Player Evaluations

[Spicoli]

I'm curious to hear what you guys have to say about how each Celtic has played this season. Here are my evaluations:

KG: I remember watching KG in his Minnesota days, but i've never seen him shoot the ball as accurately as he has been lately. After a few games shooting like that, i would say it's a fluke, but he's been shooting at an insanely high clip for the past few weeks. I really like what i'm seeing out of KG this season. I would however, like for his rebounding numbers to go up a little bit.

Paul: Paul is having one of his best seasons from behind the arc, shooting 47 percent from deep. I've also noticed a slight difference in his release on the free throw line. I feel much more relaxed when he steps up there nowadays. Overall, i like everything that Paul is doing for the team this season.

Ray: Ray is having a tough year from beyond the arc, but i'm loving everything else about Ray's game this season. Ray is taking it to the hoop much more this year, and he's finishing at the rim with consistency. And even when Ray struggles, i know he can be counted on at the end. I do think Ray is having some trouble defensively, staying in front of his man. He was never a great defender, but he can do a better job with his man-to-man defense. Overall, i like the slashing/cutting Ray more than i like the Ray coming off screens and settling for long 3's. I think his game is more diverse this year, just like it was in his Seattle days.

Rondo:  Rondo has exceeded my expectations quite a bit. I always loved his speed/hustle/and the havoc he caused on the defense end, in the passing lanes. But this season he looks comfortable on the offensive end, whether it be finishing at the hoop, pulling up for the J, or even stepping up to the free throw line. One of my biggest complaints with him was, he never brought the same level of energy every single night, but this season he has proved me wrong. He's consistent now, and i'm very pleased with his progress.

Perk: Perk is one of my favorite players on the team. I just love everything he brings to the table. He's a great finisher, a great defender, and a great teammate. One thing i dislike about Perk, is his rebounding numbers. I don't see any reason why they shouldn't be higher. Other than the occasional technical foul, and lack of rebounds, i love everything Perk is doing out there.

Rasheed: Seems like whenever someone passes him the ball on the perimeter, he's playing hot potatoe and has to immediately release the ball. Even when Rasheed is dominating down low in the post, i always get the feeling that he gets bored with that. It seems like the 3 point shots are the only thing that actually excites him. If he's not shooting 3's, he looks kinda bored. I dunno. But, i feel comfortable with Rasheed. When he's out there for extended periods, i feel good. Rasheed is playing like how i thought he would when we signed him.

Shelden: Pleasant surprise. I had no idea what kind of player Shelden would be. He's a good rebounder, decent defender, good free throw shooter, and has a smooth looking jump shot. Does have brick hands though, and can't finish in traffic around the rim. For the price we paid for him, i think he's doing a great job out there.

Eddie: Whenever he releases the ball, i think it's going in. Hate him as a ballhandler though. I think he's been solid this season.

Marquis: Maybe his injury had something to do with it, but i've never seen Marquis miss so many easy shots/layups before. Watching him in Dallas, and in Indiana, Marquis was automatic when driving the lane and finishing at the rim. He's missed a lot of bunnies for us this year. I hope he improves on that when he returns from his injury.

Tony Allen: Still has the occasional idiotic play, but i think he's doing rather well out there. I don't cringe when he enters the game anymore, which says a lot.

Scal: If he's not making open 3's, he shouldn't be out there. It's as simple as that. I'm of the firm belief that he should never see more minutes than Shelden, no matter what the matchups say. What Shelden brings in the rebounding department will always be more than whatever it is that Scal is supposed to bring. Just my opinion though.


What are you guys' evaluations of the players this year?

[moiso]

Agree with most of your evaluations.  KG has become an incredible jump shooter.  I don't think his rebounding is going to improve much.  Perk's rebounding, either, for that matter.  I also prefer Shelden to Scal, and I really don't want to see Scal in the games at all.  One player I would evaluate differently is Wallace.  He's been a dud in my opinion.

[More Banners]

I generally agree, Except for Sheed and Eddie.  I think he's better at the 5 than going against forwards these days, which is a limitation that is coming with age.  His rebounding has been a bright spot.  I think he'll team up well with BBD in the frontcourt.  I think Sheed has been good, but not great.

