I don’t mean to just pile on an entry on top of Besse’s, but with the All-Star reserves in the NBA being announced tonight I thought I would name the players I felt were deserving. Each conference must have on their bench 2 guard, 2 forwards, 1 center, and then 2 whatever you’re feelin’.
First in the Eastern Conference:
Starters: G Jason Kidd, G Dwayne Wade, F Kevin Garnett, F LeBron James, C Dwight Howard.
Don’t really have any problems here. Take a look at the backcourt though with their combined 28 wins.
G Chauncey Billups (17.9 pts., 7.1 assists)
G Joe Johnson (21.2 pts., 4.4 rebs., 5.3 assists)
F Paul Pierce (20.1 pts., 5.7 rebs., 5 assists)
F Caron Butler (21.9 pts., 7 rebs., 4.3 assists)
C Chris Bosh (22.7 pts., 9.1 rebs.)*
F Antawn Jamison (21.4 pts., 10.6 rebs.)
F Josh Smith (18 pts., 8.1 rebs., 3.2 blocks)
*I know Chris Bosh is a forward, I’m putting him in as a center. Other very deserving players include Richard Hamilton, Ray Allen, Jose Calderon, Michael Redd, Richard Jefferson, and Hedo Turkoglu.
Western Conference:
Starters: G Kobe Bryant, G Allen Iverson, F Carmelo Anthony, F Tim Duncan, C Yao Ming.
How Chris Paul is not starting is beyond me. Fan voting is for the birds. My subs are…
G Chris Paul (20.8 pts., 3.9 rebs., 10.7 assists)
G Steve Nash (17.4 pts., 11.9 asts., 48% 3FG)
F Carlos Boozer (22.4 pts., 10.6 rebs., 55% FG)
F Dirk Nowitzki (22.3 pts., 8.6 rebs.)
C Marcus Camby (9.3 pts., 14.3 rebs., 3.9 blocks)
F/C Amare Stoudemire (22.7 pts., 9 rebs., 59.5% FG)
G Baron Davis (22.3 pts., 4.8 rebs., 8.1 assists)
Just missing the cut: Brandon Roy (he needs to be there somehow), Deron Williams, Josh Howard, Stephen Jackson, Shawn Marion, Chris Kamen, and Tyson Chandler.
We’ll have to wait and see until tonight who the coaches pick.
Rich Keefe
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Random Thoughts Heading into February
Sox missed out; Mets re-claim top status in NL East
Let's face it: The Red Sox blew a golden opportunity to re-position themselves as the front-runner heading into the 2008 season. The Tigers made a big splash acquiring Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis from the Marlins, and with a pitching staff of Verlander, Willis, Bonderman, Rogers and Robertson they seem real tough. Having a bona-fide ace, three solid lefties and a another righty with top of the rotation potential is a good thing to have. And that lineup is reminiscent of the Yankees during their late 90's reign. No holes and no let-up for any team's pitching staff.
If Boston had committed to the Santana deal, imagine Johan, Beckett, and Matsusaka at the top of the rotation. With Schilling and Wakefield still around to hold down the back-end for a year, the Sox could have afforded to make a package from a crop of Bucholz, Lester, Ellsbury and Bowden. They certainly could have kept one of the pitchers while giving up some of the young talent that has either arrived or is on its way up through the system.
I know Theo is big on developing in-house, but I've said this before and I'll say it again: the minor league system is like a $1/$2 table at the Mirage - build up your $1 and $5 chips and once the stack starts falling over, color out and head to the $2/$4 table. You keep doing that until you find yourself seated at the Big Game w/ Doyle, the Phils and Negraneau. Pull the trigger, Theo! You have to wonder if he questions his own baseball acumen these days with the list of busts that he has compiled as of late(Drew, Lugo, Gagne and Crisp off the top of my head). Props on his drafting ability, but unless you're the A's or any other small market team, most GMs use prospects to line up big time trades. Not Theo.
The one plus is that it's the Mets who ended up winning the sweepstakes, and not the Yankees or any other AL team for that matter. While they may come out of the National League in '08, I still don't think their pitching staff wins a WS title. They added one of the best in the game, but with the loss of Glavine, they didn't address depth in the rotation (or lack thereof). After Santana and Maine, who faded bigtime down the stretch last year, there's Pedro's and his noodle arm, Perez and his diaper, and El Suckque. Wagner and 'pen give em a chance, but in a 7-game series, Santana will HAVE to pitch 3 games.
Leyritz finally coming down to Earth
It's amazing what one clutch moment can do to someone's head. Jim Leyritz was no better than a serviceable big league back-up during his 11 year stint in the majors. But who would have known that one big WS homerun would cloud this man's judgement for the balance of his life. Looks like his head swelled so big he thought he could pour more booze into it, too. Turns out, a big ego doesn't turn into a big tolerance.
It's unfortunate someone's life was taken, and my sympathies go out to the family of the victim, but it's about time Leyritz got pulled off his high horse. I got to see him interact with media, players and big wigs alike at the ALCS and WS this past season. To say he was his biggest fan would be an understatement. This guy thought he was Mr. Baseball. Here's to serving four more years in jail than you did in the Bigs, pal.
