Part 3 of the so called “Texas triangle ” starts @ 8 PM tonight on TNT and I can’t say enough about this team. This is easily the deepest Celtics bench I’ve seen in 20 years, where on any given night, you could have multiple double digit contributors. Moreover, defensively this is the best Celtics squad I’ve seen since our last title run. The 3rd quarter in Houston was a perfect blend of defensive intensity and the unstoppable machine-like offense we employ. Houston was powerless and couldn’t stop us as we executed our will. Heinson must have enjoyed that 2nd half as we consistently looked to run @ every opportunity and pounded it inside. Can you remember so many different Celtics finding the outlet man? Every other play was like 2-3 passes and a layup. Amazing!
Separately, Cassell really needs to look beyond himself as the 1st option on the break… dude, you’re playing with Paul and KG for Christ sakes!! Honestly I love his offense, but this isn’t the Clippers man. Since he a veteran he’s going to find his niche because he realizes the guys respect Doc. How about PJ coming out of retirement, just because he wants another title; too funny. It should be painfully clear to everyone by now that this team is obnoxiously talented @ every single position. Battier, not as talented and without Yao, we simply pounded the ball inside to Powe & KG with tremendous efficiency. Tonight Dallas will look to run and I expect KG’s off man, whether it’s Perk or Paul to throw down tonight. Dallas has a decent bench, but they lack defensive prowess to hang with us for more than 2 quarters.
The Houston game showed me that this team is really serious about a title. Rondo’s opening minutes really impressed me. I respect that 1) he stood up to skip-to-my-lou and 2) rebounded after that initial distraction. I loved that he brought his street ball element in that game, it’s precisely the type of move you’d expect from an up-and-comer. Rondo is maturing this year and honestly the sky is the limit when you’re that athletic. That’s the thing most folks don’t realize about NBA ballers, they are some of the best conditioned athletes in the world. These guys are incredibly strong, cat-quick, have amazing reflexes/recognition, and really understand the game. I know this because @ 22 I played with a few NBA starters. When you’re on that level and playing with similar talent the holes in your game disappear. As a result, your game opens up and you focus on all the little things it takes to win. Pierce has always been a complete player, it just took comparable talent for the non-basketball fans to realize it. 1 thing is for certain, these guys know their role and believe in each other. This trust factor makes all the difference.
Kudos’s to danny-boy and you too Doc; I didn’t know you had it in you. Man I sure wish Red was here to see all this…
My favorite source to hear about as a sportswriter during the NFL free agency madness is the ubiquitous “source close to player X”. Who is it per se? The agent, perhaps wanting to scare another team into a better offer for their client? One of the players entourage just running off at the mouth? The team GM with the intention of swinging favor with the press and the fans towards the team and away from the player? Well a source close to Randy Moss claims a 3 year, 27 million dollar deal is on the table right now and Moss is contemplating signing it. The recent loss of Asante Samuel means that Pats fans will have to hope that this Moss source is well connected to Randy. I for one hope it is a strange, grudgemaster genius in a gray hoodie.
February 24, 2008 – 4:04 am
Showdown in Memphis and this game is playing out as advertised. Rose looks like the genuine article and the players look completely stoked. Douglas-Roberts looks every bit the all America. Looks like this one will go down to the wire. btw, what impact would you say Rod Strickland has had on the Memphis program?
February 15, 2008 – 3:56 am
Congress wasted 4 hours and 42 minutes of taxpayers time and money today and accomplished nothing. Oh wait. We learned that they like to divide among party lines. Shocking, huh? Republicans took Clemens side while the Dems tended to lean towards McNamee story. Chairman Waxman perhaps permanentley tarnished his reputation by apoligizing to McNamee is his closing argument/statement. Apoligizing to a cop turned drug dealer who admitted to dozens of lies today? I bet your constituants in the 30th district in California liked those comments Henry. Clemens may have hurt himself by trashing steroids in one of his final statements, while not even referencing HGH. However, Clemens did defend himself forcefully throughout the hearings. When commenting on whether or not he had visited Jose Canseco’s house for a party 9 or 10 years ago, while unsure if he had, “I know one thing. I wasn’t there huddled up making a drug deal.” Now where were Canseco, Chuck Knoblauch, and Andy Pettite today? These men who could cooraborate McNamees story were not called to be there? Perhaps Congress didn’t want more of McNamees lies exposed. It is said that everyone gets their 15 minutes of fame in life. It looked today as if Congressmen/women wanted their 5 minutes on ESPN today. Perhaps Rep. Christopher Shays put it best saying that these meetings were “spectacular”. Spectacular for face time in an election year.
