# [9] - Celtics vs Trailblazers - 11/17



## Premier (Oct 30, 2003)

aqua:

<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="alt2" style="border: 1px inset ;">_*Celtics are starting to play for real now...*_​ 
Yup, you heard me right, this is the time where the Celtics will turn on the jets and start going on a 10-2 run.

Sorry, that was the devil in me talking. Of course I want the Celtics to get a better draft pick. If there's one thing Danny's taught us so far, it's that he can get us talent with low picks. With a high pick, in a deep draft, I have all the confidence in the world in him if we get a top five pick.

After a very strong performance against the Indiana Pacers, the Celtics try to get back on the right track by losing to the "inspired" team of Portland. The Blazers are 4-5 and constantly thank us for taking Telfair and Ratliff.

This year's Celtics have gone just 2-6, which is close to the worst start in nearly 30 years, matching the 15-win Celtics of Antoine Walker's dominating rookie season.

Until next time: I leave you with some highlights from the Pacer game and some words from Perk:

<table border="0" cellpadding="6" cellspacing="0" width="100%"> <tbody><tr> <td class="alt2" style="border: 1px inset ;">[size=-2]It’s not coaching that’s the problem here, and it’s not our offense - it’s us and our commitment," said Celtics forward Kendrick Perkins about his team's struggles. _"I don’t want anyone blaming the coaches for this. *We have good defensive schemes,*_ and they put us in the right position to make plays. We just have to stick with it and see it all the way through." </td> </tr> </tbody></table> </td> </tr> </tbody></table> [/size]


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## DWest Superstar (Jun 30, 2005)

C'mon Scal


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## Premier (Oct 30, 2003)

This is a poor game so far.


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## blh5387 (Apr 6, 2006)

Go Pierce, way to finish off the half!


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## Causeway (May 18, 2005)

Yes - very nice finish by PP.


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## blh5387 (Apr 6, 2006)

gomes is having a rough night, but it looks like telfair is proving that he's more valuable than some of us might have predicted.


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## #1AntoineWalkerFan (Mar 10, 2005)

blh5387 said:


> gomes is having a rough night, but it looks like telfair is proving that he's more valuable than some of us might have predicted.




one good half doesnt prove anything...if he keeps performing like this for the rest of the season i will sing his praises


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## Causeway (May 18, 2005)

Can aqua get video of you singing? ')


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## Premier (Oct 30, 2003)

Great play by Telfair, finding Wally after controlling the ball on the break.


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## Premier (Oct 30, 2003)

No bench tonight. Four players - Telfair, Pierce, Wally, and Powe - are playing well on offense.


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## #1AntoineWalkerFan (Mar 10, 2005)

Causeway said:


> Can aqua get video of you singing? ')




if telfair puts up numbers like this for the rest of the season??? he can take video of me singing while wearing a danny ainge celtics jersey :biggrin:


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## #1AntoineWalkerFan (Mar 10, 2005)

how did i get randolph in the 7th round of our fantasy draft?????? lol


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## blh5387 (Apr 6, 2006)

wow, celtics are looking good...


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## blh5387 (Apr 6, 2006)

D West, catching some fire! :fire:


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## blh5387 (Apr 6, 2006)

gotta love this, we're playing with our "garbage", and we're still killing them!


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## Premier (Oct 30, 2003)

Delonte is silencing critics, well at least tonight. He's hitting _everything_.

This lineup [Scalabrine, Green, Allen, West, Rondo] has a +12 point differential. Wow.


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## CanteriWalker (May 31, 2005)

Now is safe to say how meaningful it is to put delonte as my avatar.


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## blh5387 (Apr 6, 2006)

OH BABY!!! Great defense, and fast break offense! I'm loving this!


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## Causeway (May 18, 2005)

2 in a row. Great win. We are learning to close!


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## blh5387 (Apr 6, 2006)

2 wins in a row in this fashion is exactly what this team needs right now. They've shown they're capable of locking down on defense, playing great on offense, and they are clearly capable of shutting out other teams... this is very good news for Celtics nation!


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## Causeway (May 18, 2005)

Good news unless you were hoping for a losing season to get a top pick. I'd rather not count on that and win now and build off that. 

Glad we have Telfair.


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## blh5387 (Apr 6, 2006)

Causeway said:


> Good news unless you were hoping for a losing season to get a top pick. I'd rather not count on that and win now and build off that.
> 
> Glad we have Telfair.


You kidding me? I say winning is always better than losing and getting a top pick.. the celts have been a lottery team for a while, now it's time to be a winning team!


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## Causeway (May 18, 2005)

blh5387 said:


> You kidding me? I say winning is always better than losing and getting a top pick.. the celts have been a lottery team for a while, now it's time to be a winning team!


