pitino was once in charge of the Boston Celtics, that did not go to well and I never got past what a horrible job he did, well not until last year when that GREEN MAGIC finally happened. The Cardinals feature size, length and athleticism which are going to make them a very trendy pick to go deep into the tournament. The front line of Earl Clark, Samardo Samuels and Terrence Williams has been a disaster for teams to deal with. Clark has finally evolved into the all around force Pitino had hoped. Clark along with Samuels and Williams are combining for 40 points and 23 rebounds per game. The matchup tonight with Jeff Adrien and Hasheem Thabeet up front will be something special to watch. While the battle upfront will be fierce don’t forget about the backcourt. Lots of tri-state area interest at the guard spots UCONN’s AJ Price from Amityville, and Kemba Walker from Rice will battle as Edgar Sosa also from Rice.
Speaking of Rice, one of Coach’s mentors, “The President” who man’s the post for Nike Basketball East had was the lead as always when Kobe arrived in NYC yesterday. Kobe, PR and the entire Rice team were at the 34th street footlocker yesterday as Kobe and PR discussed the exclusive release of the Nike Zoom Kobe 4-Rice Edition which were made especially for the team. Check out the video below courtesy of Kicksonfire.com:

Tonight Kobe and the Lakers will start quite a run of games at MSG that have the Coach as fired up as he has ever been about regular season pro basketball in Manhattan.

The Lakers come into New York with the best record in the West but for the first time this season with a feeling of doubt as the results on Andrew Bynum’s MRI of his right knee are in and Laker fans can't be feeling very good as LA prepares for the Knicks who are red hot at home this season. Bynum has a torn MCL that will sideline him 8-12 weeks according to ESPN.com (The Coach will have his take on what will change in the western conference later this evening) The LA big man seemed to be taking his first major step towards the next level lately was averaging 26.2 points, 13.8 rebounds and 3.2 blocks and shooting 65.3 percent from the field over his last five games. As a Celtics fan the Coach was not rooting for Bynum to be hurt or for the Lakers to be anything short of full strength come playoff time as you want to beat the best to be the best in this league. It will be interesting to see the Lakers psyche tonight in what promises to be an electric Madison Square Garden.

Coach is out til later like L Fitz on that slant…

Clear Statements

2009-01-26T08:45:00.000-05:00

When the Celtics went through their 2-7 slump I was the first to say I was concerned. Loses in Los Angeles and Cleveland are not what had the Coach worried to the point where he thought the Celtics may be a tired team this early in the season but it was the back to back road loses in New York and Charlotte coupled with a terrible home loss to the Rockets that had Coach thinking the Celtics had lost some significant steam. I LOVE being wrong.

On Thursday the Celtics were on the second night of a back to back in Orlando riding a new six game winning streak and you could feel the hype around the game. The Magic had been playing great ball and they were amped for the opportunity to take down the champs. The Coach was pumped up as well and after a pregame burger courtesy of Molly's on the east 23 it was time for this statement game. The statement came in the form of defense, the same defense which is the reason why the Celtics are champions. Boston held Orlando under 20 points in three of the four quarters. The Magic are avering 102 points per game this season, the Champs held them to 80 on their home court.

Paul Pierce turned in a gritty 27 point 10 rebound 4 assist performance that is a perfect representation of the type of player he is. Orlando simply has no one on that team that can guard the Captain man to man. But as always it was more than Pierce, as well as more than the big three, it was BIG BABY. Glen Davis, came off the bench to score 16 points in 21 minutes of action. It was his defense however that made the biggest difference as he and Kendrick Perkins took turns on Dwight Howard holding him to 11 points. This is nothing new for Big Baby as he has had this effect on other bigs in the past as his strength and leverage really bothers low post scorers. The Celtics simply controlled the pace of the game and showed Orlando that they have some work to do.

After two days of rest of Green returned home to host Dallas yesterday. Great job as always by the NBA putting together a Sunday doubleheader the off week before the Super Bowl. It was great starting the afternoon with some high definition parquet and a Jimmy T sandwich courtesy of the "Pistol". Thanks to a 74 point first half, yes, 74 points, 20 from the smokin Ray Allen this game was gone as fast as the Coach knocked back his sandwich. It was a slaughter. Allen made four 3's, and Ed House again came off the bench to nail seven from deep and the Champs cruised to a 124-100 victory. While the hot long range shooting is always a huge ingredient for success it was KG and Rondo that set the tone early. Garnett got whatever shots he wanted early as Dirk was over matched against the ticket from the first touch on the left block. Then it was Rondo running Dallas' tired legs ragged as he had 14 assists and 4 steals to go along his 13 points. The Celtics were a +28 with Rajon on the floor, which signals dominance.

The second half of the double header took us out West for Lakers Spurs at Staples. San Antonio coming off three wins last week could not find a groove as the Lakers defense quicky became the story. They held the Spurs to just under 38% from the floor which included 5-23 from deep. The real story for LA continues to be their depth and yesterday was no different. Jordan Farmar returned from a knee injury that has sidelined him for 18 games to give the Lakers 14 points in 17 minutes off the bench and Trevor Ariza, yes the same Trevor Ariza the Knicks used to get Steve Francis lead the second unit with 17 points as the Lakers cruised to a 99-85 victory. When Ariza was with the Knicks and then Orlando you could see there was talent, you could see athleticism and if you paid any attention and knew how to read you could see that he was a very young rookie after only playing one year of college ball at UCLA. The guy just needed some seasoning and a coach to give him a role that fit his skill set. Phil Jackson has done exactly that. With Ariza, Farmar, Sasha, Odom and Radmanovic the Lakers have serious players that can mesh with the starters and bring it each night. These reserves give the purple and gold consistant shooting, ball handling and athleticism that sets them apart of the rest of the second units around the league. The Lakers now lead both the Spurs and the Hornets by eight games in the loss column for best record in the west and they remain ahead of both the Celtics and Cavs by precentage points for best overall record in the league.

Wednesday’s Monster’s

2009-01-22T13:04:00.001-05:00

A full slate of games yesterday brought more than a few monster performances in league. Coach loves big performances, last night featured big's, floor general's, specialist's and of course just all around studs.

Let’s first start in New York where the Suns fresh off of a spanking in Boston came in to face Coach D and the Knicks. Now the Knick record is not pretty but when was the last time they mailed it in at home? You can’t remember can you? The Knicks are playing hard on their home court and thanks to the double double machine David Lee’s 25 point and 16 rebound performance and Nate Robinson’s 20 points off the bench the Knicks defeated the Suns 114-109 last night at the Garden. But here are the interesting numbers for the game: The Knicks were a -12 with David Lee on the floor, +24 with Nate Robinson, +21 with Danilo Gallinari and a +12 with Al Harrington. Hard to believe a positive player like David Lee could be a -12 with a 25 and 16 evening. None-the-less he controlled the glass and the Knicks had a 60 point second half.
Down south in Miami the Celtics came out of the gate quickly in the first quarter out scoring the Heat 29-10. Kendrick Perkins returned to the middle which means Scal went back to the bench but the story was Ed House’s six 3 pointers in the second quarter, and Ray Allen’s 27 points including 5 treys of his own.
The Cavs got two huge performances in Portland as the King posted 34 points and 14 assists, while Mo Williams drilled six 3 balls and finished with 33, that is an impressive win following Monday’s loss in LA…Chris Paul and Devin Harris matched up last night and CP3 was dominant with a 29 point, 9 rebound, 8 assist and 3 steal showing while Harris, well, if you really want his numbers you can find them in any local paper, rough night for the former Badger…staying with the PG’s Deron Williams had a big showing in a big game against the Rockets with 32 points and 11 dimes, but it was the scoring balance, three point shooting and rebounding that lead the Rockets to a big win over Utah.

But the MONSTER of the night was Andrew Bynum against the Clippers. 42 points on 17-24 shooting and 15 rebounds, 8 of them on the offensive glass. He simply destroyed the Clippers in the paint. Now he was facing DeAndre Jordan and Brian Skinner but 42and 15 is still 42 and 15.

Huge game tonight in Orlando as the Celtics take on the Magic. It is going to be intense, nasty and very entertaining. The homecourt race in the Eastern Conference makes these games that much more important. The Champs need to make a statement this evening.

Scal = 5 Straight

2009-01-20T17:47:00.000-05:00

The 34-9 defending NBA Champion Boston Celtics recently went through a 2-7 slump which had many worried, including the Coach. Then news of an injury to bruising center Kendrick Perkins put Head Coach Doc Rivers in an interesting position. Do I start one of my key big bodies off of the bench (Leon Powe or Glen Davis) or do I roll the dice and start a guy that doesn’t play much but knows our system well and will mesh well with the first unit until Perk returns. Well Doc went with Brian Scalabrine and the Red Head has helped the Celtics rip off five straight wins including a thrashing of the Phoenix Suns last night in Boston. Scal and Garnett matched up with Shaq and Amare in the early stages before Leon and Big Baby got their chances and they never let the Phoenix front line get going. Scal made sure he leaned on Amare each trip down the floor defensively and busted his butt up the court after each Celtics stop to put pressure on the slower retreating Suns. In basketball it is sometimes just as much about the role players as it is the stars and this is a perfect example. Scal will give you what he can every night: good defense on and off the ball, wise decision making and on those special nights he’ll find his groove from behind the arc and knock out a couple of open 3’s. Heck he is even getting to the rim for a few dunks as you can see below. During the five wins he is averaging 8 points per game but again it is the little things and the chemistry that don’t show up in the box score, you need to watch the game with a close eye for things like that.

Coach is on the move like Tony and Jack…

My Ears are still Ringing!!!

2009-01-10T23:35:00.000-05:00

It is Tuesday and the Coach still can't get King James' message out his head. It was Friday night!!! It has been 4 days!!! I am still seeing the KING...and his out of this world performance against the Champion Celtics with every thought I have about the game.

The victory for the red hot Cleveland Cavaliers over the suddenly slumping and bewildered Boston Celtics was quite a statement. Before I can even speak about my un-recognizable Celtics I need to say this, Friday's performance by LeBron James was one of the best all around performances I have seen in a very very long time. He did it at both ends all night. As his stat line was off the gage (38 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 blocks and 3 steals) but it was hs will to dominate the Celtics that was most clear on the floor in Cleveland.

