Boston Celtics 2024 (Pus the 2023 NBA Champion)

Have a new post up on Subsack on what I'd suggest for the 2024 Boston Celtics.

Plus who I see winning the 2023 NBA Championship (relax its the Denver Nuggets). Also interesting to note that Boston once had a Nicola Jokoc of their own but instead of 7'0" Jokivic it was 6'9" Dino Radja. They could use another player like that.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- The Ontario government lost $42 million selling weed last year. How is that possible? I've also seen reports that black market weed selling for half the cost of "legal" pot in Canada.

- BangBros porn site bids $10 million for naming rights to new home of the Miami Heat. My sense of humor says "Please let this happen" while my decorum wonders "What the hell has happened to our society?"

- Heh Heh

- Are Generation IV nuclear reactors the answer to green energy? Nice look at the pros and cons (the cost) of Gen IV nuclear reactors.

- The Far Side may be making a comeback online. Doesn't sound like any new comic strips though.

Dwyane Wade and John Havlicek

So yesterday was John Havlicek's 70th birthday and today will be the final game in future Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade's career. This (in my mind at least) begs the question of who was the better player.

The similarities between the two players is pretty pronounced. Start with the size - Wade 6'4" and 220 pounds vs Havlicek's 6'5" and 203 pounds. In Havlicek's final season he averaged 16.1 points plus 4 assists and 4 rebounds per game. Not including tonight's finale Wade this season has averaged 14.7 points along with 4.1 assists and 3.9 rebounds. Pretty close for two guys in their age 37 seasons.

For their careers Havlicek averaged 20.8 points per game to Wade's 22 per game; 6.3 rebounds to Wade's 4.7; and 4.8 assists per game to Wade's 5.4. Pretty close especially when you consider that Wade was playing point or shooting guard while Hondo was a shooting guard or small forward. You should also consider that the three point shot didn't exist in Havlicek's day. If it did then Hondo probably would have averaged more than Wade's 22 points per game since Havlicek was the better shooter as evidenced by his better free-throw percentage (81.5% vs 76.5%). 

Havlicek was a 13-time NBA All-Star just like Wade. While it is a big deal that Wade won 3 NBA Championships with the Heat - let's not forget that Havlicek owns 8 Championship rings from his career with the Celtics.

The whole point of this isn't to take anything away from Wade especially on the day of his final game. It just saddens me that Havlicek seems completely forgotten and the two were almost identical. It would piss me off though to see Wade listed above Havlicek on any of those greatest players of the NBA lists.

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting or amusing and thought I'd share.

- It will be tough to convince me that Pat Riley didn't want Dwayne Wade to leave Miami.

- With peace, Columbia is poised for greater prosperity

- Heh heh

- 2002 as the exact year Robert DeNiro gave up? Then how do you explain The Adventures of Rocky & Bullwinkle in 2000?

- Wow - paralyzed man walks after stem cells from his nose transplanted into his spinal cord

Player Comparison

Just a quick player comparison I have been thinking about lately:

Player A - 10.4 PPG / 2.5 APG / 2.0 RPG
Player B - 10.8 PPG / 1.6 APG / 2.9 RPG

Player A is Jason Terry who has played 62 games averaging 27:37 minutes per game. Player B is Ray Allen - the player Terry basically replaced in Boston. Even though many have been down on Terry in Boston - his production has basically been equal to Allen's this season.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

Nobody nailed the story of Why Ray Allen left the Celtics for the Miami Heat like Adrian Wojnarowski who is by far the best NBA writer going... Just saying but Adrian Gonzalez has an OPS of .747 while Anthony Rizzo (one of the guys the Red Sox traded to get Gonzo) has an OPS of 1.150 with the Cubs. I know it is a small sample size for Rizzo and that Gonzo is bound to post better numbers but people are starting to wonder if the trade was worth it... Not the first person to make this observation but the Celtics going out and signing Jason Terry before making deal with Ray Allen feels like something the Patriots would do. In the end the Celtics got younger and saved salary for other things. Just like something the Patriots would do... If you like the movie Slap Shot - do yourself a favor and rent Goon. I give it two big thumbs up. Very fun movie for any hockey fan... Will Ray Allen be one of those rare Hall of Fame players whose number does not get retired by any teams? The Celtics are not going to do it now. The Sonics don't even exist any more and Ray has no history with OKC. Milwaukee may be his best shot... These are wicked awesome!

Ray Allen and Demi Moore

I have all the respect in the world for Ray Allen but I have a comparison in my head I just can't shake. Is Ray Allen just like Demi Moore?

