It’s been a thrill going around the league and scouting all of the franchises in the NBA—from the bottom-feeders to the upstarts, the underachievers to the powerhouses, and each and every flavor of basketball in between.
After writing about 29 teams, I thought I’d save the best for last.
With the best record in basketball, it only took the Boston Celtics a little over a quarter to thoroughly annihilate the dysfunctional Bulls in a 116-93 bloodbath far uglier than the final score indicated.
Obviously, the Bulls aren’t on Boston’s level so Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen were bound to impress. The trio combined to shoot 15-32 from the floor, 16-17 at the line, with 49 points, 16 rebounds, and eight assists.
However, the game did provide a perfect backdrop to showcase the rest of the squad: the reasons why the Celtics are championship material.
Rajon Rondo
Rondo’s responsibilities included bringing the ball up, not making mistakes, placing his passes in positions where his teammates could score, and hitting whatever open shot he was presented with.
For the game, his numbers were certainly impressive (5-9 FG, 6-8 FT, 3 REB, 4 AST, 1 STL, 2 TO, 16 PTS), with three of his assists and zero turnovers coming in the first half.
Rondo rarely looked for his offense in the first half, because he didn’t need to. In fact, he only took a single shot attempt in the half. But when the Bulls left him alone for a 20-footer, the youngster calmly knocked it down.
Of the rest of his field goals, Rondo had two dunks in transition, scored another lay-up when defense failed to pick him up on a one-on-four break, and knocked down a tough runner late in the fourth.
Of his four misses, all came in the second half when the game was out of reach. Two were on jumpers leaving him only 1-3 from the outside, and two came on lay-ups (one blocked by Ben Gordon) leaving Rondo only 1-3 on contested shots in the paint.
Still, the fact that Rondo was willing to attack the hoop (he earned eight free throws and wasn’t shy about initiating contact) showed he’s fearless and that he won't back away from pressure situations.
On the other side of the court, Rondo locked Ben Gordon up on any isolation.
Twice Gordon attempted to break Rondo down and twice Rondo poked the dribble away and forced Gordon to go pick the ball back up. While neither play resulted in a turnover, Rondo threw off Gordon’s rhythm and disrupted his plan of attack.
Rondo also reached in and used his lightning quick hands to reach in on an Andres Nocioni drive and rip him of the ball.
Rondo is good enough defensively to lock up all but the strongest or quickest guards in the league.
Kendrick Perkins
K-Perk (4-7 FG, 6-6 FT, 11 REB, 3 BLK, 14 PTS) was an absolute beast right from the opening tip, letting the Bulls know that the backboards were off limits for the evening.
The majority of Perkins’ rebounds came in heavy traffic, and his defense under the basket intimidated all Bulls who ventured into the paint.
Perkins set man-sized screens, was astute finding holes in the defense whenever his teammates penetrated, and his own rumblings to the basket where akin to a rhinoceros attacking an unwary enemy.
Perkins is the enforcer who will stand up to Rasheed Wallace, Dwight Howard, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas come playoff time.
James Posey
His jump shooting (2-7 FG, 1-6 3 FG, 4-4 FT, 6 REB, 2 AST, 2 STL, 9 PTS) never made its way to the arena and Posey committed a couple of silly fouls on defense. Still, Posey hustled and bustled the entire game and always looked to play defense right in an opponent's chest.
Posey is again playing like the championship-winning asset he was in 2006, instead of the lazy, unconditioned distraction he was last season.
Eddie House
House (3-8 FG, 1-3 3FG, 1-1 FT, 5 REB, 5 AST, 3 TO, 1 BLK, 8 PTS) is a streaky three-point specialist whose hot streaks can carry Boston to victory, while his cold streaks can be offset by his teammates’ production.
He’s making quick passes under Doc Rivers, and he’ll attack sloppy dribbles as well. But House is not a backup point guard on a championship team.