HE WANTED THE GAME MORE THAN THE ENTIRE CELTIC TEAM COMBINED. Think about that, that is frightening.

Through my travels and young career I have been very lucky as far as meeting people and who some of my friends are. My man at the Swoosh sent me this on BBM during the 2nd half as Cleveland was burying the Celts; "Bron told his Nike sports rep that tonight I am goin to ice that m*th@r f*ck#r." LeBron was obviously directing that at Paul Pierce as those two have a pretty interesting history which of course is highlighted by last season's epic 7 game Eastern Conference Semi-Final series. Now you may ask why I included the BBM, and may just say it was one game, but here is my concern, Pierce looked shell shocked for most of the game. I have seen Pierce have off nights, I have seen him beaten by the his opponent but this was a thorough ass kicking to say the least. To me this was a big game for both teams, home court must be had, messages must be sent, the Cavs sent a major one with that victory and LeBron flat out told the Celtics that this conference is going to be his again.

Sticking with my Celtics they just haven't looked right since Christmas. Did the 19 game streak take that much out of them? Was is it just a matter of time before a slump came? Maybe the lack of scoring punch off the bench is catching up to them. Danny Ainge has been on the phones for the last two weeks and made at least one attempt to acquire JJ Redick from the Magic to give the Celtics some additional shooting off the bench, but Orlando isn't bitting. The Magic believe they are title contenders right now with the Celtics, Cavs and Lakers and there is no way they ae gonna put themselves in position to help the Celtics.

The Celtics are trying to right the ship by winning a back to back against Toronto but it took overtime at home to get it done last night after Ray Allen's eight 3 balls lead them north of the boarder on Sunday. Brian Scalabrine has been inserted into the starting lineup for an injured Kendrick Perkins (big Perk hurt his shoulder gain, yes the one that was operated on last off-season) Paul Pierce delivered like the Truth knows how last night with 39 points as he is attempting to put the LeBron thrashing behind him. Think about how scary this is, Pierce is a physical player, he is 6'6" 230lbs nothing to sneeze at. The King out weighs him by 30-35 lbs and has 3 inches on him, SCARY.

Around the league...

Brook Lopez is quiety becoming the second young star on the Nets right behind Devin Harris. Lopez last night had 31 points and 13 rebounds in a home victory over Oklahoma City. On the season he is at 10.7ppg 7 rpg and 2 bpg, not bad for a rookie who many thought would be a bench player at best in the league. Another wise decision by Rod Thorn. If the Nets could just figure out how to get people in the building this 19-19 team would be able to build some more excitment...

This just in from New York this morning: Eddy Curry’s former driver hit him with a lawsuit on Monday with a laundry list of allegations, one crazier than the next. According to the suit, Curry solicited gay sex from his driver “in the nude,” allegedly telling him, “Look at me, Dave, look” and “Come and touch it, Dave.” This is flat out creepy, I mean to do that would take some effort on Curry's part and we all know that doesn't happen too often. This sounds like a pissed off employee who Curry has stiffed out of some cash to the Coach. We'll see what develops.

Sticking with the Knicks, New York won in New Orleans last night, that is serious!!! The Knicks scored 32 points in the 4th quarter against a quality western conference opponent in their building. Al Harrington, Wilson Chandler and David Lee combined for 63 points as they are becoming a very interesting front line that is tough to match up with because of their skill sets and verstility. This is a win the Knicks can know refer back to when they are in tough spots down the road.

I am on the run like Bauer and Almeida...

Enough is Enough

2009-01-08T08:41:00.000-05:00

Well many of you I am sure were waiting for this, some of you expecting it and some of you just want to read what is running through my mind as the Celtics as far as I am concerned have entered into their first Code Red status since this group came together in the summer of 2007. Road loses, especially out west are part of the process, but losing to the Knicks, then the Bobcats and then at HOME to the Rockets has put the Coach in another place...PANIC. The thing about it is that it is not a mystery as far as what is going on out on the floor.

There is a lack of intensity on both ends of the floor. There are too many wasted possessions on offense either forcing the ball into the post against what looks like the best match-up possible or Rondo dribbling back and forth along the baseline like Steve Nash. Rondo, along with Pierce and Allen must attack on the bounce but some of these decisions and possessions are killing them and the Coach!!!

The depth has clearly become a cause for concern. The second unit has been in question since James Posey left for New Orleans. However, they started the season fairly well, and they were quite good durinig the 19 game winning streak, but not right now. There is a lack of scoring punch and there is a lack of a consistant commitment on the defensive end. This team has been about getting stops. Stop after stop, after stop and then executing offensively in transition. That is no where to be found right now. The kick out 3's on the break, the trailer coming down the middle of the lane attacking the rim, and the ball reversals have become few and far between.

So the Coach is asking himself, how does this get fixed? Do they need a closed door meeting to go at each other? I am sure that has been done already. Does Doc Rivers take the blame as the head coach? He needs to absorb some of it. Maybe it has been better game planning by opponents to slow down the Celtics...has the rest of the league figured something out? The one thing the Celtics were vulnerable to last year were athletic wings who could penetrate and create opportunities for themselves on the dribble as Joe Johnson, Jason Richardson and of course LeBron James proved numerous times last season. But in the finals the Green kept Kobe in check on their way to the title. There is no way that losing James Posey is the reason they are in this slump. Talking heads say they are a tired team. Really? Tired at new year's? I can understand a lull right before or after the all-star break, but this play, this lack of intensity and this lull can not continue, not with the LeBron and the Cavs waiting at home...

Score One for the Bad Guys...

2008-12-29T13:40:00.000-05:00

Phil Jackson coached the game like it was the post season, Doc Rivers coached the game like it was the regular season. That is the first thing on my mind as I look at one of the best Christmas gifts sports has given us in decades as the Lakers defeated the Celtics 92-83 on Thursday. I choose to speak on the coaches because it was evident that Kobe Bryant was not going to be spending much time off the floor against the Celtics. That is one of the things that cost the Lakers a better chance to beat the Celtics last June.(Kobe leaving the game with double digit leads in games 4 and 5 in LA during last years finals) Kobe played a very efficient 43 minutes scoring 27 points, shockingly none from the free throw line. But for the first time since this Celtic machine was put together by Danny Ainge in the summer of 2007 the Lakers at least for one game showed that they were not going to allow themselves to be physically dominated as they had been in both the regular and postseason meetings last year. Hats off the the Lakers for playing a very good game, especially Pau Gasol down the stretch. Gasol was huge when the Celtics ran their double teams at Kobe. Not only did Kobe bring the defense to him but Gasol to his credit was not standing around waiting for the ball he was moving to the areas on the court that the Celtics defense left vacant, one of them confusing to me was the free throw line. You can bet the next time they play in Boston that will not be the case.

What continued to eat at me after the game was the offensive lapses and wasted possessions the Celtics had, especially in the second half. With Garnett and Pierce on the bench during one stretch and Ray Allen, who got off to a blazing start as the clear number one option on the court, the Celtics were not making it a priority to get Ray Ray the rock. Instead Ed House jumpers off of screen and roll and Tony Allen drives to the hoop with his head down were being settled for as the Celtics had plenty of opportunities to pull ahead further but could not execute. To the Lakers credit, once the Celtics did take a lead with Pierce and Garnett back on the floor along with Rondo, LA did not put their head down or panic, they simply kept battling which eventually lead to them pulling away in the final two minutes. Basketball is a funny game sometimes. Looking at the Celtics they had about four good stretches of basketball over the course of 48 minutes, the Lakers played far from a perfect game, but were able to hold off the Celtics when they needed too and were able built momentum at what seemed like the perfect moments.

On a day when the whole world was watching, a day when the Celtics had a streak of 19 straight on the line and a day where the Lakers felt that they had something to prove not just to the basketball world but to themselves we were given a terrific basketball game that made me at least be thankful for the league, the rivalry and the possibility the Green and Gold will meet again on the Finals stage this June.

An Extra Special Gift...

2008-12-25T16:16:00.000-05:00

It started with 5:27 left on the clock in the 4th quarter tuesday night for the Cetlics with the starters on the bench and the likes of Gabe Pruitt and Brian Scalabrine finishing up the franchises record setting 19th consecutive victory, which coincidentally marks the best start to a season in NBA league history at 27-2. The sound that started coming fast and furious from the crowd was not about the record or the streak it was regarding the next opponent on the schedule for the Boston Celtics.
BEAT LA!!! BEAT LA!!! BEAT LA!!! Today’s Christmas day match-up has been on everyone’s mind for quite a while, especially the Lakers. For the Lakers this started the moment Game 6 ended last June.

While the Celtics will say they are approaching it as another game, another test and another opportunity to get better you know that down deep, somewhere, that tomorrow means that much more. They know the rivalry has returned. They know the torch has been officially handed to them from the past great teams and players to them. They know they hold Celtic Pride and Tradition in their hands on a daily basis, on and off the court. I am sure they are also anticipating the Lakers coming out with a great effort as the decisive Game 6 is still looming in their minds day and night, conscious or unconscious, win or lose, every day. What the Celtics did last June and have continued through 29 games this season is make the statement that proves that this is all about the TEAM and winning. It is not just talk, which they are very good at as well, this is about execution of the game plan, this is about intensity, this is about sacrifice in order to reach a goal.

The buzz around the basketball world is that this is a bigger game for the Lakers than the Celtics and to a point I agree. The Lakers sit at 23-5, but what differentiates them from the Celtics besides their record is the Lakers have been picking and choosing when they put their foot on the gas since the ten game mark into this season. Of the Lakers five losses four of them are against the Eastern Conference. Los Angeles is extremely talented but when what seemed like the entire basketball world anointed them the clear favorite to rise above Boston this season they forgot one very important element: Toughness. Some teams just have it. Other’s create and build upon it over time but some other teams never quite get there. Can the Lakers become a tougher team on both ends? I believe they can. But there is nothing that says they will just become that team overnight. Do you think by just the sight of the Celtics today that the Lakers will become tougher? If they have that ability now would be the time to use it because the Celtics are not walking into LA on Christmas Day treating this like a game that they can afford to lose.

The Celtics have the same focus each night which is what makes them so special: Improve as a unit and figure out a way to win the game. They have been successful closing out 88-85 victories in a hostile road environment as well as out dueling very motivated and scorching hot opponents in their own building. The Celtics prepare very well but what they also do is make great in game adjustments and decisions. Those things can not go overlooked when examining their 27-2 start.

