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Mannix: 76ers, Pacers are better than the Celtics

Chuck - Red's Army December 20, 2011 Uncategorized 13 Comments

Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix was a guest host on WEEI this morning when he dropped some absurd commentary on the Celtics:

Meter: You throw them over the Knicks this year

Mannix: Yes, if Baron Davis is healthy. If Baron Davis is three-quarters the Baron Davis we saw with the Clippers, I think they are better. Tyson Chandler changes them a lot, especially on defensive end. This is going to sound crazy, right now, Miami, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia and Indiana are better than Boston.

It's very trendy to pick against the Celtics this season. Everyone is doing it. But to say Philadelphia and Indiana are better than the Celtics, well that's just downright ignorant.

The Celtics finished 15 games ahead of the 76ers and 19 games ahead of the Pacers last season. The Sixers added NO ONE to their roster. Indiana added David West and Lou Amundson. Even with Jeff Green out for the season, the Celtics are better than both of those teams. It's one thing to argue New York's superiority, but Philly and Indiana?

John summed up Mannix' analysis best: " I think the boxing he's been covering is giving HIM brain damage by association."

http://profile.typepad.com/tcsherwood KY Celts fan

Sports journalists are intellectual crooks. They can say whatever they want to without consequence. Its all a contest of who can say the most outlandish thing without looking like a fool. Like Stephen A. Smith guaranteeing that Kobe will ask for a trade.
The Pacers are a better team this year, but they haven’t made the jump. And the 76ers are a stagnant mess who will be lucky to make .500 this year.
http://profile.typepad.com/gradyjason Jason Grady

Baron has always been a phenomenal talent with an atrocious performance/effort track record. Wasn’t there chatter a couple years ago about him and the Cs? I would have dreaded that. Try hard to get a contract, then take 3 years off. Nooooooo thanks. That being said, already having Melo (not that I’m a huge fan of his), Amare and Tyson, adding Baron is brilliant for the Knicks. D’Antoni’s system, those pieces. Those games are going to be 125-115 all season. That team will be in the mix for sure and just one more for the Cs to contend with. Should be an interesting season.
I’m actually feeling pretty good about the Cs. As always, injuries can derail the season, but Dooling is an actual capable back up. (Bradley, sorry your 15 minutes are up. Don’t care how well you defend, if you get pick pocketed 2 out of 3 possessions, you don’t belong anywhere near and NBA roster). Quisy can score and defend very well. Sasha can defend very well and knock down big shots. JO looks fresh. Bass should be a beast. My biggest concern is one more big, so I think Stiemsma could be very key. Of course, Wilcox should at least provide competent minutes and 6 fouls, so that’s something. And if Moore makes a contribution, all the better. All told, the roster’s pretty good for the season.
As for the playoffs (and the real goal, a championship), well benches matter less, but the Cs still need extra bodies for particular opponents. Fortunately, the starting 5 starts with two All-Defensive players (RR and KG) and two more above average defenders (PP and JO). Then there’s Bass (he’ll learn) and Wilcox (6 fouls at the least) and hopefully a 4th big (6 more fouls) to throw at Dwight plus Quisy and Sasha are excellent wing defenders for Wade and Prince James. Don’t discount that. Anyway, again, it should be quite interesting.
http://profile.typepad.com/6p01156f5d5008970c Jester00

the Celtics part was well thought out and I agree with you 100% except Dooling is an actual capable back up. But you were so on point with everyone else i find it hard to say your wrong, you have me doubting my thoughts on Dooling. Great freaking post. though you could mention beer more in it.
http://profile.typepad.com/licktheglassitol Classless

Listen im a huge C’s fan, but listening to some of you try to talk up the 5-12 guys on this team is amusing. We crapped all over Miami and New York’s lack of depth last year yet here we are in the same precarious position as they were. This team is 1 Rondo injury away from lottery contention. Let’s pray that doesn’t happen.
http://profile.typepad.com/mannoperry Perry Manno

Indy has improved their roster, but in reality they don’t have a superstar or a PG that can exploit the Heat, Bulls or Celtics defense. Thus far they’ve managed to maintain cap flexibility for next year (35m), but still lack potent perimeter scoring (Mayo would have helped). They’ll miss McRoberts who was a smart passer and knocked down timely threes. West is an improvement over Hanbrough who is better suited off the bench. Still they’re no better than Atlanta and likely will finish in the middle of the pack.
Philly laid out a ton of money to keep T.Young, but neither he nor Iggy are go-to-guys down the stretch. They simply don’t have the range to nail jumpers under pressure. Unless Evan Turner improves dramatically it’s hard to see them creeping up past the 5th seed.
Not sure where Mannix is coming from on his predictions, and there’s no guarantee B. Davis will be in shape when he does return. A motivated Baron is a low risk, high reward signing, but NY lacks depth. Hard to see Amare playing 42 minutes a night in a shorten season with all these back-to backs, and does anyone trust a D’Antoni coached team in the playoffs?
I agree… Mannix is punch drunk.
http://profile.typepad.com/gradyjason Jason Grady

