http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/22751 Recent articles about Al Horford en-us They could be very good in a couple of years. Wed, 23 Jul 2008 03:52:15 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294187 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294187 The Independent Florida Alligator brings us news that is, well, refreshing. Members of the '06/'07 Gators' championship team, Atlanta Hawk Al Horford and Denver Nugget Taurean Green, are back on campus this summer working towards their degrees. Fri, 20 Jun 2008 10:37:37 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/280376 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/280376 i used to have respect for mike bibby, despite him being on a few teams i didn't particularly like, and being a royal pain in the ncaa (for my teams, at least). i don't think he was successful in his efforts to "take heat" off his younger players. for what it's worth, the globe gave him some pretty positive press until he insulted the fans. bandwagon or not (and even i can admit that i see a ton of new fans now. what a change from the emptiness of the last few years.) they love the team. and insulting the fans is equivalent to spitting on someone's doorstep before you walk into their house. just plain rude. mike bibby made himself look like a chump, even with his post game commentary! calling everyone who booed you a bandwagon fan? more like painting yourself to be even more of a jerk. and people here liked him before - as was evident from the game at the beginning of march, if for no other reason than having eddie house as a brother in law. i respected him for being a bibby! he mentored rondo! and he calls it a strategic move so he can alleviate the pressure on his teammates? it's only strategy if it's worth something in the end. if you're looking rattled in the fourth, after 48 solid minutes of booing you've brought upon yourself, your strategy backfired. if your star player fouls out and isn't on his a-game, and you can't produce a good scenario for your teammates, your strategy backfired. consider me a jumper onto the bibby sucks bandwagon. it's exciting to live in a town that FINALLY cares about basketball again. i like football, i like baseball, but i'm one of those people who's legitimately upset when march madness is over, who finally re-embraced the nba a few years ago after losing the love thanks to george shinn in charlotte (and MAN i loved the hornets when i was a kid).i love basketball. i love this team. i love this roster, especially. i don't appreciate bibby's commentary, and i definitely don't appreciate his comments about perk. perk is a beast. it must be tough to be in atlanta, one of the most fickle towns for sports ever. but i have to say - you have to have fans in the first place to have fairweather fans. it takes the celtics going down there to pack that place. oh wait. TICKETS STILL AVAILABLE FOR GAME THREE! last night, in the garden, you couldn't hear the announcers over the bibby jeers. it's unlike anything i've experienced in the games this year. so loud, almost electric. i love the energy i get from it, i love how everyone around me is totally into it. the playoffs are amazing. and three cheers to kg for his defensive POY award - and bringing the team over to accept it with him.. i will admit the following: 1) i have a soft spot for al horford. why? the shimmy. 110% the shimmy in the final game of the ncaa tournament. hawks fans are missing out on massive merchandising possibilities. just imagine: the al horford jack in the box, you turn the crank, and mini horford pops out and shimmies. i should work for the nba. hook a lady up. 2) holy crap, acie law iv. i want you on my team in two years, provided that you're not injury riddled. acie stepped up his game majorly yesterday. i think out of the group i went with, i was the only one as impressed as i was. i think he's been overshadowed with horford on his team (and horford's pretty damn good for a rookie), but law's got a lot of potential. 3) rondo's better. 4) kg couldn't get that fadeaway jumper for the life of him last night. he finally got into the groove, but a little bit late. 5) i'm concerned about the lakers. 6) the dancers with the gino shirts are unnecessary. gino's getting played out. if we win a trophy, i hope gino gets retired, instead of beaten to death. cheers everyone! sam Thu, 24 Apr 2008 11:52:34 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/256426 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/256426 "I Love That Little Man" I shouted that in the first quarter when Rajon Rondo came up with a huge defensive rebound over Pachulia and Josh Smith, ripping the ball away, mid-air from the much larger Hawks. I shouted it again on the next play as KG found Rondo loitering unnoticed underneath the hoop for an easy dunk. I shouted it one more time, on the very next play, as Rondo intercepted an attempted pass from Acie Law, sprinted down the court and made a beautiful over-the-shoulder pass to a trailing Leon Powe for a huge dunk. I think I shouted it so many times and with so much conviction that I made my wife a little uncomfortable.... Wed, 