Game 2

[Berry, Mark S]

Did everyone lose interest already? Are Snoop-a-Loop, my cousin Vinny
and I the only ones watching?

 

Here's a quickie rundown based on what I could see - much of the first
half was wiped out due to storms in our area last night.

 

Rondo - Wow. I don't want to get ahead of myself, but I think he may be
the best point guard in the league right now (OK ... maybe I'm getting
ahead of myself just a little). Seriously though, he's great. He gets
anywhere he wants to go. He can go right or left and finish with either
hand. He knocks down foul shots, he passes, he defends. He's not a good
shooter, but seems to have a way of hitting big shots. Late in the game
and in OT last night, he was out there with Telfair, Allen, Ray and
Scalabrine and he just took over. There wasn't another scorer out there
and no one in a Toronto uniform could guard him, so he just took it upon
himself to keep the Celts in the game.

 

Telfair - He was much better last night. He still overdribbles and looks
for his own offense a little too much for my tastes. And he's terrible
defensively. Honestly, I think Rondo is the player Danny hoped Telfair
would be. I don't see how Rondo doesn't make Telfair very expendable at
some point.

 

Pierce - He was in midseason form.

 

Jefferson - Disappointing. After playing so well Tuesday, Al couldn't
get anything done offensively against a bad Raptors front line. He did
rebound well and defended well again, but he needs to be a scorer. In
his defense, the guards still don't do enough to get him involved.

 

Perk - He also struggled compared to Tuesday. Committed some dumb fouls.
That's the stuff that keeps his minutes down.

 

Gomes - He was better. Knocked down his jumpers and made all his usual
hustle plays.

 

Allen - I'm not seeing it with Tony yet. When the ball is swung to him,
his first move always is to dribble. He doesn't even thing shot, even
when he has an open look, and he never swings the ball without pounding
it a few times. It's early, but I'm disappointed so far.

 

Green - Very good early, struggled late and stood around a lot in
between. He has massive talent, but he has to learn to play within the
team. Doc has him pegged exactly right. He only seems to understand what
to do when he has the ball in his hands. Otherwise, he stands there at
the three point line.

 

Scalabrine - Hasn't missed a beat. Or a meal.

 

Ray - Struggled with his shot. He can play, though. Good guy to keep
around for the inevitable trade that ships out some combination of
Green, Allen, West, Wally, Telfair.

 

They're playing raggedly - 30 turnovers last night - and Doc is using a
lot of small lineups. The minutes at the guard spots are going to be
tough to sort out. Rondo has to play. You know they're going to play
Telfair - they traded a lottery pick for him and handed him the starting
job. Delonte is too good to sit. Doc loves Tony Allen. And we haven't
even talked about Pierce yet. 

 

Mark