Tony Allen
Allen (0-4 FG, 4 REB, 2 AST, 1 STL, 4 TO, 0 PTS) is a brick layer and a poor decision maker whose best assets are his above average defense and his ability to finish on the break. He’s too mistake-prone to be worthy of minutes in the playoffs.
Leon Powe
Powe (3-6 FG, 4-4 FT, 3 REB, 2 BLK, 10 PTS) ran the court for a first half dunk and played with tremendous enthusiasm and hustle on defense. If he is raw defensively, his hustle and energy more than compensate.
Glen Davis
Davis (2-2 FG, 1 AST, 1 BLK, 4 PTS) is surprisingly nimble for a man of his girth. He also plays with tremendous defensive energy, fronting his man, staying with him off the dribble, blocking his shots under the basket, and never giving up on plays.
The Celtics team as a whole played with an inspiring amount of energy and passion, blazing even brighter in comparison to a Bulls squad that packed it in late in the second quarter.
Every loose ball was chased after by the Celtics, every Bulls shot was met with a raised hand, and every rotation was flawless.
With the Celtics up by more than 20, midway through the fourth, there was Rondo diving headlong for a rebound. With the game winding down, Posey crashed headfirst into the press row, going after a loose ball.
Boston held Chicago to 43 first half points, 31.8 percent shooting for the game (a championship number), out-rebounded the Bulls 55-35 ( a championship number), blocked nine shots, recorded nine steals, took 43 free-throw attempts, and grabbed two offensive rebounds off of missed free throws.
Plus, the Celtics were completely, and totally unselfish. Late in the second quarter, Rondo brought the ball up the right sideline and made a nifty entry pass to a posted Garnett who made a terrific pass to a cutting Pierce along the baseline.
Even though Pierce had a very good shot at scoring over the rotating Chicago defense, he too made the extra pass, finding Ray Allen all alone on the left wing for an uncontested triple.
Credit Doc Rivers for getting his team to play completely unselfish basketball. Credit Rivers again for getting everyone on his ball club to play with a fevered passion, from his superstar trio to his bench warming backups.
Tom Thibodeau also deserves credit for coaching his squad to play exceptional defense.
Months ago, I wrote that Detroit was the class of the East while the Pistons were playing solid ball and the Celtics were an unknown commodity.
But at this point in the season, it is clear that the Celtics are not only the best team in the East, but are a legit championship contender as well.
And while Garnett, Pierce, and Allen certainly deserve credit for their explosive offensive firepower, the Celtics are excelling this year because of less sexy characteristics: the role players are performing their duties harmoniously, their team-wide commitment, and exceptional defense.
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6 months ago
You are onto something here. One of my theories has long been that most superstar players do not define their team's success...you know what you are going to get from a Baron Davis more nights than not, for example...on occasion he will throw up the 35 point, 12 assist night but far more often he drops in his customary 20 - 25 points...like clockwork almost. With Garnett, Allen and Pierce a typical game will see them light up 60 - 70 points, etc. But what takes Boston from the New Jersey model when they still had Jefferson, Carter and were saddled with Kidd to where they are today is the effectiveness of their second-line players.
And I am a huge Rondo fan. His statistics do a poor job of showing his value to the team. Boston is such a good passing team that his assists actually take a bit of a hit. His quickness and ability to break down his defender opens up the game for other players but too often his initial pass is then skipped on for an even better shot and his agate type gets no credit for a play that was made by his penetration. If the Celtics had hockey-style assists scoring I suspect Rondo would have one of the better assist averages in the game. It is certain his abilities free up a lot of energy for the three guys who will carry the Celtics in the playoffs.
Good piece, nice analysis.
6 months ago
Thanks!
You're right about Boston's offense taking away from Rondo's stats. I'm more impressed with Rondo the more I watch him play, because he's extremely coachable, he plays good defense, and he makes plays when his team needs them.
There was one sequence when ESPN ran a clip of Doc Rivers talking to Rondo on the sidelines. Rondo drove the ball to a defenders left and then crossed the defender over into a screen. Rivers pointed it out to Rondo enthusiastically and Rondo asked whether what he did was good or bad. Rivers said it was good and kept Rondo in the game (probably to work on it).
