Celtics Blog - Live .... Post (7)

5:28 left in the game and the Celtics lead 97-92 over the NJ Nets. Not much energy in the building tonight. Sort of strange.

The timeout has the Blues Brothers dancing with Belushi and Dan Aykroyd doing their thing from Saturday Night Live many, many moons ago...

Rondo has 26 pointds about a half-dozen off his career high. He is shooting 9-of-13 with 6 rebounds and 5 assists. Not bad. Vince Carter has 26 for the NJ Nets.

Celtics Live Blog -- Halftime

The Celtics made a little run while I began to type my Basketball 24/7 column - frantically.  Rondo has 14 points and Ray Allen 12 to lead the C's to a 58-51 halftime lead.

***

Celtics Blog - Live .... Post (2)

First impressions in the very first quarter of the NJ Nets at Boston Celtics game:

Devan Harris and Vince Carter are legit NBA stars and Brook Lopez is a hot prospect,but the Nets are 32-45 because of the fact they are starting Keyon Dooling and Ryan Anderson. C'Mon Rod?

Vince Carter drained a three and Keyon Dooling hit two of his first three, and Ryan Anderson added a three to spot the Nets to a quick 10-4 lead.

Rajon Rondo - the real deal - brought the Celtics back to 10-8 before Carter drained his second 3-pt FG of the game. Nets 13-8 at the &:24 mark in 1st.

Not a bad start.

Ray Gets It, Cleveland Whines, Rondo Awaits ...

As expected, the NBA, via a 'right on the money' Commissioner Stern appointment, named Ray Allen to the Eastern All-Star team to replace the injured Jameer Nelson. No questions, right?

Well, the Cleveland Cavaliers are barking.

See the following quotes, courtesy of the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

"Ben Wallace was right when he called Mo originally being passed over for the All-Star Game a 'shamockery,' " said Cavaliers owner Daniel Gilbert in an e-mailed statement. "But not naming him as the natural and obvious replacement for the unfortunately injured Jameer Nelson is stupidiculous, idillogical and preposterageous."

"It's a slap in the face," LeBron James said of the prospect of Williams being left off the team Wednesday night in New York. "Our team has been disrespected."

This quote is from the Associated Press:

“I know Commissioner Stern has followed our team’s success, but maybe doesn’t appreciate how important Mo has been to our team,” Ferry said in an e-mail to The Associated Press. “We have had a great start. We have been really good on both ends of the court, have the top record in the league, and thus far have led the league in point differential by a wide margin all year long.

“Our players and coaches know how important Mo has been to our team’s success. Regardless, we have done a great job of not getting distracted and staying focused on our team goals. I am confident we will continue to do so.”

I pose this question to Ferry and his colleagues at the Cavaliers.

Would you accept a trade of Rajon Rondo for Mo Williams even up? And, if it would be permitted under the rules of the CBA/Salary Cap - which it would not because of the large salary difference, would they accept the services of Ray Allen in return for Mo Williams?

Case closed.

Start Up the All-Star Replacement Speculation ...

Don't make those NBA All-Star Weekend and Valentine's Day reservations for golf in the Caribbean so fast, Ray.

Jameer Nelson is out with a shoulder injury, so start up the NBA All-Star speculation engines.

In my book, it's a three man race.

1. Ray Allen
2. Mo Williams
3. Rajon Rondo

Obviously, A. Iverson doesn't deserve the nod this year and the easy solution would be having Ray Allen and Mo Williams on the roster. If David Stern names Allen, the fans of Williams and the Cavs will call out 'snub,' yet the best player on the reigning champion Celtics has been Ray Allen. Go figure.

I vote for Ray.

Sorry Mo. Nice year, but you're no all-star.