Paul Pierce Update: The news may not be good for Boston's Paul Pierce. When Pierce went down in agony grabbing his right knee in the third quarter last night, everyone had the same thought.
"A guy grabs his knee, you know, there's no good thoughts," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "Honestly I thought the worst. When they carried Paul off -- I've had the injury, I've seen it -- I just assumed it was the knee."
"I thought that was it," Pierce said. "You know, I think God just sent this angel down and said, 'Hey, you're going to be all right. You need to get back out there. Show them what you've got.' "
Pierce did get out there, to the amazement of anyone who saw how he left the floor being carried by teammates and then put in a wheelchair for the ride back to the lockerroom. No one expected him back, but the Celtics gamely held on. Then he came back.
"You just heard the roar of the crowd," Kevin Garnett said. "He was walking, he was up on his own strength, and he rejuvenated us, I think to the point where he gave everybody life."
But, Pierce's fantastic performance in Game 1 might be a short-lived one. After the game he was asked about the knee, and what it might mean for the series. With the adrenaline wearing off, Pierce was in a slightly different frame of mind.
"We'll see," he said. "I mean, it's in pain. I was able to get through tonight. I don't know if it was off adrenaline or what, but got through it."
ESPN's Chris Sheridan watched Pierce walk to his car after the game, taking baby steps with his knee wrapped in bandages and presumably ice, in obvious pain. Today is a new day, but many of us know what the day after a knee or ankle injury is like. It's quite likely Pierce will have serious trouble being ready for Game 2, at the minimum. He will want to, and he will give it his best effort, but reality may have other plans.
And if Pierce can't play, that's not good for Boston.
****Jessica Camerato has an update****
Rudy! Rudy! Rudy! Rudy Fernandez has made up his mind and will be coming to the Portland Trail Blazers for the 2008-09 season. This has huge implications for the Blazers, who feel that at some point during the upcoming season - if not the beginning - Fernandez will be a starter. The question now becomes how does he fit and where? Does All-Star Brandon Roy move to the point guard position and can he do it for 35+ minutes a night? Does Rudy play the three instead?
With this decision it's likely James Jones will not be back with the Blazers. Jones holds a player option for 2008-09 but was waiting to decide in part to see if Fernandez would be coming. Fernandez's presence means less minutes for Jones anyway, as well as probably Martell Webster and maybe even Travis Outlaw.
The question becomes now, if Fernandez does become a starter, how long does it take a team expecting to make the playoffs to get acclimated to two new starters? Remember, Greg Oden will be the new center as well. That's a lot of change - positive change - and will impact how this team starts the 08-09 season. Yes, it's all in how you finish, but the beginning is important.
Garnett Gets Video Game: 2K Sports Announced just last evening Boston's Kevin Garnett would be the featured cover player for their franchise NBA game, NBA 2K9. Last season's cover hero was New Orleans' Chris Paul. Paul went on to have one of the most statistically dominating seasons in NBA history, averaging 21.1 points, 11.6 assists, 2.71 steals and 4.0 rebounds against only 2.51 turnovers a night.
His playoff numbers were even better at 24.1, 11.3, 2.33, 4.9 and 1.83, respectively.
Garnett is excited.
"NBA 2K is where it's AT! End of story," said Garnett. "It's the game I play, the game my friends play, and the game anyone in the league serious about videogames plays. NBA 2K is the real deal, and until 2K Sports find a way to plant an elbow in your chest, it's the closest thing to actually being there on the court. I can't tell you how pumped I am to be on the cover of NBA 2K9 – it's a real honor. Now watch out! Because this fall 2K Sports and I are going to deliver the best basketball video game out there, period."
2K Sports had plenty of reason to choose Boston's emotional leader.
"Kevin Garnett is one of the most popular and skilled players in the NBA today, and he represents everything we love about basketball. He's a charismatic leader who is truly passionate about the game, and plays his heart out every time he steps on the court," said Christoph Hartmann, president of 2K. "With KG's ongoing support and invaluable input during the development process of NBA 2K9, dedicated 2K Sports fans will be treated to a host of exciting new gameplay features and upgrades this year for an even deeper and more realistic basketball experience than ever before."
NBA 2K8, with Paul, was available for the Sony PS2, PS3 and Xbox 360 platforms and 2K Sports plans on keeping with those platforms for the 2K9 release. The game will be available this fall, with no specific date yet announced.
Previous cover performers have been Allen Iverson (2K, 2K1, 2K2, 2K3, ESPN Basketball), Ben Wallace (ESPN 2K5), Shaquille O'Neal (2K6, 2K7) and Paul (2K8).
Some information courtesy of 2K Sports.
Sense of Reason From New York: Is the resolve to be under the cap for LeBron James or Dwyane Wade in 2010 cracking just a tad? Words out of Gotham is perhaps it's not necessarily a great idea to put all their eggs in the LeBron James basket and maybe it would be better to hedge on a player or two that may be more attainable.
Hear that? It's logic clicking. Obviously there is a chance James or one of the other free agent stars of 2010 would consider changing teams, but what's the true likelihood of James leaving a team willing to do anything for him that just happens to be in his hometown? Pretty slim. New York obviously has its appeal, but James is big enough he doesn't need to be there to be a global icon, as is clear with how popular Nike has already made him in China.
And on the list of megastars who could change teams in the prime of their careers, how many of them have actually done it? Very, very few.
Remember, in the end, Cleveland can pay him more than anyone else – and they won't be very helpful in a sign-and-trade scenario. It's similar to the discussion earlier this season about what the cost would have been for a team like Chicago to acquire Kobe Bryant. After the team gave up the talent needed to make it worthwhile for the other team, what's left to put with the superstar? Not a whole heck of a lot.
