Let's Get Technical

(Keith Allison)


By: Greg Payne

My alarm failed to go off today. Ugh. I cannot tell you how much it bothers me when this happens. Needless to say, if my waking up this morning was actually an NBA basketball game, I would have surely received a technical foul for my curse-filled outburst when I finally read the clock. It's one thing to sleep through your alarm as it's blaring in your ear, but it's an entirely different matter when your alarm seemingly shuts off on you. I hope this isn't like the beginning chapters of those 'Terminator' movies where the machines slowly start to try and take over...

ANYWAY.

Technical fouls. We love them. We hate them. Sometimes they make a game and sometimes they break a game. I'm sure we all have our own personal set of guidelines as to when they're acceptable and when they are not. For example, I'm more or less okay with my guy getting a tech, unless we're in the midst of a ferocious comeback during a critically important game and the last thing we need to be doing is handing the opposition points.

But for the most part, I don't mind my players showing a little bit of emotion. Instant replay sometimes squashes any argument the players might have, but when even the cameras say Kendrick Perkins didn't touch that guy, I'll essentially live with Perk walking over to Dick Bavetta and telling it like it is (scowl and all, of course).

Now, how many technicals is too many? Should we all collectively come up with some sacred number that the Celtics should not cross? According to NBAstuffer.com, the Celtics led the league in regular-season technical fouls with a whopping 113 (This number seems somewhat high to me, I will admit. But I'll roll with it for now) last year. Mind you, that's without Rasheed Wallace and with Kevin Garnett missing almost half the season.

Needless to say, Perk played a pivotal role in racking up those numbers. For those who forget, Perk had eight T's within the first 15 games of the season, but managed to tone it down as he finished with 12 for the entire year.

Now think about Wallace being involved, who racked up 19 of his own last year and Kevin Garnett,who is always sure to let his voice be heard, making a return. Factor in Pierce who tallied seven last year and it's safe to say that as Rajon Rondo continues to develop more of a voice out there in terms of referee reprimanding, he will improve on his respectable four from last season.

Since I still feel like 113 is far too high and did some basic math on NBA.com and was only at 38 through eight players on the roster, I'm going to set my own number at 80. Every player who sees significant minutes is almost guaranteed to pick up a tech at least once throughout the course of the season, while others are somewhat more adamant when it comes to vocalizing their personal opinions in the face of an official.

I'll leave my number at 80. What say you?

Oh yeah, I won't lie: I'm secretly stoked to see Rasheed Wallace tear apart a referee for the first time in a Celtics uniform. But...not so stoked for the 25th time...

Update: Randy from D.C. was kind enough to send me an e-mail and by his count, 12 players on last year's team were assessed technical fouls for a total of 48.

With that in mind, I think I'll drop my projected number to 58.