- The Rockets had 45 free throws after 3 quarters. That's insane.

- Tommy Heinsohn is pushing Gabe Pruitt aggressively right now. I'm not ready to buy.

- The Bill Walker era could go a lot of different ways. Off the top of my head:

1. Guy who plays way too hard and gets injured as a result. Think Delonte West in Boston.
2. D-League stud.
3. Loose cannon.
4. Contributing role player.
5. Garbage time, highlight reel machine.
6. Overly excited, to the point that it's a little weird, end of the bench guy.
7. League leader in chest bumps.
8. Some combination of the previous 7 suggestions.

- "Classic Leon." - Tommy Heinsohn after Powe grabbed a rebound, tried to rip off Chuck Hayes' arm, and then got to the line. I still think Powe needs to be around a little longer and play more to have classic moments. But I was terrified of Powe at that moment.

- From my preview earlier today -

"If Patrick O'Bryant continues to impress and emerges as the back up center, Davis will be in a bind. He needs to approach these games with a sense of urgency. He's in a contract year, is competing for time with Leon Powe, behind KG of all people, and does not appear to be in peak condition. Furthermore, Powe gets buckets, is incredibly intense, and is also in a contract year. Davis could be relegated to the bench."

Davis must of read it as he responded with a solid effort. At the same time, even Tommy admitted that Davis was "huffing and puffing."

- One of the bigger stories in Boston's preseason has to be the 16 players the Celtics have on the roster right now. Who will get voted off the island? Barring a trade or Brian Scalabrine falling out of favor, Darius Miles and Sam Cassell (from a skill  level) appear to be the most vulnerable. Regular visitors know I don't think Cassell has much left in the tank. I also worry about his shot selection. On top of that Miles made a few nice plays in limited action. Yet, I'm coming around on Cassell a bit. His constant yapping might be an asset. I wish I could do a better job of articulating what I mean. Also Miles is the only one without a guarantee. One more point.

- I wouldn't call Patrick O'Bryant a stiff. Note to self - talk to Golden State Warriors fans about him. Get reactions.

- I liked how O'Bryant, Eddie House, Pruitt, Powe, and Miles played together.

- Given the fact that he played in the Olympics, I was surprised to see Luis Scola get so much time.

- Shane Battier is a tool. That doesn't mean I dislike him. Although I am worried that people might not be saying "tool" anymore. I should check on that.

I never want to be one of those reactionary types. Still, here are some quick thoughts:

- Leon Powe gets buckets. We know this.

- Thaddeus Young is a player.

- The 76ers have the potential to run teams off the court some nights.

- Given Patrick O'Bryant's age, height, contract, and length, the Celtics have to feel pretty good about the gamble so far. He may have found the right organization to develop him.

- During Darius Miles first defense possession, when he forced the jump ball, he looked slow and rusty. Over time he looked better and I feel better about his conditioning. But he's clearly not where he needs to be yet. I see him playing in the NBA. I'm just not sure he's ready.

- It was good to see the Ray Allen come out of the gate shooting well.

- I enjoyed the SCAL-A-BRINE chants. I did not enjoy Scal's gunning.

- I'm feeling better about year 5 of the Tony Allen era. Also I'd forgotten that he's a good foul shooter - 5-5 on the evening, 75% for his career.

- Rajon Rondo flew up the court at points and in general looked good.

- It's easy to get caught up in the AND1 type of atmosphere that Bill Walker inspired tonight. Who doesn't like a half court ally oop and a dunk on Theo Ratliff? Check that, a monster dunk on Theo Ratliff. Granted the purist in me wasn't crazy about J.R. Giddens going out of his way to celebrate Walker's dunks. And yet Walker, Giddens, and Gabe Pruitt did get me thinking. Over the summer there was a fair amount of talk about Boston's veteran leadership mentoring the incoming youngsters and keeping certain new additions in line. However, there's a chance that the young guys will energize the older players. I expect Walker to make mistakes, Pruitt will have a hard time getting minutes, and Giddens is raw. Yet those guys looked hungry. Danny Ainge may have assembled a nice mix of established stars, young veterans, reclamation projects, and rookies.

