Column contributor Irwin Sirotta wants Knicks coach Mike D’An toni to know how greatly indebted the Celtics and their faithful are to him for his overly generous contribution.
“First Rajon Rondo, then Nate Robinson, Thanks, Mike,” memos Boston’s biased.
Robinson’s constructive impact — 13 points in the second quarter of a game already decided — figures to be momentary; the crack of dawn allocated by Celtics coach Doc Rivers will never be large enough to give the clown on a tricycle the chance to exhibit his Knick-Knack specialty of winning it for either side.
As for the Celtics’ leader, recently ordained publicly by influential teammates, he needs to change his name to Ron-Dough — and not just because a freshly-minted $54 million, five-year extension kicks in next season.
Ron-Dough is money, money, money, mon-ney, guaranteed not to rust, bust or collect dust — the pressure point on defense (nobody’s better on and off the ball) and offense that rewires, recharges and reboots the Celtics.
Think of the poetic justice a Celtics-Suns series would’ve presented — Ron-Dough’s opportunity to face the team that drafted him — had Kobe Bryant, every bit as unstoppable as Michael Jordan was during his championship prime, not demolished Phoenix with 37 pulsating points in last night’s 111-103 closeout to propel the Lakers to the Finals plateau for the 31st time.
For those who’ve forgotten, the Kentucky sophomore was selected No. 21, overall, June 28, 2006, by the Suns. An hour or so afterward, Phoenix traded him to Boston with Brian Grant for a No. 1 pick in 2007.
At the risk of repeating something I’ve probably written before, D’Antoni was behind the Suns’ fleeting glance at Ron-Dough. No sooner had they drafted him than D’Antoni proclaimed it was unlikely he would use him, because “he can’t shoot.”
So, rather than keep a guy the coach already was down on, someone who was assured of banking $1.5M or so for two or three years, owner Robert Sarver ordered his staff to find Ron-Dough a new home.
“There is a herd mentality in all of the professional leagues because so few people have an eye for the game and for talent,” underlined a friend of mine who played and coached college and is presently an athletic director for a designer institution.
“I agree with D’Antoni that Rondo was a poor shooter at that time, but his other gifts were evident. I believe someone once said of Churchill, ‘His flaws were immediately apparent, but his virtues became evident over time.’ There is nothing slow about Rondo or the emergence of his virtues!
“Not that I plan to get my buns in an uproar this holiday weekend, but I’d just like a rational explanation.”
How does Orlando — coming off a stellar summer-stalling win two nights earlier — allow itself to get left at the lurch in Game 6 by a team whose mental and physical states qualified for ObamaCare?
Boston, which Paul Pierce readily volunteered after mauling the Magic, in no way wanted to flotilla to Florida, ran off 16 of the first quarter’s final 21 points after the game was tied at 14.
Once again, the bulk of Orlando’s characters came up Mickey Mouse. Rashard Lewis went 3-for-11 and wound up shooting 34 percent for the series (17 percent from deep) while averaging 8.2 points.
“His best move during the playoffs was inbounding the ball after an opponent scored,” noted column contributor Sal Fratino.
Jameer Nelson went from 24 points in 30 minutes in Game 5 to 11 in 32 in Game 6, with nary a trip to the welfare line.
Vince Carter checked in at 36 percent from the field (21 from afar) and settled way too often (24 free throws) on jumpers.
By contrast, Pierce invited and welcomed contact (56 foul shots). His finishing, terminating touch — 44 minutes, 31 points, 13 rebounds and five assists — contained more crooked numbers than UConn men’s basketball recruiting handbook.
Bad enough the Celtics won the series 4-2, but they also beat the Magic 4-0 in concussions.
Talk about being muddled in the morass. After losing in The Finals last season, general manager Otis Smith felt it would be detrimental to the team to sit still and rest on success. So, a couple of top shelves were restocked; Hedo Turkoglu and Courtney Lee were replaced by Carter, Ryan Anderson and Brandon Bass.
Now, what? How are the Magic supposed to reload when handcuffed by indisposable contracts belonging to Lewis ($63M over the next four seasons) and Carter ($17M/$18.3M).
Shouldn’t Kiki Vandeweghe get a piece of what the Nets saved as part of his golden parachute?
What’s more, how can ownership afford to re-sign free agent J.J. Redick?
I take that back! How can Rich DeVos afford not to overpay Redick despite already being well above ($80.4M) the luxury tax for next season?
Still bitter 76ers fan Richie Kalikow, while watching Doug Collins’ press conference, couldn’t help but think, “Hey, that guy still owes me one from 1978!”
Column contributor Dino DiPietro discloses Jay-Z’s new favorite drink: White Russian.
This just in: The governor of Arizona called to say there was no way she’d have allowed Ron Artest in the paint.