Expect a great game today in Los Angeles, but more importantly expect the Green to remind the world who the Champs are.

One Month In...

2008-12-05T13:48:00.000-05:00

Coach is glad he got the negative energy out regarding Marbury and Plax the other day, it was really weighing on me and apparently the Giants as well after their sub-par performance against the Eagles this past Sunday.

Time to take a look at the NBA after a five weeks of action.
Today we give props to the top 3 teams in the Association.

Clearly the Lakers and the Celtics start the conversation. Both are playing at a very high level, both look very hungry and as of right now both are side by side with no one else close at the top of the league.

The Lakers sit at 17-2, they have the strongest 2nd unit in the league, Andrew Bynum is back in the lineup playing strong and Kobe is playing great team ball. Right now as long as the Lakers stay healthy they will run away record wise in the west and secure homecourt through the Western Conference finals. When you look at the Lakers schedule you are at the point where you are searching for back to backs on the road to see where they could possibly stumble. There are actually two back to back's later this month the week leading up to LA hosting Boston on Christmas day. On December 19th the Lakers are in Miami and the next night they are in Orlando, could Dwight Howard, Hedo Turkoglu and the Magic take down the Lake show at home? The Lakers then go to Memphis (I know many of you marked your calendars for the battle of the Gasol brothers!) on December 22nd and then hit New Orleans for a battle with the Hornets on the 23rd. You have to figure Coach Byron Scott and the entire team will be looking at that match-up as a measuring stick type of game. Mark your basketball calendar for that contest, and of course for Christmas day.

The Celtics now sit at 20-2, yes, the champs are quietly 20-2 and they have really started to get it going. There are a few things that are becoming quite clear about the Celtics after their first 22 games: 1) Ray Allen after one season under his belt in Boston is going to be far better this year than he was last season, in his first four games of December Ray Ray is 18-35 from behind the three point line and he is shooting a blazing 57% all told from the floor. 2) Rajon Rondo has gone from potential weak link to start last season, to steady playoff performer en route to a championship, to potential all-star this season. His 16 point, 13 rebound 17 assist performance last week against the Pacers was an incredible thing to watch (Especially with Tommy Heinsohn back in the booth following the passing of his wife Helen, that game was a timely gift for Tommy) 3) Tony Allen and Leon Powe are more than capable to add scoring punch off of the bench. Both players have played very well thus far. Leon on the post and the boards, and Tony slashing to the hoop and playing within himself. With James Posey leaving town many asked what would happen to the Celtics bench? While they are not on the level of the Lakers second unit, Powe, T Allen, Eddie House, Big Baby Davis and yes, Brian Scalabrine, have developed some great continuity with that unit. With Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett as hungry as ever along with the above mentioned the Celtics have a chance to top last season's win total of 66.

The Cleveland Caviliers are clearly in the number three spot at this point behind the Lakers and Celtics. The Cavs are big, physical, and very focused as they have ignored all of the LeBron to New York hype. The Cavs definitely look like a different team from last season as both Delonte West and Mo Williams have been working well together to take a bit of the pressure off of King James. But rather than talk about the individuals on the Caviliers it is the team as ONE UNIT that deserves the praise especially on the defensive end. The Cavs are holding their opponents to 90 ppg on a very stingy 41% from the floor. They rebound collectively with four players averaging 6.5 rpg or higher (James, Ben Wallace, Anderson Varejao and Zydrunas Ilgauskas) and have become very efficient offensively scoring 103.5 ppg and shooting 48% as a team from the floor. Cleveland is no longer a one man gang. With 3/4 of a season to go they need to keep distancing themselves from Orlando, Detroit and the rest of the pack to ensure homecourt through the first two rounds of the playoffs. It is early but another Celtics Cavs playoff masterpiece appears to be in the cards 6 months from now.

The good, the bad and the ugly, and oh yeah the plain old stupid!…The Thanksgiving Hangover Edition

2008-12-05T11:14:00.000-05:00

The Coach loves Thanksgiving. But this year the long weekend and week that followed went way to fast. Besides family and friends, partying and some rest it is the first time you can truly measure the teams in the Association after a month of play. But before I get to that and all the good that I want to share we need to cover the bad, the ugly and the stupid, you decide which clown fits which description.

I have questions that I know will never be answered in a satisfactory manner, but here they are:
1) What the hell was Plax doing in LQ with a gun in his sweatpants?
2) Why should Stephon Marbury see any of his money?

I follow both New York football teams, as I enjoy seeing them succeed. Hell, last year I went to Lambeau and probably witnessed the best game Plaxico Burress ever played as a pro, which was also one of the best big game performances a receiver has ever had, I like the guy, but what went wrong with him? What did not register after winning the Super Bowl last season? The Giants are the definition of TEAM and PROFESSIONAL, how or better yet why did Plax fall through the cracks here for lack of a better expression? He put the team in a terrible position and put his career and life at risk. Maybe some of these guys need "LIFE" advisors not just agents. Common sense should not be undervalued, not in today's world where everything on and off the field you do as an athlete is under a microscope. Can the Giants repeat as Super Bowl Champions without Plax? Yes. Will it be a lot harder without him? Yes. Has he played his last game in Giant Blue? Unfortunately I think the answer is...YES.

At this point when I hear Stephon Marbury's name it goes past infuriating me. Maybe I'll think of a new word for the new year to describe how I feel about this guy. I am sorry you grew up in the hood Steph and did not have many of the things many of us did when we were kids. I am sorry Steph that you have had to spread your wealth out to your large family over the years. But let's be real here for a minute Steph, you are making over $200,000 per game night!!! That is for practice, games and handling yourself like a professional. Games are not optional!!! Not being a professional at your age should not be an option. The fact that Marbury has refused to play and then refused the buyout Donnie Walsh offered last week is beyond comical. Marbury needs to go away, he is exactly what New York and pro sports DOES NOT need. Those who still support him here in New York (besides his family) should have themselves checked out immediately. Describing him as a team cancer is putting it nicely, try THE PLAGUE!!! Stephon Marbury should be giving his game check to New York City public schools and youth organizations at least then he would not be stealing money from the Knicks. The guy can make cheap sneakers that you could not pay me to wear (when coach takes it baseline he takes it hard to the tin) and the Starbury's to be honest are three steps below Robert Parish's Avia's from 1989.

Sure they helped out kids in communities without the income to buy $100 Nike's but the Starbury craze is over, Steve and Barry's went chapter 11, done. Steph, you have one last chance to do something positive before you disappear to Italy to play or maybe just go back to Coney Island to chill and work with the Lincoln players at practice. I wonder what wisdom he'd try to share with them...But for the last time STEPHON MARBURY PLEASE GO AWAY!

Knicks do the impossible...

2008-11-19T08:32:00.000-05:00

When Donnie Walsh took over basketball operations for the franchise formally known as the New York Knicks he knew the task at hand. He knew how far this franchise had fallen and he knew how heavily the deck of cards was stacked against him. But decades in the game, the ability to evaluate talent, his personal relationships and some luck have now almost completely gotten the Knicks out of the dark cave they have been trapped in since the beginning of the decade. We know the first guy on their list is LeBron James. There are also three other All-NBA level players in Dwayne Wade, Amare Stoudamire, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson, Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash who will also be available in 2010. The Knicks should have enough cap room to add two or perhaps three of these outstanding talents.

There are some questions that must be asked.
First, who do you want to keep around from this current team? I'd say Al Harrington, whose contract is up after next season would be a guy the Knicks would want to stay but at a reduced rate to be part of the turnaround. I also feel like Chris Duhon, David Lee and Nate Robinson would also want to be here when the Knicks reload and be role players on a team that will need those pieces to put around which ever stars are brought in.

Secondly, should the playoffs be a goal for the Knicks this season?
We know D'Antoni has to say he is still thinking playoffs but is that realistic?
Can they mesh these new pieces that quickly during the season with minimal practice time into a consistently competitive team that will challege for a seven or eight seed? At first thought I said no, but the more I thought about it the more it seems like it could happen and here is why: Familiarity. All three of the new Knicks have experience either with Walsh, D'Antoni or the current New York style of play that D'Antoni brought from Phoenix. Cutino Mobley is a pro's pro who will immediately fill the starting role at the shooting guard position. Where Jamal Crawford was a streak shooter and took many questionable shots Mobley much more efficient and is an upgrade defensively. Tim Thomas has his most productive season under D'Antoni which followed a less than stellar first stint with the Knicks. His skill set will fit what the Knicks do on the perimeter. If he chooses to play any defense it will be a welcomed bonus. Al Harrington, who Donnie Walsh drafted with the Pacers is a perfect fit for the current New York style of play. A 6'9" forward that can get to the rim but more importantly can stretch the defense with his three point shooting range and play solid defense. These three players should fit in well, the question that can only be answered on the court is how quickly will it happen?

Third, are the Knicks done making moves? With the stench of the Stephon Marbury situation still in the air will the Knicks now go the distance and drive him out of town once and for all? This latest episode in Milwaukee after the trades which left the Knicks with 8 active players and Marbury refusing to take the cour should signal it is time to officially cut ties. Yes, the team said it was going in another direction and I respect D'Antoni for his stance on this but I must get on marbury yet again for not getting it. When you make $20 million per season from your home town team that has been on a steady dismise partly because of your lack of performance and attitude the least you could do is help out the guys who are giving there all and take the court one night. After all Marbury is reportedly in the "best shape of his career". It would have been a good idea to showcase that hope someone would be dumb enough to trade for you and your contract, no? Maybe that just has to much depth for Marbury.

Tomorrow night is when the fun really begins. LeBron comes to town with his Cavs and the Garden will be buzzing. I can only wonder what will be going on in LeBron's head when he comes out for warm-ups tomorrow night to the cheers of the New York fans. You can bet that Cavs organization wants to get tomorrow night over with in New York as soon possible...

Memorable Election Evening...

2008-11-05T11:02:00.000-05:00

I think Obama likes the Celtics.
On a night that our generation will forever remember as an opportunity for change there was a terrific basketball game in Houston. I must pat myself on the back for the way I structured my evening. The Coach worked late in the office and picked up some dinner in Union Square on the way home. I was expecting quite a scene when I got off the subway at about 6:45pm but it was quietly erie on the south tip of Union Square Park. Was everyone scrambling to vote? Was the park not an option for a potential celebration/rally for Obama? I was a bit thrown off. Either way I grabbed some eats and walked my ten minutes home. Dinner, election coverage and Celtics @ Rockets, just the Tuesday evening I was looking for.