23 Apr 2008 22:43:49 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/256001 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/256001 A list of the top 5 rookies and the top 5 most improved players of the 2007-08 season. Wed, 23 Apr 2008 08:39:27 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/255305 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/255305 Here are today's thoughts and a preview. You can visit the site for video of Perk's comments as well as KG's press conference. Since I am not in the Boston area, CSN broadcasts are blacked out here and I am at the mercy of ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV to watch the games. One thing I absolutely hate about their broadcasts is how they cut away from the game you are watching to give you "bonus" coverage of another game. If I wanted to watch that other game, I would tune into it. I want to watch the game being televised. I don't care how close the other game is, I want to watch the game I tuned in to. That has become one of my biggest pet peeves. When I tune into TNT to watch a Celtics game, I want to watch the whole Celtics game and not have 4 or 5 minutes of it taken away for another team that I don't even care about. What is it with players putting their feet in their mouth? First it was Stevenson calling LeBron overrated. Now, it is Bibby calling Celtics fans bandwagon jumpers and fair weather fans. Sure, there are some bandwagon fans because of how well the Celtics did, but I watched every game last season and the fans were cheering all the way through the 18 game losing streak. The Garden still had big crowds last season. The Celticss sold out every home game this season with an average of 18,624 fans per game. Last year, when they were 24-58 for the worst record in the Eastern Conference, the team averaged 16,843 per game, about 86 percent of capacity. so, that leaves only about 1781 fans that might be considered bandwagon fans. Not a bad average. I love Perk's response. He is always so honest and he sticks up for the fans. Now is when we find out how good Doc really is as a coach. In the playoffs, coaches have to make adjustments from game to game and then have to adjust to the other team's adjustments within the game. As the playoffs continue, coaching is going to become more important than in the regular season. Doc has never won a playoff series, but then again, he has never had a team like this (or an assistant like Tom Thibodeau). KG looks so nice for his press conference. Ginobili showed up for his press conference for 6th man looking like a slob. Just shows how classy KG is. But then again, Doc showed up in just a long sleeve Celtics tee shirt. I guess we can chalk that up to Celtics pride. Preview for Game 2: Key Matchups Rajon Rondo vs Mike Bibby This was a key matchup in game 1 and will be a key match up in game 2. Rondo clearly came out on top in the first game and out-played Bibby on both ends of the court in his very first playoff game. Bibby is a veteran, though and will come back determined to play better and Rondo will need to elevate his game as well. Kendrick Perkins vs Al Horford Al Horford had a very strong game and is one of the reasons that the Hawks were able to stay in the game as long as they did. Perk got into early foul trouble and that limited him in the first half, but he had a strong second half. Hopefully Perk can stay out of foul trouble and keep Horford off the boards. Honorable Mention Kevin Garnett vs Josh Smith Smith is one of the Hawks best players but he had an off game due to foul trouble and allergy problems in game 1. The paper said he had an allergic reaction to something he ate at the hotel he was staying at. (When I read that, I thought of the movie Celtic Pride and some well meaning Celtics fan slipping something into his food.) Smith is a very athletic player and can block shots and defend along with grabbing rebounds and scoring inside. KG needs to make him work on both ends of the court and maybe get him in foul trouble again. Keys to the game: Rebound The Celtics were out rebounded 41-40 in the first game and allowed the Hawks to get second and third chance baskets. The Celtics need to be more aggressive on the boards. There is an old adage that says, "Offense sells tickets, defense wins games and rebounding wins championships." I think this is because much of rebounding is effort and the team that wins the rebounding war has put out the most effort. Don't Underestimate the Hawks The Celtics had an easy time beating the Hawks in game one but they can't take them for granted. They have to take a lesson from their last playoff appearance where they won the first game against the Pacers and then lost the series. The Hawks will make adjustments and the Celtics have to be ready for that. Be Aggressive The Celtics need to come out and be aggressive from start to finish. Even with a big lead, they can't let up. The Pistons had a big lead on the Sixers and let up and ended up losing the game. The Celtics need to come out strong and play hard for 48 minutes. Defense Defense becomes more important in the playoffs and even though the Celtics have won with defense all season, they need to take that defense to another level now that the playoffs are here. They can't allow second chance points and they need to limit easy baskets. X-Factor Bench Play The Celtics bench out scored the Hawks bench 36-22 in the first game. If the Celtics bench continues to produce, they will be hard to beat. Wed, 23 Apr 2008 08:31:54 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/255284 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/255284 A couple dozen basket-bloggers voted every two weeks on awards like MVP and Rookie of the Year. With the final Rookie, Coach, and Most Improved Player awards unveiled, did Kevin Durant hold off Al Horford? Did Doc Rivers win Coach of the Year over Kevin Garnett? Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:48:13 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/252299 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/252299 ...As we've seen anytime a Celtic falls to the floor KG sprinted over to help Leon, but instead of pulling Leon to his feet, KG began punching Leon in his ribs and stomach (and no, I'm not making this up). He then helped Leon to his feet, and as Leon turned to head back towards the Boston bench KG punched Leon in the back of his head, sped up to walk with Leon over to the sideline and was screaming in Leon's ear the entire way. I think this is that KG intensity we've been hearing so much about ... involved KG... and that was the "MVP" chant he received as Doc pulled him out towards the end of the game. It's just nice to see our fans chanting "MVP" for one of our own players instead of a freakin' Laker... Sun, 20 Apr 2008 23:20:33 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/250176 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/250176 Here is a look at the Celtics first round opponents, the Atlanta Hawks. Point Guard: Mike Bibby, 6'2", 190 lbs, 29 years old 13.9 PPG, 6 APG, 1.1 SPG, 14.55 PER Bibby is a deadly outside shooter with a quick release, skills which make him among the league's better scoring point guards. Bibby isn't a natural pass-first point guard, and his assist ratios are annually much lower than the norm for his position. However, he doesn't over-dribble -- usually he just moves it into the high post and then waits for catch-and-shoot chances. Another trick of his is to go away from the screen on the screen-and-roll, something he does more than any player in basketball. Instead Bibby will fake that way, make a quick dribble left, and then shoot a jumper. Defensively, Bibby has become fairly useless and his help defense is cursory at best. Shooting Guard Joe Johnson 6'7". 235 lb, 26 yr old 21.7 PPG, 5.8 APG, .381 3P%, PER 17.34 Though well-built at 6-7, 235 pounds, Johnson does most of his damage away from the basket. He has a smooth jump shot that he shoots comfortably off the dribble and off the catch. Johnson is a good ball handler for his size but lacks blazing speed, which is why his free-throw rate is fairly low for a big-time scorer. However, he's a good finisher when he gets to the rim and at his size he can destroy smaller guards on post-ups. Defensively, Johnson's size is a major asset and he's quick enough to defend shooting guards. This part of his game has taken a bit of a back seat as his offensive responsibilities have increased -- Atlanta rarely asks him to defend A-list scorers but in the playoffs, he will be matched up with Ray Allen. Ray scored 33 points in his only game against the Hawks this season and could be a big factor if his shot is on in this series. Small Forward Marvin Williams 6'9". 230 lbs, 21 yr old 14.8 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 1.7 APG 14.53 PER Williams is a solid midrange jump shooter as he has a smooth stroke that he can comfortably convert from 20 feet. Williams clearly has the form to hit the longer shot -- he often shoots from just a foot inside the line -- but has rarely attempted it as a pro and is at only 24.5 percent for his career. He's also a good finisher in transition, but he has no post game. Williams is stronger at the defensive end, where he is quick enough to switch out against guards and has the size to bother opposing shooters. He does a solid job against most small forwards and can even play bigger shooting guards; the Hawks sometimes used him as a defensive stopper against A-list scorers. When matched up against Paul Pierce, he will definitely have his work cut out for him defensively. Power Forward Josh Smith 6'9", 235 lbs, 22 years old 17.2 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 2.8 BPG 19.08 PER Smith's leaping ability is his greatest asset, with a quick lift off the floor. The lefty excels at taking his rebounds and heading up court with them. He almost certainly started more transition opportunities than the Hawks' guards, and he's a great finisher at the end of the play. Smith is a good passer, but has a high dribble and can be turnover prone, especially when he tries to attack in the half court. That's one reason he settles for the jumper quite a bit, something opponents try to bait him into. He's an awesome weak-side shot-blocker, but tends to lose sight of his man away from the ball and rarely boxes out. He will have a challenge trying to match up with Kevin Garnett on both ends of the court in this series. Center Al Horford 6'10", 235 lb, 22 years old 10.1, 9.70 RPG 1.5 APG Horford is a candidate for Rookie of the Year. He has a wide body and is very strong with long arms. He has good quickness and athleticism. He is a defensive presence inside. He finds a way to score down low and also has a decent mid range shot. He is foul prone, however. Perk should match up well with him. Bench Josh Childress, Zaza Pachulia, Salim Stoudamire, Mario West, Jeremy Richardson, Solomon Jones, Acie Law Josh Childress is their key player off the bench. He is averaging 11.