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"It's a learning experience for me," said Davis, who drew the tough assignment with Kevin Garnett still sidelined with a strained right calf. "Especially if I want to be at the same level as the KGs and Carlos Boozers. You guys have seen me grow a lot, but now, it's time to hit a different level. That's what I'm experiencing right now.
"Carlos Boozer got the best of me today. At the same time, I want that. I want all that — being that guy. That's the way it is. I take it in stride. I try to get better each day. I know I have the potential to be a player in this league; A player like the Carlos Boozers or the Kevin Loves of this league."
ESPN Boston: Boozer bests Baby
You can see Baby's reaction to the elbow Boozer flung up at his face. Boozer had clearly accomplished his goal to get inside Baby's head.
Let's be clear here: Boozer's elbow being where it was was no accident. He's certainly not alone in doing it, either. You post up with the elbow flying out like that and tell me who will be anxious to get a body up on you before you set up?
The elbow is up early… so he's not swinging it at anyone, really. It's just there… for someone to run into if someone so chooses. Sometimes that's a foul… sometimes its not. Cheap? Maybe. But like I said before… it accomplishes a goal.
So Baby now has something else to learn from. Guys will do things like this to give themselves an edge on the court and in your head. How do you react? Like you did last night? Or do you use it to drive you, rather than distract you?
By the way… The Celtics were right in there with a good Bulls team without KG and on game 5 in 7 days. Not too worried about the loss last night. If I told you before the KG injury that we'd go 4-1 without him… I'm sure every one of you would have taken that in a heartbeat.
Related links: CSNNE: Davis shows he still has improvements to make |
On page 2: Rondo downplays a rivalry with Derrick Rose
“We like playing against each other, and we have a great respect for each other,” said Rondo, who finished with 13 points, five steals, five rebounds and eight assists in the 90-79 Bulls win. “I look forward to playing against him. He’s definitely a tough challenge. People could say we’re rivals, but we do two different things for our team.
“He’s more of a scoring point guard — that’s what he has to do for them to win — and I’m more of a playmaker,” he said. “He’s going to score the ball, and I’m going to try and set up my teammates. I don’t want to try and go back at him. Just try to keep him honest on the defensive end and make him play a little ‘D.’
Rondo's right… they do different things for their teams. Though last night one did a lot more for his team than the other.
There are so many good PG's out there, you can say Rondo's got a rivalry with all of them. But since Rose is in the East, it's natural to say these two are rivals. I'd love to see Rondo in one of those Bird vs. Dominique types of shootouts where one guy is just matching the other shot for shot. Unfortunately, it'll be a while before we really see that because Rondo probably won't go off like that while he's got this many guys around him who need the ball.
Related Links: CSNNE: Rose puts on clinic for Celtics |
The rest of the links:
CSNNE: Bulls prove too much for Celtics | ESPN Boston: C's endure the dud | WEEI: What to watch for on C's homestand | Fast Break: Bulls bury Celtics | Herald: Rose a thorn as C's go cold | An assist to Leo Papile | Globe: C's in foul mood as Bulls cruise | Doc says Davis' role as main shooter not open for debate
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