Some things that crossed my mind last night before the 8:30pm tip-off:
A) What audience is WWOR TV Channel 9 catering too with their election coverage?
And who would choose that station last night over CBS, NBC or ABC?

B) Is the lead producer on the NBA TV pregame show attempting to create the worst pregame show in the history of sports? Ahmad Rashad, Chris Webber and Gary Payton is like nothing I have ever seen in a studio. Webber who did quite well on Inside the NBA last season as a guest analyst is not in a position to be at his best with these two along side him. I loved Payton as a player, but on TV he is unwatchable. Rashad froze last night like a scared college freshman reading off of a teleprompter for the first time and Webber still had Al Jefferson on the Celtics in his pregame analysis. Both Webber and Payton both said they don't see the Celtics getting back to the finals as last season was an example of the stars aligning perfectly. Then two minutes later they go into saying this could be an NBA Finals preview!!! Are you guys serious?!?! Make a point, back it up with a strong opinion and or fact and then stick with it, please!!!

C) Right before Tip-Off while I was sipping on some of the best freshly squeezed OJ I have ever had, something wonderful hit me; When this game is over we are going to have a new President, and he will most likely be African American and a Democrat. WOW!!! That is all that kept popping into my head, then the game started.

The Rockets came out smoking in the first few moments, they were more than UP for this game. There was no way the Celtics were going to roll over and let Houston dictate this game, as the champs were coming off of a 16 point loss in Indiana on Saturday. The Green settled in and started to play very smart and very tough team ball. The rock was popping from the inside out as Yao Ming was helping heavily off of Kendrick Perkins all night. Guess what everyone? Kendrick Perkins is no longer someone you can leave completely open. Perk finished at the rim and was fouled, then knocked down a pair of 15 foot jumpers that were silky smooth. On the night Perk had 15 points on 7-8 from the floor and 7 rebounds and 4 blocked shots including one right back into the grill of Yao. Before you knew Yao picked up his third foul and the Celtics had taken a major part of Houston's offense and defense out of the game at once. The Celtics build a 16 point lead in the second, but this is the NBA. The Rockets thanks to some sloppy Boston posessions, and the scrappy play of Luis Scola and Aaron Brooks erased the deficit and at the half it was a 5 point Celtic lead.

The second half was exciting, it felt like a playoff game in Houston. McGrady got it going as he was catching and shooting over Ray and Tony Allen at different points. But come the 4th quarter it was time for RAY. He poured in 11 in the 4th, 29 for the game before fouling out in the final minutes. With Ron Artest (3-16 shooting) so worried about covering Pierce it was Tracy McGrady and at times Brent Barry who could not stay with RAY for many of his points last night. By the time Rick Adelman made the switch it was to late. Even when Artest was on RAY he was getting 3 screens to get open. When Houston hedged or doubled it opened up another Celtic to create the play and on more than one occasion the ball found its way back into RAY's hands anyway. Watching a veteran team play a good defense like that is wonderful to watch. KG finished with 14 and 11, but more importantly nailed the dagger with under a minute to go with a 17 footer from the left baseline. Great to get the first road win of the season against a quality team like the Rockets.

Wednesday night has a full slate of games:
THE CHAMPS are in Oklahoma City tonight to educate the THUNDER.
AI makes his Pistons debut north of the boarder against the Raptors.
Larry Brown returns to NYC as the Bobcats will hopefully drill the Knicks.
The winless Spurs travel north to take on AL JEFF and the T-Wolves.
The KING hosts D Rose and the Baby Bulls and for you night hawks out there
the Clips try their luck again as they "visit" the scorching Lakers.

Enjoy your Wednesday.

Sunday THUNDER...Monday BLOCKBUSTER!

2008-11-03T08:39:00.000-05:00

I started my Monday post actually talking about the T-Wolves and the Thunder, yes, you read that correctly, but then the Iverson for Billups and McDyess deal was announced and my head is all over the place about it. The first thing I did after hearing it was send out a quick email to some of my basketball people to get their initial reactions. I got some interesting responses. Some think AI is done, some think he was lucky to be bailed out of the sinking ship in Denver, some had no feel. I then checked the players contract situations, which is the most telling part of the deal. Iverson's contract comes off of the books after this season. Denver needed to get something in return for him and not let him walk for free. Detroit wanted to get out from under the length and dollars of Billups contract (on the books thru 2011, $11 million this season, $12 million in 2010, $13 million in 2011) as well as McDyess' contract which runs thru the end of NEXT season ($6.8 million). Combine that with Rasheed Wallace coming off the books which will free 13.6 million and the Pistons just created $31 million in salary space for next season if they let Iverson walk. $31 million for Joe Dumars to work with along with Richard Hamilton, Tayshawn Prince, Jason Maxiell, Rodney Stuckey, Aaron Afflalo and Amir Johnson. Well done, if they can land the necessary free agent pieces, but at least they are in the game and still in a position to compete in the East this season, though the style of play will surely change a bit with Iverson on the floor.

From the Denver side of things it is too early to tell what lays ahead in mile high. They obviously did not want to let Iverson walk for nothing at the end of the season. In turn they get back two battle tested veteran players that will be great both on and off the court in Denver (there is a rumor that McDyess may not report, but I have not heard anything concrete on that front) Chauncy Billups could be the presence that makes Carmelo Anthony a better player. This is clearly the time Melo must step up and put this team on his back and keep them in contention. In a pre-season conversation with one basketball guru we talked about Coach Karl being the first coach to go this season. Someone is gonna have to take the fall in Denver and Karl seems much more likely than Melo. Billups, Melo, Kenyon Martin, Nene, JR Smith and Linas Kleiza make up a telented group that should be able to challenge for the post season, key word is should.

Last night in Oklahoma City the T-Wolves met the Thunder, yes, THE THUNDER!!! With what was supposed to a basketball game last night at the Garden (Amazing how easy it is to use the Marbury situation as an excuse not to bring it in game three of the season AT HOME, terrible!) and a big football weekend the Thunder's home victory warrants some attention. I have to be honest, I did not watch a large portion of this game. But what I can you about it is this: The Oklahoma City crowd loves their young team and there was is some serious yong talent on the court between these two teams.

As many of you could probably guess I love Al Jefferson. Besides the fact he was a Celtic, his back to the basket collection of moves is like no one else in the league and it takes us back to a day when guys actually went to work on the block instead of settling for fade away jumpers. What intrigues me about the T-Wolves was their decision to grab Kevin Love on draft night and pair him upfront with Jefferson. A lot of the so called experts have been saying Love is not talented enough to be a real player in this league. I emphatically disagree. He has very high basketball IQ, terrific footwork, is a great passer, has the ability to post up and face up and a work ethic which was obvious by his ability to change his body this summer (Love lost 20 pounds in an attempt to become quicker and more versatile while maintaining his strength) That pair with Mike Miller, Randy Foye, Ryan Gomes, Rashaad MacCants, Corey Brewer and Craig Smith makes this a fun team to watch that will grow together over time into a potential contender.

The THUNDER, I just love saying it, THE THUNDER are gonna be a blast this year. KD is serious. A legit scorer whose ceiling is insanely high. Durant teamed with a young floor general like Russell Westbrook and Jeff Green aka, Mr. Rock Solid, present a promising young trio that are going to bring it to some team this season in their building. Chris Wilcox, Nick Collison, Earl Watson and Desmond Mason are all guys that have the ability to play at a high level. A big stat to keep an eye in is Durant's field goal percentage, it must get up to the mid-40's this season, as the challenge is going to be making him an efficient scorer.

While it is a shame Seattle no longer has a team, I think some excitment around the THUNDER will be great for the league.

Something tells me that Tuesday is going to be a huge NBA day. A Celtics-Rockets, Mavericks-Spurs doubleheader, Iverson and Billups being traded for each other and the possibility of the Marbury drama taking yet another turn in New York make the coach quite excited!

Enjoy your evening.

Friday Thoughts

2008-10-31T08:57:00.000-04:00

With a big NBA Friday on tap tonight I want to take a minute first to talk about last night's Houston win in Dallas. The Rockets are very impressive, and it is very early. Ron Artest is the piece that this team has been lacking for the last few years. His 29 points last night including a 3 point dagger down the stretch, along with 30 and 13 from Yao shows that Houston can be a multi faceted attack offensively as well as a very good defensive team. Artest is going to take all of that pressure off of Tracy McGrady that T-Mac has been unable to handle over the course of his career. With the Celtics putting it together with 3 stars and a group of committed role players both young and experienced why can't the Rockets? Aaron Brooks has the look of a starter in the backcourt as he came off the bench last night to score 14 points and dish out 5 dimes, but more importantly he was playing the crunch time minutes, not Rafer Alston. When Shane Battier returns to the lineup this team is going to be on lockdown every night. Battier and Artest defending the wings, with Yao waiting at the rim. SERIOUS.

It is time to put a choke hold on Reggie behind the microphone.

The one thing I did not like about the game however was Reggie Miller. He is just not working as the third guy with Marv and Fratello. He has no sense of when those guys are joking and when they are serious, his analysis is average at best and his excitment during big moments is forced. I had nothing but admiration and respect for him as a player especially when he was battling Reggie Lewis in the early 90's, torching the Knicks in the mid 90's and going toe to toe with Jordan before greatness retired in Chicago. But as a broadcaster he is no Mark Jackson, ironically his former backcourt mate during their finals run in Indiana.

With seven games on tap tonight three of them standout to me. The Knicks
are in Philly to battle the Sixers. There is really no such thing as a big game this early but these are two teams looking for early season success and the city of Philadelphia fresh off of a World Series victory I am sure wants more. With Elton Brand leading the way the Sixers are expecting a 50 win season, which means you gotta take care of the Knicks in your building.

The Celtics remain at home and host the Bulls who started off on the right foot against the Bucks with a win. The Celtics looked ok in their emotional home opener on Tuesday against the KING and his Cavs. Boston should come out smoking tonight. The question that will linger for the first month or so is will Boston's bench be as consistently strong as it turned out to be last season? If Leon Powe keeps providing facials and Tony Allen keeps getting to the rim then the answer will be YES. I have not even mentioned Eddie House yet who struggled on opening night.