Rondo making strides
The NBA should create an award just to give Rajon Rondo something for what he's done this year. I don't care if it's a certificate of achievement like something out of a Little League Baseball tournament. Give this kid his dues. Watching him run the Celtics' offense has been surprisingly enjoyable thus far, and he continues to get better night in and night out. His defense hasn't lapsed one bit, and he's slashing to the hole and creating shots around big men like a 12-year veteran. His ability to do this is opening up opportunities around him, and I think we're seeing a pass-first attitude become contagious up-and-down the C's roster. I mean, any other year would Paul Pierce pass up a layup to kick it out to Scalabrine in the corner for 3? Absolutely not, but he did against the Magic last Sunday (Scal rimmed out, by the way).
But it's a good thing, because it's giving guys like Perkins, Powe and Big Baby opportunities to score double digits and make meaningful contributions in meaningful minutes. And for the Magic to need a last second 3 to win it against a KG-less C's squad says a lot about the maturation process the rest of the team has gone through this season. Veterans like Eddie House and James Posey, Tony Allen and the like are expected to provide solid time. But this team is now potentially 10-men deep. That's scary in the East.
And with Rondo stepping up game after game, I think he'll be just fine come playoff time matching up against Chauncey Billups.
Let's face it: The Red Sox blew a golden opportunity to re-position themselves as the front-runner heading into the 2008 season. The Tigers made a big splash acquiring Miguel Cabrera and Dontrelle Willis from the Marlins, and with a pitching staff of Verlander, Willis, Bonderman, Rogers and Robertson they seem real tough. Having a bona-fide ace, three solid lefties and a another righty with top of the rotation potential is a good thing to have. And that lineup is reminiscent of the Yankees during their late 90's reign. No holes and no let-up for any team's pitching staff.
If Boston had committed to the Santana deal, imagine Johan, Beckett, and Matsusaka at the top of the rotation. With Schilling and Wakefield still around to hold down the back-end for a year, the Sox could have afforded to make a package from a crop of Bucholz, Lester, Ellsbury and Bowden. They certainly could have kept one of the pitchers while giving up some of the young talent that has either arrived or is on its way up through the system.
I know Theo is big on developing in-house, but I've said this before and I'll say it again: the minor league system is like a $1/$2 table at the Mirage - build up your $1 and $5 chips and once the stack starts falling over, color out and head to the $2/$4 table. You keep doing that until you find yourself seated at the Big Game w/ Doyle, the Phils and Negraneau. Pull the trigger, Theo! You have to wonder if he questions his own baseball acumen these days with the list of busts that he has compiled as of late(Drew, Lugo, Gagne and Crisp off the top of my head). Props on his drafting ability, but unless you're the A's or any other small market team, most GMs use prospects to line up big time trades. Not Theo.
The one plus is that it's the Mets who ended up winning the sweepstakes, and not the Yankees or any other AL team for that matter. While they may come out of the National League in '08, I still don't think their pitching staff wins a WS title. They added one of the best in the game, but with the loss of Glavine, they didn't address depth in the rotation (or lack thereof). After Santana and Maine, who faded bigtime down the stretch last year, there's Pedro's and his noodle arm, Perez and his diaper, and El Suckque. Wagner and 'pen give em a chance, but in a 7-game series, Santana will HAVE to pitch 3 games.
Leyritz finally coming down to Earth
It's amazing what one clutch moment can do to someone's head. Jim Leyritz was no better than a serviceable big league back-up during his 11 year stint in the majors. But who would have known that one big WS homerun would cloud this man's judgement for the balance of his life. Looks like his head swelled so big he thought he could pour more booze into it, too. Turns out, a big ego doesn't turn into a big tolerance.
It's unfortunate someone's life was taken, and my sympathies go out to the family of the victim, but it's about time Leyritz got pulled off his high horse. I got to see him interact with media, players and big wigs alike at the ALCS and WS this past season. To say he was his biggest fan would be an understatement. This guy thought he was Mr. Baseball. Here's to serving four more years in jail than you did in the Bigs, pal.
Rondo making strides
The NBA should create an award just to give Rajon Rondo something for what he's done this year. I don't care if it's a certificate of achievement like something out of a Little League Baseball tournament. Give this kid his dues. Watching him run the Celtics' offense has been surprisingly enjoyable thus far, and he continues to get better night in and night out. His defense hasn't lapsed one bit, and he's slashing to the hole and creating shots around big men like a 12-year veteran. His ability to do this is opening up opportunities around him, and I think we're seeing a pass-first attitude become contagious up-and-down the C's roster. I mean, any other year would Paul Pierce pass up a layup to kick it out to Scalabrine in the corner for 3? Absolutely not, but he did against the Magic last Sunday (Scal rimmed out, by the way).
But it's a good thing, because it's giving guys like Perkins, Powe and Big Baby opportunities to score double digits and make meaningful contributions in meaningful minutes. And for the Magic to need a last second 3 to win it against a KG-less C's squad says a lot about the maturation process the rest of the team has gone through this season. Veterans like Eddie House and James Posey, Tony Allen and the like are expected to provide solid time. But this team is now potentially 10-men deep. That's scary in the East.
And with Rondo stepping up game after game, I think he'll be just fine come playoff time matching up against Chauncey Billups.
UFC Divisional Rankings as of 1/31/08
-Besse
Here are my rankings of the UFC’s five divisions as of today. Please note that Henderson appears in two divisions. Simply put, the poor guy is the 2nd best fighter right now in both weight classes. That may change soon (read below). Other than that, they are slightly different than Keefe’s, but that’s to be expected as we are only dealing with one stable of fighters, so there are some issues with depth in certain divisions. I also included some notes to shed light on why some guys appear where they do. Hope you enjoy.
