http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/4474 Recent articles about Kevin Garnett en-us We are still excited about the Celtics winning their 17th NBA Championship. The difference in their respective performances and preparedness can be explained by their daily non-game day routines... Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:10:34 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301258 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301258 I'm joining the brouhaha about Paul Pierce's interview in Spain regarding his comment that he's the best player in the world (see marca.com and english version here at Red's Army) earlier this week. Pierce further clarified yesterday (see today's Sunday Globe): "That's what I said. I am a confident player and a lot of people might look at it like, 'Oh, another cocky attitude,' but I don't look at it that way. I have an opinion, I have a right to have one, and that's the way I feel. I felt I've played against the best over the years and felt right now that I'm the best player in the world." Mon, 04 Aug 2008 05:55:25 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/300481 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/300481 HAWTHORNE, Calif. - Paul Pierce [stats] said it. He meant it. And he still means it. The Boston Celtics [team stats] small forward/guard recently was asked by a Spanish publication whether he thought Kobe Bryant was the best player in the world. Pierce said no. The NBA Finals MVP called himself the "best player." He added, "There's a line that separates having confidence and being conceited. I don't cross that line, but I have a lot of confidence in myself." On Thursday, Pierce stood by his comments, saying he is entitled to his opinion. "That's what I said. I am a confident player and a lot of people might look at it like 'Oh, another cocky attitude,' but I don't look at it that way," said Pierce, who is in Hawthorne for his annual youth basketball camp at Hangar Athletic Xchange. "I have an opinion, I have a right to have one and that's the way I feel. I felt I've played against the best over the years and felt right now that I'm the best player in the world." Pierce said his comments were not a knock on Bryant, who was named the league MVP. Nor was he saying that Bryant was conceited and he was confident. "You could have asked me about any other player and I would have given you the same answer," Pierce said. He added, laughing, "I would have said that (if he thought Bryant was conceited)." Pierce also maintained that the best team won the NBA title last season. The Celtics defeated the Lakers, winning the best-of-7 series, 4-2. "I think the Lakers are a great team, but I think they ran into a better team," he said. "They (Lakers) beat the best in all the Western Conference, they had the guy who was named MVP and the best record after the arrival of (Pau) Gasol. But they just ran up against the better team. "I think they will be a great team next year. Maybe we'll see them back in the Finals." Fri, 01 Aug 2008 08:20:15 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/299206 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/299206 For my 1st Team Preview, I will be examining the 2007-08 NBA Champions. LAST SEASON The Celtics came flying out of the gates (29-3 record to start the season) and never looked back. They had the #1 defense in the league, they beat their regular season foes by an average scoring margin of +10.3 points, and they decisively beat the Lakers in the Finals to win their record 17th NBA Championship. Fantasy-wise, the Celtics had a pace factor of just 90.9 (19th of 30), which coupled with their scoring margin, limited the fantasy value of their players. OFFSEASON MOVES Added: Patrick O'Bryant, J.R. Giddens, Bill Walker, Semih Erden Lost: James Posey, P.J. Brown, Sam Cassell, Scot Pollard The 7-foot O'Bryant was the #9 pick in 2006, but he never proved his worth to Don Nelson and thus the Warriors let him go. He will attempt to replace P.J. Brown, who is likely retiring after a rock solid NBA career (1 championship, 1 sportsmanship award, and 3 All-Defensive team selections). Erden is another 7-foot project, but he's going to stay in Turkey this season. Giddens and Walker are ultra-athletic rookie swingmen who will try to help fill the gaping hole left by James Posey's departure (don't expect much from either). Veterans Sam Cassell and Scot Pollard are both free agents unlikely to return. ROTATION / PLAYING TIME As you all know, Boston is led by Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen. All three will play 33-36 minutes per game and post similar stats to last season. At point guard and center, Rajon Rondo (30.0 mpg) and Kendrick Perkins (24.5 