A brief summation and observation of pluses and minuses from last night's game ... please feel free to critique or add your own comments or assessments. I think we have a very exciting season on the way ... let's pray everyone stays healthy, (crosses fingers once again), and the officials work out an agreement with the league.
KG + : Moved well, seemingly free of any limp or favoritism; nailed his favorite 18-foot shot right out of the box; defense was awesome with 2 steals and denying the post; was "himself" physically and mentally, playing relaxed and fluid, and being "Coach Garnett" from the bench.
KG - : Not 100% yet, but not expected to be anyway; hoped to see him a few more than 5 minutes in the second half, and was questioning why he was pulled a bit earlier than what Doc had stated.
Pierce + : Did what he does best: creating fouls going to the basket; defense was decent and good inside passing to set up teammates; looked to be in great shape physically.
Pierce - : Was very quiet offensively - if there was one standout disappointment, it was that Paul did not seem to be himself, but with few minutes played, it's not a worry.
Ray Allen + : Obviously in great shape, moving quickly and smoothly off picks, looking for his shot, and passing very well; confidence is very high, shooting stroke is fluid and his chemistry with the other starters seems to be better than ever.
Ray Allen - : Honestly can't remember anything negative that stood out about Ray.
Rondo + : Looked very good physically, mentally confident and in-sync with the other starters; got to the basket easily when he made the decision to do so; was very effective defensively.
Rondo - : Seemed hesitant to look for his shot; didn't look to drive the lane as much as he could, (when he sets his mind to it, he can get to the hoop anytime he wants); has got to improve his foul shooting.
Perk + : Has lost weight and looks great; seems to be in the best shape of his career; moving quicker, running the floor on the break at times, and posting-up faster; some great defensive moves and blocks and looking for his shot; seems to be a more cohesive part of the starting five.
Perk - : Not much negative, but he's got to stop showing the ball to the defender and dribbling before his shot - teams are just waiting for this.
Sheed + : This was hard for me, because I've never liked this guy, but I think he's going to be a great fit for this team; played very well at both ends, looked to be in good shape, and was stroking his shot well; set up some great passes and was a force defensively.
Sheed - : Technical foul - his mouth has always been his biggest detriment, and he's got to be more conscious of it on this team; seemed to be a bit confused with the plays at times, but hey - it's only October.
Big Baby + : Has lost a great deal of weight, (maybe 40+?), and looks to be in great shape; had some nice post moves and good defensive presence; nice interior passing and more team-conscious.
Big Baby - : Still tries to do too much at times, but that will come with maturity; needs to look for his shot more and get to the line; his role is still a bit "undefined" ... but that's not really up to him.
House + : Eddie did not surprise or disappoint tonight, but came in and did what he usually does; seems to be in good shape and knows what his role is, despite the new additions; adapts well and always works hard.
House - : I'd like to see Eddie get to the hoop more and be a bit more defensively-minded.
Scal + : Brian looked to be in good shape also, and seemed to work well with the new players.
Scal - : Seems to focus on just staying on the perimeter, and I think he could be more effective inside.
Daniels + : Was voted "Player of the Game"; already seems to know and accept his role on this team, and seems fairly comfortable with it; is very athletic and moves extremely well on offense and defense; good passer and good shooting stroke; sees the whole floor very well and looks to reward his teammates; going to be a great fit for this team.
Daniels - : A bit unsure of the plays, (understandably), and somewhat hesitant to shoot, which will come with time; needs to get to the hoop more often.
Williams + : Seemed a bit tentative on offense, but defensively was a force, with 5 rebounds in 18 minutes; looked like he was fairly comfortable with the play calling and rotation.
Williams - : Would have liked to see more offense from him and more conscious of where his teammates are on the floor.
Hudson + : Did a great job creating offense and getting to the stripe, reminds me of Dee Brown/Reggie Lewis; very athletic and a high-flyer; excited to see more of this kid.
Hudson - : Rookie hesitancies, (understandably), and seemed to be a bit over-confident at times and reluctant to pass the ball.
Giddens + :Very athletic and fast, this kid can get to the hoop any time he wants to.
Giddens - : Struggled on both ends, seemed to lack confidence and knowledge of the plays; head was not in the game ... first-night jitters?
Sweetney + : I was amazed at how he moved for such a massive frame ... quick feet and uses his body well; was high-scorer, and really a nice surprise; I love guys who make the most of small opportunities, (doesn't stand much chance of sticking around here).
Sweetney - : Obviously needs to get in better shape, look to pass more and more aware on defense.
Team + : The starting five were very much in-sync in the first quarter, running plays smoothly and staying loose; Looked good at both ends of the floor in first half, great interior passing and communication; in the best physical shape since the "Big Three" have been together; nine steals and seven blocked shots - not bad; bench was really a pleasant surprise, and played much better than I expected ... this team is DEEP!
Team - : LOST GAME, (I know - no big deal - but I still look for the "win" mentality, even in the off-season); foul shooting was horrible - missed 20 shots from the stripe, which is inexcusable; far too many turnovers, (18), this plagued them last year and they've got to take care of the ball more; would like to see more assists, but that will come with time; whole team struggled in second half, look to be more consistent.
Biggest "plus": KG is back! He's moving well, in high spirits and seems to be his old self, (speculation now ends). I was very pleased overall, despite the loss ... they're in such great shape physically and most of the bench got minutes. I would have liked to have seen Walker with these new additions, but that and Pierce's quiet performance were the only standouts for me, (and I'm not worried about Paul at all). The replacement refs did a good job in the first half, then completely fell apart, with a slew of bad calls toward the end of the game. All-in-all I think it can be summed up as very positive, and I'm extremely optimistic about this season with what I saw last night. Overall grade? Personally I think about a B+ ... and that to me is better than expected for the first game of the year ... can't wait for the next few games to see how things develop! What grade would you give the team after last night's performance? GO CELTS!
Topic: Pre-Season Game 1 Observations (Read 3737 times)