http://www.yardbarker.com/content/player/4672 Recent articles about Leon Powe en-us I have nominated Leon Powe for Hoops Addicts Floor Burn tournament, where they are looking to crown the best hustle guy in the league. Go show your support for Leon here. (http://hoopsaddict.com/2008/08/04/hoops-addict-floor-burn-tournament-round-1/) Mon, 04 Aug 2008 22:47:39 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301002 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/301002 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 Herald New set of stripes for Tim Donaghy (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/other_nba/view.bg?articleid=1109945 format=text) Bobcats, Emeka Okafor agree on 6-year, $72 million deal (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/other_nba/view.bg?articleid=1109765 format=text) NY judge sentences disgraced NBA ref to 15 months (http://www.bostonherald.com/sports/basketball/other_nba/view.bg?articleid=1109757 format=text) CelticsBlog No Melo, but Nuggets-Knicks deal intrigues (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=3690 Itemid=189) Thank you Leon Powe (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=3696 Itemid=253) When bad players happen to good bloggers (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=3701 Itemid=189) LOY's Place Rumors and free agent updates - Ron Ron on the move edition (http://celticsgreen.blogspot.com/2008/07/rumors-and-free-agent-updates_29.html) More Links After the Jump (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=3702 Itemid=189) Wed, 30 Jul 2008 09:21:24 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297964 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297964 POWE! I don't know how many times I yelled that reflexively during Celtics games, but suffice to say it was a lot. Leon Powe is like a shot of adrenaline to the flow of a game. He's the cup of espresso that jolts your morning into 3rd gear. He's the proverbial bull knocking over shelves of china as the shopkeeper weeps in a corner. I love watching Leon Powe play the game of basketball. Bodies twice his size seem to be discarded and displaced when he's zeroing in on a rebound or loose ball. Give him one step near the basket, and the ball emerges between 2 or 3 outstretched 7 footer wingspans and finds its way into the basket. Doc may occasionally grumble about his defensive rotations and he's not exactly tall, but his immediate impact on games often leaves a lasting impression. He's the definition of character and an inspiration because of his life's story. He somehow manages to be an unsung hero (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=2780 Itemid=189) and a fan favorite at the same time (he wasn't well known around the country until game 2 of the Finals). And he's only been in the... Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:45:41 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297515 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297515 POWE! I don't know how many times I yelled that reflexively during Celtics games, but suffice to say it was a lot. Leon Powe is like a shot of adrenaline to the flow of a game. He's the cup of espresso that jolts your morning into 3rd gear. He's the proverbial bull knocking over shelves of china as the shopkeeper weeps in a corner. I love watching Leon Powe play the game of basketball. Bodies twice his size seem to be discarded and displaced when he's zeroing in on a rebound or loose ball. Give him one step near the basket, and the ball emerges between 2 or 3 outstretched 7 footer wingspans and finds its way into the basket. Doc may occasionally grumble about his defensive rotations and he's not exactly tall, but his immediate impact on games often leaves a lasting impression. He's the definition of character and an inspiration because of his life's story. He somehow manages to be an unsung hero (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=2780 Itemid=189) and a fan favorite at the same time (he wasn't well known around the country until game 2 of the Finals). And he's only been in the... Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:45:41 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297515 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/297515 On the day that James Posey was introduced in New Orleans and vows to do whatever the coach asks of him for a team he sees poised to make a run at the title, the Celtics officially re-signed Eddie House and Tony Allen. On Sports Tonight, Tony said that the math was simple. If Posey signed, he and Eddie would have had to find a home elsewhere. It was one or the other. Danny said that Doc was worried about letting Tony go because he feels that Tony is going to have a break out year after watching him practice at the end of last season. Another player who would have fit nicely on the Celtics is off the market. The Rocky Mountain News reports that Chris Andersen is returning to the Nuggets. The Birdman had visited Boston for 2 days early in the free agency period and Danny seemed to have interest in him and vice versa. Now, Andersen has agreed to a one year contract with the Nuggets and will continue his NBA comeback in