Josh Smith Wants To Come To The Celtics

The Atlanta Hawks have started to gauge trade interest on forward Josh Smith(notes), and Smith isn’t adverse to ending his seven-year stay with his hometown team, league sources told Yahoo! Sports on Monday.

Smith hasn’t requested a trade, but has privately told league friends that the Boston Celtics, New Jersey Nets,Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic are his preferred destinations should the Hawks decide to move him.

“The relationship has run its course,” said a league source with knowledge of the dynamic.

I may sound a little hypocritical after just bashing Big Baby for attitude problems and about to defend Josh Smith, but so be it, I love this kid and have always loved this kid. I know NBA trade speculation is awful, but I would love getting him. He is 25, uber athletic, and is already good right now, but with some proper grooming could be great. Would it be worth breaking up our core to get him....... I want to say yes. With the window all but closed in Boston, having Rajon, Josh (two went to High School together) and Jeff Green, that's a pretty good start for rebuilding.

NBA PLAYOFFS Round 2 Preview

The first round is in the books (as is Game 1 of the second round for both Boston/Miami and OKC/Memphis) and we're on to the Conference Semifinals.

In my playoff power rankings I touched on a few things that proved to be correct, and a few things I narrowly missed on. The Hornets did need Chris Paul to play other-wordly to beat the Lakers, and for two games he was just that. Unfortunately, they couldn't expect him to do that for the whole series and Los Angeles survived an ugly 1st round series. I also mentioned that everyone was loving Portland but I still had a feeling Dallas might have one more run in the tank...and it looks like they do. On the other hand I gave Indiana no chance to win a game against Chicago and they took two! Chicago doesn't look nearly as scary when Rose is shooting poorly. I also misread the ORL/ATL series in round one, despite the fact that my gut told me Orlando was really bad. I still don't believe in Atlanta much, but hopefully they can make the series with Chicago entertaining.

And with that...let's get into some series previews.


EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. Chicago Bulls vs. 5. Atlanta Hawks

Indiana did exactly what any team should try and do against the Bulls - which is to try and contain Rose to long jumpers and trap him off of pick and rolls. They had some success, although Rose ultimately was too much to handle with his athleticism. Let's get this out there right now - you can't keep him away from the rim for a whole game unless he decides to do so. He isn't a high percentage shooter, and certainly wasn't shooting well against Indiana, but he still gets his points on layups, dunks and free throws when he's not going well. Keeping him out of the paint and off the line will be paramount to Atlanta's success. The Hawks will also want to keep a long arm in the face of Kyle Korver who was a big shot factory in round one. I normally hate on Korver pretty hard but he was big in round one, when no other Bulls were really stepping up.
Carlos Boozer can sometimes struggle against lengthy defenders like Horford and Pachulia, so it will be key for Noah to have a big series on both ends.

Bulls win if...Rose is Rose and scores and distributes. (I know sounds simple, but I really think that is all they need.)

Hawks win if...Rose continues poor shooting, or gets banged up and Joe Johnson starts earning some of that contract he got.

PREDICTION - Bulls in 5.



2. Miami Heat vs. 3. Boston Celtics

Game one is already in the books, and we know what happened there. Pierce came unraveled and Wade had a tremendous game as Miami jumped to an early big lead and never looked back.
Three things concern me about the first game for the Celtics.
1) Rondo lacked the aggression he showed through most of the NYK series. (Although to be fair, he was in foul trouble)
2) Jermaine O'Neal was nowhere to be found. (He was huge against Knicks and needs to be in this series. He should be tearing up Joel Anthony on both ends)
3) Lack of effort. All game long it looked like they were reaching for loose balls and grasping as Heat players as they got burned on D, instead of moving their feet and getting after it. After a long break they shouldn't come out like that - and you know Doc was on 'em about it. I don't expect that to last, but it needs to change fast.

Van Gundy and company made a salient point yesterday in that Miami has the most athletic perimeter in the league and the extra pass (something Boston usually does quite well) will be key in this series. And on defense they really need to stay home on James Jones and Mike Miller and get their rotations tighter.
Look for Miami to exploit their athleticism all series long and the drive and dish for three should be their main weapon of choice.

Miami wins if...Rondo can't destroy MIA PGs and Wade and James display great cohesion.

Boston wins if...They use their veteran presence to get under skin on Miami role players - and King James for that matter. (NOT reacting like Pierce did yesterday.)

PREDICTION - Boston in 7.



