<div align="center"> <span style="font-size:24pt;line-height:100%">@</span> December 6, 2006 - 7:30 pm ET</div> Memphis Grizzlies (4-13) PG Chucky Atkins SG Dahntay Jones SF Mike Miller PF Hakim Warrick C Stromile Swift Key Bench Players: Rudy Gay, Lawrence Roberts, Jake Tsakalidis, Brian Cardinal <span style="color:#009900">Boston Celtics</span> <span style="color:#000000">(5-11)</span> <span style="color:#000000">PG</span> <span style="color:#009900">Sebastian Telfair</span> <span style="color:#000000">SG</span> <span style="color:#009900">Tony Allen</span> <span style="color:#000000">SF</span> <span style="color:#009900">Paul Pierce</span> <span style="color:#000000">PF</span> <span style="color:#009900">Ryan Gomes</span> <span style="color:#000000">C</span> <span style="color:#009900">Al Jefferson</span> <span style="color:#000000">Key Bench Players:</span> <span style="color:#009900">Delonte West, Gerald Green, Rajon Rondo, Brian Scalabrine, Leon Powe</span> Injury Report MEM: Pau Gasol will not play (recovering from foot surgery) MEM: Damon Stoudamire is questionable (sore right knee) MEM: Eddie Jones is a gametime decision (right achilles tendinitis) MEM: Kyle Lowry will not play (broken left wrist) <span style="color:#000000">BOS:</span> <span style="color:#009900">Wally Szczerbiak will not play (sprained right ankle)</span> <span style="color:#000000">BOS:</span> <span style="color:#009900">Kendrick Perkins will not play (plantar fasciitis)</span> <span style="color:#000000">BOS:</span> <span style="color:#009900">Theo Ratliff will not play (lower back)</span> <span style="color:#000000">BOS:</span> <span style="color:#009900">Michael Olowokandi will not play (strained abdominal muscle)</span> Who To Watch Out For Mike Miller Season Stats: 14.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 3.9 apg Hakim Warrick Season Stats: 15.9 ppg, 5.9 rpg Chucky Atkins Season Stats: 15.1 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 3.7 apg <span style="color:#009900">Paul Pierce</span> <span style="color:#000000">Season Stats: 25.7 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 4.0 apg, 1.3 spg</span> Rookie Watch MEM: Rudy Gay <span style="color:#000000">Overall Selection: 8</span> Season Stats: 9.4 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.0 spg, 0.9 bpg MEM: Alexander Johnson <span style="color:#000000">Overall Selection: 45</span> Season Stats: 1.0 ppg, 0.5 rpg MEM: Tarence Kinsey <span style="color:#000000">Overall Selection: Undrafted</span> Season Stats: Has not played. <span style="color:#000000">BOS:</span> <span style="color:#009900">Rajon Rondo</span> <span style="color:#000000">Overall Selection: 21</span> <span style="color:#000000">Season Stats:</span> <span style="color:#009900">4.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 2.7 apg, 0.9 spg</span> <span style="color:#000000">BOS:</span> <span style="color:#009900">Leon Powe</span> <span style="color:#000000">Overall Selection: 49</span> <span style="color:#000000">Season Stats:</span> <span style="color:#009900">4.6 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 0.7 bpg</span> <span style="color:#000000">BOS:</span> <span style="color:#009900">Allan Ray</span> <span style="color:#000000">Overall Selection: Undrafted</span> <span style="color:#000000">Season Stats:</span> <span style="color:#009900">3.3 ppg, 0.7 rpg, 0.3 apg</span> Memphis' X-Factor Stromile Swift Season Stats: 9.9 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 1.1 bpg The Celtics are short on centers, and the only real center avaliable is Perk, who is really struggling with that plantar fasciitis. He needs to take advantage of his athleticism and get those rebounds tonight. The Celtics are a pretty good rebounding team, Swift needs to hold down the paint. <span style="color:#009900">Boston's X-Factor</span> <span style="color:#009900">Al Jefferson</span> <span style="color:#000000">Season Stats: 9.3 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 1.0 bpg</span> <span style="color:#009900">Al has been pretty good, but he was not the other night in Chicago. He needs to have a nice bounce-back game (as does just about everyone except Gomes and TA) and he needs to be effective down low, especially with Perk out.</span> Key Matchup <div align="center"> vs. Hakim Warrick <span style="color:#000000">vs.</span> <span style="color:#009900">Ryan Gomes</span></div> <span style="color:#000000">Both of these guys have had really good seasons thus far. Warrick is a bit more athletic, but Gomes is tougher and better around the basket. It should be a nice matchup between the combo forwards.</span> CelticBalla's Extra Thoughts/Notes PLEASE... PLEASE have a much better game than what happened in Chicago. Pierce needs rejuvinate himself the most, but everyone else does too. CelticBalla's Prediction We should win this one, especially with all the injuries, but who knows. I'll predict that we bounce back and come out firing, then let them get back into it, then we hang on by the skin of our teeth for a win.