Heavyweight
1. Randy Couture
2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
3. Tim Sylvia
4. Brandon Vera
5. Cheick Kongo
6. Fabricio Verdum
7. Andrei Arlovski
8. Gabriel Gonzaga
9. Mirko Cro Cop
10. Frank Mir
Notes: This division sucks, and it’s not getting any better with “The Natural” letting his contract run out. The winner of the Big Nog/Sylvia fight is a default champion and based on past performances, neither is scary and showing signs of dominance. Arlovski takes a hit due to inactivity, which is why Verdum – whom Arlovski beat in a lackluster decision in his last Octagon appearance – is ranked ahead of him. Mir shows up because he looked like the old champ against Hardonk at UFC 74.
Light Heavyweight
1. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
2. Dan Henderson
3. Lyoto Machida
4. Keith Jardine
5. Chuck Liddell
6. Forrest Griffin
7. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
8. Thiago Silva
9. Rashad Evans
10. Tito Ortiz
Notes: Rampage is by far supreme after 2007, and I look for him to dominate Forrest in their matchup later this year by 3rd Round TKO. Griffin shocked everyone with that win over Rua – who may have been hurt – but still doesn’t warrant a title shot with the loss to Jardine. Speaking of, where is the “Dean of Mean”, who owns consecutive wins over Griffin and Liddell? Wanderlei looked old and tired in his last fight, so I left him off, and I still think Tito is a force. Silva and Evans will be an interesting top-10 match between a well-rounded striker and an excellent wrestler with improving stand-up; I still think Evans is slightly overrated.
Middleweight
1. Anderson Silva
2. Dan Henderson
3. Rich Franklin
4. Yushin Okami
5. Patrick Cote
6. Nate Marquadt
7. Travis Lutter
8. Dean Lister
9. Thales Leites
10. Michael Bisping
Notes: Much like the Heavyweight division, there isn’t a lot of depth here. Silva is the clear cut leader of the pack and if Hendo hadn’t been persuaded to drop down, I’d say the Reign of Terror would continue for a long, long time. But I think “Dangerous” pulls the upset on March 1st and here’s why: In Silva’s five UFC fights, he’s spending an average of 4:15 demolishing his opponents. Henderson, meanwhile, has gone the distance in five of his last six fights, including that five-round war of attrition against Rampage. Hendo will drag this fight into the later rounds and win by late stoppage or decision. Meanwhile, I slot Bisping in at number ten b/c this division is weak and he has some decent skills.
Welterweight
1. Georges “Rush” St. Pierre
2. Matt Serra
3. Jon Fitch
4. Karo Parysian
5. Matt Hughes
6. Josh Koscheck
7 Marcus Davis
8. Diego Sanchez
9. Josh Burkman
10. Mike Swick
Notes: Now GSP is the “interim” champ, I can finally put him at the top where he belongs. Unless he gets caught again, he’ll dominate Serra in their rematch. Hughes takes a hit after doing absolutely nothing in that fight against GSP. Meanwhile, I thought Burkman should have won that fight. Although his takedowns continually got stuffed, Swick did nothing offensively aside from the one glancing kick he landed. Burkman was aggressive, took chances and tried to fight; Swick didn’t look right at that weight. And by the way Joe Silva, how are you not having Fitch and Parysian fight a #1 contender match on the same card as GSP v. Serra? Both are deserving, and they need to fight each other to get this mess figured out.
Lightweight
1. B.J. Penn
2. Sean Sherk
3. Joe Stevenson
4. Roger Huerta
5. Kenny Florian
6. Clay Guida
7. Frankie Edgar
8. Tyson Griffin
9. Hermes Franca
10. Joe Lauzon
Notes: Penn is the best P4P fighter in the world, and he beat a great opponent in Stevenson at UFC 80. I think Sherk is seriously underestimating the overall game of Penn, but look for a terrific grudge match when they fight. Huerta takes a break and deserves it after a busy ’07. Florian is ever-improving, and it’s too bad he got thrown in against Sherk so early; he wasn’t ready and still isn’t, but continues to improve. Guida was winning against Huerta until he got blitzed early in the 3rd round, and I like his aggressive style. And let’s not forget Franca. He owned up to his mistake, and w/ or w/o the juice, he’s a top 10 fighter in this organization.
-Besse
Here are my rankings of the UFC’s five divisions as of today. Please note that Henderson appears in two divisions. Simply put, the poor guy is the 2nd best fighter right now in both weight classes. That may change soon (read below). Other than that, they are slightly different than Keefe’s, but that’s to be expected as we are only dealing with one stable of fighters, so there are some issues with depth in certain divisions. I also included some notes to shed light on why some guys appear where they do. Hope you enjoy.
Heavyweight
1. Randy Couture
2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
3. Tim Sylvia
4. Brandon Vera
5. Cheick Kongo
6. Fabricio Verdum
7. Andrei Arlovski
8. Gabriel Gonzaga
9. Mirko Cro Cop
10. Frank Mir
Notes: This division sucks, and it’s not getting any better with “The Natural” letting his contract run out. The winner of the Big Nog/Sylvia fight is a default champion and based on past performances, neither is scary and showing signs of dominance. Arlovski takes a hit due to inactivity, which is why Verdum – whom Arlovski beat in a lackluster decision in his last Octagon appearance – is ranked ahead of him. Mir shows up because he looked like the old champ against Hardonk at UFC 74.
