Mid-Term Grades
(All
Photos On This Page Courtesy Associated Press & NBAE/Getty Images)
By RedsArmy.com’s Matt Geagan
To try and forget about the recent
losing streak, it's time to take a look at the entire first half of
the season. Let's see, there was a five game winning streak at one point, but
other than that it's just been a whole lot of losing. I've been to eight games,
and the Celtics have dropped them all. Maybe instead of an analysis of
several bright spots that haven't amounted in wins, I will cop out and do a
report card. The surprising thing is most players did well. There have been so
many individual bright spots, yet so little team success. It's really a
headache to think about. But I guess teaching is no different.
Tony Allen: C+
Maybe a
little harsh, but he blew out his knee on a play after the whistle. Yes, Tony
was carrying the team at that point and was their best scorer since Paul Pierce
went down. He was also playing the best defense on the team (aside from Rajon
Rondo in limited minutes) and had a good jumper going. But he needs to be a
smarter player. I just can't give him a pass for making me watch him fall to
the ground like that (that was one of the eight games).
Ryan
Gomes: B
Gomes
has been his usual self. He is a smart, solid player that finds ways to
contribute. He is a pretty dependable scorer and is starting to make his
jumper like he did while at
Gerald
Green: B-
With Gerald there is always a
chance of a highlight dunk. He has played well so far this season, but isn't
scoring consistent enough. He'll take control one night, then not show up for
the next three. It is only his second year out of high school but if he wants
minutes Gerald will have to put up numbers whenever he's on the floor. I
do love his attitude (I've seen him on many occasions get schooled on defense,
then come right back on offense) which is a good sign from a 21 year old.
It should be a lot of fun to watch him in the dunk contest as well.
Al Jefferson: A-
Big Al was the only reason to watch
the Celtics during their 18 game losing streak. He has
taken his game to a whole new level in the first half. He is averaging a
double-double, and has played well even without Pierce in the lineup. This
is what all the hype was about, and he can only get better. If he continues to
show improvement, he may be the only A at the end of the season.
Michael
Olowokandi: INC
Kandi-Man never plays even when he
isn't hurt. He missed 18 games after somehow hurting his abdominal (couldn't
have been on the court, he wasn’t doing anything) and now plays mop up minutes.
Kevin Pittsnogle would have done better for
cheaper.
Kendrick
Perkins: D
Perk is
already in his fourth year and has a nice fat contract for until
2011. He has only two double doubles this season,
and only pulled down ten or more boards twice. He missed three weeks
with a bad foot, and hasn't done a lot since his return. Brian Scalabrine took
his place in the starting lineup against the Clippers and may see some more if
Perk doesn't play better.
Paul Pierce: A
Despite missing nearly half of the
season, I still have to give the Captain an A. He was keeping this team afloat,
and was ready to teach the youngsters. Pierce had finally accepted the fact he
needed to lead this team. Now that he has seen them fall apart without him,
it's up to him to make them better. Now
that he’s back, it’s pretty clear that the team won't be going on any more long
losing streaks (although some of us would like that).
Leon
Powe: B
It was tough to grade the rookie
because he barely plays. When Powe
does see action though he reminds me of Ryan Gomes of last year. He
grabs a lot of rebounds on both ends of the court, and shown he is a pretty
sound scorer. For some reason he has been on the bench for most of the season,
even with all the injuries.
Theo
Ratliff: INC
Two Games, 44 Minutes, $11.666 Million.
Allan
Ray: B-
There were little expectations for Ray
at the start of the year, but he has shown he can be a shooter off the bench.
He struggled early on but he eventually found his rhythm. If he can knock down
threes off the bench, Ray should find time.
Rajon Rondo: B+
Rajon
has exploded as of late, and got rewarded with a few starts. He can't hit a
jumper consistently, but everyone knew that. He has shown hustle on every play
and he can defend in the NBA. Rondo has been an amazing passer and creates
shots for his teammates. He is already one of Tommy Heinsohn's
favorite players, and should see plenty more minutes.
Brian
Scalabrine: B-
The good news is I no longer hate
Scalabrine. It took me a year but I understand he is a smart player and could be
an example for the younger guys. It’s fun to
watch Scal go wild every once and again, and all
he needs to do is have games like that every so often. Let's not forget he also
drove Tony Allen to the hospital.
Wally
Szczerbiak: C
Wally was playing well when the season
started, but after a few injuries he became awful. To his credit he has been hurting
pretty bad, but whenever Wally has been on the court it hurt the team more. He did play better against
Sebastian
Telfair: F
Telfair was supposed to be a lot
more than a guy that is at the end of the bench. Despite the fact he has played
in all but one game this season, it doesn't seem like he ever puts in
quality minutes. He needs to pass more and take better shots if he wants
to run the team on the floor. With Rondo's recent emergence, it may be tough
for Telfair to see action or improve his grade.
Delonte
West: B+
West
has done everything the team needed him to this season. He can play point guard
to start a game, and move over to the two-guard the next quarter. It's always
fun to watch Delonte because he always gives his best effort. He has
been one of the more solid players this year.
Doc
Rivers: D
Doc should be failing, but it's
not his fault the team is this bad. There is no doubt Doc should lose
his job at the end of this season, but why pay someone else to finish the rest
of the season. Doc is a great coach if you want guys to feel good, but he is
terrible when it comes to drawing up a game plan. He is why the team can't
close out games late. Doc will be great as an analyst next year though.
Danny
Ainge: C
Danny
is very lucky most people have been struck with lottery fever. His "three
year plan" is in its fifth year, but everyone is still remaining hopeful
next year is the year. Well in Ainge's case it better
be. Even if the Celtics don't land a top three pick, they better be at least a
middle seed in the playoffs. I can't take another terrible season. This first
half has been bad enough...
Matt Geagan is a
sports producer at WBZ-TV… which means he’s not just into basketball. You can catch MattyG’s
thoughts on all things sports on his FoxSports.com blog. You can email him at MattyG@RedsArmy.com