Denver where he was a fan favorite from 2001-2004. I was hoping the Celtics would sign him, even though they already signed Patrick O'Bryant to back up Perk since O'Bryant may be more of a project than immediate help and Andersen would come in with athleticism and energy off the bench at the center position. Good signing by the Nuggets. Denver was reported to be seriously considering signing Francisco Elson to replace the recently departed Marcus Camby. With Andersen signing in Denver, that leaves Elson out and looking for another team that may want him. Depending on how quickly Patrick O'Bryant develops, a one year league minimum contract to Elson might make sense for the Celtics. Although, it would remain to be seen how KG would feel about playing with a guy who called him gay. Another player who had been linked to the Celtics as a possible Posey replacement was Maurice Evans. Mercury News reports that the Warriors have signed Evans to a three-year, $6.4 million deal. This means that the Warriors will not match the offer that their restricted free agent Kelenna Azubuike signed with the Clippers. Evans would have made sense to replace Posey because he is an athletic swingman who's known as a solid defender and good three-point shooter and would have filled those roles left vacant by Posey's departure. The Clippers and Jazz have swapped point guards. The Clippers will receive Jason Hart from the Jazz and will send Brevin Knight to Utah. Last season, when the Celtics were in the market for a back up point guard, Knight was considered a serious candidate but signed with the Clippers instead while Sam Cassell was bought out by the Clippers and ended up signing with the Celtics. This is starting to feel like a game of 6 degrees of separation. In David Thorpe's chat on ESPN.com, he was asked what he thought about JR Giddens and whether he will amount to anything or if Danny wasted a pick on him. Thorpe's response was that his athleticism could be a help off the bench. And when asked which 3rd year guy he sees improving the most from his sophomore season, Thorpe mentioned that Rondo should improve his game overall for next season. The Portland Trail Blazers signed guard-forward Nicolas Batum on Wednesday. Batum played the past three seasons in the French ProA League. He was the 25th overall pick in the draft by Houston who traded his rights to Portland. Leading up to the draft, Batum was a popular choice on the mock drafts for the Celtics with the 30th pick. The OC Register reports that the Lakers are no longer pursuing a trade for Ron Artest. Instead of the Ron Ron rumors in Laker land, there is talk that the Lakers have joined a list of teams interested in signing Luol Deng. The Bulls and Deng are having a hard time coming to an agreement on a deal and so rather than risk losing him, they may resort to a sign and trade and the Lakers are interested in making an offer if it comes to that. I can see a pattern to the players that the Lakers are pursuing this off season. Both Artest and Deng are known for giving Paul Pierce a hard time on defense. One of the problems the Lakers had in the Finals was trying to stop Paul Pierce. Getting either Artest or Deng would assure them of having a player who has given Pierce problems in the past. Now, if they only had an answer for KG, Ray Allen and Leon Powe, they would be all set. The Sixers have reached an agreement with Royal Ivey, who spent last season with the Milwaukee Bucks. Ivey will not officially sign the minimum-salary contract until Monday, which is believed to be for 2 years and include a significant guarantee. Ivey will come off the bench to complement Lou Williams, that is, if the Warriors don't lure Williams away from Philly. That will give the Sixers 9 players under contract. Now that Josh Childress has made the leap to play in Europe next season, there is a lot of talk going around about other's following suit. Perhaps the most interesting is Jason Kidd talking about going to Europe when his contract is up. Playing in Europe could extend a player's career by a few years because they don't play the physical game that is found in the NBA. This is also why many European players have trouble adjusting to the NBA as they aren't used to the physical play that they run into when they come here. Carl Landry is also considering a jump to Europe if he can't get a satisfactory offer from an NBA team. Nenad Krstic is also considering joining fellow Nets free agent Bostjan Nachbar in accepting an offer to play overseas if he can't get the right deal from an NBA team. On the other hand, Bobby Brown, who made a big impression with his summer league play, rejected several offers to play overseas and is set to sign a 2 year deal with the Sacramento Kings. It seems that Brown was in demand as the Hornets pursues him along with Israel's Maccabi Tel-Aviv and Spanish giant Barcelona before he decided to accept the Kings' offer. Thu, 24 Jul 2008 08:37:01 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294826 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/294826 Here's what it will look like, It will be purple and gold with a very SOFT cover. Oh wait sorry, my bad, That's wrong.Here is what it will really look like when Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, James Posey, Eddie House, Kendrick Perkins, and Leon Powe will gather at TD Banknorth Garden Monday night for a VIP reception and special screening of Warner Home Video’s “2007-2008 NBA Champions: The Boston Celtics DVD.’’ If you really want to make a difference, then wait to buy it on Tuesday from 2-4 p.m. at Borders on 1024 School Street in Boston, so you can all tell James Posey and Eddie House who are promoting it, how bad we want them back.If you can't make that then maybe tell one of his teammates to pass it along to them, Rondo will be promoting the DVD at 11:59 p.m. Monday at the Best Buy on 550 Arsenal Street in Watertown.Or Pierce will promote it Tuesday from 10 p.m.-midnight at the Stop & Shop on 25 Walkers Brook Drive in Reading.Or Perkins and Powe will promote it Tuesday from 6-8 p.m. at FYE on 411 Washington Street in Boston. sr_adspace_id = 1330307; sr_adspace_width = 300; sr_adspace_height = 250; sr_adspace_type = "graphic"; sr_ad_new_window = true; Sun, 13 Jul 2008 17:32:45 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/289864 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/289864 My first impressions of the Patrick O'Bryant signing (index.php?option=com_content task=view id=3593 Itemid=189) were less than enthusiastic. But since this is the summer of love, and since I can talk myself into anything (Kedrick, you let me down!) here's some reasons why Patrick O'Bryant just might work out. Clifford Ray makes silk from a sow's ear. Al Jefferson always knew how to score, but he couldn't get on the court until he could at least look less-than-lost on defense. Kendrick Perkins was the definition of raw when he was drafted. He made exponential progress under Ray. Leon Powe and Glen Davis are undersized power forwards that thrived (at times) on a Championship squad. Whatever talents O'Bryant has will be honed. Whatever weaknesses he has, will be worked on. Don't worry about his conditioning. Ray will have him running wind sprints from now till opening day if that is what it takes. Like with Perkins, we don't need him to score. We need him to rebound and play defense. I don't know if he can do either of those things, but he's reportedly a good shot blocker, so that's something. Plus he's athletic enough to blitz the pick and roll and sprint back to his spot on... Fri, 11 Jul 2008 23:19:53 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/289385 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/289385 The time has come to yet again look at the state of our cap and to answer everything you ever wanted to know about the collective bargaining agreement. Without further adieu, here's our current salary table from now until 2011-2012. Yes, I know it's not terribly helpful right now, but it will be filled in as we fill out our roster. Player 2008-2009 2009-2010 2010-2011 2011-2012 2011-2012 Kevin Garnett $24,750,000 $16,400,000 $18,800,000 $21,200,000 n/a Paul Pierce $18,077,903 $19,795,712 $21,515,521 n/a n/a Ray Allen $17,388,430 $18,776,860 n/a n/a n/a Kendrick Perkins $4,078,880 $4,250,000 $4,390,208 n/a n/a Brian Scalabrine $3,206,897 $3,413,793 n/a n/a n/a Rajon Rondo $1,646,784 $2,623,326 $3,780,214 n/a n/a Leon Powe $797,581 n/a n/a n/a n/a Glen Davis $711,517 n/a n/a n/a n/a Gabe Pruitt $711,517 $729,005 n/a n/a n/a J.R. Giddens* $797,600 $857,400 $917,200 $1,655,546 $2,483,319 Bill Walker* $442,114 $736,420 n/a n/a n/a James Posey Free Agent n/a n/a n/a n/a Tony Allen Free Agent n/a n/a n/a n/a Eddie House Free Agent n/a n/a n/a n/a Scot Pollard Free Agent n/a n/a n/a n/a Totals: $72,609,223 $67,583,516 $49,403,143 $22,855,546 $2,483,319 Team options are in red and qualifying offers are in green. Salaries shown in orange represent non-guaranteed / partially guaranteed deals, while trade kickers and other owed salary obligations are in purple. Player options are listed in blue. Total salary assumes that all options are picked up. * Salaries for Giddens and Walker are estimated. Giddens' salary amount is based upon 100% of the rookie scale, and Walker's deal is a standard two-year minimum. Of course, the meaty part of this post is the Frequently Asked Questions , where you can learn everything about J.R. Giddens' contract holdup, why we really won't have cap space in 2010-11 even... Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:04:33 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288029 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/288029 Taking a historical view of what the Denver Nuggets are up against with the 20th pick and solutions for a successful outcome. Tue, 24 Jun 2008 02:04:09 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281591 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281591 The 2008 NBA draft should see a host of freshman get chosen in the first round, so who will it be, Derrick Rose or Michael Beasley as the first pick? But most importantly who will be that late first or second round pick that proves to be the gem of the draft? Over the years there have been many great late picks taken that had NBA executives shaking their heads. www.rawsportsblog.com Mon, 23 Jun 2008 19:16:45 