Dwane Casey To Coach Raptors

The Toronto Raptors have reached an agreement in principle to hire Dallas Mavericks assistant Dwane Casey as their new coach. No real surprise here anytime you win a championship the assistant coaches are quickly scooped up (see: Celtics, Patriots, ect). Casey is known for his defensive mind, which we have all noticed is the rave in the NBA right now.

Casey is going to have a tough time in Toronto. It is tough to get players to player there and is a growing problem in the NBA. Unless you have a great draft you're screwed, which is going to be on of the concerns going into the next CBA agreement. One of the solutions they are looking at is a franchise tag, but I doubt the players will ever allow that.

Raptors @ Celtics Preview

Rajon Rondo looks like himself, and the Celtics will be unstoppable if he is even with Kevin Garnett out. Rondo is averaging 12.3 points, 10.3 assists and 4.7 rebounds in his last seven games against the Raptors with Boston winning all of them, and with the way he has been playing this year I expect Rondo to have a stat line like 14 pts, 20 asts, and 6 rebs. It is funny to say something like that and be completely serious, but I am.

The Raptors are a terrible team. They are 3-7 in their last 10 games, and only 12-23 on the season. The Celtics own this team winning 14 of the last 16 meetings with Toronto, and I just don't see how that will change tonight. Ray Allen and Paul Pierce have gone off versus the Raptors. Allen is averaging 22.2 points on 52.2% shooting in his last 17 games against them, while Pierce has 21.8 points per game in 19 contests.

So basically expect a blowout tonight in Boston.

Celtics win 105-86
Tommy Award: Rajon Rondo
Game starts at 7:30pm on Comcast.

93 Celtics, 79 Raptors

Pierce may not be as quick as some players, may not be as explosive as other players, but every once in a while he throws down an impressive dunk. Last year Chris Bosh was the recipient of a ridiculous dunk, this year it was all of his former teammates that got it.

Rondo returned and the Celtics easily took care of the lowly Raptors. Rondo was a little rusty 4 points, 8 assists and 5 turnovers. But the aforementioned Pierce once again pulled the teams weight with another 30 point game. Glen Davis played a complete game tonight, posting 15 points, 11 rebounds, and a career-high eight assists to go along with two steals.

It was a good win and a necessary win figuring the couple of losses earlier this week. Tonight they play the Timberwolves which should be another easy W.

Pierce sprained his ankle but he should be ok.

102 Raptors, 101 Celtics

WTF Happened this weekend.

I praise the Celtics and they just dominate the road trip and so this weekened when I saw they were playing a Durantless Thunder and the lowly Raptors, it should be a breeze right? Wrong, they finished the 2 games 0-2 and looked awfully like the Celtics of last year.

Anyways, let's get back to yesterday's game.

Boston trailed 90-79 with 9:31 left in the fourth before rattling off an 18-4 run, capped off by back-to-back Ray Allen three-pointers from the right wing, giving Boston a 97-94 edge with 3:38 left. The teams traded baskets and free throws, before Glen Davis hit two freebies to put Boston ahead 101-98 with 21 seconds left. Sonny Weems scored a quick layup three seconds later (101-100), and after Ray Allen lost the ball, Paul Pierce was eventually called for a foul on Johnson inside, who buried both free throws to put Toronto ahead for good.

Crappy.

Matt Barnes To Toronto.... Maybe?

I know everyone in Celtics nation was hoping Matt Barnes was going to find his way on the Celtics, but he is currently or hopefully if the Magic and the Raptors can make the salaries match pay Matt Barnes to a 2 year, 10 million dollar deal.

That's a lot. I would like to have Matt Barnes but not at that price. Where have we come to in a society where a 8th man off the bench demands 5 million a year. He was saying this whole offseason he wanted to sign to a contender, but this is what he does? Signs with the Raptors? Puzzling to me, they aren't going to be good for a real long time.

But I'm also somewhat happy he's not on the Celtics because he's a scumbag. He reminds me of the dangerous spanish kid that sells awful pot and hangs out with a friend of a friend and thinks everything is gay and is always negative, but you don't say anything to insult him because then he will threaten to kill you. That's what Matt Barnes reminds me of.

Die.

Suns Make A Bunch Of Moves

The first trade they made was sending guard Leandro Barbosa and forward Dwayne Jones to the Raptors for Turkoglu and then sending Dwayne Jones to Charlotte for Boris Diaw. The Second deal was acquiring Josh Smith's rights from the Hawks.