February 15, 2008 – 3:55 am
Rick Pitino dressed up as everyones favorite gangster Tony Montana on Saturday. After a lousy first half, he switched to a conservative blue suit. He claimed he spilled diet coke on Tony’s, but I think Louisville players were just ripping him apart with Scarface lines. “I told you Rick, no kids. But you wouldn’t listen.” “Say hello to my horrible suit“. By the way Louisville came back from an 8 point halftime deficit to knock off #6 Georgetown, probably guaranteeing we will never see Rick Montana again. Well except when he is recruiting. I always tell the truth. Even when I lie.
February 15, 2008 – 3:54 am
Shaquille O’Neal held his introductory press conference today and sportwriters everywhere rejoiced. In addition to giving himself the above title, he called the trade “The Amare Stoudemire Project.” Even though Shaq said he was done rapping or acting, he still was telling some stories that he may have been taking artistic license with. Whether it was Dale Brown and John Wooden waking him up as he slept through a class at LSU, or him only finding out about the trade after its completion as he left a doctor’s office, its clear the old MC still likes to spit a tale once in a while. Shaq is the only person alive who can say the phrase “I’m very, very excited” in a monotone and you believe him. The six titles that Jordan has also seems to be a driving factor for Shaq as he referenced getting six on numerous occasions while invoking Jordan’s name. The “I will win because everyone doubts and/or hates me” mantra that has cropped up in sports seems to have a firm grasp on The Diesel as well. One of the few times he smiled during the questioning was when he said, “I love making people eat their words” only to top that with “When I get angry, I win championships.” Thats right Shaq. All of us go around doubting fourteen time allstars who have four rings. Especially when you add them to a former back to back NBA MVP in Steve Nash. Good luck getting into the playoffs. You should be able to squeak out a seven or eight seed.
February 15, 2008 – 3:53 am
Rajon Rondo was once thought to be in the mix and possibly become the #1 pick in the 2006 NBA draft. He has shown the draftniks right on the last two nights with not only sensational play, but also the desire to want to ball in his hands late. Despite numerous turnovers late in a 1 point to the Cavaliers he came back to shred the Clippers last night with 24 points and 8 assists. Even with the Big Three, the Celtics will need Rondo to keep up his dominating play and attitude in order to bring title 17 to Boston.
February 15, 2008 – 3:53 am
It is a bad time in beantown. Grown men were seen with reddened eyes all across the city monday morning and the state of shock continued into this afternoon for this writer in particular. To go into the particulars of what happened would be as futile as describing your first love lost. It was real bad, enough said. Tipoff three hours away in Cleveland for the Celtics has me digging out of the despair if only until Tommy Heinsohn’s first mention of “The Loss” as it will be known henceforth. Cheer up everybody. The NBA playoffs start April 19.
February 15, 2008 – 3:52 am
Look. I understand, it’s a business. Legacy is great and all, but the bills need paying simple & plain. You know this and the PATS are the masters at this. So, goodbye Asante, it was nice knowing ya. Sure, I know your jaded and rightfully so, you were good, real good, but big time players get paid for making the big time plays. Right? We both know your dropping that game ending pick Sunday cost you millions of dollars. Think the PATS won’t start your contract negotiations with that? I’d be beating myself over the head too; even I thought you had it. Would it be wrong to proselytize that instead of seeing the football you saw dollar signs as that pass spiraled towards you? What are the Vegas odds that in a non-contract year, you make that pick easily and the 2008 PATS roll into history? Tell me where to stand, because I’d take those odds all day long knowing you’re money.