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281472 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281472 I thank Doc Rivers for having the courage to bring out his new team to Rome in October to have them get to know each other.... this doesnt work out so perfectly with everyteam.. more than once, a coach has tried it with hopes of the team becopming great friends... The Celtics are a family of brothers.. some more like the fathers n grandfathers (veterans), .. while some are the little toddlers... (rookies). They started out not knowing each others names. But now with too many nick names to count, you can see they are a FAMILY. I see on tv how the big three treat Rondo, Pruitt, Big Baby Glen Davis like little brothers who care for each other... Before the start of every game, Posey gives the starting line up a HUGE tight gripping hug, supplied with encouraging words. The young players admitting that they wanted this win so much for the older players like Garnett, Pierce, Allen, Casell, PJ Brown, just showed that they cared so much for their teamates who havent won a championship in their whole career... I once read an article quoting Pruitt on how in Rome, the big three could have easily gotten their own limos seperate from the team, but decided to go with the others.. and how every day in Rome, they taught n showed the young ones how to do things... they weren't selfish, but decided to get to know EVERYONE on the team. Brotherly love. The team chemistry of brotherhood helped us win the champinoship. Though random arguments and fights and scuffles occurred, thats nothing to worry about. Brothers always argue. They still got along on the court and off. Scot Pollard and Brian Scalabrine not playing mcuh or at all this season, brought out the jokes and humor to keep the team happy and fun. Everyone added something unique into that bunch. When i read of the team dinners, i always wish i was apart of it. Being able to go to the restaurants with them and hearing what each has to say. Humbleness, Brotherhood.... and UBUNTU.. were the key Like Powe said to kg after he almost fainted and the win was final... " I got you, I got you kg, i got you". The Lakers didnt have any of that. Selfishness n pride ruined their road to the championship.. they weren't a team.. nope, not at all As Ray Allen had said, they wernt the big three... more like the Big 15. So thanks to Danny Ainge, and Doc Rivers, for making that crucial decision of a Rome trip. :) Mon, 23 Jun 2008 15:58:35 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281229 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281229 [ATTENTi0N: THiS ARTiCLE WAS N0T WRiTTEN BY ME.....iT WAS F0UND 0N A CELTiC'S BL0G AND i TH0UGHT iT WAS VERY iNTERESTiNG & WELL-WRiTTEN S0 i DECiDED T0 SHARE.....ENJ0Y!!!!!] Surrounded by All-Stars, Rajon Rondo Is the Quiet, Confident Quarterback of the NBA's Best Team Rajon Rondo is growing into his role as a playmaker for the league's best team. Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE/Getty By Peter F. Stringer Parquet Magazine Exclusive to Celtics.com Pretending to read his e-mail, Rajon Rondo cradles his iPhone in his enormous right palm as he looks off into the distance, surveying a conference room. He's wearing the same serious look that's presumably etched across his face 24 hours a day, only now his eyes are wide open with his eyebrows raised as if he just saw Paul Pierce slip behind his man on a backdoor cut. He's wearing a borrowed gray suit for a DIME magazine photo shoot, and he appears remarkably comfortable in front of a camera for a guy who otherwise doesn't seem to enjoy media attention. Describing the shoot to his fans on his blog the next day, Rondo jokingly wrote, "the camera loves me." The camera may love him, but Rondo just loves clothes. He has a large sneaker collection, countless pairs of jeans and spends a lot of his downtime at shopping malls across the country adding to his wardrobe. In fact, Rondo likes shopping so much that this summer, after meeting a group of Jamaica Plain students through the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, he took them back-to-school shopping for new outfits and shoes on a whim. During breaks in the photoshoot, Rondo talked casually to the crew about some of his own clothes, his snowstorm driving tactics and a recent blowout win over the New York Knicks, quipping to the photographer, "they didn't even show up that night. It was crazy." He went on to talk about which guys in the locker room dress well, throwing a few teammates under the fashion bus as well. "Some guys think they know fashion, but having style is more than just matching a printed T-shirt with some jeans," the point guard says as he poses for another shot, this time straightening his necktie in an imaginary mirror. Right now, he looks more GQ than starting PG. He poses for a few more pictures in street clothes and even does a few outdoor shots in the snow. DIME sent a few preview shots to the Celtics offices, and the pictures from that day are certainly dramatic thanks to dark lighting and his straight-faced approach to modeling. Most striking, however, is the air of confidence Rondo portrays to the camera. Just