Another storyline that will be very interesting to follow in the second half will be the new look New York Knicks with their trio of Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire, and the seemingly forgotten Chauncey Billups as well as the affect of the other trades. The team gutted the roster to land a second superstar in Anthony to play alongside Stoudemire. How well will these two players play alongside each other and how will D’Antoni divvy up the minutes to a team with little depth, especially in the frontcourt? The team will definitely be able to score with the addition of one of the elite scorers in the league but the defense is sure to drop off a little with the lack of size and the trading of Chandler for Anthony on the defensive end. The Knicks have built a very strong core to their team and it will be interesting to see how much of an effect it will have on the team this year. The lack of depth and with only 28 games left in the season, can the Knicks find their offensive rhythm fast enough or will the team endure some growing pains like the Miami Heat early in the season? The other trades that will be followed the most are the Nets acquisition of Deron Williams and the Celtics flurry of trades. With the Nets, the main question will be if the Nets can prove to Williams that it is worth resigning with New Jersey as they move to Brooklyn in 2012. As for the Celtics, the alteration of a roster that got them to the NBA Finals a season earlier will be watched very closely especially for a team that has seen such great success in the past three years. Will the change in their frontcourt hurt their championship chances if they meet up with the Lakers or Magic in the playoffs? Perkins has missed 43 games so far this year and the Celtics have the second best record in the league at 41-15. We will see how these trades play out through the rest of the season.

The final storyline is, of course, if the Lakers will three-peat. Each conference has three or four very good teams who are considered very serious contenders for the Larry O’Brien Trophy. The Eastern Conference has already been discussed with the top three teams of Boston, Miami, and Chicago while Orlando is a little bit behind those teams looking in. On the other side in the Western Conference, the top three teams of the San Antonio Spurs, Dallas Mavericks, and Los Angeles Lakers are all legitimate title contenders and now the Oklahoma City Thunder have thrown themselves right in the mix with those three with their trade deadline acquisitions. The Spurs have been very consistent throughout the whole year and have their own big three with Manu Ginobli, Tony Parker, and Tim Duncan. Tim Duncan has been putting up career low numbers but also career low minutes so Gregg Popovich is trying to keep Duncan as fresh as possible for the playoffs. But a healthy Ginobli, Parker, a rejuvenated Richard Jefferson, and Sixth Man of the Year candidate in George Hill the Spurs have raced out to the best record in the league and a six game lead in the West. The Mavericks have been very good with Nowitzki healthy and really only had a bad stretch when Nowitzki was hurt and Caron Butler had a season ending injury in late December and into mid-January. The Lakers are the defending champions with two-time Finals MVP winner Kobe Bryant still performing at a very high level and running this team. The team is pretty much the same team that won the 2010 NBA Championship and are still the champions until someone knocks them off. Then there is the Oklahoma City Thunder who is a very young team with the leagues leading scorer Kevin Durant and fellow All Star Russell Westbrook leading the way. The new acquisitions of Kendrick Perkins and Nazr Mohammad should help the Thunder chase down the Western Conference Title and an NBA championship. A year ago in the playoffs, the Thunder gave the Lakers their biggest scare in the Western Conference as the 8 seed and was the most of the team’s first experience in the playoffs. The team has a year of playoff experience under its belt and may be ready to make a run in the playoffs. This should prove to be a great second half of the season and playoffs with a number of interesting storylines to follow.

Here are highlights from the first half of the season:

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According to sources, Scott was already on shaky ground after last season’s 1st round exit in the playoffs. It was believed he would be let go then, but Chris Paul’s support of Scott saved his job. Not even Chris Paul could help Scott this time around. After a very disappointing 3-6 start, the Hornets’ management decided to part ways with their former coach of the year (2008). General manager Jeff Bower will be replacing Scott for now. Tim Floyd, who is best known for coaching the Iowa State Cyclones (1994-1998), USC (2005-2009) in the college ranks, but also held stints with the Chicago Bulls (1998-2001) and the New Orleans Hornets (2003-2004), has been hired as Bower’s top assistant.