Wow, looking at the Grizzlies starting lineup, they have no real low post presence. Swift playing the center position? please....Perk, Al, and Ryan SHOULD overpower them downlow but you never know with this celtics team.I do like the C's in this one though. The Grizzlies are possibly the worst team in the NBA and the celtics have been on a cold streak latley. They are bound to win this one.
I was watching Rudy Gay the other day against New York, and I didnt like his ball handling skills, he turned it over alot, and shot the ball off balance way too much, he wasnt taking his time on anything, and rushing all his shots. Like new players of this era it seems, he likes to shoot.I guess where everyone gets that is the fact that they see Kobe and Lebron sinking the amazingly impossible jump shots and think they can do that, the thing is, its fine AS LONG AS THEY SCORE. I see that trend coming up with new players, it seems to be peoples major weapon in their arsenal, no one cuts to the basket anymore, they subsitute getting bigger in size for fixing their jump shot. IMO, you can fix your shot along your career, but if you never get experience getting phsyical, chances are you never will. Anyways my thoughts on the game is that I would like to see the Celts win, but part of my wants them to lose a bit more so we get a good spot in the Atlantic. CelticBalla is it true at least 1 team from every division has to make the playoffs. If so, the way the Atlantic has been playing, who looks to be grabbing that spot this year?
I think Memphis will win this(im trying to be as un-biased as possible btw), we are going to have Dahntey Jones on Paul Pierce and D Jones has been shutting down superstars all year. Also, I would like to point out Memphis is great at coming back from blowouts, so it wouldnt suprise me to see us down 20 in the 3rd, but 9/10 times we will come back and it'll be a close game. This really just depends on Warrick and Jones. All DJ has to do is play D on Pierce and Hak just needs to score, which I think he can with his heighth advantage. I hope yall dont hit a game winning shot like Ricky did last year
Im sorry, but Jones isnt going to shut down Pierce. I think the best that you can hope for is to hold him to 20 points. But even then, Pierce isnt going to need to score more than that. The Celtics actually have a size advantage for once and if they take care of that, it should go to the celtics. And I dont know if you were exaggerating, but 9/10 times they will come back from a 20 point lead in the 3rd? I hope that you were exaggerating...
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (RaptorFan#1 @ Dec 6 2006, 12:28 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>CelticBalla is it true at least 1 team from every division has to make the playoffs. If so, the way the Atlantic has been playing, who looks to be grabbing that spot this year?</div> Yeah whoever wins the Atlantic will get 4th seed, I believe, this year. Who do I think has the best shot? Easily New Jersey... I mean no contest. They lost 6 in a row recently, but they will bounce back. Vince Carter is Vince Carter, but he'll continue to play well considering he's a good player plus it's his contract year. Jason Kidd is still a top PG in the NBA, Richard Jefferson is an All-Star caliber swingman, Nenad Krstic has come a long way, and Jason Collins is a good defender. Also, I really like the 3 young guys off the bench (Marcus Williams, Antoine Wright, and Josh Boone - who just got back). Eddie House has returned as well, and Mikki Moore has improved. The Nets are still an elite team in the East, IMO, they'll come around. Barring any blockbuster deals for the other teams in the Atlantic Division, I wouldn't be surprised if the Nets are the only team in the division to make the playoffs.