because he's an amateur model doesn't mean he can't look like he knows exactly what he's doing. Likewise, when it comes to quarterbacking a traveling circus of NBA All-Stars, Rondo has that same confidence, even if he is still learning on the job. Quiet Confidence Surrounded by microphones and notebooks, Rondo's hardly candid. Reporters in Boston and Lexington (Rondo played two years of college basketball at the University of Kentucky) often describe Rondo as quiet. If your only interactions with him are basketball interviews, you'd probably say the same thing. Put on the spot about his struggles with the perimeter jump shot or fighting over a the top of a pick and roll, Rondo responds quickly; he's economical with his words, and you may not even notice a slight Kentucky twang in his voice. If you're a sportswriter who needs a quote, Rondo's probably not your guy. He's into brevity and rarely elaborates. But the teammates who know him and rely on him to ignite the Celtics' offense can tell you a different side of the story. "If you didn't know him, you'd think he's just this quiet kid," teammate Kendrick Perkins says. "But he can be the loudest guy in the locker room." "If you didn't know him, you'd think he's just this quiet kid," teammate Kendrick Perkins says. "But he can be the loudest guy in the locker room." Quiet or not behind the scenes, he's certainly overshadowed in the media by the presence of a troika of All-Stars on the court. On paper, his job looks simple: get the ball over half court and get it to one of the stars. Sure, just dump it off to Kevin Garnett on the elbow, thread the needle to Paul Pierce slashing through the lane or find Ray Allen hiding out in the left corner waiting to bury a three. Simple, right? "It's a tough job. He's got three guys who could tell him what to do, and at times he has to tell them, and that's not easy," says Celtics Head Coach Doc Rivers, who regularly reminds reporters that Rondo is still a second-year player who is improving on a daily basis. "He's vocal. Rajon talks. I don't know if he says the right thing all of the time just yet, but that will come. He just has to understand that guys are going to be on him more than anybody else, and his teammates are going to be on him more than anybody else. It's not personal, it's called being the quarterback." Making an Impression Rajon Rondo sees the play developing before his eyes, much like his teammates and fans are watching the second-year guard mature on the job. Brian Babineau/NBAE/Getty The only true point guard on the roster, Rondo shoulders a massive amount of responsibility. But he's gained the respect of the team's three veteran leaders, which goes a long way toward empowering the guy who decides which All-Star is getting the ball and when they're getting it. "He does a great job with it, Rondo's not afraid to tell us where we need to be. He's a confident guy and that's important when you're the point guard," says Celtics captain Paul Pierce, who's watched Rondo go from a third-string bench warmer at the beginning of last season to a guy who's been all but anointed as the point guard of the present and the future. It didn't take long for Rondo to make an impression on his new All-Star teammates, either. Kevin Garnett gushes when he talks about Rondo, regularly dousing him in praise and predicting big things for the smallest guy on the team. "If Rondo is not the best point guard in three or four years, I'd be very, very surprised. He has all the tools to lead a team. His defense is unlike any other guard I've seen," Garnett said just days before the season began. "He has the quickness of a Tony Parker. He has the eyes and the passing skills of a Jason Kidd. He has to establish that 15-foot jumper, make it stick and be consistent. But I'm very, very, very, very impressed with Rondo." "If Rondo is not the best point guard in three or four years, I'd be very, very surprised. He has all the tools to lead a team. His defense is unlike any other guard I've seen," Garnett said just days before the season began. "He has the quickness of a Tony Parker. He has the eyes and the passing skills of a Jason Kidd. He has to establish that 15-foot jumper, make it stick and be consistent. But I'm very, very, very, very impressed with Rondo." Garnett said he constantly gets asked if the Celtics can truly be a championship team when they rely on a second-year point guard, and he makes it clear that Rondo can handle the pressure. "He was thrown in that position for a reason, and if Doc didn't believe in him or he thought he was too young to have it he wouldn't have put him in that position. It wasn't like he got it [because] it was on the table and he took it off. He earned it, busted his ass and earned it," Garnett said, noting that Rondo watches tons of film. "He's like a student. He has this little video pocket thing that has all the film on it and he carries it around. You laugh at it but at the same time you're impressed," Garnett says. "When you see a guy like that working toward his goals, its good to see." Watching film is just part of the renovation. Since his college days, Rondo's been hearing that he can't shoot. He heard it again at the NBA Draft