Hear me out. The comparison works on several levels. What first got me thinking about the comparison is the movie A Few Good Men. Demi Moore got third billing in that movie behind Tom Cruise and Jack Nicholson - just like Ray Allen always seemed to get third billing in the Big Three behind Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. But was that third billing justified? I mean was Demi Moore more important to that movie than Kevin Bacon or Kevin Pollack? Was Ray Allen more important to those Celtics NBA finals teams than Rajon Rondo or Kendrick Perkins? The somewhat bitchy big-boobed potential love interest is the easiest thing in Hollywood to replace. I can't see A Few Good Men being close to the same movie without Cruise or Nicholson but I honestly could see a few other actresses filling out Demi Moore's uniform in that movie. Linda Hamilton for example was considered for the part. Many people also say that shooting guard in the NBA is the easiest position to fill.

In real-life Demi Moore left veteran actor Bruce Willis for Ashton Kutcher who was the hottest thing in Hollywood at the time. Ray Allen is leaving the veteran Boston Celtics for the hotter than hot Miami Heat(s).

I can't get this comparison out of my head. Is Ray Allen the Demi Moore of the NBA?

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.

File this under "One of these things is not like the other" - of the four remaining teams in the NBA playoffs - three are coached by men who are considered in the top 4 of NBA coaches. The other team is the Heat... Gates to White House - STFU... Kevin Garnett likes to talk about taking a lot of pride in his "craft." That's why it disappoints me that nobody ever describes him as "crafty". Or even a "crafty vet"... Interesting - resampling the Wisconsin exit polls show that Mitt Romney is either tied or ahead of Barack Obama... Some time in July I plan to strap an old Christmas tree to the roof of my car, dress up in a Santa suit and drive around City Hall 50-times. I'll have someone video the reaction of onlookers... Spooky or cool science? Gravity hills... This joke would be funny if it wasn't so sad that its true. "You can always tell a guy who masturbates a lot by looking at his hands. If you look closely - you'll see a wedding ring"... Incredible photograph - the sun, Venus, the Taj Mahal and a bird... Just a reminder - Rex Ryan will have to go 7-9 to equal Herm Edwards record in his first 4 years as Jets coach (35-25). There's a good chance Ryan doesn't do it... This was just awesome. Hitler finds out that Scott Walker won the Wisconsin recall election... The show Unlocking the Universe is one of the best science shows ever made... Who knew? Tim Burton's first choice to play title role in movie Beetlejuice was Sammy Davis Jr...

Linky Links

Stuff I found interesting and thought I'd share.

Tornado tracks in the US from the past 50 years

Heh heh - what men see

Paul Pierce and the Celtics do seem to be playing LeBron James and the Officials. Love Brad Daugherty for saying it.

 Is this the most beautiful bookstore in the world? I love bookstores and libraries.

Flotsam and Jetsam

Miscellaneous thoughts and observations.


Today is the victory parade for the Boston Bruins. Above is the banner that is now hanging from the State House. I don't think the parade actually passes the State House... Have you seen the new Captain Morgan commercial? In the commercial he is in bed with a beautiful girl but he is fully clothed including his big red jacket. But when he sees ship of strange men approaching he strips down to undies and swims over to them. Yeah - nothing gay about that. NTTAWWT... Kevin Youkilis left last night's Red Sox game with an "upset stomach". That made me think of this classic George Brett story... I think I may have liked Mike Torrez more than I like John Lackey (and I hated Mike Torrez)... The designer of the "Abe Vigoda is Still Alive" website should come out w a "Erik Spoelstra is Still Coach of the Miami Heat" site... Heh heh - Taiwan news does the Shaq sex tape story... If Dustin Pedroia doesn't win the AL Gold Glove for 2nd base this season then the process should just be scrapped altogether... My Bruins euphoria tempered by the realization that Terry O'Reilly never won a Stanley Cup... People are paying money to see Terry Bradshaw? People are crazy! This is worse than catfish noodling... The Red Sox signed Rich Gedman's son Matt Gedman who was drafted in 45th round out of UMass Amherst... I firmly believe that candidates for Congress should have to pass the Citizens test immigrants have to take before the candidates are allowed to put their name on a ballot. This would help insure that the candidates have at least a grasp of the history of this country before they try to shape the future. Plus it would help weed out the morons... Talk about a good trade for the Red Sox. Just prior before Andrew Miller is set to make his Red Sox debut and just before rumors that the Yankees really wanted Miller to opt out of his contract with Boston - the Marlins DFA'ed Dustin Richardson - the guy the Red Sox traded for Miller... The things you learn on the Internet (via Mental Floss): "Bear Bryant was once asked to give $10 to help pay for a sportswriter's funeral. According to legend, he said, 'Here's a twenty, bury two.'"... In addition to the Patriots, Celtics, Red Sox and now the Bruins - Boston also had 4 NCAA Hockey champions in the past decade. Boston College won in 2001, 2008, and 2010 while Boston University won in 2009... I think the word "trousers" is quickly going the way of "pantaloons"... I heard Nike is coming out with a new LeBron James x-trainer sneaker for people who quit their workouts 3/4 the way through... Think about this for a minute - all four active head coaches in Boston have won titles with their current team.... What a difference a year makes. Last season at this time Josh Beckett had a miserable 7.29 ERA. Today he leads the AL with a 1.86 mark... I am still waiting for Stephen A Smith to explain what personal issues LeBron James was supposedly dealing with during the NBA Finals. My guess is adult baby syndrome