Light Heavyweight
1. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson
2. Dan Henderson
3. Lyoto Machida
4. Keith Jardine
5. Chuck Liddell
6. Forrest Griffin
7. Mauricio “Shogun” Rua
8. Thiago Silva
9. Rashad Evans
10. Tito Ortiz
Notes: Rampage is by far supreme after 2007, and I look for him to dominate Forrest in their matchup later this year by 3rd Round TKO. Griffin shocked everyone with that win over Rua – who may have been hurt – but still doesn’t warrant a title shot with the loss to Jardine. Speaking of, where is the “Dean of Mean”, who owns consecutive wins over Griffin and Liddell? Wanderlei looked old and tired in his last fight, so I left him off, and I still think Tito is a force. Silva and Evans will be an interesting top-10 match between a well-rounded striker and an excellent wrestler with improving stand-up; I still think Evans is slightly overrated.
Middleweight
1. Anderson Silva
2. Dan Henderson
3. Rich Franklin
4. Yushin Okami
5. Patrick Cote
6. Nate Marquadt
7. Travis Lutter
8. Dean Lister
9. Thales Leites
10. Michael Bisping
Notes: Much like the Heavyweight division, there isn’t a lot of depth here. Silva is the clear cut leader of the pack and if Hendo hadn’t been persuaded to drop down, I’d say the Reign of Terror would continue for a long, long time. But I think “Dangerous” pulls the upset on March 1st and here’s why: In Silva’s five UFC fights, he’s spending an average of 4:15 demolishing his opponents. Henderson, meanwhile, has gone the distance in five of his last six fights, including that five-round war of attrition against Rampage. Hendo will drag this fight into the later rounds and win by late stoppage or decision. Meanwhile, I slot Bisping in at number ten b/c this division is weak and he has some decent skills.
Welterweight
1. Georges “Rush” St. Pierre
2. Matt Serra
3. Jon Fitch
4. Karo Parysian
5. Matt Hughes
6. Josh Koscheck
7 Marcus Davis
8. Diego Sanchez
9. Josh Burkman
10. Mike Swick
Notes: Now GSP is the “interim” champ, I can finally put him at the top where he belongs. Unless he gets caught again, he’ll dominate Serra in their rematch. Hughes takes a hit after doing absolutely nothing in that fight against GSP. Meanwhile, I thought Burkman should have won that fight. Although his takedowns continually got stuffed, Swick did nothing offensively aside from the one glancing kick he landed. Burkman was aggressive, took chances and tried to fight; Swick didn’t look right at that weight. And by the way Joe Silva, how are you not having Fitch and Parysian fight a #1 contender match on the same card as GSP v. Serra? Both are deserving, and they need to fight each other to get this mess figured out.
Lightweight
1. B.J. Penn
2. Sean Sherk
3. Joe Stevenson
4. Roger Huerta
5. Kenny Florian
6. Clay Guida
7. Frankie Edgar
8. Tyson Griffin
9. Hermes Franca
10. Joe Lauzon
Notes: Penn is the best P4P fighter in the world, and he beat a great opponent in Stevenson at UFC 80. I think Sherk is seriously underestimating the overall game of Penn, but look for a terrific grudge match when they fight. Huerta takes a break and deserves it after a busy ’07. Florian is ever-improving, and it’s too bad he got thrown in against Sherk so early; he wasn’t ready and still isn’t, but continues to improve. Guida was winning against Huerta until he got blitzed early in the 3rd round, and I like his aggressive style. And let’s not forget Franca. He owned up to his mistake, and w/ or w/o the juice, he’s a top 10 fighter in this organization.
-Besse
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
UFC Rankings (1-30-08; Keefe)
Here is the first monthly UFC rankings. Tristan and I will both rank fighters 1-10 for the 5 divisions in the UFC. Perhaps we will combine the rankings one day and just have a "Sports Brief Rankings," but for now there will be two separate ones. Again these are only fighters in the UFC/ under contract. No Fedor, Paulo Filho, Matt Lindland, Gomi, Arona, etc. Also I have Dan Henderson in both LHW and MW as his last fight in the UFC was for the LHW belt and his next fight is for the MW belt.
