C's vs. Heat Big Men Dilemma

[jimmehx]

If we run with Semih and BBD, I don't want to sound like a pessimist, but we really don't have a shot of taking the game.

I'm sorry but I just cannot see it happening.

Hopefully Shaq starts and can play ~15-20...

[cman88]

if I were a betting man, id say shaq will play tomorrow...probably limited minutes say 15 with baby and semih taking some as well.

[j804]

I bet Shaq plays and this is Doc just being ambiguous.

However, this is getting a little silly.  I'm all for being cautious with Shaq, but it's a freakin' bruise.  It's not something that's going to morph into a more serious injury; it just hurts.  

He should play against the Heat.  

Agreed I've been saying this he needs to man up get off his lazy butt and play. Might as well coast the whole [dang] season and roll the dice like last year since the way it's looking.

[SalmonAndMashedPotatoes]

I bet Shaq plays and this is Doc just being ambiguous.

However, this is getting a little silly.  I'm all for being cautious with Shaq, but it's a freakin' bruise.  It's not something that's going to morph into a more serious injury; it just hurts.  

He should play against the Heat.  

A swollen knee greatly increases the chance of other injuries, everything from a complete blow out to a twisted ankle when you try to compensate poorly.

Shaq has a bone bruise on his fibular head (that's the top part of the smaller bone in your lower leg).  Bone bruises are actually micro-fractures, but will heal just fine in time.  The reason Shaq is being cautious with this particular fibular head is that he actually broke it about 20 years ago while he was in high school.

Technically speaking, Shaq's knee isn't swollen.  He *had* some residual swelling caused by the bone bruise, but that's all.  It's the other O'Neal who has the swollen knee.

[thirstyboots18]

I know that is Miami, and everyone wants to beat Miami, but it is only one game in a long season.  The season does not depend on this one game.  And, we still do have a big man, Semih, and KG, Glen Davis and Luke Harangody are still available.  The last I heard we still have Rondo. Pierce and Allen.  We  have a full team.  We can compete with Miami. 

Bosh is still Miami's big man and they haven't figured out how to use him effectively yet. 

I am very excited for this season, but until D. West is on the active roster (Perk's personal goal is the All Star Game) I will not consider us to be at full strength.

[Meadowlark_Scal]

Too bad we had to settle for M Daniels...TA could help BIG VS Miami....uhm....did someone ask for DEFENSE...  Or, show me how MD can cover lebron or wade.....

Let's check Tony's defense last year on DWade...... ouch
Let's check Tony's stats for Memphis this year
Tony did not help defend Lebron or Kobe.  Daniels can help on lebron but isn't strong enough, we only have Pierce on Lebron.  Granted he is one of the toughest guys in nba to guard, pf body with sf speed.  But please no Tony the human turnover.  He did a nice job last year but he hurts you as much as he helps you.

Sorry, but you missed a lot last year i think. TA's D helped us to the finals last year...and you , just like many here, see all of TA's mistakes, but then you don't see everyone elses....EVERYONE turned the ball over lasat year at critical times...pp did it, and ron artest stole the ball and went in for a layup at the end of the game....

 I will say that this is just my opinion, but TA did the D that let ray be the shooter, until the lakers saw that and artest took ray out, then kobe took perk out....but TA was the 2nd best defender, perk was #1 for us...MD hasn't shown anything for D yet, and has average O, and has easily as many turnovers as TA, if not more, counting all the lost passes he should brab.

[Meadowlark_Scal]

as T-boots said, it might be a good try to play gody for a bit, let him taste the action...might actually be better to try him  vs a lesser team...but put him out there...before march....like doc did to sheldon last year.....hey doc....that junk is dumb and it don't work....the regular season is only here to prepare for the playoffs, so form a full team, not just 6-8 guys...play the people you pay, make them work for the money and give them some incentive to get better...in the end, at least you will have trade bait...! ( the other teams at least will see what they can do).

[vinnie]

Tony Allen told the Celtics to get lost because he wanted to be the man. Now he is getting DNP-CDs in Memphis. Good luck to him, but I wish Celtics Nation could move on from a guy who really did not want to be here.

[clover]

Gody isn't even in the discussion to at least add some minutes, which isn't good at all.

[Celtics4ever]

They are a look good on paper team but they don't play well together and their coach is weak.   Even with a better coach we are talking about mentally weak LeBron here.

Any team with a low post game can go to town with impunity.