Though New Orleans is $3 million over the league’s $69.9 million luxury-tax threshold, their large payroll has not translated into wins this year. Looking at the Hornets’ roster, one can clearly see that this large payroll is deceiving and not necessarily a sign of good talent. Chris Paul is arguably the best guard in the league, and David West is a solid player himself, but there isn’t much balance after those two. Peja Stojakovic has been coming off the bench and is averaging a pathetic 8.7 ppg, the lowest since his rookie season where he averaged 8.4 per game. More is expected of a player who is making almost $14 million. A shooter never loses his shot, and Stojakovic is certainly still capable of averaging 20 a game, but he is just too much of a liability on the defensive end. Throughout his 11 years in the league, nobody ever accused Peja of being a defensive stopper, and now at the age of 32 his inability to defend has become more evident than ever before.

Swapping Tyson Chandler with Emeka Okafor of the Charlotte Bobcats during the off-season was a move that was seen by most as a lateral one. It was not a trade that seemed to improve the Hornets’ roster, which has been confirmed thus far as Okafor is averaging 11 ppg, 9.8 rpg, and 2 bpg. These are not bad stats, but New Orleans could have simply kept Chandler, who has very similar stats to those of Okafor. When you make a trade, the goal is to improve. This did not happen here. The trade only hurt the team’s chemistry.

The Hornets management is worrysome about keeping their star guard Chris Paul happy, and rightfully so. A player of his caliber will not tolerate mediocrity for very long. Who knows. Maybe this coaching change will turn out positive for New Orleans. Luckily for them, there are still 73 regular season games to be played.

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But that should change under the leadership of a new coach. Manager Bryan Colaneglo, after all, was the architect of the highly attractive and successful Phoenix Suns teams. And his new coach will likely match that style. Chris Bosh, Jose Calderon and Andrea Bargnani make up the core of this team and the club has room under the salary cap as well. It remains to be seen if that money will be used to re-sign Shawn Marion or look for help elsewhere. The Raptors will have a high draft pick and may likely find a top player from the Euroleague as well – as they have done in the past. And that is very valuable in the Eastern Conference.

Additional Notes:
The Warriors and Bulls are already talking about trade offers for Chris Bosh with thoughts of the beginning of the free agent period. Bosh has an option in his contract for 2010.

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The Italian shooting guard debuted in the domestic Serie A league at the tender age of 16 with Virtus Bologna. And with city rivals Fortitudo during the 2006-07 season he averaged 16.0 points. The main attraction was Belinelli’s complete and confident game.

At the 2007 NBA Draft, the Golden State Warriors selected the young Italian at number 18 overall. Belinelli would be going to Don Nelson’s team whose concept was something like “shoot first, ask questions later”. And during the Summer League in Las Vegas before his rookie season, the Italian showed that he was worth the first round money. In his opening game he poured in 37 points against the Hornets and finished the summer averaging 22.8 points per.

Actually, it’s kind of a surprise that the Italian’s arm didn’t fall off since he averaged 19.5 shots per game, including 6.7 from long range. But his excellent three-point percentage of 44.4 percent kept his teammates from locking him in his locker. But an NBA summer cannot be compared to an NBA winter. And even in Oakland there is a bit of defense to be played.

Belinelli has never been known for his defense. And the Warriors had plenty of swing men, leaving the rookie unable to establish himself with Golden State and receiving garbage time in just 33 games.

The 2008-09 season didn’t look much more promising for Belinelli getting off the bench. Over the first 19 games, he averaged just five minutes a game. But then Stephen Jackson and Corey Maggette joined Monta Ellis on the injury list.

And Belinelli took advantage of his chance. In December he scored 14.1 points a game while shooting 44.9 percent from the field and 38.4 percent from long range. He averaged 11.7 shots while dishing out 3.2 assists. But Il numero diciotto was no longer the mad bomber from the summer, drastically improving his shot selection.