Heavyweight:
1. Randy Couture
2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
3. Tim Sylvia
4. Andrei Arlovski
5. Fabricio Werdum
6. Cheick Kongo
7. Brandon Vera
8. Gabriel Gonzaga
9. Mirko Cro Cop
10. Frank Mir
Light Heavyweight:
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Dan Henderson
3. Maurcio ‘Shogun’ Rua
4. Chuck Liddell
5. Keith Jardine
6. Forrest Griffin
7. Lyoto Machida
8. Wanderlei Silva
9. Tito Ortiz
10. Thiago Silva
Middleweight:
1. Anderson Silva
2. Dan Henderson
3. Rich Franklin
4. Nathan Marquardt
5. Yushin Okami
6. Travis Lutter
7. Patrick Cote
8. Jason MacDonald
9. Chris Leben
10. Nathan Quarry
Welterweight:
1. Georges St. Pierre
2. Matt Serra
3. Jon Fitch
4. Matt Hughes
5. Josh Koscheck
6. Karo Parisyan
7. Diego Sanchez
8. Marcus Davis
9. Mike Swick
10. Josh Burkman
Lightweight:
1. BJ Penn
2. Sean Sherk
3. Joe Stevenson
4. Kenny Florian
5. Roger Huerta
6. Frankie Edgar
7. Tyson Griffin
8. Din Thomas
9. Spencer Fisher
10. Clay Guida
Heavyweight:
1. Randy Couture
2. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira
3. Tim Sylvia
4. Andrei Arlovski
5. Fabricio Werdum
6. Cheick Kongo
7. Brandon Vera
8. Gabriel Gonzaga
9. Mirko Cro Cop
10. Frank Mir
Light Heavyweight:
1. Quinton Jackson
2. Dan Henderson
3. Maurcio ‘Shogun’ Rua
4. Chuck Liddell
5. Keith Jardine
6. Forrest Griffin
7. Lyoto Machida
8. Wanderlei Silva
9. Tito Ortiz
10. Thiago Silva
Middleweight:
1. Anderson Silva
2. Dan Henderson
3. Rich Franklin
4. Nathan Marquardt
5. Yushin Okami
6. Travis Lutter
7. Patrick Cote
8. Jason MacDonald
9. Chris Leben
10. Nathan Quarry
Welterweight:
1. Georges St. Pierre
2. Matt Serra
3. Jon Fitch
4. Matt Hughes
5. Josh Koscheck
6. Karo Parisyan
7. Diego Sanchez
8. Marcus Davis
9. Mike Swick
10. Josh Burkman
Lightweight:
1. BJ Penn
2. Sean Sherk
3. Joe Stevenson
4. Kenny Florian
5. Roger Huerta
6. Frankie Edgar
7. Tyson Griffin
8. Din Thomas
9. Spencer Fisher
10. Clay Guida
We're Back!
That's right. After nearly a 7 month hiatus The Sports Brief is back. Tristan Besse, myself (Rich Keefe), and possibly Brian Sharkey (still haven't heard from him) are going to pick up this blog thing where we left off. Even without the Shark 2 out of 3 ain't bad. I mean look at the Celtics last night without KG and Ray Ray. One of the new features to The Sports Brief will be UFC Rankings for each weight class by Tristan and me.
We will still discuss the world of sports specifically college and pro football, college and pro hoops, baseball, Olympics (I mean why not), and mixed martial arts (mma). So enjoy the resurgence and be sure to tell your friends.
Thanks for giving The Sports Brief another chance.
We will still discuss the world of sports specifically college and pro football, college and pro hoops, baseball, Olympics (I mean why not), and mixed martial arts (mma). So enjoy the resurgence and be sure to tell your friends.
Thanks for giving The Sports Brief another chance.
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
What happened in Vegas?
-Rich Keefe
Just a few days ago the Celtics finished up their 5 game Las Vegas Summer League where they finished with a dazzeling 3-2 mark. Of course its not about wins and losses rather how these guys play. Who will help and who will hurt their chances of making the roster. As the five games unfolded Celts fans saw the good and the bad. I'll break down the performances of the players who have a realistic chance of wearing green this season. So no Eric Hicks or big Greek guy grades here.
(in alphabetacal order)
Glen Davis: A
Davis, who the Celtics picked in the 2nd round as part of the Ray Allen for Jeff Green, Wally, and Delonte deal played the best of any Boston player in the 5 games. He finished second in points (12), first in rebounds (9.8), first in blocks (1.8), and even first in assists (1.8). Pretty good debut for Big Baby. Not good enough to earn a spot on the Summer League All-Star team, but no Celtic was so honored. In a league that is always dominated by guards and wings, Davis as well as Leon Powe were the lone bright spots for the squad. Looking forward to seeing what he can do behind Jefferson this season. More on how all these guys will factor in later on.
Gerald Green: F
Green showed great scoring promise at times last year. He won the slam dunk contest, and looked like he could become one of the next great stars of the league. He will be in his third year this season, and playing in the summer league... well he should have just dominated. Not only did he not dominate, but he was terrible. For someone who could have partied all night in Vegas and still dropped 25 the next day against potential D-leaguers, he was flop. Green averaged 11.4 points, which was good for 3rd on the team behind two low post scorers, who did most of their damage off offesive rebounds. And it wasn't just the lowing scoring that warrants his grade but his "shooting." How about 29.8% from the field and 15.4% from 3 sound? Not to mention his free throws were in the low 60s. And this guy was supposed to be the scoring spark off the bench? Hopefully Green's Summer League game will stay in Vegas.
Leon Powe: A-
His overall numbers were down because he played just 18 minutes in their final game against Dallas. But Leon certainly impressed fans with a 19-9 game against Portland and a 23-12 vs. China. He shot over 54% in the 5 games he started, and looks like he will be figting for time all season long on the C's frontline. He's a hustle player, but considering he was a 20-10 All-American at Cal, teams can't sleep on him either. He'll do whatever it takes to get on the floor. With Pierce, Allen, and Big Al handling most of the offense, Powe just needs to get rebounds, loose balls, and play D.
Gabe Pruitt: D+
Pruitt is another of the C's second round picks to play in the Summer League. I thought he would be the perfect fit to step in and take most of Delonte West's minutes as he is combo guard out of the same mold as West. Probably a natural shooting guard he had to play point at USC out of necessity. Therefore he should be comfortable at either spot. The first three games he did a bit of both, but didn't record one damn assist. Rondo sat out the last two games giving Pruitt more control of the offense. In the first game without Rajon, Gabe played well going 6-9 from the field for 14 points to go along with 3 rebs, 3 dimes, and 2 steals. But that was really his only signs of life in Vegas. I haven't given up on this guy, but he really needs to improve. The problem for him is Doc Rivers will be the one responsible for developing him. Goodluck Pruiit.