I agree and do not want to tank.


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## aquaitious (Jun 11, 2002)

The Celtics just can't get it done. This is pretty bad.



blh5387 said:


> You kidding me? I say winning is always better than losing and getting a top pick.. the celts have been a lottery team for a while, now it's time to be a winning team!



I don't know man, I'd rather endure one losing season (we've endured 17 out of the last 20) and dominate the league for the next 15, than keep these players.

Where are we going? We only have five players left from two years ago, it's like a rebuilding project inside a rebuilding project.


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## Causeway (May 18, 2005)

A losing season is going to allow us to be able to "dominate the league for the next 15" years? Come on.


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## Al Jefferson (Nov 20, 2003)

I was really impressed with the whole team tonight.
They're starting to play a little ball. Boston probably has the quickest backcourt in the league in Rondo/Telfair... Along with Dwest he's ball smart as well.

I've really been satisfied with Perkins' play as of late too. This guy is really getting it done on both ends of the floor.

And another thing... I want POWE !


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## #1AntoineWalkerFan (Mar 10, 2005)

aquaitious said:


> Where are we going? We only have five players left from two years ago, it's like a rebuilding project inside a rebuilding project.




ask danny...he thinks he playing a video game where he can just trade half the team every year and put a completely new team on the court


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## Causeway (May 18, 2005)

We've made upgrades. I don't miss anyone he's traded with the possible exception of Banks. But Banks for whatever reason was not getting a shot here. And of course he looks better playing with the Suns.


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## Premier (Oct 30, 2003)

Causeway said:


> We've made upgrades. I don't miss anyone he's traded with the possible exception of Banks. But Banks for whatever reason was not getting a shot here. And of course he looks better playing with the Suns.


Banks rarely plays with Nash.


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## agoo (Jun 1, 2003)

Causeway said:


> A losing season is going to allow us to be able to "dominate the league for the next 15" years? Come on.


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## Causeway (May 18, 2005)

agoo101284 said:


>


First off - there's no gurantee we'd get Oden. And there's been no player, not Shaq, not MJ, that allowed a team to "dominate" the league for 15 years. No one.


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## Premier (Oct 30, 2003)

If we tank, there's a guarantee that we get a top three selection and selecting from Oden, Young, Durant and even Noah is like saying "do I want $10,000 in cash or do I want $10,000 in gold?"


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## whiterhino (Jun 15, 2003)

Oden won't even be entering the draft after this season. He can't play until the second half and he loves college and is in no rush. I won't be surprised if he does 3 years of college and gets an early degree like Okafor b4 leaving. 
I took my son to this game and it was a fun one...man I hate those stupid balcony seats though but the tix were free so can't complain.


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## #1AntoineWalkerFan (Mar 10, 2005)

Premier said:


> If we tank, there's a guarantee that we get a top three selection and selecting from Oden, Young, Durant and even Noah is like saying "do I want $10,000 in cash or do I want $10,000 in gold?"



i hate joakim noah...if we draft him ill never watch the celtics again...needless to say id take any of the other 3


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## P-Dub34 (May 19, 2005)

As I said before, I'm still leery of leaving the fate of this team to a bunch of ping pong balls, or a player who might not even pan out.


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## DWest Superstar (Jun 30, 2005)

Premier said:


> If we tank, there's a guarantee that we get a top three selection and selecting from Oden, Young, Durant and even Noah is like saying "do I want $10,000 in cash or do I want $10,000 in gold?"


Noah is honestly really underated by the NBA critics on these boards. I think he can be as sucessful as any of those guys aside from Oden. He really does look just like a better offensive Marcus Camby which is exactly what the Celtics need.


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## Premier (Oct 30, 2003)

I don't think his defense is as good as Camby's coming out of UMass and his offensive game certainly isn't too polished, but Noah is an intriguing prospect, but he'll be overtaken by those three guys come draft time. He's not a franchise player, by any means, and that is what the Celtics need more than anything else.

I don't see any point in drafting by position if you have a top three pick. Oden, Young, and Durant will be the head of the '07 class, much like LeBron, Wade, and 'Melo.


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## Premier (Oct 30, 2003)

whiterhino said:


> Oden won't even be entering the draft after this season. He can't play until the second half and he loves college and is in no rush. I won't be surprised if he does 3 years of college and gets an early degree like Okafor b4 leaving.


The only top selection to ever turn down the NBA for college in the last fifteen or so years was Tim Duncan. Oden has little reason to remain in college. The college lifestyle, you say? Well, alcohol and girls are more prevalent in the NBA. He's not going to turn down money and the chance to get hurt again.