- Glen Davis looked big. For some reason I had this image of Powe sending food Davis' way and then laughing as the former LSU Tiger scarfed it down.

- We may look back on it when it's all said and done and wonder why we spent so much time arguing about Eddie House's back up point guard abilities.

Philadelphia's Top Three Players to Watch

3. Elton Brand - By all accounts he should be the #1 guy on this list. However, we already know what to expect from him. If healthy Brand is about as reliable as they come. And ultimately, much like Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and KG last season, Brand will be judged for what his team does in the spring. Although his debut will make it even less weird that this guy is gone:

via www.allen-iverson.org

Catch the rest of the 76ers and the Celtics after the jump...

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Saturday night around 7:00 I got an e-mail titled "Glass House". It said the following:

"This year we will see if not having a solid point guard consitantly effects the green that is the reason they went and got Sam but hopefully rhondo can make a 15 footer because we know there is a gap at that spot KG might b the best backup point and will Eddie house earn that raise or will he fall victime to the curse?????"

I'm not entirely sure if the reader knows that the Celtics are probably going to keep four point guards - House, Cassell, Rondo, and Gabe Pruitt. Regardless he is not thrilled with Boston's point guard play. Of course I'm on the record for not wanting Cassell to play meaningful minutes. Furthermore, I'm fine with House and don't know what to expect from Pruitt. Yet I understand opinions vary widely on those three. But here's the thing. Aren't we all on board with Rondo by now? He stepped up huge and kept the C's alive in the Cleveland series with some well timed 3-pointers. And the Celtics did win a championship with him. He's a plus defender, a constantly improving offensive player, 7 pounds of muscle heavier this season, and an avid roller skater. More importantly I've never thought of KG as a point. Mainly because that would be disastrous. I'd be happier with either of the Allens or Pierce first. Still I really enjoyed this e-mail. For whatever reason it got me excited for the coming season.

Team Name: Boston Celtics
Last Years Record: 66-16
Key Losses: P.J. Brown, James Posey
Key Additions: J.R. Giddens, Darius Miles, Patrick O'Bryant, Bill Walker 

1. What significant moves were made during the offseason?

The 2007 off-season was one of the biggest in the history of the organization. Predictably the 2008 edition was much quieter. In fact, depending on how everything shakes out, Boston's biggest move may have been letting someone go - James Posey - rather than adding a player. That's not to say Danny Ainge was inactive. In the tradition of the last few drafts he took a shot on some players that scared other teams for one reason or another. In 2006 it was Rajon Rondo (shooting) and Leon Powe (knees). In 2007 it was Glen Davis (height, weight, vertical) and Gabe Pruitt (can he play the point?). And in 2008 it was J.R. Giddens (tumultuous college career) and Bill Walker (knees). Ainge acted similarly in free agency by taking a flier on a young 7-footer with two nondescript NBA seasons under his belt (Patrick O'Bryant) and the injury/character enigma that is Darius Miles. I'd be ecstatic if two of those additions contributed this season.

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I haven't been lighting the blogging community on fire lately with my activity on Green Bandwagon. So it would be reasonable to expect that I'm just dropping the ball on the latest Sam Cassell rumor. But that's not the case. Rather, I've been stunned for several days now.

"This is my last year playing with the Celtics. Next week, I'll sign the contract. - Sam Cassell"

And it's not just Cassell who's talking:

"Sam made a comment that he would like to coach someday, and I already knew that," Ainge said. "But we are working on a deal to bring Sam back as a player. There is nothing done yet, but we could get it done soon." - Danny Ainge.

Really? Seriously I'm stunned. Let's not forget that I wrote the following about Cassell back in June:

"Sam Cassell will consider signing with Denver when he becomes a free agent. That begs the question. Are the Nuggets interested? If so, do they have cable?"