Then after 20 games and 15 starts Belinelli injured his ankle. He missed 15 games and then came back in late February and started seven straight games, scoring in double figures in the last four. He then missed three games with a toe injury but was a starter in Golden State’s most recent game.

But with Ellis already back and Maggette and Jackson as well, it remains to be seen if Belinelli can keep his spot in the starting five or not.

Text: Toni Lukic

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Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)

Flashback: As the second pick of the 2007 NBA Draft, Durant landed with the Seattle SuperSonics and his reputation quickly took a hit. Observers began referring to the former NCAA star as a “chucker” just a few games into his rookie season.

Durant’s rookie season was in fact less than flattering. His 20.3 points per game were nice. But he shot just 43 percent from the field and just 28.8 percent from three-point range. The rookie took 17.1 shots per game, 2.6 of those from beyond the arc. He was a scorer but needed a lot of shots to get those points for a bad team. And there were plenty of those types of players in the league. Kevin Durant and the NBA were far from a tale of love at first sight. And there were reasons for that. But most experts, fans and media deliberately ignored them.

One reason enough was just the sight of Kevin Durant. It was clear that besides with his height he will not dominate anyone. To be successful, Durant needed to rely on his game intelligence, talent and skills. Many other members of Durant’s draft class could take over games with their strength or athleticism alone. Others were tough to defend with an explosiveness and leaping ability that provided plenty of easy baskets in the lane. And still other rookies had brute force and quick dynamic moves in the paint – making them nearly immovable forces in the block.

Kevin Durant, however, is a different type of player. His game relies on his shot. And that is based on timing, rhythm and confidence. A shooter is always at his best when his game is in a rhythm – and when he understands what’s going on around him and whether or not he will shoot before even getting the ball. Kevin Durant did not know much of this during his first year as an NBA professional. “I had to get used to the league first. Every young player who comes into the NBA has the same problem,” recalls Durant. “You ask yourself: ‘When should I shoot? Where are my spots and when do I start making my moves?’ That was the toughest part for me as a rookie.”

The games flashed by then 19-year-old. He regularly struggled with the physical style of the league, which wreaked havoc with his timing. It also stopped him from getting the ball where he wanted it on the court.

Another difficult aspect for Durant was a lack of a real mentor for him in Seattle. All-Stars Ray Allen and Rashard Lewis had just left the Sonics in the summer after having combined to score 48.8 points in 2006-07. And Durant would be responsible for filling much of that huge void. A good pass or drive, however, didn’t help too much if it came at the wrong time. So Durant was forced to score if the Sonics wanted to win even the occasional game. And it was scary how often he would regularly take very poor shots. But who else was going to do it in Seattle?

Both in his one season at the University of Texas and during high school, basketball life came easy for Durant. He was always taller than his opposing player and could see the floor without a problem. He also had an excellent shot and a feel for the game. If someone had a physical advantage on him, he could beat him with his understanding of the game, his quickness and his maturity. And the young star rarely had to defend in his early career. His wingspan and understanding of the game were enough to get rebounds and blocks. And coaches regularly put their top scorer on the side of the defense with the opponent’s least-dangerous scorer.

But that was not the case in the NBA. Durant’s first coach, P.J. Carlesimo, switched him from small forward to shooting guard. The coach did not want the physically disadvantaged Durant to be eaten alive by posting small forwards. Carlesimo thought that at just 215 pounds, Durant would have been bullied around not only by the likes of LeBron James (250), Paul Pierce (235) and Carmelo Anthony (230) but even slender players like Andrei Kirilenko (225). So Durant instead would be assigned to run after shooting guards who were all a head shorter than him. This was a hopeless assignment.

“Last season we had to tell Kevin for 48 minutes to stay in a deep defensive stance with his knees bent,” admitted Scott Brooks. The former NBA playmaker took over the coaching duties at Oklahoma City just 13 games into the current season. “But it’s not like Kevin didn’t want to defend as a rookie. People forget that he is 6-foot-9,” continued Brooks. “It’s not easy for him to cover smaller players.”

