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Celtics Player Review: Scot Pollard

I had high hopes for Scot Pollard coming into the 2007-2008 season. I figured Pollard, penciled in as the No. 2 center behind Kendrick Perkins, would see an increase in playing time from the previous season. As soon as the season really got going, though, I found out that Pollard just isn’t that good.

Pollard came off the bench very rarely (he played 22 games total), and when he did, it was because the Celtics had all their big man plagued with injury or in foul trouble. He did provide the occasional rebound or blocked shot, which was helpful. But…his contributions were really meaningless. How so?

With or without Pollard, the Celtics would’ve won 66 games in the regular season, gone seven games in the playoffs against the Hawks and Cavs, and gone six games with the Pistons and Lakers before winning the NBA title. He was just along for the ride.

I had a few things down pat with Pollard though. In my preview (written Sept. 1, 2007), I said Pollard would have a Kevin Millar-like effect on the Celtics.

Pollard will bring a Kevin Millar-type persona to the locker room and should be a quote-machine all year long for the press.

Pollard brought his eccentric personality to TV as well, hosting a show on Comcast Sports Net called “Planet Pollard.” Every week, Pollard would introduce really different things each show. One time he played guest chef at a local restuarant. In another episode, he skated on the frog pond at Boston Common.

Stat Comparisons: Preview vs. Actual

Preview:

Player	MIN	PPG	RPG	APG	BPG
Scot Pollard	14	3.0	4.5	.75	.75

Actual:

Player	MIN	PPG	RPG	APG	BPG
Scot Pollard	7.9	1.8	1.6	.1	.3

Final Thoughts:

Scot Pollard was a goof ball but fun to have around the team. If there’s a roster spot for him (say as the No. 15 guy), he’s worth keeping around at the veteran minimum ($1 million). It also helps that he’s 6’11″ because big guys who can give you minutes come at a premium. He’ll always have a job in NBA with that size if he wants to play.

Tags: Celtics, Scot Pollard

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