Your late game to watch is Spurs at Blazers. Oden is down already and the Spurs lost at home to the Suns. Will the Blazers enter an early season funk as their over hyped offensively limited big man is on the shelf yet again? Portland has the guards to push the rock against anyone and the Spurs are in need of that third scorer with Manu out. The experience of the Spurs is something the Blazers need
to pay attention to and learn from. Tim Duncan had 32 opening night, look for Pop to keep getting the big fundamental the ball on the block. Pops beard is scary.

A New Year, A New Blog, A New Banner!!!

2008-10-29T13:00:00.000-04:00

First things first, thank goodness it is basketball season.
Though last years incredible playoffs still kind of feel like yesterday, (my heart rate finally got back to normal in mid-July) there is nothing like the dawn of a new season. For me it could not get off to a better start than it did last night. Though the Celtics opening night victory against the Cavs was an average game at best the pre-game surpassed all I had ever hoped for.

The ceremony wasn't some drawn out production with crazy highlights and the old Celtic mystique being displayed everywhere (though the old dawgs were definitely in the house) it was simply a classy ceremony honoring a well-deserved group of champions from last season. It was great because these guys all seem to get it.

From Scal to KG, from the trainer to the head coach they all seemed so thrilled to now be NBA Champions and receive their ring and then together raise banner #17 to the rafters. As I sat and watched each player get their ring from the commissioner I waited in great anticipation for Paul Pierce's turn. He had already started to lose it when he took the Championship Trophy that John Havlicek had carried out of the locker room, now it was time for the ring. When Ray Allen took his ring I started to get the chills, when KG came out I had goose bumps all over and I started to well up a bit, but when Pierce came out and I saw the tears on his face I had trouble controlling my emotions. I had seen this guy and been pulling for him every step of the way since draft night in 1998 when he fell in our laps. From Pitino, to the stabbing incident, to the lose to the Nets in 2002, to it all falling apart for the next 5 years to last year's basketball paradise he has had quite the journey, and last June as we all saw he reached the mountain top.

I really did not think Pierce was gonna be able to play after he got his ring, especially with King James getting geared up in the visitors lockerroom but Pierce was clearly the best player on the court last night. He has matured in so many ways.
He no longer cares about numbers, shots and where he is ranked by the so called experts out there. Is he better than Kobe or LeBron? No way. But does he do what is necessary on each given night to lead the best team in the league on both ends of the court as well as off the court? Yes. Pierce has lost 10 pounds, he looks lean, fleet of foot and most importantly hungry. One championship will not be enough for him or his other two hall of fame teammates.

Paul was very close with Red Auerbach. I think that is one of the reasons he was so emotional last night. In an interview with John Thompson that ran during the pre-game last night both Pierce and Coach Thompson shared some memories they both have of Red. And they both used the same Red quote, "What have you done for me lately?"
That is what Red used to challenge Russell, Cousy, Havlicek and all the great Cetlics with. That is exactly what Doc Rivers is using as well. He is challenging this team to be better than last years, he says they MUST be better. When Doc got his ring last night a few things went through my mind:
1) This is his first ring!
2) He was close as a player, I can't imagine what this feels like.
3) Fans in Boston wanted him gone, he was close to being fired, the lost 18 straight, but Ainge and ownership believed in him, as did the entire team, he could not have done a better job meshing the pieces together.

As far as the game goes, it was the Boston defense and bench sparks from Leon Powe and Tony Allen that were the difference last night. Powe's dunk on Delonte West in the second half got Marv Albert quite excited, "Powe with a facial!" Both Powe and Allen have been doubted since they came into the league because of their size and injury history. Last night was a great start for them both, especially with their performance now under the microscope more than ever with James Posey gone.

The King had three spectacular finishes but was kept in check in crunch time. Again, the game was secondary with went on just moments before. Cleveland will be a team to be reckoned with in the east but the Celtics are still in a class by themselves. BLING...BLING.

A Win is a win...

2008-05-07T10:21:00.001-04:00

Last night's 76-72 Celtics victory over the Cavs was one of the strangest games I have ever watched. Now the word ugly will be thrown around, and Doc Rivers already compared this to a Heat Knicks series back in the 90's, but there was something beautiful about this game last night. Maybe it was the committment to defense, maybe it was the star power on the floor playing so hard, maybe it was the fact that the Celtics needed to win a game like this at home. What was not a maybe was the huge game turned in by Kevin Garnett. With LeBron shooting 2-18 and committing 10 turnovers and Pierce and Allen combining for the same totals (I have never seen Ray Allen so uninvolved before) it was Garnett (28 points, 8 in the 4th) that made the big buckets all night to carry the Celtics to a game one win. His defense was terrific as expected as he set the tone to help on LeBron and make him take some tough shots early to keep him out of his King rhythm.

Then there were the contributions from Rajon Rondo, Sam Cassell and James Posey. Rondo had a huge first half and showed that the Cavs will have a tough time stopping his dribble penetration. Cassell got a bulk of the 4th quarter minutes and made 2 huge shots. And James Posey, well, he was typical James Posey. Swarming defense, two 3-pointers, and the 2 free throws that iced it in the last 10 seconds.

If there was a game the Cavs could have stole in Boston it was last night.
It will be a long time before you see three star players put up the poor offensive numbers we saw Tuesday. But two things are certain, the Celtics defense is determined to make life as tough as possible for LeBron and Kevin Garnett knows he is the offensive key for the Celtics.

Game 2 Thursday 7pm...

Here We Go...Time to WITNESS

2008-05-06T10:36:00.000-04:00

Not that the first round of the playoffs was not entertaining but it really heats up now in the conference semi's. With CP3 and the Hornets taking care of home court and going up 2-0 on the defending champion Spurs and with Kobe and the Lakers looking, well, looking like they are not planning on losing a game for some time the coach is going to look east.

I am still in some slight disbelief that is took the Celtics 7, yes 7 games to get rid of the Hawks. But for all the "experts" out there that think that will have a negative affect on them when they begin their second round series tonight against the Cavs and the King, well, they will be proven wrong. You must remember that after the Celtics swept the Texas triangle in March they did not have another "big game" the rest of the way. The starters got major rest and the intensity naturally took a step back down the stretch. But now it is back. It is back because they had to have it back in game seven to move on. It is back because the crowd demanded it. It is back because Rajon Rondo got layed out on the fastbreak. It is back because of Garnett, Pierce and Co. knew it was time. It is back because of Celtic Pride. It is back because the King is coming.

There have been many great series over the past 20 plus years that teams have gone thru en route to a championship. The Cavs are the reigning conference champions and also have some familiar faces that would love to help King James knock off the Celtics. Here is a quick breakdown of the keys to the series.

Cleveland Keys:
A consistent 2nd scorer.
Holding their own on the glass.
Neutralizing 2 of the 3 Boston big three.

LeBron breaks 30 every time he plays the Celtics and the teams split the season series this year 2-2 with the home team winning each time. But in order for the Cavs to have a real chance at winning 4 times against the Celtics a 2nd scorer must emerge. Gibson, West and Szcerbiak all had some good performances in round 1 against the Wizards but Washington does not present any of the defensive challenges the Celtics do. The Celtics will be in help mode most of the game against LeBron which means those shooters will have some open opportunities. Will they continue to make shots?

The Cavs have some depth upfront in Big Z, Wallace, Verajo and Joe Smith. Three of those four guys are all on the back sides of their career however and the Celtics present some major inside problems for them, especially on the boards. Between KG, Perkins, Leon Powe, Glen Davis and PJ Brown the Celtics are long, strong and relentless on the glass, at both ends. Second chance opportunities are huge in any game in any series and this is no different. The team that creates more easy hoops from second chance points is going to benefit greatly. Something tells me the Celtics are going to be that team, well at least tonight in game one at home.

Defensively the Cavs are in an interesting predicament. Do they double team KG or let him battle with Ben Wallace one on one in the post? Do they put Devin Brown on the court to first challenge Ray Allen, and then Paul Pierce at times when LeBron James needs a break. Or do they stick with Wally because they need his shooting on the floor? I am a believer that Cleveland is very dangerous with James, West and Gibson all playing together which would have Delonte on Ray Allen and Gibson on Rondo. What Cleveland must figure out is how to hold 2 of the 3 Big 3 in check. When two score the ball well the Celtics win, that is how it has gone. Cleveland and Boston both have defensive decisions to make as far as double teams and how much they will help off the weak side. Remember, like the Cavs the Celtics have a few guys that can also knock down open shots in James Posey, Sam Cassell and the soon to be defrosted Eddie House.

Boston Keys
Make LeBron earn every basket.
Eliminate lapses on the road.
Dominate the paint.

There is no doubt King James will get his numbers in this series. As I mentioned earlier he is almost a guaranteed 30 plus every time they play. But it is how he gets his 30 plus which is the key. The Celtics must be physical with him, but not dirty cheap shot physical like Washington was. (BTW, Washington is not a "tough" team when it comes to battling in the paint or on defense, though their defense did improve this year. I just have a hard time watching a team that has been trying to fight off that soft label for a number of years and all of a sudden decide they are gonna knock people down. That ain't you, you pissed off the King, now your asses are home. Was DeShawn Stevenson serious?) Sorry for the rant, I tend to do that from time to time. The Celtics must trap all pick and rolls and make James give up the rock and then make him work extra hard to get it back. Paul Pierce is first in line to guard James and he is going to give it all he has. Pierce and James have had their battles but never in the postseason and never on this stage. A big advantage for the Celtics in terms of defense is that Garnett will be matched up with Ben Wallace which means he can roam the floor defensively and help on any penetration by James. If Ben Wallace hits the offensive boards it is simple, FOUL HIM!!! Make the guy make free throws, especially in Boston.

The Celtics lost three close road games in a surprisingly crazy environment. (Did anyone see the dude in the from row wearing a blue button down with a Hawks jersey over it pumping his fist? There is no way that cat had ever been to a game before) But regardless of rowdy fans the Celtics not winning one game in Atlanta was alarming. One thing they experienced in all three of those games were lapses on the defensive end. In game 3 it was not blocking out and guarding Joe Johnson on the pick and roll like they were expecting him not to attack the basket when he turned the corner. (Could they really not adjust that in a time out after the year they had defensively, weird) Game 4 the green were up 10 points entering the 4th quarter, then they simply got their ass kicked. Game 6, Pierce fouls out, shots from point blank are missed and the overall defense was average at best. But you cannot play average defense on the road in the postseason, not in Atlanta and certainly not against the Cavs. With King James staring them in the face a lapse defensively will be hard to understand.

