First off I don't necessarily buy the whole "strong veteran presence is the cure for everything" type of thinking. For example in the past Paul Pierce alluded to his frustration with trying to bring Gerald Green along and how a guy has to want it to be successful. Of course this is an entirely different team nowadays with a stronger veteran core and young guys - Kendrick Perkins, Leon Powe, and Rajon Rondo - known for working hard. Seriously if O'Bryant doesn't bring it in practice Powe will eat his lunch. Overall I like Boston's mix of veterans and youth and I'm on board with the gambles - J.R. Giddens, Bill Walker (knee), and now O'Bryant - Danny Ainge has taken. And since it's been pretty slow around here I've decided to put together 10 reasons O'Bryant in green and white makes sense. Worst case someone on the Celtics (Paul Pierce?) can put some popcorn on his Christmas tree.

JRich pranks teamate Patrick O'Bryant (via hotsizzle869)

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As I read Heinsohn, Don’t You Ever Smile? I kept thinking, "This reminds me of something. What the hell is it?" Eventually it hit me – Instant Replay – The Green Bay Diary of Jerry Kramer. I read the latter at least four years ago, but after some thought there are numerous similarities.

1. Though Heinsohn’s book came out in 1976 (8 years after Instant Replay) his playing career roughly coincided with Kramer’s. As professional athletes from the same era, albeit of different sports, they had similar experiences and outlooks. Both books are an odd mix of self deprecating humor, ego (see #3), attempts to explain their sports to the uneducated masses, discussions on the struggles athletes face, and financial concerns, which are odd in hindsight given how much money today’s athletes make. Different times.

2.  Both played for legendary, overbearing coaches that built mystiques while dominating their respective sports.

3. Both Heinsohn and Kramer were overshadowed by teammates and that comes through. On the Packers Ray Nitschke, Bart Starr, and Jim Taylor were more recognizable while Bob Cousy and Bill Russell dominated the Celtics. At the time of both publications people did not know Kramer would miss out on the Hall of Fame and Heinsohn would make it. Yet their respective egos were definitely present. In fact they both played up big performances in key moments – Kramer’s block on the winning TD in the Ice Bowl and Heinsohn’s ridiculous Game 7 of the 1957 Finals, which helped Boston win its first title.

Check out past book reviews below, book review guidelines here, and an entertaining photo from the Celtics parade. And don't forget to click “Continue Reading This Post” for more on Heinsohn.

The Last Shot
Sole Influence
Unfinished Business
Let Me Tell You a Story
Fall River Dreams
Those Who Love The Game – Glenn “Doc” Rivers on Life in the NBA and Elsewhere

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You have to give the folks at Reebok credit. The Rondo'd ad campaign was well done. In fact it inspired me to make verbs out of the rest of the Celtics. Obviously it's forced and given the way the season ended, overwhelmingly positive. Such is life. I'll start with Rondo, provided by Reebok, and go alphabetically from there.

Rondo'd

1. To move smoothly between large objects with dexterity and purpose.
2. To remove an object quickly without being detected.
3. To create a distraction followed by a quick change of direction.

Ray Allen'd

1. To rain 3 pointers down upon a squad with reckless abandon even if said squad has given up.
2. To run a defender off of numerous picks, slowly eroding his desire to defend.
3. To obsessively adhere to rituals, superstitions, and a lifestyle at all costs.

Tony Allen'd

1. To injure one’s self on a dunk after the whistle.*
2. To infuriate opposing fans, players, and broadcasters with off the back board alley oops, self-pass windmill dunks, and reverse alley oop slams, regardless of the situation.
3. To possibly black out briefly following dunks.**
4. To raise the blood pressure of a fan base with numerous ill-advised decisions primarily related to dribbling.

* It killed me to include that. But fair is fair.
** This is one of my favorite Celtics related theories. I'm not sure who came up with it. And though it sounds far fetched, watch this dunk. And this one. You think he has any idea where he is? As always thank you freeTA42.

Brown'd

1. To always let a player know he was fouled when an infraction is whistled.
2. To engage in stare downs, exchange trash talk, and then walk away with a subtle, “I would eat this guy’s lunch” smirk.
3. To play in a physical manner that includes moving screens, hard box outs, and essentially non-stop contact in a way that makes people wish you still had your athleticism.