As Carlesimo’s assistant, Brooks followed closely Durant’s development. And he was convinced that it was counterproductive making Durant into a shooting guard. He may have been able to keep some distance on the wing and still block shots with his long arms. But he was helpless when trying to work through screens or guard players on the drive. At the same time, his main defensive attributes – defensive rebounding and blocked shots – were suffering. After grabbing 8.1 defensive boards and blocking 1.9 shots at Texas, Durant’s NBA numbers dropped to 3.5 defensive rebounds and 0.9 blocks.

The Kevin Durant project was in shambles after just a few months.

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Kevin Durant may have won the 2008 NBA Rookie of the Year award. But his reputation as a coming superstar took a major beating. Then something strange happened along the way of becoming a star hyped too early. He developed from an unconscionable shooter to the next big franchise player.

The play is one that all NBA teams run over and over again. It’s nothing too wild or complicated. The small forward posts at the right edge of the lane. A pass inside is denied so the ball gets swung back to the top of the key where the shooting guard is waiting. At the same time, the small forward switches to the other side of the low post. From there, he runs around two screens, gets space from his defender, receives the pass on the wing. No dribbling, no waiting. Put it up. Good. Two points.

The other team’s next trip down the floor is just as common in the NBA world. The opposing small forward posts as quickly as possible at the edge of the lane. He gestures and points to the wing on his side. That’s where he wants the ball to go – where he can be fed into the post and take advantage of the physical mismatch on his defender. The playmaker follows his lead, but the small forward is not open. His defender moves to the offensive player’s side in perfect position to deny the entry pass. The small forward instead heads out to the three-point line.

After getting the ball outside, he fakes a shot. But his defender remains deep in his stance and only extends his long, lanky arm. The ball-handler then attempts to drive with full speed into the lane, but his defender stays with him step-for-step and blocks his way. So the offensive player turns towards the baseline and all of sudden is confronted with a second defender. With four arms waving around him, the offensive players attempts a bad pass, which is stolen and converted into a fast break layup for the opposing team.

These are two very common sequences in the NBA – none that would make a highlight reel or find their way onto youtube. And the sequence would not be worth mentioning if they didn’t involve Kevin Durant. But this is excellent chance to show that the Oklahoma City Thunder second-year small forward is no longer a one-dimensional offensive-minded youngster like last season. Actually he has become just the opposite. Still, despite current numbers of 26.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.8 blocks, Durant did not make the NBA All-Star game.

“It sounds strange to say this – Kevin is after all only 20 years old – but he is a lot more mature this year. He understands better when and where he needs to put pressure on the defense. That wasn’t the case at all as a rookie. But he couldn’t have known that,” said Oklahoma City Thunder coach Scott Brooks. “He has improved in every aspect of his game: rebounding, defense, offense. For a couple weeks he had some problems with turnovers. So we sat in the film room and I showed him some of his mistakes – and he began working on them immediately.”

Things improving

“No, I don’t think that I’m an All Star. For that, your team has to win,” said Durant, who is fourth in the league this season in scoring while shooting 48.9 percent from the field and 43.6 percent from beyond the three-point stripe. “Leading your team to victories is a big part of being an All-Star. Hopefully I can reach that status before I leave this league. Right now, I’m trying with all my power to bring this team forward and reverse this trend.”

But it’s not his personal trend that Durant was talking about. That could hardly be more positive. But rather he meant the form of his team which is spending its first season in Oklahoma City after leaving Seattle. The Thunder has been less than impressive in its debut season, opening with a 3-29 record. “I would exchange my top 10 scoring average right now for a top record in the league,” said Durant. But the fans in Oklahoma City have a sense that things are beginning to look up – both for Durant and the franchise, which currently has a 17-46 record. “It feels good, sensing the whole year how I’m improving – just like I felt this summer. It’s nice being able to show the league what you learned,” said the 20-year-old, whose teammates are also learning.

