Preview: Celtics at Cavaliers, May 1st
2010-05-01Here’s what I’m thinking about for this series:
-For the Celtics, the key is Rondo. It’s as simple as that. For the last couple of years, the Celtics have torched the Cavs’ defense when Rondo’s aggressive and getting layups out on the fast break.
-Remember that the Celtics haven’t lost a playoff series KG has played in for them. This is a confident team that won the whole thing in 2008. And they want this series.
-We’ll see how long MB goes with Shaq. I’d love to see Varejao get going in this game.
-Hopefully the elbow’s alright. We’ll find out today.
-Sorry I’ve been running around too much for a proper preview, but here’s an open thread. See you after the game.
lol @ Rich, I think I was typing it in response to RJ and I just didn’t click submit right away. So then you posted in the meantime and I posted after you.
I do read your posts.
but hopefully with adjustments, he is not getting 14 foul shots a game the rest of the series.
Rich, Rondo as at 52% halfway through the year and shot 73% the second half of the year. He also shot 83% in Chicago. He’s no Ray Allen, but he’s not a “bad” FT shooter anymore.
Verejao was definitely better. He had one or two putbacks that didn’t drop, but at least he was in position. Still not what we saw in the regular season, but it was somewhat promising.
Rondo’s shot over 85% from the line in the playoffs, he’s going Dwight Howard on us
Rondo, a career 60% (lower probably, not looking it up though) FT shooter went 12-14 from the line. It simply will not happen again. These things average out.
Still, by far and away the best player on the court for the celtics.
And I haven’t given any credit, cause his numbers still don’t look good, but I actually felt Varejao’s presence on the court tonight. He had an impact on the game, which is more than eh did against Chicago.
Tom clearly hates to read my posts.
Rondo was easily the best player on the court during the first half and even the start of the third. Hopefully having Parker on him early next game will prevent that. He was simply abusing the Cavs.
As for the officiating, I thought the Cavs got the benefit of the doubt on a lot of reach-ins, but I don’t think either side has a lot to complain about. Doc Rivers was even dismissive of officiating as a concern.
The offensive foul on shaq was bad. But there was a charge called on Rondo that was bad also. The officiating was even. Boston Fans are crybabies. So glad Cleveland fans don’t cry about refs – testament to the organization.
Yea…the offensive foul on Shaq was bad. The one on Rondo was bad. After that, what? I mean, if you complain about officiating thisgame, then you should probably give up on basketball in general, cause it only gets worse from here.
Right. There were a lot of Boston fouls early, but that was because they were fouling. Can’t think of any fouls early that were all that controversial. I assumed that was their gameplan.
How to know your team has arrived: If all of the people who aren’t fans of your team immediately start claiming that everything is a conspiracy and the whole world is out to help only your team. In this case, every Boston fan from here to the end of the Earth is crying about the refs. Imo, the game was pretty well-officated. You can NEVER go on the boxscore of who got fouls and who didn’t to determine how a game was ref’d. Shaq had two terrible fouls called on him early and Rondo had a terrible offensive foul called… Read more »
KG and Pierce both have been reduced to flopping. The big difference (besides our overall talent) between this year and ’08 is simple. Paul Pierce is going to be thoroughly destroyed by LeBron James and has absolutely no shot at playing him even for single game, let alone a whole series like he did in ’08 (probably the best stretch of games for Pierce in his career). Howeer, Rondo is about 5x better at this point, the only reason this series is going to be competitive from game to game. Give these celtics the Rondo from ’08, and look out… Read more »
KG is a little girl. Did anyone else see him flop on defense after Antawn stopped him?
Hickson was 5-7 from the field and wasn’t getting completely desroyed on the pick and roll. If he takes a single jumper a game and misses, I’m ok with it. The rest is more than Z is going to give us guys. Who here still sees Z take a jumper, and think it’s going in? I know longer have any confidence his little 15-17 footer is going in. Would rather have HIckson in there flying at the rim.
MB doesnt have to give the same minutes every game…I would rather have him give Z a solid 20 minutes in one game and none in 3 other games than have him get 4-6 minutes in every game…It’s impossible to get in a rhythm playing 5 minutes and getting 1 shot a game.
A few thoughts from the bench… 1) Shaq. Yes, it is true we score more and look flashier when we go small and fast. However, unless this is a lineup we plan on using in the next series, I have to suggest that it is wise to keep Shaq playing and working into a routine with the other starters. We got him for Orlando but that doesn’t mean we can get away with keeping him in mothballs until then. 2) Hickson is a good energy guy and I like his long term upside. However, he doesn’t have good hands, he… Read more »
Paul Pierce is utterly helpless against Lebron now. His best play was flopping on Lebron’s spin move in the post, which worked once in the first half, but not when he tried it again late in the game.
Shaq post-game interview with the TNT crew was HILARIOUS.
The only thing I love more than Mo’s dunk is the fact Paul Pierce was the one getting the facial. That quarter was really the first time Mo imposed his will on a postseason game — hopefully this will boost his confidence going forward. I wonder, though, if in Game 2 they’ll just go ahead and have AP guard Rondo from the opening tip.
Can’t blame Mike for giving Z some run in the first half of the first game of the series — gotta show him some respect. He just better not do it again, though.
