Celtics Midterm Report

The Boston Celtics are a remarkable 41-9 at the All-Star break, so it's a good time to look back at a successful first half of the season and hand out some grades. Below are some individual grades and coments based on their expectations coming into the year.

Kevin Garnett (A+): A tremendous talent and inspirational leader both on and off the court. He is the soul of the team and makes Doc's job a whole lot easier.

Paul Pierce (A): Finally becoming a great team player with his defense and passing this year.

Rajon Rondo (A-): Playing with more confidence in his second year at the point and should average a triple-double in the future with his rebounding skill.

Eddie House (A-): Shooting lights out off the bench and even brings the ball up for the second team. His spark reminds me of Vinnie "the Microwave" Johnson of the old Pistons.

James Posey (B+): As advertised, good 3-point shooter and great defender. Even has the rest of the team taking offensive charge fouls.

Leon Powe (B+): Developing into a good and athletic low post player in his second year. He contributed mightily while KG was injured.

Glenn Davis (B): As a rookie, has had some inconsistent nights but his energy, hands around the basket, and his recent defense on Tim Duncan have made him a second round steal in the draft.

Ray Allen (B): Great presence on the floor and has hit some clutch shots but still trying to determine his role in the offense and having his worst shooting year thus far.

Kendrick Perkins (B): Improving his low post game every day but still benefits greatly when KG is in the line-up.

Tony Allen (C+): His injured knee and defense is getting better every game but still needs to drive more and shoot less.

Brian Scalabrinie (C): A role player who needs to have better hands around the paint.

Scot Pollard (D): A "D" for too many DNP's. Must contribute in the second half of the season.

Coaching Staff (A): With all the leadership on the team, Head coach Doc Rivers' day-today job is much easier this year. However, where he contributed the most is when he united a team with superstars and new players in the offseason. Along with Posey and KG, the addition of defensive guru Tom Thibodeau as Assistant coach has turned the Celts from the worst to the best defensive team in the league.

Front Office (A-): By getting Ray Allen, KG, Posey, House, and Thibodeau in the offseason, General Manger Danny Ainge earned his salary and may have secured the GM of the year award. Now he must try to bolster the team for the stretch drive to earn an NBA title.

Notes from the Coast:

Spring training finally opens this week! Pitchers and Catchers all report by the weekend and the rest of the team a few days later. Let's hope the sight Johnny Pesky signing autographs and the sounds of wooden bats and Japanese reporters will alleviate the pain of a bad Super bowl loss.

• On that note, good thing I didn't watch the NFL Pro Bowl game last Sunday. Asante Sammuel dropped a game saving pass in the Super bowl but had a great hit in the Pro Bowl. Also, Logan Mankins, Matt Light, and Dan Koppen played terrible in Arizona but I heard they played great in Hawaii. That said, had I been watching the Pro Bowl I probably would have put my fist through the TV.
• Hard to believe that everyone from the Nanny to the Clemens' dog was using HGH, except Roger. Clemens may never come back to pitch again but he does have a chain of sports bars called "Rocket's" in development. Even though jell-o shots out of a syringe could still work nicely within the bar's theme, this may be another reason why Clemens is holding so tight to his lies.
• Senator Arlen Specter is not content with NFL Commisioner Roger Goodell's answers on Spygate and now wants the Senate Judiciary committee to investigate further. My first thought is doesn't Congress have better things to worry about like the war, terrorism, and the recession than spygate and HGH? My second thought is bring it on. Now we will find out how trivial this practice of 'taping' truly is, how many teams also do it, and how reputable Matt Walsh is as a witness.
• How bad are the Knicks? The Celtics were up by 27 points on Wednesday night with only one big man left on the roster...and Leon Powe is only 6' 8"!
• Must see TV: After the All-Star break this weekend, it will be a mad scramble for the NBA crown. KG, Perk, and Pollard come back for the Celts; Jason Kidd will soon be wearing a Dallas uniform; Andre Bynum joins a new Laker line-up with Pau Gasol in March; and Shaq's first game in a Phoenix Suns uniform will be against Phil Jackson, Kobe Bryant, and the Lakers.