Ultimately it's not his age (40 in 2009), declining game, or massive ego that scare me. Although Cassell's performance in the 2008 playoffs was difficult to accept. More importantly I spent a fair amount of time worrying about Eddie House's weaknesses - ball handling and defense last season. Unfortunately Cassell doesn't solve any of those problems. And he doesn't have House's energy or 3-point shooting ability. Meanwhile, as expected Ainge was vague at best in his comments:

"We always bring four point guards to training camp. We love where Gabe [Pruitt] is and we also have Eddie House. Rajon [Rondo] is our starter and they are fighting for the backup spot." - Danny Ainge

Closing Thoughts:

1. I've never bought Ainge's "Tony Allen is a point guard" argument. And the fact that his name was not included with the point guards as camp approaches only strengthens my skepticism.

2. Can we all agree that Eddie House deserves minutes?

3. Where does this leave Gabe Pruitt? Outside of the obvious knee questions (Bill Walker and Darius Miles) heading into training camp, Pruitt is my biggest question mark. And Patrick O'Bryant was signed. So that says something.

4. Ultimately, much like Darius Miles, there is not a lot to lose from brining Cassell into camp. Just another reason to stay tuned.

Rich Thompson reports that Doc Rivers recently signed a 3-year contract extension:

"The length and financial terms of the contract were not released.

Earlier reports speculated that Rivers would earn a base pay of $5.5 million per year through the 2010-2011 season with playoff incentives that could push the salary as high as $7 million." - Rich Thompson

To put that in perspective only three players on the roster - Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett - make more.

It's funny how the NBA works. For example, it's not out of the realm of possibility that Cleveland could have won game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Hypothetically what happens if P.J. Brown doesn't hit that shot down the stretch? Or what if the Truth runs out of gas? Of course that is oversimplifying the issue. A lot more went into it. And just because the Celtics did not roll through the first 3 rounds like the Lakers, it does not mean they got lucky. Still, now is as good a time as any to reflect on how much that championship did for Rivers. It enhanced his reputation as a coach and made him a lot of money. You could even make the case that it saved his job.

And yet I'm not sure how I feel about Rivers going into the 2009 season. I've always found myself gravitating around the middle in the "Doc Rivers as a coach" debate. I was never delusional enough to think he was holding the 2007 Celtics back from achieving greatness. Furthermore, I like to think I gave credit where credit was due after championship 17. In fact I'm not sure we'll ever know all of the challenges that went into coaching the 2008 season. However, last year seemed to be as much about managing egos and personalities as it was about basketball. That's right in Rivers' wheelhouse. The roster looks different this time around. Yes, it's easy to forget that Kendrick Perkins, Leon Powe, and Rajon Rondo all made significant strides last season. And Rivers deserves credit for that. But now he needs someone from the Patrick O'Bryant, Tony Allen, Bill Walker, J.R. Giddens, Gabe Pruitt group to step up and produce. It's a lot easier to send James Posey out there.

Regardless, it's staring to feel like basketball season again. I'm excited.

First off thanks to reader Georgia for the Fan Post (see below) that gave me the heads up on this signing. I remember the C's worked Miles out earlier this summer, but I didn't really think it would go anywhere. And lo and behold it happened. Some thoughts on the deal.

1. My first thought? Blazers fans are not going to like this. Remember when Miles was waived the following came to light:

"Assuming that Miles does not pass another team’s physical and get picked up by another NBA franchise, the Blazers would be able to take the last two years of his $48 million contract off their salary cap."

That same article had a big time quote from Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard,

"The doctors had actually said…‘if you were my son, I’d never have you pick up a basketball again. I’m the kind of GM (that) I wouldn’t want that on my head that he ever had to have knee replacement." - Pritchard

I guess Danny Ainge is the kind of GM that is okay with it. As expected Blazers fans are not pleased. Lot of reactions there, especially after the thread picks back up following a detour of sorts. I found one comment particularly insightful. It's called "No wishing him the best: [Green Bandwagon UPDATE: Since the initial posting I've gotten some feedback from Blazers fans/Blazers Edge readers and the following does not represent the opinion of the vast majority of them. While it still may be useful in regards to the extreme or how things could go if Miles were to play sparingly in 10 games and get cut, it is now clear to me that it is definitely the exception and not the rule.]

