Celtics Preview

**Breaking News**

Brandon Roy is not going to play tonight due to a pulled hamstring

There are not many teams in the NBA that I would be ok with the Blazers losing to. But Boston happens to be one of those teams. Now by lose, I don’t mean the massacre that occurred in Boston, but a closely contested game in which the Blazers had a legitimate chance of winning. That is all I am looking for tonight vs. the Celts. I want to see the Blazers stand up and not get punked by Garnett and Co.

There are a few factors that are working in our favor (depending on how big of an optimist you are). First, the Celtics showed they are not bullet proof by dropping back to back games against the Lakers and the Warriors. However, they came back on Saturday to wipe the floor with Sacramento, but hey we have wiped the floor with them too! Also, this is the last game in a 4 game west coast road trip for the Celtics, so maybe we will catch them dreaming of heading back to Boston and their own houses and snatch a win tonight.

On the injury front Brandon Roy and Greg Oden have been checked out and should be ready to go tonight. Oden tweaked an ankle, but the X-rays came back negative. Roy had a slight pull in hamstring on Saturday, but still should be a go for tonight. Kendrick Perkins is listed as day to day with a shoulder injury, but all indications are that he will play tonight. With no team holding a sizeable advantage in the injury department, let’s see what I think the Blazers will have to do to get a win.

Keys to the Game

1. Everyone Must Contribute Offensively.
1. The Celtics are arguably the best defensive team in the NBA. They are apat at shutting down the other teams best player(s). So tonight we must have a balanced attack on offense, not just sit back and watch Brandon try to do it all on his own, because it won’t happen.
2. We Must Rebound (Especially Defensively)
1. The Celtics are too stingy on D, to allow them extra possessions on offense. We must get a body on guys rather then relying on our athleticism to secure rebounds.
3. We Must Dictate the Pace and Tone of the Game.
1. This is where KG shines. With his smack talk and aggressive play, he sets the tone for the Celtics to intimidate and “overpower” their opponents. We must not let this happen. Stand up and hit them first and get them on their heels rather then vice versa.
4. Stop Rondo’s Dribble Penetration
1. Rondo is adept at getting into the lane and creating for others. With shooters like Allen, Pierce, and Eddie House on the parameter we must keep Rondo out of the key.
5. Play With Pride
1. We must not let the Celtics humble us to the point that we cannot perform. I think once we figure out that they are just as beatable as anyone else the in league, we will be able to compete with them on a regular basis (just the Atlanta Hawks have managed to do).

Gambler’s Corner

The spread for this game is Boston by 5 and O/U of 184.5. I am going to go with Boston, because although it would be great to see us win or even keep it close, I just don’t see it happening with our inconsistent play lately. Not to mention the fact that we have been relying so heavily on Roy. If Roy is shutdown, our guys panic rather then thrive. Also I am going to take the under, because I think it is going to be a slow paced game.

Goose has no original thoughts, so he is also taking the Celtics and the Under.

So Far…

Kyle vs. Spread 2-2

Goose vs. Spread 2-2

Kyle vs. O/U 1-3

Goose vs. O/U 3-1

Yost won the score prediction again as he guessed 108-97 Blazers, with the actual being 102-94 Dallas. Yost now has 2 wins, and no one else has any….Step your game up!

Blazer Links

Hey guys, I am just getting back into a routine, and I am hoping that means getting back to my regular postings. For today, I am going to provide some links for you guys to check out. Hope you enjoy!

From John Hollinger's Daily Insider Gems

"One casualty of Cleveland's recent "slump" has been that the Cavs surrendered the No. 1 spot in offensive efficiency to Portland. Yes, Portland. The Blazers offer an interesting case study because they get very little post scoring and shoot a ton of jumpers -- an approach that traditionalists instinctively frown upon.

In the 1990s, this was indeed a bad idea. But in this decade, you can score big by spacing the floor with shooters and putting good decision-makers in the middle, and that's exactly what the Blazers have done under Nate McMillan.

The other interesting note is that the Blazers are playing the league's slowest pace, which has made some folks really, really slow to catch on to just how good Portland's offense is -- the Blazers are only 14th in points per game, a category that the league still insists on using to rank teams in the official stats."

And another from Hollinger

"The Oregonian's John Canzano, who ranks right behind Henry Abbott on my list of favorite bald writers from Portland, pointed out in Monday's column that Joel Przybilla is still outplaying Greg Oden, and we've got almost half a season under our belts, so maybe Portland ought to think about starting Przybilla and having Oden play with the subs.

The column reads like a knock on Oden, but the real story here is Przybilla, who has just been way, way, WAY better than anyone had any right to expect. The dude is shooting 75.5 percent and leading the league in rebound rate at 22.0. In addition he has been a force on defense with his shot-blocking, partly making up for the Blazers' softness on D at the other positions (they're 21st in defensive efficiency).

Oden's numbers are actually decent -- a 16.36 PER, a strong rebound rate, 53.5 percent shooting -- and in a vacuum he'd be worthy of a starting spot. Once he figures out that he can't allow 300-pound centers to post him up three inches from the rim because he can't count on being able to block the shot like he did in college and high school, he should be as much of a factor on D as Przybilla is, too.

But for now, Canzano is dead-on: Przybilla has been fantastic, and his reward should be a starting gig 'til further notice."

Mike Barrett's breakdown of Saturday's win over the Reports can be found Here.

Here is a great article on Channing Frye from Willamette Weekly.

And lastly, an interesting article on Rudy being in the dunk contest.

Feel free to post your opinons on these articles, so we can discuss what you guys think!

-Kyle

Rudy in the Dunk Contest?

First off lets talk about the Dunk Contest in general this year. The cast is strong with defending champ Dwight Howard, and repeat contestants in Nate Robinson and Rudy Gay. For the fourth member of the Dunk Contest the NBA is trying something new this year and allowing the

fans choose to the fourth dunker. However they have picked the three candidates to select from, which brings me to why I am writing this piece. The candidates are Russell Westbrook (OKC Thunder), Joe Alexander (MIL Bucks), and our very own Rudy Fernandez (POR T’Blazers)!

So let me take this opportunity to tell you to go to nba.com and vote for Rudy so we can see him in the dunk competition! (Click Here To Vote For Rudy!).

Now I would love to see Rudy in the dunk contest, however lets talk about some other Blazers who could have gotten the nod. First off, B-Roy. Although Roy rarely dunks unless he really needs to, don’t let that fool you, he can flat out get up. He would be my number one choice to see in the dunk contest, although a close number two would be Jerryd Bayless. Bayless is only 6-3 and for those of you who attended the inner-squad scrimmage at the beginning of the year, well, you know what he can do. For those of you who did not, will have to take it from me that he can dunk with the best of them. Durring warm ups B-Roy and Bayless treated the fans to 360’s, windmills, and some nice lobs off the back board. Now I don’t want to sound like I am too down on Rudy, cause I know he is freakishly athletic and I am still definitely going to vote for him, I just wanted to throw out some other players that would be fun to watch.

And to end things here is a look at what rudy can do:

Rudy mix tape intenartional ball

Rudy dunking on D-Howard

Here is a look at the competition:

Rudy Gay's top 10 dunks

D-Howard's top 10 dunks

Nate Robinson's top 10 dunks

-goose out