The Thunder is a young group growing around the core of Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook. And that trio is just now realizing what they can achieve. “We fight. We could have won the game, but in the end I just missed a big shot. But we are close,” offered Durant after a 103-99 overtime loss at the New Jersey Nets in January, which left the team at 6-33. The Thunder trailed early by seven points in overtime but the team did not give up. “In the past we would have hung our heads at the end and lost by 12 or 14 points. But this time we came back and fought.”

part II as always tomorrow – sign up for our RSS feed.

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Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Sam Forencich/NBAE via Getty Images)

Tobias Pox has been stationed in Portland, Oregon, for the past two years for FIVE. Starting now, our man in the Rose Garden will report monthly from the Northwest U.S. about the Blazers, the hippest team in the league.

When I moved from Detroit to Portland in Fall 2006 it seemed like a worst case scenario basketball-wise. Detroit was pure hoops heaven. The Pistons had the best record in the league (64-18) and should have won the title under normal circumstances. But the piston-powered engine stuttered in the Eastern Conference finals against Miami. The games in the Palace of Auburn Hills were always a highlight. The place was breath-taking, deafening and my favorite arena.

And then this: Portland!

This was the worst team in the league (21-61) and had an even worse reputation. The nickname “Jailblazers” says everything. The Rose Garden was like a graveyard. The only time it got loud was when the few fans who did show up wanted to unleash some frustration. Even the local daily Oregonian seemed at war with the club, practically refusing to write anything positive. From Motown to P’Town. From basketball heaven to basketball hell.

Thanks a lot.

But oh how times have changed! Detroit are desperately trying with their over-the-hill stars to keep up with the best in the league while the young, ambitious Portland Trail Blazers are the “it” team in the league, everyone’s favorite. It’s like a start-up company flourishing despite the recession.

The Rose Garden has been sold out for the past 50 games and resembles a madhouse. It’s hard to imagine what the noise level will be like in the playoffs. Hours before every game, there’s a sense of excitement, suspense and anticipation in the air.

Going to a Blazers game is for the cool people, no longer just for losers or dreamers. And whether it’s at the bar, at work or in the street car – called MAX here – all the talk is about the latest from Brandon, Rudy, LaMarcus and company. Once again, it’s hip and fashionable to be a Trail Blazer. Blazermania is back!

The new era can also be seen by the media interest. Before this season, the press stands used to be filled with only local reporters and journalists from the guest teams. But now the stars of the field are taking the honor of watching the Blazers. Gracing the Rose Garden this season have been the likes of Ric Bucher from ESPN The Magazine; stats pope John Hollinger of ESPN.com and diverse scribes from Sports Illustrated. Many have been there numerous times and wrote declarations of love about the Blazers in their big national publications. Even the Oregonian is again the team’s best buddy, regularly publishing extra pages reporting, in depth about the all-of-a-sudden great group. Success makes you sexy, I guess.

But the most spectacular part of the new era is the players, who have remained modest, approachable and friendly despite the upturn. The sea of cameras and audio recorders has not however gone lost on those being questioned. Still, the Blazers locker room is probably the most relaxed in the league. Whoever wants to ask two-time All-Star Brandon Roy a few questions can do so without nasty looks. B-Roy was polite and considerate when he arrived in the NBA three years ago and he still remains that way. The same thing goes for his teammates. There is no bad apple on the team. Portland is a team which you can reach out and touch, a team you just have to like. One hopes the humility, freshness and youthful carelessness will remain when the club returns to the elite.