So this offseason the Suns lost Amare and gained Hedo, Hakim Warrick, Boris Diaw and re-signed Channing Frye. It's going to be weird to see how that team works together, but with Steve nash they will find the way. In the meantime, look for the Raptors to get the number 1 pick, as they are going to fucking blow donkey balls.

Celtics 115 Raptors 104

It sure wasn't the blowout the Celtics wanted, but a win is a win. The worry I had while watching this game was the same thing DP eluded to in his last Celtics' post...Where's the defense? I'm sorry but Sonny Weems should never be scoring 21 points against the Celtics. I mean this was a team playing without Bosh and they still were able to put up 104 points. The Celtics teams of old would never have let them score over 90.

Still, there were some positives out of this game. Once again, Rondo was amazing, and is by far the best player on this team without a question. The benched played really well with Finley dropping 14 points, and Tony Allen (who looks like he stole Nate's job) had 7 points. Toronto's last victory over the Celtics was Jan 23, 2008, but man they made this one close for awhile.

The Celtics are currently tied for 3rd place in the Eastern Conference (with the Hawks). It seems rather important to me to get that 3rd spot, so we don't have to play the Cavs in the 2nd round, and a matchup against the Bobcats is a lot better then having to play a series against Wade and the Heat.

Why Not?

Why not watch a raptor devour a cheerleader?

114 Celtics, 107 Raptors

"I had a decent night, I guess," - Rajon Rondo

That's what Rajon Rondo had to say after he scores 22 points, 13 assists, 10 rebounds and 4 steals. If that's a decent night, I want to know what a good night is. I think this should seal the all-star voting, but who knows AI is still the second highest guard vote getter. The Celtics led by Rajon and Rasheed Wallace started the night quick, dipped down to a four point lead in the 4th, but was able to secure the victory after a Perk offensive rebound and the free throws and a Paul Pierce dagger. And the man Bob was calling a bust signing, Rasheed Wallace, all he did was go 9-12 from the field, 5-7 from 3FG, with 7 rebounds, that equals 29 points by the way. This is why the signing of Rasheed Wallace was so important. At first he was a "what if" guy, but now that the "what if" came true with KG going down, he has filled in awesome. The starting 5 plus Eddie House were all in double digits. Anyways, it was a hell of a bounce back win for C's after that embarrassment against Atlanta.

Celtics vs Raptors

The Boston Celtics look to remain perfect in Atlantic Division play and beat the Toronto Raptors for the nine time in 10 meetings Friday night at the TD Garden.

Earning a third straight division crown is practically considered a foregone conclusion for Boston (11-4) - every other team in the Atlantic is under .500. However, the Celtics have struggled to beat division foes in their last two games, needing overtime to defeat New York 107-105 on Sunday and winning 113-110 over Philadelphia on Wednesday.

Here are the line ups:
PG J. Calderon 12.6 R. Rondo 10.7
SG D. DeRozan 6.1 R. Allen 15.2
SF H. Turkoglu 13.7 P. Pierce 20.1
PF C. Bosh 25.4 K. Garnett 13.6
C A. Bargnani 17.4 K. Perkins 10.6

The Celtics really should be able to beat the Raptors easily, because when I look up and down the roster, I don't get scared. Rondo should be able to blow by Calderon, Ray Allen should polish DeRozan, Pierce should dominate Turkoglu, Bosh and KG will be tough, and Perk should out physical Bargnani easily. So obviously my prediction is the Celtics win big.

Celtics 101-83

Tommy Award: Rondo

106 Celtics, 90 Raptors

Even though the game was at UConn(I despise UConn with all my heart), it still was pleasant to watch the Celtics wipe the floor with the Raptors. Paul Pierce scored 17 points and Kevin Garnett added 16 to lead the Boston Celtics to a 106-90 preseason victory over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night at the XL Center. Former Huskie Ray Allen had a smooth eight points, six rebounds and four assists and although Rondo didn't have as big of a game as he had the night before he finished with six points, four steals and eight assists. He set up Garnett twice with alley-oop passes midway in the third quarter, including a dunk. Seen here:
Sheed didn't play with a sore ankle, and no that doesn't concern me at all. My boy Lester Hudson had his best game in green going 5-7 from the field with 12 points. It was another good tune-up game before the season starts.

Bosh To Warriors?

