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Your Morning Dump... Where Chris Bosh is just another body

Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here... highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

“I don’t know how much different it will be,’’ Rivers said. “Kevin will try to post up whoever they throw out there. [Bosh] is just another body, a talented player, and he poses his own problems.

“He helps because of all the trapping we’re doing. It’s more difficult when Bosh is on floor. His value is he stretches the floor. He’s a great shooter, he’s long.’’

The Celtics’ defense is finely tuned. The Celtics have been able to limit the jump-shooting threat of Shane Battier and Udonis Haslem by sending defenders at them while Garnett remains in help mode.

Rivers talked of “getting a hand, or a finger tip, on the ball’’ against Battier and Haslem.

“Bosh is taller and you can’t do that,’’ Rivers said. “He will make it difficult, no doubt.’’

Globe - Rivers says he will not alter team's plan

So how will Doc play this? Keep doubling Dwyane Wade off screens, even when Chris Bosh is on the floor? I doubt the Celtics will do that consistently. Maybe the key is to throw Miami different looks. Keep the Heat off balance and guessing. 

I doubt Bosh is 100%. He hasn't played a game in nearly a month. The Celtics will test him, physically and mentally.

Related links: Herald - Doc ready for Bosh | CSNNE - Celtics preparing as if Bosh will play | WEEI - The Chris Bosh effect | ESPN Boston - Celtics ready for Bosh's return

On Page 2, are the Heat really staggering?

Celtics vs Heat Opening Night Highlights

The long awaited opening night finally took place last night with the C's prevailing 88-80.  It was a game that failed to live up to the hype for much of the contest as the Celtics dominated for most of the game.  LeBron James didn't take long to revert into his former Cleveland version, attempting to win the game by himself in the third quarter (and nearly pulling it off).

The ageless Ray Allen sealed the win with a huge three-pointer with just under a minute remaining in the game.  The Celtics started off the season with a win, now it's on to the next one.  But first, here are some highlights:

Q1: The first quarter begins with a nicely compiled introduction by the staff at TNT.  Other highlights include:

• Shaq blocking a drive by Wade
• Solid defense leading to Rondo's fine acting ability in transition
• Rondo with an up-and-under reverse lay-in
• LeBron throwing the ball away
• Rondo to Shaq for a loud alley-oop slam
• Wade dribbling off of his foot
• Pierce raining down a baseline three, crowd erupts
• Great defense leading to another Rondo-to-Shaq transition jam
• Ray with good post-defense on Wade, then laying it in on the next possession
• Pierce with good post-defense on LeBron
• Bombs-away from Ray Ray
• LeBron with the 'chase-down' block on Rondo, but with a better reaction from Danny Ainge
• Big Baby taking a charge on LeBron

   

Q2: The second quarter begins with an already exhausted Erik Spoelstra describing how his team played on both ends in the first quarter.  Other highlights include:

• A textbook travel by Wade
• Marquis Daniels with a beautiful post move (up-and-under) on Wade
• Big Baby with good defense on Bosh
• Wade flopping
• Pierce with a transition finger-roll
• Jermaine O'Neal with a nice block
• Nate attacking the basket
• Marquis with a throwback pull-up jumper in transition
• Pierce discussing Game 7
• KG posting up Udonis Haslem
• Ray attacking the hoop
• Ray's three after KG's missed put-back slam
• Diesel rejecting Wade
• Shaq fouling Bosh HARD
• Big Baby closing the half with a nice drive to the hoop

 

Happenings in the NBA while you slept...

Man... folks in the NBA ain't playin' around.  If you actually slept last night, you missed a few things.

- The Milwaukee Bucks agreed to a 5 year, $32 million deal with Drew Gooden.  $32 mil. is a lot, but $6 million a year isn't too bad.  Kelly Dwyer explains it pretty well.  As he says:  average player, average deal.

- Byron Scott is going to be the next coach of the Cavs... not Brian Shaw.  Shaw was going to be the coach and was said to be picking assistants when he abruptly pulled out.  Which mean one of many things... including LeBron putting a stop to the hire or Phil Jackson quitting and Shaw taking over in LA.

- The Hawks are going to break the bank and offer Joe Johnson a max deal.  That's 6 years, $119 million.  That's what we call "overspending".  Johnson would have been a great #2 guy somewhere... but he's not leading the Hawks anywhere... and isn't that why you give guys max money?  To build around them a have them lead you to the promised land?

- It didn't happen while you slept, unless you went to bed early, but Richard Jefferson opted out of the last year of his deal, leaving $15 million behind.  After you stop laughing, you'll see that the impending potential work stoppage is even making guys like this opt out.  And after looking at that Gooden deal... who knows how dumb this really is.

