HOOPLOG: Brian Scalabrine

Boston Celtics 2005-06 Season Preview

Thu, 20 Oct 2005 10:40:13 -0800

OFFSEASON ADDITIONS: Curtis Borchardt - Acquired from Utah in five-team trade; Dan Dickau - Trade with New Orleans; Albert Miralles - Draft rights acquired from Miami in five-team trade; Brian Scalabrine - Free ...

Baby Steps

Thu, 18 Aug 2005 09:37:51 -0800

Adrian Wojnarowski seems to dig what Ainge is doing. Refering to the reasons why the "East is least no more," he states:

The Celtics' Baby Steps:
Doc Rivers has to hate this teenybop movement, but the Celtics couldn't pass on spectacular prep star Gerald Green in the first round of June's draft. He was freakish in the summer league. Al Jefferson, a brute force, has turned out to be a wise choice as Danny Ainge's No. 1 pick of a year ago, and it will be frightening to watch this core develop. And Brian Scalabrine is an underrated signing -- even at $15 million for five years -- what with his versatility and an unparalleled work ethic that will bode well with so many impressionable young minds on the roster.

This isn't the old Eastern Conference in which Paul Pierce's gunning can get the Celts into the postseason, but you have to love Ainge's plan to get young and talented through the draft, get under the cap, and then ultimately go for it in free agency.

Faith

Wed, 10 Aug 2005 09:14:11 -0800

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. - Heb 11:1

The topic du jour seems to be comparing our team now as opposed to the team from last year (pre Walker trade). The most obvious difference is Payton. Gone will be his steady veteran hand at the point. However, also gone will be his tendancy to walk the ball up and run plays that the coach didn't call. Other than that, you can sub Scalabrine in for Googs and come out on top. Sub in some young players for Jiri, and based on his play last year, we probably come out on top again. Even if you call it even on those, there's not that much drop off.

Still, much of the East has made moves to get better (even if they don't all work out - see New Jersey). So can we rest on our laurels and expect an over .500 team? Perhaps.

The key is with the kids. Our starting lineup could feature Delonte West, Tony Allen, and Al Jefferson. Basically, last year's draft class (and Reed should get some increased minutes as well). This is basically where the kid gloves come off and the young players start to earn their keep. A lot of faith is being put in the younger players on this team, and they'll sink or swim this year.

When it comes to our record, its not a matter of what personel moves we made this offseason. Our record will simply be a reflection of how fast our young players mature and develop into their roles on this team. Its that simple.

Was Al Jefferson good enough to be a starter last year? Not until the very end (if then). If he's good enough to be a solid NBA starter this year, that will be huge. If he continues to show his star promise, all the better. He's got low post instincts that can't be taught and a knack for getting rebounds that I wish could be taught to one of our post men. However, if he has a sophmore slump or turns out to be fools gold (the latter seems less likely), then it could be devestating for this team - at least in the short term.

What about putting the offense in the hands of a guy who only saw a handful of games his rookie year? Delonte West looks and sounds like a coach's dream. He has court awareness and a great jumper. But so did Jiri Welsch. Things can sour quickly in this league. On the other hand, Delonte could do what Kirk Hinrich has done in Chicago, or better.

Tony Allen hit the wall hard last year. Many are doubting him now because of how he tailed off at the end of the season. I am much more optimistic. Of course it always comes back to my defensive bias. But I like a guy that can be a disrupitve force on D, fill the lanes on the break, and give you a few "wow" moments a game. If he ever gets centered and focused, look out. Could he continue his tail off? Sure. But if he does, there is a fleet of guys ready to fill in if he does.

Don't sleep on Kendrick Perkins either. He might not ever reach the levels that Al could, but he's got the make up of a solid NBA center. I don't need to tell you how rare that is. He's got the size already, he's got a mean streak and a nose for the ball. If we can keep him out of foul trouble and continue his learning curve, he could be the anchor of the defense and the starter of many fast breaks.

I've already gone over Marcus Banks, but it is worth mentioning that he made some great strides at the end of the season where he was being used for long stretches at a time. If he can continue his growth along the learning curve, he could be this team's starting point guard. If not, he could still be a bargaining chip.

Ignoring for the minute that Ricky Davis is far from a mid-life crisis, we also have Justin Reed and Ryan Gomes that are showing more promise by the day. Neither promises to be a star in the traditional sense of the word. However, each has many qualities that you look for in role players. I could see one or both guys becoming glue guys in the fashion of Eric Williams. I'll use this space to squeeze in Orien Greene as well. A good backup PG is rare in this league. Lets see if he can fill that role. If these players don't step up, the team will have to spend Scalabrine money on another role player (or players) to fill that need in years to come. If they do step up, the team can save that money for resigning all these youngsters.

But that's not all! Way down there at the end of the bench could be the most prized jewel of all. The skinny high school kid with the short finger might become the best player on this team. Of course he could be a collosal flop in the mold of a Kedrick Brown, but if we can keep him away from too many cheeseburgers, we'll have one step in the right direction. Forgetting for a moment this kid's insane hops and penchant for the highlight real, you must not forget the silky smooth jumper that he already has. Unlike many phenoms, he won't need to be taught how to keep his elbow in and follow through. He will need a lot of work on defensive rotations and ball movement, but that is easy enough to pick up in time. Once this kid learns the ropes of the NBA, there's really no upward ceiling.

So cheer up. Maybe we won't make any more moves this offseason (though I won't stop rumor-mongoring). Perhaps the biggest difference between this team and last year's edition will be the rookies and the valuable experience the non-rookies gained in the last year. Doc has done a good job so far of working in the younger players. Can we expect them all to turn into stars? Not a chance. Can we expect them all to improve from last year? I think so.

Can we count on that? Well, I guess we just have to have faith.