Cassel'd

1. To talk to fans, teammates, referees, opponents, coaches, really anyone who will listen in such a non-stop fashion that it is simultaneously endearing and maddening.
2. To reveal one’s self to be the ultimate ball stopper who shoots without a conscience or a concerted effort to set up one’s teammates.
3. To provide the opposing team with a tremendous offensive advantage.
4. To establish one’s self as one of the most confident individuals within a 5-mile radius on a basketball court.
5. To create a celebratory dance that is easily more offensive than wearing jeans and a t-shirt to a game and yet never face the wrath of a fine happy, image conscious NBA.

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The 2004 Patriots are my favorite team of New England’s run. Don’t get me wrong I loved the 2001 squad. But in 2004 Tom Brady had emerged, Corey Dillon was a beast, the defense was stifling at times, and the Pats only lost twice. Just a great season. However, for me it all comes down to the playoff game against the Colts. It was the year that seemingly everyone picked Indianapolis to get over the hump, something that seemed even more likely with Richard Seymour and Ty Law unable to play. Meanwhile, Peyton Manning won the MVP and started his ridiculous run of appearing in an ad during every single commercial break of football games. More on that later. You may also recall that Mike Vanderjagt said New England was “ripe for the picking” in the lead up to the game. Come game time it was a cold, snowy day in Foxborough and the Patriots dominated from start to finish with brilliant defense. They rushed 3, dropped 8 into coverage, beat receivers up at the line, and seemed a step quicker all day. The highlight? You could go with the crowd chanting, “Cut that meat!” in honor of one of Manning’s numerous ads. However, let’s stick with the play on the field. With time winding down in the first half the Colts put together a bit of a drive. It ended emphatically when Peyton Manning went to Dominic Rhodes. Tedy Bruschi stopped him for a two-yard loss and went a step further by ripping the ball out of Rhodes’ hands. Not only did it show the huge difference in aggression between the squads that day, but it also doubled as a “this game is freaking over” moment. I bring this up mainly because I immediately thought of Bruschi’s play when Rajon Rondo ripped the ball out of Lamar Odom’s hands. There were a lot of great plays - KG's and 1, House and Posey going on an 11-0 run, Tony Allen's reverse ally oop, Glen Davis inexplicably dunking, Pierce's drives and assists, a statement block by Perk, Ray Allen raining down 3s, and more. But Rondo's numerous steals in general and the one on Odom in particular were big time. In fact it was a huge night for Rondo – 21 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists, and 6 steals. He had as many offensive rebounds (2) as all of the Lakers combined. On top of that Rondo had 2 more steals than LA and did it all with one turnover. In honor of Rondo’s stellar play I’m going to post the Rajon Rondo movie. For the record I made this in the midst of the disaster that was last season. And I recognize that it’s way too long and has numerous other flaws as well. Granted I can’t bring myself to watch it again. It’s painful. But it has its moments. I maintain that the broken glass and Delonte West wire hanger scenes are fantastic. This is for a limited time only. Enjoy after the jump…

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If there was one thing that bothered me tonight it was the fact that people did not praise James Posey enough, despite Jeff Van Gundy's best efforts, following the Celtics victory. Even Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and KG did give the man enough credit. To review:

- Posey took a short term, less than market deal to play for a team that he thought had a shot.

- He showed up with championship ring and helped set the tone. Hint it's on his left hand:

via assets.espn.go.com

- He quickly established himself as a versatile defender, a heads up basketball player, a limited, yet effective offensive player, a clutch rebounder, and a guy who did not seem the slightest bit concerned about his individual stats.

- Posey also worked in all sorts of hugs, which were uncomfortable but strangely important.

- He made me dream of a Posey/Eddie House talk show. It would be fantastic and definitely on delay. House is like KG in that regard.

- And in the playoffs Posey showed up.

Shortly after the Celtics added Posey I got all fired up after researching him a bit. I even said, "Teams win games with guys like Posey." A prominent blogger, who will go nameless but whose identity should be easy to figure out because I included his team said, "Except when the Bulls beat the Heat's ass last year." Well turns out Posey helps team win games and championships. And he's the classic guy you love to play with/hate to play against. Think about all of the annoying things he does:

1. He picked up on the KG never let a shot fall after the whistle. He even did it on a Laker free throw in Game 4 after it was whistled dead just before the release.