Allan Ray: D
27.8% from behind the arc isn't going to get it done for a 3 point specialist. With rumors surrounding that Ray may not make the team this year, he really struggled through the first three games. He came on a little in the final two, 14 and 15 points, but still a disappointing 5 game set as he could only muster 10 points a night. As I said before its usually scoring wings who really dominate the summer league, so guys like Green and Ray should have lit it up. They did not.
Rajon Rondo: Incomplete
How many starting point guards in the NBA play in the summer league? Probably not a good sign. 4 assists in 3 games... definitely not a good sign. I'm not going to panic because his assist totals will certainly improve with Pierce and Allen on the wings compared to Green and Ray. He got into double figures in scoring 2 of the 3 games he played. The Celtics coaches and staff obviously felt good about Rondo as he sat out the final two games. He's always had the defense just needs to work on his shot, which may have been the worst in all of basketball last season.
Brandon Wallace: ?
The only reason this rookie is on the list is because the C's, for some reason, decided to sign him up to a 2-year deal. I don't get it. If I average 4.2 points and 5 rebounds could I get a contract? Wallace never got into double digits in any statistical category... well besides minutes. And his 1 point 1 rebound performance in the team's final game against Dallas has to leave you wanting more. Hey Danny nice sign.
So those are the 7 guys who played in the summer league that have an opportunity to make this roster. How will these guys factor in with a roster that already consists of: Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Kendrick Perkins, Tony Allen, Theo Ratliff (and his contract), Sebastian Telfair (yes he's still on the team), and Brian Scalabrine (yes he's still on the team too). It'll be interesting to see how the summer leaguers blend with this group. Obviously Rondo will be a big part, but I feel that Powe and Davis deserve time in the rotation as well. What will Gerland Green bring to the table or will he be traded? The C's look like they're still one move away from being a serious threat in the East, but will they pull the trigger?
-Rich Keefe
Just a few days ago the Celtics finished up their 5 game Las Vegas Summer League where they finished with a dazzeling 3-2 mark. Of course its not about wins and losses rather how these guys play. Who will help and who will hurt their chances of making the roster. As the five games unfolded Celts fans saw the good and the bad. I'll break down the performances of the players who have a realistic chance of wearing green this season. So no Eric Hicks or big Greek guy grades here.
(in alphabetacal order)
Glen Davis: A
Davis, who the Celtics picked in the 2nd round as part of the Ray Allen for Jeff Green, Wally, and Delonte deal played the best of any Boston player in the 5 games. He finished second in points (12), first in rebounds (9.8), first in blocks (1.8), and even first in assists (1.8). Pretty good debut for Big Baby. Not good enough to earn a spot on the Summer League All-Star team, but no Celtic was so honored. In a league that is always dominated by guards and wings, Davis as well as Leon Powe were the lone bright spots for the squad. Looking forward to seeing what he can do behind Jefferson this season. More on how all these guys will factor in later on.
Gerald Green: F
Green showed great scoring promise at times last year. He won the slam dunk contest, and looked like he could become one of the next great stars of the league. He will be in his third year this season, and playing in the summer league... well he should have just dominated. Not only did he not dominate, but he was terrible. For someone who could have partied all night in Vegas and still dropped 25 the next day against potential D-leaguers, he was flop. Green averaged 11.4 points, which was good for 3rd on the team behind two low post scorers, who did most of their damage off offesive rebounds. And it wasn't just the lowing scoring that warrants his grade but his "shooting." How about 29.8% from the field and 15.4% from 3 sound? Not to mention his free throws were in the low 60s. And this guy was supposed to be the scoring spark off the bench? Hopefully Green's Summer League game will stay in Vegas.
Leon Powe: A-
His overall numbers were down because he played just 18 minutes in their final game against Dallas. But Leon certainly impressed fans with a 19-9 game against Portland and a 23-12 vs. China. He shot over 54% in the 5 games he started, and looks like he will be figting for time all season long on the C's frontline. He's a hustle player, but considering he was a 20-10 All-American at Cal, teams can't sleep on him either. He'll do whatever it takes to get on the floor. With Pierce, Allen, and Big Al handling most of the offense, Powe just needs to get rebounds, loose balls, and play D.
Gabe Pruitt: D+
Pruitt is another of the C's second round picks to play in the Summer League. I thought he would be the perfect fit to step in and take most of Delonte West's minutes as he is combo guard out of the same mold as West. Probably a natural shooting guard he had to play point at USC out of necessity. Therefore he should be comfortable at either spot. The first three games he did a bit of both, but didn't record one damn assist. Rondo sat out the last two games giving Pruitt more control of the offense. In the first game without Rajon, Gabe played well going 6-9 from the field for 14 points to go along with 3 rebs, 3 dimes, and 2 steals. But that was really his only signs of life in Vegas. I haven't given up on this guy, but he really needs to improve. The problem for him is Doc Rivers will be the one responsible for developing him. Goodluck Pruiit.
Allan Ray: D
27.8% from behind the arc isn't going to get it done for a 3 point specialist. With rumors surrounding that Ray may not make the team this year, he really struggled through the first three games. He came on a little in the final two, 14 and 15 points, but still a disappointing 5 game set as he could only muster 10 points a night. As I said before its usually scoring wings who really dominate the summer league, so guys like Green and Ray should have lit it up. They did not.
