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CBW review: preseason gm 8, Celtics vs. New Jersey Nets
Preseason game 8: Celtics vs. New Jersey Nets, Friday, October 24, 2003
Ok, after the Celtics' last game, there were a host of questions to be
answered. Was it a fluke? Will Pierce REALLY pass the ball
consistently? Can the C's bench keep pace with the starters? Will Vin
Baker keep this up? Is Walker really gone?
After watching tonight's game, the answer is no, yes, yes, yes, and yes.
I know that some fans will discount this game, saying that the C's had too
easy a time with Jason Kidd deliberately held out--he didn't even dress for
the game--and Kenyon Martin having "injured" his thumb last night.
Every time I think Nets coach Byron Scott, that son of a malformed Muppet,
can't sink lower, he finds a way, grant him consistency if nothing
else. He gave up on his team, and this game, long before it started. He
had decided that it was beyond pointless. Hey, Byron--if you're not going
to "show up" for the game, then don't show up at all, and don't waste the
airfare, the fan's time, and the C's practice session, which would frankly
have produced a more competitive game had they played bench vs.
starters. We already know you're an embarrassment to the NBA, don't keep
trying to prove it.
Earlier today, Coach Jim O'Brien named Mike James and Vin Baker (did anyone
think it wasn't a universal certainty that Paul Pierce would also start?)
as part of his starting lineup for opening night next Wednesday, with Vin
getting formal recognition of his incredible turnaround in the time
following his suspension last February.
First Quarter:
Reflecting Obie's announcement this morning, the C's put in a starting
lineup of Vin Baker and Kedrick Brown at Forward, Mike James and Paul
Pierce at Guard, and Mark Blount at Center. New Jersey punished Jason
Collins and Richard Jefferson at Forward, Zoran Planinic and Kerry Kittles
at Guard and Alonzo Mourning at Center by making them play against Boston
without Jason Kidd or Kenyon Martin.
The game opened inauspiciously as the C's won the tip, then Baker lost the
ball when fouled him and generated a fast break for two points by
Kittles. This would prove to be a Jersey highlight of the first half.
The Good Guys recovered as Pierce lost his lone defender for an easy
two. On the defensive end, Blount was knocked down under the hoop while
trying to take a charge, and knocked the ball to Pierce from a nearly prone
position. The C's were off and running as Baker got a good look that
didn't go, but wait! Mark Blount flew down the lane, trailing the play,
and got the cleanup rebound! YAY!
Alonzo Mourning was almost useless, as he had zero lift. Without Kidd
zipping up and down the court, the Nets were mostly playing halfcourt on
offense. The C's really, really liked that. New Jersey was one and done,
if they even got a shot off.
Pierce once more used his new favorite play of drawing a nervous defense
toward him, and passing the ball, this time to Vin Baker, who elevated for
the one-handed slam. Baker was once more looking strong and athletic.
The C's were looking for the outlet pass early on, and there were a few
miscues. Boston needs to run some passing drills, as sometimes the pass
was mishandled, other times the wrong pass was made. But the fact that
they're looking for it at all is positive, and it often worked well.
One thing Tommy Heinsohn pointed out is that the C's have a tendency, after
a made basket or free throw, to have a specific person take the ball in
from out of bounds. He stated--and I agree--that the person nearest the
ball should not let it hit the floor, but take it out themselves, and push
the tempo immediately. Most of the C's can handle an inbound pass to start
the break. Waiting for a specific player just gives the opposition time to
get back on defense.
Throughout the first quarter, the scoring was spread out between all
players, as the box score at the end confirms. There wasn't one single
player being the total focus of the Celtic offense--which makes that player
a focus of the other team's defense. The Nets had to play everyone
straight up, which was the dawn of a new day for Pierce.
Boston was shooting beautifully through most of the first quarter, whilst
the Nets were having trouble doing anything with the ball. Except turn it
over. They had no trouble with that. Pierce dumped the ball to Kedrick
for a two handed jam. Blount tried to take ANOTHER charge, but got called
for the blocking foul. The refs are having a preseason too, and tonight
was not among their best nights. Not their worst, but nothing to write
home about.