Eddie...I can't stand his game.  He's a chucker, and he has no other NBA-level skill other than chucking 3's, which makes him a marginal NBA player.

Sheldon has been good, but is mostly evaluated relative to salary...he's a good player for the minimum.  His skills seem limited, though, and it's no wonder he was considered a bust relative to draft position.  He would have been a great 2nd round pick, and probably would have been better off.  I think he's probably extended his NBA career, meaning, he'll get a contract next year, somewhere, because of what he's been able to show with the C's.  He gets a lot more love in these posts than a spot-minute role player off the bench probably deserves.

[Kiorrik]

TP, Great topic, will post later

[MattG12]

KG: A- (After the injury to the knee, it's hard to believe he's been so good in his return. I'm fine with his rebounding numbers, everybody should be taking a hit in RPG because of the abundance of good rebounders this team has.)

Paul: A- (The guy looks like he's in his 20's again. He's been slowing down a little bit as of late... 4-12 shooting in the Philly game didn't help, but then he bounced back with 29 against Minny in the next game. Overall, he's playing great.)

Ray: B+ (He's been fluctuating a bit all year. As Spicoli said, his 3Pt shooting has been off, but he's improved in other areas. As of late he's been picking it up, averaging about 18, 4 and 2 over the last 5 games, with okay shooting numbers.)

Perk: A (The meaning of above and beyond expectations. He's been awesome. Leading the team in blocking and rebounding. He's been dominant defensively. Turning into one of the top centers in the east if not the league.)

Rondo: A (One dry patch after signing his contract but it's not enough to drop his grade. As of late he's been looking like the same Rondo who averaged a triple double in the playoffs against the Bulls. He's scoring when they need baskets and passing when he's not scoring, playing exactly the way he should be. All Star.)

Sheed: C (I was definitely on board when the Celtics signed Sheed in the offseason but where are the blocks, rebounds, and 3Pt shooting numbers that I expected? 13 rebounds in the last game is more like it but Sheed definitely has to step it up. He's 3-18 shooting 3's over the last 5 games. The techs are getting ridiculous. I thought KG might be able to keep him from getting too out of control but I guess not.)

Eddie: C (He's been really annoying me this year. Not seeing anything special from him. 3-10 from 3 @Chicago on 12/12. 3-10. Like Sheed he's getting off plenty of shots and not hitting them. It wouldn't be so bad if that weren't pretty much the only thing he brings to the table.

Tony Allen: Incomplete (7 games isn't enough to get a grade. He is looking pretty good though, hopefully he keeps it up.)

Marquis: C- (Another signing I loved, but he hasn't done much. Hopefully when he comes back he will have improved.)

Glen Davis: Incomplete (I can't wait to see him get on the floor. He should be a big help to a team that doesn't need much help.)

J.R.: D- (I can't find it in me to give anybody an F, so J.R. gets a D-, he doesn't belong on this team, he brings nothing to the table.)

Lester: C (This is a very solid C. We haven't seen much of him but for a rookie taken with the third to last pick in the draft he's been great. He's a borderline "Incomplete".)

Scal: C- (I don't know whether Scal is the guy who does all of the little things or the veteran version of J.R. Giddens. Sometimes he's good and a lot of the time he's bad. When he's good it's still only good enough to be the last player on the rotation.)

Walker: Incomplete (Tearing it up in the D League. J.R. and Bill should trade places.)

Shelden: B- (Does everything that is asked of him. Plays fundamental basketball. Perfect role player. Wish we could see him more, and Scal less.)

Doc: A- (Occasional mistakes. 22-5 record. Needs to motivate the team to beat Orlando on Friday. If he can give me a Celtics win for Christmas, I'll change his grade to an A.)

TP to Spicoli, great topic!

