Celtics (35-25) at Bobcats (7-49) 4/15

[Q_FBE]

Happy to get through the trifecta relatively healthy. The war of attrition is affecting every team with key personnel out for each team it seems. I think Rondo needs some rest too. I hope Doc gives him rest when the regular season goals have been met ie the Atlantic Division title. I have enough confidence in them to get road wins in the playoffs just like what happened in 2010. Our magic number to clinch the Atlantic Division is three or four at this point. We are a good team right now and I just want them ready for the playoffs. Resting the big four would be a great idea.

[mqtcelticsfan]

Come on, eja. Doc could be the best in the world at developing players, and it wouldn't matter this year unless he gave Johnson some mega-steroids. JJJ simply needs time to grow.

[mqtcelticsfan]

I have to say, they better have a plan to get Rondo at least some rest before the playoffs. 42 minutes in the third game of a back-to-back-to-back is absurd. Add the fact that it was against the Bobcats and it's inexcusable.

[GreenFaith1819]

First of all, anyone claiming Ray Allen doesn't play very good defense, doesn't know what the heck they are talking about. Ray Allen plays very good defense, but there are just those times when his age and lack of speed shows. When you look at most of the games that are lost, Ray Allen usually isn't the one failing his defensive assignment in ways that costs us the game.

And, as impressed as I am with Bradley, and as much as I agree that he offers very helpful benefits over Ray in a starting role, what Ray Allen brings to this team can't be replaced by anybody, not even Bradley. What Ray lacks compared to Bradley, he makes up for in the fact that he's such a known quantity as far as his deadly 3 point shooting is concerned, that it forces defenses to pay attention to him in a way that opens up the floor for our other players in a way that just doesn't happen with any other Celtics player, and there's also the added benefit that it requires so much energy to defend and chase Ray around so constantly off screens. Ray usually always comes up big in the late game, clutch situations.

When Ray's threes are dropping, which is pretty [dang] often, it's almost unfair if any other Celtic is in a nice offensive groove as well. How quickly do people forget that Ray was our best player by far at the start of the season, and how soon do people forget the insane percentage from three that Ray was shooting in last year's playoffs. Do not doubt Ray Allen. There is no championship for this Celtics team without Ray Allen's contributions.

This. All the way.

[Smitty77]

Went to the game tonight and have now decided that Hollins might be the worst 7-footer in the league.  Perhaps even worse than Diop!!!

He did NOTHING positive IMHO!!!  He is horrendous.  I can see why the mighty Cavaliers waived him.

Smitty77

[Eja117]

Come on, eja. Doc could be the best in the world at developing players, and it wouldn't matter this year unless he gave Johnson some mega-steroids. JJJ simply needs time to grow.

I agree, but I don't think he needs much time to grow better than Hollins

[fairweatherfan]

First of all, anyone claiming Ray Allen doesn't play very good defense, doesn't know what the heck they are talking about. Ray Allen plays very good defense, but there are just those times when his age and lack of speed shows. When you look at most of the games that are lost, Ray Allen usually isn't the one failing his defensive assignment in ways that costs us the game.

And, as impressed as I am with Bradley, and as much as I agree that he offers very helpful benefits over Ray in a starting role, what Ray Allen brings to this team can't be replaced by anybody, not even Bradley. What Ray lacks compared to Bradley, he makes up for in the fact that he's such a known quantity as far as his deadly 3 point shooting is concerned, that it forces defenses to pay attention to him in a way that opens up the floor for our other players in a way that just doesn't happen with any other Celtics player, and there's also the added benefit that it requires so much energy to defend and chase Ray around so constantly off screens. Ray usually always comes up big in the late game, clutch situations.

When Ray's threes are dropping, which is pretty [dang] often, it's almost unfair if any other Celtic is in a nice offensive groove as well. How quickly do people forget that Ray was our best player by far at the start of the season, and how soon do people forget the insane percentage from three that Ray was shooting in last year's playoffs. Do not doubt Ray Allen. There is no championship for this Celtics team without Ray Allen's contributions.

Great post.  It's exciting to see Avery playing so well but let's not forget what we've got in Ray.  This should be posted in every Ray thread out there right now.

[arambone]

The team plays better with Bradley.

For this team, Bradley is the better player. And he's shooting better every game, we haven't seen him plateau to any degree. He's earning more and more national respect every week.

I wouldn't put it past him to hit 4 or 5 straight threes in a game this year, and he's more and more confident off the dribble.

I think Ray vs Bradley is a question that changes every day, away from Ray's favor.

[ImShakHeIsShaq]

The team plays better with Bradley.

For this team, Bradley is the better player. And he's shooting better every game, we haven't seen him plateau to any degree. He's earning more and more national respect every week.

I wouldn't put it past him to hit 4 or 5 straight threes in a game this year, and he's more and more confident off the dribble.

I think Ray vs Bradley is a question that changes every day, away from Ray's favor.

I can never understand why people even bring this up... it should NEVER be Ray vs. Bradley seeing as WE HAVE BOTH OF THEM!!!!!!! Opposition doesn't have to worry about who is our better player of the two because they have to face BOTH of them!!!! This ticks me off as much as people saying "Ray who?"... he is the friggen guy who will HELP us win the championship!! WE NEED BOTH OF THEM!!!! WE HAVE BOTH OF THEM!!!!! I'm not calling a specific person stupid BUT don't be stupid!