The battle for the paint starts and ends with one man, Kevin Garnett. KG must be aggressive if the Cavs do not double him and make them pay, again and again. It is time for Garnett to take over a series, this is the one. Whether it is the turnaround jumper or driving it to the tin KG must inflict some offensive pain on the Cavs starting tonight. When he does that and help starts coming the Celtics are a devastating team as Garnett is a terrific passer. Perkins, Pierce, Allen and Posey all get to their spots for knock out dunks and three's that take the will from the defense, but again that starts with KG setting the tone. Leon Powe, PJ Brown and Glen Davis are all capable of plugging themselves in and giving Boston a tremendous aggressive possession on either end of the court. Look for the Celtics to win the battle in the paint over the course of the series.

There is no doubt LeBron James is the best player in the eastern conference as he and the Cavs look to defend their conference title. But what is coming at Cleveland they will have no answer for. The Celtics already got their scare and they are ready to take the next step towards that 17th Championship banner. Pierce and Garnett will both have a memorable series. Celtics in 6.

Time for a Statement…And the Rebirth of a Rivalry.

2007-12-19T14:21:00.001-05:00

Yes the Boston Celtics are off to a blazing 20-2 start this season. They are undefeated at home winning by an average margin of 20 and overall their point differential per contest is plus 14, which is far and away the best in the league. Tonight at home against the Pistons someone is going to make a statement. The Celtics despite their torrid first quarter of the season realize they have not won anything yet. The Pistons have been an eastern power for the past six seasons and are still real pissed about last year’s playoff collapse against the King and his Cavs. Oh yeah and remember the late 80’s thru the 1991-1992 season? There was a bit of a rivalry between these two teams…something tells me that will be reborn tonight in front of a crazed Boston crowd.

This rivalry actually started in the mid 1980’s when the Celtics were champions and the young Pistons were fighting to be a playoff team and earn some respect. In 1986 the Celtics won 67 games, which included a 40-1 record at home and won their 16th NBA championship by going 15-3 in the postseason. Larry Bird was the best player in the world, and he was joined by arguably the best single season team the game of basketball has ever seen. The Pistons took notice. After winning 46 games Detroit was eliminated in the 1st round of the playoffs by Dominique Wilkins and the Atlanta Hawks.

Detroit knew they were a few pieces away from being able to challenge a team like the Celtics. To their credit that off season they went out and got those pieces. First they traded forward Kelly Tripuka to the Utah Jazz for forward Adrian Dantley. AD was the kind of player the Pistons needed as he could score from the blocks and from the wing. He was 6’5” but played like he was 6’9”, one of the toughest covers there was in the game at that point. That summer the Pistons drafted Dennis Rodman and John Salley. Rodman and Salley instantly made the team more athletic and very deep in the front court behind Bill Laimbeer, Rick Mahorn and Sidney Green (by the end of the season and the playoffs Salley and Rodman were playing major minutes while Green was hanging with Tony Campbell and Kurt Nimphius on the bench.)

The backcourt was lead by none other than Isiah Thomas. At that time Isiah was the best six foot player in the league and had entered all world player status. But something was missing. Contending for a championship. Along with 2nd year guard Joe Dumars and Vinnie Johnson the Pistons had one of the best three guard rotations in the league. But it was the added depth upfront along with the continued development of the bad boys’ attitude that propelled in the Pistons into contenders for the 1986-1987 season.

We all remember who the instigator was for Detroit, and while Bill Laimbeer was a very good basketball player he deserved what he got from the Chief and the rest of the Celtics. Fast forward the video to the 1:55 mark and let it run…watch Robert Parish and Bill Laimbeer under the basket.

Tonight we will not see anything like that but we will see two very good basketball teams who are both on a journey to achieve greatness. The game will be physical, chippy and there will be lots of trash talking. Tonight marks a marquee NBA match-up where these two teams will be looking to make a statement while revitalizing one of the league’s all-time great rivalries from 20 years ago. Detroit got its championship in 2004 and is hungry to another, the Celtics are after the franchises first since 1986. They clash at 7pm in Boston on ESPN, find a TV and get comfy.

A Real Gem...

2007-12-18T14:01:00.000-05:00

The Coach had a few extra minutes to play with at lunch today while updating his play sheet and found this gem on you tube. In 1988 before the start of the season the Celts were overseas in Spain. This is a great video and Drazen Petrovic is one of the oppoents. "Draz for 3...Bada Bing!!!"
The Celtics season was unfortunately far from great as Larry Bird missed 76 games due to foot surgery and the team finished 42-40. It was a breakout year for Reggie Lewis as he saw major minutes and responded with almost 19 points per game but it marked the beginning of the end for the Big 3 and the glory days of the 1980's. Enjoy.

Knowing your role...making your name

2007-12-18T13:31:00.000-05:00

As we are in the heat of the holiday season I thought it was time for us to recognize four players that are starting to make a name for themselves as role players on some of the leagues best teams. These four are giving the gift of quality minutes to their squads. As you know championships are won with the perfect mix of stars and role players and these four have really been playing well thus far:

Linas Kleiza-Denver Nuggets
Kleiza has been giving the Nuggets some extra scoring off the bench as his 10.7 ppg in 22 minutes per night has been a big help on a team that is just now getting healthy and starting to gel. Kleiza has the ability to play the 3-spot or be a step out 4 as his range and ability to run the floor for Denver make him very versatile. As the season goes on and teams are game planning for Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson and Marcus Camby, it will be Kleiza who will find himself benefiting from open looks and the Nuggets ability to run.

Kelenna Azubuike-Golden State Warriors
While Stephen Jackson, Baron Davis and Coach Don Nelson’s bad mock neck’s get most of the attention in Oakland, Azubuike has been a key contributor for them thus far. After scoring 7 ppg last season he is up to 12.6ppg which includes shooting 35% from three. His versatility on the perimeter at both ends makes him very valuable as he can guard either the 2 or 3 spot and take some of the defensive pressure off of Jackson who since returning to the team has averaged 40 minutes per game.

Jason Maxiell-Detroit Pistons
With Ben Wallace gone for over a year and Chris Webber not returning many were wondering who would step up inside on the Pistons to shoulder the load with Rasheed Wallace. Jason Maxiell has answered the call in Motown. The former Cincinnati Bearcat is now getting 24 minutes per contest off the bench for Detroit and his contribution has been very strong. His 9 ppg, 6 rpg and team leading 1.63 blocks per game have been huge. In December his numbers have increased to 11.4 ppg, 7.6 rpg and he is shooting 63% from the floor. But besides the numbers Maxiell is a physical force that plays a bit bigger than his 6-7 260lb frame. Detroit needed a boost depth wise and Maxiell has been getting it done.

Glen Davis-Boston Celtics
Throughout the years in Boston there have been many fan favorite’s, some stars, others role players. Well, Glen “Big Baby” Davis has already joined that list. The rookie forward out of LSU has become Boston’s first big off of the bench and has responded as only a man of his stature would…with force. Davis has been a terror in the paint as his 289lb frame at most times has been immoveable. While he did not receive a ton of minutes in November he is making up for it with his play this month. In December he is getting 7ppg and just under 6rpg in 20 minutes per appearance. On December 12th against the Kings he got his first career start, his line was 16 and 9 in 27 minutes which included 10-10 at the foul line. When the season started one of the so-called question marks was the Celtic’s lack of depth in the front court behind Kevin Garnett. Davis is beginning to be the answer there. Yet again Danny Ainge finds NBA ready talent in the 2nd round of the NBA draft.
A Tommy Point for Big Baby and DA.

The Jimmy V Classic...

2007-12-06T14:12:00.000-05:00

I had the chance to get over to MSG the other night for the Jimmy Volvano Classic. What a night to be a basketball fan. Though the garden was not full the vibe in the building was quite lively first during the Kansas St. Notre Dame game that featured Kansas St. freshman Michael Beasley and red shirt freshman Billy Walker and the Irish’s junior point guard Kyle McAlarney (Staten Island native) and sophomore big man Luke Harangody. ND won the game by 9 pulling away down the stretch but keep an eye on the duo from Kansas St. Beasley has grabbed many headlines thus far this season and deservingly so, but with Billy Walker back healthy they form quite a duo in the frontcourt. The second game which was very hyped going in with USC and #2 ranked Memphis facing off. While it was quite competitive the game was flat out ugly. The Memphis offense, Princeton on steroids, never found its rhythm and while USC hung tough it was sloppy on both ends. We all know what OJ Mayo is capable of but the night was not the best indication on the MSG stage. But the real story of the evening is what the Jimmy V Foundation has done in its fight against cancer. They have raised millions upon millions of dollars for research and given so many people who are in for the fight of their lives hope. Jimmy V’s contribution to society will far outlast all the love and memories he gave the basketball world. His wife, brother and many members of the college basketball community have taken it upon themselves to carry on the mission that Jimmy V started. To them we all need to say thank you. For more information on how you can help those with Cancer visit http://jimmyv.org/.

The Classic also a great night to see different people from the basketball world. On hand were my man PR from Nike, and the boy wonder Justin Leonard at Dime magazine. Coach Dwayne "Tiny" Morton from Lincoln in Brooklyn who coaches Lance Stephenson was in the building as well. On my way out of the arena I had the opportunity to meet Danny Ainge who was is town to check out Beasley, Mayo and company...the man is always working...hence the turn around in beantown. He was definitely staying low key but it was cool to chat for a few moments...The Coach has to be heading to practice...thanks for reading.

The Beasts...

2007-12-04T11:34:00.000-05:00

With winter already here as we are a month into the season (damn it is cold today, the wind is crazy) it's time to look at the top shelf of the league. Thus far we have some clear beasts, lets start in the east.