Mike James was running rings around his alleged defender, hitting an easy
shot. Vin Baker took a charge from Mourning, but then made one of his few
mistakes when he travelled with the ball at the other end.
Pierce then came up with a steal on good defense, and Baker showed he can
hit an 18 foot jump shot, as the Good Guys ran up the score to 16-5 with
6:27 left in the first.
The Nets did harass the passers more than anyone with the Timberwolves did
the other night, and that exposed some of the C's slight carelessness with
the kind of passes they make. The passes need to be faster, and more
varied. Too often the passes are low enough for a defender to get a paw on
the ball as it goes by.
Over the last half of the quarter, the C's hit a small dry spell
offensively. There were shots taken in the flow of the game that just
didn't drop. Last season, this would have been a disaster. Tonight, the
C's simply kept up the defensive pressure so the Nets couldn't take
advantage. Baker in particular was evident on the defensive end.
With 4:22 left, Kedrick sat in favor of Eric Williams. Raef also came in,
and got a good look at a three that missed. Those of you who miss Rodney
Rogers will be heartened to hear that Rodney went 4-13 from the floor,
doing the majority of his damage from the line. Did I mention that the
Nets went to the free throw line 40 times to the Celtics 16? It's
revolting, I tell you, revolting!!!
A minute later, Waltah! and Marcus Banks came in. Marcus is starting to
get a better feel for how to do his job, and is at times faster than
James. Waltah! quickly his a deep two to show that his knee is in fact
getting slowly better. I have to say that given his noticeable improvement
in the last couple of games over the first few that the knee seems to have
been a significant problem for him.
The C's then forced the Nets into a bad shot clock shot. Their defense was
tight throughout the quarter. Raef got stuffed when he assumed that he'd
get an easy two. That'll wake him up! :>)
The refs seem to be calling things a lot tighter in preparation for the
regular season. The Celtics better be prepared to play in foul trouble
until things settle down.
Banks made a one-handed scoop pass to Battie for an easy two, which was as
elegant as it was effective. Then he recovered the ball after making a bad
pass to get the ball back and literally drive his defender around in circles.
The quarter ended with the Celtics leading by a score of 20-12, and the
Good Guys were on their way!
Second Quarter:
Things were definitely going Boston's way, as they shot 53% to the Nets'
25%, had an 8-2 edge in paint points, and only 6 turnovers to New Jersey's
11. And we have better fans, too.
Eric Williams got a good rebound, though he didn't convert. Not to worry,
though--Raef was there to take the miss and get the pumpkin out to Battie,
who made the shot. that was good patience and looking for the open man.
Waltah! made the same one-handed scoop pass to Eric that Banks had made in
the previous quarter. But Eric tried to do the same thing to Battie and
the Nets were waiting for it this time. But Banks took a charge to stop
the Nets offensive attempt on the other end. He then made a deep two
trailing the play after recovering.
The Nets' offensive woes continued as the C's went quickly into a double
digit lead, and Raef took and made a shot clock three off a broken
play. Eric Williams took a charge of his own and nearly stole the ball in
the process.
During a timeout they showed footage of the fundraiser for the Boston
Celtics Charitable Foundation held a few days ago (which raised $750,000),
and while it was a quick pan, I'd swear Bill Walton was growing a beard!
When play came back in, The C's were passing the ball crisply and getting
open looks. Because of the high-speed offense, they were getting lots of
looks. By the end of the game, the C's had taken 76 shots and hit 35 of them.
Their defense looked fast too, as Eric Williams zoomed down the lane to
strip the ball from an opponent lining up a slam. It worked so well, he
did it again moments later, and would have had an easy two but for Rodney
Rogers committing a deliberate foul.
Then Banks made such a smooth fast handoff to Baker on a break I had to go
frame by frame to figure out how Baker ended up with the Ball when it was
clearly Banks bringing it upcourt! Need I add that Vin made the shot?
With 6:03 left in the half, the C's had opened up a 36-19 lead.
Boston was leaping and contesting shots, and running on offense. Waltah!
had a beautiful look on the break that only an outstanding defensive play
kept from being an easy two.
Mark Blount was doing his thing on the defensive board, and Baker made two
successive blocks on the same play to hinder the Nets' offense
further. Not that they needed help there. New Jersey was now 6-25, whilst
the Good Guys were 16-30.
