Celtics @ Wizards Gamethread - Saturday, January 12th

[Chocolate City Jordanaire]

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Who can the celtics trade to make this team better? Ainge is better off trying to get Webber or GP.

Boston's got enough to win it all.

If you make a trade you need somebody tall that you can acquire cheaply, like Hilton Armstrong or Justin Williams. Armstrong's got offense and length and Williams is a nasty shotblocker.

If Boston has a need, that's all it could be.

Edit to add another thought: Maybe Scalabrine for someone like Stromile Swift?

[ParticleMan]

The Wiz are pretty good. Classic case of the Ewing effect, you've got some talented players who blossomed from under the shadow of Gilbert. If you can keep the ball movement when Agent Zero returns, you will be dangerous in the 'offs.

[darrendaye]

If theres one thing i told myself when we were without any losses when the season started it was "Expect Losses To Scrub Teams" Thats why i dont take any losses hard.

Every loss exposes weaknesses and faults that will be adressed so they wont appear in the playoffs. Not to mention this is the 1st year the team has been with eachother (Everyone seems to forget this).

Just take the losses as a good thing(Unless the win means home-court advantage). Its in the playoffs where you can be pissed at losses

My last critical post of the night. And, overall, I'm positive about the team.

But while I'm surely prepared to accept losses, even to inferior teams, it's "style" for me more than wins and losses. I don't mind the drive and kicks that result in offensive fouls due to mental errors because at least that represents a commitment to assertive offense and proper floor spacing and ball movement. But the more finesse tendancies of swinging the ball on the perimeter for open 3 point looks puts way too much onus, IMO, on someone or someones having a good shooting night. Sometimes you don't have a white-hot hand and the result is a stagnant offense which we have witnessed this season more than I'd personally like.

Pierce's free throw attempts per game are at the lowest level they've been in 4 seasons. With 2 other superstars to occupy the attention of the defense, you'd conclude he's be getting to the charity stripe MORE frequently as, conceivably, the defense should be in a more compromised state.

[Joebiscuit]

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No clue. But i guess with ainge anything could happen. Who knows? maybe he pulls off a steal of a trade.

This roster is pretty imbalanced salary wise. The big 3 makes big bucks and the rest of the roster not nearly as much. Our bench is decent but I am not sure trading them makes this team better.

Of course it's that time of the year where people start to make idiotic trade ideas that involve Veal, Pollard and a 2nd round pick for Wade.

[rambo_ortega]

that play in the 3rd wherein we had a 3 on 1 with pierce, ray and tony. tony giving up the ball was so bad because he had 2 all-stars running with him and he gave it up instead of making the right play.

[Duganov 34 5 20]

that play in the 3rd wherein we had a 3 on 1 with pierce, ray and tony. tony giving up the ball was so bad because he had 2 all-stars running with him and he gave it up instead of making the right play.

He gave it up because he's unselfish. "Ubuntu".
Wizards fans don't understand what UBUNTU means because they got one selfish jerk in Gilbert.

[bballcool34]

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He gave it up because he's unselfish. "Ubuntu".
Wizards fans don't understand what UBUNTU means because they got one selfish jerk in Gilbert.

Yeah, but he's a Celtics fan...

[GreenGrizz]

I think "ubuntu" has gone too far.

[theGreatRC]

Unbuntu! Get the win dammit, unbuntu!

The flurry of threads of "we need a trade" or "Our defense is bad" it going to come everywhere.

Also, Ray shot 3-13, he is still in that funk man.

[Jammer]

Ray is in a funk.

But, if I were coaching that game,
I never would have played Scal & Glen Davis 17 minutes 17 seconds.

They combined for 2 rebounds, 0 points, 2 fouls, 1 turnover, 1 steal.

Due to the athleticism involved, and getting the crap beat out on the offensive boards, I would have used Powe for rebounding and defense.

Davis was out of it.

And Scal, once he missed that first and only 3 point shot, was obviously useless as usual.

[celticfan42487]

Well House might not want to sit to a rookie, and the rookie might not grasp all the aspects of an NBA offense yet. Pruitt is a PG, and Doc was a PG. It's hard to get Doc's confidence in you behind that spot if you are young.

I think only Rondo, maybe West have been able to gain it as young guys. And I'm not sure if it's not just because of need.

