NBA Notes: Thoughts from Opening Night

Celtics PA announcer Eddie Palladino is officially the frontrunner for the hardest working PA man in the league award. The fact that his voice cracked only twice in introducing the 2008 Champions is a remarkable feat--those who witnessed the vocally grueling announcement know what we're talking about.

Lebron James hasn't skipped a beat defensively since Beijing, swatting a Ray Allen layup early in the first quarter.

After the emotional buildup of the ring ceremony, the Celts' shooting is stone cold: 2/10 from the field and 0/3 from long range to start the game.

Newcomer Alert: Cavaliers free agent Mo Williams, who came over from the Bucks in the offseason, will provide Lebron with some scoring relief, as he averaged over 17ppg in 07-08. How he jives with fellow shoot-first point guard Delonte West remains to be seen. Wally Szczerbiak or Daniel Gibson could very well crack the starting rotation if the experiment fails.


1Q Verdict: Cavaliers look sloppy on offense. Delonte West and Anderson Varejao each turned the ball over in the team's final possessions. The Celtics got a big boost off the bench from energy man Leon Powe. Side note: Look for rookie Bill Walker to be this year's Powe if he gets off the bench. Momentum Arrow: Celtics

-------End of First Quarter: CLE 28, BOS 22----------

1996 called, they want Lorenzen Wright back.

(Joke's on us, he made a nice tip in just moments after coming off the bench.)

He's a brick.........House.
Eddie's 0/4 from behind the arc and there's no sign of slowing him down.

Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett may be quiet but the Celtics' role players are carrying them right now. Glen Davis, Leon Powe, and Rajon Rondo have all chipped in to keep them within 10-13.

Role Reversal: 5 Cavaliers have contributed 5 or more points as of the 31st minute. Meanwhile, Paul Pierce is playing he-man in trying to keep the celtics from slipping too far while Ray Allen and Kendrick Perkins remain scoreless. Update: Allen is on the board, hitting a 20-footer with 1:50 left in the half.

2Q Verdict: This is clearly an early-season game. Neither team is close to midseason form, with poor shooting and sloppy passing as Exhibits A and B. Momentum Arrow: Even


---------End of Half: CLE 50, BOS 43-----------

The Celtics came out hot from the locker room. Allen and Pierce both knocked down threes to help the team to an 8-2 start.

Rondo looks as good as ever attacking the hoop, whether or not he should be doing it. Doc Rivers is thanking his lucky stars that he hasn't gotten injured after getting knocked down hard twice by Ben Wallace.

Role Reversal Update: Order seems to be restored: Lebron is now carrying the suddenly hapless Cavs and the Celtics are spreading the ball. Looks like the sky isn't falling after all.

Paul Pierce trimmed down this offseason and it is showing. He looks as fluid as ever and has 24 pts on 9/14 shooting. One player who could benefit from a similar regimen is Carmelo Anthony.

Boston ended the quarter on an 8-0 run. Momentum Arrow: Celtics

---------End of 3rd Quarter: BOS 67, CLE 63---------

Cleveland is shooting 42.9% from the field as a team. Zydrunas Ilgauskas is 7/8 on free throws but his high percentage is the lone bright spot in the Cavs' offense.

Lebron has settled for bad shots and his numbers have shown it (16pts). His teammates need to get him the ball more around the basket.

Leon Powe. Dunk. Over Sasha Pavlovic.

The Celtics bench may be one of the most stout groups in the league, between Powe, Glen Davis, and Eddie House. They don't have a lot of height but they make up for it in power.

The Cavs kept pace with the Celtics in the 4th quarter, but they couldn't seem to get any traction as far as eliminating the lead.

Closing Words: The Celtics struggled to get into an offensive rhythm early, but with some solid team defense they kept the Cavs at bay, holding them to a very modest 85 points. Paul Pierce carried the team perhaps more than Doc Rivers would have liked but the supporting cast did just enough to win. Ray Allen needs to find more ways to get involved, especially if his shooting isn't what it used to be. 1 assist in more than 40 minutes doesn't cut it when you shoot 2/9 from the floor with four turnovers. He still "got game" but he will need to adapt to fit his new role on the team.

The Cavs need to figure out a lineup that best helps Lebron out without losing scoring. Tonight's starting five (James, Wallace, Ilgauskas, West, and Williams) doesn't appear to be the answer, simply because they don't compliment each other.

The Report proposes a group of James, Varejao, Ilgauskas, Williams, and either Daniel Gibson or Sasha Pavlovic. Whether Wallace or Varejao starts doesn't really matter, as long as Varejao gets the lion's share of minutes. The only requirement is that Williams and West can't be on the floor for much time together. They are just too alike, and they need someone like Gibson to distribute the ball. Pavlovic would come in handy to keep the opposing defense honest from long range, but he is more of an off guard than a point.

--------Final Score: BOS 90, CLE 85---------