WESTERN CONFERENCE

2. Los Angeles Lakers vs. 3. Dallas Mavericks

Hard to believe but this is the first time in the "Dirk/Kobe" era that these two have met in the playoffs. It should be a great series both on and off the court, as I can't wait to see some Mark Cuban shenanigans and hopefully some firing back and forth between he and Zen Master Phil.
As I think about this series, I'm not really sure what to make of it. Part of me wants to think Dallas has a real shot - especially with the Lakers recent play and Kobe maybe a bit banged up and certainly getting long in the tooth. However, I just think LA has been doing this too long, and ultimately Kobe, Gasol, Odom and Bynum will be too much for Dirk and company. However, if Jason Kidd can exploit the PG position somewhat like Chris Paul - obviously in a much less dynamic fashion - and Jason Terry can shake loose for his patented big shots they might be able to pull it off. I think stealing a game 1 in LA would be a huge boost to the effort.

Los Angeles wins if... Gasol comes out of his hole and starts resembling the player that we saw in last year's playoffs and they dominate the glass.

Dallas wins if... Dirk plays huge all series and Chandler can make Gasol into a jelly donut like New Orleans did.


PREDICTION - Los Angeles in 6.



4. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 8. Memphis Grizzlies

Memphis took game one on the road in convincing fashion yesterday. It might be time to start believing in Memphis. They basically tore up a dilapidated San Antonio team, and have now taken the home court from Oklahoma City - who many saw as the best team in the West. Zach "Zebo" Randolph has been huge in these playoffs and the Grizzlies actually have a very 'OKC up-and-comer' type of feel about them. They are a fairly young team with nothing to lose and playing with a certain swagger. It also seems that Pau had his mojo stolen by his little brother, Marc Gasol who is playing as well as Pau is playing poorly.
On the other hand, if OKC can avoid panicking and another me-against-the-world type of game from Russell Westbrook they should still pull this series out.

Oklahoma City wins if... Durant gets off and Westbrook reverts back to his "Robin" ways and quits trying to play "Batman". (That's Durant's job)

Memphis wins if... Zebo keeps playing well and Durant gets shutdown by Tony Allen and the Grizzlie perimeter defenders.

PREDICTION - Oklahoma City in 7

The Magic Are Fucking Gone

Well Danny's plan in the East has held true. We aren't going against the Magic so we won't have to worry about any big time centers in the East. But on to the Magic who are in complete disarray. They are Stuck with Gilbert Arenas, they have Dwight Howard with 1 year left on his deal, a lame duck (but entertaining) head coach in Stan Van Gundy and their 3 point or bust strategy just doesn't seem to be working.

I don't know what they are going to do, but the future doesn't look good in Orlando. But after a 4-2 loss in the playoffs to the Hawks my bold prediction is that Otis Smith will once again blow up there team and maybe Howard will be in a different uniform next year.

As for the Hawks, please tire out the Bulls as I have a feeling they will have no trouble with you.

Celtics vs Hawks Preview

Depth Chart

	Boston (PPG)	Atlanta (PPG)
PG	R. Rondo 10.5	K. Hinrich 10.6
SG	R. Allen 16.9	J. Johnson 18.5
SF	P. Pierce 18.7	M. Williams 10.7
PF	K. Garnett 14.8	J. Smith 16.8
C	N. Krstic 8.1	A. Horford 15.7

The Celtics are coming off a great win against San Antonio, but always struggle in back to back games especially against young and athletic teams. I know the Celtics were able to prove they can turn it on whenever they want to, but I would like some confirmation with a win tonight. The Hawks are usually a pesky team and with Krstic out that means Al Horford will probably have a big game with Jermaine O'Neal being limited and not much depth.

The key to the game will be KG on Josh Smith. KG always plays a good defensive game against him. Also, if Rondo stays aggressive like he did last night that changes the whole game. I'd like to see Ray have a better shooting night percentage wise.

Celtics: 100-95
Tommy Award: Ray Allen

Hawks/ Wizards Make A Trade, Cavs/ Clippers Make Deal

Kirk Hinrich and Hilton Armstrong have been traded to the Hawks for PG Mike Bibby, rookie Jordan Crawford, swingman Maurice Evans and a 2011 first-round pick, according to ESPN.com news services.

This is how I'm going to breakdown this trade.

Hawks get:
Kirk Hinrich is a douche bag, he's an overly excitable white boy, that once pissed Rajon off during his Bulls days. Kirk is a gay name. Complete scumbag.