Rajon Rondo: Incomplete
How many starting point guards in the NBA play in the summer league? Probably not a good sign. 4 assists in 3 games... definitely not a good sign. I'm not going to panic because his assist totals will certainly improve with Pierce and Allen on the wings compared to Green and Ray. He got into double figures in scoring 2 of the 3 games he played. The Celtics coaches and staff obviously felt good about Rondo as he sat out the final two games. He's always had the defense just needs to work on his shot, which may have been the worst in all of basketball last season.
Brandon Wallace: ?
The only reason this rookie is on the list is because the C's, for some reason, decided to sign him up to a 2-year deal. I don't get it. If I average 4.2 points and 5 rebounds could I get a contract? Wallace never got into double digits in any statistical category... well besides minutes. And his 1 point 1 rebound performance in the team's final game against Dallas has to leave you wanting more. Hey Danny nice sign.
So those are the 7 guys who played in the summer league that have an opportunity to make this roster. How will these guys factor in with a roster that already consists of: Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Kendrick Perkins, Tony Allen, Theo Ratliff (and his contract), Sebastian Telfair (yes he's still on the team), and Brian Scalabrine (yes he's still on the team too). It'll be interesting to see how the summer leaguers blend with this group. Obviously Rondo will be a big part, but I feel that Powe and Davis deserve time in the rotation as well. What will Gerland Green bring to the table or will he be traded? The C's look like they're still one move away from being a serious threat in the East, but will they pull the trigger?
-Rich Keefe
Thursday, June 28, 2007
One Last Thing: Celts, Trades, and Draft
-Keefe
First of all, the draft is just hours away, so I apologize if I’m just too excited/ nervous for any of this to make sense. I want to take a look at papa shark’s incredible insight into the Celtics’ roster. What do they need to do to become a dominant presence in the league? His answer: Defense. And I don’t think you can argue that after watching (or hearing about, since no one watched) the Spurs dismantle the sorry Cleveland Cavs. What about the Suns? Well even though they allow over 102 points per night, they still have Shawn Marion and Raja Bell, two shut down defenders, plus their style of “8 seconds or less” sways their statistics both offensively and defensively.
The Celtics don’t have one lockdown defender. Rajon Rondo and Tony Allen are two guys who showed promise last season, but neither are quite there yet. As horrible as Gerald Green may have been at that end of the court, you would think a player of his athletic ability, should be able to learn D. Right? Well Doc Rivers is not known for developing young talent. Just ask Tracy McGrady when he was with Orlando. Besides Al Jefferson name one young player who improved under Rivers’ “tutelage.” Actually try naming a player who hasn’t regressed. Perk’s points and rebounds were both down from the previous season. Telfair had career lows in both points and assists. Some of the other youngsters stats may have improved, but the injuries of Pierce and Wally as well as the “let’s see what these guys can do, and if we lose that’s ok” minutes they received in their efforts to get Oden or Durant.
“To trade or not to trade?” I think the question is more simply, who to trade? One way or another this team needs to make a trade. Whether it’s the No. 5 pick, which Danny Ainge is claiming to keep at this point, or Jefferson, Green, even Pierce. If Boston keeps the 5th overall pick as well as Big Al, what does Pierce do? He probably demands a trade, and who could blame him. If you’re not going to go for the gusto, i.e. Garnett, Marion, or even Kirilenko, why make Pierce suffer through another season in which the Celtic fans will be on the Love, Beasley, Mayo bandwagon for next year’s draft. The only way I could see both Jefferson and Pierce on the same team next season is if a guy like AK-47, Marion (if he’ll play more than 1 season) or Ron Artest, all great defensive players, joins them. Just the 5th pick, whether its Corey Brewer, Jeff Green, or Yi Jianlian, is not going to propel them deep into the playoffs.
A perimeter defender like Artest, AK and Marion (at times, they can do a little of everything), even Brewer or Green (I like Green more than Brewer), are more important to the Celtics than a big man in the middle. Is it nice to have a dominant low post guy? Of course. But particularly in the East, it’s not essential by any means. The list of guys I just mentioned will have the task of guarding the likes of LeBron, Wade, Vince, Rip Hamilton, Arenas, Ben Gordon, Caron Butler, Richard Jefferson, Iguodala, Redd, Joe Johnson and others. Right now Jefferson and Perk (who certainly aren’t great defenders) have to put up with… let’s see… Zydrunas Ilgauskas won the East, Dwight Howard will be a force, but right now just dunks. Bosh is solid, but like Big Al, more of a 4 than a 5. Looking at the studs in the East, wouldn’t you rather have perimeter defenders than low post guys? If I have to watch someone like Mo Williams, Ty Lue, or Chucky Atkins have a career night in the TD Banknorth one more time I might lose it. So defense is a must. What else can they do?
Why not trade Pierce? I hate the thought, especially after watching this team lose a franchise record 18 straight games, with the Truth missing the majority of them. Boston had 11 players see court time last year who were born in 1982 or later. And if they keep this draft pick, there will be yet another. Pierce, 30 in October, doesn’t need to baby sit these guys. If they keep the 5th pick, and that’s a big IF right now, see what you can get for Pierce. Ben Gordon, Ty Thomas, the No. 9 pick? Maybe I’m overvaluing Pierce, but he’s one of the best players in the league, I’d argue that with anyone. Pierce is the difference for some playoff teams, like the Bulls, to become championship teams.