2. As Jeff Van Gundy pointed out, Posey always stops players from making it to the hoop after the whistle. Translation - he hits them. Reminiscent of FSU football playing to the echo of the whistle.

3. He takes charges. I'm convinced he'll step in front of anyone.

4. He has incredibly quick feet that help keep him in great defensive position, while he pokes at the ball. Seriously name another guy in the league that you would have guard Kobe and Lamar Odom.

5. At one point in Game 6 Jordan Farmar tried to box out Posey by literally throwing himself at the former Xavier stand out. Posey moved and watched Farmar tumble into the crowd. Few players have a better body awareness than Posey. I wouldn't say he's Bruce Bowen dirty. But he's clever and definitely walks that line.

6. Posey is not afraid to get in an opponent's face. He's the definition of an agitator. And he usually does it in a calm, collected way, with a smile.

7. It's always nice to have a guy that will hit back breaking 3s coming off the bench. Enter Posey.

So congrats to Posey and the rest of the Celtics. Tomorrow I'll talk about Pierce's assists, Rondo's fantastic game, P.J. Brown pulling the chair out on Pau Gasol, Ray Allen raining down 3s, Glen Davis' dunk, Tony Allen's reverse ally oop throw down, and everything else that was great about this team. But right now I need some sleep. Just don't forget about Posey.

Ray Allen turns 33 this summer. Kevin Garnett blew out 32 candles a month ago. Paul Pierce will be 31 in the fall. We’ve already seen stretches of inconsistent play from Allen, even if he has been awesome in the Finals. And everyone is still waiting to see how the guys who jumped straight to the NBA from high school will hold up as they get up there in years. For the record KG is finishing up year 13. Throw in the beating the Truth has taken over the course of his career and injury concerns will hang over the squad. Meanwhile, the Celtics have a lot of money committed to their current roster and simultaneously hold the 30th pick in the draft. Even with Danny Ainge’s recent success in and around the draft there is a good chance the C’s will pick up a guy that will need time to develop. At the same time Boston will need another player that can handle the ball against pressure, unless Gabe Pruitt is that guy, and a back up center once P.J. Brown and to a much lesser extent Scot Pollard ride into the sunset. Factor in the possibility of losing both James Posey and Eddie House and Boston’s future is complicated. Maybe that last one is unlikely but it’s possible.

And I haven’t even touched upon the possible improvement of other teams throughout the league. After all of that I wonder if this Celtics team had that lightning in a bottle season. They got off to a blistering 26-3 pace, enjoyed game winning shots on the road in Toronto and Charlotte, and absolutely beat down Washington, Denver, Golden State, Chicago, and New York, which probably deserves its own category. It was the kind of beating that makes the cops say, “What kind of animal could to this to other human beings?” The Knicks took so many rights they were begging for lefts. And all that happened in the first two months. Don’t forget the back-to-back-to-back losses to Denver, Golden State, and Phoenix, which was one of the most enjoyable three game losing streaks ever. Think about it – Rondo’s put back dunk in Denver, the classic in the Bay, and a still rusty KG mixing it up with Amare Stoudemire. Then there was the Texas Triangle sweep and the vengeance victories over Phoenix and New Orleans. Meanwhile, Eddie House hit shots, James Posey did whatever it took to win, Rajon Rondo rode the sophomore campaign roller coaster, Glen Davis had his moments (huge 4th quarter on the road in Detroit and admirable defense on Tim Duncan one time), Leon Powe morphed into a legitimate rotation guy (whether Doc Rivers wanted to realize it or not), P.J. Brown worked his way into game shape, and everybody, outside of maybe Sam Cassell, was dedicated to sacrificing some to win.

After coming this far, working through the adversity of the Atlanta and Cleveland series, and going up 3-1 could this Celtics team bounce back from losing the Finals? At this point it can’t even be a Pistons in 88’, failing at the peak but learning what it takes type scenario. Boston is officially beyond the point of no return. Obviously this is a fantastic opportunity. But Boston can’t bet there will be another shot in the near future.

One more point: Does Tom Thibodeau coach in Boston next season?