Now, I know what you’d say and the PATS know it too. You are money. Hobbs is just a back up nickel back pretending to be a 3 down player, so you guys need me like TI needs TIP. Gay, sure he’s great, but like TIP we keep passing each other in the mirror and then the shit mysteriously breaks. See you in 6 months Randall, maybe Rodney and Seau can lend you some of their rejuve-juice so 10 years and like 100 picks later you’ll be HOF too. Seriously though, Gay, you were one of the PATS who showed me something else Sunday. There will always be spots for players like yourself on our team.
I think that ultimately the bold play is this… move Harrison to nickel, he can moonlight blitzing, have fun stopping the run, and won’t be able to break a linebacker’s arm. Sorry Senor Seau, I’m retiring you now, please remember to discard your popcorn on the way out… oh and don’t forget Wilson too, you guys can catch that next flick together. Sanders I now promote you to SS with Sir Merriweather at FS. From now on I’m just going to call Merriweather “kid instinct”. Pioli/Belicheck please draft me another money corner to play with and resign me, or I guess you could try Plan Brown and I-smoke-a-lot Andrews. PATS fans out there, isn’t that the play??? After all if that doesn’t work, we both know you’ll get a $15 mil bonus and $9 mil over 4 years somewhere else.
February 15, 2008 – 3:51 am
Book the tickets to Canton! Legendary patriots linebacker Andre Tippett was inducted into the NFL Hall of Fame today. As only the third pat to end his career with admittance to 2121 George Halas Dr, today’s selection put him in with 1982 teammates Mike Haynes and John Hannah. The first patriots Superbowl appearance in the 1985 season was fueled by Andre’s 16.5 regular season sacks and dominant postseason. He ended his career after the 1993 season with 100 sacks. This writer is now going to look for his Andre Tippett Starting Lineup action figure from 1985 Christmas. Unbounced will be there in six months at the induction and we hope you are there. Perhaps by then Darrell Greens speech that started today will be over.
February 15, 2008 – 3:50 am
NBA all star reserves were announced yesterday and Ray Allen was not one the players named to the Eastern squad. Now, maybe the stand that I am taking is because of my close proximity to the New Garden, but the fact remains the Celtics are 36-8. They have a four game lead on the current number two seed for their conference, Detroit, and with an actually plausible 34-4 finish would join the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls as the only teams to win at least 70 games in a season.
Joe Johnson is a former first round draft pick of the Celtics that this writer saw show unbelievable flashes of talent at the 2001 summer league at Umass-Boston. When the buses would depart from the gym to take rabid fans back to the T, all the raving was done over Johnson and by far the star of the camp…. Kwame Brown. Johnson has gone on to stardom with the Hawks, a annually mediocre team that seems destined for the lottery again with only 18 wins. This is half the amount the Celtics have.
I know that Johnson averages 3 more points a game than Allen.(21-18). But Allen is clearly the better shooter going 42% from the floor despite the fact that almost half his shots are 3’s. Allen averaged 26 points a game for the Sonic a year ago. The dropoff is only due to Garnett and Pierce also having to get their numbers as well. Pierce’s name has been included only to justify showing the photo above.
February 15, 2008 – 3:50 am
For those of you checking in here for recent updates, thanks. I’ll be contributing to Unbounced along side Matty P. and I’d like to open up something for discussion that’s been bugging me as a PAT’s fan all year long. Those of us here in NE have become accustomed to greatness and to be candid, it’s unsettling when a receiver drops a pass, poorly executes a blocking assignment or pass pattern. The grim reality here is that unlike Randy Moss you can’t count on Donte Stallworth to catch passes in coverage. His concentration is poor in these instances, perhaps due to his Martian alter-ego Nicco and as a result, isn’t the go-to-guy that Gaffney, Welker, Moss, or Watson have been in those situations. Football is a situation game and if you can’t adjust, you don’t play.