Pierce then "ran up his charge card" to help the defensive cause.
The Bat-Man made a nice upfake to get the basket and the foul. This is
something the C's rarely did last season, and I like to see the good habits
being established.
This pattern continued through the end of the half, which ended with the
Good Guys ahead 48-26.
HALFTIME:
Oh, where to begin? Leading 48-26, shooting 51% to New Jersey's 25%,
outrebounding the Nets 21-15, holding a 13-4 lead in assists, having a 16-4
edge in paint points, only committing 9 turnovers--which the Nets were only
able to convert to 9 points--while the Nets had 17, which the Good Guys
turned into 23 points. No matter where you begin, it looks great. This is
almost identical to where the C's were with the Timberwolves the other
night, with the same challenge facing them: hold the lead and keep playing
the way that got them here.
But things would get much tougher as the game progressed...
Third Quarter:
As things opened in the second half, Boston was still frustrating the New
Jersey offense, but Baker was being watched more closely now, and getting
called on fouls.
But with 11:04 left, something happened that would completely change the
game and give the C's their biggest challenge in the preseason. Pierce was
coming around to double against the ballhandler, when he came down badly on
his foot--it looked like his foot rolled off Banks'--and hurt his
ankle. He had trouble getting up, and was limping when he did. He tried
to walk it off, but went to the bench with a timeout. Thank goodness, his
ankles were taped. When time came back in, Pierce was in, too.
At first, the C's kept right on running, with Kedrick Brown getting an easy
two off the break. Boston also kept up the defensive pressure, and I
thought that this might be an easy game yet. Boston was up 52-27 at this
point. All they really had to do was bear down on defense and let the
offense come in the flow of the game as they ran.
Vin Baker took a gorgeous pass from James for yet another easy
basket. James tried a similar pass to Raef, but the pass went
awry. Pierce went back to the bench at this point, where he would remain
for the remainder of the game, a bag of ice tied to his foot.
Vin got called for a foul and sat in favor of Blount. I should point out
that these weren't the kind of fouls he picked up last season, pushing
because he missed his defensive assignment. They were just fouls, and he
got called for aggressive play. It's going to happen, and overall, Vin has
been playing very smart. It's just going to take a bit to figure out what
the refs will--or won't-- call this season.
But as the middle of the third quarter approached, the C's began to slow
down a bit. New Jersey began spending an inordinate amount of time at the
free throw line. This was a very bad combination of events for
Boston. The Nets began extending defensive pressure and the C's started
playing more of a halfcourt game. the discombobulation became evident as
the C's took the ball away from the Nets on a break, ran a break of their
own, only to see Kedrick blow the monster dunk, as the ball caromed off the
backboard just horizontal to the rim. Raef couldn't corral the errant ball
and the Nets would have had two of their own but for the C's defense.
Because they weren't moving as fast, the baskets became harder to make, and
the Nets had a chance to get back into the game. Remember, a couple of
minutes into the third quarter, the Nets had scored only 27 points. By the
end of the third, they had scored 47 points overall. Boston would only put
up 17 points in the third quarter. Byron Scott was smiling. The score was
now 65-47, and Boston's large lead was becoming a distant memory.
Fourth Quarter:
The Celtics continued to slow down. I have no reason to justify or excuse
it. They were playing their second game in three days, both at
home. Everyone was rested. They were probably bothered with Pierce having
to take the bench, but better that than risk a more devastating injury. It
was a preseason game. Everything favored the C's taking this as a chance
to show their ability to maintain the lead under adversity when there was
nothing on the line but pride.
But the Nets smelled a win in the offing with all the really good players
for both teams on the bench. No Pierce. No Walker. No running. The Nets
had a chance, and they threw themselves into taking it.
The C's were simply not clicking like they had been through the first
half. Nothing worked, though they brought most of their problems on
themselves by no longer running on offense. Obie tried several
combinations to try to jump start the running, but nothing worked.
In a way--an odd way, I admit--this was good for the Celtics, if wrenching
for us fans. The C's needed to know if they could face down a serious
challenge by a team they had down early on. Could they win close games
when things weren't going right? We were all about to find out.
