Celtics Thoughts
They found Atlantis!
Call me a masochist, but I loved watching the Celtics on League Pass last year. Part of it had to do with the fact that I saw them play three times in three different arenas in the span of a little over 2 months. I had been able to build with a few guys in the locker room and, aside from the reality that most of the younger C’s ate chicken fingers and fries before games, I really liked the vibe that the team had.
Brian Scalabrine and Ryan Gomes are down to earth; Kendrick Perkins seems to float around in his own world (and is a beast); you can’t help but like Paul Pierce; Delonte West, now a Sonic, appeared to be nothing short of a nuts; And call me different, but I’ve always had a soft spot (relatively speaking) for Doc Rivers after he worked a mini-miracle with the 2000 Orlando Magic.
The other part of it was that they epitomized the woeful Eastern Conference. Due to unfortunate work-related circumstances, last season I had to be in bed by midnight most nights. This forced me to, for the most part, maintain my east coast watching bias. When I needed a respite from Jersey’s disappointing regular season and the ups and downs of the circus at MSG, I only had a few options. My vested interest in LeBron remained from my collegiate experiences in Ohio. LeBron’s senioritis had people ready to commit multiple homicides and that was cute but also overblown. More to the point, the Cavs, like their entire division, were about as interesting as Drew Barrymore.
(Sidenote: Does anyone else find it weird that Drew Barrymore has two male names, isn’t attractive, isn’t talented yet some people still deify her? For the record, there’s a part of me that would rather eat paint chips than get with Drew Barrymore, but that’s just me. If paste was a female actress that got too much credit, it would be Drew Barrymore.)
Anyway…that left three Eastern teams that were aesthetically pleasing and half decent. I watched the Magic early and they were fun while they were winning—Trevor Ariza (!)—but they fell off. Toronto was fun, too. That left only Gilbert’s antics in the Capital, and I preferred to watch Gilbert in quarters. Actually, watching Gilbert in quarters—a necessary staple of any east coaster with league pass and an itchy remote trigger—is almost as cheerfully stupor-inducing as playing quarters.
Back to my original point. I needed a yin for my yang. A bottom of the barrel team to complement my “winners” and make my nightly League Pass experience whole. What other team could suck consistently without boring the crap out of me? The only possibility was the Boston Celtics. Plus, they made me feel better about going to so many Knicks games.
And now the Celtics are Eastern conference title contenders. I honestly can’t fathom how you can be against what the C’s have done here. Even without KG, the Ray Allen trade made sense from a respectability standpoint, which was really the only standpoint that mattered for a team so poorly constructed. (By the way, anyone who says Ray Allen and Paul Pierce are essentially the same player doesn’t watch basketball.)
Sure, Boston’s defense won’t be better than average; they’ll be extremely susceptible to penetration from the opposition’s wings and their help defense often won’t always be up to snuff because of a lack of depth and poor lateral movement from old legs. Even so, if they space themselves consistently well on offense–I’m suggesting that the three stars always form a well-spaced triangle to limit the opposition’s double-teaming capabilities–and pick each others’ games up quickly, this is (health-permitting) a team that every night will make its opponent play pick your poison.
Poison available by ordering league pass. To order league pass, contact your local cable provider.
31 Responses to “Celtics Thoughts”
Jul.31 at 12:54 pm
Basketball Cariere says:
first? and I agree on berrymore
Jul.31 at 12:57 pm
Slick Nick Da Ruler says:
I hate league pass’ domination of my life
Jul.31 at 1:01 pm
Russ Bengtson says:
Kevin Garnett is talented.
Jul.31 at 1:04 pm
Mongoose says:
Damn, you must really hate Tivo if you would rather watch a terrible team like the celtics than cough up 10 bucks and watch the teams out west, especially after paying for league pass.
Jul.31 at 1:15 pm
Jake Appleman says:
It’s more complicated than that, Mongoose. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.
Jul.31 at 1:18 pm
Jersey says:
Jake you are a masochist…..