Ha Ha



LeBron James - the biggest choke artist since David Carradine! (Too soon?)

HT The Big Lead

Congratulations Mavericks

I can't recall the last time I became emotionally invested in a team like the Dallas Mavericks that I really had no connection to. In Boston there's an old saying, "My favorite teams are the Red Sox and whoever is playing the Yankees." In the NBA world it seems to have become "I root for the Celtics and whoever is playing the Miami Heat."

If we are honest it is really true that people who are saying they are happy for Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks are for the most part are saying that they are happy that LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and the Heat lost.

The Heat were the epitome of hubris. They celebrated more before the season then what the Mavericks did when they actually won the championship. As much as the Mavericks won - the Heat choked. LeBron James just did not show up and Erik Spoelstra was just thoroughly out-coached. It was so bad that I don't think anyone would blink an eye if the Mavericks voted playoff shares to James and Spoelstra for the big role they played in Dallas winning. I have to wonder if maybe LeBron and D-Wade weren't making fun of Dirk's cough the other day. Maybe they were actually coming down with a little tickle that turned into full-blown choking tonight?

Now the fun part comes. The Heat don't just get to wallow in losing. They get to be punchlines. Two of the better ones I saw on Twitter:

@CoreyKeyz: Why didn't LeBron go to college?....Because he didn't want to show up for the Finals

@DrewFromTV: What's the difference between the Miami #Heat and a porn star? A porn star doesn't choke on the big ones!

One pet peeve of mine is those stupid hats an T-shirts that appear as soon as the last second comes off the clock. You can imagine how welcome the spam email from the NBA at 11:03 PM with Mavericks championship apparel was when I saw it show up in my inbox. Kudos to Rick Carlisle for not putting on one of those stupid T-shirts or hats when he was up on stage accepting the trophy.

Micky Arison

Everyone in the sports world knows who Cleveland Cavaliers Dan Gilbert is now after his Comic Sans screed against LeBron James. It occurred to me today that I didn't know who owned the Miami Heat. The answer to that question of course is Micky Arison the son of Carnival Cruiselines founder Ted Arison.

I came across this hit piece on Micky Arison that was pretty interesting.

Just a few comments; first I can't really blame Ted Arison for trying to evade the death taxes in this country. I believe them to be excessive. Parents work hard so that their children can have a better life - not so the government can squander their live's work via exorbitant taxes. Second - I do not doubt that sexual assaults occur on board Carnival Cruiselines. And in no way do I condone that behavior. It's just that I'm not naive enough to not know that there is a sordid underbelly to the hedonistic lifestyle Carnival promotes. Personally I wouldn't even go on a Carnival cruise if it was given to me free.

In short - I'm no closer to knowing the owner of the Miami Heat than I was when I awoke this morning. At least now I know his name though.

LeBron

Count me among those underwhelmed by LeBron James and his move to the Miami Heat. The best laid plans of mice and Olympic basketball teammates often go awry. I don't think this farce will work out the way LeBron envisions it working out.

If one of the big three goes down with an injury for any length of time - do you think two superstars and a team of scrubs can compete? I don't.

Even if all three are playing together - on any given night a team with depth can run them ragged. Do you think all three can handle the grind of playing 48 minutes a game for an 82 game season? I don't.

I should note that in all honesty - I am pretty much a fair-weather NBA fan. I root for the Celtics but when they run cold - I don't bother watching them. So all this hoopla is nothing more than an amusing distraction to me. I just know that if given the opportunity of taking Miami or "the field" for the NBA championship next year - I'd bet big on the field.

It should also be noted that not since Air America defrauded the Boys and Girls Club has the non-profit been so abused by a media entity the way ESPN and LeBron James abused them last night. The kids were the equivalent of human shields. I was reminded of a Saddam Hussein video from 1990 but last night the role of Stuart Lockwood was played by the Boys and Girls Club of Greenwich.