Vin Baker got called foul--his fifth, on a clean block--by the ref who did
NOT have a clear view of the play. The ref who DID had no problem, but
didn't overrule.
On one the few nice offensive plays from Boston early on in the final
quarter, Eric Williams made a kind of windmill shot that somehow ended up
in the hoop. Kind of the reverse motion of Pete Townshend on the
guitar. (as all the Backstreet Boys fans say, "Pete Who?", and we say, "Yes.")
But the joy was short-lived as Vin Baker proceeded to foul out with 6:37
left--necessarily, to prevent an easy hoop. He got a standing ovation from
several fans. It's a testament to his renewed ability that I was nervous
about not having him available.
The Nets continued their offensive assault with official help, and
practiced their free throws. This would become relevant to Boston later in
the game, but with 5:44 left, the lead had shortened considerably, to 73-63.
Following a timeout, the Nets used free throws to make it a single-digit
spread. Boston continued to slow the ball down on offense, apparently
hoping there wouldn't be enough time for the Nets to come all the way
back. Bad idea. The Nets were the ones running now. For a moment I was
encouraged as Banks made a steal and a fast hoop for two, but the offensive
movement stagnated once more after that.
New Jersey also extended it's pressure on the C's, trying to force a
turnover. I was starting to have nightmares of last season, as with 3:00
left, the score was now 77-70.
To add to my deepening gloom, Marcus Banks was called for a technical
foul--for no apparent reason--as the camera panned to show a dejected Paul
Pierce on the bench, a large bandage and ice pack obscuring his right foot.
After a timeout, the Nets made the "T" throw to make it a 6 point
game. They proceeded to add another basket, and now the score was 77-73 as
the C's halfcourt offense got them zip. New Jersey had the ball with less
than two minutes left, but the C's took down the miss and snuck the ball to
Eric Williams for two.
Sad to say, moments later, the Nets got it back. 79-75 with 1:10
left. Tony Battie added a hoop to make it 81-79 with 1:05 left as Byron
Scott called time.
Moments after the timeout ended, New jersey got much too easy a hoop as the
C's defense fell apart on the play. It was now 81-77 with 50 seconds
left. A Celtic miss gave the ball back to the Nets with 25.3 seconds left
as they added another two points. Kedrick Brown was instantly fouled, with
the score now 81-79 with 24.3 seconds left. Kedrick went to the line to
shoot two. He made them both smoothly. Timeout was called with 24.3
seconds left, and the score now 83-79.
After the timeout, the Nets had the ball once more and this time the C's
defense made them waste time, and forced a turnover with 14.6 seconds
left. Mike James was quickly sent to the line to shoot two. His first
shot was no good, bouncing high off the back of the rim. The second went
through the hoop cleanly. New Jersey called another timeout with 14.6
seconds left and the score now 84-79.
Time came back in, and the Nets got the ball inbound fairly easily, and hit
a quick three to make it 84-82. They fouled Mike James once again, and he
stepped to the line for two. This time, his free throws went cleanly
through the net. With the score now 86-82 and the final 10 seconds ticking
down, the Nets had no more timeouts, running the length of the court. This
time, the Celtics defense held them off, and the Good Guys pulled it out at
the last, winning their final preseason game 86-82, and making their
preseason record a 4-4 tie.
Cookies and Crumbs:
Cookies go to:
The Celtics of the first half for their running game and solid defensive
effort across the board.
Mike James and Kedrick Brown for making crucial free throws.
Crumbs go to:
The Celtics of the SECOND half for NOT running like they did in the first half.
Byron Scott, for refusing to play the game like he wanted to win--until
Pierce got hurt.
While it was good to know that the C's could pull it together without
Pierce, they should have done it with much less difficulty. They need to
work on their passing and, apparently, Obie needs to have another
extra-long practice to emphasize running in the second half. I saw some
good things, and some stuff that needs work. The percentage of good shots
is way up. I'd like to see the C's convert even more of them.
They play for real next Wednesday at 7pm, against the Miami Heat. It's
going to be an interesting season, no doubt about it.
And that's the view from the doghouse.
Snoopy the Celtics Beagle
Please visit the <http://www.celticsbeagle.net/>Celtics Beagle Website