There can be no doubts that Portland will soon be way up near the top the league. The NBA’s second youngest team is already all but secured of a playoffs spot while still developing game by game (instead of just shooting from outside, they are even driving to the basket …). The potential is immense. Greg Oden is currently only playing at about 50 or 60 percent of his ability. Roy and Aldridge, the other two pillars of the Big Three, also are not yet finished products. Rockin’ Rudy Fernandez is a rookie just like the recently-improving Jerryd Bayless. Travis Outlaw is only 24 years old and is still working on the subtleties of the game. Martell Webster will be back soon. And, and, and. As previously noted, the potential is nasty. If someone asks me about the Trail Blazers’ future, I tell them: “In three or four years they’ll be on Broadway!” That means the championship parade can already be planned. Basketball hell? Not even close! I am back in basketball heaven.

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FiveMagazine.com sat down for a long chat with Dallas Mavericks and Germany star Dirk Nowitzki. Here is part one of a three-part interview where the former NBA MVP talks about his off-season, the differences of being a go-to and a role player and thoughts one day leaving the Big-D.

Every summer you are known to head back to Germany and work on your game. You are now in your 30s and still do it. Why?
The championship still motivates me. We were so close in 2006 in the Finals against Miami … It’s so much fun playing in the playoffs … playing right until the end … on the big stage … it still hurts that we lost back then. That was indescribable. That was the hardest loss I have ever suffered. I still think about it. And some time I want to get that bad taste out of my mouth. There are awesome players who have never won a ring. And people say: “He was great, but he never led his team to a title.” I don’t want people to say that about me.

It’s no secret that not every NBA player prepares so hard in the summer. How do you deal with it when a teammate does not invest as much time and sweat as you during the summer for the common goal?

I know I’m not in an individual sport. If I were in track and field maybe I would have won something big by now. But I am not. I decided for a team sport and I always had more fun in a team. I tried the other way with tennis. That’s what makes it a challenge, playing away from your weaknesses or attacking those of your opponents. That’s what makes a team sport attractive. Finding a way to win despite your own weaknesses is important. But, sure it’s bitter sometimes when a teammate doesn’t invest the necessary time. The best example was Shawn Bradley. He would some times come to training camp and not had a ball in his hands for four months. But what can you do? There is no rule. Everyone needs to figure out for themselves how to stay fit.

Looking back, how do you see the acquisition of Jason Kidd for the second half of the 2007-08 season?
Well, we wanted a playmaker who had been around and already seen everything. I also hoped that Coach (Avery Johnson) would let him play his way, that we would play quicker and have more fun. But just the opposite happened. Avery pushed his style on Jason. It was tough throwing a guy like him into a system which he didn’t really like. How could Jason play his best in that system against the good teams from the West? It’s kind of funny though that Jason held his own defensively. He still has incredibly quick hands.

After losing in the playoffs against Golden State in 2007, everyone spoke of an accident. But a first round loss to the Hornets the next season brought talk of the Mavericks’ swan song. Has your championship window closed?
Good question. I hoped that new players would have brought a new wind into the team. After the loss I said Mark Cuban had the right to get rid of everybody and start all over again. That was construed that I wanted to leave the Mavericks. I was misunderstood. But now we are playing with the same team but just a different coach.

But the race for the playoffs will certainly not be easy this season. And last year you didn’t book your playoff ticket until the last minute …

The West is really tough. But that makes it exciting, that you have to go all out every night to win. Still, just reaching the playoffs cannot be our goal.

Looking down the road, would you be willing to be part of a rebuilding in Dallas in case it doesn’t work out for the playoffs with Jason Kidd?
Not even reaching the playoffs? I am too old for that now. And Mark Cuban and General Manager Donnie Nelson know that. I cannot imagine us making any moves which would cost us a spot in the playoffs. We still have a playoff-caliber team. And even if things absolutely do not work out with Kidd, I cannot imagine that we would drastically make the team younger as long as I’m in Dallas.