mpg) proved that they are more than capable starters. With another year of experience and a boost of NBA title confidence, expect a slight bump in playing time and production for both youngsters. Perkins has had shoulder problems in the past, but he had surgery recently and should be good to go for '08-09. With Posey (24.6 mpg) gone, Tony Allen (18.3 mpg) will have to step up as Boston's 6th man and defensive stopper off the bench. He struggled last year recovering from a major knee injury, but he could bounceback nicely in '08-09. Eddie House (19.0 mpg) will backup Rondo at PG and be instant offense as usual. Since Tony Allen is not a 3-point shooter like Posey was, House could easily surpass his career-high of 1.5 made threes per game. Leon Powe (14.5 mpg) will be Boston's first big man off the bench. He showed his explosiveness when he scored 21 points in just 15 minutes in game 2 of the NBA Finals, and he should play a bigger role this season. Glen "Big Baby" Davis had a decent rookie season, and probably has the inside track over O'Bryant as their backup center. (None of the backup bigs are likely to have any fantasy value unless there's an injury). And of course, Brian Scalabrine will get his usual 10th man mop-up minutes. DON'T SLEEP ON: Rajon Rondo & Tony Allen At first glance, Rondo seems like he's just a 2-category fantasy player, finishing 13th in steals and 22nd in assists per game last year. However, his FG% was rock solid at 49.2%, his turnovers were fairly low at just 1.9 per game, and the only PG's who pulled down more rebounds were Jason Kidd and Baron Davis. Of course, he still can't make a three to save his life and his free throw shooting was horrendous at just 61.1%, but that just means there's plenty of room for improvement in the 22-year old's game and fantasy value. After averaging 30 minutes and 5.1 assists per game in the regular season, he pumped those numbers up to 32 minutes and 6.6 dimes per in the playoffs, a very promising sign for the season ahead. His offensive game is still unpolished, but he should be a decent #2 or excellent #3 point guard in '08-09. After tearing both the ACL and MCL in his left knee in January 2007, Tony Allen returned to the court just 9 months later in time for the '07-08 season. Much of his quickness and explosiveness was gone, but he was still a quality defender and had a mediocre season. Fantasy-wise, he wasn't even a blip on the radar screen, but that could change this year as he gets more playing time. If you remember, Tony Allen was putting up BIG-TIME stats before he blew out his knee (in the 19 games prior, he averaged 16.6 points, 5.3 boards, 2.6 assists, 2.2 steals, .6 blocks, 52.3% FG, and 79.0% FT in 32.5 minutes per game). There's no way he'll duplicate those numbers this season, but he could have some value if his knee is 100% healthy. If he looks good in preseason, don't be afraid to gamble on him. BE CAREFUL OF: Ray Allen The elder Allen was brilliant in the NBA Finals, recording 122 points, 30 rebounds, 8 steals, 4 blocks and making 22 of 42 threes in just 6 games, but he had been struggling quite a bit before that. He still finished the regular season as a Top 50 fantasy player, but his stats were down in nearly every single category. As long as he can walk, Mr. Shuttleworth will be able to hit some threes, but there are other areas of concern. His steals per game slipped from 1.5 to .9, suggesting that the 33-year old may have lost half a step. And his stellar 90% FT shooting isn't nearly as helpful to your fantasy team when he's attempting just 3.2 freebies per game like he did last year vs. the career-high 5.6 that he attempted just one year earlier. Don't get me wrong, Allen is still an elite fantasy player. Just don't use a 2nd or 3rd round pick on him like you did in the past. ROUND BY ROUND TARGETS (Where you should draft these guys in an 8-cat Roto league with 12 teams and 14 man rosters) Garnett : Mid-to-Late 1st Pierce: 2nd - 3rd R. Allen: 5th Rondo: 7th - 8th Perkins: 10th - 11th T. Allen: Last round (if he looks good in preseason) House: Don't draft (but pickup if you need threes) Powe: Don't draft (but pickup ASAP if KG goes down) Fri, 01 Aug 2008 06:47:12 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/299169 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/299169 To get ready for the upcoming NBA season, I am going to preview all 30 teams in just 30 days. After a brief rundown of last season and a look at their offseason moves, I will break down each team's rotation and suggest how how their minutes might be divvied up in '08-09. For fantasy purposes, I will mention at least one player to not sleep on as well as one player to be careful of for each team. I will also give you my early season