[j804]

I'm just now watching the game midway through the third and it's the AB and Steamboat show.

Who else wants Steamer to get meaner? You don't put your head down and just quietly stare at the ball when ya stuff someone, let's see you channel your inner Perk and give us a scowl 

[j804]

Why does Ryan Hollins play like a rookie? rofl

[BballTim]

The most notable things Ray and JON did this year was slow down the emergence of Avery and Steams.

That's Doc's fault, not theirs.  

Slowed down?  If they had been getting twenty minutes a game each from the first game on, would they be all stars by now?  

I don't see how you can fault Doc's development of these guys.  He's brought them along the right way.  That is; by giving them the opportunity when it presented itself and allowing them to learn and earn their way onto the court.

You are still stuck in this murky, mucky thinking that most of you had before the trade deadline that this was a tank year and the goal was to get as many young guys as many minutes as possible.

Look at that Bobcats team we played tonight, or the Wizards, or the Nets.  Are any of those young guys really learning anything valuable about how to be NBA players by getting minutes on those teams?

I say you learn more by sitting behind Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen and being ready when your time comes.  

Unfortunately, the fans encourage the loser mentality that has taken over for a majority of NBA franchises.   The Charlotte Bobcats may be nothing more than a developmental team, but not the Boston Celtics.  There's one goal:  Winning games.  If young guys are helping you do that; great!  If they aren't, they can wait 'till next year.  

No. I want Doc playing the best players. He didn't do that this year.

And yes. This could have happened a lot sooner

Greg Stiemsma and Avery Bradley were nowhere near as good in January and February as they are right now. 

Luckily, they've had Doc Rivers to teach them. 

That might be true, but we wouldn't know because they didn't get playing time.

  So people really think that Doc should give all of the backups plenty of time, even if he thinks that they'll fail, in order to demonstrate to fans who never go to practice that those players shouldn't be getting minutes?

No. Just the ones that always do well in games when they play and who are better than the options in front of them.

That means since February or earlier in some cases

Steams over JON
Bradley over Ray
JJJ over Hollins
and probably Etwaun over Dooling

It doesn't mean JJJ over KG or Etwaun over Pierce or something

  First of all, Doc tries to play the subs when they're likely to succeed and avoid bad matchups for them. Secondly, Hollins hasn't been on the team that long, and JJJ doesn't play center.

[Eja117]

The most notable things Ray and JON did this year was slow down the emergence of Avery and Steams.

That's Doc's fault, not theirs.  

Slowed down?  If they had been getting twenty minutes a game each from the first game on, would they be all stars by now?  

I don't see how you can fault Doc's development of these guys.  He's brought them along the right way.  That is; by giving them the opportunity when it presented itself and allowing them to learn and earn their way onto the court.

You are still stuck in this murky, mucky thinking that most of you had before the trade deadline that this was a tank year and the goal was to get as many young guys as many minutes as possible.

Look at that Bobcats team we played tonight, or the Wizards, or the Nets.  Are any of those young guys really learning anything valuable about how to be NBA players by getting minutes on those teams?

I say you learn more by sitting behind Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen and being ready when your time comes.  

Unfortunately, the fans encourage the loser mentality that has taken over for a majority of NBA franchises.   The Charlotte Bobcats may be nothing more than a developmental team, but not the Boston Celtics.  There's one goal:  Winning games.  If young guys are helping you do that; great!  If they aren't, they can wait 'till next year.  

No. I want Doc playing the best players. He didn't do that this year.

And yes. This could have happened a lot sooner

Greg Stiemsma and Avery Bradley were nowhere near as good in January and February as they are right now. 

Luckily, they've had Doc Rivers to teach them. 

That might be true, but we wouldn't know because they didn't get playing time.

  So people really think that Doc should give all of the backups plenty of time, even if he thinks that they'll fail, in order to demonstrate to fans who never go to practice that those players shouldn't be getting minutes?

No. Just the ones that always do well in games when they play and who are better than the options in front of them.

That means since February or earlier in some cases

Steams over JON
Bradley over Ray
JJJ over Hollins
and probably Etwaun over Dooling

It doesn't mean JJJ over KG or Etwaun over Pierce or something

  First of all, Doc tries to play the subs when they're likely to succeed and avoid bad matchups for them. Secondly, Hollins hasn't been on the team that long, and JJJ doesn't play center.

But Hollins barely plays basketball.

[Eja117]

I'm just now watching the game midway through the third and it's the AB and Steamboat show.

Who else wants Steamer to get meaner? You don't put your head down and just quietly stare at the ball when ya stuff someone, let's see you channel your inner Perk and give us a scowl 

I think he's trying to avoid fouls while he gets more respect

[alajet]

It's funny how much of a love Bradley is getting from the fans right now. In my eyes, a 40-year-old Ray would outplay him in the offensive side. That's what Reggie did, after all.
Not taking anything away from the young guy, but he's moderate on offense and some folks here consider he's better than Ray?
Well, when Bradley gets around multiple screens, runs for ten to fifteen seconds in the same possession trying to shake off someone following him like his shade, gets the ball, turns his face to the basket and fires a three pointer, I'll say he's better than Ray.
Until then, he's just a punisher on offense.