[2short]

KG wip but a B+, he's a bit slow on defensive rotations (for him mind you), don't expect him to be playing at 100% for a bit longer but really happy with how he has looked
PP A, is doing whatever the team needs him to do, rebound, defend, score etc, hard to believe this is the same guy who was bandaged up after loosing the pacers series all those years ago
Ray B+ , his defense hasn't been as good as last year but he is doing more things as of late , love his new found skill of offensive rebounds which we need
Perk B - good solid B, I think Perk's ceiling is close now but he is playing within his own game, not trying to dunk the ball all the time has added 6 pts a game to his average, GREAT defensive center
Rondo A young kid is going to be mvp of the team if he continues, grade isn't higher because of a bad stretch of games but he makes the team go, dominate player at times
'Sheed C+, I think he's going to figure out everything the team needs from him (except T's!), better team player than I thought, less 3's less T's!!!
Eddie C- , I have not been happy with eddie this season, if his shot isn't falling he isn't much help, a 1 dimensional guy
TA for what he's played so far C, hope he plays within himself and does what is needed, offensive rebounds, defense and running floor DON'T THINK!
Marquis B-, I love the control he brings to 2nd unit and feel his wrist injury was the reason for some shots not falling, is going to be a big help to us, can give us starting minutes at either sg or sf and not hurt us
Davis-incomplete but in the dog house for injury
Giddens-D , gives effort but is not an nba player, assume he's going somewhere with walker called back up
Hudson C-, hasn't shown enough to be nba ready (this year) but I like what he brings to the game, speed, jumper, defense and he is more a pg than daniels or house
Scal-C- , gives us good vet presence, shouldn't be getting more than 10 minutes a game but does help with a lot of things that don't show up in box score much like daniels but slower version that can't do much
walker, incomplete but I expect him to help at sf in limited minutes
Williams C+, great surprise!!! Hands of stone but good rebounder, would probably lead the team in rebounds if got minutes, like his j better than davis' and plays good defense, great guy to have as 4th big off bench

[Spilling Green Dye]

My grades are based upon how they are performing compared to what I expected.

KG: A.  While he hasn’t fully been playing optimal basketball, he has recovered significantly from the knee surgery and still plays with fire in his eyes.  Given the state of his knee this past September, I couldn’t have asked for more from KG.

Paul: A-.   He’s been playing great and bringing it every night.  The only reason I’m not giving him a straight A is because I think he needs to be a bit more vocal to teammates when they are underperforming (Rondo sometimes, Wallace other times, etc).  

Ray:   B-.   The shooting woes don’t really bother me because I know he has put in the repetition to succeed.  My main issue is with his led feet on defense and continued inability to handle the ball on a fast break.  However, I do like that Ray has been driving to the hoop a bit more this year.  

Perk: A-.   I love how Perkins is always trying to work on his game.  I only have two minor knocks on him:  1)  When he gets an offensive rebound he brings the ball down low too often.  This is one of the fundamentals they teach big men… put it right back up.  2)  Once he gets the ball in the post he has tunnel vision and NEVER passes.  

Rondo: B+.   I think he’s playing well, but until he stays in front of his man every minute he’s in the game, I won’t be giving him an A.  

Sheed:  B.  He doesn’t go to the post enough, and isn’t in good enough shape.  However, I like how he has anchored the 2nd team on defense and how he is changing his game for the better as the season goes along.  He’s going to the post more now and taking charge.  I love watching him play defense because he does so many little things right.  Also, he might be the best rebounder on the team… just look what happened when he started.

Eddie: B.  His play might reflect a slightly lower grade, but I think that’s in large part due to the pathetic plays and screens they run for Eddie.  His defender usually has no trouble staying on Eddie b/c the bench sets lousy screens.  I love how he’s still playing his game and isn’t afraid to shoot if he’s been cold.

Tony Allen:  B+.   I was in the group that thought he still had some value on defense, but am thoroughly surprised by his performances recently.  I didn’t expect Tony to contribute to this team, but now I think he’ll be of value come playoff time.

Marquis:  B+.   He’s certainly the player that Danny touted, and I love his composure on the court.  He’s also playing better defense than I expected he would.

Glen Davis: F-.   He clamored for a big raise, received a big raise in a new contract, and then proceeded to injure himself in a drunken tough guy competition.  We expected him to have a contribution to this team and so far he has played 0 minutes and only contributed in the “distraction” category.  You can’t give him an “incomplete” evaluation grade simply because you know exactly what he has contributed to the Celtics so far this season.