[Meadowlark_Scal]

Tony Allen told the Celtics to get lost because he wanted to be the man. Now he is getting DNP-CDs in Memphis. Good luck to him, but I wish Celtics Nation could move on from a guy who really did not want to be here.

Hey, i left a company at one time..then realized i made a mistake, and wanted to go back...and eventually i did...a man can make a mistake..and it wasn't ONLY TA, he would have stayed..we all know all boston teams do that...string the guy out thing....so we both now need each other..so fix it. this should be my next post...trade M Danials and Wafer for TA.....lets get our team going..danials turns it over even more than TA, and TA's D is so much better...

[Spilling Green Dye]

Tony Allen told the Celtics to get lost because he wanted to be the man. Now he is getting DNP-CDs in Memphis. Good luck to him, but I wish Celtics Nation could move on from a guy who really did not want to be here.

What?!  It's the man's only career, which on average lasts less than a decade for many, and he had an opportunity to not only make more money, but play more minutes.  Now, in the end it may not look good b/c he's not getting minutes, but at the time it was better for Tony.

Do people really forget the defense he played in the playoffs last year?!  My neighbor is a Chicago fan and was really hoping they'd sign Tony this past offseason, primarily b/c he considered him the best wing defender he had seen in the past few years.  

And don't give me the turnover BS.  This Celtics team, without Tony Allen, is still atrocious with turning the ball over.  And in game 7 last year Ray had some of the worst turnovers that I had seen in awhile.

But back to the big man discussion.  The Celtics can't take advantage of Bosh unless they specifically have Perkins and/or Shaq.  I know people like to compare Davis' numbers to Bosh's, but if that is the consistent matchup tonight then I think Bosh will have a bit of a breakout game.  

I personally hope that the next time Lebron or Wade drive to the hoop, someone fouls them extremely hard to let them know to stay out.  I'll never understand why people didn't do this against players like Tony Parker..

[Fafnir]

And don't give me the turnover BS.  This Celtics team, without Tony Allen, is still atrocious with turning the ball over.  And in game 7 last year Ray had some of the worst turnovers that I had seen in awhile.

The problem with Tony wasn't just turnovers, its that offensively he's an extreme liability.

If he was merely an average offensive player he'd be close to an all-star.

[Meadowlark_Scal]

And don't give me the turnover BS.  This Celtics team, without Tony Allen, is still atrocious with turning the ball over.  And in game 7 last year Ray had some of the worst turnovers that I had seen in awhile.

The problem with Tony wasn't just turnovers, its that offensively he's an extreme liability.

If he was merely an average offensive player he'd be close to an all-star.

i think a lot of that was a "band-wagon" hype, the more people started bashing tony, the more the stroy got bigger, and less actual. He was a great slasher, getting better as a shooter, a great dunker, MD has no dunk ability, or hasn't shown it, TA's D was outstanding, and last year, as he went along and recovered from his knee, everything was just getting better...compare him with MD, the guy we got stuck with, no D to speak of, avg O, an improving shot, no slashing, no fast breaks..did you forget all that TA did that easily, he helped us by stopping the big guns, which opened up Ray A, and PP, that block on Gasol..a turn-around-inducing spark......who do we now have that can do what TA did..?

[Fafnir]

And don't give me the turnover BS.  This Celtics team, without Tony Allen, is still atrocious with turning the ball over.  And in game 7 last year Ray had some of the worst turnovers that I had seen in awhile.

The problem with Tony wasn't just turnovers, its that offensively he's an extreme liability.

If he was merely an average offensive player he'd be close to an all-star.

i think a lot of that was a "band-wagon" hype, the more people started bashing tony, the more the stroy got bigger, and less actual. He was a great slasher, getting better as a shooter, a great dunker, MD has no dunk ability, or hasn't shown it, TA's D was outstanding, and last year, as he went along and recovered from his knee, everything was just getting better...compare him with MD, the guy we got stuck with, no D to speak of, avg O, an improving shot, no slashing, no fast breaks..did you forget all that TA did that easily, he helped us by stopping the big guns, which opened up Ray A, and PP, that block on Gasol..a turn-around-inducing spark......who do we now have that can do what TA did..?

Uh there is/was no band wagon effect about it. (and I'm not sure what Marquis Daniels has to do with anything)

Tony killed our offense when he was in the game. He had a huge negative offensive +/- rating and was frequently left unguarded because he wasn't a shooter and was turnover prone when driving. Only when it becomes a fast break game or when teams let him slash is he an offensive asset.

Against disciplined defensive teams he allows them to play 4 on 5.

He's a lock down defender, but he costs his teams more points than he prevents.