Skip to main content

Without "Green Light", three Celtics newcomers light it up

 The 129-119 loss to the Blazers last night was a tough one, but three newcomers to Boston lit up the score board, despite not having the "Green Light" mentioned by NBA analyst, Candace Parker. Rookies Aaron Nesmith and Payton Pritchard, in league with newly acquired French import, Evan Fournier, supplied 39% of the Celtics points on 78% shooting from the field and 75% from 3-point-land.


In reference to Parker's "Green Light" comment, a guest had broached a supposed sign Doc Rivers had posted in the locker room for the 2007-08 season, reading "No Dancing With The Ball" - obviously meaning that he didn't want to see iso-ball on the floor. Candace responded that the game had changed - Paul Pierce and Ray Allen had the green light to isolate at any point in the game - and that practice has become more common.

Well, Payton, Aaron and Evan had no such liberty, but in the flow of the game, they put up 50 points on the board, hitting on 18-of-23 from the field and 12-of-16 beyond the arc. Nesmith had his third solid game in a row, hitting from everywhere. But what really stood out was his ability to almost always be on the ball - on offense, defense and under the hoop for rebounds. Aaron was 6-of-7 on field goals and a perfect 4-of-4 on 3-pointers. He is a worker.

There may be a lesson here. Despite the apparent popularity of iso-ball in today's NBA, I am not a fan. This trio of newcomers achieved their 50 points via movement, hustle and hard work. It would be great to see more of that from other members of The Green.

.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

The Elm Street Nightmare

 A true-and-suspenseful horror tale of haunting, homicides and the hunt for triple-murderer, Daniel Laplante - as told by the cops that were there By Lt. Thomas Lane (Ret.)  Daniel Laplante - cold, calm, clever, calculating- Photo: YouTube   Elm Street  surfaces on six (6) occasions in the Laplante saga: 1.) He  resided on Elm Street  in Townsend, Massachusetts  2.) He  kidnapped a woman  at gunpoint on  Elm Street, Pepperell , Massachusetts 3.) That kidnapped woman fled to the Gillogly residence on Elm Street after escaping from the armed fugitive, Laplante. 4.) He was arrested and transported to Massachusetts State Police Barracks on Elm Street in Concord . 5.) He was  tried, convicted   and sentenced for the murders at  Superior Court , corner of  Elm Stree t and Gorham Street, Lowell, Massachusetts. 6.) The author, Thomas Lane, lived on Elm Steet, Pepperell, Massachusetts while a police Sgt./Lt. for the town police force. When evil and cleverness reside in the same mind, the st

Did the Celtics Kevin McHale really have a wingspan of 8-feet?

According to many sources, the Celtics Kevin McHale did indeed have an estimated wingspan of 8-feet. One of those sources is Wikipedia, as seen below: Kevin McHale American basketball player DescriptionKevin Edward McHale is an American retired basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Boston Celtics. He is a Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, and is regarded as one of the best power forwards of all time. He was named to the NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team. Wikipedia Born: December 19, 1957 (age 61 years), Hibbing, MN Wingspan: 8′ 0″ Height: 6′ 10″ Spouse: Lynn McHale (m. 1982) NBA draft: 1980, Boston Celtics (Round: 1 / Pick: 3) Hall of fame induction: 1999 Number: 32 (Boston Celtics / Power forward, Center) Kevin was listed at 6'10" tall when he was drafted with the 3rd pick in the 1980 draft. Red Auerbach, in yet another heist, brought in both McHale and center Robert Parish (via trade) prior to the Celtics' 1980-81 Champion

In defense of Marcus Smart

 Let me make it clear first of all that I am totally against making a threat of any kind that even hints at harming, or certainly killing, another human being. Marcus Smart was wrong in doing so in the Celtics loss to the tanking Oklahoma City Thunder , and he deserved the one-game suspension. But to be honest, part of me loved that it occurred. . This type of thing can happen when a player gets to a point "beyond frustration" and is having a bad game. Marcus and his teammates have been under-performing generally - were in the process of losing to a pathetic-and-tanking Thunder team - and Smart was having a bad game . And he let loose verbally at the closest target - an NBA official. Wilt Chamberlain did a similar act versus referee, Earl Strom when Wilt was having his usual tortuous time at the free throw line (per Chicago Tribune's Sam Smith): ''He was in one of those 1-for-13s,'' recalls referee Earl Strom. ''Nothing was getting close. S