Here’s a fascinating statistic. Take a quick moment and look at Brady’s INTs on the year and one thing will most certainly stand out, Stallworth was the intended receiver on at least 50% of those throws. This stat should resonate deeply with NFL purists and for a player drafted #13 overall it’s a major embarrassment. Yes Donte’s Madden speed may be 99, but when it’s tapped there’s picks and remains untapped while he’s riding pine in the clutch. After all what other team has a QB who throws a more catchable ball than Brady? Don’t be moved by this, but know that NE doesn’t have time for players who can’t adjust and I will bet you anything he’s moved in the off-season; we need another 3rd round pick anyway.
February 15, 2008 – 3:49 am
Back to our weekly feature on who the greatest rapper of all time really is. Our next MC may surprise and shock on the mic, but his appearence here should not. Eminem came into the mainstream via beat god Dr Dre, and it wasn’t only his vocabulary but his ability to change his flow from song to song, sometime verse to verse that made him an instant legend. Included here is a performance of If I get locked up live in London circa 1999.
Eminem “If I get locked up”
February 15, 2008 – 3:48 am
There is only one more opponent standing in the way of the Patriots and their pursuit of perfection. The defense won the final game of the year in Foxboro yesterday as Tom Brady threw three interceptions and Randy Moss was doubled covered for virtually the whole game. While this writer was cursed in his quest for the golden ticket, members of the Unbounced street team went and managed as always to bring you Boston sports, straight from the source. Stay tuned over the next couple weeks for Super Bowl updates. By the way, a San Diego newspaper is reporting today that Philip Rivers has a tear of the MCL. Seems as if Unbounced had that story Thursday night.
February 15, 2008 – 3:47 am
Boston television station Fox 25 is reporting that a source has informed them that one of Phillip Rivers’ injured knees has “a tear in a ligament”. There was no reference to which knee it might be or to the identity of the source. Do you think the Chargers want to play the Patriots with Billy Volek at quarterback?
February 15, 2008 – 3:47 am
Unbounced will be taking a look this week at some of the great rappers of all time to try and finally solve the debate on who is number one. For our first candidate, we look no further than The Notorious BIG, aka Biggie Smalls. This Brooklyn native ruled rap for just a few short years before his death in March of 1997. One of the ways we will judge who was the best is their skills live on the mic. Revolutionary concept, I know. So have a listen to Biggie live in Amsterdam with the Junior Mafia crew in 1996.
notorious-big-who-shot-yalive-with-junior-mafia.mp3
February 15, 2008 – 3:46 am
Patriots star receiver Randy Moss gave a two minute statement before practice on Wednesday denying reports that he had assaulted a female friend of eleven years. In fact Moss claims he is being extorted by the woman, Rachelle Washington, over an accident that seems to have involved Moss. “I’m not mad or bitter but I’m mad at the situation of extortion, yes, I’m mad about that,” Moss said. “For an accident to occur, stuff does happen.” Moss also said that Washington asked for a six figure settlement. A temporary injunction has been issued on the grounds of “dating violence” and restricts Moss from coming within 500 feet from here. While there are no current criminal charges against Moss, a court date the Monday before the Superbowl is upcoming. Unbounced will keep you updated on this story with any developments as they occur.
February 15, 2008 – 3:45 am
There was once a time in hip hop where skills actually mattered. When it wasn’t about who had the newest Bentley, or the chain that currently owned the Guiness World Record, but rather what could you do with the sound system at hand. While things seem bleak, it is one of the core beliefs of Unbounced.com that this culture will be preserved and and revitalized right here. For right now, have a little taste. This is the legendary DJ Scratch performing between Keith Murray and EPMD sets at BB Kings in October of 2006. As always, Unbounced was there for a night of highs(chilling with Skoob of Das EFX) and lows(the non VIP bar running out of Hennessy). Stay tuned for more classic hip hop moments daily.
February 15, 2008 – 3:43 am
Like most New Englanders I cannot wait for spring. The snow will melt and the Sox will play. To keep you going, here was Manny at the parade. He was actually on the mic inviting everyone to a party at his house. Unbounced went but were unfortunately turned away at the entrance to his street by a private security force.
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