Havent seen this posted. I was watching the highlights from the Celtics Raptors pre-season game in europe. The big 3 look really good together. What did you guys think of the highlights? I've never seen all 3 of them play with so much enthusiasm. Garnett down low, Pierce slashing, and Allen hovering around the perimeter is pretty scary. Last season the Raptors (top atlantic team) would've easily spanked them but not this year.
Agreed - teams can't scout or prepare for opponents, and generally aren't concerned about anything but getting their own rotations and plays figured out. The Celtics will be awfully tough to stop in halfcourt sets if KG is initiating the offense from the high post, but there are a lot of big questions: -Can they run a break with senior citizens and no depth? -Can the big 3 suit up together in at least 70 regular season games? -Can they get any play at all out of the 1 and 5 positions? I look forward to going to the March 18th game, but they might not be the Finals team some anointed them as. Evan
I think the bench will be fine. I think the big 3 will make everyone else better. When you've got vets that are motivated, the younger guys will pick up a lot as the season goes on and they'll all have wide open looks from time to time. House, Pollard, Posey, Scalabrine, Rondo, Dahntay Jones, Glen Davis, Tony Allen I think are all serviceable and will only get better with chemistry
Depth is seriously overrated, especially in the playoffs. Teams with a couple of superstars with decent role players almost always dispatch teams full of just good players. The lone exception I can think of recently is Detroit.
The Celtic's do not have much depth, but Kendrick Perkins is a decent C.. Young and athletic. They also have Tony Allen and Rajon Rondo, both decent young prospects. If Perkins can develop into HALF the player Boston was hoping for, the Celtics should be alright.
I agree with you in the East. Just look at the Cavs West is another story Phoenix, Rockets, Spurs, Mavs are all 8 guys deep at least
Well I still think Toronto should win. Great game for KG, the same with Pierce but awful for Allen. I haven't seen him gettin' that many wide open looks in one game which he wasn't able to make. In the 1st and the middle of the 2nd guared Celtics defense was awful. A lot of open jumpers for Bosh, Bargnani, even Nesterovic. And these guys are able to make outside shoots. My impression was Boston still need a lof of time to play good bball. They had a lof of mistakes but let the play toghether, know themselfes.
Don't know why Mitchell went with Bargnani on Garnett whenever Bargnani was on. Bargs was a step slow all night on defense and as a result KG burned him several times. Having Bosh on Garnett all game would've helped, as would having a visibly beefier Bargnani on Perkins. What was impressive about the Celtics was the way all their players shared the ball. Pierce and Rondo did a masterful job of penetrating to the basket, drawing the defense, then handing it off to a nearby wide-open Garnett or Perkins for the easy slam. Once Boston gets their defensive rotations on point, they are going to become a really good team, especially in the East.
The Spurs? Deep? HA! That's rich. The Spurs don't have anybody that can score on a consistent basis after the big three. Brent Barry is their only decent bench guy. Bowen is only good for his defense, Finley is going to mail it in after gravytraining a ring. Robert Horry is pretty useless, except for a couple of three pointers. The Spurs have had a notoriously thin bench during the entire "big three" era. The Suns are even worse than the Spurs. Barbosa is the only bench player that could even think about being a rotation player on any other team. The jury is still out on the Rockets. This is the first Rockets team in the Yao/McGrady era that has had any reasonable depth, so we'll see what happens. However, the Rockets lost to the Jazz because the Jazz starting lineup systematically dismantled the Rockets starters, especially at the center and point guard spots, not because of their lack of depth. As for the Mavs, well...nevermind...
Well, I have high hopes for the raptors. They play an exciting brand of basquetbol, while still focusing on team fundamentals. Tomorrow, Calderon and Garbajosa will return to their motherland and face Real Madrid. The game will be played at "el palacio de deportes". It will be a treat for fans all over the world. Also featured in the double header will be the Grizzlies vs Estudiantes, Just a heads up.
I beg to differ. Depth is what ran us out the playoffs in 04-05 and in 06-07. Tmac and Yao as the superstars is simply not enough with just some good role players like we had in previous seasons. Which is why I think we are all so excited since we actually have legit depth and our superstars. The Heat with Wade and Shaq were knocked out by the Pistons in 04-05 and came back with Payton, Walker, Posey, Williams, and Mourning and finally got over the hump and won it all. All due to quality depth.
depth isnt all about scoring, its about guys that can make a difference. Spurs: Duncan Parker Ginobili Udoka- lock down defender, deadly 3 point shooter Bowen- lock down defender, deadly 3 point shooter Finley- spreads the defense Horry- spreads the defense Udrih- spreads the defense Bonner- spreads the defense Oberto- really tough center