I wanted to put that piece in my article because it shows that A) Rivers is a terrific coach who engages with his players and points out specific tips and the reasons why they will succeed, B) Rondo is a coachable player who listens for advice, isn't afraid to ask questions, and works on specific parts of his game, and that C) Rondo is still a work in progress. His understanding of different tricks he can use to gain an advantage is still limited.
Rondo has his flaws and his weaknesses, (he still isn't reliable when left open, he's still a poor finisher, and he's not as strong as he needs to be to defend Chauncey Billups) but he's definitely a fun player to watch play. It's going to be such a fun matchup (if the teams meet in the Eastern Conference Finals) watching Rondo and Billups face each other with a trip to the Finals on the line.
6 months ago
Rondo has undoubtedly improved since last year. However, you must believe that he looked like he was heading down a road to being a bust last year, given his numbers. I mean, Mike Conley's numbers are better than Rondo's rookie numbers, and as you have so clearly stated, "He (Conley) isn't a bust yet, but he's going down that road."
"But at this point in the season, it is clear that the Celtics are not only the best team in the East, but are a legit championship contender as well.".... Obvious statement of the month.
6 months ago
Who cares about numbers when evaluating players? Look at exactly how a player performs on the court. Does Conley have a court presence? Is he smart? Is he tough? What talents does he have? What are his flaws? How many positive plays does he make? How many negative ones?
I give specifics and you give broad, blanket numbers which do little to qualify a player.
Rondo last year had the long wingspan, the quickness, and most importantly, the desire to defend. That already made him a valuable player. Conley doesn't seem to have that yet.
Rondo was quicker at penetrating last year, though his inability to finish plays was a drawback. Conley hasn't impressed me with his inability to get into the lane. He's still a step behind Rondo in his development.
Conley commits a lot of brainless fouls. Smart players don't hack rebounders in the backcourt, or charge through defenders in an attempt to set a screen.
Both Rondo last year and Conley this year can make plays in an open court. So can a number of talented point guards. Can Conley run a halfcourt offense? Rondo was a fine entry passer to Al Jefferson and he knew how to hit Paul Pierce in stride. Can Conley make complex passes? I haven't seen it yet.
When Conley gets smarter, when Conley starts making plays during big moments of games, when Conley wants to play defense, and when Conley starts playing like a Top 5 pick, I'll ammend my opinions of him and will note so.
He has the rest of this year and the offseason to improve, and I expect him to be a better player next year. But if he doesn't improve, he's nothing in the NBA but a third string point guard.
Also remember, Conley is a fourth pick in an NBA draft. He has expectations to carry a franchise. Rondo didn't.
Here is the list of Top 5 point guards taken in the last 5 NBA drafts:
Conley
Chris Paul
Deron Williams
Shaun Livingston
Devin Harris
Comparing Harris is a bit unfair cause he came into a ready-made team, but Livingston showed the potential to be a lockdown perimeter defender even in his rookie year before his horrific injuries. Paul and Williams are superstars and both looked like superstars during their rookie seasons.
After looking at those players' rookie seasons, which one of them doesn't look like a Top 5 pick?
But thanks for trying to take a snarky cheap shot at me. Keep bringing up numbers. I'm sure with your box score intellect, you'll try and convince me that Josh Smith is an elite defender too.
And after taking a look at an article on BR called "Calm Down Boston: Celtics Are Overrated," by Brandon Heshee, maybe my statement isn't as obvious as you think.
6 months ago
Boston is a great basketball team, but I would take Detroit in a seven game series. Experience over talent. The Piston's have been there and done that, aside from KG, the Celtics are a rather inexperienced team in the postseason.
from 6 months ago
If the Celtics were a young team, I'd be worried. But KG and Allen and Pierce aren't going to be overwhelmed by the more physical play, the attention to detail, and the importance of each possession in the playoffs. The Celtics (and Pistons) have played exemplary defense all year so they'll already be used to coming up with key stops.
