Boston Celtics Nate Robinson Has New Image: Great Teammate?
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When Nate Robinson left New York, the mudslinging tactics were in full effect. Nate Robinson was too selfish a player. Nate Robinson was all about Nate Robinson. The most damning remarks were Nate Robinson was a cancer in the locker room. I find it amazing that wearing Green seems to cure Nate Robinson of his personal image problems.
What a difference a year makes. Nate Robinson is one of the key figures in the Celtics locker room. This is a guy that is either pulling a prank on a sleeping Shaq or breaking rookie Avery Bradley’s stones on twitter. Far from a cancer, it is Robinson that is playing pranks on teammates, getting the guys together, and all the other things that make a team closer. The man is best described right now as a human smile and laugh machine.
This proves a point I tried to make a long time ago. The point is winning cures everything. These men are ultra competitive. Nate Robinson had to be ultra competitive to even sniff the NBA let alone be a man that can contribute nightly. Imagine being in New York as a Knick. This should not be hard having lived through the Pitino years not that long ago. Every year the team is in a state of flux. The team has zero shot of winning period. The team fails to give you a sense of team direction. To get yourself going as a player, you start to drift towards personal goals instead of team goals. When a team is losing so much, everyone has the right way to fix the problems. Everyone’s mistakes are magnified and actions are taken out of context. The result of all these issues is that players get branded as malcontents. However, the reality is that they are frustrated losers. Nate Robinson was a frustrated loser in a situation that did not seem to have an end in sight.
However, all is right in Nate’s universe. He is on a title contender. He is happy and joking around with his talented teammates. Nate Robinson has a new description for himself: great teammate. The bottom line is winning cures everything.
Boston Celtics Delonte West Answers LeBron Rumors: Where There Is Smoke, There Is Fire
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Delonte West: “Not at all,’’ he said. “I come from an era where you don’t say nothing bad about someone’s parent, so not at all.’’
Courtesy Boston Globe writer Gary Washburn
Delonte West finally addressed the rumor that has rocked the NBA. The man was asked point blank if he had an intimate relationship with Gloria James (Mother of LeBron James). His answer was very telling. He began the answer with a not at all. This is where he should have stopped if nothing happened. West then added the I come from an era where we do not say anything bad about someone’s parents, so not at all. This hints at there is something bad to say. In other words he did. If he did not then why did he even say that in the first place? The simple no would have more than sufficed. Delonte has a history of dating older woman. Gloria James likes younger men. This and this comment brings a lot of smoke. Where there is smoke, there is fire. Delonte could have ended up LeBron’s step dad….. God is opening night going to be interesting even with West not playing.
Boston Celtics Glen Davis Confused About Role: Doc Rivers Will Help Him Out
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Glen Davis: ‘I don’t even know, I gotta find out what my role is,’ said Davis. ‘With Rasheed [Wallace] last year, I had to become a center. Now? I don’t know. Do I become a [power forward]? Do I go back to playing the 4? We’ll see. It’s difficult because, as a player, you kind of don’t understand where [the organization is] going or what they are doing. No matter what I do — I can play great — it’s still not enough. I’m just here to help the team wherever possible, any way I can. Whenever I find my role, I’ll do it to the max, the only way I can.’”
Doc Rivers: No, I’m not even worried about Glen Davis,” Rivers said. “I think he’s living up to [his nickname of 'Big Baby']. I didn’t even hear it, someone just told me. I’m not that concerned.” When asked if he could understand why Davis might feel uneasy given the addition of two former All-Stars to the frontcourt, Rivers said he shouldn’t and sent a friendly warning. ”Let me put it like this: If Baby doesn’t know his role by now, he’s going to be sitting down a lot,” said Rivers. “I’ll just leave it that simple.”
Maybe I am missing something here. A huge key of building a winning team is to put players in the best possible position to succeed. Davis is a nice energy player off the bench. His big wide frame makes him a load in the middle as a power forward. He is just big enough to cause issues for some NBA centers. However, he is not tall enough to man the center against good NBA teams. This was proven by the Lakers in the Finals. When Davis was out there against Gasol and Bynum, the team struggled for rebounds most of the time. To fix the problem of size last year the team beefed up the center position with two very good players.
The team needs a back up for Kevin Garnett. Looking at the roster, really the only man that can steal minutes at some point in the season from Davis at the power forward position is Jermaine O’Neal. This role is perfect for Davis. Davis can come in and provide energy and scoring. The fact Shaq will be lined up next to him will help Davis a lot. Shaq commanding a body or two in the middle will free Davis up to bang inside for easy rebounds. He should see some open looks as well. These two players have not confused the role Davis plays, but clearly defined his role.