"From today's Toronto Sun: "Raptors forward Chris Bosh becomes a free agent at the end of the season and for that primary reason the four-time NBA all-star has yet to commit to the U.S. team for next summer's FIBA world basketball championships in Turkey. In the rumor department. Bosh has been mentioned in a possible trade to the Golden State Warriors in a deal that would involve Andris Biedrins coming to the Toronto, with, of course, a lot more, if there's any substance at all to the rumor (ESPN)."

This is what is going to happen. Lebron is going to stay with the Cavaliers. The Knicks are going to have a lot of money to sign someone and they will settle for Chris Bosh. So, in short I don't believe any of these other rumors...

Shawn Marion Gets Traded To Big D

"The Dallas Mavericks and Toronto Raptors, living up to the wild tenor of the past few weeks in the NBA, have hatched a complicated sign-and-trade arrangement that went through numerous constructions Wednesday before resulting in an agreement in principle that will send Shawn Marion to Dallas and also absorb the Raptors' much-anticipated signing of Hedo Turkoglu.

Sources close to the negotiations told ESPN.com on Wednesday night a trade call has been scheduled with the league office for Thursday, indicating all sides have agreed to the terms of a transaction that, in its final form, will also involve the Memphis Grizzlies and the Orlando Magic.

The deal, according to sources, calls for the Mavericks to acquire Marion and Kris Humphries from Toronto and Greg Buckner from Memphis, with Marion to receive a five-year contract worth an estimated $39 million. Buckner has had two previous stints with the Mavericks but is likely to be released, sources said.

The Grizzlies will land Jerry Stackhouse from Dallas, Quincy Douby from Toronto and a substantial cash payment to buy out Stackhouse's contract. Only $2 million of Stackhouse's $7.25 million salary next season is guaranteed, as long as he is waived by Aug. 10.

The Raptors will receive Devean George and Antoine Wright from the Mavericks, while also preserving their $5.9 million mid-level exception for the coming season by turning their acquisition of Turkoglu -- who is getting a five-year deal worth an estimated $53 million -- into a sign-and-trade as opposed to an outright signing. Assembling the trade this way could also enable Toronto to re-sign Carlos Delfino, after it appeared that the Raptors would have to renounce Delfino to help make room for the Turkoglu signing.

The Magic, meanwhile, were motivated to join in the trade because their participation, as opposed to merely letting Turkoglu walk, will create a valuable trade exception they can use in future deals worth around $7 million."

The real story here is the Matrix going to Dallas. Shawn Marion is a hell of a player but his stats have declined over the past couple of years, and his ugly departure from Phoenix left his reputation tarnished. However, I do think he will bring some excitement to Dallas, who will most likely run a more up tempo style of offense with Jason Kidd running the show. Do I think this trade will put the Mavs over the top? No. But does it make their team better? Most definitely.

Bosh is a Deadbeat

"Chris Bosh, the face of Toronto's struggling NBA franchise, is being cast in U.S. court documents as a deadbeat father who broke up with his girlfriend when she was seven months pregnant, leaving her destitute and without medical care even as she fell ill (The Star)."

How is someone who is making over $15 million a year not able to pay child support??? What a fucking asshole. It is really too bad, because he does some funny ass shit (like his youtube videos for the All-Star game), but in the end he is just another athlete who is a prick, and doesn't care about anyone but himself. He even had blog entries saying "I'm on top of the world right now" after his child was born. Now he doesn't even care enough to put some money aside for his own kid...

Celtics Trade O'Bryant for Solomon...Then Trade Solomon to Kings

"The Celtics have dealt center Patrick O'Bryant to the Toronto Raptors for point guard Will Solomon, according to an NBA source. Solomon, in his second NBA season, is averaging 4.9 points and 3.2 rebounds in 13.9 minutes per game in 39 games. He is from Hartford and has played professionally in Turkey, Israel and Greece. Earlier in the day, O'Bryant was thought to be heading to the Kings in a move to create salary cap space, but Celtics president Danny Ainge instead opted for the Solomon deal with Toronto. The Celtics still have a roster spot open to add a free agent if they so choose (NBA.com)."

Not really sure what to think of this trade. O'Bryant has not really found his spot on the Celtics, and Boston needs a backup PG that had better passing skills and ball control than Eddie House. Still, I feel like O'Bryant really didn't get a shot at making an impact. Hopefully the Celtics will be able to add a big man, because they are in need of one off the bench.

