Observations on beating the Celtics

Given my well-known animus for the Celtics, this win is specially gratifying.

The Celtics have shiny stars for public consumption who are reinforced by a thuggish bench. Don't let anyone fool you in to believing this game means the Knicks are becoming an elite team but neither does it mean that the Celtics didn't want the win. They did and their second string players are as good and far rougher than many NBA teams.

The Knicks did well to win. Let's dig into some of the details.

First, the Celtics have been out to humiliate Galinari for the past two games. The Celtics announcers continue to hang D'Antoni's "best shooter" remark around Gallo's neck and took great pleasure in Gallo's early misses. By the third quarter, with Gallo getting to the line and sinking threes, they STFU.

On the court, both Pierce and Rondo took particular pleasure in physically intimidating Gallinari as if to question his NBA cajones.

While Gallo's offense was a welcome awakening, the truth of the matter is that Gallo is very raw. He is overly sensitive about calls and has an almost childish demeanor when hopelessly complaining. Gallo's scoring was his best reaction to Pierce, Rondo, and Daniels. But the idea that a whiny court demeanor will project well as a floor leader is dubious.

But Knicks fans getting too carried away with the offensive stats need to acknowledge that Gallinari was pathetically inadequate defensively. He got beat repeatedly and awkwardly on a number of occasions. He is two or three years away from being a high-quality player on defense. And even that depends on whether or not he can improve his quickness.

The second player worth mentioning is David Lee. The man is rock solid. At the very beginning of the second half, surrounded by three Celtics, Lee somehow manages to come away with the rebound. He is amazingly always around the ball.

For all of the talk about signing a second FA this summer, Lee remains the most unappreciated and underestimated talent in the league. When this game's stats are analyzed, remember that Lee's numbers came against Perkins, Big Baby, and Rasheed Wallace. Don't even begin to talk to me about inflated numbers for Lee. He makes this team go and his pick and roll [with Duhon] repeatedly paralyzed the Celts.

Nate Robinson was a dynamo last night. He had a very, very impressive performance with one troubling caveat. Marquis Daniels totally owned Nate when going to the basket. In any game where the Knicks have a lead, Nate will be a weak-link defensive match-up. Size simply matters.

Finally, Jeffries, though unspectacular, is becoming a lunch-pail warrior for the Knicks. He beings an array of intangible, disruptive defensive tools to the game. He alters shots and passes, rebounds, and uses his length to force turnovers. Knicks fans obsessed with his contract should open their eyes a crack to witness a comeback story in the making.