Dude, I dont think weve have played a game this year where we havent been down by less the 15, and we've only had one blowout. So im pretty damn serious. And we'll see about Jones holding Pierce.Oh and uh....I dont agree with <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>Both of these guys have had really good seasons thus far. Warrick is a bit more athletic, but Gomes is tougher and better around the basket. It should be a nice matchup between the combo forwards.</div>
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (austingriz76 @ Dec 6 2006, 12:29 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I think Memphis will win this(im trying to be as un-biased as possible btw), we are going to have Dahntey Jones on Paul Pierce and D Jones has been shutting down superstars all year. Also, I would like to point out Memphis is great at coming back from blowouts, so it wouldnt suprise me to see us down 20 in the 3rd, but 9/10 times we will come back and it'll be a close game. This really just depends on Warrick and Jones. All DJ has to do is play D on Pierce and Hak just needs to score, which I think he can with his heighth advantage. I hope yall dont hit a game winning shot like Ricky did last year </div> You dramatically overrate your players. First I see you say Memphis will be the 5th seed, then I see you saying that Dahntay Jones will shut down Paul Pierce? Please. Also, Hakim Warrick has a size advantage? No he doesn't. Warrick is about 6'8'' Gomes is about 6'7'' and a half Al Jefferson is about 6'10'' Leon Powe is about 6'8'' Also, Gomes is stronger than Warrick, so an inch does nothing. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE </div><div class='quotemain'>And I dont know if you were exaggerating, but 9/10 times they will come back from a 20 point lead in the 3rd? I hope that you were exaggerating...</div> This is the Celtics we are talking about, lol, that wasn't that bold of a statement. In fact, I remember a month ago, we were playing Cleveland. We had a 25 point lead in the middle of the 3rd quarter, and we blew the game. But man, if Perk doesn't play, this game will be Small Ball Galore. Austingriz, you don't think Ryan Gomes is better around the basket than Hakim Warrick? Give me a break, bro. He's a much better rebounder, he IS stronger, he has a much softer tough, he is a position rebounder (Warrick uses nothing but his length and athleticism on the boards), and he is a very hard worker every second he's in the game. GUYS, ESPECIALLY AUSTINGRIZ, LOOK OUT FOR THIS SEQUENCE IN THIS GAME: Gomes on the block, up-fakes, gets Warrick in the air. Foul on Warrick, Gomes to the line. ^^^ Watch out for that, trust.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (CelticBalla32 @ Dec 6 2006, 12:34 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Yeah whoever wins the Atlantic will get 4th seed, I believe, this year. Who do I think has the best shot? Easily New Jersey... I mean no contest. They lost 6 in a row recently, but they will bounce back. Vince Carter is Vince Carter, but he'll continue to play well considering he's a good player plus it's his contract year. Jason Kidd is still a top PG in the NBA, Richard Jefferson is an All-Star caliber swingman, Nenad Krstic has come a long way, and Jason Collins is a good defender. Also, I really like the 3 young guys off the bench (Marcus Williams, Antoine Wright, and Josh Boone - who just got back). Eddie House has returned as well, and Mikki Moore has improved. The Nets are still an elite team in the East, IMO, they'll come around.Barring any blockbuster deals for the other teams in the Atlantic Division, I wouldn't be surprised if the Nets are the only team in the division to make the playoffs.</div>lol as I was reading, I just found out we were tied for 1st ....and the Nets play the Suns next. Anyways CB, I see your comment makes a lot of sense, but anything can happen you know? The Raptors arent playing under average basketball necassarily, and the Nets arent playing great eithier. But I think we can at least fight this year for a spot. At least for 8th. I think I am going to wait till the All Star Break to manke any predictions. Thats usually the deciding point.<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (austingriz76 @ Dec 6 2006, 12:37 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Dude, I dont think weve have played a game this year where we havent been down by less the 15, and we've only had one blowout. So im pretty damn serious. And we'll see about Jones holding Pierce.Oh and uh....I dont agree with</div>I like how you gave us your reasoning for that comment.
First off, Warrick is 6'9, and Warrick is probably going to burn Gomes. Its hard to tell cause sometimes hes can be unconsistant on the road. I had Memphis as the 5th seed for NEXT YEAR. I didnt know it was a old topic. And Warrick has a softer touch the Gomes, Ive seen Gomes play, have you seen Warrick play this season? Hes not getting 16ppg like he did in college, he has improved his outside shot and his inside finesse game.Oh, and you'll here this too"Warrick has the ball, Gomes playing tough D, OH!!!!!!!! GOMES IS ON A POSTER!!! WHAT A INCREDIBLE FACIAL BY WARRICK".Its all in good fun though, we should have a betting system here for stuff like this.<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (RaptorFan#1 @ Dec 5 2006, 11:46 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I like how you gave us your reasoning for that comment.</div>Well is pretty clear dude, I think Warrick has a softer touch....