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, and 1.5 APG off the bench. He is a solid two-way player. Childress is an athletic wing who is a strong finisher around the basket and an outstanding offensive rebounder. He also draws fouls at a high rate and converts from the charity stripe. At 6-8, Childress' size makes him a good defender against bigger wing players and an excellent roamer in zones, although he can be outmuscled by wide bodies in post-ups. He always plays well against the Celtics and will be the key player to stop off the bench. The Celtics biggest advantage in this series, besides their three stars, is going to be their bench. The Hawks can't match the Celtics depth with Posey, House, Powe, Cassell, Brown, Davis, and Tony Allen all playing very well, the Hawks just can't match that off their bench. The Key Matchup in this series is going to be Rajon Rondo vs Mike Bibby at the point where speed and youth will be matched up with experience. Rondo has answered every question and every challenge above and beyond all expectations this season and I have to feel that he will continue to exceed expectations in the playoffs as well. I can't wait for these games to start. I think the Celtics should have an easy time with Hawks and should sweep the series, but the Hawks are young and athletic, the kid of team that has given us problems over the season. Hopefully the Celtics will come out with focus and dominate the series. Bring it on!!! Winning is the Only Option! Sat, 19 Apr 2008 22:18:18 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/244006 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/244006 The season is over and the playoffs are set to begin. Time to hand out some awards to the most and least deserving players and teams in the NBA. Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:25:58 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/240551 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/240551 In the words of "Clyde" Frazier, the precocious neophytes at ETB are dishing and swishing a summary of the 2007-08 NBA season with 36 styling and profiling lists that are sure to have you movin' and groovin'. It's all you need to know about who has been hustling and muscling, bounding and astounding, stumbling and bumbling, and spinning and winning over the last five months. Wed, 16 Apr 2008 23:19:06 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/239790 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/239790 The Hawks pulled off a solid win 116-104 over the Knicks with a huge performance by Joe Johnson. They led the entire game but made it too close for comfort in the 4th quarter after blowing huge leads down to five points. A lead is never safe with the Hawks, no matter how big. This is why Coach Woodson can't afford to bench Joe Johnson for more than 3 minutes per game at most. Hopefully his body can hold up throughout the season and hopefully playoffs. Sat, 12 Apr 2008 13:03:18 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/235945 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/235945 Hawks Head Coach Mike Woodson is a f'n idiot. There's no getting around this. If he were a cartoon character he would be Cleveland from Family Guy. Yesterday on a radio interview he said the Hawks have to win two games to make the playoffs. WRONG! They have to win three or win two and have Indiana lose one. Woodson is a disgrace to the game and not even his players respect him. His substitution patterns are semi retarded and makes me wonder if the Hawks are dedicated to handing out jobs to the mentally challenged. Fri, 11 Apr 2008 14:35:09 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/235429 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/235429 The ROY award is coming down to the final stretch, and Hawks forward Al Horford makes his pitch on youtube. Check it out, but I'm sure the winner won't be him. Kevin Durant will take this one home for sure. Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:52:37 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/234538 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/234538 Last night I was trolling the internet and came across a story posted on Slam magazine's website by Lang Whitaker, the subject was who should be this seasons Rookie of the Year in the NBA and this is what we came up with. Thu, 10 Apr 2008 12:30:46 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/234466 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/234466