and he heard it last season, and the critics had a point. While he was effective scoring around the basket, when left open for midrange jumpers, Rondo was a liability because he didn't want to shoot them, and when he did, he wasn't connecting. According to NBA.com's shot charting tool, last season Rondo hit just 38 of his 123 (31%) mid-range jumpers. In contrast, through the first 40 games this season, Rondo had already knocked down 53 of his 117 mid-range shots (45%), a drastic improvement that has not gone unnoticed. Along with his ability to finish at the rim, this enhancement contributes to his ranking among the top 15 guards in the league in shooting percentage this season. Still, opposing teams continue to challenge Rondo to beat them by leaving him wide open to double-team Garnett, Pierce or Allen. "I'm not the All-Star, those three guys are the All-Stars. So they're going to try to take away our main threats. I'd probably do the same thing, make the other guys beat us," Rondo says. "Now I'm getting a lot more open shots with those guys. When it's uncontested, it's just like practice." Rondo insists that he hasn't changed his shooting technique at all, but he has taken notes from teammate Ray Allen with regard to how he practices his shot. He concentrates on replicating game-situations in his shooting drills, focusing on details like trying to ensure he's getting the same type of elevation on his jumpshot in the gym as he would during a game in the arena. Room for Improvement Shooting is just part of the equation. While Rondo has proven to be one of the best ball-stealers in the league (he lead the NBA in steals per 48 minutes last year), too often his gambling has led to defensive breakdowns for the team, something his coaches won't tolerate. "Rajon is like a really good roller coaster. He has some really good highs, but he goes up and down," Rivers says. "The fans see the steals, but we talk about solid defense." Early in the season, Rivers challenged Rondo to improve his defense because opposing point guards were torching the Celtics. Himself a former point guard, Rivers has traditionally been tough on his young point guards. He's been no different with Rondo. When a TV reporter asked Rivers about Rondo's play in December, likely expecting to hear praise for his improved shooting, he instead got a pointed answer about the second year guard's deficiencies on the other end of the floor. It's certainly nothing that Rondo hasn't already heard from his coach, but Rivers seemed to make a point about letting it be known in no uncertain terms: Rondo must improve on the defensive end. "He's got to be a better defensive player. He's got to improve defensively," Rivers says. "If he improves defensively we're going to be fine. I love who he is, I love the potential, but for us to be a better team, Rajon Rondo has to keep working and improving on his defense. When he does that, then I'm going to be really excited about his game. He's going to work on it, and he's going to do it." "He's got to be a better defensive player. He's got to improve defensively," Rivers says. "If he improves defensively we're going to be fine. I love who he is, I love the potential, but for us to be a better team, Rajon Rondo has to keep working and improving on his defense. When he does that, then I'm going to be really excited about his game. He's going to work on it, and he's going to do it." Consider the gauntlet thrown down. The pro game moves decidedly quicker and is incredibly physical in comparison to college basketball. Rondo and his 6'1", 171 lbs. frame is still finding this out. "Every night, it's a beating you take," Rondo said of defending the pick-and-roll, the NBA's staple play. For a point guard, defending the play includes recognizing the personnel running the play (is the guard a shooter or a threat to penetrate? Will the big pop out or head for the hoop? Are we trapping the play?), trying to avoid the pick all together, and if that doesn't work, fighting over players who are typically twice his size. Depending on the game plan, the defensive strategy can change from night-to-night, and in some cases, minute-to-minute when the game's on the line. But pick-and-roll defense is just a part of the equation, and for Rondo, improvement on the defensive end boils down to the basics: keeping his man in front of him and picking his spots when it comes to going for the steal. Rondo acknowledged as much, admitting that he probably gambles too much because of his natural abilities. "I think I stand up more often than I should on defense. I've got to be solid and continue to get better," Rondo said. "Stay between my man and the basket." Above-average quickness, surprisingly good leaping ability, long arms and freakishly huge hands (reportedly the largest hands the Celtics current training staff has ever measured) are great attributes for an open court defender, but Rondo is still undersized against guys like Chauncey Billups, Deron Williams and some of the larger point guards of the league. If they're not trying to rub him off on a pick on the top of the key, they'll take him on the box and try to post him up. "Each guy you play, not just the elite guys, because