projections on where each key player should be drafted. Use this as a guide to get ready for '08-09, but keep in mind that it's still only August. For certain cases, I will also analyze recent management decisions and predict how their team will fare in the future. Since there tend to be more question marks and position battles over the summer surrounding the worst teams in the league, I will start with last season's best record and work my way down. Enjoy! Fri, 01 Aug 2008 06:43:13 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/299167 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/299167 Wow. Just wow. Why have I waited this long to thank Kevin Garnett? Maybe because the Championship run started when we finalized the trade for him and I thought this made a good bookend. Maybe because of my unyielding mancrush for KG so I wanted to save the best (with a heartfelt nod to Pierce) for last. Or maybe, probably, I couldn't find the words. I'm still fearful that this will come out a rambling deluge of incoherent mumblings similar to the post game interview KG gave. So before we go any further, lets look back almost exactly a year ago, when all this broke and the set us on this path. The Rumor That Just Won't Die (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=1030 Itemid=408) - posted before any major news outlet (thanks to posters like rickyfan3.0) We'll Miss You Al Jefferson (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=1033 Itemid=408) - remember when we were all skeptical about giving up Big Al? The Other Big 3 (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=1042 Itemid=408) - thanking the guys that made it happen: Ainge, Doc, and Wyc But of course, that's not even where my love afair started with KG. Read More (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=3711... Fri, 01 Aug 2008 05:15:33 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/299148 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/299148 Wow. Just wow. Why have I waited this long to thank Kevin Garnett? Maybe because the Championship run started when we finalized the trade for him and I thought this made a good bookend. Maybe because of my unyielding mancrush for KG so I wanted to save the best (with a heartfelt nod to Pierce) for last. Or maybe, probably, I couldn't find the words. I'm still fearful that this will come out a rambling deluge of incoherent mumblings similar to the post game interview KG gave. So before we go any further, lets look back almost exactly a year ago, when all this broke and the set us on this path. The Rumor That Just Won't Die (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=1030 Itemid=408) - posted before any major news outlet (thanks to posters like rickyfan3.0) We'll Miss You Al Jefferson (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=1033 Itemid=408) - remember when we were all skeptical about giving up Big Al? The Other Big 3 (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=1042 Itemid=408) - thanking the guys that made it happen: Ainge, Doc, and Wyc But of course, that's not even where my love afair started with KG. Read More (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=3711... Fri, 01 Aug 2008 05:15:33 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/299148 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/299148 It was just a year ago today that Celtics' fandom was turned upside down. The Celtics had just finished a 24 win season. We had excitedly waited for the lottery and once again had our hopes dashed as instead of the first or second pick and the franchise player that we had hoped for, the Celtics dropped to the 5th pick. Kevin Garnett and Shawn Marion had both said that they would refuse a trade to the Celtics. It was a depressing time. Then came the draft and we all waited to see which player Danny would take with the 5th pick. There was debate over Yi, Noah, Green and others, but we all knew that no matter who we got, it wouldn't be enough. Maybe if we had gotten Durant or Oden, but not the 5th pick. And as we waited for the pick, we got news that Danny had traded the 5th pick, Delonte, and Wally for Ray Allen and the 35th pick in the draft. The Celtics finished draft night with a 32 year old shooting guard who was coming off of double ankle surgery and two second round draft picks, Gabe Pruitt and Big Baby Davis. Paul Pierce was happy to have Ray Allen, but didn't we just trade away a shooting guard with two bad ankles to get Ray? And Wally was younger. And we gave up a very promising player in Delonte West. Could Ray Allen even make a difference? There was quite a bit of debate about the trade and whether it even improved the team at all. Then came that fateful day, July 31, 2007 when it was announced