**UPDATE**

None of what I says matters because..."Solomon is being sent to Sacramento for a conditional second round draft pick (similar to the Sam Cassell trade). That gives the Celts two open roster spots, and they hope to fill at least one with a veteran big man over the next couple of weeks. With their available bodies at 11, J.R. Giddens is being called up from the D-League and will be with the Celts when they play the Jazz tonight (Celticsblog.com)."

I like Giddens a lot, and really would love to see what he can do. Still, every interesting to see who the Celtics will be able to add to fill the empty roster spot.

Marion To Raptors

The Toronto Raptors have agreed to send Jermaine O'Neal and Jamario Moon to the Miami Heat in exchange for Shawn Marion and Marcus Banks, league sources told ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher.

Hell of a move for the Raptors. They were able to dump that bum O'Neal and got a great complimentary player in Marion. This move will definitely excite Chris Bosh, who has recently got a little frustrated with the Raptors organization for the lack of trying to win. If the Marion/ Bosh connection can work, they could be a scary team. For at least this year.

As for the Heat, this move is blatantly to free up cap room.

Around The NBA

104 Denver, 96 Spurs


The Denver Nuggets were tested by the San Antonio Spurs all right, even with everyone on the bench.

With Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili all sidelined Tuesday night, the Denver Nuggets took advantage for a 104-96 win over the San Antonio Spurs after pissing away most of a 17-point lead.

99 Nets, 85 Bucks

Carter had 15 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds for his fifth career triple double, and the New Jersey Nets spoiled Richard Jefferson's return with a 99-85 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night. Jefferson scored 27 points but it wasn't enough, especially with Michael Redd out forever.

101 Cavs, 83 Raptors

The Cavs stay perfect at home as LeBron James scored 33 points, eclipsed 12,000 for his career, blocked Chris Bosh's dunk attempt during a crucial stretch in the fourth quarter as they continue to roll. The Cavs keep playing extremely well and are going to be a pain in the ass when it comes to home court throughout.

115 Celtics, 109 Raptors

It was a better win than in the first game of this back to back match-up against the Raptors, but there is still plenty of room for improvement. Last nights game was a great game which included a game tying 3 point shot to send the game into overtime, Paul Pierce turning into the Truth, KG getting another double double, Rajon filling the stat sheet up, Scal actually playing well and a Celtics W.

It is hard to beat a team on back to back nights and the Raptors did everything to out muscle the Celtics, and the Celtics responded with composure. When the Raptors looked like they were going to win, or go on a big run, the Celtics seemed composed and looked to find a way to win this game.

Paul Pierce had an incredible game with 39 points and 9 rebounds. If the Celtics can put a string of games together like this, I might give them the best team in the East again. But until then, the Cavs still have the spot.

Now the bad:
I wrote yesterday that the Celtics are struggling because they are getting tired because of the minutes and effort they have to put in every night. Last night the bench didn't alleviate any of my worries as Paul Pierce played for 49 minutes, KG played for 40, and Ray Allen played for 45. That has to change.

Celtics vs Raptors

O.K., I got a day to settle down and I am looking forward into the season. The Celtics are not the best team in the East and if they want to go back to that supremacy they need to beat teams they need to beat. The Raptors fall into that category. The Raptors have a good team but have been somewhat of a disappointment this year. Jermaine O'Neal isn't what I thought he would be, and that has killed the Raptors. I would hate to label this game as a must win, but it is, the Celtics have lost so much a good beat down would bring everyone's moral up.

Celtics: 100-82

Tommy Award: Kevin Garnett

Yup this is the same post as Yesterday.

94 Celtics, 88 Raptors

Good news, bad news.
Good news: The Celtics broke their 4 game losing streak to the Toronto Raptors

Bad news: They were outscored 33-19 in the 4th and had a 20 point lead going into the 4th.

This game should have been a blow out and turned out to be a close heart breaker. If not for Ray Allen's huge night (36 points, 8-10 from 3 point land) the Celtics would have easily lost this game. KG had a shitty shooting night, but played some good defense on Chris Bosh a majority of the night. Paul Pierce had 11 points, and really was a non issue for the game. At times Rondo looked like the budding all star, and sometimes I wanted to strangle him. Rajon finished with 14 points and 11 assists and some crucial defense at the end of the game.

This game is a good win, but I am not confident at all.

Bill Walker should be playing, the guy might be the man who replaces James Posey.

They are playing Toronto at home tonight. Weird.