For Detroit, they have a lot of talent and experience, but they don't really have a catalyst. Only if Rasheed dominates in the post, will the Pistons have that superstar who can't be single-teamed. Since that version of 'Sheed rarely shows up, I have to think the Celtics have the edge.
6 months ago
Conley's quickness shouldn't be challenged. He's shown that he can get to the rim and finish, it's probably one of the things he does best. In addition, he hasn't had the chance to run a half court offense, as the Grizzlies have no half court offense to speak of. He never had a problem getting the ball to Oden before they came into the NBA. As for brainless fouls, between the learning curve of the NBA and the frustration he must have playing for such a terrible team, it's understandable that he hack at people sometimes, however, he only averages 1.2 fouls a game. I am just trying to figure out if your opinions are because of a personal dislike of him as a player or a distorted view of skills and stats.
from 6 months ago
My opinions are based on the four or so games I've watched him play in, plus the game I've written about with him as the primary focus of the article, plus the secondhand information I've gathered about him from other analysts.
As a Gators fan, I got a tatste of Conely's exciting playmaking ability twice last year, but the college game is so radically different than the college game, that I couldn't care less about what a player does in college.
The fact that Memphis' offense is rudimentary driving and kicking places an emphasis on Conley getting repeated ball penetration into the lane. If he's so quick, why can't he turn the corner on screen/rolls against showing bigs? And when teams sag their wings in, why can't he locate the player who the defender is coming off of? And finishing (and shooting) is an issue with him.
He's a rookie, I understand that. He only has one year of experience, I understand that. Do Memphis' opponents care? He's playing like just another guy out there as the fourth pick in the draft. This after Chris Paul and Deron Williams were selected a few short years ago.
This isn't Andrew Bynum showing bits and flashes of brilliance mixed with a rookie's understanding of the NBA. This is a player who hasn't shown that he has those flashes of brilliance.
from 6 months ago
I understand your extremely valid point, that Conley was a 4th overall selection and is not on the level of Deron Williams and Chris Paul. It's an excellent point, however (and before I say this I just want to qualify myself and say that I am not a Mike Conley fan, I follow the Grizzlies closely but have no previous ties to Conley,) Conley may have been a victim of circumstance. The Grizzlies had a glaring weakness at the point guard position. They were in the middle of massive changes in the front office. This, coupled with the fact that they didn't have one of their first three options available (Oden, Durant, Horford) and the fact that Gasol was still on the team (why pick Yi), Conley was the safe, smart choice here. You are probably right in thinking that he didn't deserve to be the 4th overall selection, however you never said that. Thus my reaction, I don't think Conley will be a "bust". I don't know that the expectation in Memphis was that he would come in and be a star a la, Chris Paul or Deron Williams, but a quality starter in the NBA for a number of years. I think it was Memphis' thought that there were no more stars left on the board, so fill your most glaring weakness with the best player available at that position. Has/Will Conley have an underwhelming rookie season and seasons there after? For a 4th overall selection? Maybe. Will he turn into a quality starter for the Grizzlies? I think there is a good chance.
6 months ago
The thing that does save Conley's face is that there hasn't been any standout rookie point guard this year who Memphis should have picked. I don't think the pick itself is a bust, but I just haven't seen anything from Conley to suggest that he'll be a legit starter in this league. Again, if he adapts his game, I will note it.
And if Memphis had salary cap problems and wasn't convinced that there was a great point guard in the draft, why didn't they get creative and pick their best player available and then trade Gasol for a young point guard.
As it is, Memphis is just stockpiling raw athletes. They'll probably be a bad team for five years hoping for their kids to figure out how to play.
6 months ago
Like I said, the front office was so disoriented with Jerry West leaving and Chris Wallace coming in, that Conley was the "safe" pick. It will be interesting to see what the Grizz do if they have the opportunity to take Derrick Rose.
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