The East:
Both Orlando and Boston are smoking hot. The Magic sit at 16-4, the Celtics at 15-2. Most were worried about the Celtics not being able to keep their stars happy offensively and the point guard position...thus far I have never seen three happier all-stars on the court together. At the point Rajon Rondo has been improving on a weekly basis as his quickness on both ends is becoming a major headache for opponents and his decision making continues to move in the right direction. The real story regarding the Celtics is their ability to play terrific team defense. KG inspired it but the likes of Rondo, James Posey, and Kendrick Perkins have all been very strong and both Paul Pierce and Ray Allen have totally bought into what Coach Doc Rivers and Asst. Tom Thibodeau have been preaching. It is not a stretch to say the Celtics should win the next 5 games on the schedule (Toronto, @ Chicago, Sacremento, Milwaukee, @Toronto), which would put them at 20-2 set to host the Pistons on December 19th. Rivers has been consciously getting Pierce, Allen and Garnett some good rest as of late and there is only one back to back on the schedule before the C's travel west right after Christmas. You could not have asked for a better start.

The Orlando Magic are smoking hot. Dwight Howard as we wrote about in the season preview has taken no time to cement himself as the best big in the east and a top 3 big in the league. His numbers are startling, but even more so is his court presence. All of his Magic teammates are benefitting tremendously from the attention his draws from the opposition's defense. First is Rashard Lewis. He is proving he was worth every dollar when Orlando brought him in from Seattle. The decision to play him at the 4 next to Howard by Coach Van Gundy is proving to be a brilliant choice and a nightmare for everyone else. Imagine having to game plan for both guys every night at the 4/5 spots? Exactly. While you'd like to see some better rebounding numbers (5.2 in 39 minutes) his 19 ppg and his ability to stretch the defense with his range and finish in transition have been outstanding. At the 3 spot, Hedo Turkoglu has been lights out getting 18ppg and 6rpg and playing with the confidence and no how of an all-star. This front line is very tough.

The backcourt simply does it's job. Jameer Nelson has gotten it done at the point, directing traffic, getting Howard, Lewis and Turkoglu the touches they need. Next to him is Keith Bogn's who has been tough as nails since he was at Kentucky. His perimeter shooting and gritty defense at the 2 spot has been an intangible for the Magic. The bench has been solid with Carlos Arroyo, Kenyon Dooling and Adonal Foyle, but it just got better as last week they dealt Trevor Ariza to the Lakers for Maurice Evans and Brian Cook. Cook another big they can bring off the bench can strech the defense with his shooting and help on the boards...Evans gives them a boost both defensively and in transition...a good deal for the Magic.

We know the season is a marathon but thus far the Magic and the Celtics are the teams to beat...

That Crazy Atlantic...

2007-11-20T11:00:00.000-05:00

After 3 weeks of NBA basketball and the holiday approaching it is time to take stock in what has gone on thus far in the Atlantic Division of the Association.

First the obvious: The New York Knicks are an absolute joke. They have become an embarrassment to basketball, to professional sports and of course the city of New York. After an amazing New York weekend and some real strong insider sessions with some of my cabinet we came up with the following steps the Knicks need to take to get this sinking ship at least patched up and pointing towards something positive.

1) Buy out Stephon Marbury
Yes, it is a ton of money but the Knicks have been paying people for years that are no longer in uniform, except in this case it will be helping the team if he is NOT in uniform. Forget the numbers he may get, he is hurting the current team and slowing the development for the future. Oh yeah, and he is completely out of his mind. Please Steph, take your cash, your sneakers and your new view on life and go to Italy, please, please, please go away!

2) Fire Isiah Thomas from both positions he holds.
Do I need to state the facts? He is 6-22 since he got an undeserved extension last season. His personnel moves have not gotten the team anywhere near respectability and he is losing control as the head coach. There is no way he has the full attention and respect of that locker room. The other night we caught him dropping an F-bomb to Nate Robinson during a dead ball. Probably the best camera work the MSG network has done in years.

3) Hire Jeff Van Gundy as Head Coach.
While I love the Van Man in the booth on ABC/ESPN he is what the Knicks need on the sideline, at practice and in the locker room. He is a pro’s pro. The guy can flat out coach. He can teach the game, motivate and handle the New York media. The job he did in 1999 getting that Knicks team to the Finals after the season they had is always over looked. The inability to get the Rockets out of the first round of the playoffs was unfairly placed on the style he had them playing rather than Tracy McGrady not being able to lift the level of his teammates like SUPERSTARS do. Van Gundy will teach the Knicks how to defend and play with some pride. Combine that with their size and ability to score the ball and fans being real fired up about his return and this would be the best answer right now for the organization.

4) Hire Jerry West as Team President/General Manager.
You want to restore some class and some pride at the Garden?
You want a proven talent evaluator and someone who has put together championship teams? Then what you need and should want on the next flight to the Big Apple is Jerry West. From his days as a player to the man in charge of building three championship Laker teams and a fifty win team in Memphis West is an obvious candidate for this position. Let me ask you something? Who is going to question Jerry West? Who is going to doubt his ability? Answer to both, NO ONE.

West of course will need some assistance with this mess, and I know you are all pulling for me to get into the league, so yes, I already left him a message on his cell piece and sent him a box of cigars from the Red Auerbach collection.

Looking at the rest of the Atlantic the Celtics could not have asked for a better start. They lost for the first time in Orlando on Sunday night. After falling behind by 20 points in the 3rd they came roaring back to take a lead but the Magic (off to a 9-2 start) made big plays down the stretch. The Celtics stand at 8-1 with the Warriors and the Lakers coming to Boston this week. 10-1 is quite realistic. Did anyone know how good of an all-around player Ray Allen is? We all knew he was a great shooter but his passing, his work on the dribble and his defense have all been very strong thus far. He is so smooth on the court. What a compliment to Pierce and KG. For the all the Rajon Rondo bashers out there he is shooting 57.5% this season. Will he maintain that? Probably not, but a good start was needed in that respect and he has responded well. I could not be happier with James Posey. While Eddie House got off to a hot start, it is Posey who night in and night put does the little things, and plays some very important minutes.

Toronto is at .500 sitting at 5-5 and that is where this tem will be around all season. As good as Bosh is, and as well as Ford has developed this team is no longer going to sneak up on everyone like last year. Combine that with what the Celtics turned into and the Raptors will be fighting to stay in the playoff race most of the season. With games starting tonight at Dallas, at Memphis and at Cleveland let’s see what kind of early season resolve the team north of the border possesses. With Rasho Nesterovic now sidelined for two weeks Bosh is going to need help up front more than ever, will Andrea Bargnani and Jamario Moon be enough?

When Vince Carter sprained his ankle against the Celtics 9 days ago my first thought was that the Nets would be able to stay the course as the ball movement would increase as isolations for Vince to shoot fade away jumpers would cease in his absence. Well guess who was dead wrong? The Nets have been getting beat, six straight losses to be exact. Last night they got slapped in Utah, last week was the Jason Collins episode at home in the 2 point loss to the Hornets, and both Boston and Orlando handled them easily as well. So is there an answer while Carter is out? Kidd can only do so much. And while Sean Williams is getting more minutes and proving he is going to be a force in the league the Nets really need to dig deep before this gets out of hand. How much time do you give Nenad Kristic to get back into rhythm following last year’s knee surgery? His 18 minutes per night and 5.6 points are a far cry from what the Nets were hoping for in his return. The Nets go out west for games at Portland, Seattle and the Lakers followed by Memphis visiting the ZOD early next week. Getting 3 of the next 4 is a must for New Jersey. Time to get on J-Kidd’s back, again.

The 76ers are 3-6. Surprise? No.
Andre Iguodala is leading them in scoring, assists, steals and minutes.
Surprise? No.

This team is exactly where we all thought they’d be. They need to keep developing talent around their new AI. The problem is all I see are role players at best with Willie Green, Reggie Evans, Kyle Corver and Samuel Dalembert getting the bulk of the minutes. Rodney Carney and Thaddeus Young are averaging a combined 20 minutes a night. Not exactly what you’d be expecting from your last two first round draft picks.

Look for the Celts to keep rolling and the Nets to gain some footing on their three gamer out west. As for the rest of the Atlantic, especially in New York we are just going to have to wait and see, well at least until after the Knicks host the Warriors tonight. Gotta go see if Jerry West hit me back…enjoy your afternoon.

Eww Jason Collins...

2007-11-12T21:49:00.000-05:00

Chris Paul and the Hornets are off to a 6-2 start after
last nights win at the ZOD.

The New Orleans Hornets defeated the Nets 84-82 in New Jersey last night. While the Hornets have been winning games this season thanks to there own players they got a little something special from the Nets' Jason Collins. With just under a minute to go and ahead by 4 points Collins was stripped by Chris Paul following a defensive rebound. Paul kicked the ball out to an open Morris Peterson who got a clean look at a three pointer. Bang! But there was more than one bang. The first was Peterson knocking down his jumper to cut the 4-point deficit to 1, then the second bang, which was Jason Collins running into Peterson and getting called for a foul which sent Peterson to the line where he tied the game. With 2.6 seconds to go Paul put the Hornets ahead for good with a running right hander with a special kiss but it was Collins who was responsible for the Nets being in a tie game at that point. Nice work JC, way to single handedly cost the Nets the game in the final minute. It is one thing to have minimal impact which is your norm, but to now cost your team the game because you could not protect a rebound and then your clumsy ass runs into a shooter after he released the ball on a three! Wow, you are about as useful as an a*#h*le right here (I am pointing to my elbow, Budd)

Are you kidding me? Striped of the ball like an undersized kid in a mickey mouse hat of his lunch money on a Hoboken playground. Then he lunges into Mo-Pete after he releases the basketball! This guy is really getting paid $6 million per year? Collins who is a starter plays 20 minutes per night. Is that a bulk of the minutes? No. But the guy has ONE field goal this season. One. I know he sets screens and throws his body around but With Vince Carter out indefinitely, with Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson drawing all of the attention from the opposing defenses it might be time to introduce Collins to the end of the bench, and give more minutes to the very talented Sean Williams and Bostjan Nachbar, both of whom can put the ball in the basket and get up and down the floor.

When a guy like Collins contributes with the little things and does not make mistakes despite his limited skills you are fine with it but what happened last night is not excusable. With the Nets in a much improved Eastern Conference where they will be battling with the likes of Boston and Toronto within the division losing games like last night will come back to bite you in the ass when you are trying to secure homecourt in the first round of the playoffs.

Thankfully the Coach is not a New Jersey Nets fan.
Something tells me that Coach Frank knows a change is needed.