"The procedure followed by the Blazers is that the league and the players union appointed an independent doctor to examine the evidence and issue a ruling. That ruling affected the Blazers, Miles, and any team interested in Miles. It was the Blazers, however, who had the risk. Miles was, after all, under contract. And when the ruling was issued, Miles was not willing to give the Blazers the same contract that he then went out and offered to all other teams. Instead, he kept the Blazers guaranteed contract, which they have to pay regardless of whatever contract he signed with NY. In sum, if NY pays the minimum, then the Blazers pay the difference between the minimum and the $9 million/year they owe Darius.

Darius and his agent, in sum, took advantage of the situation. Some of you who wish him the best should keep that in mind. If he’d offered the Blazers the same deal he offered all other teams – basically, let me play and I’ll show you I’m worthy of a roster spot, and I’ll also absolve you of liability if I reinjure myself – then I can understand your position.

But he didn’t do that.

As a Blazer fan, I have no sympathy for Miles or his agent. He was not a $9 million/year player – knew it, and every other team knew it. But the Blazers pay for it.

Now, if he should make the roster, the Blazers also lose the cap space, just as they lost the player. The cap space was nothing more than an off-set to the salary they must still pay – but gave them the ability to replace him without penalties.

Under the circumstances, its in my interest that he blows the knee out and never plays again.

So, no wishing him the best here." - Eben Calder

Anytime a person openly states a desire to see someone blow out a knee...well that's a clear signal the stakes are high. The Miles signing is definitely bad news in the midst of all the Greg Oden and Rudy Fernandez excitement. We could be watching the beginning of a Celtics/Trail Blazers blood feud. Henry Abbott summed the situation up nicely a while back:

"Everyone knows, however, that the Blazers have a business interest in keeping Darius Miles from playing in the League in the next two years -- if he plays ten games, his medical retirement is over, and Miles' salary is back counting against Portland's salary cap and luxury tax number." - Henry Abbott

More after the jump...

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Green Bandwagon is in serious danger of going from being an "Unofficial Boston Celtics blog" to "Officially not a Boston Celtics Blog". In my defense it has been a slow summer. No summer league team. No Olympians. And not that I'm complaining, no major trades, depending upon how you feel about Bill Walker of course. Ultimately it has been quiet ever since James Posey left town, opening the door for Eddie House and Tony Allen to re-sign. Still I wanted to throw out a few questions I have as the '09 season approaches, while simultaneously holding on to an admittedly tenuous grip on Celtics themed blog status. Here goes:

5. Will Gabe Pruitt bring anything to the table for a team that does not play its home games in Utah? This squad is all of the sudden full of questions. Will J.R. Giddens prove to be a model citizen while capitalizing on his potential? Will Bill Walker sign, pull a Leon Powe, and overcome a difficult injury past? And see #4. As a result Pruitt is flying under the radar a bit. For a guy entering his second NBA season I know shockingly little about him. He's not afraid to shoot, has good size if he ends up as a 1, and possesses a good looking jumper. What else is there?

4. Will redemption be spelled P.O.B.? That's right Patrick O'Bryant. He's 7 feet tall, with tremendous upside. At the same time Kevin Garnett provides a little MJ/Kwame Brown potential. And that's not a good thing. For the record I spent a fair amount of time last off season thinking about Jackie Manuel and Brandon Wallace. This seems better.

3. What's next for the Tony Allen experience? It's been a long, strange ride as is. He's allegedly healthy/confident and, believe it or not, is heading into his 5th NBA season. I'm hopeful because he's still in the NBA despite 2 knee injuries and the White Palace Grill incident. It will be huge if he provides perimeter D off the bench, while helping keep Ray Allen and Paul Pierce's minutes in check.

2. How much better will Rajon Rondo be this season? He improved significantly between his first and second seasons, will turn 23 in February, and, outside of roller skating, appears entirely focused on basketball. I encourage you to click on the roller skating link, read the 1st comment, remember how the 2008 season ended, and exchange a sick high five* with a friend. Bonus points if you are at work.

1. Last time I checked Doc Rivers' assistant coaches did not have contracts. Of course with all my focus on the Olympics this may have been resolved. Still my Internet searches have been futile. Just know that I expect to see Tom Thibodeau and Clifford Ray on the sideline when the LeBrons come to town for opening night (October 28th).

* If you are alone, a fist pump will suffice.

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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