it's the NBA, every night you've got to make an adjustment. The more you play against a guy, the better a feel you have for him," Rondo says. With just a year of pro experience, Rondo is still learning the league's personnel and how to defend his opponents. Perhaps more importantly, he's learning about being a leader, running a team and managing a trio of superstars. Mon, 23 Jun 2008 13:05:25 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281050 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/281050 and so it begins. the postseason. also known as - the basketball free time, in which i am rather sad and much more focused on other things in life, like leaving the house when a game would normally be on, or spending hard earned dollars on tasty beers and trips to the beach instead of a random ticket. another alias? the time that i pine for ncaa and nba action like it's my job. good grief, what am i going to do with myself until the fall? try to have a solidly awesome fantasy football team? begin mass production of what would randy moss do bracelets? try to pay attention to an entire game of baseball? i love the sox, but come on, that's a lot to ask for! replay the tournament over again to keep myself entertained? develop a sudden obsession with the mechanics of table tennis? learn to blog about interesting subjects like how many vertebrae the average tyrannosaurus rex has? quietly mutter about how we were a tyree catch away from a trifecta? (as long as i live, i will never forgive that guy. ever.) with a grad school stint looming, this was my season of celtics - being able to go to games and cap it off with a trip to the clincher. i apologize if i sound like an ass, but i'm still in shock and very happy disbelief. and as popular as it is to say on yardbarker these days, i do actually owe my renewed interest in the celtics to a certain kentucky player who got sent to boston. i had a soft spot for the celtics because of antoine walker, but in 2006, it became a vested interest, thanks to my dad, who had (hell, still has) a habit of calling me after UK wins and asking, "did you see rondo? he was awesome!" my pops, he loves his uk basketball. and that got instilled into everyone in our family. once a player is a great wildcat, you want to see them do well in the future. getting back to the celtics point, this season suddenly became a really crazy journey for the city of boston. people embraced the celtics again. i went from being laughed at at the preseason finale in october for cheering like a nerd for my favorite celtic to joining throngs of fans and friends in raucous yells for the bench. last year? drunk in the cheap seats. this year? taking in every moment with an eagle eye and relishing it. last summer? "why do you want that guy's shirt - he's a non performer!" to seeing 10 of the same shirt on my walk home from work this evening. it's amazing how much winning changes this city. even yesterday on the way to TD, people rolled down their windows and said "we will win it tonight!" that NEVER happens! and i, no, we, owe it all to every person on that team. it's like doc said, money and trade moves cannot buy you a championship. trusting your teammates, stepping up for them when they need you, and bringing your best game to the parquet will lead you there. it's about teamwork, sacrifice and dedication, and i've never been so fortunate to see a roster like this work together (i still remember the hornets when i was a kid, but it never felt like this). leon powe became a star and a success story over the season, big baby became the rookie fan favorite. rondo became a household name (and internet wonder). eddie house reminded me of the tasmanian devil. tony mastered his reverse, and emphatic dunk against the lakers. posey became as indispensable as garnett, pierce and allen. perk IS A BEAST. pj and sam were embraced so readily it was like they started the season in the garden. and the not-big-three were pivotal to making this city care about basketball again. i even have coworkers who love basketball! unreal! and pierce is finally, FINALLY, getting the respect and recognition he earned from his tenure here, and sticking with boston like it did with him. garnett and allen finally have their well-deserved championships. and i can only wonder if i will be satisfied watching from afar next year. after a season like this, it'll be tough, but i bet i'll find a way to make the best of it. after all, i have the internet to complain to if i can't, right? Thu, 19 Jun 2008 01:58:37 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/279732 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/279732 Somewhere Red Auerbach is smiling and lighting up a victory cigar. The Celtics delivered a beatdown of epic proportions Tuesday night to win their record seventeenth NBA championship, and first in 22 years. This year's final match-up was billed as a rebirth of the classic East Coast-West Coast rivalry that captivated the country in the 1980s, but turned into a lopsided affair dominated by the Boston defense. Wed, 18 Jun 2008 13:19:08 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/279455 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/279455