that Danny traded 5 players and 2 draft picks for Kevin Garnett. Gone was Al Jefferson, Ryan Gomes, Sebastian Telfair (without having had a Sebastian Telfair night at the Garden), Gerald Green and Theo Ratliff's expiring contract. The trade for Ray Allen was enough to change KG's mind about coming to Boston and he agreed to an extension on his contract. Most Celtics fans, myself included, were excited about the trade but were also very sad to see Al Jefferson and Ryan Gomes in particular go. I was very skeptical at first. Big Al has a ton of potential and I could see him becoming a dominant player for years to come and I really didn't know how much KG had left after 12 hard years in the league. And Ryan Gomes also had potential and was a very classy guy. It was very had saying good bye to these two in particular. Then, the more I read about Kevin Garnett and watched clips on YouTube, the more excited I got about having him on the team. The major concern about the team was the bench because Danny had to trade half the team to get KG. But Danny slowly but surely rebuilt the bench, using the MLE to sign House and Posey and signing Scot Pollard to a minimum contract. In very short time, we went from the bottom of the league to being contenders. Throughout the season there were doubts. Rondo was just a second year point guard and couldn't lead a team with 3 superstars to a championship. Perk wasn't a championship center. The Celtics had 9 new players and couldn't possibly have chemistry. The 3 stars couldn't co-exist and they would need 3 basketballs. The Celtics had no bench. They could compete in the East, but when they got to the West, they would fall. The stars were too old and would fade before the playoffs. Then one by one, the Celtics answered the questions and by the end of the season, they had 66 wins and the best record in the league. In the playoffs, they were expected to roll over the Hawks but instead, were stretched to 7 games as they were unable to win on the road. In the second round, the Cavaliers also stretched them to 7 games and they still couldn't win one on the road. By the conference finals, there doubters were starting to spring up and about half of the experts were predicting a Detroit win. And when the Celtics lost game 2 at home, those critics got even louder. But, they went to Detroit and won and then closed them out in 6 games, winning game 6 on the road. Going into the finals, only 1 out of 10 experts on ESPN gave the Celtics any chance to win. Most predicted the Lakers would win in 5 or 6 games. After all, the West was the stronger conference and the Lakers had just waltzed through their opponents and the Celtics had struggled in the weaker conference. But, a funny thing happened on the way to the Lakers' winning a title, the Celtics totally dominated them. It wasn't even close. And for the first time in 22 years, Celtics fans didn't have to say "Wait until next year." We finally had Championship #17 that we had waited for so long. So, on this annivesary of the signing of Kevin Garnett, we can fondly look back on a fairy tail season and be very happy as Celtics fans. I am proudly wearing all my 2008 Celtics championship gear and very anxiously waiting for next year. The questions have started again. Will the 3 stars be too old? Have the other Eastern teams improved enough to pass them? Can they stay injury free at their age? Will the Celtics bench be strong enough without Posey? Will they have the drive to repeat after finally winning their rings? The Celtics are the World Champions and we have reason to hope that they can repeat this season and it all started with the announcement on July 31, 2007 that the Celtics had traded for Kevin Garnett. What a difference a year makes!!! Thu, 31 Jul 2008 22:10:00 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/299057 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/299057 Paul Pierce was recently in Spain and was interviewed by Spanish reporters. Some of his quotes have created quite a stir - mostly because there's not much news and people are looking for something to talk about. First we'll address the best in the world comments. You can see the quotes in Spanish here. (http://www.marca.com/charlas/pierce/24072008.html) A translation is here (http://www.spursreport.com/forums/spurs-nba-fan-feedback/95170-pierce-says-hes-best-player-world-one-his-top-5-favorite-players.html) (registration required) (hat tip to Red's Army (http://redsarmy.wordpress.com/2008/07/29/the-spanish-interview/)) Q: Is Kobe really the best player in the world? Pierce: I don’t think Kobe is the best player. I’m the best player. There’s a line that separates having confidence and being conceited. I don’t cross that line but I have a lot of confidence in myself. Q: Who are your top five favorite players in the NBA today? Pierce: Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo, Kendrick Perkins and Paul Pierce. According to Ball Don't Lie (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Paul-Pierce-says-he-s-the-best-player-in-the-wor?urn=nba,96670), a lot of Lakers and Spurs fans are upset by this. (What, and Cavs fans are cool with it?) What they don't get is what got lost in translation. Paul just got finished beating Kobe in the Finals. Completely outplayed him on just about every level. He helped shut Kobe down and Kobe... Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:02:44 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298125 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/298125 The 49ers are looking for a leader with the retirement of Bryant Young and Mike Nolan has already placed that responsibility on Patrick Willis. Nolan says Willis has taken the role naturally, and, really, it's hard to argue. Who else would take that role? Isaac Bruce, a 15-year veteran, is a candidate, but he just joined the 49ers. In a sport like football, with its massive 50 person-plus roster, it's a tall order for a new acquisition to catch the ear of an entire team. There are too many players on the squad who have already been with the team. The ability for a new player to take a leadership role is more apparent in a sport like basketball, as seen by Kevin Garnett immediately changing the mentality of the Boston Celtics. The team is smaller, thus the impact of one player is greater. Looking around the rest of the 49ers, Frank Gore and Nate Clements loom as potential leaders. Gore is as intense as they come, but he isn't a vocal leader. Clements is a consummate pro, but it's unusual for a cornerback to take a lead role. Maybe it's the fact that corners play on an island on the field and aren't usually in the middle of the scruff on every play, like middle linebackers such as Willis are. Corners, and even wide receivers, are usually perceived as ego-centric loudmouths. How many times have you ever seen a player from either position become a team leader? If you say Deion Sanders, Chad Johnson or Terrell Owens, I'd argue their more unofficial team spokesmen than leaders. Hines Ward and Champ Bailey are really the only two current island players whom I can think of that are true leaders. Anyway, Willis is mature beyond is years, is literally in the middle of every play as the middle linebacker and he is one of the league's best players. Soon, he might be one of the league's best players, young and old. I'm on board with Willis as the 49ers team leader. Are you? Sun, 27 Jul 2008 20:58:51 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/296597 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/296597 ESPN Reports: (http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3505709 campaign=rss source=NBAHeadlines) The Minnesota Timberwolves' post-Kevin Garnett frontcourt continued to take shape Friday when they reached terms on a new contract with restricted free agent Ryan Gomes. Gomes' agent, Bob Myers, told ESPN.com that the sides have agreed in principal on a multiyear deal that is expected to be formally signed next week. Terms were not immediately available, but Gomes will soon join forward Craig Smith and guard Sebastian Telfair as players re-signed by the Wolves this month to join a new-look Minnesota core featuring Al Jefferson, Randy Foye, Rashad McCants, Corey Brewer and draft-night acquisiton Kevin Love. Also, a quick scan of HoopsHype (http://hoopshype.com/rumors.htm) tells me that The Machine is staying in LA, Maurice Evans is going to Atlanta, and CJ Miles is staying in Utah. Fri, 25 Jul 2008 22:39:37 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295900 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/295900 Great list of jokes that were made during the 2008 Espy awards. Pretty conclusive list by SamePageSports.com We hope you enjoy and if you see one that is missing please comment. Just a few listed here: -Right up front I'd just like to personally thank Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots for all the cameras tonight and there are so many of them. - I heard this whole theater was built using Shaquille O'Neal's bricks. - There was all that talk about Kobe needing Shaq to win a championship. I couldn't help but notice that the Boston Celtics didn't need either of you. For a huge list of the jokes from the awards show click the link. Tue, 22 Jul 2008 00:50:47 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293622 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/293622 How many times have you heard a crowd "boo" a former player who returns to his old court for