Clearly Ainge and the Celtics have a lot of decisions to make. If they stand pat and just make their two picks tonight (5 and 32), they will have failed, again. They need to do something. We’ve given them plenty of ideas. Garnett (if he will stay) for No. 5, Jefferson, Telfair, Ratliff. Marion (also if he will stay) for the No. 5 and Ratliff in the three teamer. AK-47 for Green, Allen, Wally, and a future pick. Ron Artest for a similar package. For the record I do not want Jermaine O’Neal, thanks. Or go the other way with it, and trade the captain. Do something. I can not wait for tonight. I’ll be back soon with all my reactions to the draft, with all the winners and losers. Let’s just hope the Celtics fall in that “winners” category. Goodluck tonight and I hope your team makes the right choices.
-Rich Keefe
First of all, the draft is just hours away, so I apologize if I’m just too excited/ nervous for any of this to make sense. I want to take a look at papa shark’s incredible insight into the Celtics’ roster. What do they need to do to become a dominant presence in the league? His answer: Defense. And I don’t think you can argue that after watching (or hearing about, since no one watched) the Spurs dismantle the sorry Cleveland Cavs. What about the Suns? Well even though they allow over 102 points per night, they still have Shawn Marion and Raja Bell, two shut down defenders, plus their style of “8 seconds or less” sways their statistics both offensively and defensively.
The Celtics don’t have one lockdown defender. Rajon Rondo and Tony Allen are two guys who showed promise last season, but neither are quite there yet. As horrible as Gerald Green may have been at that end of the court, you would think a player of his athletic ability, should be able to learn D. Right? Well Doc Rivers is not known for developing young talent. Just ask Tracy McGrady when he was with Orlando. Besides Al Jefferson name one young player who improved under Rivers’ “tutelage.” Actually try naming a player who hasn’t regressed. Perk’s points and rebounds were both down from the previous season. Telfair had career lows in both points and assists. Some of the other youngsters stats may have improved, but the injuries of Pierce and Wally as well as the “let’s see what these guys can do, and if we lose that’s ok” minutes they received in their efforts to get Oden or Durant.
“To trade or not to trade?” I think the question is more simply, who to trade? One way or another this team needs to make a trade. Whether it’s the No. 5 pick, which Danny Ainge is claiming to keep at this point, or Jefferson, Green, even Pierce. If Boston keeps the 5th overall pick as well as Big Al, what does Pierce do? He probably demands a trade, and who could blame him. If you’re not going to go for the gusto, i.e. Garnett, Marion, or even Kirilenko, why make Pierce suffer through another season in which the Celtic fans will be on the Love, Beasley, Mayo bandwagon for next year’s draft. The only way I could see both Jefferson and Pierce on the same team next season is if a guy like AK-47, Marion (if he’ll play more than 1 season) or Ron Artest, all great defensive players, joins them. Just the 5th pick, whether its Corey Brewer, Jeff Green, or Yi Jianlian, is not going to propel them deep into the playoffs.
A perimeter defender like Artest, AK and Marion (at times, they can do a little of everything), even Brewer or Green (I like Green more than Brewer), are more important to the Celtics than a big man in the middle. Is it nice to have a dominant low post guy? Of course. But particularly in the East, it’s not essential by any means. The list of guys I just mentioned will have the task of guarding the likes of LeBron, Wade, Vince, Rip Hamilton, Arenas, Ben Gordon, Caron Butler, Richard Jefferson, Iguodala, Redd, Joe Johnson and others. Right now Jefferson and Perk (who certainly aren’t great defenders) have to put up with… let’s see… Zydrunas Ilgauskas won the East, Dwight Howard will be a force, but right now just dunks. Bosh is solid, but like Big Al, more of a 4 than a 5. Looking at the studs in the East, wouldn’t you rather have perimeter defenders than low post guys? If I have to watch someone like Mo Williams, Ty Lue, or Chucky Atkins have a career night in the TD Banknorth one more time I might lose it. So defense is a must. What else can they do?
Why not trade Pierce? I hate the thought, especially after watching this team lose a franchise record 18 straight games, with the Truth missing the majority of them. Boston had 11 players see court time last year who were born in 1982 or later. And if they keep this draft pick, there will be yet another. Pierce, 30 in October, doesn’t need to baby sit these guys. If they keep the 5th pick, and that’s a big IF right now, see what you can get for Pierce. Ben Gordon, Ty Thomas, the No. 9 pick? Maybe I’m overvaluing Pierce, but he’s one of the best players in the league, I’d argue that with anyone. Pierce is the difference for some playoff teams, like the Bulls, to become championship teams.
Clearly Ainge and the Celtics have a lot of decisions to make. If they stand pat and just make their two picks tonight (5 and 32), they will have failed, again. They need to do something. We’ve given them plenty of ideas. Garnett (if he will stay) for No. 5, Jefferson, Telfair, Ratliff. Marion (also if he will stay) for the No. 5 and Ratliff in the three teamer. AK-47 for Green, Allen, Wally, and a future pick. Ron Artest for a similar package. For the record I do not want Jermaine O’Neal, thanks. Or go the other way with it, and trade the captain. Do something. I can not wait for tonight. I’ll be back soon with all my reactions to the draft, with all the winners and losers. Let’s just hope the Celtics fall in that “winners” category. Goodluck tonight and I hope your team makes the right choices.
-Rich Keefe
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