Big Baby Adds Drama to Boston Celtics First Half
During the All-Star Break there will be plenty of places to read progress reports on the Celtics first half. Grades will be given to the players and staff, criticisms on the inability to hold onto leads, and predictions will fill pages and airwaves. You can even look forward to that kind of coverage on The 12th Man.
So today I am choosing to focus on the lighter side of the Celtics season thus far. Let's talk Big Baby.
Glen “Big Baby” Davis became a well-liked player during the Celtics Championship run of 2007. He was a dopey looking kid who was built more like a starting pitcher than a basketball forward. But he played with hustle and last year his status leaped when he hit a game-winning shot against Orlando in the playoffs.
Throughout that series he played well filling in for an injured Kevin Garnett. During the playoff run Baby averaged 15.8 points while playing 36 minutes a game. This kind of production earned Baby a two-year contract worth about three million a year.
Fresh off that contract that included weight-based incentives, Big Baby went and broke his thumb during a fight … with a friend … at 3 a.m. … shirtless … in his car. The Celtics did a good job of sliding this under the rug, choosing not to suspend Davis.
Since his return on Christmas Day, Davis has come back to earth and is again near his career average. In 21 games this season, he averages 5.6 points, 4 rebounds and 2 personal fouls in about 16 minutes on the floor. I cannot confirm his weight per game.
It is easy to pick on Davis' weight because it is easy to pick on Big Baby, period.
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