Boston Celtics Kevin Garnett Has Numbers Telling A Great Story
[picappgallerysingle id="9343667"]Kevin Garnett last season was not himself. To say this is well documented would be a true understatement. Kevin was just not an inside presence at either end of the floor until the playoffs. Defensively KG was a monster, but on offense and in the rebounding department, the man was lacking. The first few games of this season are a very encouraging sign that KG is ready to assume his old role as a very dominant and highly skilled NBA big man.
KG by the numbers shows a very different KG thus far. This KG is making a living in the paint. The post is the key to KG making this offense more dynamic. Last season his rebounding numbers were the worst that they have ever been at a putrid 7 rebounds a game. This season KG is averaging almost 12 rebounds a game. Five more rebounds a game playing alongside a rebounder like Shaq and a rebound thief in Rajon Rondo is tremendous. His scoring numbers are almost identical with a 14.3 average, but KG is scoring more in the paint. No more is KG just a jump shooter. He is crashing the paint and hitting the post at times. His passing out of the post is clearly evident because his assist total is up from 1.3 to 4.2 per game. KG’s numbers were awful in the assist department because he was not where he is one of the games great passers.
Defensively he is still a beast. The man made Chris Bosh vanish in game one. In game three Amare Stoudemire was scoring his usual 27 points, but he worked for them. He only shot 8 of 17. If the refs did not ball wash him to the line for 9 made free throws, his numbers would not have looked as impressive. Despite J.J. Hickson would look great early, KG shut down Antawn Jamison in game two.
KG was looking to let the NBA know he was back. Thus far he has. The numbers are looking good very early and show the man is playing well in the post. They tell the tale of much improved and healthier KG over last season. This is a great story for Boston. A healthy KG in the box is a big key to an NBA title. Remember Go Green Or Go Home!!!!!!!!
Boston Celtics Rajon Rondo Will Be In MVP Talk
[picappgallerysingle id="9142459"]Rajon Rondo made it clear with his statements that he feels that he is the best point guard in the NBA. His play echoes those statements loud and clear. The man is filling the stat sheets faster than McDonald’s sells sandwiches at lunch time. Through three games Rondo’s stat sheet is ridiculous with him averaging 10.7 points, 16.9 assists, 6.3 rebounds, and 2 steals a game. The man has a triple double already to go along with two monster assist games (24 and 17), and an 18 point game where he showed off a new jump shot. There is zero reason to believe that these numbers will not keep up. The assists will continue to pile up. If he leads the league in assists no one should be shocked. The field has gotten weaker. Guys like Nash and Deron Williams are missing their favorite targets in Amare and Boozer. Chris Paul has a weak team around him. This is a year for Rondo to take the crown. The man led the league in steals last season. He was also all defensive first team. Rebounding has also been a trait of this rugged point guard. If anything his scoring average is going to be on the rise big time. The bottom line is stats will not be an issue.
However, numbers alone will not win an MVP award. Winning ultimately will decide the MVP award. The Boston Celtics are built to win. Not just in the regular season, but the win over Miami shows that the playoffs will once again be influenced by Boston. Rondo is a huge reason for this. The man has been the engine that runs the Celtics offense. The Boston Celtics have a record of 2-1 with wins over rival Miami and New York. In the opening night win over Miami his 17 assists, great defense, and smooth handling of the offense, are what won Boston the first epic showdown. The win over New York was a nail biter that Boston won on the strength of Rondo having 24 assists and a triple double. There lone loss in the trap game was a night that Rondo was one of the only players showing up. In that game Rondo showed a new jump shot with 18 points and still set up 9 despite being the lone Boston scorer for much of the game. The team wins and loses based on the performance of their best player. The Celtics best player is Rajon Rondo.
The season is very young. Rajon Rondo made some bold claims. He is backing them up. At the end of the season the MVP award will be handed to the young point guard if he continues his play. Rondo said he was the best. This means he will continue to play like it. Get your MVP chants ready for Rondo. You will be chanting them loudly in Boston very shortly.
Boston Celtics Danny Ainge Is To Blame For West And Wafer Feud
[picappgallerysingle id="8749760"] A lot of people are looking to pass blame in this new feud between Delonte West and Von Wafer. The fact the two of these men have come to blows now twice in as many weeks speaks volumes of the issues these men have with each other. Some look to blame Delonte West for being too physical and chippy with his teammates. Some look to blame Wafer for being a baby about West pushing him to be better. Wafer for obviously leaking information about West to the media instead of keeping the issues in house takes for some heat for that as well. However, both camps are dead wrong. The man to blame is Danny Ainge.