No, I think MB did a good job in the second half, just thought it was a funny obnoxious comment from Barkley. But I am surprised MB doesn’t realize what seems to be pretty obvious — that Hickson can be very effective with Lebron on the floor and is not (at least not yet) a very effective player when Lebron is not on the floor. I realize Hickson did a decent job in the 2nd quarter tonight but I am not comfortable with that in general. If his game is developing, that is fantastic, but I would rather wait for… Read more »
Hey, give Mike Brown credit. He tried Ilgauskus, realized after 6 minutes it wouldn’t work ,and went to HIckson instead. From here on it I expect Hickson to get 17-20 minutes a game. Something we would not have seen from brown last year.
Barkley just said “best player the Celtics got is Mike Brown.”
FOr the next game, the fans should chant as loud as possible “PLAY RASHEED WALLACE!!!”
The Celts present one problem, and here is betting that Rondo won’t go like 12-13 from the line again this series. At least I hope not.
Cavs won that at 80/90%. This should be an easy series if/when they turn it up a notch.
One of the announcers (not sure if it was Miller) said that the 2 Cavs 3’s were by Mo and Moon at one point. Mo didn’t make a 3 that game…
Oh,and lol and Doc Rivers calling an iso and then pick and rollfor Paul Pierce latein the game with LeBron on him. Sorry, but you gotta go other places at the end of hte game.
Also, our bench came through tonight, and that was again w/o much Varejao. Hickson and West played pretty well, especially Hickson. Barkley is right when he says we should run, because when it gets to the bench, the difference in the two teams really shows up.
YeaH BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LET’S GO!!!!!!!
I agree RJ. That was something Brown tried, and I’m happy to note seemed liek he realized didn’t work. Hopefully next game, that is HIckson coming in and not Z. Hickson gives them problems. On the BOston side, KEEP PLAYING RASHEED WALLACE BABY. Just like a Z sighting was great news for Boston fans, everytime Wallace came in the game I was happy. Now, I’m not that upset with this win for one reason. Our worst quarter was the 1st, were we missed a crazy number of easy buckets. Lebron missed two bunnies, Varejao did too, and so did Shaq.… Read more »
This was not a lucky win. Cavs coasting and still wom fairly easy.
This was a very lucky win
Hickson should play the last 8 minutes of the first quarter, after Shaq picks up 3 fouls.
He also says during EVERY broadcast that Anthony Parker was the Cavs’ most important acquisition since last season.
Still though, Hickson is going to have to get this + more minutes for the rest of the playoffs. SImply can’t play Z anymore (cept maybe that fateful day against the Lakers…but let’s not get that far ahead).
Yea, Reggie said one of the great things about Hickson is his good hands. Yikes. That goes to show he watches next to no game tape before commentating games. Cause, I mean…wow.
that was also Reggie Miller…
I heard someone say Hickson has good hands…better hands, maybe, but thats to much too soon.
So glad Mo remembered that he’s good at basketball! First time I’ve ever seen him dunk.
Celtics commit a foul over the limit, with 2:37 left in the 3rd, Cavs down 3, and Reggie Miller thinks it is important that the Cavs get a chance to score without time running off the clock…
I would just settle for passing Jamison the ball once in a while on offense.
Yeah, change it up! Take a chance, put Bassy in there, give Powe some minutes get Gibson in there, anything that gets us some scoring!
Well, unless some small guard on the Cavs suddenly becomes a good defender, this is going to happen. Rondo can’t be stopped. Either they put LeBron on him, or suddenly hope Rondo starts sucking.
And still Jamison hasn’t seen ANY of the ball.
Why aren’t we playing small and speeding up the game like Charles barkely has been saying all year long?
The boxing out seems to disappear when Varejao enters the game. At least when Shaq is the game Boston was 1 and done.
STill, 2 of those 3 on shaq were terrible. The offensive foul yet again was bad, and his block on Rondo was bad. If that was a smaller guy who blocked, rondo would have ran into him, not fell, and no call. But because it’s shaq Rondo hits the brick wall and goes down, and it’s suddenly a foul.
Is anyone guarding Rondo or do we have a frozen figure to act like a defender…one of the worst halves ever…no defense…no boxing out….missing easy layups…looking like we are going through the motions…and we are doing this at home! thats the worst….if this was at Boston we’d be down by at least 20…Varajao still getting abused…and Shaq doing nothing but committing fouls…nice!
Wow. We are in trouble folks. One half to figure it out. Mo Williams completely passive. Jamison isn’t seeing any of the ball. Varejao invisible yet again. Not good.
Agree RJ. Not really sure what Mike Brown is doing with that rotation. Play Z instead of Hickson, and then play Hickson when LeBron is out. MORE OF THAT PLEASE!!!!
Hickson should not be playing while Lebron is on the bench
Words can’t express how saddened I am by the fact that Z played 6 minutes in the 1st quarter, and HIckson played 0.
He shot 19/32 for the last 4 games of the Miami series. Be afraid. Be very afraid of Ray Allen.
ray won’t make more than 2 threes.
Good god Reggie Miller is the worst.
For God’s sake don’t let Ray get hot.