Hilton Armstrong was guy I liked coming out of UConn, even though I hate UConn. Has a name of a Hotel and pretty much has been completely useless as a big man all together.

Wizards get
Mike Bibby: one of the most overrated players in NBA history, still lives off his couple good years he had with the Kings, added nothing to the table for the Hawks. Once called Boston Celtics fans bandwagoners. Complete scumbag.

Jordan Crawford: went to an A 10 school in Xavier and accepted my friend request on facebook. Good dude.

Maurice Evans: Has been on 6 teams in 10 years of playing. Never really ever had an opinion of him because he's invisible.

First Round Pick: Good pick up.

Winner: Wizards, because I don't believe this is Hinrich's last stop and all these players suck. At east the Wizards get a 1st round pick in a weak draft class.


Cavs Get Barron Davis

Clippers get Mo Williams, Jamario Moon

That SUCKS for Baron Davis who went from at least having Blake Griffen to nothing and the shittiest city in America. I think the Cavs got the better end of the deal because they got the best beard involved in the trade, but I would be really worried about Baron Davis' weight issues. If he didn't care about staying in shape in LA what makes you think he will in Cleveland.

102 Celtics, 90 Hawks

Not sure how they keep on winning but going against a Hawks without Joe Johnson and Jamal Crawford certainly wouldn't hurt.

This was a complete team effort tonight without Rajon Rondo, Delonte West, Shaq, Jermaine O'Neal, Kendrick Perkins and now Von Wafer. How about this for spread offense Kevin Garnett had 17 points and 14 rebounds, Paul Pierce had 15 points and 10 assists and Glen "Big Baby" Davis had 18 points and 10 rebounds. Ray Allen scored 18 points and Nate Robinson had 14. I love how Pierce and Ray Allen had the leadership to combine for 16 assists.

But the negative has to be on Avery Bradley whom I like, but he obviously isn't ready. Jeff Teague looked like Michael Jordan every time Avery was guarding him. He got stripped, and he got constantly blown by on defense. He really needs to step his game up if he wants to contribute to this team.

Luke Harangody on the other hand looked serviceable. He can flat out shoot and hustles (who says the 15th man on the bench isn't important).

This year is great, I have never seen such a selfless basketball team. Luckily for the Celtics they have off until Sunday where they play the Pacers but deserve this much needed rest.

99 Celtics, 76 Hawks

Remember when the Hawks were our "rival", yea, me neither.

BMack gave them too much credit when he said that they were going to get 87 points.

The first quarter really set the tempo of the game as the Celtics dominated every main statistic of the game and Kevin Garnett made his presence known. They outscored the Hawks 39-13, shot a ridiculous 72 percent from the field (18-25), committed just two turnovers, and out-rebounded the Hawks 16-3. That's stupid. The defense needs to get some credit also with the Hawks 4-17 shooting (23.5 percent). They constantly pressured the ball and contested every shot that went up.

Nate Robinson (16 points, 10 assists), Kevin Garnett (17 points, 11 rebounds), and Shaquille O'Neal (13 points, 11 rebounds) all notched double-doubles for Boston. Shaq was incredibly effective in the first quarter, scoring six points, while grabbing five rebounds.

It was a great bounce back game figuring what happened over the weekend.

Celtics @ Hawks Preview

The Celtics have lost the last two games, and it has left a bad taste in everyone's mouth. It could've been that they just overlooked those game, it could be the Rondo injury, it could be them missing free throws, it could be the refs, it could be age, but in the end it doesn't matter because this team isn't doing what it is built on and that's playing strong defense all game.

Boston has surrendered 106.3 points per game in its previous three road games after limiting teams to 88.3 over the first four. As we know defense is all about effort, and I have felt that the Celtics have been a little disinterested the last two games. If the Celtics come out and play like that again then this Hawks could blow them out, because they can score in bunches.

I don't see the Celtics playing like that again tonight, and their big men should be able to dominate against this small team. The Celtics are going to need to control the pace of this game, especially if Rondo is out. The Hawks can run, and when they do they are very dangerous, but if Boston can slow the game to a half court game then their big men should be able to take over.

The good news is the Hawks have lost 4 in a row at home, and lets be honest they don't have the best of fans. I see Boston winning, and if they control the pace of the game it won't be close.

