Do the Celtics need a backup point guard?
9:01 AM Wed, Aug 19, 2009 | Permalink
Email
| Email this entry
 |
 |
Projo Sports Blog |
|
« Charlie Blanchard victorious in RIGA Stroke Play Championship |
Main
| Report: Smoltz will sign with St. Louis »
By ROBERT LEE BOSTON -- Danny Ainge was named the NBA's Executive of the Year after forming the new Big Three who led the Celtics to a whopping 66 wins during the 2007-08 season and the NBA title. This year he has signed formidable big man Rasheed Wallace, a four-time All-Star and versatile forward/center who will add a lot of firepower to the bench. In addition, he has re-signed backup big man Glen Davis, signed talented forward Shelden Williams, and gotten a commitment from Marquis Daniels, who will be able to keep Paul Pierce and Ray Allen fresh throughout the season now that they have a talented wing man to back them up. The only thing he hasn't done is find a worthy backup for point guard Rajon Rondo. Ainge says that the Celtics don't need too. He says that Daniels, Eddie House and Tony Allen can run the point when Rondo is on the bench. "I'm not feeling a great urgency, because I think that both Eddie and Marquis can play there, and even Tony," Ainge said last week in a news conference to introduce Williams and reintroduce Davis. "We won a game [in December 2007] by 20 points against the Lakers with Tony starting at point guard, so it's not an urgent thing that we are trying to do right now." Daniels, House, and Allen, however, are not point guards. The 6-foot-6 Daniels had a breakout season last year for Indiana as a small forward, not as a point guard. At 6-foot-1 and only 175 pounds, House has the build of a point guard. But Boston coach Doc Rivers will be the first to tell you that House is at his best when he plays as a two guard -- getting the ball open on the wing for a wide open jump shot rather than distributing the ball. As for Allen, he is more of an athletic, slashing guard who is more depended on to play defense than distribute the ball and make important decisions with the basketball in his hands. Rondo is developing into one of the NBA's best point guards and is capable of giving the Celtics a triple-double on any given night, but if Boston asks too much of him early in the season, he will be worn out by the time the playoffs start. The Celtics have one roster spot to fill. Will they fill it with a backup point guard? Stay tuned. 
1 CommentsLeave a comment |
New comments
New photos
New posts
Projo blogs
Archives
Boston already has the ball movement skills it needs to win it all in 2009-2010. There is nobody currently available that would improve their on-court performance. Obviously things could change come the mid-season trading deadline.
The Celtics will be seriously challenged if Rondo goes down with a season/playoff ending injury...as would the Spurs if they lost Parker ...Utah&Williams...Nuggets&Billups...Chicago&Rose.
No team is going to have five R.Wallace level talents backing up five starters.
Just look at the following list of NBA Champions and their multi-dimensional Point Guards:
(and keep in mind this listing, compliments of The Sporting News Official NBA Guide, includes starters only!)
**67-68: Larry Siegfried 4.7 APG(.149 Ast/minute);
**68-69: L. Siegfried 4.7 APG (.145 APM);
**73-74: Jo Jo White 5.5 APG (.138 APM);
**75-76: J.J. White 5.4 APG (.137 APM);
**83-84: Dennis Johnson 4.2 APG (.127 APM);
**85-86: D. Johnson 5.8 APG (.167 APM).
During a run of seven championships in only 18 years, the Celts had a true starting point guard in only one season **80-81: Tiny Archibald.
The point being made is that starters normally log the most minutes at their respective positions, and the combined offensive and defensive schemes preformed during the majority of the game, as well as in crunch time, are going to dictate success or failure.
More importantly is not prototypical positional skill sets, but how the various pieces fit together in getting the job at hand accomplished.
A reserve back court of Marquis Daniels and Eddie House, along with the powerfully deep and multi-skilled Celtic front court, will be more than enough to back up the Celtics' starting back court.
Report Abuse