Agent Zero Knowledge Slapped by Celtics
Agent Zero had to eat some crow Friday.
So much for Agent Zero’s guarantee that Washington would come into Boston Friday night and beat what he believes is an overrated Celtic lineup.
Gilbert Arenas was way off here, as Boston rode a 29-10 second-quarter run to a 20-point slaughter over Agent Zero’s Wizards.
Of course, Arenas didn’t exactly do much to back up his assertion, going just 5-for-20 from the field and missing all five of his attempts from beyond the arc. He turned the ball over four times against just three assists.
Arenas, among with many experts, believes that while Boston’s big three is an impressive core, the bench just won’t be deep enough to help the Celtics to enough wins. Well, minus the suspended James Posey on Friday, Boston’s bench managed 16 points, just two less than Washington’s reserves. If the Celtic bench can hang in there on most nights, their starters are strong enough to carry the rest of the load.
Kevin Garnett paid instant dividends, enjoying a 20-20 night with five assists, three steals and three blocks. And Paul Pierce did his thing, nailing 10-of-19 from the floor for 28 points. Ray Allen pitched in with a 5-for-10 shooting performance and drained all five of his free throw attempts for a 17-point night.
This afternoon, it was more of the same, as Boston took its act on the road and downed a solid Raptor team 98-95 in overtime. Today, it was Allen taking centre stage, canning seven treys, including the game winner with under three ticks on the clock, on his way to 33 points. Allen’s huge night took the pressure off with the Truth struggling to a 4-for-17 day (although he did pitch in with six assists, five rebounds and two steals). And KG? Give him another big double-double with 23 points and 13 boards to go along with six assists and three steals. Garnett was especially dominant in OT, scoring 10 points.
Posey was back in action today, and dazzled in his Celtic debut, nailing three three-pointers for 11 points, while Eddie House also reached double digits off the bench. Those were the only 21 points the Celtics managed from the second unit, but on this day, it was good enough to match a Raptor bench that is as deep as any in the NBA.
Okay, there’s no doubt that Boston is an injury away from exposing a serious lack of depth, but so far, so good ” the second unit is getting the job done, and the Big Three have the C’s off to a 2-0 start.
Is Boston the team to beat in the East? Well, let’s see how they fare against Chicago, Miami, Detroit and Cleveland before we jump to any conclusions. But so far, any concerns over this team’s lack of depth are unfounded.
1 Comment(s)
Comments RSS TrackBack Identifier URI
Leave a comment
[...] Re: NBA News/NBA Fantasy News 2006/2007 Turkish Delight Are we witnessing the emergence of a new fantasy stud right before our eyes? Have you had a chance to see what Hedo Turkoglu is accomplishing for the Magic through the season’s first five games? After Wednesday night’s 24 points, career-high 15 rebounds, six assists, a steal and a block that led Orlando past Toronto for a third straight road win, the Turkish star is enjoying a career year to date with 37 MPG, 44.4 percent from beyond the arc (12 made treys already), 7.6 RPG, 1.4 SPG, 4.6 APG and 20.8 PPG. By now, if he hasn’t been scooped off your wires – regardless of your league size – then assumedly at least three-quarters of your league is in a coma after a most unfortunate dog sledding accident. Or something like that. Turkoglu got plenty of extra PT last night (45 minutes) with both Dwight Howard and Rashard Lewis in some foul trouble. But obviously Hedo’s ankle wasn’t a factor. The point is Hedo is healthy, having shaken – for the time being – the mysterious ailment that would come and go and affected him and sapped him of his strength the past two years. As a result, he’s taken his game to the next level, and owners astute enough to draft him or grab him off the wires early are reaping the benefits. By winning in Toronto for the first time since December 21, 2003, the Magic, meanwhile, is 3-0 on the road for the first time in franchise history — pretty impressive for a team that limped through a 15-26 road record last season. There are lots of magical things are going on in Mickey’s Kingdom these days. Lewis continues to earn his big paycheck, going off for another 24 points last night. How about Keith Bogans? A double-double with 17 points and 11 boards. Two Orlando players in double figures in rebounds and neither one is named Dwight Howard? Now that’s a good sign. How about every starter in double figures in points, including Jameer Nelson, cleared to return from his concussion just before game time? Not too shabby. While we wonder if Turkoglu has truly turned the corner into an NBA star, let’s check in on the rest of the hardwood happenings on the Wednesday that was… As expected, there was no reason to be concerned after LeBron James put up a stinker in his season debut. He’s been playing