- And perhaps nothing captured the desperation of this free agency period quite like Chris Bosh on twitter.  Each tweet got increasingly more desperate.  How would you like being a Raptors fan following him and watching how much he can't wait to get out of town?  Yeesh.

There's a lot more, obviously, going down... but this is what happened on night one.  

The "Summit" that wasn't... and a note about our coaching situation

Stop me if you've heard this one before...

A mega-star free agent meets with another mega-star free agent and maybe a couple other big names and they plot the entire course of a league's future.  Sounds a lot like something that a lot of people say just happened.... only it didn't.

Two of Dwyane Wade's representatives on Tuesday disputed an ESPN report that Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh held a mini-summit in Miami this past weekend to discuss their plans for free agency, which begins Thursday.

Wade's representatives said the report was untrue, and that Wade spent the weekend in Chicago. Bosh spent the weekend in Miami and told The Miami Herald that the Heat is in ``top contention'' to sign him.

This is the problem with having a million media outlets... even a million blogs like us.  Everyone is now in a race to try and be first with information.  Rumors are being reported as pseudo-facts so someone, somewhere, can say he or she got the jump on everyone else.  

Let's be clear about something here:  The players won't be the only winners and losers in this game we're watching this summer.  Their agents... their hangers on... and the media members that prove themselves to be "in the know" will all come out of this ahead of their counterparts. 

Adrian Wojnarowski has a great piece on that today.

It’s clear why advisor William Wesley has been so relentless courting suitors with conditions and circumstances with which they can secure LeBron James: For basketball’s biggest dealmaker, there’s little personal benefit to James re-signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers. To team executives in the chase and those familiar with the dynamics of James’ inner circle, World Wide Wes’ agenda is clear: Get LeBron out of Cleveland and push himself into a prominent place of power.

To be considered the architect of the sport’s grandest transaction, World Wide Wes needs James out of the clutches of the Cavaliers.

“If LeBron leaves, Wes is going to get carte blanche wherever he signs,” one source told Yahoo! Sports. “He’s going to have the run of the place, and he doesn’t have that in Cleveland. He has access there, but Maverick Carter is the guy with the keys there. …[Carter’s] much more influential, and would always be in Cleveland.”

This is why I've said "Worldwide Wes" blows it this summer.  He's making a power-grab by latching onto the most coveted free agent (seemingly) in NBA history.  Either he won't get it... and his actual influence will be doubted... or he WILL get it and his ego will fly into over-drive, starting a downward spiral.

July 1 is still more than 24 hours away... and I'm already sick of the rumors.  I'd love to see journalists take a step back and maybe confirm something before reporting it.  How hard is it to figure out if everyone was in town or not for this supposed meeting?

As for our coach:  No decision still from Doc, and Vinny Del Negro is on the "short list" to replace him.  We can only hope Vinny gets the Clippers job.  Seriously... what has he done to get this much interest?  What am I missing?

What About The Now?

Did you hear the Knicks will have enough salary-cap room in 2010 to sign LeBron, D-Wade, Chris Bosh, Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson? I can only laugh at these teams gearing up for that magical free-agent signing period after the 2010 season. For the mathmatically challenged, the NBA will award two championship trophies before those guys hit the market. If you are a fan of those 2010-obsessed teams, you'll have to put your dreams of contending on hold. But in the meantime please continue to buy tickets, jerseys and anything else with the NBA logo. Here in Boston, we'll continue to focus on the now...which means playoffs, championships and parades.

What you aren't hearing is that the Celtics will be major players in 2010 as well. The hefty contracts belonging to Ray Allen and Paul Pierce will be ending. While the Truth will likely be extended, what mega-star wouldn't want to come here and be "the man" with a supporting cast of Pierce, KG, Rondo and Perkins?

UPDATE - During the morning edition of SportsCenter, ESPN included Pierce's name on the list of free agents following the 2009-10 season. But additional research shows he's currently in the first year of a 3-year, $59 million extension. I do not know if the final year is a player/team option. My bad for trusting ESPN.

The 12-2 Celtics next play Sunday in Toronto (note the early 12:30pm start time). They're coming off a tough OT loss to the Nets. The Raptors are just 6-6, buried in the middle of the Eastern Conference pack. I thought these guys were supposed to challenge the C's in the Atlantic?

I want to welcome all the newcomers who have stumbled upon Red's Army while googling Hulk Hogan. Don't ask me why or how...I just know the analytics never lie.

Links: Globe - Garnett Takes It Easy | Celtics Rolling Along | Herald - C's Give Third Degree | Star-Tribune - Garnett Feeling Right at Home | ESPN - LeBron/Knicks Shopping Spree | Thunder Fire Carlesimo | Lakers Beat Nuggets |