So Portland shows us how to beat the Celtics and that is to play 6 guys on the court. Well done guys, well done.

Watching Mardy Collins's 8:27 +3 unfold on cable television last night was a mind-numbing experience on par with Geraldo's excavation of Al Capone's underground cavern.

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned before, but has anyone else noticed that thing Rondo does where, after the ball is thrown in, he lets it roll to midcourt before he starts to dribble? He does it all the time! Why? You just know that at some point it will end in a steal.

"superdickery". nice.

OMGZ more 2010 talk, this time from Mike 'antoni's master disciple:

http://nba.fanhouse.com/2008/12/31/steve-nash-narrows-2010-options-to-phoenix-toronto-and-new-yor/

@La Dolce Vita

The reason is because the clock doesn't start until a player touches the ball. So instead of wasting a couple seconds to cross the court the idea is to keep those seconds and have the 24 clock or game clock start with the ball already past mid court. I did not know about this either until I had someone explain it to me.

A steal does not happen at all because if that player misses the steal Rondo has a huge open court right at the top and I think we can all safely say that Rondo knows what do to when he has beaten his defender. This is also the reason why it is rolled onto the court and not a full fledge pass. All players can see the ball and it's going slow enough to pick it up if there is any pressure from the defense.

Vita: I haven't seen it but I can assume he does that to keep time from going. The clock only starts once a player puts a hand on the ball. Nash does it a lot in Phoenix too.

more like super douche-ery

The great quandry...

A great player just happens to be a fake tough guy also.

A great power forward just happens to have little "power" in his game.

All things being equal, I'll still take him.

It's pretty shocking how quickly Kevin Garnett has ruined a reputation he spent the last 15 years creating. If you search the web there are literally dozens of stories and videos out there of KG's recent "superdickery", as you called it. I was always a big fan of KG's, and was very happy to see him finally get a ring last year; but his behavior this season is making me really re-think how I feel about the guy. This article in particular made me really question whether Garnett is a good guy or a jerk. Was he always this way and we forgave him because we felt sorry that such a great player had never won, or has winning changed his personality and made him into an asshole? I'd like to think he's not a petulant jerk who is out to cheap-shot players, but there is mounting evidence that that may be exactly who he is. Say it ain't so, Kevin.

You see i like that more players should do that and the fans who dont like it should stfu cause it makes basketball interesting and it brings mor fire into the game. And you never know maybe something will happen as the late George Carlin would say take a f#**!# chance!

Is it just me, or did outlaw take a few too many steps? It looks like his left foot was his pivot and he lifted it when he started his spin-move.

'bawful: "As for Houston...frankly, they're not as good as everybody thought they'd be."

So...

Houston: they are not who we thought they were. If you wanna crown 'em... hold off for a minute?

Kevin Garnett is a complete ass. I don't care who you are, or how you act off the court, if that's how you play basketball, you're an ass.

Which leads me to my personal quandry:

If you really hate a team - like, the Celtics, for example - is it okay to have one of their players - like, Rondo - on your fantasy team?

Is it against the spirit of fanhood to cheer for a player when you're praying for the ultimate destruction of his team?

dude, i don't know where to put this but i saw this one "preview" of the all-star jersey, and the name on the back was "NOT RONDO". lol

http://nba.fanhouse.com/2008/12/31/photos-2009-nba-all-star-uniforms/

but anyways, i totally agree with the whole superdickery thing. i don't really remember seeing KG trash-talk to this extent in previous seasons(then again, i've only started watching the NBA in '02). maybe the ring he got have some sort of superdickery spell/curse on it.

Oh, and another thing. I was reviewing the box scores in Y! Sports, and you can add Luke Ridnour to the list of people that can block Yao. I just hope I don't stat curse the Yao watch!

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/boxscore;_ylt=ArsL_TbfH5VjKTn3LxCxcZWQvLYF?gid=2008123110

tony.bluntana:

"If you really hate a team - like, the Celtics, for example - is it okay to have one of their players - like, Rondo - on your fantasy team?
Is it against the spirit of fanhood to cheer for a player when you're praying for the ultimate destruction of his team?"

A few years ago, I traded both Vince Carter and Jason Richardson because I couldn't stand those guys for some reason. Call it an irrational hatred of dunk-contest champions or whatever, but I traded Carter for Michael Redd and Richardson for Brent Barry. Probably the worst trade I ever made in my fantasy playing days.

And you know what? My team was so fucking loaded that even with Barry's suckitude and Redd's 'meh, he's not bad', I still won my league, albeit only on the very last day.

So to answer your first question - yes or no. It really depends on your feelings about it. See my response to the second question if the player is playing against your team.

To answer your second question: team first, player second. Otherwise, you're just a fantasy whore, not a true fan of your team.

Can we now stop the talk of the Celtics breaking the Bulls' regular season 72 win record? Every year some hot team makes people jaw about it, and it's patently ridiculous. You have to have a truly great team to do that, a team that is on such a gawdawful roll, and so injury-proof, that they can steamroller through the league. The Celtics are an excellent team, but they aren't a 72 win team.

WRT Garnett, I too am disappointed. There's this special kind of dickery that requires a championship. Kobe's got it, and it took him years to realize that nobody likes it and that you need to hide it (but he's still got it, and you can see it in that smarmy, superior smile that Kobe gets in certain games when it's obvious that the Lakers are darned good and Kobe is the Man). I'm really, really hoping that this isn't what Garnett has.

I'll make my predictions now: I don't see the Celtics repeating. I think their heads aren't going to be in the right place, and it takes extra-specially deep character to repeat, because how do you summon that hunger up once again after all the parades? yeah, they're a great team that plays balls-out defense, and I admire that. But I think that edge will be dulled just enough this year to make them fall short. I think the only thing that can save them is Rondo becoming even better. In principle he could transform the team from a Big 3 with warts to a Big 4with warts, which is almost unbeatable. Not sure he has it in him, but it's possible.

Since 2005 I anxiously awaited what would happen with Garnett's contract, feeling the way that most people felt about him---That he was a great player on an awful team who gave it all every night. I honestly thought he would be traded long before his contract is up, in a rebuilding effort. I remember friends asking me, "why so obsessed with KG's contract, he probably is gonna be stuck in that hole forever." "Because if he ever did get traded, and he wasn't the only guy on that team, that's a guarunteed championship. Mark my words, the team who gets Garnett will win a title." Much to my dismay, I was right, and Garnett's celtics defeated my favorite team in the finals. I've always liked Garnett, but after the finals and some of the things I've seen, I think the ring turned him into an a$$hole.

I have to praise Lord Bawful for his lack of bias in producing this article. I bet if we sliced Bawful open, a bunch of green goo would come out (like that slime from You Can't do that on Television) along with skads of Larry Bird pictures. If this hardcore celtics fan has a problem with KG, then it's not just me.

"What the hell, KG?"

as if this hasnt become a regular thing from him, along with alot of classlessness from the celtics in general. i cant believe i rooted for kg to get a ring last year.

I just pictured something that could turn the world against the Celtics more than Garnett becoming a dick: Starbury going to Boston? Stein claims the only limiting factor is Marbury getting his buyout from the Knicks.:

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3804977

Can Marbury become, say, a Stackhouse? Can he do it without destroying the team and totally alienating the fans? Inquiring minds want to know.

Personally, I hope the guy rots and never plays in the NBA again.