You have to play these games out with what you have, you never know maybe one of your guys will suprise you and at least it gives everyone some reality bounces to keep it going and fight through some tribulations. People bond most when they accomplishes things. This will give the Celtics as a team something to work on to accomplish.

Worst comes to worst we can always grab the "proffesional third string PG" in Mike Wilks

[rsavaj]

Let's face it. Eddie House has been the problem. He can't run the team offensively.

That's pretty much why the Suns benched him in the playoffs even though they badly needed someone to backup Nash.

He can get hot and win a couple games for you though...

[P2]

I think we need to go out and sign Payton or Boykins to a 10-day contract, as Rondo is probably out for the next few games.

[reggielewis]

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That's pretty much why the Suns benched him in the playoffs even though they badly needed someone to backup Nash.

He can get hot and win a couple games for you though...

eddie is fine, he is being asked to do something that is not his niche. i hate to say this but he would play perfectly with a jamal crawford type player (with tonys defense) because he coul guard the one but essentially play the two. he is at his best coming off screens and finding the open spots, or running the fast break. if we had one more big guard who was a ball handler eddie would be much better imo. i am nit really a j-craw fan but he is the type of guard this team needs cming off the bench. yeah he is a chucker from time to time but i think alot of that is becaue isaih gives him the greenlight. he is a great ballhandler, can get to the hoop and take that mid to outside shot, but most importantly he is 6"5. if tony would just stop being a bonehead than he could probably serve the same purpose, but i just dont really see tony's handles being effective enough to penetrate and dish liike pg

[W. Unseld]

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He gave it up because he's unselfish. "Ubuntu".
Wizards fans don't understand what UBUNTU means because they got one selfish jerk in Gilbert.

Classy. Yeah, that Gilbert who donates $100.00 for every point he scores to a local school is a real jerk. Like the way he supports that kid who lost his parents in a house fire? What an a-hole. I'm sure the dozens of other charities he is involved in but doesn't advertise would agree that he's a selfish jerk.

[Bullzards1982]

gilbert is one of the classiest and nicest guys in the nba. how could anyone say anything different? f u if you do.

[SuperDeluxe]

Classy. Yeah, that Gilbert who donates $100.00 for every point he scores to a local school is a real jerk. Like the way he supports that kid who lost his parents in a house fire? What an a-hole. I'm sure the dozens of other charities he is involved in but doesn't advertise would agree that he's a selfish jerk.

Although the comment was anything but classy, I'm pretty sure he was referring to Arenas on the court.

[ParticleMan]

I think we need to go out and sign Payton or Boykins to a 10-day contract, as Rondo is probably out for the next few games.

LMAO do people even think before posting? i'm pretty damn sure neither of those vets would accept a 10-day contract.

i'm hoping Pruitt gets more run. i know he's very raw and not ready but he needs game experience. i'm really not that worried about losing a couple of more games, i don't realloy care abuot 72 wins or whatever. even home court against DET isn't a big deal, we've already won on each other's court, and we're both very good road teams. i don't think home court advantage would be a big deal in that series.

ot, but did anyone see the gift the refs gave detroit? they called a totally bogus goaltending just before the winning tip-in by charlotte. un friggin believable. nba refs truly suck sometimes.

[ParticleMan]

on the topic of gilbert, i really like the dude and his blog and he seems like a genuinely good person. but on the court he is a shoot-first PG, and i don't think that's a winning kind of player. i for one haven't been hugely surprised that the Wiz has looked a lot better since Gilbert went out. that team has a lot of talent, but with gilbert hogging the ball it hasn't had the chance to come to the fore.

[miller31time]

on the topic of gilbert, i really like the dude and his blog and he seems like a genuinely good person. but on the court he is a shoot-first PG, and i don't think that's a winning kind of player. i for one haven't been hugely surprised that the Wiz has looked a lot better since Gilbert went out. that team has a lot of talent, but with gilbert hogging the ball it hasn't had the chance to come to the fore.

2 points.

1. Gilbert isn't a point guard and the Wizards offensive system doesn't have specified positions. We have 2 guards, 2 forwards, and a center.

2. The Wizards, last season with a healthy Gilbert, were the 3rd most efficient offensive team in the league. We are 10th this season. The difference is that we are playing infinitely better on defense. The reasons for that are bringing in defensive specialist coach Randy Ayers, increased PT for our best defender (Haywood) and the emergence of Andray Blatche. We'll actually be an imported defensive team when Gil comes back, considering he's a better defender than AD.