Take Notice

2007-11-08T09:34:00.000-05:00

The season is a week old but the league not just the eastern conference better take notice right now. The Boston Celtics are on a mission and they are just getting to know each other on the court. Last night’s dismantling of the Nuggets in Boston is another sign that teams walking into the Garden this year are going to have their hands full. Denver who played in New York the night before had no idea what they were in for on the 2nd night of their 1st back to back of the year. Plain and simple the Celtics played the best half of team basketball the Coach has seen since…well I am not sure, that is how good it was. Everyone had a hand in the spanking of the Nuggets. Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen lead the way all going over 20 points but it was the new smothering defense of the Celtics that buried Denver. The Celtics are at the top of the league in FG% defense, a big change from what has been going on the last five years. When the Garnett trade went down all the media could do was question how will the 3 of them share the ball? Who will take the last shot? What about the rest of the roster that has nothing? NONSENSE!!! No one mentioned defense. No one talked about TEAM. Garnett raises the level of everyone around him at both ends of the court. According to all the experts out there Pierce and Allen do not play any defense. They seem to be playing defense now. The whole team is playing defense. There is no other option. Doc Rivers has done a very good job meshing this veteran and young talent into a cohesive unit…and it is November 8th. The trip to Europe where the team had no other option but to bond both on and off the court is already paying dividends. The supporting cast specifically Kendrick Perkins, Rajon Rondo, Tony Allen and Eddie House all have the confidence they need to be important pieces to the puzzle. They are confident because Rivers, Garnett, Pierce and Allen all believe in them and know it is about the TEAM, not the individual. Team basketball is officially back in Boston. The scary part is they are just getting started.

NBA Preview 2007-2008

2007-10-30T09:23:00.000-04:00

Big Baby wants predictions, he wants them now!

So as I was relaxing after another productive day down at the new Gramercy Estate and it hit me that I needed to get my predictions done and up ASAP as the season, thanks to that witty NBA television schedule starts tonight.

So with the Oden-less Trailblazers taking on the champs in San Antonio to start things off tonight, here's the Coach's Take on the upcoming season.

The league will rebound nicely despite the following:
-An uneventful (as nice as I can put it) Spurs sweep of the Cavs in the Finals last June.
-The worst scandal to hit the Association since the cocaine days of the late 70's and early 80's.

-The joke which is the Knick organization (doesn't New york deserve better than a Coach/GM and an organization who was found guilty of sexual harrassment and the wrongful dismissal of a female employee?)

This is going to be the most exciting regular season in years, thanks to the Celtics ressurgence and the conitnued rise of teams like Chicago, Orlando, Atlanta, New Orleans, Denver and Utah. Star power is strong but the attention will hopefully continue to shift back towards teams not just individual talent. Kobe might be the best in the game but that ain't putting a smile on his face or another Chip on his mantle. What the Celtics did will not only be important for the team, city and league for the obvious but for how the game is looked at, analyzed and appreciated moving forward. Team basketball will now be in the spotlight because of the Celtics (yes the Spurs have been doing it for years) and hopefully others will take notice that is how the game needs to and should be played. With the Suns on a mission, the Mavs looking to rebound and the Spurs out to defend what is theirs the best of the best will not disappoint this season. Out West Denver, Houston, Utah and the Hornets all should be improved.

4 Questions Out West

Will the Warriors be as affective?
They have the guns but the suprise element and momentum from last season was a big help. Stephen Jackson being named a captain still has me searching for some answers.

How will Dallas respond after last years playoff collapse?
They will be strong and pissed off. Problem is Phoenix is just as angry with a better team and Steve Nash leading them.
Coach Johnson and the Mavs must, must get off to a hot start.

Will the coaching, personel and style of play changes in Houston get them to the next level?
The Rockets will be an exciting and improved team as Coach Adelman will have them running at every traansition opportunity and dumping it into Yao at every opportunity in the halfcourt. Tracy McGrady must stay healthy and realize he has to attack the hoop as well as play off of Yao, not the other way around.

Will this finally be the year of the Sun?
The third time had better be the charm for Phoenix. With Nash still at the top of his game, Marion seemingly willing to keep quiet and continue his production and the addition of veteran Grant Hill the Suns will challenge again for the Western Conference crown. As good as Nash is it is about the unit and the paint which needs to be owned by Amare Stoudemire and Marion for them to break through to the Finals.

4 Questions Back East

Is Jason Kidd on borrowed time? The guy was a machine for Team USA this past summer but he has a lot of miles on those tires. Jefferson, Carter and 2nd year guard Marvin Williams are going to have to do enough to keep Kidd fresh come Spring.

What is Cleveland thinking?
We all witnessed the same conference finals last year when LeBron officially became KING JAMES, but Cleveland really thinking they are getting back to that stage with what they look like right now is crazy. Even if Varejao and Pavlovic return from their holdouts there is no way they are better than Chicago, Detroit, or Boston. The Cavs will be a playoff team but a trip back to the finals is far from a reality.

Will Chicago keep this group together?
With the Kobe rumors swirling and the Bulls clearly having the best package to offer, Chicago faces the choice of whether or not to breakup this blossoming team of young talent to acquire one player. It would be great for the sake of team basketball if Chicago said thanks but no thanks if the asking price from the Lakers is to high. Deng, Gordon, Thomas and Noah is to much in the Coach's opinion for Kobe. He has to be moved, the Bulls have all the leverage in the world here, and the talent to be very successful this season without him.

Will Boston's supposed lack of depth hold them back from winning the eastern conference?
Plain and simple. No. Great players, truly great players bring out the best in their supporting cast and that is already beginning to happen in Boston. While Garnett was trapped in Minnesota for so long all many saw were his highlights and stats, not the profound desire to win, his passing ability or his intensity with each posession. Teamed with Pierce and Allen we know about the trio and what their goal is. What many are realizing is that the entire team and oraganization seems to be completely on board. Look for Rajon Rondo to improve with each game at the point and for Tony Allen once healthy to be one of the best all around bench weapons in the game.

The East
Surprise Team: My collegues and I have been talking about the Hawks, specifically their growth and improvements. With teams like the Knicks, Raptors and Wizards all in the hunt for the postseason the Hawks will have enough talent and depth to get back to the playoffs for the first time since 1999 when Steve Smith was tearing hearts out with his jumper and Deke was in his 40's. Josh Smith and Joe Johnson are long, versatile and explosive. Rookie forward Al Horford, southpaw guards AC Law IV, Salim Stoudemire, and bigs Zaza Pachulia, Marvin Williams and Sheldon Williams give them depth, rebounding and enough scoring options to be a playoff contender this spring.

The spotlight: All attention is on Boston and rightly so. If last week's final dress rehearsal against Cleveland is any indication this team is going to be a nightmare to deal with on a nightly basis. Kevin Garnett's name will return to the best player in the league conversation and Paul Pierce will be once again appreciated as the great player he is. Will it take a few weeks for them to get completely in sync? Sure it will. But with Ray Allen, Garnett and Pierce combined with a mix of hungry vets and talented youth who are all on the same page this team will rise to the occassion and be the best in the East. Hats off to Danny Ainge for bringing the Celtics back.

The Jump: Dwight Howard will officially make the leap this season from potential stud to STUD, and it will happen quickly. Much has been made of his off-season work on his left hand around the hoop and jump shot away from it. Add Rashard Lewis to the mix in Orlando and suddenly opponents can not game plan just for Howard any longer. Point guard Jameer Nelson will also be on a mission as he is playing each night with the memory of his father driving him. Howard will benefit from all of this as he will become the new low post beast of the east.

Eastern Conference
1. Celtics
2. Bulls
3. Pistons
4. Nets
5. Cavs
6. Heat
7. Magic
8. Hawks

Playoffs
1st Round
Celtics over Hawks
Cavs over Nets
Bulls over Magic
Pistons over Heat

Semifinals
Celtics over Cavs
Bulls over Pistons

Conference Finals
Celtics over Bulls

The West

Surprise Team: The Sonics received much praise for rebuilding their team for the future with this year’s off season. But what they may not realize is that they are in playoff contention right now. Durrant, Green, West, Wilcox, Wally World, Ridenour and Co. are a talented and versatile group. Coach Carlisimo loves the challenge of teaching and growing his team and this group will give him everything they got. A late run by the Hornets and a Kobeless Laker team will challenge for that final playoff spot with Chris Paul leading the Hornets to the postseason but the Sonics will turn lots of heads this season.

The Spotlight: The Phoenix Suns

As stated above the Suns window to win a championship is open, but how long it stays open is the question. Steve Nash has been playing the best ball on the planet and is putting his historical stamp on how the position of point guard should be played offensively. He has a versatile, experienced and hungry supporting cast around him that will certainly use last years loss and controversial decision by the league to motivate them this season. This is year three that the Suns are good enough to break thru to the finals. The road has never been tougher with the champion Spurs, Mavericks, Jazz and Nuggets in the fold. Stoudemire, Marion, Diaw, Hill, Barbosa and Bell along with Nash is as strong as it gets on paper, whether or not it takes them to the promised land remains to be seen. If history holds true the Suns will finally break thru and represent the west in the finals.

The Jump: Deron Williams

With a ton of young talent that is only getting better out west this was a tough choice but Deron Williams is hard to overlook. He is a young version of Jason Kidd with a jump shot. With the emergence of teammate Carlos Boozer last season they formed a lethal guard/forward combo that exhibited power, speed and the ability to face off against the best of the west. Williams will look to lead the Jazz back deep into the playoffs like last season as his hunger for post season success must be building by the day as the season arrives. At his size his ability to shoot the ball, distribute and get into the paint at will make him one of the most feared guards in the league for a long time. His time to jump is now.

Western Conference
1. Suns
2. Spurs
3. Mavs
4. Nuggets
5. Jazz
6. Rockets
7. Warriors
8. Hornets

Playoffs
1st Round
Suns over Hornets
Nuggets over Jazz
Mavs over Rockets
Spurs over Warriors

Semifinals
Suns over Nuggets
Spurs over Mavs

Conference Finals
Suns over Spurs

NBA Finals
Suns over the Celtics

In a thrilling postseason the Suns and Celtics will battle their way threw the playoffs and into the finals. The star power and hunger of the players will make this one of the best finals we have seen the Jordan days.