I credit Doc Rivers with handling the young player the right way. He brushed off Davis and his temper tantrum and let him know he has a clear role with these two former all stars as teammates. Davis is not experienced. He has been in this league only three years. He has never been in a lot of these situations before. He is not used to being an established member of the team. Doc knows this. Doc knows Davis will be a big part of this team and its success. He also knows Davis needs to mature more as a player. Something tells me Doc will be having a talk with Davis. After that talk I doubt Davis will be an issue the rest of the season.
Boston Celtics Von Wafer Needs Great Camp To Keep Roster Spot
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Training camp begins today. The writing is on the wall for many players. The writing on the wall for Von Wafer is very clear. Danny Ainge has spelled it out for him with the many signings of the off season. Wafer’s wall reads something like this: You must compete. You must compete and prove that you are worth a roster spot. You must show that have the right attitude and are mentally and physically prepared. You must show that you are a team player that will score within the offense. You must show a willingness to defend. If any of those traits are not within you, you will not be a Boston Celtic after training camp.
In camp the team has a log jam at the guard spot and a small line at the small forward spot as well. The team has Delonte West, Nate Robinson, Marquis Daniels, Avery Bradley, Luke Harangody, and Tony Gaffney for three back up spots. Barring a complete collapse of faith in Marquis Daniels, Marquis is Pierce’s primary back up. Delonte West is probably going to make the team as a guy that can handle the ball and help set up plays for Nate Robinson to score. He is also an excellent defender. Luke Harangody was very impressive in Summer League and could earn a role. Tony Gafney is the team’s only true small forward other than Pierce and is a hustle defender that is quite capable of playing solid NBA defense. His means Wafer will have not only a dog fight to earn minutes, but a bad camp means he will be unemployed. There is also the Erden factor. Until the team gets Kendrick Perkins back, the team might keep Semih Erden. The reason being is if an injury occurs to Shaq or Jermaine, they will need some size on the bench for insurance. Glen Davis is nice, but playing center hurts his offense and makes him a liability against dominant big men like Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol. Bottom line is a veteran minimum deal is not going to guarantee Wafer anything.
Von Wafer is a very talented athletic guard. In 09 he showed he was a great defender and very versatile scorer for Houston. He helped make his team a playoff team after Tracy McGrady got hurt. If that Wafer shows up, he will not only make the team, but get minutes in the rotation. If the guy that showed up in Houston out of shape and failed a physical last year after a miserable stint overseas is the man trying to earn a spot, plan on Von Wafer not being in Boston long. This is Wafer’s last realistic shot to prove he belongs in the NBA after last season’s debacle. The competition will be there early on for Wafer and this means we will see early what kind of place his head is in. My money is on a motivated Wafer to be in his 09 form and help this team out at some point this year. The story will begin Monday in Camp. Good Luck Von, with this competition you will need it.
Boston Celtics Glen Davis Is Ready To Prove He Is Ready To Be Sixth Man
[picappgallerysingle id="9133596"]This off season should have been great for Glen Davis. After an abysmal start, Davis had a great finish to the season. Davis was an X Factor off the bench that helped propel Boston to a near NBA title. His hustle was fuel to the team’s spirits. He battled underneath the basket like a man double his size. He was an undersized wrecking ball with the mentality of a bull in a China shop. Last season was the same, but an injury before training camp cost him the ability to build on his great ending of a season.
The way Davis finished the season makes it very easy to forget that Davis began the year on the injury report with a broken thumb caused by a severe case of poor judgment. The image of him carrying Nate Robinson on his back after leading Boston to a Finals game win clouds the image of Davis struggling through the season with a taped up thumb. However, to come back from injury and put your game together at playoff time makes Davis deserving of the credit he is receiving.
Despite all this Davis is a haunted man. The playoff loss in the Finals still hurts to think about. At a dinner with Doc Rivers and Rajon Rondo this off season, Davis expressed his misery over that painful defeat. This is great news. This means Davis will be very motivated to build off of last season. This is why Davis has been working on his body and game like a mad man.
This is the second year Davis will be going into camp after a great playoff. This time he is healthy and can build off his efforts from the previous season. He is also itching to put the painful memories from the Finals behind him. This means Kevin Garnett has a quality back up. However, last season showed that Davis is ready to be more than a minutes eater. Glen Davis is ready to become an X factor off the bench. Davis has sweet inside moves and can bull his way to the hoop as well. He is a smart hustle defender as well. He also does everything with great energy. Boston will need his spirited play off the bench to compete in a tougher Eastern Conference. Glen Davis wants to be a force off the bench. He has all the talent to make a run at the sixth man award. If he does than Boston will be standing tall in June.