The Lakers are Tall

LA’s roster lists 7 players at 6-10 or taller. And 4 of them are 7 footers. [Green Bandwagon Update: Three of the 7 footers (Bynum, Ilunga-Mbenga, and Mihm) are not a big part  of the Lakers right now. I should have mentioned that earlier.] That’s outrageous. Also if you follow that link to the roster check out 6 aspects:

1. The non-stop music that is part elevator, part mystery/drama, part porn, part I don’t know what.
2. Luke Walton is tanned and then some. I could maybe see him signing in Phoenix. Possibly Miami. And that’s it. Of course that’s all moot if someone drastically overpaid him.
3. Turiaf’s beard would beat the hell out of Gasol’s.
4. Coby Karl narrowly edges Chris Mihm in the “anti Luke Walton look” competition.
5. Vujacic “The Machine” had short hair at one time.
6. Actually click on the players’ bodies (that doesn’t sound right) to hear their introductions. Somewhere John Mason is dying for the Pistons to integrate something similar on Detroit’s website.

Only the best analysis at Green Bandwagon.

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In the playoffs Leon Powe has appeared in 15 of Boston’s 17 games. His minutes played per game are as follows (home games bolded):

24, 14, 6, 22, 23, 15, 20, 13, 28, 15, 6, 4, 0, 7, 8, 3, 0

Including Powe’s 2 DNPs he is averaging 14.1 minutes in Boston’s victories and 9.57 minutes in Celtics losses. On top of that Boston is 1-1 in games Powe has not ventured off the bench. At this point I can think of two relevant questions:

1. Why is Powe playing inconsistent minutes?
2. Do the Celtics need Powe?

As is the custom here at Green Bandwagon I’ve decided to initially tackle the first question with complete nonsense:

The Top Five Reasons Leon Powe Has Been Banished to the Bench

5. Powe told Jeremiah Rivers that Georgetown was a garbage program. As a result young Rivers chose to transfer, creating some turbulence within the Rivers family.

4. Powe makes Barry Bonds look like Grant Hill. Sorry I just read Love Me, Hate Me: Barry Bonds and the Making of an Anti-Hero.

3. Kevin Garnett hates Leon Powe.

2. In a tradition as old as the NBA itself P.J. Brown and Powe fought a win or go home cage match. Brown won due to a steel chair provided by Glen Davis in a thinly veiled attempt to win playing time. However, Powe refused to go home and everyone, KG included, was afraid to enforce that stipulation. Brown did get Powe’s minutes though.

1. Secretly Doc Rivers runs the Leon Powe Fan Site and he recently learned that fewer minutes for the former Cal standout, and a subsequent bitter post, led to increased traffic.

Of course there are probably better, more realistic reasons for why Powe is on the bench. Off the top of my head I can think of several:

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1. Does Rajon Rondo have a different routine on the road? Can we figure out what he's up to at night? He's been a borderline All Star at home and an enigma on the road. Is he rollerskating at new venues, clubbing, fighting ninjas?

2. This one is embarrassing and as a Celtics blogger I should know. But here goes. Did Boston run a lot of pick and rolls/pops with Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce in the regular season? I don't remember thinking it was a focal point of their offense. Either way it is a great idea. KG is a dangerous shooter and Pierce is at his best slashing to the hoop.

3. Will Sam Cassell and Glen Davis make cameos at some point?

4. Can the Celtics defend home court tomorrow night?

Go to this old Bill Simmons article, scroll down to "Question: What was the most disturbing subplot of the season" and check out what he said about Dick Bavetta. It's intriguing. I'll leave it at that.

Doc Rivers looked great when he played Glen Davis Wednesday night. Not so much tonight. It's hard to give Rivers credit one game and blame him the next. Regardless Davis did stay out there too long in the 4th.

Boston's final offensive possession was beyond awful.

I understand trying to go for the steal with 23 seconds left. But how realistic is that? Why not force the Cavs to win it on the line and conserve some clock as well?

LeBron James is an excellent basketball player. He does a lot of great things on the court. However, the over the top praise for everything he does is grating after a while. Is it necessary to go on about his presence of mind to call a timeout instead of getting a 5 second violation? That's something guys pick up by high school.

Hey Rajon Rondo, what's going on right now?

Delonte West's burst of good play and Wally Szczerbiak's deep three down the stretch were tough to take.