March 6th, 2013 at 10:27 PM
By Will ClarkStory
The deck was stacked against the Boston Celtics. They were on the road against the Indiana Pacers, the second best team in the Eastern Conference, on the second night of a back to back. They were down by 14 in the third quarter, and by nine more than half way through the fourth. Every call was going Indiana's way, every loose ball, every everything. But the Celtics somehow pulled it out. Jeff Green converted on a difficult feed from Kevin Garnett with 0.5 seconds remaining in regulation to cap an 11-0 Celtics run over the final 4:15. Garnett paced the Celtics with 18 points, while Paul Pierce and Avery Bradley added 13 each, and Green chipped in 11 including the biggest play of the game. Paul George led the way for Indiana with 16 points, and every Pacers' starter scored in double figures. But Indiana closed out the game by missing their final seven shots and turning the ball over three times.
Turning Point I
Read more... Join the Conversation... March 6th, 2013 at 12:06 PM
By Will ClarkFor much of the first half of the 2012-2013 NBA season Boston Celtic fans waited with baited breath for shooting guard Avery Bradley to return to the court after undergoing double shoulder surgery in the off season. However it was primarily Bradley's defense that had Celtic fans excited to see him back on the floor, as the Celtics had sorely missed him on the defensive end during their first 38 games of the year. Already one of the premier defenders in the game many fans are wont to look at anything Bradley does offensively simply as a bonus. However in the past few games the third year guard has shown that he is more than just a stopper.
Bradley will always be a defense first kind of player. He is so good at pressuring point guards that he can often wreck entire possessions all by himself. However Celtic fans saw toward the end of last season that there is more to Bradley than just his defense. It was pretty obvious the second he moved into the starting lineup that he can be an excellent catch a shoot player. He has a penchant for knocking down corner threes and also for fading to the wing for triples in transition. He shot better than 45 percent from beyond the arc during the second half of last season and looked poised for a true breakout year heading into the 2012-2013 as the full-fledged starter.
Read more... Join the Conversation... February 27th, 2013 at 10:47 AM
By Will ClarkThe Boston Celtics fans and paparazzi have been extremely critical of Celtic forward Brandon Bass this season. After a career year in 2012, Bass signed a three- year contract extension in the offseason with Boston, but he has regressed in every single significant statistic this year, leading many question why the forward has even remained in the starting lineup. However on Monday night, with the Celtics in Utah night to face the Jazz on the second half of a very tough back-to-back, Bass answered his critics by putting together his best game of the season. The forward was more aggressive than he has been in recent memory, throwing in an important 15 points while getting the free throw line seven times and adding two blocked shots. If that is the Brandon Bass that is going to show up every night, then he should remain in the starting lineup for the rest of the year.
Read more... Join the Conversation... February 25th, 2013 at 3:08 PM
By Will ClarkMore than halfway through the year, most Boston Celtics fans would classify the 2012-2013 season as a disappointment. After what most thought was an excellent offseason, the Celtics battled major inconsistency throughout the first half of the year, and then they got bitten viciously by the injury bug, losing Rajon Rondo, Jared Sullinger, and Leandro Barbosa to season ending injuries within a three week span. Perhaps the biggest disappointment this year has been the play of forward Brandon Bass. Not a lot has gone according to plan for Boston this year, and it is completely unfair to point at Bass as the sole reason for Boston's struggles. But coming off a career year in 2012 the 27-year old forward has seemingly regressed in every single aspect of his game, leaving many to question why he has remained in the Celtics' starting lineup for so long.
Read more... Join the Conversation... February 21st, 2013 at 1:30 PM
By Will ClarkThe Boston Celtics are heading into the NBA trade deadline on a two game losing streak, have been ravaged by injuries, and are facing serious questions about whether the franchise can compete for an NBA title now and in the future. As a result, Celtic President of Basketball Operations Danny Ainge is in a very tough spot, with numerous opportunities to improve the team on the table combined the grim reality that he is unlikely to get fair value in any trade involving one his star players. Rumors of deals involving Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, and Rajon Rondo have all come to the surface in the past week, as have more minor deals involving players like Jeff Green, Brandon Bass, and Courtney Lee. However, while moving Garnett or Rondo appears unlikely, trading Pierce may actually be in the Celtics best interest.
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