After the Olympics, your second dream is winning an NBA title. Can you imagine not doing that with the Mavericks – and maybe not as the go-to guy, but a role player?
Of course it would be more exciting to do it in Dallas and being the franchise player. The best thing would be me carrying the team to the title. But the other teams have gotten so strong, also through some unfair trades – Pau Gasol to Los Angeles and Kevin Garnett to Boston. Maybe I will see if it helps changing teams in like three years. Maybe it won’t be fun any more or I can’t keep up with the athleticism anymore. Maybe I will play in Europe again. I can imagine all of that. What Karl Malone did back then – heading to L.A. after all those years in Utah – yeah it was a little questionable. But when you want the championship so bad, then you can’t rule out a move like that.

Have you talked to other older players what it takes to become a champion?
No. I still believe to this day that we had everything we needed to win the title in 2006. Dwayne Wade just played out of his mind, hit threes and got every whistle. I still think we were the better team.

Maybe that was your only chance …
Well, if it didn’t work for me in the end … I saw an interesting interview with Charles Barkely. He was talking about his career and said he can’t blame himself because he always gave 100 percent. That’s how I see it. I have given my all for the last 10 years in Dallas. And if that’s not enough, I can’t do anything else. Then at 35, 36 – however long I can go – I can retire and say: “In the summer and winter I gave everything I had for my team.” Unfortunately not everybody can win. But I hope that I can still fulfill my dream in the future.

Are you scared at all about missing something else in life while you are chasing the title?
Basketball is still fun for me. I would rather be in the gym than anywhere else. That’s why I can’t set an age limit. If at the end of my contract I see that I’m not having fun, then I will retire. I am in a very good situation that I don’t have to worry about money and have to play until I’m 38 because I don’t have a financial cushion. If basketball ever becomes work – if I say: “I don’t want to practice or play games any more” – then I will quit. I don’t want to wake up one day, drink my coffee and say: “Okay, I’m going to work.” And one day I will have a family. But that is a full-time job. I see that with my sister, who has two kids now. You have to be there every day. And I will not be the kind of dad who says: “Mom, take care of it, I’m leaving.” I want to be involved and be there for the kids. But that’s the plan for the next stage of life. I don’t want to just go to the beach or play golf.

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The Boston Celtics: NBA Champions 2008. This season, the Celtics started as they ended last season: Winning! Some wondered if Garnett, Pierce, Ray Allen, Rajan Rondo et al would keep up the intensity and level of play after winning the title last year. The Celtics have already proved doubters wrong.
Rather than start the season slowly, the Celtics started off with 27 wins in 29 games, the best record for any NBA team with two losses. The prospect of Boston winning 70 games this season was raised, but stopped really fast after the team lost six games in a row. In late December, the sole Celtics weakness was revealed: insufficient support from the bench. This is probably the basis of Stephon Marbury-to-the-Celtics rumors.

Celtics Offense
The offensive play of the Celtics is just made for their “big four.” Overall, we found four main categories that work with/ for their stars: Early Offense; Dribble-Drive-Motion; Horns; and Post-Isolation.
We will show you with graphics how Doc Rivers wants his team to run the floor and what options they have to finish.  Of course this is just a glimpse into the complete Boston Celtics playbook, but it still provides a good overview.

Fastbreak and early offense
This season, 36 percent of all Celtics baskets are scored within the first 10 seconds of a play. While the Celts don’t play as much run-and-gun as, for example, the Golden State Warriors, who finish 46 percent of shots within the same time frame, but the Celtics still like to run a break whenever they have the chance.
Still, the Celtics – and particularly Allen – know about good shots and bad shots within the fast break.  Whenever Allen gets the chance during a break, he try to get open at the three-point line. Within the first ten seconds of play, Allen contributes 6.7 points while shooting 64.4 percent! Rondo (4.6 points, 59.6 percent) and Pierce (5.3 points, 56.1 percent) are also doing very well.
Whenever the C’s have no clear fast break option, the team chooses to play an early offense without taking their final position on the court. Advantage: The defending team’s possible confusion and unreadiness to guard every opening that comes up for the Celtics. This can subsequently lead to a one-on-one situation or an open three pointer which perfectly fits Garnett, Pierce and Allen.

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