Now I believe Ainge is trying to do what is best for the franchise. At the time of the Wafer signing, West was not in the picture. No one thought he would be willing to come to Boston to take less money to be a Celtic. The team was thin at the wing and needed help. Wafer was a decent gamble. The issues began for Danny as soon as he brought Delonte into the fold.
Neither man wants to take a back seat for playing time. The competitive fire and pride of these men alone make this situation combustible. The opening of camp with Doc and Danny announcing that camp would be a dog fight for everything set the tone for this to not work. Delonte would come in a house of fire that was hell bent on earning not only a spot, but carving a significant role. After he out played Wafer and did this, of course Wafer was going to cause issues. If you as desperate for a job like Wafer, why not play on Delonte’s emotions? Danny did not say that were rules in this competition.
Ainge could have avoided all this by cutting Wafer and going with Stephane Lasme. He would have been thin at the wing for ten games, but could have avoided this ugly mess. Besides is Wafer not going to cause issues with very limited time? So far with playing time in front of him Wafer is causing issues.
The major issue is the roles are not clearly defined. If everyone was open and honest like telling Wafer he was going to play some minutes and could earn a role if he played well during West’s absence then maybe this could have worked. However, no one said anything to anyone. West has zero idea if the job he clearly won is his. Wafer has no idea if the bench is screaming his name upon West’s return.
Competition is great. However, it is a double edged sword. Ainge must get a hold of this situation before the team cuts itself. My money is Wafer will not be in Boston by seasons’ end.
Boston Celtics Rajon Rondo Looks For Redemption Against Knicks
[picappgallerysingle id="10072312"]The Boston Celtics offense struggled against Cleveland. They did look crisp by any stretch. The team struggled in transition looking lost at times. The team has an alarming 39 turnovers in two games. The man who takes the responsibility for this failure is Rajon Rondo.
Rondo is the man that engineers the Boston attack. If it succeeds, he gets the credit. If it struggles, he accepts the failures. Rondo knows this is part of being the point guard. Fair or not Rondo, no matter how great Rondo’s stats are he is judged by wins and losses. Right now the team is 1-1. The team lost a trap game against Cleveland after a big home win over Miami. They need to get on track tonight against New York. Rondo needs to get them on track.
The fourth quarter of the Cleveland game saw Rondo have a hard time getting into the paint. The results were awful. He stopped looking for his shot and the Celtics settled for jump shots. When he hit the paint he was so determined to get someone else involved he kicked it out or turned the ball over with too cute a pass. KG struggled with his jump shot down the stretch and Boston was sunk. This cannot happen. The bottom line is Rondo must make better decisions.
Against New York Rondo must abuse the Knicks defense. He must attack the paint and get his shot. If the attention is on Rondo, then this will lead to easier opportunities for his teammates. In the paint Shaq, KG, and Glen Davis will feast as Rondo drives. Teams can take Ray Allen and Paul Pierce out with good defense. Armed with a jump shot and speed to burn in the paint, Rondo is indefensible. If the attention turns to him, then Pierce and Allen can find better looks.
The Knicks defense is not as good as Cleveland’s defense. They will not be as charged on the road as the Cavs were at home. Raymond Felton is not capable of defending Rondo. This means the cure for the bad taste of game two is in house. My money is on Rondo to roll tonight.
Boston Celtics Glen Davis Making Run At Sixth Man Award
[picappgallerysingle id="9938597"]Glen Davis did a lot of talking this off season. He spoke of how he is light years better than last season. He spoke of wanting to know his role with the team. He spoke of goals for himself. One of Glen Davis goals before the season started was to win the sixth man award. Glen Davis thus far is backing up his words with very strong play. After only a couple of games a lot of things are clear for Glen Davis. One of those things is his goal of being the NBA’s sixth man of the year is very much a realistic goal.
Davis has his role clearly defined by Doc Rivers. He is the first man off the bench. He is to provide energy, offense, and rebounding in the paint. Davis has done all of that. Davis in the two games thus far is averaging about 13 points and 5 rebounds while providing great energy. Davis was right because he is light years better than even a year ago. He displays patients and confidence. His shot is tremendous. He also gets into the paint gracefully for a man built like a bull. His inside moves deserve to be marveled at because without them, Davis would not be effective due to his height deficiency.
Davis also is a smart defender and rebounder. He positions himself well to block off the driving lanes. He also draws the charge more often than not. His rebounding is great due to his tremendous instincts and desire. No one will out hustle Davis for a rebound.
The bottom line is it is only two games, but Davis is off to a tremendous start. If he continues this pace his numbers will be hard to ignore by voters for the sixth man award. He will also be doing it on a team contending for a title. This means Davis was right and deserves credit. Glen Davis is a force off the bench.