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (austingriz76 @ Dec 6 2006, 12:52 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>First off, Warrick is 6'9, and Warrick is probably going to burn Gomes. Its hard to tell cause sometimes hes can be unconsistant on the road. I had Memphis as the 5th seed for NEXT YEAR. I didnt know it was a old topic. And Warrick has a softer touch the Gomes, Ive seen Gomes play, have you seen Warrick play this season? Hes not getting 16ppg like he did in college, he has improved his outside shot and his inside finesse game. Oh, and you'll here this too "Warrick has the ball, Gomes playing tough D, OH!!!!!!!! GOMES IS ON A POSTER!!! WHAT A INCREDIBLE FACIAL BY WARRICK". Its all in good fun though, we should have a betting system here for stuff like this. Well is pretty clear dude, I think Warrick has a softer touch....</div> 1. I have seen Warrick play, trust me. I can confidently say I watch more basketball than anyone on BBW. He does NOT have a softer tough than Ryan Gomes. He's longer and more athletic. Warrick has vastly improved his offensive arsenal, no doubt. He is one of the top candidates for Most Improved as of right now, easily. But he doesn't have a softer touch than Ryan Gomes at all. 2. Warrick has extended his outside shot, Gomes has too. Have you seen him play this year? That 18 footer from Gomes is smooth. 3. Haha, Warrick may dunk on someone (good comeback man, seriously). But, I can't wait until Jake Tsakalidis has Gerald Green's nuts in his face (my god, I hope so. Gerald needs to throw something down!). 4. How could you NOT know that was an old topic, when you said Memphis would get 5th seed? You bumped it, the last post in it was from July! But I'm sorry, Hakim Warrick does not have a softer touch around the basket than Ryan Gomes. Anyone that really has seen them both play knows that.
I didnt bump it, it was at the top of the General NBA, im not one to bump old threads usually. And the only other thing I watch that isnt NBA is Prison Break and NCAAB. I live basketball, I watch is constantly. And really, Coach Frat isnt that dumb to play Jake...he f*cking sucks and we all know it.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (austingriz76 @ Dec 6 2006, 02:35 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>And really, Coach Frat isnt that dumb to play Jake...he f*cking sucks and we all know it.</div> Really? He plays 14 mpg this year, and in the last 2 games, he has played 15 minutes in each.
But he doesn't play him when the game is heated up...usually, inly way you'll see Jake in minutes that really matter is if Stro and Warrick are hurt, foul trouble or they're extremely tired.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (austingriz76 @ Dec 5 2006, 11:52 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>First off, Warrick is 6'9, and Warrick is probably going to burn Gomes. Its hard to tell cause sometimes hes can be unconsistant on the road. I had Memphis as the 5th seed for NEXT YEAR. I didnt know it was a old topic. And Warrick has a softer touch the Gomes, Ive seen Gomes play, have you seen Warrick play this season? Hes not getting 16ppg like he did in college, he has improved his outside shot and his inside finesse game.Oh, and you'll here this too"Warrick has the ball, Gomes playing tough D, OH!!!!!!!! GOMES IS ON A POSTER!!! WHAT A INCREDIBLE FACIAL BY WARRICK".Its all in good fun though, we should have a betting system here for stuff like this.Well is pretty clear dude, I think Warrick has a softer touch....</div>Warrick has a softer touch than Gomes? no way. Gomes' main thing this year has been the 17 foot jumpshot. Now that he can actually post someone up, I'm sure he'll play well on the block too. Warrick does NOT have a size advantage. Warrick can jump higher than Gomes, but Gomes is much stronger, and smarter. I can almost guarantee that warrick will get into foul trouble guarding gomes. And in the two games wally has missed, Gomes is averaging 15.5 ppg, 9.5 rpg, and 6.5 apg. Not too shabby.And I can absolutely guarantee that Warrick won't just drive to the basket while gomes is guarding him and dunk over him.
I just got an update from Greg Dickerson from watching Sports Tonight on FSN: Sebastian Telfair did not lose his starting job, he will continue to start. Also, Tony Allen will start tonight. Interesting. Delonte will continue to come off the bench for the time being. But back to Tony Allen, maybe this is the boost of confidence he needs to return to 2004 form? We can only hope, right? <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Noah @ Dec 6 2006, 06:40 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>I predict Paul Pierce has a helluva game tonite...</div> We can only hope. That elbow is still bothering him.
...since when can Scals shoot?7 points in the first quarter for him.Pretty well played all around by the Celts, we're taking most of the boards too, which is a good sign.
Pierce-4 of 10, 1 of 4 threes. I hope Dahntey can play the same D on Paul Pierce in the 2nd half. AND HOLY sh*t, DID YOU SEE THAT PUTBACK BY ROBERTS!!! Whoa....
hahaha scabs. what a joke.but that's pretty pathetic, but nonetheless typical, that we let Memphis back in the game.