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## aquaitious (Jun 11, 2002)

Causeway said:


> We've made upgrades. I don't miss anyone he's traded with the possible exception of Banks. But Banks for whatever reason was not getting a shot here. And of course he looks better playing with the Suns.


We made upgrades? Is that why the teams record has been consitant for all three years?

I still see 2/3 household basketball names and a bunch of no names on the Celtics.

Ask the average fan about these guys and they'll think you're naming MLS farm players, except in Boston, where we have 12 superstars on the team, but they're "just young."


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## aquaitious (Jun 11, 2002)

Causeway said:


> A losing season is going to allow us to be able to "dominate the league for the next 15" years? Come on.


A *top* pick + Pierce + good roll players like Gomes, Perkins, West (and maybe Wally if we can afford to keep him) would make me want to follow the Celtics religiously.


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## whiterhino (Jun 15, 2003)

Premier said:


> The only top selection to ever turn down the NBA for college in the last fifteen or so years was Tim Duncan. Oden has little reason to remain in college. The college lifestyle, you say? Well, alcohol and girls are more prevalent in the NBA. He's not going to turn down money and the chance to get hurt again.


That is exactly who Oden is being compared to as far as college is Tim Duncan. As for the alchohol and girls, Oden was also a high honors student in high school and likes it. Even those close to him are saying that they will not be surprised at all if he stays in school. As for a top selection turning down the draft recently look no further than Noah. He would have been a top 3 pick last year and maybe even #1....he'll most certainly go lower this year....but he wanted to stay in school. I'm not saying it's a definate but I sure wouldn't gamble my future on him coming out this year being a certainty.


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## Premier (Oct 30, 2003)

whiterhino said:


> That is exactly who Oden is being compared to as far as college is Tim Duncan.


All talented soft-spoken big men are _exactly _like Tim Duncan.[/sarcasm]



> As for the alchohol and girls, Oden was also a high honors student in high school and likes it. Even those close to him are saying that they will not be surprised at all if he stays in school.














> As for a top selection turning down the draft recently look no further than Noah. He would have been a top 3 pick last year and maybe even #1....he'll most certainly go lower this year....but he wanted to stay in school. I'm not saying it's a definate but I sure wouldn't gamble my future on him coming out this year being a certainty.


Noah was far from a guarantee. Toronto would not have drafted him first.

Plus, Noah was not injured already. Why would Oden want to take the chance of re-injuring his wrist and lowering his value when he can get top money quicker?


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## whiterhino (Jun 15, 2003)

Premier said:


> Plus, Noah was not injured already. Why would Oden want to take the chance of re-injuring his wrist and lowering his value when he can get top money quicker?


It is still a possibility.....he does love school he's said so himself and he said he really wanted to go to college even before they came up with the new age limit. I'm not saying it's a definate but I won't be surprised...although then him and OJ Mayo would be in the same draft which could be interesting.


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## Premier (Oct 30, 2003)

Oden is a far better prospect than OJ Mayo, who may not be the top selection in the '08 draft. Mayo still has to prove himself in college. Oden has been the unanimous top selection for the last three years.


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## E.H. Munro (Jun 22, 2004)

whiterhino said:


> As for a top selection turning down the draft recently look no further than Noah. He would have been a top 3 pick last year and maybe even #1....he'll most certainly go lower this year....but he wanted to stay in school.


Noah, like Grant Hill before him, comes from a very wealthy family. Money has never been, and will never be, a need for him. Oden, on the other hand, does need it. And re-injuring the wrist is a very real risk for him, since it could cost him millions.



Premier said:


> Oden is a far better prospect than OJ Mayo, who may not be the top selection in the '08 draft. Mayo still has to prove himself in college. Oden has been the unanimous top selection for the last three years.


Mayo won't go with the top pick in 2008. He's going to be the bargain of the draft, I think. NBA talent evaluators tend to talk themselves out of guards. The comparisons they throw around about Mayo now are Marbury, the current NBA-whipping boy. Frankly, to me, he looks like a slightly better Kirk Hinrich. But, in 2008, he'll lack Derrick Rose's or Billy Walker's explosiveness, Ante Tomic's height, Beasley's size/athleticism, Brandan Wright's length & quickness, and Chase Buddinger's "the new Larry" mojo. I suspect that a lot of those guys get drafted before Mayo, and he drops to the 5-9 range. But he'll be rock steady in the NBA.


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## whiterhino (Jun 15, 2003)

I think Mayo will be an outstanding pro, I'd be happy to have him


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## agoo (Jun 1, 2003)

I would hope that our pick in the next draft would be enough of an impact player that we would be well out of the Mayo range when he's going in the draft.


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