exceptionally better since then, just missing a triple-double Tuesday, and bagging his first of the year last night with 32 points, 15 boards and 13 assists. It wasn’t enough to save the Cavs from going down in a tight contest against the Jazz, but with three steals, two blocks and a three-pointer thrown in for good measure, LBJ owners weren’t about to complain. Give the King 11 triple- doubles for his career, with plenty more on the way, especially the way he’s rolling now.You think Kevin Garnett is feeling the pressure of being the Celtics’ savior so far? After another huge effort last night, he’s now racked up at least 22 points, 13 rebounds, five assists and three steals in every game this season. After last night’s dismantling of the Nuggets, Boston is 3-0. Of course, KG had ample assistance from the C’s other two studs, Paul Pierce (26 points, five boards, five assists, five steals) and Ray Allen (22 points, six assists, two steals, three treys). As I mentioned a few days ago, if Boston’s bench can stay close to its opponents’ reserves, these three are capable of taking care of business night in and night out.Steve Nash had one of those glorious fantasy nights, canning seven three-pointers and sinking 12-of-19 overall for 34 points with 11 assists and five boards, but it wasn’t good enough to propel the Suns past an improving Atlanta squad. The six turnovers from Captain Canada were an eyesore, and he’s averaging a career-worst 4.6 fumbles per game through five contests. On the flipside, the 33-year-old somehow continues to improve, averaging a career-best 22.2 PPG and 4.4 RPG in the early going. But how about his shooting? Nash is draining 55.4 percent from the floor, 54.5 percent from behind the arc and he has yet to miss from the free-throw line, going a perfect 17-for-17 so far. Lights out, baby. Injury Report Amare Stoudemire’s swollen knee has cost him three games now, but he says he’s feeling good and improving every day. He’s hoping to practice today and return to action Friday. Let’s not get too worried yet, but even if I’m in a daily league, I’m probably going to wait and see on this one. By the weekend, he’ll have a clear idea whether Stat is ready to roll for next week’s action. Tip-ins: Tyson Chandler got the heave-ho last night after moaning about a foul not being called. David West, off to a great start, picked up the slack for the Hornets, pouring in a career-best 34 points and hauling down 18 boards…Sam I Am proved he’s got plenty left, sinking 13-of-20 from the floor for 35 points to go along with eight dimes as the Clippers remained undefeated – one of the bigger surprises in the NBA so far. Cassell’s been middling so far, so don’t get too excited…The Big Z is rolling, earning his fourth double-double in five tries so far. After a down season, Ilgauskas lasted fairly long in most drafts this year, but those who plucked him are sitting pretty so far…AK-47 got into some foul trouble Wednesday, opening the door for Paul Millsap to enjoy a huge game off the bench (24 points, five boards, five steals and a block). Should Kirilenko get hurt, traded or start sobbing uncontrollably, Millsap will suddenly be one valuable dude…Dwyane Wade remains day-to-day with his shoulder, saying the wing is improving every day, but is not quite where it needs to be…Cuttino Mobley, just promoted back into the starting five, went down with an injured groin last night. He’s expected to miss a week or more, and last night it was Dan Dickau who saw extra PT in his place. Assuming Brevin Knight can recover from his back injury that sidelined him Wednesday, he should benefit greatly from Mobley’s absence…Boston built a 77-38 halftime lead, shooting 72 percent from the floor in the process. At one point, the Celtics lead 91-50. Allen can’t miss since joining the C’s, shooting 63 percent from the floor through three games…Although it seems so, all is not perfect in Beantown; swingman James Posey, expected to play a key role off the sparse Boston bench, left early last night with back spasms. He’s scheduled to have an MRI today…Lamar Odom is expected to return to action Friday, and his presence should bump either Luke Walton or Ronny Turiaf to the bench…Gilbert Arenas, who had his knee drained Wednesday for the second time in two months, is expected to play Thursday…Raymond Felton (knee) was out Wednesday, and could miss Friday’s game as well, meaning Jeff McInnis will likely get another start. Derek Anderson, however, took on the role of the main ball distributor last night…Nene, having a hard time staying on the court lately because of foul trouble, hurt his thumb last night, making an early exit. X-rays were negative, but he’s headed for an MRI today. Keep an eye on Eduardo Najera, given how injury prone K-Mart and Nene are…Are you ready for a huge breakout season by Marvin Williams? Last night’s 20 points, 12 boards, three assists and a steal sure was a nice sign…Devin Harris (thigh) is likely to return to action tonight, but Josh Howard (ankle) will probably sit. [...]