Well, maybe my assessment of Dooling is being shaded by the sheer horror of Bradley and Pruitt (remember him? I had to look his name up even though I sure as hell remember his atrocious play). I mean seriously, you have to be able to dribble without being suffocated, be able to turn the corner when KG or Perk sets you a killer pick. I mean if Dooling can at least do that, he’s the best backup PG the Cs have had for Rondo (besides Delonte).
Looking closer, though, you are probably right. I hate chuckers. 40% is unacceptable. And it’s not like he’s dishing like crazy to compensate.
I guess I’m hoping, now in an actual well-coached, good-teammate setting, his weaknesses will be reigned in and his strengths brought out. Guess I’m hoping/expecting the same about Bass improving his D, etc. The culture/system of the Cs I believe is one of the best IMO. You take these guys with potential that have been on losing teams, poorly coached, trying to do too much on their own and you put them in here, you got professionals all over.
Rondo knows how the game is supposed to be run on both ends of the floor, KG (and Doc, too) demands execution on D, JO is right there to support that as well, PP is the poster child on this roster, even as a HOFer, for stepping up where needed (D) and sacrificing elsewhere (ball dominance) and of course there’s no work ethic like Ray’s. Quisy’s come in and bought in and succeeded. I just don’t see how Wilcox, Bass and Dooling have any option but to come in and improve based on what Doc and the vets have established as a professional, well-coached, accountable culture. They will be given expectations and going outside of that won’t be acceptable. I think that was Baby’s biggest problem. As much as he may have tried to perform his role, it was always blatantly obvious he saw himself as a starter and he was often victim of trying to do too much and now he has been jettisoned (thankfully). These guys, though, they know the starting lineup is set and they’ve also been part of plenty of losing teams. I think they will be eager to listen and learn, eager to work and play extremely hard, do what’s asked and not what isn’t and be accountable to their teammates and coaches. Basically, I fully expect solid contributions from all of them and for this to be a very good 2nd unit. But hey, I’ve been wrong before.
Lastly, I don’t want to come off as a beer snob or anything, but I don’t drink Bud, Coors I can take, despise Corona more than Bud, love Pacifico. I like many darker, particularly amber, beers. But my favorite major beer is Guinness. Nothing is as smooth. Also, Boddingtons, which has the exact attributes of Guinness but is golden. But my absolute favorite (which I never get anymore because I’m displaced in Faker land and it’s only sold back East) is Yuengling. Oh my goodness. So good. Great, now I’m craving one.
http://profile.typepad.com/jmacpi33 I bleed green in L.A.

Are we better than the Heat, Bulls or New York (if they get a healthy Baron)? I don’t think so, but better than the Pacers and 76ers, of course. The previous post about not getting David West is spot on. Where does our bench scoring come from? What happens when we lose one of the big 4 for a period of time, back to back to back games aren’t going to help our lineup. Anyway we can trade for Dwight now?
http://profile.typepad.com/gradyjason Jason Grady

Not that we all LOVE the bench, but they have pieces. As for a lost season if there’s a key injury, is that really a concern unique to the Cs? Of course not. Rose, LeBron, CP3, Kobe, Amare, Dirk, and on and on. DA has paid max money to 3 guys and 10 million for Rondo. With those commitments, what level quality backups are you really expecting?
http://profile.typepad.com/6p01156f5d5008970c Jester00

Yuengling just came to Ohio, loved it before it came. I like Negro Modelo, Guinness is a great for breakfast and with chocolate. Pacifico lemony noble hop flavors, nice bitterness, and a tinge of bitterness, leading to a soft, refreshing finish. strong!!!!
http://profile.typepad.com/sondler Jerry Sondler

Not so sure about Philadelphia or Indiana.
Hate saying it…but, NY is better than the Celts.
I know it`s the WC…but, the Clippers will destroy us!
http://profile.typepad.com/gradyjason Jason Grady

For breakfast or with breakfast? Ha ha, either way. Oh and I forgot, in my younger days I was partial to MGD and found it to be the rare beer that was better out of a can than abottle.
The only way I could get Yeungling out here was at a Philly’s Best, but by the time it got here (with whatever 3rd rate, underground shipping they must have done) it was skunked, so foiled again. And I think they shut that pipeline down years ago anyway.
Agree about Negro Modelo, one of my top preferences as well. Newcastle (very popular here) would seem to be within my preference parameters, but it’s only ok to me. Killians (low end) and Bass (high end) are the ambers I prefer. As for lights, I might go for a Michelobe Ultra, but to me Sam Adams Light is the clearly the best choice in this category.
http://profile.typepad.com/paulmkane2001 Paulmkane2001

Writers intentionally seek to get a reaction from readers. So Mannix is intentionally overstating his position. But there’s no easy way to assess the Cs this year. These Cs could contend for a championship. But this season could also be a trainwreck.
http://profile.typepad.com/frickenwaaaltaaah frickenWaaaltaaah

Dude, what do hipster type places sell for cheap beer out there if there is no Yuengling? It’s bad form to only have PBR, you need a few options right?
I would think Yuengling could do pretty well out there. A significant number of Chinese people might even think it was Chinese because of the name.
Can you get Schaefer beer? Have you tried it? It’s pretty awesome for being down there on the cheapest beers shelf.
Beer beer beer…oh yeah and uh how about some basketball stuff…
I guess it’s a pretty strong measure of how much Rondo slowed down at the end of last season that a reporter could seriously pick Philly or Indy over the C’s.
The Philly part is just absurd. We’d have to have multiple starters down for the season with injuries before anyone should even go there.
Indy played Chicago well but I never seriously believed they could win the series. The C’s might not have won a series with Chicago but they certainly could have.
David West is a nice pick up for them at a great price, but I never got the feeling that it was their front court that was holding them back.