warriors vs celtics preview (Photo: Greg M. Cooper / USA Today)
The Golden State Warriors face the Boston Celtics and so we decided to get a little Celtics 101 education with three questions for Boston bloggers, namely Matthew Zumbo of SqueezeTheOrange.com (aka “STO”) and Kevin Cronan, who writes for both SqueezeTheOrange as well a CelticsTalk.com. You might remember, we had a Q&A with them not too long ago in regards to a scouting report for Jordan Crawford, in addition to MarShon Brooks.
1. How are Celtics fans liking Brad Stevens so far?
Matthew Zumbo, SqueezeTheOrange.com:
I personally love Stevens. Records are what they are in seasons just after two Hall-Of-Famers get respectfully asked if they would go ahead and clear out their lockers. In an early piece I wrote for STO, I compared the buzz surrounding Stevens to that of the buzz that swirled prior to Rick Pitino‘s time — I’m using “time” here as in “doing time”.
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That buzz has faded. The honeymoon is winding down, ours backs are sore (tee hee). We’re nearing the end of our love fest. We’re catching a figurative flight early tomorrow and we’re starting to consider plans for our departure. We’re checking our boarding status and setting aside some dough to leave for the hotel maid, ’cause she’s gonna EARN it on cleaning up after us, but the real world is imminent, and it’s not so bad.
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At this point, we can start to see, in a rough outline kind of way, who Stevens is and how he’ll develop. As I said, I love him. I love his no-nonsense approach. He carries with him the same countenance whether up by 20 (small sample size this season) or down by 20 (much larger sample size this season).
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I loved Doc (Rivers) too, but i don’t miss him and most of what I don’t miss is a joy not to behold anymore. I don’t miss seeing the Celtic coach gesturing wildly at calls or being disingenuously amused by a referee’s joke, or pointing at some long lost “pal” in the stands with a gregarious smile and a shrug that says “Hey, I’m just doing what I can.”
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Stevens, in many ways, is the anti-thesis of this. As great as Doc was for an aging team of big egos and big stars, Stevens is equally great for a young team on a quest for identity. He’s prepared, he’s professional, and he is what this young team needs. He is without question a leader and for all the C’s ills this year, it never seems like the issues are stemming from preparation. Guys play hard, guys are invested. Check back with me in three seasons.
Kevin Cronan, CelticsTalk.com
While I can’t speak for everyone, I have a strong suspicion that most of the fan-base shares my feelings on Stevens, which are nothing short of near-obsessive levels of love and affection.
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I couldn’t imagine a better fit as coach for the Celtics at this point. He’s a young guy with a great track record at the collegiate level and who knows how to handle young players. Stevens has done an amazing job in Boston this season and has exceeded most people’s expectations.
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Above all else, he has a true passion for basketball and wants to win at all costs. His record does not do him justice, and his fellow coaches have nothing but respect for him, a not-so-easy accomplishment in this league. It’s probably been a little tougher than he envisioned initially, but Brad will have a winning season under his belt in no time. He has the potential to be one of the best coaches in the NBA, and soon.
2. How has Rondo been playing since he got back?
Zumbo:
Rondo has been great. The major hurdles for him have just been chemistry, consistency, and temperament. Rondo’s always gonna give you greatness even when weakened. His major tools have been altered only in terms of his speed/quickness. K-Cro (Cronan) called this in a collab we did upon, “The (new) Captain’s return.”
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Knee injury recoveries are as unpredictable as a cheerleader who can’t find her Adderall on prom night. We haven’t seen “Rondo” yet, but we’ve seen moments and those moments are inspiring memories that ease the impatience a bit.
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His return is actually about as good as you could have hoped for. The real pickle about the knee is the time he lost in camp with Sully (Jared Sullinger), who will be great with him, and Kelly (Olynyk), who will also be great with him.
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The timing is coming… I mean it’s no (Stephen) Curry/(David) Lee pick-and-roll, but it could be something. He’ll be back-back after a camp.
Cronan:
By all accounts, Rondo’s play has been better than anticipated. He’s still getting his legs back and has yet to play in back-to-back games, but he’s starting to get back into a flow.
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After being limited to around 20 minutes a game, he’s averaging over 35 in his last 10 games. His points per game and assists per game are right on par with his career averages, which is helping to dispel ideas that Rondo wouldn’t be as good when not surrounded by two or three Hall-of-Famers.
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The one noticeable difference in his game has been his much improved shooting. Aside from being much more aggressive — Rondo is taking a career-high 12.2 shots per game — he’s seeing a spike in his efficiency, most notably beyond the arc.
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Rondo is shooting over .364% from three this season, significantly better than his career .256%. He’s also increased his 3-point attempts from 0.7 to nearly 3 per game.
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Rondo had a lot of time to work on his shot while rehabbing, and the effects are starting to show. He’s been a little more hesitant when attacking the basket, but there’s always a bit of a mental block for players returning from serious injuries. Rondo may not reach 100% this season, but I’m excited to see what he’ll be like when he does.
3. Tank Mode: yay or nay?
Zumbo:
Tank-mode can suck a [expletive] [expletive]. I’m sorry — sincere apologies. Sometimes I get bent outta shape on this issue. Look, I just… I get frustrated even discussing it from a conceptual standpoint, let alone discussing this disgusting display concerning my boys in green.
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I’m not typically a “black and white” guy, but I feel a team must play every game to win, from beginning to end, forever and ever — end of philosophy.
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What does it get you anyway? Excitement on draft day? There are no guarantees. It’s like finding the idiot chess player who learned that he can cheat and win a moment here and there, but then wonders why he isn’t getting any better.
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Cosmically, it has been determined that you can’t stray from the purity of an endeavor and come away clean. You’ll always collect some detrimental karmic debris. The top pick does nothing. It’s a joke. It’s voodoo. It comes with no promise or conscience. There are no guarantees: Sam Bowie, Ralph Sampson, Pervis Ellison, Joe Smith, Michael Olowokandi, Kwame Brown, Greg Oden.
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You can have the first pick.
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I would rather have my current roster, a roster of hearty representatives of a long standing tradition, win 10 to 15 more games THIS season, than wait and hope and tank so that a ping pong ball nicknamed “never nervous” can come our way. So, I guess… uhhh, “Nay”.
Cronan:
Recently at the Sloan Conference, the Sacramento Kings owner accused Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck of tanking the season. Wyc took great offense to this and things apparently got heated.
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Grousbeck reportedly said that Stevens would “light himself on fire to win a basketball game” (I wouldn’t put it past him), so no, tanking is not in the cards for Boston.
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Now, it’s easy to look at the record and claim the C’s are tanking, but not so much if you watch the games. There’s a big difference between tanking and rebuilding, and the Celtics fall under the latter category.
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Yes, the Celtics have lost a lot of games and have the fourth worst record in the league, but unlike some other teams, Boston competes night in and night out. Very rarely does this team get blown out, and have had some very close games with some of the best teams in the league.
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The effort and will is there, but the talent just isn’t. Boston has a lot of young players they are trying to develop, and right now they care more about building a team for the future than trying for a meaningless 8-seed this year. Watch closely tonight, and you’ll see how competitive the Celtics can be.
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