Celtics, Scalabrine agree to deal

Tue, 02 Aug 2005 15:55:16 -0800

The Boston Celtics and free agent forward Brian Scalabrine have agreed to terms on a contract.

Celts Scalabrine has brain of Jordan and Bird

Thu, 28 Jul 2005 10:59:42 -0800

Of the teams that showed interest in signing Brian Scalabrine, the Celtics probably had the most insight into his character. Scalabrine has long believed in the work of Jon Niednagel, a.k.a. the Brain Doctor, who serves as a Celtics consultant....

Vision Quest

Sun, 17 Jul 2005 22:35:35 -0800

Just a few short days away from Friday's opening day of the free agent signing period and we still don't have a firm idea on what Danny and the Celtics are going to do this offseason. They ordered up some Veal Scalabrine and Mr. Bartelstein is working overtime trying to cook up a decent sign-n-trade deal for Antoine. But we hear that despite not having many point guard options, we aren't interested in bringing Payton back and we are interested in shopping Marcus Banks.

Having the entire MLE to use on a free agent point guard would have made a lot of sense, but the C's declared that they had a plan to split it between two players, one of whom fills our backup PF vacancy (presumably there due to the imminent departure of Walker). What we do with the remainder of that MLE is anyone's guess, but the best thing to do might be to wait around for the market to work itself out and pick up a guy that got passed over by the clubs with cap space.

If we can't get a bargain in the FA market, I'd still expect/hope to see us get a veteran point in any trade that sent Marcus Banks away. I believe in Delonte as much as the next guy, but I don't think I'd feel comfortable with him and Orien Greene as our only true point guards going into the season.

Getting a draft pick for Walker would officially make that deal a wash in the grand scheme of things. Anything else we would be able to get (cap space, quality player, etc.) would be gravy.

As for Danny's famous "vision," I think there is a time to be aggressive in the market (see the Bucks) and a time to sit back and take it all in. I think the C's are in a "read and react" mode right now. They aren't shopping Paul, but if someone blows them away, they'll talk. They aren't worried about Walker, his agent will give them a full menu of choices. They aren't breaking the bank in the free agent market because you never know what gems could be found when the rest of the money is spent.

They can't make too many knee jerk decisions anyway. The majority of the roster needs plenty of time to grow and gel as a team. And perhaps that will be the most important thing this offseason.

Celtics agree with free agent Scalabrine

Fri, 08 Jul 2005 09:13:36 -0800

The Celtics agreed to terms with free agent forward Brian Scalabrine, two Eastern Conference sources and a source close to the forward confirmed yesterday.

Can you confuse Shaq?

Tue, 26 Apr 2005 11:58:12 -0800

Question of the Day: Can Shaquille O'Neal be confused by making double-team schemes more random? "No," Scalabrine said. "He's been in the league for (13) years, he's seen it all. You're not going to be able to confuse Shaq." "He's...

Knicks 98 New Jersey 110

Fri, 08 Apr 2005 12:46:50 -0800

It's official. No the Knicks aren't mathematically eliminated, but they've given up on the season. I've watched the last 2 games, which considering that Time Warner and MSG haven't settled their little blackout spat is a near miracle. Their play has been nothing short of embarrassing. The Knicks have come out flatter than Pope Urban VIII's globe.

While the Knicks defense is normally bad, they've given up on stopping their opponents. They've let the Pacers shoot 53% (eFG) on Tuesday and the Nets 56% on Thursday. When you let Brian Scalabrine run up the court flexing his arms after an easy score, it's a clear indication that the white flag is flying over 32nd & 7th ave. Right now as individuals and as a team, there is little to no effort on the court. I usually scoff at the notion that the Knicks needed more players with heart (I believe talent trumps all), but this team has me nearly converted.

Even the Knicks best player, Stephon Marbury, is not immune to the apathy. Early against New Jersey, Marbury shot an airball on a three pointer from the top of the arc. Running back he had a smile on his face. The Net announcers attributed the smile to embarrassment. I didn't buy their theory, and on the Knicks' next possession, Marbury pridefully took the ball to the hoop. Stephon was called for a charge, turning the ball over. Again the Knicks PG smiled on his way back down the court.

Watching the game as a Knick fan, that infuriated me. I'm not some 80 year old curmudgeon that thinks yesteryear's athletes were superior in their demeanor. I fully understand that athletes are people, just like me, and I don't expect them to be perfect human beings. However messing up at your job twice in a row and then laughing about it is only acceptable for comedians.

Even if I'm misreading Marbury's emotions, at best it shows a lack of passion. Rebuilding is suppose to be about loveable losers, but the three Knicks juveniles (Sweetney, Ariza, and Butler) played a total of 26 minutes yesterday. I can deal with the losing associated with rebuilding, but I can't deal with watching it happen through aloof veterans.

Knick fans might point out that losing means a better draft pick come summer, and dropping a few games is a victimless crime. I disagree. Before I go into a Herm Edwards-esque rant about winning, there is a victim here: Herb Williams. If the players show no fire on the court, it is a reflection on the coach. Playing worse under Williams than they did under Wilkens could hurt Herb's chance at retaining the coaching job.

Maybe it's was foreshadowing that the cable blackout coincided with the Knicks limp to the finish. Even that analogy is too kind, because it appears that New York isn't even trying to limp anymore. They seem content to lie dead in the road, and let the rest of the NBA trample over them.

TEST POST

Thu, 11 Nov 2004 17:39:46 -0800

# Teams

* Atlanta Hawks
* Boston Celtics
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* Chicago Bulls
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* Dallas Mavericks
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* Detroit Pistons
* Golden State Warriors
* Houston Rockets
* Indiana Pacers
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* Toronto Raptors
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* Washington Wizards