Celtics win 98-87
Tommy Award: Garnett
Game starts at 7pm on Comcast

Joe Johnson To Stay In ATL

Atlanta offered Johnson, a four-time All-Star, approximately $119 million over six years -- nearly $27 million more than any other team could offer. ESPN

If your Johnson, you can't turn this down, and if your Atlanta you have to be scratching your head wondering why you signed Scottie Pippen to that money rather than giving it to MJ. Atlanta has talent but it has maxed out at this point. Signing Johnson doesn't give the Hawks any more talent on the board that what they had the last three years. Yes, it's good to lock up your guy, I just don't see the Hawks being able to go further than they went last year with this squad. I would even say, look for the Hawks to regress this year.

Hawks About To Resign Joe Johnson

Reports are coming out that the Hawks are giving Joe Johnson a max deal for 6 years (worth roughly $119M), and that he is going to take it within the next day or so. I have to say I am a little surprised. Johnson really has choked in the playoffs the last two times, and did not have nice things to say about the fans in Atlanta after the were eliminated this year. I really like Joe Johnson, but I really don't see him as a "max guy", especially for 6 years!

Anyways, at least we know him and Lebron won't be playing together.

Celtics vs Hawks Preview

Well, let's just say it. The Hawks own us.

If the Celtics are like the old guy at the gym who plays fundamentally sound and never makes a mistake, then the Hawks would be the lengthy, athletic seventeen year old track star kid who who doesn't necessarily have great basketball skills but due to raw athleticism somehow dominates the game.

Bottom line, the Hawks are a team the Celtics do not match up well with.

Although I'll be the first to admit I never thought the Hawks would ever be a serious threat, I shouldn't be surprised. A couple years ago the Hawks pushed the Celtics to a game seven as the eighth seed and now what has happened since is the Celtics are older while the Hawks are hitting their primes as athletes. They're core foundation of Bibby, Crawford, Williams, Smith and old friend Joe Johnson have jelled nicely and as a Celtics fan, I would much rather see a Cavaliers or Magic then the Atlanta Hawks.


For the Celtics, this game may or may not have come at a good time. Last night's game against the Magic the Celtics dominated but at the end their offense seemed a little stagnate and with JJ Reddick actually doing something productive the Magic pulled off the W. NBA teams in general are little sluggish on the heels of back to back games, but with last nights loss and knowing the Hawks have owned them thus far, hopefully the Celtics come out thinking they got something to prove.

However, with that said, I like the Hawks in this game. I see Joe Johnson doing work on offense and Josh Smith adding a few signature breakaway dunks.

The Celtics are 4-6 in their last ten games and overall have not played ideal since their terrific start. Not a big deal, but something to think about.

-The Diesel

102 Refs, 96 Celtics

I'm going to have a hard time writing this due to the refs absolutely cost the Celtics this game. The Celtics were leading for most of the game, but the momentum took a huge turn in the 3rd with the Cs up 67-57. Glen Davis was called for a bullshit flagrant foul on Marvin Williams. Doc Rivers was pissed and sounded off and was ejected after getting two technical fouls in the span of 2 seconds. Armand Hill was also slapped with a technical foul. After all of the nonsense came to a close the C's were up by 3. Also the free throw differential was ridiculous as the Hawks shot 33 attempts and we shot only 18.

Still no excuses, even they were without their top 2 power forwards. Tom Thibodeau took over for Doc with 7 minutes left in the 3rd quarter and didn't make a single substitution. You know how ridiculous that is? Rajon, Ray, Paul, Perk and Baby played the rest of the game. In fact, Rondo (45 minutes), Ray (43 minutes), Paul (42 minutes) and Perk (42 minutes) played the entire second half. Which isn't to great.

I'm not going to credit the Hawks for this win, but the Refs.

Celtics vs Hawks Preview

So far the Hawks have made the Celtics into their bitches this season and made us look downright bad. They have a young, athletic, fast paced team and the Celtics do not match-up well against them. I'm hesitant to call this a rivalry, but the way the Hawks play against us, they certainly think of it as one. Three nights after that defeat, Boston seeks revenge against Atlanta at TD Garden on Monday, with the Hawks looking to bounce back from a lopsided defeat that followed their win over the Celtics. Here are the starting line ups:
PG M. Bibby 9.7 R. Rondo 13.7
SG J. Johnson 20.8 R. Allen 16.5
SF M. Williams 10.3P. Pierce 18.2
PF J. Smith 14.9 R. Wallace 10.2
C A. Horford 13.7 K. Perkins 12.4
the way the Celtics will win this game is if they just slow the pace down to their style of play. They can't run against them, they are without KG, so when they come down the court they need to make the extra pass and take smart shots. Rondo and Rasheed are coming off strong games, and they will need to keep it up if they want any shot of winning this game. The guy who obviously scares me the most on the Hawks is Jamal Crawford. he is instant offense and it seems like the Hawks don't miss a beat when the second unit comes along. If the Celtics play within their boundaries they should be able to pull this one off, but I'm not too confident to be honest.