J.R.:  D.  He’s not an NBA caliber player and has essentially shown that he never will be.  

Lester: B+.   He’s very young and playing a difficult position in the NBA.  I didn’t expect much at all after seeing Pruitt, etc., but Lester is being aggressive and playing his game.  I doubt he’ll be a superstar in this league, but he has a shot to be a regular.

Scal:  C-.   He still minimizes his mistakes and never misses his defensive assignment.  Outside of that he has regressed in virtually every other facet of the game.  He shouldn’t be getting minutes over Shelden.

Walker:  C+.   His positives are that he’s playing his butt on the D-league and he does some good charity work.  That aside, his game probably won’t translate into an NBA career, and he won’t b helping the Celtics out down the stretch.

Shelden: A.  He’s not playing perfect basketball, but he has greatly exceeded my initial expectation.  He hustles, rebounds well, gets to the free throw line, runs on a fast break, and has learned the defensive schemes fairly quickly.  I’d like to see him get better “hands”, finish around the rim a bit better, and most importantly get more minutes.  

Doc: A-.   Great spread of the minutes and not panicking early on when the Celtics had that bad stretch of games.  I especially liked his half-time strategy during the last Pacers game, “stick to the gameplan, just work harder and execute it.”

[Rondo_is_better]

Chill on Glen Davis.

[makaveli]

Chill on Glen Davis.

Yeah, I'm so excited to get him back, I think he will play with "I got a game winner in the playoffs to keep our hope alive swagger" and I LOVE IT   

[MattG12]

Chill on Glen Davis.

Yeah, I'm so excited to get him back, I think he will play with "I got a game winner in the playoffs to keep our hope alive swagger" and I LOVE IT   

That's the way I see it... can't wait.

[BballTim]

Rondo: B+.   I think he’s playing well, but until he stays in front of his man every minute he’s in the game, I won’t be giving him an A.  

  So all he has to do to earn an A is be the best defender in the history of the game? You're setting the bar pretty low.

[snively]

Rondo: B+.   I think he’s playing well, but until he stays in front of his man every minute he’s in the game, I won’t be giving him an A.  

  So all he has to do to earn an A is be the best defender in the history of the game? You're setting the bar pretty low.

Amen, I was wondering if someone else would catch that.

[Spilling Green Dye]

Rondo: B+.   I think he’s playing well, but until he stays in front of his man every minute he’s in the game, I won’t be giving him an A.  

  So all he has to do to earn an A is be the best defender in the history of the game? You're setting the bar pretty low.

Amen, I was wondering if someone else would catch that.

Perhaps "every minute" was a bit extreme, but I want to see him consistently play D with the intention to stay in front of his man.  You can't tell me this is how he plays now.

[Spilling Green Dye]

Chill on Glen Davis.

Yeah, I'm so excited to get him back, I think he will play with "I got a game winner in the playoffs to keep our hope alive swagger" and I LOVE IT   

That's the way I see it... can't wait.

Chill on Davis?  I never said anything about not wanting him back.  Of course I want him back for added depth, and to eat up some minutes so the other bigs can get rest during the season.  But as I stated prior to giving my grades, I was grading upon how each player has met my expectation.  Based upon my analysis of Davis it'd be ridiculous to give him anything but an F.  I expected him to continue to grow as a player and as a person.  Instead he's given 0.  Fortunately once he's back he'll quickly raise that grade up.

[BballTim]

Rondo: B+.   I think he’s playing well, but until he stays in front of his man every minute he’s in the game, I won’t be giving him an A.  

  So all he has to do to earn an A is be the best defender in the history of the game? You're setting the bar pretty low.

Amen, I was wondering if someone else would catch that.

Perhaps "every minute" was a bit extreme, but I want to see him consistently play D with the intention to stay in front of his man.  You can't tell me this is how he plays now.

  How many point guards are consistently better defenders than Rondo? And are we positive that his instructions from the coaches are to stick with his man and keep him in front of him at all costs?