the first time after a trade? I guarantee you this: you will NEVER hear that sound when Kevin Garnett steps onto the floor of the Target Center in Minneapolis. KG was the heart and soul of the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Target Center is the 'House That KG Built.' Kevin has made only one appearance at the Target Center since his trade to the Boston Celtics. Unfortunately, he did not play due to an injury. He did, however, take the floor to greet the fans. And the fans greeted him in return with an outpouring of appreciation and support, bringing tears to the eyes of the future Hall of Famer. Now, Kevin Garnett is a champion. During his post game interview with Michele Tafoya, KG gave a shout out to his people in "Sota." I am one of those people and , believe me, there are legions of us. In the month since game 6 of the Finals I've heard people in Minnesota and Wisconsin (yes, Cheeseheads are KG fans, too) comment on KG almost daily. If I happen to be wearing a piece of Celtic clothing, it's a given that I'll be approached by a fan to talk about the Finals. In every single instance the conversation has turned into a KG Love Fest. Timberwolves fans were heartbroken to see him go, but we also knew that there was no chance of Kevin ever achieving his goal if he stayed in Minnesota. So, we said, "goodbye" with a lump in our collective throats and immediately ordered the NBA League Pass so we could watch our kid play in Boston. With blurry eyes and heavy hearts, we endured the "I Remember" commercial over & over again, but were glad the fans in Boston were embracing our guy. The Boston community has much more than just a remarkable athlete in their midst; they also have a true humanitarian. KG is devoted to 'giving back' and although he doesn't like his volunteer work & charitable contributions publicized in the media, I can tell you, from personal experience, that he left Minneapolis a better place than he found it. But his activism has always extended far beyond the borders of Minnesota. He is part of Oprah's 'Angel Network' and has donated money to build homes for many Katrina victims. I'm sure the City of Boston is now reaping the benefits of his kindness and generosity as well. Minnesota loves Kevin Garnett. Like proud parents, we were sad to see him leave home, but we delight in his every achievement and are thrilled that he has found success in Boston. And next season, when KG steps onto the Target Center Court for the first time in his Celtic jersey, this Minnesotan (among many) will be there, wearing Celtic Green #5, cheering him on. Wed, 16 Jul 2008 17:59:41 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291341 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291341 And so it ends. The last coveted unrestricted free agent is off the board with the signing of James Posey. The winner? Not the 2007-2008 NBA Champion Boston Celtics (who were reported to be reluctant in offering Posey his desired full mid-level exemption four-year deal) but the up-and-coming New Orleans Hornets. At 31, James Posey had every right to go out and look for some security, which he found in the Hornets $25 million offer. I honestly believe that the Celtics should have not scrimped on this one, as Posey is a true "glue guy." The Cleveland Cavaliers will tell you. So will Miami Heat President Pat Riley. Posey was the Celtics unsung hero in the NBA Finals a few short weeks ago. An intelligent weak side defensive helper who helped NBA Defensive Player of the Year Kevin Garnett on one end and supplied the C's with timely three point bombs on the other. In fact, Celtics Captain Paul Pierce felt that Posey contributions were so "invaluable" that his squad wouldn't lose anything if he were to sit down. Who can argue with success? After all, Posey has only won two NBA Championships in the last three years with the Heat in 06' and the Celtics in 08' Could Hornets in 09' be a possibility? Maybe... Just don't question the value of a Posey. Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:48:23 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291295 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291295 While the Spurs may have three of the best draft picks around in Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, the T-Wolves have depth. That significant lack of depth in San Antonio could give Minnesota, a team already loaded with talent like Kevin Garnett, Brandon Roy and Ray Allen, the edge in this game. Expert Picks Pickard: Minnesota Timberwolves Estimated Game Time: Thursday July 17 (1:30 PM EST) Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:26:41 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291201 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/291201