Celtics 101-95
Tommy Award: Paul Pierce

What Is Wrong With Atlanta Fans?

"Joe Johnson was asked if Atlanta's home-court advantage has gotten any better as the team improved and his answer was no.

"Don't get me wrong, it's the home team and I enjoy playing there and I enjoy when the fans do come out," Johnson told the Daily Herald. "But by no stretch of the imagination have we got one of the best home crowds. We don't. I can't really even say it's getting there. "In the playoffs, yeah, they're there. Throughout the regular season, it's not much of a big difference from what it was. It's different, but it's not that big of a difference than what is was when I first got there (ESPN)."

I honestly don't get Atlanta. Even when the Braves were one of the best teams in baseball year in and year out they had a hard time getting fans to the game. The Hawks are one of the best up and coming teams in the NBA, and the people of Atlanta barely make a whisper. It seems like it is every sport (other then maybe football), because I watched at the Bruins played the Thrashers and there was no one at that game either. I am sure there are other cities that would get behind a team better then this, and it seems to be that Atlanta doesn't deserve a lot of what it has...

Celtics vs Hawks

This game will revolve about one part of the game, the Celtics defense. The Hawks are averaging 108 points a game, while letting up 103 points a game. If we shut the Hawks offense down, their defense won't pose that much of a threat. Their has been a lot of chatter between the Celtics and Hawks since the 2008 playoff series when the Hawks brought us to seven games, however, much like Rajon said last year, "this ain't a rivalry." The starting lineups are:
PG M. Bibby R. Rondo
SG J. Johnson R. Allen
SF M. Williams P. Pierce
PF J. Smith K. Garnett
C A. Horford K. Perkins

Their is one glaring match up problem we see here and that is Ray Allen having to defend former Celtic Joe Johnson. Ray is going to have to play great defense all game, I expect to see a lot of Quisy on Johnson. On offense Rondo can take advantage of the old bones of Mike Bibby and KG can probably sneak some points in on an over aggressive Josh Smith.

Celtics: 100-87
Tommy Award: Marquis Daniels

Johnson Won't Sign An Extension With Hawks

"The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports All-Star guard Joe Johnson has decided he won't sign an extension with the Hawks and instead will be a free agent July 1. He has already turned down a four-year, $60-plus million contract offer this summer (ESPN)."

I like Joe Johnson a lot, and I will be very interested to see where he goes after this year. With so many big name free agents it could be hard for him to get top dollar, then again I think a lot of the guys that are supposed to be free agents will end up signing extensions (Lebron). Johnson is one hell of a player, and if the C's get some cap space I would love to see him back in green...

Marvin Williams Signs 4 Year Deal With Hawks

"The Atlanta Hawks reached an agreement in principle with free agent forward Marvin Williams, a source close to the process told ESPN.com. Williams is expected to sign a five year, $37.5 million contract as early as Friday, according to the source. The deal also has some hard to reach incentives that could boost the value of the contract to $43 million (ESPN)."

Williams seems to finally found his stride with the Hawks. I think he is a classic case of leaving for the NBA too early, but at least now he is getting it together. The Hawks now have all the pieces back that got them to the 2nd round of the playoffs, but with the East powerhouses (Celtics, Cavs, ect) they have to be somewhat concerned that they won't be able to catch up...

Mike Bibby Returns To Atlanta

Mike Bibby has agreed to a three-year deal worth about $18 million to return to the Atlanta Hawks, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported, citing two sources familiar with the situation.

Bibby is a decent PG as he averaged 14.9 points and 5.0 assists per game last season. However, the Hawks were a major disappointment last year. Even I thought they were going to be a major threat, but they were more into watching LeBron James tear them up, rather than play defense on him. They are going to have to do a lot more than sign Bibby if they want to be a contender.

NBA Recap

119 Mavericks, 117 Nuggets


The Mavericks finally took one and all it took was 44 from Dirk Nowitzki. Between him and a couple of clutch free throws from Jason Terry, the Mavs have lived to see another day. I expect Denver to wrap this series up next game, just because they are a much better team.

84 Cavs, 74 Hawks


Obviously this happened. I hope LeBron is ready for next round.

Why the Hawks are Whack ...