Jul.31 at 1:21 pm
Ryan Jones says:
Drew Barrymore is no Maggie Gyllenhaal.
Jul.31 at 1:27 pm
Jake Appleman says:
Agreed, Ryan.
Jul.31 at 1:33 pm
Reggie Evans says:
Maggie Gyllenhaal is talented.
Jul.31 at 1:42 pm
Jesus Shuttlesworth says:
those shots at drew barrymore came out of nowhere. paul, kevin, and i will be fine. i’ve already taken them both to a wnba game.
Jul.31 at 1:47 pm
Ryan Jones says:
In place of your lovely daughter? That’s cold, Jesus.
Jul.31 at 2:07 pm
albie1kenobi says:
i agree with mr shuttlesworth though. why look for the future when you can bring in the now? he agrees with ainge on “no more youth movement”. plus when the wnba team lose, he can take his new buddies on the court and call next. he can’t do that with his lovely daughter.
Jul.31 at 2:14 pm
Chukaz says:
Yo, my names Jesus. Anyways, yeah, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen are not similar at all. It’s like saying that Kobe and Smush play the same way.
Jul.31 at 2:14 pm
duke4005 says:
(Kevin Garnett) has been the tallest player on the court and now in the NBA will see the court little, if ev… Oh yeah, I guess he is OK.
Jul.31 at 2:19 pm
Dean (not the first guy) says:
Drew Barrymore= ASS ….mmmmm paint chips
Jul.31 at 2:31 pm
Dallas J. says:
You crazy!..Especially now that she’s getting thick and juicy. Bring on that pastie paste!
Jul.31 at 2:38 pm
Chukaz says:
Drew Barrymore is like the Kevin Willis os movies, they both sticked around 15 too long.
Jul.31 at 2:49 pm
Mike C. says:
I also have distaste for Drew Barrymore.
Jul.31 at 3:07 pm
Daniel says:
I saw Drew Barrymore last year in a restaurant with her boyfriend and she looked so hot. I cound’t take my eyes off her. She grew up on me, actually. Worlds change!
Jul.31 at 3:36 pm
Douce says:
ide do drew
Jul.31 at 4:15 pm
jbn74sb says:
Very odd attack on Drew Barrymore. Some dudes just like creamy white girls, not that I’m one of them.
Jul.31 at 5:09 pm
john3065 says:
Drew is not my kind but my brother met her in las vegas and said she’s very attractive - friendly, prettier in person with a awesome smile and a good body, she’s just smaller than he thought. and did you watch some of her older movies? she’s good, i guess she’s just making a lot of rom. comedies lately.
Jul.31 at 5:24 pm
Reggie Evans says:
Drew Barry- less
Jul.31 at 9:35 pm
brian says:
Drew Barrymore is hot…especially during her playboy days, but she’s lookin good nowadays too
Aug.1 at 1:48 am
Diogo says:
drew is just fine by me. one could do worse than drew barrymore. Chukaz: Loved the Willis comparison. classic.
Aug.1 at 6:03 am
Boing Dynasty says:
Ray Allen and Paul Pierce are essentially the same player, and i watch basketball games.
Aug.1 at 6:04 am
Boing Dynasty says:
granted, Paul has a better back the the basket game, and cant shoot it like ray. Still, very simulular.
Aug.1 at 7:08 am
Slobodan Chutzpah says:
Drew’s not that bad - she has that whole kooky hippy chick thing going, which admittedly does not age that well… She’s certainly no Juliette Lewis, who might be the most unappetising actress to ever have been called sexy. It is quite literally unfathomable how anyone’s ever cast her in roles requiring her to be hot. Okay rock troupe though.
Aug.1 at 11:48 am
Jake Appleman says:
right Boing, they’re simulular, whatever the hell that means.
Aug.1 at 11:51 am
Jake Appleman says:
slobo, drew vs juliette. hmm… if you put a gun to my head, i’d ask for more time.
Aug.5 at 4:32 pm
Silent Storm says:
Time for a PP, Allen and KG cover…